The kids and I spent fall break at WDW with some dear friends and I am happy to report that I am finally drinking the Disney Kool Aid. I’ll be the first to admit that I have not always been Team Disney. Nine years ago we took Emery to the House of Mouse to do all the princess things and the trip was a disaster. 2/3 of our group came down with a severe stomach bug. Plus, Bodie was an infant and Emery just a toddler…the trip was a logistical nightmare for nursing and napping. Standing in line to meet Rapunzel with a melting down three year old and a barfing husband isn’t my idea of a good time. Needless to say, I wasn’t chomping at the bit to go back.

Emery and Bodie both expressed an interest in Disney over the summer. I felt like a bad mom for not taking them in almost a decade and decided to give it another shot, especially since WDW is celebrating its 50th anniversary this fall. I recruited some of my favorite travel buddies to join me and we ended up creating the trip of a lifetime!

First and foremost, going to Disney with girlfriends who are extremely Type A and willing to go full throttle all the live long day made all the difference. Secondly, going with nine and twelve year olds vs. wee babies is a completely different and much easier ballgame. Thirdly, enlisting a Disney expert to help with daily itineraries, airport logistics, dining reservations and a VIP tour is worth its weight in gold.

I reached out to Amanda with Glass Slipper Concierge (https://dixiedelightsonline.com/dixie-travels) and all of my anxiety about planning a Disney trip disappeared. Disney can be overwhelming, but Amanda is a whiz. Her expertise and prompt responses gave this Disney novice the confidence to book.

Based on the experiences of my friends and travel buddies, we decided to stay at The Beach Club. I cannot imagine a better spot for our group. Since our last trip involved earlier bed times and naps, we chose to stay at a resort on the monorail (The Grand Floridian). With our group consisting of adults and tweens this go ’round, we had more options. We knew we wanted nice, convenient and FUN. The Beach Club checked all of those boxes: it’s steps from Epcot and The Boardwalk and has a fun pool with a slide. Plus, it’s home to a cute little market that sells quick and easy breakfast items, salads, sandwiches and more. We didn’t allow much time for meals, so early morning and late night (it’s open until 11:00!) visits to this little shop saved the day.

Let’s cut to the chase, shall we?

Day One consisted of afternoon flights to Orlando, an easy limo ride to the hotel, dinner at the Pizza Window on the Boardwalk, and swimming. It was the perfect way to kick off our trip.

Boardwalk and Beach Club

Day Two was all about Magic Kingdom and we started with Space Mountain, of course! It’s an oldie, but a goodie. Emery and Bodie love roller coasters and this was number one on their list of rides. The line wasn’t too bad since we headed straight there upon entering the park. Staying at a resort property grants you early access to the parks and we took full advantage of that! The kids and moms had fun picking out various Disney tees before our trip. My all time favorite Disney movie is “Finding Nemo,” so I had to wear this shirt our first day at WDW!

Space Mountain and Shirts

The castle got a new paint job recently and looked so pretty! The gorgeous weather didn’t hurt. We lucked out with plenty of sunshine and pleasant temperatures our entire stay. October is a great time to visit.

Cinderella’s Castle

Besides Space Mountain, other highlights included Aladdin, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Mad Tea Party, meeting up with the rest of our crew, and ice cream!

Magic Kingdom Highlights

Team Slagel quickly fell asleep watching the Braves from our comfy beds that night. We had so much fun that we planned an even earlier start the next morning!

We were all up by 6:30 and entering Hollywood Studios by 7:30. Amazingly, the kids were all easy to get up and get going. I expected a bit of moaning and groaning with that early wake up call, but they bounced out of bed bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Walk to Hollywood Studios

More fun shirts for our second day in the parks!

Disney Shirts

Our day veered off track a little at Hollywood Studios because we immediately joined the line for Slinky Dog Dash, which was quite long even with our early access to the park. Unfortunately, the ride shut down due to a technical issue just as we were about to board! Thankfully, we were given fast passes to come back later that afternoon, but our schedule was a bit wonky after this. The kids were bummed and I was worried that they were going to let this ruin their day, but Tower or Terror quickly got us back on track! Emery, Bodie and I LOVE this ride. I’d even go as far as to say it’s my favorite ride in all of Disney. I can’t get enough of that free fall feeling. We were all smiles after Tower of Terror and the Slinky Dog fiasco was forgotten.

Tower of Terror

We headed over to the Star Wars area of the park after Tower of Terror. Unpopular opinion: I am not a fan of Star Wars. I appreciate the ingenuity of the attractions, but I just do NOT get it. My kids aren’t big fans, either, although Bodie and his buddies enjoyed creating lightsabers. Nonetheless, we made sure we hit up all of the Star Wars stuff because it was all came so highly recommended. Maybe I should watch the movies…

In addition to the rides and lightsabers, we also visited Oga’s Cantina. This reservation was tough to get and it was for standing room only. Moms had a beer and the kids each ordered crazy drinks with dry ice and pearls. This was a nice break from the heat, but if you’re not a diehard Star Wars fan, I wouldn’t go out of your way for Oga’s. Again, I think some of the magic is lost on me. It’s just not my thing!

Star Wars (Star Tours, Create Your Own Lightsaber, Oga’s Cantina)

Speaking of reservations, we ate lunch at the Sci Fi Diner on this day. The kids thought the cars were cool and the food was quite good. I had a buffalo chicken salad and a diet Coke, which hit the spot. We walked over ten miles and needed to refuel.

Sci Fi Diner

Before departing Hollywood, we headed back to Toy Story Land to redeem our Slinky Dog fast passes and were treated to a little parade along the way! The kids AND adults were tickled to see the characters out and about. Every single element of Toy Story Land is precious. For starters, the movies are beloved by my whole family. The attention to detail is mind blowing. Everything from the rides to the restaurants is just like the movies. I wish I’d taken more pictures!

Toy Story Land

Epcot was our second park of the day. We grabbed some spicy noodles and belgian waffles as we made our way through the food and wine festival (fun for the adults, kids couldn’t have cared less) and then got in line for Test Track. The kids and moms each designed a car and had fun comparing results. The ride portion is crazy! Definitely an Epcot favorite.

Test Track

We ended the night with Nemo and Friends. I know it’s a kiddie ride, but I just love it. The park was about to close and the line was nonexistent. Plus, the aquariums in the Nemo area are fabulous.

Nemo and Friends

I don’t think I’ve ever been as tired as I was that night.

We saved the best for last and booked a private VIP Tour for our last day at WDW. Here’s a link with more information: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/private-vip-tours/. I read about this service on Amanda’s blog when she and her family experienced it last year. Here’s what she had to say at the time:

With the help of your own VIP Tour Guide, you can maximize your fun with minimal fuss for the Disney vacation of a lifetime! Your guide and I will plan the most efficient, enjoyable way for groups up to 10 guests to see and do all that’s on your list. With door-to-door private transportation from your resort, expedited entry to attractions, and being the ONLY way to visit multiple parks in one day, you’ll spend less time waiting and more time soaking up the magic of Walt Disney World.

Read the full review here: https://dixiedelightsonline.com/2020/10/see-and-do-it-all-with-a-private-disney-vip-tour.html

*This is no longer the only way to get into multiple parks in one day.*

Thanks to our wonderful guide, Amalie, we knocked out all four parks, fourteen rides and two fireworks shows in one day. But first we dined with Donald, Daisy, Micky and Minnie during our one and only character meal of the trip! Breakfast at Topolino’s Terrace at the Riviera Resort is not to be missed. I thought this was the best food of the entire vacation. The service was excellent (of course, because it’s Disney) and the characters were charming.

Topolino’s Terrace

But back to the VIP Tour…our guide met us at 1:00 and we set off for Animal Kingdom. We discussed our goals for the day and Amalie certainly delivered! Since we hadn’t been to Animal Kingdom yet on our visit, we wanted to check off the big rides there and then head to the other parks to revisit our favorites. We knew we wanted to see the fireworks at Magic Kingdom and end the night with the new Ratatouille attraction at Epcot. Not only did Amalie make all of this happen, but we also had a reserved viewing area for the fireworks. Truly magical.

Tree of Life

We were so busy having fun that I barely took any photos the entire day. Boo!

VIP Day

The entire day was a dream come true and the cherry on top was walking right onto Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure to end our night. This brand new ride just opened and it could not be more darling. We all LOVED it. Both of my kids chose to watch “Ratatouille” on the flight home.

We were all sad for this day to end! The VIP Tours are worth the money if you’re trying to squeeze all of WDW into a long weekend, like we did. Truly an unforgettable experience with the best of friends. My kids are already asking to go back.

The next afternoon we made the quick flights home (through Atlanta on Delta) and had to get back to the real world, but the memories will last a lifetime. I’m so thankful for this group!