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Magical Moments: Our Adventure at Disney World with Our 5-Year-Old

Disney World, is truly one of the happiest places on earth, which is exactly why we decided to surprise our daughter with a trip for her 5th birthday. The excitement and shock in her eyes when we shared our destination was priceless, and we knew we were in for a truly memorable experience. We’ve been with lots family, you can read about it here, But this was our first trip just Eloise!

Where We Stayed : Art of Animation Hotel

Our journey began with a quick flight from ATL to Orlando. We took MearsConnect, which I would highly recommend, to avoid having to fly with carseats or rent a car. We chose Art of Animation hotel for it’s vibrant and kid friendly feel, it really brings the magic of Disney right to our doorstep. From the larger-than-life character statues to the themed rooms, every detail was designed to delight and enchant guests of all ages. The dealbreaker for us is that it has a skyliner connection right there on the resort that allows you to get to Hollywood Studio and Epcot. I think she likes riding it just as much as any ride!

First Night Fun: Exploring Disney Springs

We decided to start our Disney adventure with a trip to the pool followed by a bus ride to Disney Springs. The lively atmosphere and array of shops and restaurants really remind me of a tropical Avalon. Our daughter’s favorite spot was the Lego store. She was able to make a free Star Wars character and make a personalized character for her birthday. For dinner, we dined at Planet Hollywood. Being totally honest Eloise loved it, I did not. The food was good (large portions plan to share) but the environment was totally overstimulating , and that’s saying something when yours at Disney.

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Day 1 – Magic Kingdom

Our day began at Magic Kingdom, the quintessential Disney experience. As we walked down Main Street, I literally stepped in gum and Andrew had to scrap it off with his hand. It doesn’t get more kids theme park then that if you ask me!

My Thoughts on Genie Plus

Personally, I think Genie plus is worth every single penny! I was up at 7 getting rides for Seven Dwarfs Mind Train and Jungle Cruise. We made our way through the park, a lot of the ride times are way shorter than they say. The wait time was only 7 minutes for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh when it had a posted wait time of 25 minutes. We did a lot of classic attractions like : It’s a small world , Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and the Mad Tea Party. Surprisingly, Pirates of the Caribbean was her absolute favorite, don’t ask me why she’s never even seen it!

Water Tip: Ps if you need water they have cups with ice in Gastons Tavern, you just walk past the line to the counter and grab them!

Animal Kingdom

After a fun-filled morning at Magic Kingdom, we hopped on a bus to Animal Kingdom, where a different kind of fun awaited us. We usually start our day here but I actually LOVED it in the afternoon. Kilimanjaro Safaris had no line. We saw way more animals than we ever have. Next was the Na’vi River Journey. The attention to detail in this park is truly remarkable, and it’s not everyones favorite but we really love it. We did a few more rides and ended up checking in at Rainforest Cafe on our way out. They said no wait if we ate at the bar, so that’s what we did! It was full menu and came out fast!

A Magical Evening: Watching Fireworks from the Skyliner

We decided to end our Disney adventure with a bang – by watching the fireworks show. Instead of staying in the parks, we opted for a unique experience by boarding the Skyliner. It was a magical end to a magical day, and one that we will never forget.

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Day 2 : Epcot

We started the day taking the Skyliner to Epcot, where we always use Genie Plus to get the Frozen Ever After ride first thing! We didn’t even realize, but the Flower and Garden festival was happening. This was an absolutely mind blowing experience! With Eloise not loving the super fast rides, we stuck to Nemo and Friends, Spaceship Earth. I stood in line for La Cantina while they rode Gran Fiesta Tour boat ride. After a few more rides we decided to end the day at Magic Kingdom.

Magic Kingdom: (Again)

We did a few of her favorites again and a late night Jungle Cruise. The wait was about half the time as expected and someone in line was passing out glow sticks which was very entertaining for the kids! We got off right when fireworks started and cue the tears. As the sky lit up we reflected on the magic of the past two days and the memories we had made together. It was a fitting end to a day filled with joy, laughter, and the celebration of our daughter’s 5th birthday.

If you are looking for someone to book your trip for FREE I might add check out my sister in law (Andrews sister). She is incredible and will make your trip magical!

Email : Contact Sarah Smith with @getaways.with.sarah

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Thank you for taking the time to read! I hope you found it helpful for your next Disney adventure!