{ Disney } Vacation Prep- Part 2

 

 

…Annd we’re back for part 2 of how my family and I got ready for our super fun trip to Walt Disney World this past July.

By the way here’s where you can find Disney Vacation Prep- Part 1, in case you missed it.

So I just talked about trying to stay on property and how magical that is. Here is Disney Prep idea number 3.

3. No Biggie if you Can’t Stay on Property.

I know I just made a case for staying on property. But sometimes you just… can’t. And you know what… that is just fine. It’s no big deal. You will still experience all the magic and wonder Disney has to offer in all of their theme parks. You can still get great Fast Passes! You can still be immersed in great experiences for you, your friends and family. It IS Disney after all. You will definitely be wowed!

Even though you will most likely not get the hardest Fast Passes it doesn’t mean you won’t be able to have a good time. With a little bit of research and a good bit of planning you can see, do and eat everything your Disney heart desires!

So Air Bn’B it or find a great hotel in Orlando and have fun!

4. Show Your #DisneySide & Add a Little “Pixie Dust” to your Trip!

Get Some Ears! You’ve read that right… Ears. Mickey/Minnie Ears that is! Before you head out on your trip there are tons of small shops I’ve found on Esty and Instagram that make hand made Ears for folks heading to Disney or just because. They have tons of ears with Minnie bows in all sorts of theme’s, colors, designs, etc. They even have Mickey ears that guys will dig.

Can you buy Mickey/Minnie ears in the parks? You totally can! Disney has even announced, at the D23 Conference (the Disney Fan Club), that they will be offering Minnie ears with interchangeable bows! But there is something to be said about the folks that have been making these detailed, handmade Minnie/Mickey ears. They are so talented and make everything with lots of love. They truly do. There is a personalized touch to it you won’t find in the parks. Plus you will be supporting small businesses, which is so important to our communities. So, shop small folks!

 

Rock a great ‘T’  T-shirt, that is. Same concept as the Mickey/Minnie ears above. There are lots of shops out there making gorgeous, funny, clever, and beautiful T-shirts you will love. I did! I saw so many, it was hard to just pick one. So… I bought a few! The T-shirt pictured above is from OhYeahApperel.com. They have great shirts and pins too! More on pins and pin trading in another post. 😉

My Disney/Harry Potter Mashup Shirt (above): “My Patronus is a Mickey Waffle” is from the Easy shop PolkaDotsandPixieDust. My husbands Shirt: “Hakuna Matata is from Target. Kids shirts are also from Target.

Here’s another Harry Potter/Disney Mashup ‘T’ from PolkaDotsandPixieDust. Love.

My source for amazing ears and T-shirts is once again Esty, Instagram and other small shop direct sites. Use the search terms “disney shirts” or some variation of that to see all of the options out there. #ShopSmall

Photo on Instagram Stories: @rosiev

Up Your Magic Band Game  When staying on Disney property (any of their resorts), you will receive a Magic Band 2.0, that is your key (literally the key) to everything. It will open your room, it’s the ticket to the theme parks, it gives you access to your Fast Passes, it’ll capture all of your park photos and give you access to them online (if you purchased Photo Pass-optional) and let you purchase food and credit it to your dining plan (optional).

Since you’ll be wearing it everywhere while touring the parks and staying at the resort why not personalize it and make it your own? You can buy a decal to personalize it with your name, favorite Disney Character (from Belle to Chewbaca). Karis and I did this last year. She had Elsa and I had Anna. Or you can get a decal with your names/initials on it.

This year I purchased a Magic Band bow for Karis in the style of her favorite Disney Princess, Ariel. We absolutely loved it! Ours was from the Easy shop MouseOnMainstreet. Love, love, love their bows. The pride they take in their product and customer service is hard to find. Can’t wait to get my next bow!

There are so many, many ways to prepare for a trip to Walt Disney World. I’ve offered some fun ways to get ready because that’s what Disney is all about. Fun! And there’s lots of fun to be had.

What about you? How do you get ready for your trip to Disney? Have you seen or heard of any other things to help you fully engage in the fun of Disney? Share them here. I’m always on the lookout for new and fun things!

Rosie V.