Disney Life Mom Hacks

"My oh my what a wonderful day!"

It's the "Most Magical Place on Earth" they said! "You must take your kids to Disney at least once," they said. And you know what? I completely agree with those things. We are very much a Disney family starting with my parents who try to go every year. We recently returned from eight days away in the land of Disney and though I've been several times myself, I find that each and every time I go, I learn something new and it's always a new experience. Taking three kids along for the ride renders new lessons, new opinions and new suggestions for parents everywhere who are in the planning stage, contemplation stage or who are heading out to Disney in the near future.

As promised, I am going to share with you my most recent Disney Life Mom Hacks. Disney hacks will differ based on perspective and experience, but if you want my honest feedback, based on my experience with my family of five, then this is what you are looking for! Let's dive in! In no particular order, here are my suggestions.

Have a tentative plan. While vacation is always nice without a full agenda, it's best to map out your Disney plans for each day. There is so much to see and do; so much that it's impossible to do it all. I prefer to know a day-by-day rundown of how my family will tackle the parks and experiences the best we can in order to maximize our time. Also have a tentative plan for where you want to eat your meals! It can be overwhelming!

Download the Disney mobile app. I always find myself saying that "Disney has truly thought of it all" and I believe they have! The "My Disney Experience" mobile app will become your best friend when navigating the parks. You can see wait times, snag fast passes, find showtimes as well as explore the interactive maps for things you may otherwise miss!

Make your popular dining reservations 6 months in advance. We chose to book Chef Mickeys breakfast this time around, which the kids always love. Many options fill up quickly and I always cringe for the person who walks in without a reservation and is either turned away or waits for hours! To guarantee your spot at your preferred time, book early! There are also endless options, which don't require a reservation. We were able to enjoy pizza in Italy with only a 20 minute wait. Reservations are recommended, but not always required. Make your reservations easily through the My Disney Experience app or online.

If you go in the winter months, be sure to over prepare your family's wardrobe. I will admit that January/February is not my favorite time to visit Disney, but had we not traveled there this time, I wouldn't know that. When it comes to weather, we experienced everything from 47 degrees and chilly to 85 degrees and sunny. One day we were swimming and the next we were busting out our fleece jackets, pants and hats. Be prepared for any possibility weather-wise. I use the Ziplock packing method and was able to fit my family of five in two suitcases for eight days! While Disney has cold weather options available, you will definitely pay for them! One sweatshirt runs around $50 (which I would far rather spend on cocktails and Dole Whips, just saying).

Bring a reusable straw and cup. This one probably seems weird, but in an effort to eliminate plastics (way to go Disney), you will not receive any plastic straws or lids with your beverage purchases. This can make it difficult when you're constantly on the move. Plus kids like to spill. Mine do anyway! I was given paper straws with my Starbucks beverages, which work fine, but end up super soggy before your drink is finished. Next time, I'm bringing my own cup/straw!

Use Garden Grocer! When I say that Disney has thought of everything, this falls in that category of convenience. Garden Grocer services are available to resort guests and made it super easy for me to stock our room's fridge with things like healthy snacks, portable yogurts, bottled water, Uncrustables and even a case of beer for Super Bowl Sunday! You will pay far above markup, plus a delivery fee for your items, but the convenience of it is well worth it! Plus did I mention that a bottle of water is $5 at your Disney Resort? Order that in and take it with you!

Take food into the parks. In follow up to my Garden Grocer recommendation and just in case you were not aware, you can bring your own food and drinks into every Disney park! Spending on snacks and meals within the parks can really add up! Not to mention, I have some picky eaters. Am I proud of the fact that my kids survived on lunch break Uncrustables for a week? Not really! But they loved it and didn't know any different!

Take cash. If you are starting to plan your trip, I recommend a cash envelope! Allocate so much from each pay period toward your Disney cash and you'll be all set to enjoy your time, as well as avoid breaking the bank!

Watch for flight deals. $69 per seat for a Frontier flight to Orlando? Yes please! Flying doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg if you are not picky about it. It's such a short flight from where we live, that I don't need any frills. I just need to get there in a timely fashion, because who actually wants to spend two days in the car? No thanks!

Stay on Disney property. Believe it or not, this was my first time taking my family to stay on Disney property and all I could ask myself was why we made it so difficult on ourselves before. Disney makes everything so easy! They take care of your luggage for you, even deliver it to your room, pick you up in the Magical Express bus and take you back to catch your flight home. At one point, my husband and I looked at each other and couldn't believe how stress-free the process was. From your resort, you will be able to easily access all Disney Parks and places, plus like I've said prior...Disney thinks of everything! I would never go through the hassle of renting a car, a condo off property and driving myself to Disney everyday ever again. We stayed in a value resort this time around and look forward to exploring other should we choose to go again.

The Disney Skyline is a game changer! Use it whenever you can to avoid waiting in line for the buses or monorail. If you're afraid of heights, it can appear daunting, but it is the smoothest ride and allows you to soar over top of various resorts and parts of Epcot. It's amazing! I hope one day it will connect the entire property, but for now you can take it to Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Pop Century and Art of Animation resorts!

Don't go during flu season. I will spare you the disgusting details surrounding our first night's late call to housekeeping and how our oldest child brought stomach flu with him, which then passed through a couple other family members. We definitely made the most of it, despite the sickness. He was so tough, rested up and overcame it, but it definitely made us second guess our decision.

Purchase the Memory Maker, which will allow you to easily capture unlimited photos of your Disney experiences! Disney has park photographers scattered around the parks and at all major attractions or character meetings. All photos upload to the mobile app for you to save, print or order as you wish. Ordering photos individually is very costly. Our Memory Maker package was able to link our entire family and we definitely maximized it!

Buy your mouse ears on Etsy. Otherwise you can expect to pay $30 per pair of ears. Honestly, I liked the options I found on Etsy for under $10 far better! Here's the link to the pair I purchased. I absolutely loved them and even received a few compliments!

If you don't like strollers and children, then avoid Magic Kingdom. This one may seem weird to say and really is more of a mom vent, but you would be amazed at the amount of people in the crowd who acted inconvenienced by or complained about strollers. First of all....who is Magic Kingdom truly geared toward? Kids as well as "kids at heart". If that is not your jam, then I suggest Epcot!

Patience. You will have to wait in line for that ride. You will have to wait in line for that Starbucks fix. You will have to wait in line get on Disney transportation. I promise every single experience was worth the wait! Take light in the fact that you are incredibly blessed to be standing inside the world of Disney and know that you will get your turn. Disney even offers a line waiting app with Disney games to pass the time! See? They think of everything. Also bring snacks in line for the kids! Fed kids are happy kids in that scenario!

Talk to people. Disney Parks bring in guests from all over the world! Every person you talk to shares their thoughts, tips and ideas. Some of your best hacks are found within those who you strike up a conversation with! For example, I spoke to a dad from Michigan who goes every year and in that short bus ride, I walked away with so many great ideas, some of which I'm sharing in this blog. Disney brings out some of the best people, because they are genuinely happy to be there!

You can go for too long. I found that I struggled by about day five, though it will vary based on who you talk to. By day five, I started to long for things like home cooked, healthy meals, my comfortable bed and family routine. As much as I love Disney, I do think it's possible to go for too long. Eight days was in my opinion too long. Plus, you can only eat park foods for so long before you start to lose your appetite. At least that's the case for me. You will start to feel exhausted and overstimulated. Even your kiddos will long for home. This goes back to having a tentative plan. Think about how many days you truly need to maximize your experience and go for it!

You CAN afford it. This is one of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to Disney trips. There are always those people who judge you for spending the amount it costs to go to Disney. Do I think it's expensive? Absolutely! Do I think the memories made are priceless? Absolutely! I am a firm believer that every young child should deserves the Disney experience at least once. I understand there are many circumstances where it's just not possible. However, from my perspective, here's the thing, Disney is not something the average family can save for or plan in a short amount of time. We are very much a family on a budget and our Disney trips are planned for years. In this case, we planned for three years. It takes budgeting. It takes planning. It takes saving. Start early. Take your time. You will get there. I promise.

Let go. Leave your troubles at the gate. They'll be there after your vacation. Let go of every expectation or perfect moments that you envisioned. If you don't, you will experience disappointment. No one should feel disappointed at Disney World, other than in the rides you weren't able to experience due to long wait times (only one this time, which isn't bad)! The real "magic" lies in the little moments and the unexpected. Seeing your child light up at their first Mickey sighting, watching your child proudly overcome their rollercoaster fear only to ask if they can ride it again, walking hand in hand down Main Street USA, the inspiring message behind the fireworks displays, the memories made....that's Disney magic.

So there you have it! I could go on and on and ON about the things I recommend. If you have a specific question about our Disney experience, be it our resort choice, other Disney Life Mom Hacks, opinions on attractions, etc., you can find me on Instagram where I always keep it real! If you've been contemplating a Disney trip, my advice is to do it.

No matter how long it takes you to get there, know that it is possible. There's nothing like that first glimpse of Cinderella's castle. There's nothing like the smiles and excitement. Calories don't count and every night ends with incredible fireworks and easy transport back to your home away from home. I wish you a magical Disney experience, whether it's this year, next year even five years from now.