I'm Lindsay Ferrier, a Nashville writer with a passion for family travel, exploring Tennessee, and raising kids without losing my mind in the process. This is where I share my discoveries, along with occasional deep thoughts, pop culture tangents and a sprinkling of snark. Want to get in touch? Use the CONTACT form at the top of the page.
May 3, 2009
>
I went to Walt Disney World over the weekend with the intent of writing honestly about my experience. I had read more than a few glowing accounts of Disney from various mom bloggers who’d been invited for a visit, and figured they were wildly embellished. Well, I’ve got news for you, people.
They weren’t.
This was one of the most fabulous trips I’ve taken in my life.
Before reading on, let me warn you. You will be jealous. I know I was when I read other bloggers’ accounts of this trip last year. Just know that I’ve had a difficult April and this trip was exactly what I needed, mkay?
Anyway, I arrived Friday afternoon at the Beach Club, one of Disney’s swankest resorts. My room was lovely and cool and the main swimming pool outside (the Beach Club has more than one) had a small sand beach beside it and sand at the bottom of the pool! Awesome, no?
After resting for a few hours, I met everyone down in the lobby and we were led to a cocktail party in a Beach Club gazebo, complete with champagne and appetizers. Next, we took the five-minute walk from our hotel to Epcot, where we had front-of-the-line passes for the ride, “Soarin.” It was one of my favorite rides of the weekend, and it felt like we were literally flying over deserts, mountains, oceans, and snow plains. I was delighted by it.
Next, we walked to dinner at Les Chefs de France. I dined on fresh bread, pate, snapper, and plenty of wine, and bonded over a delicious plate of escargots with Sweatpants Mom.
She doesn’t like having her picture taken, although she is beautiful and seriously looks about 15 YEARS YOUNGER than she really is, so I appeased her with this shot. I’m thinking now that she avoids photo opps because she is a real life Benjamin Button. Hmmmmmm.
After dinner, we were led by a guide down to a roped off section beside Epcot’s lake, where a wine and coffee bar and a huge table full of desserts awaited us. We were treated to Epcot’s fireworks-and-laser show, Illuminations, over the lake. In true Disney fashion, it was over the top and incredible. The lake was actually on fire for a good portion of the show. I looked around at the people on the other side of the rope, all sandwiched in like sardines, and felt like a rockstar as fireworks exploded over my head. That was when I really knew I had made the right decision in coming for the weekend.
Once the show was over, I opted to stay until midnight with a few other moms. We rode on Test Track, the fastest ride in Disney, and it was indeed thrilling. We also rode on the newly updated Spaceship Earth, which was a blast and has some cool new features. Afterward, we went shopping, then returned to our rooms, where I found this waiting for me…
And even a few other special touches, like a framed, autographed picture of Mickey and his friends and Mickey footprints coming into the room and balloons and glitter everywhere and a banner on the wall and a tiny Tinkerbell hanging on my mirror.
I’m telling you. Rockstar treatment. And by the way, my kids love this huge Mickey like nothing else in the house right now. And they have been taking turns wearing the Mickey hands with the classic Mickey ears I bought them ever since I got back.
Anyway.
We had a private breakfast early the next morning, then settled in with a member of Disney’s marketing team to talk about what we as moms looked for in the Disney experience. Although I can’t say I’d been looking forward to the experience, it ended up being one of the most invaluable parts of the trip, because this is where I learned all of the insider tips that will make my family’s Disney vacation about a hundred times better and more inexpensive (you can read those tips here).
After that, we took a bus to Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, where we toured one of the more inexpensive options at Disney, a Family Suite Guest Room, which sleeps six and has a kitchenette with a small refrigerator and microwave. While it had a very motel feel to it, it was very clean (which is the most important thing to me!), very safe since it’s in the park, and it had an amazing, kid friendly pool outside.
Next, we went to the new Bay Lake Tower, still under construction. We donned hard hats and went to look at two of the completed suites inside. Both were amazing and totally OUT of the average person’s price range. In fact, I predict that the Grand Villa we visited, a two-story loft with panoramic views of the park and lake, is where the Jolie-Pitts will stay when they make their first Disney visit. It looked like an MTV Real World house. It was AMAZING.
All the moms were quiet as we left and one of our guides (a bonafide Imagineer) wanted to know why.
“I think it’s because we’ll never see the inside of a place like this again,” I said.
Reluctantly, we left for the Magic Kingdom, where we visited a Baby Care Center. Each Disney park has one, and they are amazing! I certainly wish I’d known about them when Bruiser was a baby- I would have brought him with me the last time we all went to Disneyland.
The Baby Care Center is a great place to take your baby or small children for a break while you’re in the park. There’s a private, dimly-lit room with rockers for nursing, a large changing room with clean, padded changing tables (worth walking across the park to if your kid has a dirty diaper- this room is FAR better than a public restroom), a room with a television, children’s tables and chairs and highchairs so that you can feed your little ones, and a shop that has literally everything you might need for your baby. Check it out…
You may be wondering why I took all these pictures. Well, this Baby Care Center was a big deal for me. I stressed out big time whenever I took my kids anywhere when they were babies. Because where could I find a bottle if I left it at home? Or spare diapers? Or formula? Or sunscreen? Or a new outfit in case they had an accident? Had I known about the Baby Care Center, I would have felt SO MUCH more comfortable bringing my babies to Disney.
After visiting the Baby Care Center, I went off with Margaret and Amber, two of the Disney Mom Panel moms, to ride a few rides. These women are true Disney experts- Margaret brings her family to Disney from Chicago 5 or 6 times A YEAR!! She knew all the shortcuts and managed to get us on Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, and the Haunted Mansion all in under an hour. Of course, the front-of-the-line passes we had didn’t hurt!
Next, we left for lunch at Wave, a stylish new restaurant at the Contemporary Resort. I really loved this restaurant. The chef came out and told us how dedicated he is to using food that’s locally sourced and in season. Everything has a healthy slant to it, but tastes divine. I had the chicken sandwich, and I have to say it’s the best one I’ve ever eaten. I also had an antioxident cocktail, which was fabulous. For dessert, the chef sent out everything on the menu! The “Creamy indulgence” trio of desserts was definitely the table favorite.
We went back to our rooms to freshen up for the evening, then took a bus to Hollywood Studios. While the other moms took an American Idol Behind-the-Scenes tour, Dawn Meehan and I agreed to spend the hour riding the Rock n’ Roller Coaster- over and over and over again!
It’s an indoor roller coaster that starts with the car going 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds and then goes upside down three times on a track through the dark, all while Aerosmith is blasting in your ears. What a rush! We both agreed this is an advanced roller coaster, and not for younger children. Your teens and more daring tweens, though, will love it!
Afterward, we went to see “The American Idol Experience,” which is a total blast and well worth seeing. Park guests actually compete (you can audition to be on the show at the park), culminating in a finale show at the end of each day. The winner of the finale gets a front of the line pass to the real American Idol auditions. It was identical to a real American Idol show, the audience votes on the winner, and it was really, really fun.
Next, it was time for dinner at the Hollywood Brown Derby. We had a private room in this swank restaurant and dinner took about three hours. There were drinks galore and absolutely magnificent food. I highly recommend this restaurant for a special night out at the resort. My salmon was amazing and the grapefruit cake (the Brown Derby’s specialty) is an absolute must.
We staggered out of there exhausted, but most of us still had enough energy to head over to Disney’s Boardwalk once we’d gotten back to our hotel. The Boardwalk hotel is where I’d like to stay when I come back with my family. It features a real boardwalk reminiscent of Coney Island in its heyday, with ice cream parlors, shopping, restaurants, bars and nightclubs. First we went to a dueling piano bar, then we sat outside by the lake on benches, and finally, a few of us danced the night away at a nearby nightclub.
Late that night, I came back to the hotel and collapsed in my bed. My Magical Experience had ended.
And there you have it. One of the best trips I could ever hope for. Disney really knows how to treat a girl, huh?
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.