The Perfect Disney Vacation

We have returned from another successful Disney adventure. After working for the mouse for 10+ years and having the parks available anytime, going back is a mixture of going home again and being able to actually have a true vacation experience which we couldn't have while working there. When we lived in the area, we could go into a theme park for a couple of hours and then leave if the kids were acting up, it was too crowded, etc. Now we have to be like the masses "We are going to Disney and you will have fun...its now or never!!"This has resulted in some very long, exhausting days as we try to fit in everything, plus our local favorite restaurants and maybe even meet a few old friends along the way.
So we have been trying to find the balance between doing too much and not seeing everything we want...which is a tricky balance. This trip we actually had days while my husband was in a conference that we didn't go into any theme parks, but instead opted to play around the resort instead which was way cool. If you have ever had the opportunity to stay at a Disney resort, you know there are tons of things to do there, and often no time to do it. While at the Disney Yacht Club Resort we walked the loop to Boardwalk, enjoyed the bakery, sat and watched the boats, swam in the very fun sand bottom pool, let the kids build sand castles and played on the beach. I think the kids actually had more fun not going into the theme parks. As much fun as it seems to take the kids to Disney, I have noticed on more than one occasion that they spend the majority of time sitting in a stroller & waiting in line than actually having fun. Then we had 3 full days of the parks, and while we did take a bit more time out during the day to go back and enjoy the pool, we also let our kids stay up a bit later and enjoyed the park at night as well.
As a result I think we almost found the perfect balance...almost because we still missed some of the parts of the parks we would have enjoyed but due to cranky kids and naps, had to miss...but then again I guess that gives us a reason to go back and try again!

Disney World Vacation Tips

Disney Tip of the Day

As fun as going to Disney is, it is also a high energy, marathon vacation, especially if traveling with children. From the moment you step out of your hotel room, until you put your head on your pillow at night, you will be standing, waiting, walking, waiting, eating, waiting...well you get the idea. There is alot of hurry up and wait, however with proper planning you can also have a great time.

Should you stay on Disney property? Well it is more expensive, but for our family it is worth it. After staying at some of the different hotels in the area nothing compares to staying on Disney property. For some people, the convenience of Disney transportation is the allure (for us, waiting for buses means, more waiting so we opt for our own transportation), but I think its the quality of the stay that makes it worthwhile for us. All of the resorts are themed in one way or another, from the most expensive to the economy, each resort has themed decor throughout the lobby and rooms, pools, restaurants and gift shops. Here is a rundown of a few of the options available!

Disney's Pop Century Resort: Themed for all of decades of the century, the Pop Century resort experience is great fun and a very affordable, family friendly option. Everywhere you look in the resort, you will find items to inspire nostalgia. From the rubix cube shaped stairwells in the 80's building to Mr and Mrs Potato Head statues in the walk ways, there is fun around every corner.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge: This African inspired themed resort is a deluxe resort and priced accordingly. The beauty of this resort is the animals! Looking out your resort room window at any given time, you will see zebras, giraffes, buffalo, antelope and more. It is an amazing experience. Additional seating areas feature rocking chairs to sit and enjoy the view no matter where you happen to be in the resort.

Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resort: Themed for the New England Seashore, this classy, deluxe resort offers some great amenities including a beautiful sandy pool. Within walking distance of the Boardwalk Resort and Epcot there is plenty to do and see right outside you room! Be sure to take in a clambake at the Cape May to fully experience the New England shore.

Stay tuned for more...

Chattanooga, TN

Welcome to Chattanooga Tennessee!! A last minute weekend trip allowed us the opportunity to check out some of the area attractions. While the Marriott we stayed in was a bit disappointing - the featured social hour included a bowl of chips and some peanuts, and don't even get me started about the breakfast bar (which is normally a great benefit of staying at a Marriott). However the town did offer some unique and fun opportunities for the kids. Our favorite unique restaurant experience was the Mellow Mushroom. They feature pizza, calzones and some great looking sub sandwiches and salads. The pizza was great! Good crust, seasoning, the right amount of cheese and toppings and the salad was pretty tasty too. We tried both the Greek and Chef and enjoyed the fact that they do offer both full and half sizes. The atmosphere is very casual with TVs featuring sports. Our only complaint was the smoking section that sort of overlooked the nonsmoking booths - ick.

Ratings 1=Best Ever, 2= Pretty Good, 3= So,so, 4=Not So Much, 5=Not Worth It

Kid Friendliness Factor: 2
Worth the Money Factor: 1
Level of Fun: 1

The Chattanooga Children's Museum was great fun for the kids. We were disappointed that the museum was not part of the reciprocal network of museums for our membership so we had to pay, but it was worth the money. The water works section is huge which the kids love and there is a great climbing area - big enough for the parents to play too. There was also a great music section where the kids could try out different instruments or push buttons to make them play songs. We spent about an hour in this section alone. Overall alot of fun for the kids - the hardest part is to keep them moving along :)

Ratings 1=Best Ever, 2= Pretty Good, 3= So,so, 4=Not So Much, 5=Not Worth It

Kid Friendliness Factor: 1
Worth the Money Factor: 1
Level of Fun: 1

The Tennessee Aquarium - the big draw for the area, ended up being our least favorite. It is a great facility, but unless you really like looking at lots and lots of fish for many hours, it really gets old very quickly, especially with kids. There are 2 buildings. One focused on the Ocean and the other on the River. Throughout the Ocean building - our first building - the kids were fully engaged in the experience and enjoyed the stingray pond where they could pet the stingrays. Unfortunately after that one interactive experience, the rest of the tour was just looking. By the time we got to the River building most of the fish were looking similar despite the different parts of the world that the various fish came from. While I can't say anything really bad about the Aquarium, I do think its a one time attraction.

Ratings 1=Best Ever, 2= Pretty Good, 3= So,so, 4=Not So Much, 5=Not Worth It

Kid Friendliness Factor: 2
Worth the Money Factor: 3
Level of Fun: 3

Cheeseburger in Paradise - Algonquin, IL

This Jimmy Buffet inspired themed restaurant was so much fun! Fun and colorful with an island theme and feel, Jimmy Buffet music playing in the background and tasty food to boot. The kids enjoyed the mini cheeseburgers while my husband and I tried out some of the wraps. I had the sweet potato chips - very yummy and we also tried out the spinach and crab dip for an appetizer which was also very good. The prices were very reasonable and we were very impressed by the service as well. A kitchen mixup had a couple of our parties' entrees out a bit later than the rest and they fully comped both meals and offered us a free desert for the inconvenience. Wow! we were impressed. This chain has restaurants throughout the east and midwest and we would highly recommend a visit.

Ratings 1=Best Ever, 2= Pretty Good, 3= So,so, 4=Not So Much, 5=Not Worth It

Kid Friendliness Factor: 1
Worth the Money Factor: 1
Level of Fun: 1

The Parthenon - Nashville,TN

"EXCUSE ME...PLEASE GET AWAY FROM THOSE ROPES. THEY ARE THERE FOR YOUR PROTECTION. PEOPLE HAVE BROKEN THEIR ANKLES CLIMBING NEAR THOSE ROPES!" yelled the PR director for The Parthenon Museum in Nashville, TN as my two children and their 2 cousins were playing near the benches in the exhibit. Mind you the kids weren't playing Red Rover or jump rope with the ropes or even really playing on them. They were following around my 2 year old who was walking over to the benches on the other side of the "safety" ropes that "protected" everyone from the 1 1/2 inch step between the exhibit area and the sitting area. Oh yes there were some cool pieces of art and the re-creation of the Parthenon and all its glory was cool, but this was the most memorable part of the trip by far.

Overall not a great place to take small children. Better for the older observer who can spend time reading all of the placards and observing the works. Fortunately it is only $5 per adult and free for kids 4 and under.

Ratings 1=Best Ever, 2= Pretty Good, 3= So,so, 4=Not So Much, 5=Not Worth It

Kid Friendliness Factor: 5
Worth the Money Factor: 3
Level of Fun: 4

Batter Up! - Louisville, KY

On a recent weekend trip to Louisville KY, we began our journey focused on the Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom Adventure Park. Although the water park was not yet opened for the year, we were hopeful that the theme park would provide enough entertainment to satisfy our withdrawal from the Disney theme parks. To say the least, we were disappointed.

Financially, we thought that the $29.95 season pass that we purchased at Kroeger's in advance was a steal so we bought 3. Our youngest is 2 and doesn't need a pass quite yet. So with passes in hand we made the 4 hour drive from Nashville. Upon entering the park, we were directed to the season pass office which was completely chaotic, yet surprisingly not too long of a wait to get our info put into the system and our photo badges processed. We still had hope...

Making our way to the kids area of the park however, it was quickly evident that we would struggle to spend more than a couple of hours in the park. There were a handful of rides that both of our children could enjoy and very little enthusiasm by the park employees to make any sort of memorable experience. Children were climbing all over the planters, taking cuts in line, running throughout and there was little to no effort by the parents or the employees to regain any type of order. The show we caught the end of seemed cheesy and forced. "Are you having fun!!!" No not really... And of course there was the "snack" that we opted to buy. Some soft pretzels and a drink for $8.95... and they were out of toppings. Almost $10 bucks for soft pretzels without cheese...what a ripoff...'well we have some mustard'.

Ratings 1=Best Ever, 2= Pretty Good, 3= So,so, 4=Not So Much, 5=Not Worth It

Kid Friendliness Factor: 3
Worth the Money Factor: 3
Level of Fun: 4

Since the amusement park ended up being a bust, we weren't going to return there and had one more day in Louisville KY. Fortunately we came across the Louisville Slugger Museum. This is the factory where Louisville Slugger bats are made. While the ideal age for this tour is probably more in the 5 and up category, my 2 and 4 year old actually did pretty well. The museum and tour includes a short movie about baseball and a re-creation of a baseball field complete with players. There is also a section where, by pushing a button, you can pitch a baseball, or play a video to learn more about the history of the game. The kids enjoyed those parts and really enjoyed the Peanuts section of the museum that was being featured. They sat in baseball shaped bean bag chairs and watched Charlie Brown while we looked at the exhibits which made for a very enjoyable experience for parents and kids alike! Even the factory tour moved along at a pace that the kids didn't get bored and get into trouble.

Ratings 1=Best Ever, 2= Pretty Good, 3= So,so, 4=Not So Much, 5=Not Worth It

Kid Friendliness Factor: 2
Worth the Money Factor: 1
Level of Fun: 2

Bloggin' Across the USA

Check out our latest expeditions traveling from coast to coast with 2 kids in tow...
Ratings for Kid Friendliness, Worth the Money Factor and Level of Fun in every post!