Three Things We are Doing Differently on our Next Disney Trip

If you have been following me (either through my blog or through Facebook), you know that I love all things Disney. My family loves Disney movies, we love Disney music, and, most importantly, we love Walt Disney World.

Two years ago, my wife and I took our four boys on a trip to the Walt Disney World Resort. She and I have been several times, but this was the first time as a family. We were able to find a great deal on a two-bedroom condo, bought tickets through a special broker, and rented a van to drive to Florida. IT WAS AWESOME!

We are going to be taking another trip this coming summer, just as soon as school is done for the summer. However, we are going to be doing some things just a little bit differently this time.

1. We are flying to Disney instead of driving. As I mentioned, last time we drove to Orlando. We rented a van, loaded all of things into the van, and made the 2-day drive. This was fine last time. We were able to put the two bigger boys in the back seat, our toddler in one of the bucket seats and the baby in the other. This time, we have five children. That means that there will be three boy in the back seat. We can barely make it to Chick-fil-a without a fight. So, this trip we are going to be flying. Yes, it is a huge expense, especially when you have to purchase 6 tickets. My wife and I just decided that it was worth the cost to save on the potential arguing and fatigue that comes from making such a long drive.
2. We are renting a house. So many folks rave about the Disney experience of staying on property. It is something we would love to do, but the size of our family makes that a bit more difficult (and a lot more expensive). We found a 4-bedroom house very close to the parks for an incredible price. This is perfect for us because we can cook our own meals, there are enough rooms for everyone to sleep comfortably, and it has its own private pool. The boys are especially excited about this part.
3. We are only going to parks for 4 days. We will be in Orlando from a Sunday until Saturday. Last time we went down, we tried to go to the parks every day and there were a lot of meltdowns. This time, we are only planning to go four out of the five days we are there. We have purposely scheduled a day off in the middle of the week so that we can spend time at the pool, visit Downtown Disney, and just relax. Hopefully this will help all of us to stay refreshed and to get more enjoyment out of our trip.

Every trip to Disney is full of magic and memories. Our hope is that by making these changes, even changes that will cost us a bit more, we can enjoy our trip all that much more.