Best.Trip.Ever (part 3 with tips)

day 6 - back to the future...umm, I mean Hollywood Studios

While planning our trip we left our "day 6" at the parks open (we were thinking we would be back at Animal Kingdom)  However, because we missed meeting Lightning McQueen and Mater on our Sunday and Playhouse Disney, we decided to head back there before leaving.  You see, after six days straight at Disney parks, this is what you children may look like....  (you can see Trae's Pluto hat was glued on and Addie Lynn had the "I'm tired but looking cool in sunglasses" thing going on)  FYI: while taking this pic on our tram ride in, I have mouse ears on.

 

 Onto our favorites of the day!  Here is the favorite thing of the kids: Eating at the real Pizza Planet from Toy Story.

arcade time followed these pics

I just had to stop on the street, I felt like I was on a movie set, kids are over taking pics at this point.  Here we hit are only Disney disappointment!  We came to see Lightning McQueen and it so happened he was out for a "drive"  (They were recording the Christmas Parade for abc in Magic Kingdom that day)  Any other day of the year he would have been there at Lugi's tire shop.  BUMMER!  Exhaustion is soon to follow.

 
 Everyone amped up when we enterd Playhouse Disney - this was super cute, and super fun!  HOT DOG!

 

Now we have arrived at our most life changing Dinsey experience.  It truly rocked my four year old son's Trae's world.  The Indiana Jones stunt show.  Let's just say after seeing this he has now watched all the movies, he has a whip, and he finds lots of treasure all over the house.  He is slightly obsessed.

Everyone wanted (and needed) one last Mickey Mouse Ice Cream (here the boys sample the cookies and cream sandwich kind)  Us girls stuck to the good ole favorite we know and love.

 Clearly on our tram ride out exhaustion and insanity has set in, yes, it is time to go home!

 Eli is super great though, again, he believes he is on an oversized golf cart.

 See, I told you!  Here is our little Indiana Jones.  Now, we planned on stopping at a hotel on the ride home.  We stopped after hour number three for dinner and to stop but everyone was in a super mood so we hopped back in the car and kept on driving.  All three kids fell asleep so we made it the whole ride home!  :)

As promised, here are my best Dinsey tips and tricks:

- If you go during free dining make reservations at character meals. 

- Learn all you can, so you don't waste time.

- Do not overplan.  Pick several things that you for sure want to do that day, everything else, just follow the kids lead  and don't stress it.  Most of the time we had a couple rides in mind, a parade, and a dining reservation.  Everything else just worked out!

- DO split up Magic Kingdom into two days. 

- Our one regret:  Not planning a day of rest in the middle!  It would have been so awesome to hang at the resort one day with nothing to do but rest!  You will be tired!

- DO wear comfy shoes!  Tons of walking~!  I let the kids wear thier comfy shoes with everything!

- Pack layers - it was SUPER hot our first three days there and SUPER cold our last three days. 

- DO get info from people that have went!  I am so thankful to all my pals that helped me and DIS boards and allears.net

-You CAN go pretty cheap -We stayed on a value resort (All Star Movies) and had free dining, plus we went in the "off" season.  It did work out good that Addie Lynn and Eli were free for everything. 

Tips for traveling with a baby and young kiddos

- check out the baby care centers at each park!  There is a place to nurse, change diapers, let big kids potty and watch cartoons while you tend to the baby.  WE LOVED these and they helped SO MUCH!  Addie Lynn was quite obsessed with tiny kid's potty at the Hollywood Studios baby center.  I joke we went back there on our last day so she could use it again (seriously, this made her day).

- The babies can ride TONS of rides.  I felt like he didn't miss anything!

- Take advantage of BABYSWAP!  IF there is a height restriction, just go up to the greeter at the ride, ask for a babyswap, SO I would take the older two on a ride then RJ would get to take them again without waiting!  FABULOUS! 

- Talking to a mom with little ones down there we joked how we both love going to dinner and nice resteraunts and how here you can enjoy that with children all around.  Seriously, kids can be kids. 

I really loved our trip and I will cherish it forever.  This week as things would go wrong I would look at my husband and say "I wish we were at Disney!"

Thanks for reading!  I hope you enjoyed our little Dinsey trip blog.  Have a MAGICAL day!  :)