T.G.I.F. Pic Of The Week – My Top Fastpass+ Picks – Animal Kingdom

For the past few weeks, I have been talking about my top fastpass+ picks for each of the Disney Parks – So far, I have covered the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot, and this week I will round out my lists with the final park – Animal Kingdom! Admittedly – Animal Kingdom is not my favorite of the Walt Disney World Theme Parks. BUT – it DOES have some amazing things to offer for animal lovers, and I know that my son will ADORE it – as he is SUPER into the zoo and any and all animals right now. So here they are – our top Animal Kingdom Fastpass picks:

First up on the list HAS to be the Kilimajaro Safari ride – as it will give us all a chance to see some animals, and to learn more about them too! Plus – we don’t have to walk – which is a plus in my book (call me lazy – but it’s really for the kid – better to save his little legs and get him the chance to ride around and see some animals he’s never seen before!)

To say my son is into dinosaurs is an understatement – he loves them so much he even has his own giant T-Rex pool float. So naturally, Dinosaur is on our “must ride” Fastpass+ list – I hope it doesn’t scare him – am hoping he is intrigued more than frightened

Meet & Greet with Mickey & Minnie – might not seem “fastpass” worthy to some – but – again – my son is 3, so – meeting Mickey and Minnie is pretty much top on his Disney wish list, so I want to make sure he gets to do it!

Obviously, these Fastpass+ picks are chosen mainly with my almost 4-year old in mind, since it’s his first trip, I want to make sure he is seeing things tailored to his interests, and I really hope he loves what I picked!

What about you – what are your and your family’s must-do Fastpass rides/attractions at WDW?

TGIF!

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T.G.I.F Pic Of The Week – My Top Fastpass + Picks – Epcot

When I was a kid, I really did NOT care for Epcot. And back in the early 90’s – they certainly didn’t have as much to offer young ones as they do today! It bored me – the countries didn’t make any sense to me, and the whole “Future World” concept did NOT interest me at all. These days, I have grown to appreciate Epcot MUCH more – the futuristic theme is kitschy and fun, and the countries still aren’t my favorite – but their food (and drink!) options are much more appealing as an adult

As we prepare to take our first family trip to Walt Disney World, I try and imagine how my son will see Epcot – will he view it as boring like I did, or will he love it? I tend to think he will love it, as he kind of loves everything and is at that great age where he is in awe of everything new – but still, when it comes to picking Fastpasses for Epcot, I want to make sure I am choosing extra carefully, picking rides and attractions that will cultivate a love for Epcot at a young age. So – I spent a LOT of time thinking about these – my top Epcot Fastpass+ picks:

The Epcot Character Spot was a MUST HAVE on my Epcot Fastpass list – my son LOVES Mickey and pals – so the chance to meet them ALL in one spot is a necessity! When we were here years ago, it was the “fab five” – Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto – and I am not sure all 5 are still here regularly – but no matter to us – we will love whoever is there for hugs and photos and autographs!

Test Track – Now that the ride has been redesigned and you have the interactive queue where you design your car, I just know that this will be a home run with my son (plus, we love it too!)

Spaceship Earth – This is a ride that used to have little to no standby wait time, but has grown largely in popularity recently, and has experienced wait times of 45-60 minutes. And since I love it – I want to make sure it’s one we are able to do – so it rounds out our fastpass list for Epcot!

I am pumped to be getting closer to our WDW trip – we are under 3 months now on our countdown! And I have been working diligently on planning the trip – making lists for packing, purchasing things here and there for the trip, and of course making Fastpass+ lists – check out my ones for Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, and stay tuned next week for my Animal Kingdom picks!

TGIF!

T.G.I.F. Pic Of The Week – My Top Fastpass+ Picks – Hollywood Studios

Last week I talked about how my Disney vacation is coming soon (under 100 days now!) and that I was working on my top Fastpass+ picks for the Magic Kingdom. Since then, I have been doing even more planning – and have finalized our top Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ Picks:

Slinky Dog Dash has been under construction since last fall, and will finally be opening to the masses at the end of this month along with the rest of Toy Story Land. I am REALLY REALLY hoping to snag fastpasses for this – as my son loves Toy Story, and he especially loves Slinky Dog – so fingers crossed we can get this one!

Star Tours – This is one that everyone in my family will love – my husband love Star Wars (and the ride), and my son is a big fan of it too – he hasn’t ridden it yet since this will be his first Disney World trip – but I have a feeling he will love the experience – the 3-D glasses, boarding the “vehicle”, the droids, etc

The Tower of Terror is one of my personal favorites – I remember waiting in line for over 2 hours when it first opened – and then boarding that creepy “Service Elevator” for the journey into the Twilight Zone…I love all thinks horror so this is right up my alley. My son also enjoys creepy/spooky stuff, so I am hoping he likes this – it might end up being a bit scary for him as he is only 3 – but I am hoping he is at least willing to try it!

Stay tuned next week for more of my Fastpass+ picks!

TGIF!

 

T.G.I.F. Pic Of The Week – My Top Fastpass+ Picks – Magic Kingdom

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a YEAR since I booked our Disney World vacation – and that our countdown until we head to WDW is just over 3 months now! Time flies – and while I am not wishing away the summer, I am starting to get SUPER pumped and antsy to head back to Walt Disney World!

One thing that will help me feel even closer to the Mouse is making my Fastpass+ reservations online. This is something you can do 60 days in advance if you’re staying at a Disney World Resort (or 30 days in advance if you are staying off site), and for those of you not familiar, it’s basically a way to “reserve” a spot at popular attractions. You pick them (3 a day can be reserved ahead of time), and then go to the ride at the appointed fastpass return time – whereupon you are whisked away into the MUCH shorter “fastpass” line – therefore avoiding a super long wait time. Genius, right? Read more about it here

Needless to say – I have been thinking about my Fastpass+ selections for a WHILE – mulling over which would be best at each Park, and which my son would like best too (since this will be his first WDW trip!). I have managed to narrow down my selections somewhat – and am pretty solid on My top Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ Picks:

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – This kid-friendly roller coaster is one we haven’t gotten to experience yet (since it opened after our last WDW trip) – but since it is pretty new, we know that a Fastpass is a MUST to avoid the Standby lines (which can get LONGGGG)

Peter Pan’s Flight – This is a personal favorite of mine – the flying ships I especially adore! It just reminds me of watching the movie as a kid and being so amazed at it all. I hope my son finds it as magical as I do! Even though it’s not a new attraction at all – the lines for it can be long (not sure why?) – so that’s what made me add it to the “must fastpass” list

Thunder Mountain – I was a bit apprehensive about adding this one to the list – as it is more of a “thrill” ride, and I worry my son won’t like it as much or it might scare him – BUT – it IS train themed, and I think that’s a major selling point for him – so I figure – why not give it a go?

There are others that I would like to use Fastpass for – Space Mountain mainly – but my boy is just about an inch shy of being tall enough, and I don’t want to assume he will grow an inch by September (although – who are we kidding – he will probably grow WAY more than an inch by then ha!) – so we will have to wait and see on that one. Plus – I don’t want to traumatize him (the way my dad did to me when he took me on Space Mountain when I was 4) – I have recovered luckily, but it can be a scary ride for a little person!

What about you – what rides are your absolutes for Fastpass+ selections?

Stay tuned here next week when I talk about more of my Fastpass+ Picks
TGIF!

T.G.I.F. Pic Of The Week – Disney Wardrobe – DONE!

My family is headed to Walt Disney World in September – and even though that may be (several) months away, I have already begun preparing. Lists galore – packing list, “To-Do” list, souvenir wish list, and of course – a pre-trip shopping list. There are practical things on there – like sunscreen, snacks, and antibacterial wipes – and then there are the slightly LESS practical items – like “new Disney wardrobes for everyone”. Would I love to buy cute new outfits (some even matching) for us to all wear for our trip? Of course. But am I made of money/am I insane? A big NO to both of those – I have enough to plan for/think about/deal with when it comes to vacation planning to be attempting to also shop like crazy for new clothes – and as much as I want to – it’s just not practical for me and my family

So, in lieu of that, I decided I better see what we have to wear for Disney! And the good news is – we have A LOT:

My husband has a few – my fave is the Star Wars “Galaxy’s Best Dad” one – makes me laugh

My son of course has a TON – as he loves Disney, Star Wars and basically anything animated

….And of course, I have the most – including some Minnie Mouse printed LuLaRoe leggings

So – as it turns out, I can cross “new Disney wardrobes” off my shopping list – as we already have TONS of great stuff to wear on our trip in September! Will we match/coordinate? Probably not – but does that even really matter? Probably not ha

Side note –those of you who have the money/time/desire to buy all new clothes and matching outfits and all that for your Disney vacation – good for you and more power to you! I in NO WAY judge you AT ALL – I personally just have to (unfortunately) draw the line somewhere – and I think since we already have a ton of cute stuff, we will just be able to wear what we have, and still be able to show off our Disney Love with every outfit!

TGIF!

T.G.I.F. Pic Of The Week – Top Travel Accessories – Adult Edition!

Last week I talked about my top picks for Toddler Travel Accessories – and this week I figured now that I have my little guy covered, why not pick out some great stuff that I can use, too? Here are my top travel accessory picks for adults:

A neck pillow is a must when traveling on an airplane, but this one really takes it to the next level – the hood would be perfect for blocking out all the light and some of the noise, too!

Counter space is at a premium in most hotels – so keep all your little bottles and toiletries organized in this carrier which conveniently hangs right on the door/shower rod/closet rod

Ok and stay with me on this one – I know it’s SUPER nerdy looking – but this Travel wallet straps right to you and can help keep the things most important to you (passports/phone/credit cards/ID’s) close by and safe

Then there’s this amazing new Mickey Phone Kickstand I just got – I know it’s not really a “travel” accessory but it gets an honorable mention as it will certainly get used a lot during my trip (yes – there will be a LOT of selfies taken during this vacation!)

These will all come in SUPER handy when my family and I head to Disney World this fall

TGIF!