We decided to go to Disney about 3 or 4 weeks before we actually left. This freaks people out. I am a planner. However, Disney planners take it to A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL. Everything was fine. We still got reservations, tickets, etc. The best advice I read was, “Disney wasn’t meant to be seen in one trip. It takes several trips over many years.”
One of the big reasons we decided to go was because kids under three are free! This includes character dining too. I am trying to talk Nathan into going again before Amelia turns three in December. We will see about that.
We ended up getting a reservation at Fort Wilderness Campground for four nights. The campground was originally booked when we looked online but when Nate called the next day, someone else had just cancelled during the dates we wanted to go! We decided to just do the parks for two days. We wanted a few down days to enjoy the campground and honestly I knew it would be too exhausting to go more than two days.
We got to the campground on a Sunday and we had that evening to enjoy. We went to the Chip n Dale bonfire and sing-a-long. This is super fun. There’s a guy that sings country/kids songs and tells jokes in between. Amelia danced her heart out. I think it had to do with the fact that she had been in the car for 7 hours. During the sing-a-long they bring out Chip n Dale and you can dance with them and take your picture. After the sing-a-long is over they show a Disney movie outside. Amelia was too exhausted to stay for the movie so we headed back to the camper.
We went to Magic Kingdom the next day. From our campsite we had a 10 minute walk to a ferry that took us straight to Magic Kingdom. The ferry ride was maybe 15 minutes. The kids had been waking up early so we got to Magic Kingdom right as it opened.
I had our three fast passes locked in so we took a few pictures and headed to those. I really wasn’t sure how Amelia would like the rides because she hated the rides at the fair last fall. I know that was a while ago and totally different. I was just afraid we’d get there and she’d be scared.
Here is what we rode the first day-
Buzz Lightyear: Amelia and I did this one because Wyatt was already asleep in the stroller. I think I chose the scariest ride first! It was dark and there were aliens everywhere. She whimpered a little and seemed a little scared but didn’t cry. I thought it was cute!
Dumbo: A classic! She liked this one a lot. She ket saying, “Ride elephant!” Nathan rode this one with her.
It’s a Small World: Another classic. This one was fun because all four of us rode it. She was just super quiet and took it all in. Wyatt seemed more excited about it than her.
Jungle Cruise: I had a fast pass for this one. I hadn’t been on it before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was probably my least favorite. It was nice for all four of us to ride it but it was kind of boring. The tour guide guy was probably the most entertaining.
Aladdin’s Magic Carpet Ride: It’s similar to Dumbo. Amelia and Nate rode together and I took Wyatt. It went pretty high but Wyatt didn’t mind.
We took a lunch break at some random restaurant. I got a hot dog and Nathan got a bbq sandwich. I had planned to pack sandwiches to take into the park but it just didn’t happen. I did try the famous Dole Whip. It was pretty good! I got it on top of a pineapple cake. Next time I think I’ll just get the ice cream.
After lunch Amelia rode the carousel. She begged to go on this one. I guess since she had ridden one before she knew what to expect.
Mickey’s Philharmonic Show: This is a 3-D show with a variety of Disney bits with songs. Amelia didn’t want to wear the glasses so I’m sure it looked strange. I thought it was cute, but it was probably too old for her.
We were walking around and stumbled on a live performance in front of the castle. It had all the main characters and Elsa and Anna. It was so cute! Amelia was so funny because she didn’t seem excited but afterwards it was all she talked about.
After the character show we went to the parade. We were all pretty tired at this point and planned to leave right after. Apparently everyone else had the same idea too. We had a good spot by the road to watch the parade. I got Amelia out of the stroller and Goofy ended up coming up to her. She burst into tears!! She loves Goofy so we were surprised. Later on when we asked her about it she said, “See Goopy. Melia cry.”
We headed back to the campground after the parade and had some rest time. I think we logged about 5 miles of walking at the park.
I forgot to mention, during one of our morning snack and water breaks we heard a loud pop. Everyone around us jumped. It almost sounded like a gun shot. Well it was OUR STROLLER TIRE. That was fun. We could still push the stroller around so thats just what we did. Nothing like a flat tire on day one! Lots of people were kind enough to point it out also. All. day. long. Needless to say, Nathan had to go out and find a new tire tube that evening.
Overall, it was a fun first day!!
-Annie
Glamper Love 