Our daughter’s 2nd Christmas-time commute to Walt Disney Global used to be a very good revel in for our complete circle of relatives. This covers the teachings discovered alongside the best way, and excellent & dangerous of our baby travels by way of a mixture of anecdotes and actionable recommendation for different folks.
Our aim used to be/is to do picture studies following each circle of relatives commute we make to Walt Disney Global, very similar to our ‘father or mother fails’ from Child Bricker’s first WDW commute – section 1 and section 2. We additionally shared ‘what went proper’ all the way through our circle of relatives commute – section 1 and section 2. The ones posts had been well-received by means of readers, each as recaps of our commute and teachable moments for different new folks.
However it’s been a hectic month-plus for us and Christmas is fast-approaching, so I sought after to proportion this in one submit. Lots of the “classes” we “discovered” had been actually extra like great reminders, anyway. Nonetheless, I sought after to proportion since readers have requested for this sort of submit and, in truth, as a result of we like taking a look again at those down the street. Right here is going with the listing of little classes/reminders so you’ll be told from our reviews, or just listen about some sides of our WDW Christmas commute, because the case is also.
Disneyland Has Spoiled Us
There are two techniques that is true, in my opinion. The primary is that Walt Disney’s authentic magical kingdom continues to be the most productive instance of “some more or less amusement undertaking…the place the fogeys and the youngsters may have a laugh in combination.”
In simply Fantasyland and Toontown at Disneyland, there’s the next focus of sights that our daughter (Megatron) loves than some other Disney Park on the earth. We will have an excessively productive and a laugh morning or night with out ever leaving that house of simply Disneyland. And, in truth, we have now on a number of events!
Fantasyland and Storybook Circus at Magic Kingdom are excellent, however now not that excellent–or that straightforward. Then there are the opposite parks. Disney California Journey would possibly appear extra grownup (and is), but it surely’s additionally shockingly excellent for tots. EPCOT and Animal Kingdom in fact rival DCA in their very own techniques; the loss of an expansive play house like Redwood Creek Problem Path is a huge pass over for us, as our daughter favors unfastened play and exploration over passive reviews.
The second one method that is true is extra distinctive to us, and it’s that we’ve gotten in a groove doing Disneyland as locals. This in large part comes to running round naptime, which means we arrive early and knock out the whole lot we wish to do ahead of naptime hits, or go away house and feature naptime occur at the go back and forth.
I’m now not going to fixate in this level because it’s an “us factor,” but it surely used to be however jarring to move from strategic partial days as soon as every week to all-day, (nearly) on a regular basis for every week. That’s actually the native AP vs. vacationer viewpoint in a nutshell, simply exaggerated you probably have youngsters.
I’d upload that this will not be simply an us factor, as there’s an excellent chance that, no matter you do at house with a child, you do it in bite-sized chunks to navigate naptime, set up meltdowns, and so on. That form of day-to-day scheduling and segmentation is more challenging at Walt Disney Global, however at the plus facet, it may be more straightforward to do noon breaks relying upon the place you keep. (Extremely counsel someplace with non-bus transportation to 1-2 parks!)
Starlight’s Flooring Sport is Worse Than I Idea
Our Disney Starlight Night time Parade Overview is in large part certain. On the other hand, it’s also my evaluate from seeing the parade with different adults, and now not Sarah and Megatron. I used to be actually excited to look it with them. We’re an leisure circle of relatives, and Sarah and I’ve such a lot of formative reminiscences from SpectroMagic.
Even my certain evaluate notes that Starlight’s maximum evident weak point is its floor sport: “There aren’t sufficient dancers between the floats. The choreography isn’t nice. The bottom-level movers which can be provide have extremely lackluster costumes around the board, with minimum lights.” I wrote then that Starlight has the worst floor sport of any Disney parade I’ve ever noticed.
It’s now not conceivable to be worse than worst, however it’s conceivable to be even weaker than I assumed. Starlight’s ground-level performers are so missing that enormous sections of the parade failed to connect to our daughter. Positive, she loved waving at Elsa and different favourite characters, however there weren’t just about sufficient of them.
And in contrast to different parades she enjoys, the ground-level characters don’t actually have interaction with youngsters within the crowd. The (literal) most effective exception to this is Tinker Bell. She nonetheless loved portions of Starlight, however in contrast to her folks, she turns out to want Paint the Night time (by means of so much).
WDW Does Characters Higher Than I Idea
Lengthy ahead of having kids, this weblog extolled the virtues of Disneyland’s extra free-roaming method to characters. I nonetheless deal with that there’s a definite magic in seeing Maleficent wandering round Napping Attractiveness Citadel or Mary and Bert main the band or Peter Pan taking part in with visitors. And the performers at Disneyland are specifically gifted.
With that stated, Walt Disney Global has made super strides with characters. You’ll in finding unfastened roaming characters within the parks for quiet wonder and enjoyment moments. There also are numerous conventional meet & greets, each in purpose-built venues and out of doors at devoted places. And plenty of of those don’t have specifically lengthy strains. Even on busier days, we knocked out a number of characters at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (a selected shiny spot) with exact waits of 10 mins or much less.
That is going to dollar standard knowledge, however I would possibly pass so far as to mention that Walt Disney Global does characters higher (extra simply obtainable, balanced, and least traumatic) than some other Disney Parks. No less than, for folks with babies. For adults who wish to see uncommon characters, seasonal costumes, or have a definite form of interplay, there are arguably higher choices. However because it seems, circle of relatives and tourist-centric Walt Disney Global would possibly simply be catering to its bread and butter higher.
DHS Doesn’t Have Sufficient
The Walt Disney Studios Lot can not open rapid sufficient for folks of tots. As a result of these days at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the one land aimed toward youngsters is Toy Tale Land–and the ‘goal’ there isn’t completely calibrated. The one appeal in that land that works for us is Alien Swirling Saucers, as a result of Toy Tale Mania isn’t fairly age suitable for our circle of relatives but.
In all probability that is an “us drawback,” however I used to be in fact stunned by means of how little time we spent at DHS. Our daughter most certainly would’ve beloved looping Alien Swirling Saucers, however the wait instances made that prohibitive. With a child, there are most effective such a lot of long displays you’ll sit down thru, which didn’t go away us with a lot.
I’ve lengthy felt that Toy Tale Land is a tale of squandered possible, and that’s much more pronounced now that we’ve got a child. At minimal, there will have to be a play house with outsized props. (You realize, precisely like used to be prior to now on this park with the ‘Honey I Shriveled the Youngsters: Film Set Journey.’)
At easiest, Toy Tale Land will have to be just like the defunct “a computer virus’s land” at DCA or Mermaid Lagoon at Tokyo DisneySea. A extra play-centric land with a couple of extra flat rides would’ve been an enormous win, addressing a few of Toy Tale Land’s shortcomings.
On paper, EPCOT and Animal Kingdom would possibly not appear any higher or worse for babies than Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In observe, I used to be pleasantly stunned by means of simply how a lot our daughter loved each parks–particularly DAK in its present construction-forward shape.
The sense of discovery at DAK actually works nicely with baby interest, to the purpose that the low experience depend didn’t actually have an effect on us. She’s all the time favored Dinoland, however this used to be the primary time that we spent numerous time within the animal sights and shows. She beloved the ones, and not were given uninterested in them. DAK used to be a full-day park for us; DHS used to be now not.
WDW Wishes Extra Frozen
Every other “us drawback” is that we don’t actually care concerning the franchises that Walt Disney Global has leveraged in new sights and lands within the closing decade. Don’t get me mistaken–we revel in a number of of the top effects, however that is regardless of having no emotional attachment to the underlying characters and films. Truthfully, I believe like we’re now not on my own on this amongst enthusiasts.
This loss of emotional resonance used to be more straightforward to omit ahead of we had youngsters, particularly when the sights had been excellent. However there’s a 0 p.c likelihood that we’re going to rewatch the Wonder Cinematic Universe or any Famous person Wars excluding the primary few movies with our daughter, except she independently turns into keen on those franchises. We didn’t develop up at the MCU, and may just take or go away Famous person Wars.
She’s already loves Toy Tale, Vehicles, Frozen, Monsters, Winnie the Pooh, Aristocats, Sew, Zootopia, Mickey & Minnie, and different animated characters. We will’t wait to introduce the ones motion pictures to her (all of her present wisdom of characters comes from the parks), in conjunction with different animated movies from our childhoods all the way through the Disney Renaissance.
So although we like Famous person Wars: Upward push of the Resistance and suppose it’s the top of Imagineering, the extra significant sights to us are Anna & Elsa’s Frozen Adventure and Frozen Ever After. Or for that topic, even Slinky Canine Sprint or Buzz Lightyear’s Area Ranger Spin!
The eye-grabbing a part of that is that Walt Disney Global wishes extra Frozen, as it’s ostensibly debatable amongst those that someway nonetheless have Frozen Fatigue. However in truth that Frozen is underutilized as in comparison to the Global(s) of Frozen or Fable Springs, and is an unbelievable assets that–like Vehicles Land–lends itself to a unmarried IP land actually nicely.
Aside from the Aristocats, there’d most certainly be little argument from longtime Walt Disney Global enthusiasts about extra of the ones franchises and different animated motion pictures from the Nineteen Nineties. Suffice to mention, I actually hope Walt Disney Global continues to concentrate on animated movies (new classics and previous) all the way through the 10-year plan, versus extra Famous person Wars (with the exception of solving what’s there), Wonder, and different reside motion stuff. Additions in response to Vehicles, Monsters, Encanto, and Villains are a excellent get started!
Strollers Are Love-Hate
We already mentioned this one at duration in We Hate Strollers, However Right here’s Why We Love Our Stroller for Walt Disney Global Commute. That’s extra of a product evaluate, and the concise model is that our explicit stroller (YoYo) is the most productive conceivable model of a device that we don’t like desiring.
The “love” a part of the stroller dating is that it extends our days once we would possibly in a different way want to take a noon damage or name it an early night time. Strollers even have their moments as unfastened lockers, even though that’s now not all upside. The “hate” section is just about the whole lot else–from navigating the parks to bus transportation and extra. Strollers are principally glorified anchors, however on wheels and in a position to transporting a kid (so in no way, actually).
As a normal topic, we some distance most well-liked the babywearing days. It’s such a lot more straightforward and extra versatile than a stroller. Truthfully, I don’t get fairly why such a lot of folks love strollers. At easiest, I view them as a essential evil. I’m counting down the times till we not want ours and have already got attempted “ditching” it on every occasion conceivable. Simply ask Sarah–one in every of my maximum commonplace fresh refrains has been “are we able to escape with now not bringing the stroller?” (The solution is typically “no.”)
As any other normal topic, we might strongly counsel touring along with your first child up to conceivable from 6-Three hundred and sixty five days (give or take). Different folks presented this recommendation to us, and we took it to middle. Touring widely all the way through that ‘candy spot’ used to be one of the vital easiest selections we made as new folks. I might take {that a} step additional and counsel non-Disney locations or even (particularly) world trip if inside your price range (and if Walt Disney Global is inside your price range, so too are the most productive world parks).
Strollers are more straightforward within the Disney Parks than some other vacationer locations, Walt Disney Global is extremely toddler-friendly, and the parks simply recuperate and higher with each and every passing day/month/yr of formative years.
Dropping Dinosaurs is Tough
I touched upon this one closing yr when the Boneyard become one in every of Megatron’s favourite puts within the parks. That’s now long past, however she nonetheless controlled to revel in Dinoland (regardless of now not driving its headline appeal) so much–greater than we anticipated.
Within the yr since, she’s turn out to be a large fan of dinosaurs because of library toy leases (facet word: do you know that you’ll hire just about anything else from the library?! I’m now not even certain why we purchase stuff…they’re simply making a gift of the whole lot from books to development blocks). As a result, we spent much more time in what used to be left of the land.
I’m on report being in prefer of Dino-Rama going extinct for Tropical Americas, however disillusioned that Disney is giving up on dinosaurs utterly as an idea. The want for a land at DAK in response to legendary creatures that aren’t hooked up to IP has been additional bolstered by means of observing the play conduct of kids.
I’ve noticed numerous youngsters taking part in with dragons, unicorns, dinosaurs (now not legendary, I understand). I’ve by no means noticed a unmarried kid taking part in with Jake Sully or Na’vi motion figures–and I say this as any individual who loves Pandora. It merely does now not suitably fill the function that Beastly Kingdom would’ve, and Tropical Americas isn’t the similar as a land in response to dinosaurs.
Break up Remains Are Difficult
When touring solo for analysis journeys, I will be able to close up a lodge room in beneath 10 mins. When it used to be simply the 2 people, the time used to be a tad upper than that. Let’s simply say it used to be 20 mins. So a non-parent would possibly suppose that you just upload someone else, and the entire will increase to half-hour.
To cite a well-liked insurance coverage industrial: “that’s now not the way it works–that’s now not how any of this works!” Because it seems, seeking to unpack and–particularly–pack again up is a a lot more concerned procedure that’s principally two steps ahead, one step backwards–on repeat. Little toddlers like to lend a hand out, however they’re additionally brokers of chaos. They could make a decision, as an example, that you just will have to pack-up the lodge telephone and each unmarried towel left within the bath, and make house for the ones necessities by means of casting off all clothes from the suitcase.
We did cut up remains because of a mixture of prices and places, and whilst that used to be great, I in truth suppose I might’ve preferred forgoing the nicer lodges for a unmarried keep at Pop Century. Although it’s now not strolling distance to any parks, the Skyliner is a breeze (and one in every of Megatron’s favourite “rides”) and the rooms are actually conducive to our wishes.
WDW is Loud
This isn’t one thing we simply discovered, however I’ve been in need of to put in writing about this for some time as it insects me. I will be able to’t be the one one that will get indicators from their watch about ‘loud noise environments’ at Walt Disney Global (and now not simply the restroom hand dryers).
It’s in fact a bit of alarming simply how often it occurs all the way through leisure, together with dance events aimed toward babies. To some degree, I perceive this; leisure must be heard over crowd noise, and visitors appear to revel in speaking over no matter they’re allegedly there to observe. However the decibel point of just about the whole lot is over the top at Walt Disney Global.
We now have headphones to offer protection to our daughter’s ears, which we bought for fireworks. We now use them for extra–dance events, parades, sunlight hours level displays, and extra. She likes dressed in the headphones…for now. One day, I worry that she’ll see she’s one of the vital most effective youngsters dressed in them, and now not wish to be the unusual duck.
Upper Crowds + Decrease Temps > Off-Season
That is floor we’ve prior to now lined, however I simply wish to reiterate it as it’s actually necessary. Upper crowds and decrease temperatures will beat decrease crowds and triple-digit warmth any day.
The elements used to be pleasant all the way through our Christmas-time commute, and that greater than made up for the fairly increased crowds. However on the other hand, I’m reasonably of a contrarian on the subject of Walt Disney Global crowds.
Maximum enthusiasts will argue that there’s no such factor as an low season. I’m a lot more susceptible to argue that there’s no such factor as a peak-season (minus ~5 weeks in step with yr).
Even weeks like Veterans Day/Jersey Week and Thanksgiving aren’t as dangerous as they was, and are utterly “beatable” with slightly of savvy technique. That’s doubly true when touring with a child, who can not experience TRON Lightcycle Run or maximum thrill rides with lengthy strains (except, I assume, they’re in just like the 99.ninth percentile for peak).
Admittedly, body of reference issues right here. We’re conversant in Disneyland crowds, that are typically worse than Walt Disney Global. We’ve additionally hung out at Tokyo Disney Hotel, the place nearly each day is just like the week between Christmas and New Yr’s Eve on the home parks. In the event you’re now not “struggle hardened” to heavy crowds, your belief may well be other.
With that stated, we’re additionally “accustomed” to summer season climate in Central Florida. After enduring a number of depressing summers, Florida can by no means be too chilly. (See additionally, the Greatest Lesson We Realized from Child Bricker’s Summer season Go back and forth to Disney Global.) You’ll all the time placed on extra layers, however there are most effective such a lot of you’ll take away ahead of safety will get concerned.
Christmas is Nice, No longer Absolute best
Christmas is some distance and away our favourite time of yr at Walt Disney Global, and not anything about this commute modified that evaluation. On the similar time, the space between Christmas and the remainder of wintry weather feels nearer than it’s ever been.
It sort of feels like Walt Disney Global is aware of that Christmas is the most productive time of yr. That the sluggish erosion of the vacation season had been a mirrored image of that. No longer simply since post-COVID, both; over the process the closing decade-plus. The accommodations, eating places, and parks do much less for Christmas than they did a decade in the past.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday celebration has been stagnant for some time; even Jollywood Nights didn’t alternate a lot this yr. I gained’t delve deeper into those arduous occasions right here as a result of that is already lengthy and we lined them in our Picture Document & Overview: Child Bricker’s First Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Birthday celebration and Jollywood Nights Overview: Is Disney Global’s 2nd Christmas Birthday celebration Price It?
To make sure, it hasn’t all been cutbacks at Christmas. Merry Menagerie and Animal Kingdom’s large vacation season push are somewhat fresh, and are superlative–true cases of the Disney plus Christmas magic. I’d even be remiss if I didn’t draw consideration to the brand new for Christmas 2025 decorations bundle in Fantasyland and Storybook Circus, which I someway have ignored to hide somewhere else. It’s outstanding!
As Annual Passholders, there’s nonetheless super strategic benefit to us in visiting at Christmas as opposed to a month or two later for the EPCOT Pageant of the Arts. The aforementioned arduous price ticket occasions make strategizing round Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios such a lot more straightforward, and we didn’t purchase Lightning Lanes a unmarried day in consequence, however nonetheless were given a ton performed. So for us, Christmas is in 0 risk of being dethroned.
Circle of relatives journeys however function a excellent reminder of ways the reasonable circle of relatives does Walt Disney Global, and now not everyone seems to be like us. For the non-AP taking a look to do a commute on a tighter price range (with out a Park Hopper tickets), Christmas is changing into a harder promote. That is one thing I’ll be holding in thoughts when growing and updating our making plans content material for the approaching yr. However I’m curious as as to whether somebody else feels in a similar way, or if I’m being a Grinch and the vacation season continues to be some distance and away the number 1 time to do WDW.
Nowhere is Like Walt Disney Global
Bringing issues complete circle, our common visits to Disneyland additionally introduced the diversities between the ones native’s parks and the holiday vacation spot behemoth this is Walt Disney Global into stark reduction. Reasonably merely, nowhere is like Walt Disney Global for us.
Walt Disney Global may well be the most productive town that The united states has to supply, and as any individual who loves the city revel in, it makes me really feel like I’m again in a Disneyfied model of Paris, Tokyo, or Hong Kong. There’s actually one thing to be stated for taking the numerous kinds of transportation, Park Hopping from Magic Kingdom to EPCOT; from EPCOT to Disney’s Hollywood Studios; from hotel to hotel. Walt Disney Global actually is the Holiday Kingdom of the Global, or Walt’s imaginative and prescient for a town of the longer term vaguely discovered.
There’s in a similar way actually one thing to be stated for the Disney Bubble, and even though we realize it’s now not for everybody, it completely is for us. With the ability to roll and walk again to our lodge on the finish of an extended night time certain beats using house, and even coping with the logistics of a close-by off-site lodge. I realize it’s tacky to speak up being “immersed within the magic” 24/7 from arrival to departure, however that actually is the quintessential Disney Parks revel in for us.
We adore Disneyland for what it’s, however Walt Disney Global will all the time be “house” to us. This used to be a excellent reminder of that, and I will be able to most effective seeing our affinity for the WDW revel in rising more potent as our daughter continues “getting older into” Disney.
We don’t fake that Walt Disney Global is best possible (as it isn’t!), and this used to be a super commute (some distance from a flawless one–see our Two Vacation Resort Horror Tales at WDW). However we felt that magic nearly each step of the best way–from our arrival afternoon to the general morning breakfast at Cape Would possibly Cafe and departure dance with Daisy.
Making plans a Walt Disney Global commute? Find out about lodges on our Walt Disney Global Inns Critiques web page. For the place to devour, learn our Walt Disney Global Eating place Critiques. To save cash on tickets or decide which kind to shop for, learn our Guidelines for Saving Cash on Walt Disney Global Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a singular take a look at suave pieces to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney Global Experience Guides will lend a hand. For complete recommendation, the most productive position to begin is our Walt Disney Global Go back and forth Making plans Information for the whole lot you wish to have to understand!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Ideas on those little classes discovered (or ‘reminders’ of items we already knew) all the way through Child Bricker’s Christmas 2025 commute to Walt Disney Global? The rest you’re thinking about studying about in regards to Megatron, our holiday-time revel in at WDW, or different subjects touched upon right here? Anecdotes of your individual holidays with tots to the Disney parks? Another questions? Listening to your comments is all the time favored, so please proportion your ideas under within the feedback!
