Making the First Day at Walt Disney World Magical!

Whether you are planning a weekend trip or 2 week adventure, the first day at Walt Disney World is an exciting time. For some first time visitors, it can be overwhelming. There are literally thousands of things to do! If you are on a park hopper pass and staying at a WDW hotel, there could be Extra Magic Hours. If you have the dining plan, maybe a character dinner could get the vacation started on a high note. If you had a long day traveling, maybe a night by the pool is the perfect way to rest up for an early start the next day. There is no one perfect way to start a Disney vacation. But here are a few of my families favorite options:

BEST FIRST DAY at Walt Disney World FUN!

1. Character Dinner at Garden Grill. We don't understand why this character dining experience is rated lower than others. It is our my family's "Can't Miss" list!


2. Disney Quest When my boys were pre-teens this was our first stop. Fun interactive activities for the whole family.


3. Pin Trading at Downtown Disney. This gets everyone into the Disney spirit without going to a park.


4. Ordering Pizza by the Pool. We stay onsite at a WDW hotel where all the pools are pretty unique. This is a low stress way to get started on the vacation after a day of airport and shuttle drama.


5. Extra Magic Hours. We always check the disney website prior to the trip to see if any parks will be open late. Our park hopper passes and onsite hotels mean we can spend a fun evening at the parks as long as we have the energy!

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales

Speechless Sunday (Almost)--Not So Scary is Great Family FUN for ALL Ages!

In our opinion, one of the best times to visit Disneyworld is in October. Not only has the temperatures cooled a bit from Orlando's warm humid summer heat, hurricane season is in it's final stages. But the real reason we love to go in October is Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. It really is fun for all ages! My kids are now in their late teens and a bit to old to dress up and trick-or-treat in our neighborhood but not at the WDW Halloween party. We love that most of our favorite rides are open and the lines are very short. Even though we always stay on site with a 7 or 10 day park hopper pass, we pay the extra for this hard-ticket event. It is well worth it for the parade, fun and fireworks. If your family is planning a visit to Walt Disney World in the fall, The Not-So-Scary-Halloween Party should be on your MUST-DO list!

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales

Hunting Hidden Mickeys at Walt Disney World

Mickey Mouse is not too hard to find in Walt Disney World. Throughout the Orlando, Florida theme park there are obvious and not so obvious replicas of the famous cartoon mouse. My family enjoys finding and photographing the not-so-easy-to-see "Hidden Mickey's". It is a great FREE way to pass the time at the parks...and always exciting when someone spots a new one.

This one was spotted on the Backlot Tour of Hollywood Studios. It was fun to capture the image during the water affect, which is a high point of the tour.

This is a great activity for young and old whether it is your first visit to the world or 100th! Searching for Hidden Mickey's never gets boring. I will share other fun finds from other parks in future posts. Keep on the look out...hidden Mickey's are rumored to be everywhere in WDW!

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales