The Love for Disney: Chapter 2- Into The Unknown

Photo with Mickey!

Let me tell you, you think that after doing Disney you will be good for a few years, but it seems like only a few months after you are itching to go back. It felt like forever after our 2022 trip, and the excitement builds so much throughout the year! As we began planning our 2023 trip, we wanted to try a different resort. We also wanted to add park and a few more experiences for the kiddos. We planned to go in January (Jan, Feb, and Sept are the best months for price), and we decided that a few of the experiences we would do would be considered Christmas presents to help offset Christmas & travel budgets. This trip, I also made it my goal to conquer the parks we were attending. Now, I have to be honest, it does cost a little more to "conquer" the parks, but it was so worth it, because skipping long lines makes everyone happy. Don't lie to yourself; you know it does.

If I didn't mention in my first post why we stay at the resort, I'll do so now. The resorts are fun. The pools are amazing, the kiddos love the water slides, and I love early entry! I mean, at Hollywood Studios alone, you can rock two rides out before any other guests get in. Or ride Millennium Falcon twice so you can rotate who gets to pull the hyperspace lever. Early entry is so awesome, and we love everything about it. Now the next step for us was figuring out Genie Plus and Lightning Lane. In 2023, you had to wake up at like 6 a.m. and start booking rides, but now if you stay at the resort, you get 7 days to book everything, which is much less hectic. Genie Plus can be pricey, but if you can fit it into your budget, I would go for it; it's such a time saver. There are tons of YouTube videos on how to use it, but it is pretty straightforward.

With our deep dive into Disney and all it has to offer, we realized you could build droids and lightsabers at Hollywood Studios, and our girls could get all done up at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. These experiences were so epic! The kiddos loved every minute of them. Disney does really well at having the right people doing the right jobs, and they go all in with the experiences, not many shortcuts. When we went the first time, we were really unaware of these experiences. Well worth every moment in our minds. Since we did Bibbidi, we decided to eat at Cinderella's castle that evening. It really was the best way to wrap up the princess experience!

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique with the girls!

Now, this did add cost to our trip (but again counteracted our Christmas budget since they were gifts), along with the extra park day and all that came with going to Epcot. By the way, Epcot is awesome for foodies, and it hands down has the greatest roller coaster in the world (bias) with Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Epcot took snacking to a whole new level. We had so much fun sharing and trying different food items from all the different countries. Well worth it! Plus, they have been upping their ride game over the past few years. This past year, we went to the Food and Wine Festival. If you get a chance, check out the post we made. Epcot Food and Wine Festival

Norway Snacking!

Alright, time to get back to the nitty-gritty. We ended up trying a moderate resort, and that was Caribbean Beach. This resort is amazing! I hate to say it, but I would stay here over Polynesian—maybe I don't hate to say it. It offers great amenities, a great pool, and some good eats. And of course, my favorite thing of all...the Skyliner! Yes, the Skyliner is epic; you can get to Hollywood Studios and Epcot with no problems. Honestly, I would choose any resort that uses the Skyliner because it is so convenient. Anyway, we ended up staying from Sunday to Thursday. We decided to save money by doing Epcot on our check-out day because you can remain parked in the resort. All we had to do was bounce out and use Hotwire to find a great hotel deal for post-Epcot. We stuck to our same breakfast rules and lunch/snacking rules which you can check out in Chapter 1. All in, we spent just over $7,000. This also included a hotel on the way down Saturday. What is even crazier is that if you'd chosen not to do the experiences, it would have been under $7k! Point being, Disney is doable. That was with staying at a moderate resort as well.

Disney will offer deals throughout the year, and you have to be on the lookout. Our total for the trip also reflects 6 people. If you have a smaller family, your trip total could come in a reasonable amount less. I love to remind people that the magic is in the parks; find the resort that works where you can rest your head and have a fun day off, but you are there to enjoy the days at the parks. It is doable; just sit down and plan it all out

Get ready for chapter 3!

Disney Dad Out!