Please note: I no longer have time to proofread these blog posts but y’all keep telling me that you love the monthly Disney trip recaps. I will keep posting them if you promise to let me off the hook when you find typos! 😉
Our March Disney trip was so much fun! We had our Nana and Cat with us to make the trip even more memorable! This Disney thing runs in the family! 😉
We prefer quick trips to Disney these days because as much as we love to travel, we’re also homebodies that THRIVE on a solid routine! We stayed at Disney’s Caribbean Beach for a few nights and made it to three parks.
POOL DAY + EPCOT
We kicked off the trip with a pool day at our resort’s pool. I was bummed to learn that the kid splash pad area (with the fun pirate theme!) was closed for refurbishment (pro tip: check pool refurbishment/restaurant refurbishment dates BEFORE booking your trip!) so we spent our time in the main pool. Thankfully the main pool came equipped with a zero-entry access and waterslides. AG made a friend at the pool and we scored lounge chairs near the entry so I’d say it was a pretty good day!
After a morning in the pool, we considered naps since our room was ready but decided to head over to Epcot instead because rain was forecasted to start in the early evening and we wanted to soak up some park time before then.
The #1 rule of weather at Disney is to trust nothing and always be flexible & prepared! Rain can only put a damper on your day if you’re not prepared for it!
Disney’s Caribbean Beach resort is on the Skyliner (yay!) but our room was a bit of a trek to said Skyliner (boo!) Still so nice to have access to multiple transportation options. We strolled around our favorite countries enjoying the Flower & Garden Festival (see also: snacks), said “hi” to Belle, and managed to ride a few things before a tiny drizzle started. We covered our stroller (pro tip: pack a rain cover for your stroller!!!!!) walked onto the Nemo Ride and then spent some time in the Aquarium while we waited for the rain to stop. The stroller cover is IMPORTANT because there’s nothing worse than a soggy stroller. Okay, maybe soggy tennis shoes (gag) but this is why I always wear sandals or pack sandals if there’s any chance of rain. You can easily walk into an attraction, restaurant, or gift shop to get out of a downpour but your stroller cannot. Our stroller company (Zoe) makes a specific cover for each stroller design that fits snug and covers all areas but you can also purchase generic size stroller covers that do the trick!
Once the rain stopped it was time for our lightning lane on Frozen! AG hasn’t been on the Frozen ride since her first (very bad) experience but she has been asking to give it another try. This time around the ride was a success and she even asked to ride again! You never know what your kids will like and almost everything at Disney is worth another shot when they’re a bit older! The highlight of this trip was how brave our big girl was! 🙂
We had the best night at the park soaking up family time! Cat and I rode Test Track later in the evening (perks of having Nana on the trip to help watch the little girls!) and I just need to let y’all know that it totally lived up to the hype. I’m embarrassed to share that this was my first time riding because “the fast car ride” never sounded like much fun. It’s fun. Do it.
We left right before the fireworks started to beat the crowds making their way onto the Skyliner!
CARIBBEAN BEACH THOUGHTS:
- PRO: Skyliner access! You can hop on the gondola in the sky to visit other resorts as well as Hollywood Studios & Epcot!
- PRO: Several on-site dining options. We enjoyed our pool-side meal + breakfast from the quick-service restaurant, and have also eaten at Sebastian’s Bistro on the water! You can also walk or ride over to the Riviera for more (v yummy) dining!
- PRO: Pirate theming. It’s so much for kids! You’ll see it throughout the resort from the rooms to the pool!
- PRO: Very reasonably priced compared to other Disney resorts!
- PRO: Lots of cute picture spots. Obviously important to your girl.
- PRO: Super friendly cast members. Other than the bartender at the pool, everyone working here was SO KIND.
- CON: This is a moderate resort that has not been updated recently so the rooms are similar to the Value Resort rooms in terms of size and amenities. I actually prefer the updated rooms at Pop Century over the rooms here – something to consider if you’re deciding between both.
- CON: Resort is HUGE and you’ll have to walk! There’s no perfect room but if the pool is a priority, you can request that location and if the Skyliner is a priority, you can request that location!
- CON: No elevators! Our room was on the second floor and there are no elevators so we had to fold up the stroller and climb the stairs with it. Definitely should have ensured we had a first-level room!
Overall we enjoyed our stay here but were disappointed with the LOCATION of our room. Definitely make room requests in advance if you’re staying here!
MAGIC KINGDOM
Hard to come to Disney without squeezing in some time at the Magic Kingdom!
We woke up early to make our way over to MK. Caribbean Beach only has one transportation option to take you to MK and that’s the bus. The bus is just fine UNLESS there’s a delay. Sadly, this morning we waited about an hour (delay after delay) for the bus to show up before we decided to just drive over! If you have a dining reservation or a lightning lane reservation for a specific window, don’t rely on the bus to get you where you need to go on time. Try an Uber (or the Minnie van services coming back soon!) or drive yourself.
We had the best day at MK! Started our morning off with Splash Mountain while Nana hung with the little girls. After we got nice and wet (we were in row one….naturally!) we met up with the rest of our crew for Winnie The Pooh & The Little Mermaid! Then we grabbed our spots for the morning parade! LET ME TELL Y’ALL HOW GOOD THIS PARADE WAS. It has been over two years since we’ve seen this amazing parade at Disney (thanks to Covid) and our MK day just so happened to be the day the parade returned. I cried so many happy tears while our favorite characters danced by us. Huge sigh of relief seeing some normalcy at Disney again!
Thanks to some Genie + tech issues, we managed to score two additional lightning lanes for the day. So we rode Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion, Pooh, Peter Pan, The Carousel, Pirates of the Caribbean, Little Mermaid, It’s a Small World, and the People Mover in one day! I’d call that a successful day at the Magic Kingdom!
The highlight of our day (next to the parade of course – because I won’t ever forget it!) was lunch at The Crystal Palace. The buffet is back but the characters are not. We didn’t mind too much though! We were just happy to eat a yummy sit-down lunch while everyone outside was getting soaked by an afternoon shower. Our reservation wasn’t for an hour or so but they were so gracious and let us in early! Pro tip: Don’t hesitate to ask the cast members if earlier dining is available. You never know!
We sent Millie & Nana back to the hotel early and AG stayed up way too late hanging with the big girls, eating jumbo donuts, and soaking up all of that nighttime Disney energy. Nothing quite like the Magic Kingdom at night! She was a little loopy by the end of the night and fell asleep HARD in the stroller before we even made it to the Tickey & Transportation monorail. Good times.
HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
We came and we CONQUERED Hollywood Studios on our last day at Disney. We knew rain was coming in that afternoon so we made it a plan to knock out as much as we could before lunch.
Minnie & Mickey’s Runaway Railway was our first stop of the day. Our first lightning lane (Alien Saucers in TS land) wasn’t until 11 so we had some time to kill. With a posted wait time of 45 minutes, we actually waited just 20 min for Minnie & Mickey’s! And it was well worth it because the whole family had a blast on that ride. Don’t hold me to this but first thing in the morning, it seems like the posted wait times are always much longer than you’ll actually wait. I think Disney does this to try and steer people toward other attractions that aren’t as popular.
With coffee in hand (yes, Disney has a Starbucks!) we walked through the Walt Disney Presents Gallery while we waited for our lightning lane reservation. You’re not able to enter lightning lanes even a minute sooner than your posted window! I rode Alien Saucers with just Millie & AG while Nana & Cat grabbed snacks at Woody’s Lunchbox. (Pro tip: If you’re traveling with family or friends, don’t be afraid to divide and conquer!) Don’t let the photo below fool you, the girls had THE BEST TIME on this ride and wanted to ride again as soon as we were off. I explained that mama was far too dizzy to ride this again today but did have a good time. Bless it.
The highlight of our HS day? Our amazing lunch at the Hollywood Brown Derby. It’s the signature restaurant at Hollywood Studios and worthy of the title. I will 100% be back! After dropping a lot of dollars for a not-so-great meal at Hollywood & Vine (go for the characters, set the bar low for food!) last month I’m excited to share that our Hollywood Brown Derby lunch was a bit more affordable and much tastier! Make a reservation and be sure to order the Cobb salad! Oh, and you’ll want to grab your little ones a Shirley Temple as the HBD (in California) is where the Shirley Temple was invented! Pro tip: Ask for a glow ice cube and you’ve got yourself a $3 souvenir!
After lunch, we made our way over to Toy Story Mania for one last ride! This is the cutest ride for Toy Story fans young and old! 🙂
We ended our day singing along to our favorite songs at the Frozen Sing-Along. JK, my 3-year-old won’t let anyone else sing so we just watched as SHE sang the songs. Ooooof. Upon exiting we realized it was raining hard and only getting harder! We decided to call it quits and end our day here. It was naptime after all! Thank goodness we had covered the stroller prior to finding our seats inside the attraction or all of our belongings would have been SOAKED for the car ride home!
We said goodbye to Disney – until next month! 🙂 We’ll be back next week for our April trip so follow along on Instagram!
RAINY DAY ESSENTIALS:
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WHAT WE WORE:
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RAINY DAY TAKEAWAYS:
- The Florida weather is cray-cray. Know that at any time your plans may have to change so go into each day with a plan and a backup plan!
- Roll with the punches. While walking around in soggy clothes is not the most fun, your good attitude can make or break your day! Shake it off (literally) and let that Florida sunshine dry you off.
- Pack well. Sandals, ponchos, towels, backup outfits, and rain covers! Better to be prepared. If you don’t want to carry these things around with you all day then rent a locker and keep those things in there. Ps. You can purchase ponchos in the parks if you forget to pack yours but they’re not cheap.
- Duck and cover. The best time to grab your meal is during an afternoon shower. You can check immediate dining openings in your My Disney Experience app! If there’s nothing available you can always opt for a quick service dining option with indoor seating. Ask a cast member to help you find the nearest one! If you’re not hungry, go see a show or spend some time in a gift shop until the rain stops. Florida showers rarely last long!
- COVER YOUR STROLLER. I can’t stress this enough. A wet stroller is the worst. Especially when it’s loaded with personal items!
- Get those family photos early. I love taking a family photo for the day right when we get to the park or even at our resort before we leave. You know… before the rain works its magic on our hair.
- Dry off. Make sure you have a towel or two (love the Dock & Bay towels because they’re not plush) to dry off after a rain shower!
- Take note: some attractions will close during rainstorms if there’s any lightning! If riding a barnstormer is your kiddo’s favorite thing to do, make sure you ride before any rain!
- Splash in the puddles! At the end of the day there’s nothing worse than a grump. Splash in the puddles and make the most of it! Some of our favorite Disney memories happened in the rain! 🙂
