On this Mother’s Day, I contacted my Mom Squad for their top Disney tips! I thought no better way to celebrate this great group of ladies and their wealth of knowledge! I love offering their expertise because of their diverse families and backgrounds! Their tips are so hopeful for kids and families of all ages! So Happy Mother’s Day to each of you and each of them and I hope you enjoy this Disney Tips: Mom Squad Edition!
“I would say my biggest tip is to schedule days off. I see a lot of tired, cranky families who are hitting parks day after day and are exhausted. We like to schedule an off day in the middle of the week to sleep in a little, hit up a character breakfast, resort hop, and spend the afternoon by the pool. It gives everyone the chance to rest up and reset mid week. There’s so much to see and do on Disney property besides the parks so rest days provide a great opportunity to explore.” – Jennifer Johnston, mom of 3 under 5.
“Get the Memory Maker add-on for photos. The on-ride and posed pictures in front of park icons and special places will bring a smile to your face for years to come. Those special moments with your loved ones will be treasured memories for years. You can count on the Disney Photopass photographers to know how to bring out the best poses to showcase your family. The magic shots add-ons give your photos that special Disney touch. And those on-ride photos….well, they are always good for a laugh!” -Jenniefer Green, mom, AND grandmother
“My top Disney tip is to be flexible, having a schedule is great, but if your littles are over tired, it’s okay to adjust your schedule and just exist in the parks. We never try to do it all, and we enjoy our trips so much more by being flexible.” – Kara Gray, mom of 3
“This might be an unpopular opinion but go with the flow! Before I knew about Carie, I attempted to plan a Disney trip on my own. I was totally overwhelmed and gave up. A few months later I found Carie! She planned the most magical first time trip for my 4 year old daughter. It was everything we could’ve dreamed of and more. In the last 5 years, my family has experienced many more Disney trips. I quickly realized for us, less is more! We typically have one reservation a day for a meal. Everything else just happens as we go, we wing it! I’ve seen many moms in panic mode trying to get from place to place on their planned schedule. I found that if I don’t have a 50 item to-do list then I won’t be let down if we don’t check everything off. Disney World is our absolute favorite place so we have a slow pace and take it all in. On our way to the park each morning I’ll ask my daughter what her top 3 things are for that park and we’ll do it, everything else just falls into place. Absorb all the magic and relax-it’s the small things that matter most!” – Amanda Easter, mom of 3 ranging in age from grade school to high school
“Take time to enjoy the small things! We get so caught up in ADR’s and riding all the rides, but my child’s favorite Disney memories are digging in the barnyard playground, the EPCOT playground while we tried snacks from the food booths, riding the horses at Fort Wilderness, and playing in the splash pad and making S’mores at our resort. Don’t get so caught up in the big things you miss out on some of the biggest memories.” – Kassy Pickens, mom of 2 littles under 4
“Besides using you…Mobile ordering when you can so you don’t have to wait in line for food!” -Hannah Gibson, mom of one
“Pack your own water bottles, fill up at the restaurants. They give free ice water! We like brumate with the built in straw. Use packing cubes or zip lock bags and pack each child’s outfit, Minnie ears, etc in each bag so it’s easily accessible each morning. Bring extra zip lop bags in park to protect your belongings, cell phones, battery packs, etc during water rides. Go to Dollar Tree before the trip and buy glow sticks/necklaces/bracelets for them to wear at night. One of the best tips I ever received was to rent your stroller — we like to rent from Kingdom Strollers. Decorate stroller! We did a battery pack Disney string princess lights one year and then orange & purple lights for Halloween season. Cool clothes are a must for hot days! I have also bought Disney temporary tattoos from Etsy and had them customized with my cell phone number in case one of the girls got away from me. They are older now but still will use.” -Traci Goad, mom of two grade school aged girls
“My top Disney tip would be to make sure you plan early and pay early! If the dining plan is available, get it! It’s less of a stressful vacation when you don’t have to worry about budgeting. Also, it’s important to have an agenda, but try to also go with the flow to make it more enjoyable. If you want a dad tip, my husband says the most important thing is to download the app! It is so important to know the app before you go. It will help with literally everything you do, especially navigating the parks and even your resorts. We use it constantly, even to find bus stops at the resorts, make and change dinner reservations, and reserve which attractions you want to do.” -Britney Hanshaw, mom of 2
I am so thankful for my Mom Squad and their willingness to share their knowledge of navigating the parks with different age ranges in their family! They have their fingers on the pulse of how to make things easy and smooth! And on this Mother’s Day, I couldn’t help but showcase some of my favorite ladies that allow me to pick their brains all the time! Happy Mother’s Day to each and everyone of you!
