Shop the girls dresses and PJ’s here!
We were quick to say YES when my SIL and her family invited us to join them at Disney in Dec! We go to disney with my family quite a bit but never get to enjoy being there with my Pearce’s side of the family so it was a real treat! We were thrilled to stay at the Grand Floridian (we haven’t stayed there since 2020!) and enjoy the Christmas magic with family.
We drove over early and kicked the day off with lunch at Gasparilla Grille after finding out our lunch reservation at Grand Floridian Cafe was about 45 minutes behind. GG is the quick service cafe at GF but the menu is pretty tasty! If you’re anxious to get out of MK one day for a tastier quick service lunch and a little less stimulation, take the boat over!
After lunch we hopped on the bus to Hollywood Studios. My niece chose this park because she’s a big star wars fan. She and my SIL hit the ground running early and were able to ride a few things before the crowds went crazy! And when I say crazy… I mean it was the craziest I’ve ever seen a park! By the time we arrived (around 1pm), the only Genie + Lightning Lane available for the rest of the day was Alien’s Soaring Saucers in TTL. Thankfully a very kind cast member refunded our Genie + purchase and recommended we stick to shows for the remainder of the day as it was one of the busiest HS days she’d ever seen! Pearce and I took Millie to the Disney Jr. Dance Party, shopped a bit and met Doc Mcstuffins while the rest of our crew waited in standby for Star Tours. Despite the crowds, we were still at Disney with family and couldn’t complain! We had so much fun! That’s the magic of Disney!
We spent the rest of the trip enjoying the resort, shopping at Disney Springs and watching our girls run around together making cousin memories! 🙂 A few highlights were lunch at The Polite Pig (a casual bbq spot at disney springs that’s been on my list to try…. DELISH!), watching fireworks and the water pageant from the GF and dock and dinner at one of my favorite Disney restaurants, Citricos!
I had lots of questions about whether or not staying at GF during the holidays is “worth it” and I definitely thought it was! The Grand Floridian does Christmas right with the giant tree, gorgeous decor and life-sized gingerbread house. It’s definitely busier this time of the year and everyone wants to visit the resort to take it all in so you’ll have more foot traffic than usual. You’ll also want to make reservations for resort dining ahead of time so you the crowds won’t leave you hungry. Transportation is also something to think about! You’ll have longer than usual wait times for the buses and monorail.
I’ve popped in to see the renovated Mary Poppins rooms a few times while friends were staying at the resort but this was our first time taking the details in for ourselves. One of my favorite movies inspiring the theming at one of my favorite resorts is just too good! Every thoughtful touch from the birds on the chandeliers to the artwork in the lobbies is perfection. Itching to book another room asap! I think I spent three hours of naptime on the patio just taking in the GF views and it was *so* dreamy! I’ve mentioned it before but the best deluxe resort perk is an outside balcony or patio! Love having a spot to hang while the girlies are napping!
On our final day we just weren’t ready to head home (a reoccurring theme with us) so we popped over to the Wilderness Lodge for lunch at Whispering Canyon. It’s a fun spot but be warned, it’s very interactive and probably not for everyone, especially if members of your party are especially shy! 😉 We caught a visit from Donald Duck + Chip and Dale on our way out and let the girls get their wiggles out on the trails there. The perfect spot to enjoy “the great outdoors” before we hopped in the car to head home! One of these days I need to publish a list of kid-friendly rest spots around Disney where you can let them get their wiggles out!
If you’re heading to disney soon be sure to grab my Happiest Handbook to get all of my best tips for disney with littles!
