Downtown Disney

Before we checked into our resort, we did some exploring in Downtown Disney. There's plenty to do there, so if you have a down day it's a great place to head. It was also where hubby and I spent our evenings once the kids went to bed. Ahh, the benefits of having Grandparents with us :) Our resort was actually walking distance (we didn't try) or accessible by boat or bus. Since we arrived at Disney before check in, it was a perfect place to officially start our vacation.

I had made reservations at the T-Rex Restaurant for lunch. Both my kids LOVE animals, especially dinosaurs. It all sounded ideal until the little guy threw a tantrum that rivaled all tantrums. Hubby never really got to eat his lunch. Our meal felt chaotic as we were taking turns running after our kids who wanted to see all the life size animatronic creatures. The animals were supposed to keep our kids occupied, which they did. They just wanted to see the animals so much that they didn't want to sit still and eat.

Looking back, it was probably a bad idea to expect well behaved kids while having lunch out. They had been so good for 12 hours in the car the day before, and 3 hours that morning. It was only a matter of time before one of them was going to lose it.

After lunch got cut short, we tried to remember that we were on vacation and that we were there for our kids. Fortunately, we were steps away from a huge Lego store with some pretty amazing displays and interactive stations to engage our kiddos.

Disney Road Tripping

Part I

In late September of this year, our family took the longest road trip we've taken to date. Equipped with a hand me down hard top car carrier, a set of Grandparents, two sleepy kids, dunkin donuts munchkins, and starbucks pumpkin spice lattes, we headed off for Walt Disney World at 6am. My months and months of neurotic planning would finally see the light of day.

I have to admit, the road trip seemed long on paper. Many people raised their eyebrows at me when I told them we were driving 15 hours each way. Family vacations and cars don't seem to go hand in hand these days. But we were determined to kick it old school and we also saved a substantial amount of money by doing so. Our kids were great in the car (dvd player) and it afforded my husband and I a lot of talking time that we don't normally get everyday. I've always enjoyed going through different states and being able to explore new things here and there.

My Mom was awake for maybe an hour of the trip (seriously) and my Dad kept the kids busy and tended to their needs from the back seats. We stopped every 4 hours for potty breaks and to stretch and eat leisurely. This helped with keeping the kids calm. Surprisingly, we made it to Florida the same day and retired in Jacksonville, Florida before heading off to Disney the next morning. Had it not been for reservations in Jacksonville, we probably would've driven straight to Orlando the same day. I say "we" but my husband did ALL of the driving.

We stayed at the Saratoga Springs Resort in a very spacious two bedroom villa. We had a fully equipped kitchen, washer and dryer, bedrooms on opposite sides of the villa (both my parents are LOUD sleepers), living space, and two separate bathrooms. Because we were a family of six, the extra space was a necessity. For the same price package, we were offered a one room at the Grand Floridian (apparently this is their top resort in terms of price and luxury) but I couldn't figure out how we could possibly be comfortable. And like I said before, my parents are LOUD sleepers.

I have to admit that this resort wasn't our first choice. We had our hearts set on staying in a villa at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, but they were all sold out at the special rate we were being offered. They did offer us their top villa, but at a substantially higher price. To compensate for the price, they offered us a "free" dining plan and a photo album. When "free" means you are almost doubling the cost of your vacation package, free is too much. And no, a photo album isn't going to make me change my mind.

Because we had a fully equipped kitchen (pots, pans, dishes, you name it) we opted not to get a dining plan. When I crunched the numbers, it didn't make sense for us. The money we didn't spend on dining plans also allowed us to stay in a nicer resort. We also went while it was still oppressively hot during the day which I find tends to curb your appetite.

After the kids settled into bed, hubby and I trekked out to the local grocery store to pick up food for the week. We spent just under $200 and this included wine and beer (available in grocery stores in Florida). If you don't have a car, some of the resorts have mini grocery stores. Even though everything is marked up, paying 20 bucks for a frozen pizza is still cheaper than dinner for 6 at a sit down restaurant or even their self serves.

Breakfast is one of those meals that I don't like spending a lot of money for. My kids and husband are happy with cereal and I with coffee. My parents typically don't eat breakfast. It was also nice to eat at our own leisurely pace before deciding when to head out to the parks, which by the way allow you to pack food into. I froze capri sun juice packs and bottled water (capri suns freeze and defrost better than juice boxes) and packed us sandwiches for lunch. The frozen drinks kept the sandwiches from spoiling in the heat, and were nice and cold for thirst quenching. It seemed that you could bring just about anything into the parks except for glass bottles and booze. We did this just about everyday, buying only the occasional quick service beverage or snack here and there.

There were several pools at our resort, but we kept to the one closest to our villa, which also happened to be the most kid friendly. I'd like to think that was good planning on Disney's part :) Something about being at the pool and ordering adult beverages really makes you feel like you're on vacation. Buses to and from the parks were super efficient. As for other activities, we never got around to using the spa, playing golf, or renting a family bike. We did spend an afternoon in the kids crafting room while we let my parents explore Downtown Disney on their own. Between the pool and 4 days at the park, we were fully occupied. Perhaps next time, we'll add a few extra days to just mellow out at the resort.

All in all, I enjoyed our road trip and we would definitely (1) drive to Disney again and (2) stay at the same resort again. That being said, there are so many options at Disney, I think we'd like to explore a new resort next time.

Things I learned:

• Give yourself enough time to get to a destination. Nice long breaks are necessary with small children.
• Grandparents need just as many bathroom breaks as kids.
• My Mom snores more than I thought.
• My husband is a driving machine.
• Disney has so many options and everyone will have an opinion on where you should stay. Not every resort will work for you and your family.
• While having a car made it convenient to get to the parks whenever we wanted, you still have to take transportation from the parking lot to the parks. Disney buses take you right to the park entrance.
• We went back and forth about whether or not to stay on Disney property. It did cost more but the added Disney touches really made the stay extra special for our little girl.