February Vacation at Disney with Family
We just did a week at Walt Disney World with family. Two kids, almost five and almost eight. They stayed at Art of Animation near the Skyliner. We stayed at our apartment nearby and met up each day. Four parks. Seven days. Most of the best moments were things we didn't plan for.
The youngest locked onto Remy's Ratatouille Adventure like it. Laughing the whole ride and when it was over he kept explaining the wide to us: they were trying to catch us but we were to fast. It's gentle enough that little kids love it and fun enough that adults don't feel like hostages on a toddler ride.
We figured the kids would be into the animals. The safari. The trails. But they just wanted to collect Wilderness Explorers stickers. It's a free scavenger hunt where kids earn badges by completing activities around the park. Walk to a station. Talk to a cast member. Get a stamp. Repeat. If you don't know what Wilderness Explorers is, look it up before you go.
We showed up to Fantasmic four minutes before it started. Not on purpose. That's just when we got there. Good seats. And based on where we ended up sitting, we were some of the first people out when it ended. Lucky break. No hour-long wait. No staking out a spot. No slowly losing the will to live in a crowd.
I'm not saying you'll get that lucky. But don't assume you need to camp out for Fantasmic either. Showing up late doesn't automatically mean bad seats.
The Main Street Confectionery was a big hit with the oldest. Wall-to-wall candy, right on Main Street. Easy to walk past if you're rushing toward rides. Worth a stop if you've got kids.
Both kids loved Mickey's PhilharMagic, which doesn't get talked about enough. Air-conditioned. Fun. Little kids are genuinely into it. Adults get to sit down. Everyone wins.
The Skyliner
The Skyliner was a hit with the parents, and not because of the view. If your kids are in strollers, you can take separate gondolas and keep them strapped in. No unloading. No chasing. No wrestling a toddler out of the stroller and back into it at every transition. Roll on. Roll off.
If you're staying at Art of Animation or any of the other Skyliner resorts, that convenience alone is makes this a good hotel choice.
It was a good week. Not every moment was smooth. But the moments that worked really worked.
- Aaron