I love Disney!

It's been a week since our family has been back from our vacation to Disney world and I'm still suffering some withdrawal pangs so to help me cope I thought I would share some

Pictures with you all. 

Although we have been to Disney many times before, this is our first time staying at the Art of Animation Resort. 

One thing to know about Disney is that they never do anything on a small scale. When we arrived at the resort from the airport (being transported via they Disney magical express), we immediately entered a colorful world where Disney movie characters themed the entire resort. There were different themed sections in the resort and we were in the CARS section. 

It was so cool to have the animated characters life size and feel like we were transported into the town Radiator springs 

Now our family feels that going to Disney is not the time to be lounging at the hotel or sleeping in. 

We must experience as much as possible of the Disney Magic. Part of experiencing as much as possible means doing what it takes to avoid waiting in line. 

It's a very simple plan. Make all dining reservations and fast pass reservations  (front of the line privileges) BEFORE arriving in Florida. When at Disney, Wake up early, arrive at the park at least 45 minutes before opening. Get the park map and line up. Next, have a strategy of what order you will do the attractions in. We Follow the touring guide as laid out in the Unoffical Guide to Disney world travel guide (available at any  bookstore). That's pretty much it. With this system we didn't wait more than 20 minutes for any attraction. 

Here we are first in line to enter the park. 

When you are the type to arrive at the park first, you will be waiting with other Disney fanatics like yourself. I find it so funny. It's our own special community. We understand each other. For example one year I remember seeing a family arrive at the same time as us. They positioned themselves at the entrance turnstiles beside us. The father took off his back pack and pulled out two mini cereal boxes, got the little children sitting on the ground and they had breakfast right there sitting on the ground. The father even had spoons and milk to pour into the cereal. The kids didn't fuss at all. They knew the drill. No one blinked an eye at this sight.  We all know that arriving at the park early is far more important than wasting time eating breakfast at the hotel.  At least cereal is a somewhat normal breakfast item. I have been known to give my children the leftover chocolate cake from dinner as breakfast in order to avoid wasting time going to get breakfast from the dining hall. 

This year I met a wonderful lady from Texas who told us the exact walking path we should take to get to our first ride. This probably saved us a good 5 minutes of time. 

I want to stress it is not essential for you to do the same fanatical behavior when you go to Disney. However did I mention we never waited more than 20 minutes for any attraction? Many had no wait at all!

There are some rides that are prone to develop long lines quickly either because they are slow loading  or because they are new and great and popular. It is essential to hit these rides first if you want to avoid wait times up to 2 hours long. 

Disney is not unaware of the behavior of fanatics like us...they have a system. 

When it is time to proceed to the rides, a row of cast members leads the way with a rope. They are the pacers. We are not permitted to go in front of them.  This prevents a crazy stampede rush where people would certainly be injured. 

The amazing themed rides are not the only fun things at Disney. The dining experience has also become one of our most loved activities. 

We have always booked our Disney package when there is a free dining promotion. This means we get a dining plan added to our package at no additional charge. The dining plan includes one snack, one quick service meal and one table service meal per person. 

Trying out different restaurants and booking dining With characters is so much Fun!

We tried a new Italian restaurant which Disney says was the restaurant where lady and the tramp shared their plate of speghetti. 😉

We loved the Disney resort, the Disney attractions, the Disney dining but most of all we loved our family time together. Back to school routine in just a few days!