We're Back! A Quick Review of Disney World May 2017 Trip

Apologies for the delay; we've been battling head colds that put us both down with a fever and the need for lots of rest. My plan to stay healthy this trip (mostly) worked but we were no match for the climate change and the larger-than-expected crowds that descended upon the parks during our vacation. I'll do my best to provide a summary of our experience in this post and write more detailed reviews in the near future.

Vacation Dates
You may recall that we chose the first week of May for its historically low crowd levels, pleasant weather, and access to Flower & Garden Festival. If this year was any indication, the days of low crowds are gone. We knew there would be a cheerleading competition on-site for some of the days during out trip but we weren't prepared for the families that would plan their vacations with it. Of the few cheerleading families I know through various Disney planning sites, I was under the impression that the cheerleading competition had a strict schedule that would not allow for much park time. I must have been mistaken because there were large school-age groups in all parks during our visit and, like with most children's groups, there were a few bad apples in the bunch that largely affected our overall opinion of this visit. While I won't completely mark May off the list of vacation options, I will be looking to plan our next Disney World trip the second week of December or sometime in late January in an effort to avoid large athletic groups.

Boardwalk Inn
We did not get the exact room we requested but we were assigned to a King bed room with a decent view so there are no complaints on this point. The resort was beautiful and impeccably maintained but there was a wedding scheduled almost every day of our trip and that usually caused traffic jams in the common areas as photographers tried to get wedding parties organized for pictures. We loved this resort's proximity to the Boardwalk (duh) and it's probably the only reason we would return for another stay.

Dining
There aren't any downright negative reviews for the dining options we selected this trip but we certainly had our favorites:

Best - Via Napoli, Rosie's All-American Cafe, PizzeRizzo, Ample Hills Creamery, Lowtide Lou's
Worst - Big River Grille and Brewery

We will go into more detail on these locations in a future post.

DVC
A memorable moment on this trip was signing up for Disney Vacation Club! We are now Disney property owners! While this wasn't a planned purchase, we are very happy with the decision and are already calculating how to use our points for the next trip. I will be sure to make a dedicated post for DVC to explain how it works so that you can make an informed decision on how this timeshare option could work for you! (hint: it's a lot cheaper than paying for a deluxe resort every year!)

Final Thoughts
We finally unlocked the secret to avoiding blisters (switch to different shoes midday) and realized that we enjoyed some quick service dining options just as much, if not more, than some table service locations. We had a lot of 'firsts' on this trip - using Disney's Magical Express to/from the airport, experiencing a Disney water park, getting magic shots from PhotoPass photographers, and ordering a cake from the private dining service - and I can't wait to share it all with you! Stay tuned :)

Flower & Garden Festival Plan of Attack

Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival (F&G) just happens to be my most favorite event at Disney World. I've only been to F&G once before and was inadequately prepared, to say the least. Although many people would consider it to be the younger sibling to Epcot's Food and Wine Festival (F&W) in the fall, it still has its merits and should be given proper consideration.

Just a couple of reasons to visit F&G:

1. Low crowds: avoid spring break, Easter, and Memorial Day but the rest of the dates are golden!
2. Mild weather: less heat, lower humidity - overall better weather than summer and even fall!
3. Family fun and education: F&W is still fun, but the seminars and learning activities are somewhat more adult-themed. F&G offers tons of gardening seminars and facts, a play area for kids, and a butterfly house!
4. Food: there are specialty kiosks set up around World Showcase and offer food that is often only available during F&G. While the total number of food kiosks is less than F&W, I would argue that the quality of the food is a little better.

Once we decided on a date to visit Disney World this year, I realized that I had to bring my "A" game to be prepared for F&G. The entirety of our trip is planned around this festival and I can't wait to see how much more I can enjoy this go 'round! 

Location

Our resort for this trip is Boardwalk Inn. It's a short walk to the International Gateway and will offer prime access to the festival while also allowing us to shut the park down at night and quickly escape to our room. If you want to know how you can make the most of your visit to F&G, just take a look at the Epcot resort area map:

(map courtesy of Robo from disboards forums)

Epcot's World Showcase is displayed in the upper right corner of the map with the Epcot International Gateway prominently marked. Crescent Lake is positioned to the left of the park with three deluxe Disney resorts surrounding it: Yacht Club, Beach Club, and Boardwalk Inn. Slightly farther to the left is Swan & Dolphin, which are both only part-owned by Disney and do not offer amenities such as MagicBand usage. However, these properties are typically MUCH more affordable than any Disney deluxe resort and they are amazingly themed with an abundance of dining options! There are several pros and cons to weigh when staying at Swan or Dolphin but they are certainly contenders as far as location to Epcot is concerned. 

The best part about being close to the International Gateway entrance is that it puts you right in the middle of the F&G action - wedged between the UK and France pavilions, the entrance provides immediate access to Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie in France which opens at 9am for breakfast instead of the World Showcase standard of 11am. We definitely intend to make at least one stop at this location for breakfast! Also, there are lots of tours and seminars available during F&G. One of the free tours offered is for the English Tea Garden but it requires an early sign-up at the Tea Caddy Shop in the UK pavilion. We plan to make this a priority for our full Epcot day!

Budget

Arguably the most important part of any vacation is to determine exactly how much to spend. We've discussed this a bit with the resorts located near Epcot, but sometimes it's a difficult choice to spend extra on the resort and sacrifice a few dining reservations or settle for a moderate/value resort and allot extra transportation time to the parks. For us, the answer was clear because location was the most important factor for this trip. But the great thing about life is that we all have different priorities and preferences! You will have a great time at F&G regardless of your budget.

Dining

There are two approaches to food at F&G: schedule dining reservations and sample just a few F&G food kiosk items or forego the reservations and snack all day at the kiosks. From my experience in multiple Disney forums and groups, most families opt for the second option but there isn't a right or wrong answer! This is the one detail of our trip that brings me the most anxiety because we are a foodie couple and we want to try everything. In order to limit our indulgences, I've schedule three days at Epcot to spread out the fun and also scheduled (for the most part) just one dining reservation per day to help us slow down a bit. It's always nice to get out of the crowd for an hour or two and a dining reservation is a good way to escape. 

The easiest way to decide which option to pursue is to take a look at the F&G food kiosk options and determine how many items will interest you and your family. Don't be afraid to prioritize selections into a Good/Better/Best list to keep track of how interesting each menu looks. The 40 food and drink items on our list are divided among the three days we have scheduled at Epcot so that we can rush to the kiosks that are most interesting and save the less interesting options for another day.

The map above is my own personal creation - click to zoom in if you like. I've taken the current Epcot park map for F&G and highlighted the food kiosk locations around World Showcase. Next, I typed up the items we want to try from each kiosk along with the priority/day (1, 2, or 3) of when to try them. This map corresponds with my touring plan for the park and will hopefully help us to stay organized. This is A LOT of food so we are planning to order just one of each item to share until we determine our favorites.

There's plenty of inspiration out there to get excited about F&G! If you're still on-the-fence about visiting Disney World at this time of year, check out a few vlogs on YouTube for a lively approach, read reviews on Disney Food Blog, or join a Disney forum (disboards) to interact with other fans.

It's time to start packing but I'll leave you with a few of my favorite pictures from the last F&G I attended in 2015!

Frushi from Hanami in Japan

Lion King topiary

Beijing-style Candied Strawberries from Lotus House in China

I've heard Captain Hook is no longer on display this year :(

Final Trip Update for Disney World May 2017!

I told you our plans were semi-permanent in the last trip update but I should know by now that Disney plans are never etched in stone. Something always comes up! Fret not, it's all good news. But if you learn anything from my ramblings, let it be this: plan as much as you like but stay as flexible as possible. In the end, just going to Disney - or on any vacation - is a blessing and we should always give thanks for the opportunities we have!

Now it's time to get down to business. I've been a busy bee the past few weeks and a lot has changed. I'm glad I didn't write an update post before now because I would have needed to revise it anyway. But here we are - just 14 days from the main event! I am going to cross my fingers that we keep this itinerary because I'm pretty fond of the plans we have now.

Changes to Original Itinerary
Exciting news tops this list and this is a change that I was very happy to make! Disney announced an Enchanted Evening special offer for guests March 21 - May 10 and of course I had to pounce on this opportunity because 1) it's limited time only and 2) this is our honeymoon trip! The package is $160 for two special edition MagicBands, two special edition luggage tags, two entries to the Wishes Fireworks Dessert Party on select nights, and a gift from The Ganachery. We were especially excited for the MagicBands because these will likely become collector's items and will be a great souvenir from the trip!

Unfortunately, the select nights available for the dessert party were limited to a few days that we didn't have planned for Magic Kingdom so we had to move some things around. I wanted to cry because I had to let go of a Be Our Guest lunch reservation and I was afraid I wouldn't get another one! But the Touring Plans Reservation Finder came through for me in the end and we secured a new BoG reservation shortly thereafter. 

Other changes include a few meal updates; we were super excited to try Yachtsman on this trip but it just wasn't in the cards. We've got money stashed away for other goodies and two signature meals in one week will have to wait for next time. Another addition to this trip is a secret (shhh!) cake that I ordered to celebrate Patrick's birthday! Boardwalk Bakery is going to create a Star Wars themed mini cake and have it delivered to our room after the surprise Teppan Edo dinner that I also booked! I know this is our honeymoon trip but his birthday is later in May and I couldn't let this trip pass without honoring him! 

New Itinerary

Some things are the same, some things are different, but here's where we are:

• Tuesday May 2 - Arrive 12:30pm, Epcot, Tokyo Dining dinner (changed from Via Napoli)
• Wednesday May 3 - Magic Kingdom, Be Our Guest lunch, Liberty Tree Tavern dinner, Wishes Fireworks Dessert Party (changed from Animal Kingdom)
• Thursday May 4 - Animal Kingdom, Tiffins Rivers of Light dining package for dinner (changed from Hollywood Studios)
• Friday May 5 - Water parks, dinner at Big River Grille and Brewing Works (changed from Yachtsman)
• Saturday May 6 - Kona Cafe brunch, Epcot, Teppan Edo dinner (added Teppan Edo)
• Sunday May 7 - Hollywood Studios, PizzeRizzo and Rosie's All American Diner quick service meals (changed from Magic Kingdom)
• Monday May 8 - Epcot, Via Napoli dinner (removed San Angel Inn lunch)
• Tuesday May 9 - departure 6:00am

I've got lots of ideas for Flower & Garden Festival and I am hoping to get another post published before we leave on the trip but if the next two weeks move more quickly than anticipated then I'll leave you with 'au revoir!' and check in when we return!

Staying Healthy for Disney

Nobody wants to be sick while on vacation but it's a tough task to accomplish when you're exposed to thousands of people in the parks everyday. I've got some tips to help you prepare for your trip and avoid the icky sickness while you're at the Happiest Place on Earth!

Let's face it, Disney may be a vacation but it's also an everyday workout and puts major stress on your body! Of course it's a friendly place for folks from all walks of life and in every size, shape, and color so don't let your lack of physical fitness keep you from going (and for those wondering, there aren't many rides that have size requirements - Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Disney World can be a tight squeeze for anyone that is really tall but it's still doable). We usually log anywhere from 8-12 miles in a typical day at a Disney park, and that's going from 9am to park close. We take breaks for lunch, dinner, and usually two more times throughout the day to ensure we are staying cool and hydrated (more on that later!) We haven't had much time to prepare this year, but we usually take our dogs out for walks every day in anticipation of our trip. We like to start with just a mile a day and then gradually increase to 3 or more miles per day. We don't want to stress our pups with super long walks so we avoid the 8-12 miles that are expected at Disney but you get the idea. Just getting in the habit of walking can loosen up those joints and get your feet ready for what lies ahead. It's also a great time to break in any new shoes you plan to wear to the parks so you can avoid blisters later!

Hydration is key any time of year, but especially in hot and humid Florida. Remember, cups of water are free at most food service locations in the park and you can bring your own water bottles for refills at drinking fountains and some soft drink fountains. Drink more than you're comfortable with - every time you pull your phone out of your park bag, grab the water and take a drink, too.

If you don't currently take vitamins or supplements, consider adding a multivitamin and some extra Vitamin C to your daily routine at least 2-4 weeks before heading to Disney. Specialty immuno-boosts are handy, as well (think Emergen-C, Airborne, etc). You will want to keep these items with you on the trip and try to remember to take them while you're on vacation, as well.

You may follow all of this advice and STILL manage to get sick. Trust me, I know what it's like. It's frustrating to put so much effort into keeping yourself healthy and then come down with a cold on the second day (speaking from experience here...) The sundries shops in each resort offer remedies for all kinds of ailments but they're quite expensive compared to Walmart or Target's prices. Pack these items and then cross your fingers that you won't need them! It's better to be safe than sorry and your wallet will thank you later. - As a side note, PrimeNow is offered for most Disney resort locations and can deliver a variety of items to your resort if necessary. There are a few other delivery services, as well, so Google around if you need them.

Dieting to Disney - this is a pretty common phrase I've heard from a lot of people and I have to say I'm one of those people that gets suckered into it every year. To be honest, I'm always on a diet and it's the same story each time: diet, lose weight, go to Disney, end diet. I have no shame in admitting my habit because I don't regret it one bit. Disney offers a lot of great dining options and I will enjoy them for as long as I am able! However, I'm making a conscious effort to jump back on my diet when we return home from Disney World this year and I have a really good feeling this time because we successfully returned to our diet after Disneyland a month ago. If you don't think you can jump back on the wagon after a trip to Disney then you may be thinking that you'd prefer to stick with it while you're there - no problem! Disney chefs are incredibly accommodating of food requests, including special diets and allergies. Also, there are plenty of healthy options around the parks and lots of good snack choices. You can almost always swap the fries in your meal for apples and choose low-sugar dessert options! Take a look at the menus before you travel and create a plan of attack. Being armed with the knowledge of what you can eat and where to find it is the hardest part of the diet battle!

And if you're anything like me then a little visual reinforcement is helpful. Here's an example of the countdown tracker and weight loss visual I made for myself a couple years ago:

I kept this paper on my fridge so I could remind myself to make good choices anytime I was in the kitchen! It helped me to stay mindful of my goal while also being reminded of my reward!

Do you have any tips for getting healthy before a trip or staying healthy while you're at Disney? Share them with us!

Haircare, Skincare, Cosmetics... oh my!

Welcome to the beauty edition of Dazzle Me, Disney! In this post I aim to tell you how to protect your hair and skin while at the parks, the best remedies for cooling down at the end of the day, and how to keep your make-up looking fresh for 12 hours. I've been at this Disney thing for a while and I've made a lot of mistakes along the way - don't be like me! Heed my advice and make sure to keep your body protected while spending long periods of time in the sun!

Without further delay, let's begin. Before you can decide what you'll need for your trip, you need to figure out where to put everything. If you're a member of the ipsy subscription service then you probably already have a bunch of little cosmetic bags that aren't being regularly used. Take this opportunity to pack your cosmetics together based on brand, color, use, etc. Or follow my example and throw everything into one bag (I usually place it all on the vanity counter when I get to the hotel anyway!) Pictured below are my favorite cosmetic bags:

left: ipsy bag (monthly subscription $10), right: plastic cosmetic bag (Gordman's $5)

On the left is the most recent ipsy bag and it's a new favorite because of its size. It can be folded over or packed to the brim and it's so cute! The bag on the right is a cheap option from a discount retailer (I think this one was found at Gordmans). I like it because it's plastic and will protect my clothes in the suitcase from any leaks. It's also somewhat transparent so if TSA decides to search my bag then they won't have to spend an extra five minutes looking through my cosmetic bag to figure out what I've got.

Next, hair supplies. I keep these items separate from my cosmetics because they are in larger bottles. Lush has a fantastic line of shampoo bars and conditioners which are perfect for traveling - I swear by these products! They are all natural and super easy to use. After I get out of the shower, I spray my hair with Kevin Murphy's Staying Alive conditioner and brush it through from root to ends. I've worked a long time to get my hair long and healthy so I can't risk breaking it now! I normally allow my hair to air dry - I know, I'm one of the weird ones that refuses to use a blow dryer. Trust me, my hair and scalp are much happier for it! After my hair is dry, I will use OGX's Orchid Oil before any heat styling products or sometimes swap it out with Kevin Murphy's Shimmer Shine as a finishing spray. Both provide UVA/UVB protection and are great for color treated hair. 

left: Kevin Murphy's Staying Alive Leave-in Conditioner (Blush Studio Salon, $27), center: OGX's Orchid Oil (Ulta Beauty, $7), right: Kevin Murphy's Shimmer Shine (Blush Studio Salon, $23)

Some people swear off make-up while in the parks but I love taking pictures and want at least a little definition to my eyes and face while on vacation. I will stop here and say - I am NOT an expert with make-up! I still don't know if I'm properly contouring my face and only recently bought the correct brush for that purpose. I just do what makes me feel pretty but, most importantly, I try to use products that won't melt off of my face. I've been through plenty of trials and tribulations on this last point and have finally found the combination that works for me. 

left: Neutrogena Healthy Defense Moisturizer (Ulta Beauty, $16), center left: pur-lisse BB Cream (ipsy subscription $10), center right: IpKn BB Cream (ipsy subscription $10), right: The Body Shop Tea Tree BB Cream (The Body Shop, $20)

First up, moisturizer. I am one of those adults with acne-prone skin and I thought for the longest time that moisturizer would make me break out. WRONG. In fact, moisturizer helps in so many ways because it keeps my skin healthy! I like Neutrogena's Healthy Defense with SPF 50. It goes perfectly under primer and foundation and it doesn't make my face feel heavy. I then layer on a primer (pictured below) and I choose between e.l.f.'s Tone Adjusting Face Primer or Smashbox's Photo Finish Primer depending on whether I'm currently experiencing a breakout or redness (e.l.f.'s product is great at evening out skin tone). Once the primer is dry, it's time for foundation. I use a BB cream because it's not as heavy as most liquid foundations and it offers additional SPF protection. Pur-lisse and IpKn are great options for added protection against the sun. If I plan to spray my face with sunscreen throughout the day then I may opt for The Body Shop's Tea Tree BB Cream because it's ideal for blemished skin. The final stage of this application is concealer; I have a few acne scars on my face and I swear by e.l.f.'s HD Lifting concealer. This stuff hides everything and it's only $3! 

left: e.l.f. Tone Adjusting Primer (elfcosmetics.com, $6), back: Smashbox Photo Finish Primer (Ulta Beauty, travel size $16), front: e.l.f. HD Lifting Concealer (elfcosmetics.com, $3)

Once my face appears like a blank canvas and I'm happy with the coverage of my make-up, I turn my attention to my eyes. The biggest complaint I had about make-up is that eyeliner and eyeshadow always seem to crease or get wiped off throughout the course of a hot day at Disney. Behold, eye primers! Put a dab of Hard Candy's Eye Shadow Primer or Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion on your lids, let dry, then apply your favorite colors and let the primers work their magic! I'm also a fan of Hard Candy's 1,000 Lashes mascara primer because it makes my lashes look incredibly long and holds the mascara more firmly.

left: Hard Candy Eye Shadow Primer (Walmart, $5), center: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (Ulta Beauty, $20), right: Hard Candy 1,000 Lashes mascara primer (Amazon.com, $12)

But what about eyeliner? Sometimes the soft self-sharpening pens melt and make your face look like a racoon! I've long since ditched my drugstore favorites and I am exclusively hooked on the eyeliner pens I've received from my ipsy bags. These pens are easy to control and, best of all, they last all day without any smudges!

top: Mary Kay Lash Intensity mascara (Mary Kay, $18), second: (Ulta Amped Lashes mascara (Ulta Beauty, $10.50), third: Eyeko liquid eyeliner pen (ipsy subscription $10), fourth: Ciate eyeliner pen (ipsy subscription $10), bottom: Hikari eyeliner pen (ipsy subscription $10)

I'm not a mascara snob at all - in fact, I think the Hard Candy mascara primer could make any brand look fantastic - but the Mary Kay Lash Intensity and Ulta Amped Lashes mascaras are my favorites and usually reach for these when I want my lashes to stay perfect all day.

I know we've skipped some things like contouring, eyeshadow, and blush but these items are completely up to you and should stick all day if you've used the face and eye primers as explained above. The final step to my beauty routine is deserving of its own picture because it's really THAT important! Drum roll.....

left: Blistex Deep Renewal SPF chapstick (Walmart, $2), right: e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set (elfcosmetics.com, $3)

Makeup setting spray and SPF chapstick! Trust me, you'll want these items in your bag for sure because if you do nothing else in this blog, at least try to set your makeup with a specialized product that will do its best to keep your foundation from streaking and running. Go ahead and pack that SPF chapstick in your park bag, as well, because you will need to reapply it at least every hour to keep your lips from getting sunburned. These items are only $5 total and that, in my opinion, is a small price to pay to keep your face looking brilliant all day long. 

Let's say you've followed every bit of advice here and you still arrive at your hotel with a sunburn and tired feet - I've got a remedy for that! These aren't part of the beauty routine but they will definitely save your sanity before heading back to the parks the next day. Aloe Vera is a great solution for sunburned skin and it feels even better if you put it in the refrigerator to chill before applying it! I've been a fan of peppermint leg cream and foot spray for years, but I think The Body Shop has the best version of this item. Shower or soak in the bath, dry off, then spray the peppermint goodness on your legs and feet before relaxing into bed. You'll wake up the next morning invigorated and ready to start a new day!

left: Aloe Vera body gel (Walgreens, $3), right: The Body Shop Peppermint Cooling Foot Spray (The Body Shop, $10)

That's it for today's post! Let me know if these tips work for you or share your own secrets - we owe it ourselves to take care of our bodies!

What's in Your Park Bag?

Part of the planning process for any amusement park is deciding which bag/purse to carry and what to put in it. Most parks feature thrill rides that require the use of a locker for stowing belongings but Disney has a unique solution on most rides that will allow you to put your bag at your feet or in a mesh pouch attached to the ride itself. The mesh pouch is closed by velcro and is usually quite trustworthy. The only situations that require a little extra planning are the rides where your belongings may get wet (Splash Mountain, Kali River Rapids, etc) and those that go upside down (Rock n' Rollercoaster, California Screamin').

First, we'll explore the type of park bags we like to use. If you're going to be pushing a stroller then you will have a lot more room to store things than the rest of us so go ahead and take as much as you can pack. Anyone without a stroller will need to consider the size of the bag they want to carry and the absolute necessities for a day at the park(s). We consider ourselves minimalists but there are some super efficient people out there that put our good planning to shame. These are the fanny-pack-toting people of the world, and most have upgraded to the new running belts. No idea what I'm talking about? Take a look:

These handy belts can be found at a lot of stores now - even Groupon and Walmart. Prices start at $10-$15 and they appear to be a good solution for someone that just needs the basics. I have not tried them myself yet but it's a very attractive solution! The best part is that these belts can hide under your shirt so nobody has to know you're wearing one, which may mean that you don't have to go through bag check at security (the same as putting these items inside cargo pockets on your pants) and it may keep you safer in the parks by not advertising your belongings.

Another minimalist solution is the cross-body bag. This often functions as a purse but is small in size and is meant to wear across the body for comfort and security. These bags aren't designed to hold huge wallets so be sure to plan accordingly and only take what you'll need. I will often use the cross-body bag on days when I don't feel like reaching for Patrick's backpack every 10 seconds to grab my phone or chapstick.

Similar to the cross-body bag, Disney also has a few options available in their souvenir stores and online. My favorite is this Haunted Mansion-inspired cross-body smartphone bag that is big enough for a phone, an ID, and a credit card or two. I tried to fit my phone in this case on my last Disneyland trip and I am sorry to report that my iPhone 7 was too big. There were plenty of other options, though!

And finally, we arrive at my final suggestion: the trusty backpack. A lot of families take backpacks into the parks and stuff them full of snacks, wet wipes, hand sanitizer, and sunscreen but the person tasked with carrying those heavy bags often appears worn out by midday. As mentioned, Patrick carries our backpack most of the day but we never pack our bag full and we try to utilize a small daypack whenever possible. The only time we upgrade the size of our bag is when we need to carry an extra pair of shoes (planning for water rides, usually). Remember, if you have a MagicBand then your room key, credit card, park tickets, and fastpasses are already on your wrist and that takes a lot of the necessary items off of your park bag list!

Next let's talk about securing your bags on certain rides. I'll keep this brief because you'll have to find what works best for you but we've found that keeping your bag completely dry on a water ride is nearly impossible. You would have to hold your bag on your lap and be completely covered by a poncho to accomplish this feat but most Disney castmembers won't give you enough time to make it happen before sending you to your watery doom. Disney parks have lockers available so if you are carrying something that absolutely can't get wet and can't be placed in a plastic bag inside your park bag (medication, important documents, etc.), then you may want to consider stowing your belongings for a short time. 

Rides with inverted loops are another concern and I mostly mention them because I nearly lost my bag on Rock n' Rollercoaster my first trip. Since then, I've learned to either keep my cross-body bag on my person (if the cast member doesn't find it unsafe) or loop the straps of the bag around my feet. Make sure all zippers are closed, too!

Now we'll move on to the main topic of this post - the packing list for a park bag. For this purpose, we'll consider the options that everyone could use and then move on to more customized suggestions. Here is what we take in our bag on an average day:

• chapstick with spf
• sunscreen (usually a spray bottle for easier application)
• band-aids
• sunglasses (worn most of the day)
• allergy, headache, routine medication
• park maps
• phones
• identification (especially if planning to partake in adult beverages)
• backup credit card in case MagicBand doesn't work or systems go down
• snacks, water, gum
• plastic ziploc bags to keep phones dry on water rides

Families may also consider taking the aforementioned wet wipes and hand sanitizer, necessary baby or toddler items, souvenirs that have been purchased ahead of time (to save money from not buying them in the parks), and tissues. I'm sure there are items I've missed but please let us know what you take to the parks so we can all benefit from this learning experience! I'm always looking for a more efficient way to carry my stuff in the parks and I would love to get your feedback :-) 

Disney World May 2017 Trip Update

countdown courtesy of timeanddate.com

I promise to provide more general information about Disney planning but I've received a lot of feedback that suggests my personalized planning posts are helpful, as well. Please let me know if this approach gets old or boring!

I try to be as transparent as possible about my planning strategy and pass along as much information about discounts as I can. Our next trip to Orlando was decided in haste, which has provided me with less time to track pricing trends and keep up with discount codes. I think we're still getting a pretty decent deal on most of our plans but I'll let you be the judge of that.

Without further delay, here are the details of our next Disney World trip...

Dates

We chose the first week of May (2nd - 9th) because it's late enough to miss spring breakers, early enough to miss the summer breakers, and still falls within the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival timeline (our main objective for this trip). You may remember that I made a similar trip in 2015 when I traveled to Orlando May 1-10th and we had a fabulous time! I don't recall heavy crowds then and I'm hoping that holds true this year.

Airfare

We booked our flights through American Airlines on October 18, 2016 and paid $387 per person roundtrip between SGF and MCO. We had to fly a major airline because we are not utilizing a rental car on this trip and Disney's Magical Express only retrieves passengers from the MCO airport. I don't think $774 was a terrible price to pay considering our origin airport is a tiny blip on American Airlines' radar.

Ground Transportation

I hope to provide a more thorough review of Disney's Magical Express ("DME") once our trip is complete but we are very excited to utilize this option in May because we've heard mixed reactions and want to finally see what all the hoopla is about. On the one hand, DME will get our checked luggage and deliver it to the room for us but they have also caught flack for taking several hours to do so. It's a free service, though, and I don't think anything beats "free" at Disney.

Hotel

The lovely BoardWalk Inn is where we will rest our pretty little heads in May. We have a few other Disney resorts on our shortlist of places to stay but this one had the best travel agent rate available at the time of booking. We paid $1856 for seven nights in a standard room (roughly $265/night for a deluxe resort). This is very nearly the same price that we paid for the Contemporary Resort last year and it was worth every penny. There were a few things we had to consider when deciding where to stay this time: proximity to parks, transportation options, dining variety. We won't have a rental car for this trip so we wanted to make sure we would be close enough to the parks - or at least a variety of transportation options available - so we won't be stuck taking the resort bus everywhere. Also, the lack of a rental car means we can't go offsite for cheap food so we need to have lots of options near the hotel to accommodate our cravings. We narrowed the choices down to BoardWalk Inn and the Cabins at Ft Wilderness but ultimately decided to stay at BoardWalk Inn due to its ease of access to Epcot - which is where we will be spending a lot of time on this trip. I think we'll fare nicely in a room this size:

photo courtesy of Mickey World Travel

Tickets

I've said it time and again but we don't buy parkhoppers and that works just fine for us. We like to immerse ourselves in one park per day and the transportation between places takes too long. For this trip, we've decided on a 6-day ticket for one park per day ($735 total on undercovertourist.com using the MouseSavers.com discount link) and a 1-day water park ticket ($115 on Disney's website). We bought the park tickets and water park tickets separately because we couldn't find a third-party site that offered the blackout date pricing and they also didn't guarantee we could get into both Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon on the same day. Erring on the side of caution, we decided to get these tickets from Disney directly and it actually saved us some money. The standard park tickets were cheaper through a third-party, though, and that's primarily because Disney charges sales tax on top of the base price, which drives the total up. 

Itinerary

This is always subject to change but I'm fairly certain this will be our itinerary for the trip:

• Tuesday May 2 - Arrive 12:30pm, Epcot, Via Napoli dinner
• Wednesday May 3 - Animal Kingdom, Boma breakfast, Tiffins dinner (Rivers of Light package)
• Thursday May 4 - Hollywood Studios, quick service dining all day
• Friday May 5 - Water parks, Yachtsman dinner
• Saturday May 6 - Kona Cafe brunch, Epcot, Tokyo Dining dinner
• Sunday May 7 - Magic Kingdom, Be Our Guest lunch, Liberty Tree Tavern dinner
• Monday May 8 - Epcot, San Angel Inn lunch, Via Napoli dinner
• Tuesday May 9 - departure 6:00am

We've also assigned a host of FastPass options for the park days but we used the tactic that works best for us - picking popular rides early in the morning so we can assign more FastPasses while we're in the parks. Most of our choices closely mirror the options we selected on our last trip, which can be found in this post. 

Special Events

We are very excited to return to Epcot's Flower & Garden Festival; we loved the Food & Wine Festival last fall but it seemed to offer a lot of food at a lower quality level than what I have experienced at Flower & Garden Festival....it also didn't help that I have been craving Beijing candied strawberries and Frushi (fruit sushi) since 2015. You can probably already guess, but these are the reasons why we booked the May 2017 trip with such haste. I'm sure I'll devote a future post to Flower & Garden Festival plans but we are planning to eat, walk, and eat some more! We're also looking forward to the new Rivers of Light show at Animal Kingdom and crossing our fingers that Pandora will have a soft opening while we're there.

Total Cost

And now the information you've probably been waiting to hear; this all sounds great but how much is it going to break the bank? I've calculated a total of about $4,700 for two adults, including food and beverages. Normally we would spend 10 days in Orlando but this trip is seven days and will count as our honeymoon, as well. Keep in mind, I've been to Disney on a much smaller budget and enjoyed it just as much! The biggest expense for this trip is the hotel because we're trying to stay in deluxe properties while we have the means to do so.

Upcoming posts include a glimpse into our backpack for park days and a discussion on make-up/skincare/hair care in the humid Florida heat. You won't want to miss this information!