the most magical weekend.

 

Well friends, we returned Monday from the most magical weekend. We took our oldest son, Cade, to Disneyworld when he turned five in 2017 (on his actual birthday weekend - the first weekend in February - which I swear is the absolute best time to go for low crowds) so this year our youngest, Charlie, turns five in July! We knew we couldn't handle the Florida heat in July, so we decided to go in January when we didn't have much going on. What a great way to kick off the year, except I think everyone had the same idea to visit Disneyworld during the extended MLK weekend! :)

While the crowds were insane, the memories made were still oh so sweet. You just can't go to DIsneyworld and NOT have a magical time! 

We drove to Florida Thursday and had Park Hopper tickets for Friday, Saturday and Sunday! Friday we hit the ground running at Magic Kingdom and then Saturday we did Epcot + Animal Kingdom. Sunday was Hollywood Studios and ended at Epcot! Epcot kicked off their Festival of the Arts on Friday and that was a park we skipped during our trip in 2017. I'd love to go back to spend more time there because all of the food and drinks in world showcase looked phenomenal. We did enjoy dinner at La Hacienda de San Angel on our last night and if you make your reservation around 7:30-8pm, you will have amazing views of the Epcot firework show at 9pm!
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 Now, let me preface this post by saying that this is only the second time in our adulthood my husband and I have been to Disneyworld to take the kids. I didn't wake up early enough to book our fast passes (we still got great ones, just not as early in the day as I would have liked) and we aren't the type of people who have to ride every. single. ride.
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I'm certainly not one to ask for  tips on how to plan a Disney trip (you should totally check out our local gal, Magical Adventures by Jennifer, who helped me plan both trips) BUT I do think I can help you plan what you should pack and wear!
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SO WHAT SHOULD I PACK FOR DISNEYWORLD?

1. Breathable fabrics. I don't care if you go in January or July, it's Florida. It's going to be warm! Last Friday it got up to 85 degrees during our day at Magic Kingdom. I packed cute tops for dinner, but you may not want to wear...say, a polyester top...or you will be a sweaty mess , TBH. Wear breathable cotton fabrics or "dry quick" fabrics like Lilly's Luxletic line or your classic Under Armor, Nike, Lululemon, etc... The first day I wore Lilly's Ocean Trail Short (basically like a true running/work out short) + a basic, solid short sleeve cotton Lilly tee + Lilly Skipper Popover. Layers are important during the cooler months, because yes it may be chilly in the mornings/evenings but during the day it warms up QUICK. The popover was easy to tie around my waist during the day. We still have LOTS of Lilly Pulitzer on sale in store (we aren't allowed to post it on our website) so stop by if you're local and scoop up amazing deals for your next trip!

2. COMFY SHOES. I can't stress this enough because holy walking!!!! We logged about 9-10 miles PER DAY. Yes!!!! You know I love color, so I scooped up classic New Balance sneaks in aqua...black...even pink several years ago before our last trip. I also love the Tretorn sneakers from Blossom Shoes & Such! I wore a leopard pair I got last Spring to Hollywood Studios and they are ridiculously comfy, even 10 miles in! *Make sure you take bandaids in the park just in case you get blisters.

3. CROSSBODY OR BACKPACK PURSE : on our last trip I just used a crossbody purse and my husband had a Kavu backpack from David Lindsey he took in the parks. This year I took this new backpack purse my in-laws gifted me for Christmas and I LOVED IT. Lightweight, held so much and was nylon so easy to wipe down! Here's a similar style to the one I carried (she happened to snag it on major sale during Black Friday) I also think our Lilly Pulitzer Bahia Backpacks (now 1/2 OFF!!!!) would be great to take in the parks. Love the pockets on the side for your water bottles and the smaller front pocket keeps your phone, chapstick, etc... handy. 

I also skipped carrying in my large, heavy Hobo wallet and used one of our Lilly Pulitzer Key ID cases to keep my ID, Disney gift cards and cash handy/easier to find in my backpack. Only $28 bucks and a great gift for anyone going to Disneyworld soon...

4. PORTABLE PHONE CHARGER - because you will drain your phone using the Disney app (which is a must to download and use) and again, it's long days in the parks!

5. Hand sanitizer and wet wipes - because #crowds and #germs.

6. Misc necessities - hair ties because Florida is also humid/hot and you'll want to pull your hair up by the end of the day, trust me. Chapstick, sunscreen, sunglasses, ibuprofen and cheap rain ponchos (you can pick up at the Dollar Tree before your trip) were other necessities for me!

7. Mickey ears. You think they look a bit ridiculous? Sure, they're big. They're sparkly, but almost errrrbody will have them on at Disneyworld. Now, this isn't a must but it's just fun and when else will you ever wear a mickey ear headband? Only at Disney! If you plan on going a couple times over the next decade, I'd recommend at least splurging on a $25 classic pair of red + black. (unless you're a pink gal like me who had to have these below. Check out the Disney store because they run sales all the time and you'll likely score them cheaper than waiting and buying them in the parks)

(**side note: want to see Minnie in her colorful striped ensem + pink shoes? Book a character breakfast at Cape May Cafe at Disney's Beach Club. An all-you-can-eat buffet featuring Minnie, Daisy, Donald and Goofy. (nope, not Mickey so note that if Mickey is a must). You'll certainly leave full after indulging in everything from a a to-die-for omelet station to eggs benedict, classic mickey waffles and more...)

I got this fun "Hey, Howdy Hey" tee from Happily Ever Tees a few seasons ago. I love supporting other small businesses and she has the cutest Disney tees!

My belted black shorts are actually the shorts from our famous Black Jack Set and they are SO flowy and comfy. I actually had a girl stop me to ask where they were from! They almost look like a skirt. Trust me when I say, elastic waistbands will be your best friend at Disney for all of the standing, sitting, up and down riding rides and more...

Also note, Diet Coke is a necessity at Disneyworld. Yes, please.

Well now you guys know I don't need an excuse to wear an animal print, but for our day at Animal Kingdom I thought it was a must! I wore the super soft, comfy knit "Spotted Perfection Tee" with another pair of comfy JoyJoy black side zip shorts. So thankful I was able to meet up with my college roomie/bestie who lives in Tampa. It made the trip even sweeter!

I also love our cute Animal Kingdom studs (only $10 bucks) to jazz up even a simple t-shirt...

Lastly, I thought the new Moxie Tunic + Spanx Perfect Ponte Pant would be adorable with Minnie ears (which I'm missing in this pic) for a dinner reservation and it's also super comfy too! 

We also have ONE SMALL left in our cute Castle Sweatshirt that unfortunately we were unable to reorder, but I love love love it. Snatch up this last size asap! So soft and cozy, runs TTS. Meg is a size 2-4 wearing the SMALL.

and we also have one pair of cute "Take Me To The Castle" Socks left! Another great gift for anyone going to the castle soon...

So there ya have it! 

Check out my Disneyworld instagram highlight for more peeks into our magical trip and comment below if you've got a Disney trip planned in 2020! I'd love to help you plan your outfits and we can even start with what you already have. Packing for a jam-packed Disney trip can be overwhelming, but we've got you! Stay tuned for soooo many fun Spring styles arriving weekly.

Until next time...


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