1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:05,880 Speaker 1: Hi. This is Laura Vandercamp. I'm a mother of five, 2 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:10,240 Speaker 1: an author, journalist, and speaker. And this is Sarah Hartunger. 3 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: I'm a mother of three, a practicing physician and blogger. 4 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: On the side, we are two working parents who love 5 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,320 Speaker 1: our careers and our families. Welcome to best of both worlds. 6 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:22,400 Speaker 1: Here we talk about how real women manage work, family, 7 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 1: and time for fun, from figuring out childcare to mapping 8 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: out long term career goals. We want you to get 9 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: the most out of life. Welcome to best of both worlds. 10 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 1: This is Laura. This is episode two hundred and thirty nine, 11 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 1: which is airing at the beginning of March twenty twenty two. 12 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 1: This is going to be a Disney SDDE All Things 13 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 1: Disney because it is something of a parental rite of passage. 14 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: Not really, you can live a very happy life never 15 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: having gone to Disney World, never taking your family to 16 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 1: Disney World. However, many people do wind up doing this 17 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:04,119 Speaker 1: at some point, and we thought we would share our experiences, 18 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 1: our thoughts, you know, because Sarah just got back from 19 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: Disney World, so it's on our minds. But Sarah, growing up, 20 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: you went to Disney World a few times, correct, I did. 21 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 1: I remember three trips in particular. Now I have shared 22 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 1: on this podcast that my parents are of a very 23 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 1: frugal ilk. They still are, and thus Disney World would 24 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:29,959 Speaker 1: not have normally been on their radar. However, both of 25 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: the times I remember going in childhood were trips where 26 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: my father had business trips and we were comped really 27 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: nice hotel rooms and I think passes to Disney as 28 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:43,279 Speaker 1: well as part of that, and so the normal friction 29 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: between spending money on something this frivolous was removed, and 30 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 1: those were really fun trips. I did develop a pretty 31 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 1: significant taste for nice hotels as a child that I 32 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: shouldn't have developed because it did not match with the 33 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 1: rest of our lifestyle or even kind of just where 34 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: we were socially by it was the perk of my 35 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: father's jobs. So the first time we went, I think 36 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: it was nineteen eighty eight, and I think I was 37 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: pulled out of school, perhaps because in the pictures it 38 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 1: looks very cold, and that must have been like January 39 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 1: or February, and there's a really cute picture of my 40 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 1: sister and I maybe I'll try to drag it up 41 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: in yellow sweatpants. And mini sweatshirts, looking very cold in 42 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: Orlando and really enjoying it. I remember writing a recap 43 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: of this trip in my I guess like second or 44 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 1: third grade journal that like detailed the curves of Big 45 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: Thunder Mountain railroads. So I guess not a lot has 46 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: changed in Disney World since then. But anyway, that was 47 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 1: the first trip. We went again in nineteen ninety two, 48 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: stayed at the Grand Floridian, again free and I still 49 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: have yet to stay there again, and amazing, amazing trip. 50 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: I spent like hours pouring over some unofficial guidebook that 51 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:55,640 Speaker 1: we had, like I knew every store, every special meal, 52 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 1: every gift shop, every ride, and I'm sure we didn't 53 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: actually hit them all, but I just I like remember 54 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 1: the incredible amount of anticipation that went with that trip. 55 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: And then finally, my third trip was with my cheerleading 56 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: squad in around ninety seven or ninety eight, because we 57 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 1: competed at the UCA Nationals which were held there and 58 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,640 Speaker 1: we did not win. And funnily enough, on our trip 59 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: this past weekend, there was a cheer competition there, so 60 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 1: I just was like wow, I even told one random person, Hey, 61 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: I did that, and then they were like great, were 62 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:28,679 Speaker 1: like it was this crazy woman. Oh that's great, So 63 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: so you had Yeah, you'd been several times then it 64 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: wasn't very different going as a you know, high school 65 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: student with your crew versus Yeah. I mean, the focus 66 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: of that trip was the competition, but I think we 67 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: did get at least like a day or an afternoon 68 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 1: to spend in the parks, but it was it was 69 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 1: more about the actual like UCA competition. Yeah time. Yeah. Now, 70 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: my oldest son, I said, Jasper is theoretically going in 71 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: the next year. I think it was like rescheduled from 72 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: this year or something. They decided not to go this year, 73 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 1: but next year. I hope with his high school musical 74 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: department that they would go and perform there. I guess. 75 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: So that would be a similar to your tier competition. 76 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: It could be pretty awesome. He would definitely love to 77 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: do that. He's our big Disney person. I think at 78 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:20,480 Speaker 1: one point he maybe still was maybe he wanted to 79 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 1: be the CEO of Disney, which would be great. I'd 80 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: be all for that if that winds up happening as 81 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 1: a career option. Many other career options one could have, 82 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 1: but that sounds great too. Yeah, we never went when 83 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:33,839 Speaker 1: I was growing up similar My parents are relatively frugal 84 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:37,920 Speaker 1: people and Disney World does not necessarily mesh well with 85 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:42,400 Speaker 1: that lifestyle. But then my father's work did not involve 86 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,479 Speaker 1: any Disney trips either, so that never wound up happening 87 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: for us. Different memories of like staying in hotel in 88 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 1: Chicago where he was on a conference once, but Disney 89 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 1: was not part of the Old Testament in Hebrew Scriptures 90 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: conference world. I don't know why not. It could have 91 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:04,239 Speaker 1: been wonderful thing. The you know, Society for Biblical Literature 92 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 1: had chosen to meet at Disney World, I would have 93 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:08,839 Speaker 1: been in favor of that, but we never went. So 94 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: in fact, my kids have gone the exact same number 95 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 1: of times that I have gone. In fact, they've gone 96 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 1: more because my husband took them to Disneyland in California 97 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 1: when we were there on a trip once and I 98 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 1: skipped that particular day trip. So we had an agreement 99 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:29,919 Speaker 1: each of us got one day. I took the kids 100 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 1: to the zoo for a whole day and he was 101 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: off doing whatever, and then he took them to Disneyland 102 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 1: and I was off doing my thing. So that was 103 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 1: that was kind of a fun thing. To do on 104 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:45,600 Speaker 1: a trip. But anyway, yes, Disney is an experience. So 105 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:48,360 Speaker 1: we're just gonna talk, you know, about Sarah's recent trip, 106 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 1: about some of our hacks, things we've enjoyed doing, things 107 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 1: we didn't enjoy doing so much, maybe a few tips 108 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,280 Speaker 1: for people who are considering it. So Sarah, tell us 109 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: about your recent trip, because you just got back from 110 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 1: the Land of the Mouse. So we took a relatively 111 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 1: short trip. It's pretty not that big a deal for 112 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:11,480 Speaker 1: us to get there, although it isn't for you either, 113 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: as you'll discuss. But it's about three and a half 114 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:15,720 Speaker 1: hour drive, so you can leave after school and get 115 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: there that evening even in time for dinner if you're 116 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:20,159 Speaker 1: more efficient than we were on the day that we left. 117 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:22,920 Speaker 1: But we just went for a long weekend. We did 118 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: pull the kids out of school. They missed school on Friday. 119 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:27,560 Speaker 1: I was honest with their teachers and just said we 120 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: had a family trip to Disney plans, so sorry. And 121 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:34,480 Speaker 1: luckily I didn't really get any get in trouble, I 122 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 1: don't think. And so we went Friday, Saturday, Sunday or 123 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:40,600 Speaker 1: I guess we left Thursday night and then we had 124 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:42,800 Speaker 1: all day Friday and Saturday, and then we did brunch 125 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:44,520 Speaker 1: on Sunday, So it was kind of a short trip. 126 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:48,039 Speaker 1: I know from past experiences, I don't necessarily have the 127 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 1: endurance to do like five days of Disney, so just 128 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:54,479 Speaker 1: fit both our schedules and also kind of my way 129 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 1: that I liked to do Disney. You know, this was 130 00:06:56,920 --> 00:07:00,559 Speaker 1: our first Disney trip since COVID. LA will talk about 131 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:04,360 Speaker 1: how she's done a couple. I felt very comfortable, but 132 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: I know your mileage may vary if you're still feeling 133 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: like you want to avoid getting COVID at all costs. 134 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 1: I don't think Disney would be a great place for you, honestly, 135 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: because there are lots of crowds, and yes, people have 136 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 1: their masks on, but like, if it's going to make 137 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 1: you very anxious sitting in a large datium with lots 138 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: of people not who are all perfectly wearing their masks, 139 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 1: then it might make you anxious to be there. I'm 140 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 1: not in that place. I'm kind of like, we're pretty 141 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: protected at this point and I'm in a place of 142 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,680 Speaker 1: acceptance and living and so for us, it didn't bother me. 143 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 1: But I definitely have friends who still I thought of them, 144 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 1: and I was like, I don't think they would enjoy 145 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 1: this experience where they are right now. Although somewhat ironically, 146 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:50,120 Speaker 1: you came back with something completely different, not what you did, 147 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 1: but with other illnesses. Yeah, so we came home with 148 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 1: a classic Disney souvenir of a gibug. I mean, I said, 149 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 1: Nora virus. I don't actually know that it's Nora virus, 150 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 1: but I feel like when you take an ichy trip 151 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:05,760 Speaker 1: and multiple people come home with fairly significant GI symptoms, 152 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 1: that's like the most likely culprit. I actually, I pointed 153 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 1: out to Laura, I have like a scar on my 154 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 1: face because I had such a terrible episode that I 155 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 1: then passed out walking back to my bed and hit 156 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 1: my nose on the floor, which is kind of hard 157 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 1: to do, but somehow I did it anyway. So we 158 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 1: did come home sick, but not with COVID, and we're 159 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 1: all better now. It was a very quick, kind of 160 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 1: twenty four hour process, and I think I should knock 161 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 1: on something, but it seemed to only have hit myself 162 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: and Genevieve because no one else has had any symptoms. 163 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:38,319 Speaker 1: And then we're now like a day out from anybody, 164 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:42,440 Speaker 1: so hopefully, hopefully, yeah, there is nothing like the stomach 165 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:46,760 Speaker 1: bug going through all every member of the family, like falling, 166 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 1: like dominos. We've experienced that fun. It is not fun, 167 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:55,120 Speaker 1: no other way to describe it. But yeah, we have 168 00:08:55,280 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 1: gone twice since COVID. A lot of it's outside and 169 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 1: then you're, you know, in your own little ride thing. 170 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:05,560 Speaker 1: And Disney has been pretty good about sort of stretching 171 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 1: out the lines at least during the deepest days of COVID. 172 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 1: I don't know how they're doing it anymore. They probably 173 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 1: don't care anymore because a lot of people don't care anymore. 174 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:16,560 Speaker 1: But you know, we wore our masks the entire time. 175 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:20,400 Speaker 1: We tend to go for longer trips. I guess we 176 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:22,080 Speaker 1: just like to, you know, by the time we go 177 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:25,600 Speaker 1: down there, you may as well stay and go to 178 00:09:25,679 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 1: all four of the big parks. But you know, some 179 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: of the stuff has been different, Like when we went 180 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:35,199 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty, they were only doing takeout, for instance, 181 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 1: so that changed the entire experience of dining obviously, but 182 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: then with you know later that started opening pools or 183 00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 1: of course is fun. It was also different going with 184 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 1: different age kids. So let's talk about frequency and ages 185 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:58,360 Speaker 1: of kids, Like when would you take your kids. Well, 186 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: I love Disney at age three for the like characters 187 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 1: and the quote unquote Disney magic aspect, not for the 188 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 1: comfort of the trip. Obviously I have gone now. I 189 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:12,679 Speaker 1: guess when Cameron was one and Annabel was three, the 190 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:16,200 Speaker 1: trip was terrible. I don't think it would have been 191 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 1: bad with like three and five. Well, actually we did 192 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 1: that too. That one was fine, one and three terrible, 193 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 1: Like I remember, like even the shortest lines were torture 194 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:25,400 Speaker 1: with the two kids. Josh remembers carrying both kids at 195 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 1: once because like they somehow both wanted him like he 196 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:30,560 Speaker 1: had one kid in each hand or something, and got 197 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:33,439 Speaker 1: a lot of back being from that experience, So that 198 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 1: that was I mean, I like the aspect of like, 199 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:38,240 Speaker 1: you know, three year olds think the characters are like 200 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:40,680 Speaker 1: full on real and when they meet the princesses, it's 201 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 1: like the cutest thing, because you know, Annabel was like 202 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: awestruck by the Elsa Princess and the Cinderella Princess and 203 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:51,520 Speaker 1: by even four honestly, or maybe it's just Genevieve's personality 204 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 1: or having older siblings, or the fact that the princesses 205 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 1: are now like behind a tape and you can't actually 206 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 1: like really get anywhere near them. It was not the 207 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 1: same this time I'm around, So I love it for 208 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:04,440 Speaker 1: that aspect. And there are a good number of very 209 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,080 Speaker 1: young child friendly rides. So if you kind of have 210 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 1: a different experience in mind, like, Okay, we're gonna do 211 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:12,760 Speaker 1: like Aladdin's Flying Carpet and the teacups and like just 212 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:14,560 Speaker 1: keep it on like the very kind of low key 213 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:16,240 Speaker 1: side of thing and not do the things that are 214 00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 1: very popular and that your kid isn't going to be 215 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:20,160 Speaker 1: tall enough to do anyway, at age three, I think 216 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:22,840 Speaker 1: you can have like an okay time. But I will 217 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 1: say like the younger the kid is, the more waiting 218 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:27,640 Speaker 1: in lines is torture, and even a short wait by 219 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 1: Disney standards, was is like a fifteen minute wait or 220 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:32,840 Speaker 1: a twenty minute wait can feel like a really long 221 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 1: time if you're carrying multiple towers this time. Obviously, my 222 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:39,720 Speaker 1: kids are the oldest they've been for obvious reasons, and 223 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:43,959 Speaker 1: I would say I can see why, like if I 224 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:46,959 Speaker 1: although Cameron was just as antsy as Genevieve, so I 225 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: don't know, like it probably depends on the personality of 226 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:51,720 Speaker 1: the child as well, But you did say, your sweet 227 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:53,880 Speaker 1: Spot was like nine and above, and Cameron just is 228 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:55,840 Speaker 1: turning eight. So maybe we just have like a year 229 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:58,600 Speaker 1: or two before waiting in lines becomes a little bit 230 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 1: less stressful. Oh, let me add one more thing. In 231 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:05,240 Speaker 1: previous years, we always stayed on property and used fast passes. 232 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 1: Fast passes are gone and you have to do Lightning 233 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:10,680 Speaker 1: Lane and Genie plus. I did not find that system 234 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:13,200 Speaker 1: nearly as workable, and thus there was more line waiting. 235 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 1: And I think for me it's the line waiting with 236 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:20,680 Speaker 1: the young kids that kills you. Yeah. Yeah, So we've 237 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:23,040 Speaker 1: gone a fair amount over the years in different iterations. 238 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:26,439 Speaker 1: I mean, the flights from Philadelphia to Orlando are relatively 239 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 1: cheap and plentiful. I mean, it's about two hours in 240 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:31,959 Speaker 1: the air, even if they say it's longer than that 241 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:35,040 Speaker 1: on the flight itself. I have, in fact given speeches 242 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:37,080 Speaker 1: in Orlando where I've left in the morning and come 243 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 1: back at night, like it is entirely doable to do 244 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:41,839 Speaker 1: in a day. Like we haven't done that with the 245 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:45,079 Speaker 1: trip with the parks obviously, and tend to go for 246 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:49,680 Speaker 1: seeing all four of you know, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, 247 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:53,839 Speaker 1: what's the other Hollywood studios, but it could be done 248 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 1: very quick and at least the getting there a part 249 00:12:56,520 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 1: wouldn't have to be such an ordeal. But I think so, 250 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 1: having done it with a bunch of different age combinations, 251 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:06,560 Speaker 1: I really think it's best for older kids. And that's 252 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 1: the ironic part of this, because kids get hooked on 253 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:12,280 Speaker 1: Disney young, Like I mean, the whole Disney Princess is 254 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:15,959 Speaker 1: aimed ages you know, three to seven roughly with girls. 255 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:19,720 Speaker 1: That's like the target market that they aim the advertising too. 256 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:24,440 Speaker 1: And yet that's not a good age to go to Disney. 257 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 1: And so the problem because I mean, you have to 258 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:30,880 Speaker 1: wait in line, like you are saying, it's going to 259 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:33,560 Speaker 1: be hot most of the year. Some of the rides 260 00:13:33,559 --> 00:13:37,360 Speaker 1: are scary. There's just a certain stamina required to walk 261 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:42,480 Speaker 1: around gigantic parks for hour after hour. So I have 262 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 1: taken when I took the big kids in May this 263 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 1: past year for basically for Jasper's birthday, because he tends 264 00:13:50,679 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 1: to request it as a combo Christmas Birthday present, which 265 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:55,880 Speaker 1: is one of the reasons we've been as often as 266 00:13:55,880 --> 00:14:01,439 Speaker 1: we have. But he was fourteen, Ruth, Ruth was nine, 267 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 1: Sam was eleven at the time. It was perfect like 268 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:08,840 Speaker 1: it was absolutely perfect, Like they didn't need any items 269 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:11,680 Speaker 1: with them, Like they were completely like self sufficient of 270 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:13,240 Speaker 1: stuff that you could get at the park if you 271 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 1: need it. They were old enough not to whine too 272 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 1: much about waiting, and I could, you know, Dasper and 273 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: Sam had their phones and I could give Ruth mine 274 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 1: and like it was, you know, I can stare up 275 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 1: at the clouds, I don't care, you know, or I 276 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:26,640 Speaker 1: talked to them right like it was. It was totally 277 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: fine for that. And you know, they had the stamina 278 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:34,400 Speaker 1: to walk under their own power everywhere, to stay up 279 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:37,200 Speaker 1: late if necessary, and understand why they are doing that, 280 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 1: to know that when it's hot at three pm, that's 281 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:42,360 Speaker 1: not the end of the world. Like you can just 282 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:44,000 Speaker 1: you know, get a drink, get some ice cream, and 283 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 1: rally and go again. And so the rides are good 284 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:49,640 Speaker 1: for them too. So I really do think that the 285 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:52,520 Speaker 1: older kids is where it really works now I have 286 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 1: taken We went in early twenty nineteen when Alex was 287 00:14:56,640 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 1: four and Ruth must have been, oh seven, so four seven, 288 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:07,880 Speaker 1: nine eleven, I want to say, And that was also 289 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:12,000 Speaker 1: pretty good too. If you have one younger child, you 290 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:16,520 Speaker 1: could kind of assign a parent to that child, and 291 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:18,760 Speaker 1: as long as that child is capable of going on 292 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:21,560 Speaker 1: the rides and is not in which four is. You know, 293 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: you're over forty inches, so it's a lot of it's 294 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:28,480 Speaker 1: open to you now and they can walk. But so 295 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: we actually had a stroller for generally okay trip because 296 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:34,680 Speaker 1: I knew that, and I'm so glad we did because 297 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: it would have been a limiting factor and like we walked. 298 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 1: I mean, listen, some kids can walk ten miles without 299 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 1: whining at age four. None of mine. Yeah, yeah, been 300 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:46,600 Speaker 1: that child, So it was really I mean, obviously you 301 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:50,320 Speaker 1: have to park it, but that was very helpful to 302 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 1: have on the trip, even though like part of me 303 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 1: is like I wish she could have been And we 304 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 1: told her, we were like we're like once you we're 305 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 1: like five is the oldest age you can possibly have 306 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:00,000 Speaker 1: a stroller after that, like you're on your own. Yeah, 307 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:03,040 Speaker 1: you set the scene now. Yeah, well, so when we went, 308 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:06,520 Speaker 1: we have been taken you know, when Henry was like 309 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:09,160 Speaker 1: a mobile baby, and it was just like it's miserable, 310 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:12,400 Speaker 1: right because then you know, I couldn't like Alex would 311 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:14,920 Speaker 1: act up because he couldn't have a parent solely on him. 312 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 1: And you know, because a parent was constantly occupied with 313 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:22,080 Speaker 1: with Henry, and you know, we one of us would 314 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 1: wind up leaving every day at three o'clock or whatever 315 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:28,240 Speaker 1: with the two little kids, which is fine, like you 316 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:31,120 Speaker 1: go to the pool, you relax, and then one parent 317 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:33,720 Speaker 1: would stay with the big kids till late, which is 318 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 1: you know, another way you can make it work. And 319 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 1: so that wasn't so bad either. But you know, I 320 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:41,040 Speaker 1: just don't bring somebody I think kids under floor. It's 321 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 1: just they're not going to appreciate it. It's going to 322 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 1: diminish the experience for everyone else. So I just think 323 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 1: long and hard about it if you're going to do that. 324 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:53,920 Speaker 1: But on that note, you know I did take them 325 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:56,000 Speaker 1: when when you know, we had a four year old 326 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:57,400 Speaker 1: to two year old and a six month old and 327 00:16:57,400 --> 00:17:00,920 Speaker 1: we just because I didn't know any better, always still 328 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:02,800 Speaker 1: had some fun. All Right, we need to take our 329 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:04,600 Speaker 1: ad break and we will be back in just a 330 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:19,239 Speaker 1: minute with more of this Disney Sode. So we are 331 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 1: back with best of both worlds. Are Disney Sode talking 332 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:26,520 Speaker 1: all things taking families to Disney World. So, Sarah, you 333 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:29,160 Speaker 1: had a couple of hacks and tips to share. Why 334 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:32,879 Speaker 1: don't you start with yours. So first of all, with Disney, 335 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:36,120 Speaker 1: if you haven't done this before, there is there are 336 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:38,679 Speaker 1: many many blogs out there with a million different tips, 337 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:40,879 Speaker 1: but one of the most important things to do is 338 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:43,919 Speaker 1: figure out how early you can book various things and 339 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,679 Speaker 1: make sure you do that in a timely fashion. And 340 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:49,480 Speaker 1: the rules keep changing, so you're really going to have 341 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:52,920 Speaker 1: to look them up closer to your actual trip. Sometimes 342 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:55,639 Speaker 1: there are different rules for people staying on a Disney 343 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:58,960 Speaker 1: property versus not. So for example, if you're staying at 344 00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:01,800 Speaker 1: the Animal Kingdom villas like we did this time, you 345 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:04,560 Speaker 1: could book like you're dining sooner than say, if you 346 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: were staying at an outside property. So look that up, 347 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:10,160 Speaker 1: look at your windows, get out your planner or your 348 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:12,960 Speaker 1: phone calendar, and put in a little reminder in your 349 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 1: whatever app you have to like get up and do that, 350 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:18,639 Speaker 1: and you know, don't be like thinking about where you 351 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:20,399 Speaker 1: want to stay at that moment. Have that figured out 352 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 1: so that when when that window comes you can just 353 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 1: click on them. I did do that this time. And 354 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:28,160 Speaker 1: although I will say, and this may be a COVID 355 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:31,200 Speaker 1: era thing, sometimes things also pop up later. I think 356 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:33,440 Speaker 1: as people cancel their trips, like maybe people booked a 357 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:35,960 Speaker 1: whole thing and then decided never mind. There was Omicron, 358 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:38,119 Speaker 1: I didn't want to go, and like, there were some 359 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:41,359 Speaker 1: restaurants we could have popped into that are incredibly popular. 360 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:44,560 Speaker 1: We didn't end up doing that because we were honestly 361 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:46,320 Speaker 1: tired at the end of our Magic Kingdom day. But 362 00:18:46,359 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 1: I was like, oh wow, we could go here or hear, 363 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 1: and you know, I hadn't seen those as options when 364 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 1: I was booking, so we did do it. We love 365 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:58,480 Speaker 1: Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge, It's a like African themed buffet. 366 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 1: It's just really like good range of food and my 367 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:03,880 Speaker 1: kids really enjoy buffets actually, I think because we don't 368 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:07,360 Speaker 1: normally go to them in real life. Although we got neurovirus, 369 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:14,200 Speaker 1: so I mean, I'm not link. It could be the pool, 370 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:16,440 Speaker 1: and it could be the pool too, right, we did 371 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:19,440 Speaker 1: we did not didn't. It was freezing so the pool 372 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:21,879 Speaker 1: is heated, but we happened. It was February and I 373 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:24,920 Speaker 1: think the lows were like high forties, which for Florida 374 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:27,280 Speaker 1: is like crazy, so we didn't actually swim on this trip. 375 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:30,480 Speaker 1: But yeah, Boma is really good. I love doing brunch 376 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:33,360 Speaker 1: at the Polynesian It's like, that's a childhood My mom 377 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:35,600 Speaker 1: used to like love their French toasts, so I just 378 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:39,480 Speaker 1: like going there. So yeah, booking your dining in advance, 379 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 1: and then I don't know a lot of people use 380 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:43,840 Speaker 1: travel agents. I'll have Laura talk about that. I kind 381 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:47,480 Speaker 1: of maybe wish we did. I didn't fully understand the 382 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:50,159 Speaker 1: ride booking system this time, and I still don't. Like, 383 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: I'm like, what did I miss like or did it 384 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:54,760 Speaker 1: just get a lot worse? Because in the past, if 385 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:57,600 Speaker 1: you stayed on property, you could book fast passes earlier 386 00:19:57,640 --> 00:19:59,960 Speaker 1: than other people and reserve like three rides for the 387 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:02,320 Speaker 1: day in different time windows, which was pretty good. Three 388 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:07,199 Speaker 1: I liked it. Now you can pay, so there's a 389 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:09,400 Speaker 1: fee that didn't used to exist, in addition to your 390 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:12,720 Speaker 1: paying to stay at a fairly pricey hotel to use 391 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:15,960 Speaker 1: Genie Plus, which will allow you to only reserve one 392 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,600 Speaker 1: experience at a time. And I thought that those windows 393 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:22,240 Speaker 1: only opened at seven am on the day that you're there, 394 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:24,560 Speaker 1: But Laura's shaking your head. Maybe they really opened up 395 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:26,200 Speaker 1: earlier and I missed it because by the time I 396 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:28,520 Speaker 1: would like log in and I'm like, oh, the first 397 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:30,800 Speaker 1: experience I can book at the ride that I want, 398 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:33,240 Speaker 1: like Avatar and Animal Kingdom, Like the popular stuff was 399 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:35,439 Speaker 1: at like one pm, and you can only book one 400 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:37,200 Speaker 1: at a time, So that means, okay, if I book 401 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:39,760 Speaker 1: a one pm thing all the way from park opening, 402 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:42,160 Speaker 1: which is eight at Animal Kingdom till one, I can't 403 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:45,560 Speaker 1: use any kind of special like fast pass type thing, 404 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:47,680 Speaker 1: and we're gonna have to wait in like actual lines. 405 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 1: And we came during a pretty crowded weekend. So I'll 406 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 1: just say I was not super happy with like I 407 00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:56,919 Speaker 1: stayed on property in part because in the past I 408 00:20:56,960 --> 00:20:59,160 Speaker 1: felt like it was very advantageous in terms of being 409 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:01,320 Speaker 1: able to get on a few popular rides, and that 410 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:04,159 Speaker 1: advantage did not seem to be there. So maybe use 411 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:07,359 Speaker 1: an agent or figure out another way, because I I 412 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:09,320 Speaker 1: don't know it. Yeah, I don't know they put that 413 00:21:09,359 --> 00:21:11,080 Speaker 1: system in. This is one of the things that Jasper 414 00:21:11,119 --> 00:21:14,080 Speaker 1: has been unhappy with the parks management of and so 415 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:16,239 Speaker 1: when he's the CEO, apparently he's going to replace all 416 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 1: those people anyway responsible for the lightning past anyway, the yeah, 417 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:24,040 Speaker 1: they won't still be working there because it's like forty 418 00:21:24,119 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 1: years from now. You know, there's different schools of thought, 419 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:30,160 Speaker 1: and you know, Disney is just trying to ramp up 420 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 1: the extra income from their parks at the moment, and 421 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 1: that is one way to attempt to do it. Yeah, 422 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:39,720 Speaker 1: I was, you know, I kind of liked the fast 423 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:42,280 Speaker 1: pass system in the past, and that you could you know, 424 00:21:42,359 --> 00:21:45,120 Speaker 1: you had three cool rides for the day, plus if 425 00:21:45,119 --> 00:21:47,880 Speaker 1: you had a booking for a meal at the park 426 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:49,479 Speaker 1: you were going to. It's like you knew you were 427 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:52,440 Speaker 1: going to have four cool things for the day, right, 428 00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:54,840 Speaker 1: So if nothing else happened, it's like, I know, I'm 429 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:56,679 Speaker 1: going to be on those three rides and have this 430 00:21:56,800 --> 00:22:00,719 Speaker 1: character dining experience and it will be great. Then. You know, 431 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 1: with COVID they got rid of the fast passes and 432 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:07,520 Speaker 1: it was actually okay because they were also limiting park capacity, 433 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:11,360 Speaker 1: and the fast passes do make the standby lines longer 434 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:14,280 Speaker 1: because half of the ride is reserved for the people 435 00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:16,840 Speaker 1: at the passes, and so you're shunting everyone else into 436 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 1: the other half, and so you wind up with these 437 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 1: ridiculous weights. So something like Avatar in the fast pass era, 438 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:25,199 Speaker 1: you had to get a fast past because other it 439 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:27,720 Speaker 1: was like like a four hour wait to go on it. 440 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:30,240 Speaker 1: Whereas when they got rid of the fast passes. It 441 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:34,119 Speaker 1: would be you know, thirty minutes for everyone, and so 442 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:39,000 Speaker 1: there's there's some upsides to not having them. But on 443 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:41,959 Speaker 1: the other hand, then once they raise capacity of the parks, 444 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:44,200 Speaker 1: you have to do something to manage it as well. 445 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:46,720 Speaker 1: And people don't like waiting an hour for every single ride, 446 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:50,080 Speaker 1: and you know, so anyway you look into that. But 447 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:51,679 Speaker 1: one thing you could do, yes, I would say, is 448 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:57,240 Speaker 1: consider using a travel agent, especially for like the eating bookings, 449 00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:01,479 Speaker 1: character dining. Having somebody else sitting on the reservation system 450 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:03,760 Speaker 1: is just a lot better than having you sit on 451 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:08,320 Speaker 1: the reservation system. So Disney pays the travel agents that 452 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:12,320 Speaker 1: work with them, so you know, you don't pay them. 453 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:15,119 Speaker 1: Disney pays them. Which the only reason it would be 454 00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 1: an issue is if you were neutral between Disney and 455 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:19,399 Speaker 1: other options, you might be doing like they're going to 456 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:23,159 Speaker 1: steer you to Disney. But that's whatever. If you know 457 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:25,720 Speaker 1: you're going to Disney, you may as well use the service. 458 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:30,479 Speaker 1: So we've done that in the past, and you know, 459 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:33,080 Speaker 1: have gotten bookings and ride bookings that way, and you know, 460 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:36,720 Speaker 1: our hotel bookings and all that stuff too. Ones we've 461 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:39,840 Speaker 1: liked Cinderella's Royal Table. Also, you know, it used to 462 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 1: be really really cool because it was all the princesses 463 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:46,200 Speaker 1: and you're in the castle. I mean, you're still eating 464 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:48,000 Speaker 1: in the castle now, but they've sort of changed the 465 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:50,639 Speaker 1: character experience now that they don't want you breathing on 466 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:53,800 Speaker 1: the characters. But that was always a good one to 467 00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:56,200 Speaker 1: get the Beauty and the Beast place at Magic Kingdom 468 00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:57,520 Speaker 1: as well. So if you can get a day where 469 00:23:57,520 --> 00:24:01,199 Speaker 1: you do like lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table and dinner 470 00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:04,040 Speaker 1: at Beauty and the Beast, like you're getting the Great 471 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:08,160 Speaker 1: Princess Experience. Ocker SEUs when it was open, it wasn't 472 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:11,159 Speaker 1: during the past Covid eras, but you know that's the 473 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:14,640 Speaker 1: Norwegian restaurant in the Norwegian Pavilion at Epcot, and they 474 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:17,399 Speaker 1: turned it into a Princess experience where you know, you 475 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:22,439 Speaker 1: had like eight princesses come through that. Again they changed 476 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:24,919 Speaker 1: with you know, Covid, but that was always cool. And 477 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 1: Tusker House at Animal Kingdom is actually really good food. 478 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:30,119 Speaker 1: Like Sarah was saying with Boma Flavors of Africa at 479 00:24:30,119 --> 00:24:33,119 Speaker 1: Animal Kingdom Lodge, Tusker House is also really good. Like 480 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:37,640 Speaker 1: just for whatever reason, Disney does the African flavors buffet, 481 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:40,560 Speaker 1: like well, and if you are an adult who is 482 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:45,240 Speaker 1: tired of pizza, I would recommend that, like it's better, 483 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:49,440 Speaker 1: better food. So you tend to cut your days short, right, 484 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:53,719 Speaker 1: Sarah nuts, Well, we've improved. I mean it used to 485 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:55,960 Speaker 1: be that we were like the three PM like we're done, 486 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:58,639 Speaker 1: Like I'm done, I'm done holding my toddler in line, 487 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:00,600 Speaker 1: like it's over, let's go nap, Let's go watch a movie, 488 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:02,640 Speaker 1: let's go to the pool. This time we were more 489 00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:05,960 Speaker 1: like six pm rolled around or five pm, and we're like, 490 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: I just don't feel like waiting in another line. I 491 00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:11,240 Speaker 1: you know, I would have stayed if I could have 492 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:14,600 Speaker 1: scored another good lightning lane or whatever, but that you 493 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:17,439 Speaker 1: can only do one paid anyway, So we made it 494 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 1: till I think I think we were like nine to 495 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 1: five the first day, and then like maybe nine to 496 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:24,720 Speaker 1: six the first day, and then like eight to five 497 00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:26,840 Speaker 1: the second day, so not like a twelve hour day, 498 00:25:27,119 --> 00:25:29,000 Speaker 1: more like an eight hour day, and both times we 499 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 1: did dinner somewhere else. Again, one day we had reservations 500 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:33,480 Speaker 1: at Boma, So we actually kind of liked the idea 501 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:35,359 Speaker 1: of like decompressing in our hotel for a minute and 502 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:38,399 Speaker 1: then going because we were staying right nearby anyway. And 503 00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:41,160 Speaker 1: the other night we really struggled with dinner. I should 504 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:43,200 Speaker 1: have figured out some reservation and we ended up doing 505 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:46,080 Speaker 1: it takeout that like took forever and was, you know, 506 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:49,879 Speaker 1: not amazing. So yeah, I would say I think that 507 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:53,560 Speaker 1: when my kids are more nine and over, I could 508 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:55,960 Speaker 1: totally see making sure we have dinner reservations in the 509 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 1: park and trying to stay for fireworks. But I don't 510 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:02,640 Speaker 1: think they're doing the firework. So yeah, So what is COVID. 511 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:04,560 Speaker 1: I guess it says they don't want people crowding. I 512 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:06,359 Speaker 1: don't know what COVID has to do with Oh that 513 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:08,960 Speaker 1: is so silly, because the whole park is cuting. I mean, 514 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:10,920 Speaker 1: like at least on the weekend we went, like there 515 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:12,840 Speaker 1: were times we were walking and you like can only 516 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:14,479 Speaker 1: see like a foot in front of you because it 517 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:17,280 Speaker 1: was just people. And I think I read that there's 518 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:19,159 Speaker 1: like a lot of pent up demand because we went 519 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:21,520 Speaker 1: during Super Bowl weekend, which I had read was a 520 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:24,320 Speaker 1: very low traffic Disney weekend, but not this year. They 521 00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:27,280 Speaker 1: apparently had record crowds. People wanted to go. They hadn't 522 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:30,040 Speaker 1: gone yet. Yeah, so we I mean we tend to 523 00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:33,720 Speaker 1: stay late, sometimes ridiculously. So sometimes you know, like in 524 00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:35,720 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen, they were doing a thing where you could 525 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:38,960 Speaker 1: stay till one am, like you'd buy a special ticket 526 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:42,160 Speaker 1: from like ten pm to one am. So Michael stayed 527 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:44,560 Speaker 1: with the big boys like for a night doing that, 528 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:46,960 Speaker 1: and I mean it was great because it wasn't crowded, right, 529 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 1: Like you could just go on ride after right, like 530 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 1: you'd come off the ride, go on it again, like 531 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:55,679 Speaker 1: within the next five minutes. So you know, that was cool, 532 00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:57,879 Speaker 1: Like you could go on all the rides with zero 533 00:26:58,359 --> 00:27:01,560 Speaker 1: weight and offen. Things are clearing out by the end 534 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:03,880 Speaker 1: and the air is getting cooler. It's like a lot nicer. 535 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:06,080 Speaker 1: It's just that three pm is always rough because everyone's 536 00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:08,440 Speaker 1: tired and it's you know, so again, when you've got 537 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:10,480 Speaker 1: older kids, you can push through it, like go get 538 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:13,399 Speaker 1: your ice cream at three pm, sit somewhere cool, eat it, 539 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:16,439 Speaker 1: and then you'll rally for the evening. But if you 540 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:19,360 Speaker 1: have little kids, one option is to try to stay, 541 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:22,639 Speaker 1: especially if you're only going to do Magic Kingdom. For instance, 542 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:26,359 Speaker 1: you could stay in say Contemporary, which is right next 543 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:29,520 Speaker 1: to Magic Kingdom, so you can walk, and so you 544 00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:32,280 Speaker 1: could leave at you could go at eight when I've 545 00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:34,680 Speaker 1: opened or whatever. Leave at one, go do the nap, 546 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:36,520 Speaker 1: or go do the pool if you've got you know, 547 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,640 Speaker 1: early elementary of school age kids, and then come back 548 00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:42,240 Speaker 1: in the evening when it's better again. So that would 549 00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:44,000 Speaker 1: be an option that you could do. I mean, going 550 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:45,959 Speaker 1: back and forth if you're staying anywhere else is going 551 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:48,800 Speaker 1: to be ridiculous because it's just so far away. But 552 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:51,080 Speaker 1: you know, similarly, if you are staying at one of 553 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:53,600 Speaker 1: the hotels that's right by Epcot, you could take the 554 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:58,680 Speaker 1: nap too. But yeah, one thing I'd say we didn't bring. 555 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:01,040 Speaker 1: I mean, obviously, when I had hand I brought a 556 00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:03,679 Speaker 1: diaper bag in the stroller, but when I go with 557 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:06,960 Speaker 1: big kids, no bags, nothing for the day. I put 558 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:11,280 Speaker 1: a little travel sunscreen in my jacket pocket. I wear 559 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:13,359 Speaker 1: a light jacket and I put that in the pocket 560 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:16,720 Speaker 1: and my phone. I look really cool by the way. 561 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:19,399 Speaker 1: I have like my pants with zippers in them, like 562 00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:21,840 Speaker 1: cargo pants, and I put my phone in there, my 563 00:28:21,920 --> 00:28:24,080 Speaker 1: keys in there, my credit card if I need it, 564 00:28:24,119 --> 00:28:27,399 Speaker 1: but you don't, like you just need your ID in 565 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:30,119 Speaker 1: case you need it for something. You know, if you're 566 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:32,320 Speaker 1: staying in the Disney ecosystem, you don't need cash because 567 00:28:32,359 --> 00:28:35,000 Speaker 1: you just put it on your band your charge account 568 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:38,520 Speaker 1: and yeah that's it. You know, have the sunscreen and 569 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 1: a little tube in your pocket. You can brush up 570 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:42,680 Speaker 1: with that and you don't need to have a bag 571 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:46,120 Speaker 1: anywhere that you're chucking, which is no, it's true much. 572 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:48,600 Speaker 1: And we had a stroller, so like we did have 573 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:50,520 Speaker 1: we had like jackets for the kids because it was 574 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:52,040 Speaker 1: so cold in the morning, but we could just layer 575 00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 1: them on the bottom of the stroller. And I had 576 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:55,520 Speaker 1: like a bag, but it was a tiny bag. It 577 00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:59,920 Speaker 1: was just like for masks, extra masks and I don't know, 578 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:04,360 Speaker 1: bugs bray, sunscreen, credit card, how's about it. Yeah, you 579 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:06,920 Speaker 1: don't need that much. But with that because you don't 580 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:09,560 Speaker 1: want to go. I did want whites, Oh, I wanted whites. Well, 581 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:11,560 Speaker 1: Genevieve is still at the age where like when she 582 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 1: eats half the time, if it's like ice cream, like 583 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:16,520 Speaker 1: her entire face is disgusting and there's like no neck 584 00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:19,920 Speaker 1: and it's hard. It's not always easy to find a bathroom, 585 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 1: like right when you needed if nobody wants to go 586 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:22,959 Speaker 1: to the bathroom. So if I had packed one thing, 587 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:25,200 Speaker 1: it would have been like a small container of like 588 00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 1: wipes that had like some alcohol in them to like 589 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:30,160 Speaker 1: really like clean her off on a few occasions. Yeah, 590 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:32,960 Speaker 1: well there you go. I would say, you don't want 591 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 1: to get bags in the course of the day, like 592 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:37,320 Speaker 1: you want to have a souvenir policy from the get 593 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:40,400 Speaker 1: go in general, like your kids are going to show 594 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:43,600 Speaker 1: up and they're gonna want a giant sing at nine am, 595 00:29:43,640 --> 00:29:45,640 Speaker 1: and that's just going to be a disaster for the 596 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:51,120 Speaker 1: entire day. So our policy we tended to say people 597 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:53,200 Speaker 1: could get one thing in the course of the trip, 598 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:55,320 Speaker 1: and so you know you want to get it at 599 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:56,960 Speaker 1: the end of a day, that's fine because then you 600 00:29:56,960 --> 00:29:58,360 Speaker 1: can bring it back to the hotel or you can 601 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:01,240 Speaker 1: wait till later in the trip to get that. They're 602 00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:03,840 Speaker 1: wound up being a little bit of leeway on that 603 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:06,040 Speaker 1: because then it'd be like, oh, well it was this 604 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:09,720 Speaker 1: one tiny thing like cantie, you know, but whatever. It's 605 00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 1: the point is to have some policies so they're not 606 00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 1: constantly asking for stuff and like you're having to say 607 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:17,840 Speaker 1: no all the time. So if you're like, okay, but 608 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:19,600 Speaker 1: remember we get one thing and we have to get 609 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:22,400 Speaker 1: it at the end of the day. Then that can 610 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:26,120 Speaker 1: keep you from like carrying some stupid you know thing 611 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:29,880 Speaker 1: around all day long in them whining and constantly asking 612 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:33,280 Speaker 1: for it. We did get a bubble wand for Genevieve 613 00:30:33,280 --> 00:30:35,280 Speaker 1: as her one thing, which we did the same thing. 614 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 1: We told each kid they could get one thing, and 615 00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 1: it worked out fine. But it was the world's most 616 00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:41,200 Speaker 1: It was pleasing and it made her happy. It was 617 00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:45,080 Speaker 1: also the world's most annoying. It was a spewing bubbles everywhere, 618 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:47,600 Speaker 1: so she was always like putting the bubbles on other people, 619 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:51,760 Speaker 1: including strangers who were like, why is my leg what? Well, 620 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:53,800 Speaker 1: you know you don't want to dear old four year old, 621 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:56,160 Speaker 1: you shouldn't go to Disney. Once I noticed the dross 622 00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:58,080 Speaker 1: to stop doing. If you'd stop, she would apologize, and 623 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:01,520 Speaker 1: she's pretty charming, so it worked out. But yeah, it 624 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:04,720 Speaker 1: was a cute gift. She will treasure it forever until 625 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:10,680 Speaker 1: it breaks. Then she will just treasure the memories. So 626 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:14,360 Speaker 1: things you were not so excited about. It turns out 627 00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:17,880 Speaker 1: Disney is trying to make some make some cash. Huh. Yeah, 628 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:20,520 Speaker 1: I just felt, well, I think you kind of said 629 00:31:20,560 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 1: it best, like you pay for a luxury hotel when 630 00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:25,000 Speaker 1: you're staying on property, but you do not get a 631 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:27,400 Speaker 1: luxury hotel experience. And I think that was even more 632 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:29,520 Speaker 1: so with COVID. I mean, I know there's staffing issues. 633 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:31,960 Speaker 1: I was horrified the first night to realize they had 634 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:34,200 Speaker 1: gotten rid of their room service because that was my plan. 635 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:36,040 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh, look it says on the website they 636 00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:38,160 Speaker 1: have twenty four hour room service. Oh look at this 637 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:39,880 Speaker 1: great menu I found. And then they're like, oh no, 638 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:41,320 Speaker 1: that's been shut down for a year. And I'm like, 639 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:44,960 Speaker 1: oh okay. And it wasn't like clearly delineated anywhere. So 640 00:31:44,960 --> 00:31:47,000 Speaker 1: I guess maybe they thought we wouldn't notice. I don't know. 641 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:49,400 Speaker 1: So I was disappointed about that because when I paid 642 00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 1: that much for a hotel again, hotel snob whatever, I 643 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:54,880 Speaker 1: expect room service and there wasn't any. So that was 644 00:31:54,920 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 1: number one. Number two is like, I again like the 645 00:31:58,000 --> 00:31:59,920 Speaker 1: nickel and diming, So you don't actually have to pay 646 00:31:59,920 --> 00:32:01,880 Speaker 1: for parking in the parks if you're staying on property. 647 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:03,959 Speaker 1: You mentioned that, but if you tell them they're on property, 648 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:06,600 Speaker 1: they wave it. But the funniest thing, well maybe that's 649 00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:08,840 Speaker 1: how they knew. So I get this bill and it's like, 650 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:11,800 Speaker 1: here's your parking charges for your animal kingdom. And I'm like, 651 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:14,440 Speaker 1: I never even told you I had my car in 652 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:17,360 Speaker 1: your lot, Like how do you know I was parking there? 653 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:20,040 Speaker 1: I could have flown here, I mean, you know anyway, 654 00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:23,880 Speaker 1: So that was just kind of weird. And again like 655 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:27,040 Speaker 1: not complaining. I knew what I was signing up for, 656 00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:29,760 Speaker 1: but I guess when you're buying a package that expensive, 657 00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:31,959 Speaker 1: I expect it to be a little more inclusive than 658 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:34,320 Speaker 1: it was. Yeah, that's that's all I will say. Yeah, No, 659 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:37,880 Speaker 1: I mean, saying on property has some upsides, like you 660 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:40,400 Speaker 1: not have to drive to the parks, and some of 661 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:42,840 Speaker 1: the parks you park so far away it's like you're 662 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:45,440 Speaker 1: in a different county. I swear. Like with Magic Kingdoms, 663 00:32:45,480 --> 00:32:47,680 Speaker 1: you go to the transport center, you know, and then 664 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:51,720 Speaker 1: you park there and then you take the whatever monorail 665 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:54,080 Speaker 1: to the park and it's just like, you know, it 666 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:56,400 Speaker 1: takes like an hour to get there, and it's ridiculous. 667 00:32:56,400 --> 00:32:58,800 Speaker 1: Whereas if you are on property, like you're saying one 668 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:00,480 Speaker 1: of the Dizzy hotels, you just take the bus there 669 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:04,280 Speaker 1: and they drop you off there and then you go 670 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:06,360 Speaker 1: to the park or you could take the monorail, or 671 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:10,920 Speaker 1: you take the you know, gondola system, all kinds of stuff, 672 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:13,280 Speaker 1: which yes, you can wind up waiting for too, But 673 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:17,560 Speaker 1: it's not like parking doesn't actually benefit you. In many 674 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:20,440 Speaker 1: of the parks now Animal Kingdom Lodge not Lodge Animal Kingdom, 675 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:24,640 Speaker 1: you can park pretty close. But anyway, the buses are 676 00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:27,800 Speaker 1: often a good deal. But yeah, you're you're paying like 677 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:30,160 Speaker 1: Ritz prices for some of the Disney properties and you 678 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:34,000 Speaker 1: are not getting the Rits like, so you just have 679 00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:38,680 Speaker 1: to kind of get your head around that idea. Theoretically, 680 00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:40,880 Speaker 1: you could take the Magic Express from the airport if 681 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:42,360 Speaker 1: you are staying at a Disney hotel. I would not 682 00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:43,800 Speaker 1: do that, just take an uber because you can wind 683 00:33:43,840 --> 00:33:46,520 Speaker 1: up waiting forever for that one too. We have the 684 00:33:47,120 --> 00:33:49,480 Speaker 1: thing though, I do like staying at the Disney properties, 685 00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:52,920 Speaker 1: even if they are not the Rits, because they're built 686 00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:56,320 Speaker 1: for families and so we have you know, they have 687 00:33:56,600 --> 00:33:58,960 Speaker 1: condos too, because they have all the huge like timeshare 688 00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:01,520 Speaker 1: business going on. So we've stayed at ones that are 689 00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:04,640 Speaker 1: you know, have a kitchenette and so then you just 690 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:07,280 Speaker 1: buy a thing of frozen waffles, keep it in the freezer, 691 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:10,200 Speaker 1: and you know, pack of yogurts and your kids can 692 00:34:10,200 --> 00:34:12,719 Speaker 1: eat waffle and yogurt in the morning and then you 693 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:14,480 Speaker 1: just get out the door. Like it doesn't have to 694 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:17,880 Speaker 1: be an ordeal. So that's that's been something we've taken 695 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:21,880 Speaker 1: advantage of a lot to aim for off season. If 696 00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:24,439 Speaker 1: you can, like Sarah's parents, pulling her out of school 697 00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:27,120 Speaker 1: in January might have been a good idea. She's because 698 00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:31,120 Speaker 1: like when kids are out of school, it's, yeah, it's 699 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:35,680 Speaker 1: be busy. So like Disneyland, disney World with fewer lines 700 00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:39,600 Speaker 1: is so much better than Disney with long lines. So 701 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:44,920 Speaker 1: if you can look at historic tables of attendance, among 702 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:48,400 Speaker 1: the things that my son does is compare which weeks 703 00:34:48,840 --> 00:34:52,960 Speaker 1: have had lower or higher attendance with varying probabilities. Right, 704 00:34:53,640 --> 00:34:59,080 Speaker 1: you know, obviously it's it can be crazy if you 705 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:03,160 Speaker 1: go during say a week everyone has spring break when 706 00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:05,360 Speaker 1: it is not crowded, though, it can be very magical. 707 00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:08,480 Speaker 1: And so I would say just as a hack to 708 00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:11,279 Speaker 1: dial down the pressure on yourself, this is not a hack, 709 00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:13,719 Speaker 1: this is maybe a mindset. So there's a couple of 710 00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:16,200 Speaker 1: ways you can do this. One is to assume you 711 00:35:16,239 --> 00:35:18,799 Speaker 1: will go more than once. I know some people are like, well, 712 00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:20,800 Speaker 1: this is our one Disney trip of the lifetime, and 713 00:35:21,120 --> 00:35:22,960 Speaker 1: then that's going to ratchet up the pressure because if 714 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:24,759 Speaker 1: you don't get to do something, it's like the end 715 00:35:24,760 --> 00:35:27,480 Speaker 1: of the world. Whereas if you kind of assume you'll 716 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:29,880 Speaker 1: go every couple of years, then you know you probably 717 00:35:29,920 --> 00:35:33,279 Speaker 1: will get to do it the next time. You know 718 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:37,680 Speaker 1: it's it's again. There's a million things one can do. 719 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:40,839 Speaker 1: So if it's a season of life where you're being 720 00:35:40,880 --> 00:35:44,080 Speaker 1: more careful with money, I would maybe not go to 721 00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:48,440 Speaker 1: Disney because it's just going to be expensive, and I 722 00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:50,640 Speaker 1: think that ratchets up the pressure on a lot of 723 00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:53,200 Speaker 1: people that like, I've spent all this money, and if 724 00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:55,480 Speaker 1: the kids are for whatever reason, not having a good 725 00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:58,440 Speaker 1: time on something, it's like a personal affront. And I've 726 00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:01,680 Speaker 1: seen families screaming about this because you're hot, you're tired, 727 00:36:01,680 --> 00:36:03,160 Speaker 1: you're waiting in line, and then if the kid's not 728 00:36:03,239 --> 00:36:05,960 Speaker 1: happy and you spent more than you really wanted to 729 00:36:06,080 --> 00:36:09,480 Speaker 1: on it, it's just going to be very, very stressful. 730 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:13,759 Speaker 1: So maybe you know, do something else and maybe a 731 00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:16,000 Speaker 1: different season of life would be better for Disney, or 732 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:17,960 Speaker 1: maybe your kids can go with their high school cheer 733 00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:20,319 Speaker 1: team and then they'll fundraise for it and they don't 734 00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:22,920 Speaker 1: expect to be saying in certain places or whatever. So 735 00:36:23,120 --> 00:36:25,759 Speaker 1: that's that could be, you know, But anything you can 736 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:30,359 Speaker 1: do to take the pressure down a bit rather than 737 00:36:30,480 --> 00:36:34,279 Speaker 1: hoping for a trip of a lifetime and then you know, 738 00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:38,400 Speaker 1: life is never completely blissful, might be a good idea. 739 00:36:39,239 --> 00:36:43,520 Speaker 1: So Sarah favorites your favorite rides. What were your favorite rides? 740 00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:47,120 Speaker 1: We didn't get to go on that many rides this time, 741 00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:50,560 Speaker 1: but the far and away favorite was definitely Avatar. As 742 00:36:50,600 --> 00:36:54,080 Speaker 1: I mentioned, that is such a cool virtual reality ride. 743 00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:56,960 Speaker 1: I love Sourin as well, but I think I think 744 00:36:57,040 --> 00:36:59,560 Speaker 1: Avatar is even better. That whole world building that they 745 00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:03,600 Speaker 1: do Animal Kingdom in the Pandora Land is actually beautiful 746 00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:06,680 Speaker 1: and like so well done, so that was really really fun. 747 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:10,759 Speaker 1: I also love the nostalgia of Disney like almost as 748 00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:12,600 Speaker 1: much as Disney itself, and I think that does come 749 00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:15,480 Speaker 1: from a having childhood memories and b having memories with 750 00:37:15,520 --> 00:37:17,239 Speaker 1: my kids from a younger age because one of the 751 00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:19,279 Speaker 1: things we did that was so much fun was just 752 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:21,680 Speaker 1: to tell stories of prior Disney trips and my kids 753 00:37:21,719 --> 00:37:23,880 Speaker 1: get such a kick out of it. Whether there's stories 754 00:37:24,680 --> 00:37:26,520 Speaker 1: like for my husband's past, he used to go a 755 00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:29,240 Speaker 1: lot because apparently his father used to teach a course 756 00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:32,239 Speaker 1: at Disney, like a surgery course, and the family would 757 00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:34,799 Speaker 1: be dragged like every other month, and apparently like they 758 00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:37,279 Speaker 1: got to the point where they're like, oh, not again, dad, 759 00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:41,879 Speaker 1: But yeah, so we just heard, we got to tell 760 00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:44,919 Speaker 1: all these stories. And the fact that Disney doesn't change much. 761 00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:47,680 Speaker 1: I like that. I hope they don't get rid of 762 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:49,680 Speaker 1: a lot of the really old nostalgic things. They can 763 00:37:49,680 --> 00:37:51,719 Speaker 1: build around it, they can add to it, like again, 764 00:37:51,760 --> 00:37:53,759 Speaker 1: that whole Pandora world wasn't there the last time I 765 00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:55,680 Speaker 1: was at Animal Kingdom, and that wasn't that long ago. 766 00:37:55,920 --> 00:37:58,080 Speaker 1: So please feel free to expand don't get rid of 767 00:37:58,120 --> 00:38:01,600 Speaker 1: like the core, because I think that's something that I love. Yeah. No, 768 00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:04,000 Speaker 1: they all are always innovating in various ways. It was 769 00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:08,320 Speaker 1: funny to watch like Epcot slowly turn into each country 770 00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:11,640 Speaker 1: now being the themed of a Disney movie, like that 771 00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:16,160 Speaker 1: they're doing cross content promotion there, that Mexico was just 772 00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:18,560 Speaker 1: Mexico and then it's gonna becoming Cocoa, and and you know, 773 00:38:18,680 --> 00:38:21,560 Speaker 1: Norway was just Norway and now of course it's frozen 774 00:38:21,760 --> 00:38:25,960 Speaker 1: and frozen and ratituey with France, like it was just 775 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:29,160 Speaker 1: France and now there's there's that. So it's funny to 776 00:38:29,200 --> 00:38:32,080 Speaker 1: see that happen, although you know kind of like, yeah, 777 00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:37,720 Speaker 1: you are expanding and innovating, but yes there's some old 778 00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:42,480 Speaker 1: nostalgic stuff like you know, space Mountain and uh, the 779 00:38:42,719 --> 00:38:46,040 Speaker 1: it's a small world that. Yeah, it's they're not great 780 00:38:46,120 --> 00:38:48,480 Speaker 1: for what they are, it's just that they are have 781 00:38:48,600 --> 00:38:50,960 Speaker 1: been there forever. And so many people went as kids 782 00:38:50,960 --> 00:38:53,040 Speaker 1: and have you know, gotten to do that again with 783 00:38:53,080 --> 00:38:57,440 Speaker 1: their kids. Avatar is amazing. We always love that soaring, 784 00:38:58,719 --> 00:39:01,399 Speaker 1: you know what I would say Avatar. We had one 785 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:04,080 Speaker 1: experience when we did go in twenty nineteen. It was 786 00:39:04,080 --> 00:39:06,920 Speaker 1: at its peak of like popularity, and so the wait 787 00:39:07,040 --> 00:39:09,840 Speaker 1: literally was like three hundred minutes on my app. The 788 00:39:09,920 --> 00:39:12,200 Speaker 1: kids got to go twice in a row because there's 789 00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:15,359 Speaker 1: the baby swap and so Alex couldn't go on it, 790 00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:19,319 Speaker 1: and so my husband got to take all of them 791 00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:21,840 Speaker 1: after I took them, so they got to go twice 792 00:39:22,680 --> 00:39:24,400 Speaker 1: right in a row. It was like, wow, you know, 793 00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:28,239 Speaker 1: that's like seven hundred minutes you didn't spend in line. 794 00:39:29,640 --> 00:39:32,759 Speaker 1: It was really really awesome test track at Epcot is 795 00:39:32,840 --> 00:39:35,719 Speaker 1: just so much fun. You're soaring around on a you know, 796 00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:38,960 Speaker 1: car on the roof in like the Florida. We went 797 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:41,000 Speaker 1: once at night and it was just like so amazing 798 00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:43,680 Speaker 1: to go sixty miles per hour and a you know, 799 00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:48,000 Speaker 1: basically a with the top down, a go kart down. 800 00:39:48,960 --> 00:39:52,000 Speaker 1: It was fun. I liked Big Sunder Mountain Railroad. The 801 00:39:52,280 --> 00:39:54,600 Speaker 1: shooting games. I like the carnival shooting games like the 802 00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:58,880 Speaker 1: so Toy story Mania and similarly buzz light Year at 803 00:39:59,239 --> 00:40:02,520 Speaker 1: Magic Kingdom. And then we got when we went in 804 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:06,040 Speaker 1: twenty one, we did get to go on Rise of 805 00:40:06,040 --> 00:40:09,160 Speaker 1: the Resistance. That was a whole ordeal of you know, 806 00:40:09,360 --> 00:40:12,000 Speaker 1: being on the system right when you could make a reservation. 807 00:40:12,080 --> 00:40:13,840 Speaker 1: We got a boarding group and we were able to 808 00:40:13,920 --> 00:40:15,799 Speaker 1: do it. It was really cool. It was like a 809 00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:20,120 Speaker 1: combo world building of Star Wars plus a ride where 810 00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:23,799 Speaker 1: you are you know, you're captured by the forces, the 811 00:40:23,840 --> 00:40:28,360 Speaker 1: Empire forces, and then you are trying to escape. That 812 00:40:28,440 --> 00:40:32,759 Speaker 1: was actually pretty fun. Kilimanjaro Safari. Just seeing animals, I 813 00:40:32,800 --> 00:40:39,040 Speaker 1: mean it's like Africa, only here in Disney, and the 814 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:41,920 Speaker 1: animals are always there. I mean, so I have gone 815 00:40:42,120 --> 00:40:46,719 Speaker 1: on a safari in Africa and you're driving around in 816 00:40:46,760 --> 00:40:49,800 Speaker 1: a jeep hoping to see animals, and often your guide 817 00:40:49,840 --> 00:40:51,879 Speaker 1: knows roughly where they will be, but you know there's 818 00:40:51,880 --> 00:40:56,960 Speaker 1: no guarantee. Then in Disney they're always there. So I 819 00:40:57,520 --> 00:40:59,560 Speaker 1: do have to admit though, this was the first time 820 00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:02,839 Speaker 1: I went to Disney and the world words cultural appropriation 821 00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:06,480 Speaker 1: kept zooming into my head because if you really think 822 00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:10,480 Speaker 1: too hard about it, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll say, And 823 00:41:10,920 --> 00:41:13,080 Speaker 1: you know, I gotta say the Rock and Roller Coaster 824 00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:16,360 Speaker 1: starring Aerosmith is probably the only Disney coaster that's like 825 00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:19,719 Speaker 1: a real coaster. But it's actually pretty cool. Like you're 826 00:41:19,920 --> 00:41:24,080 Speaker 1: you're zooming through the Los Angeles night listening to Aerosmith's 827 00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:27,800 Speaker 1: songs and like have the neon signs of the freeway 828 00:41:27,880 --> 00:41:31,520 Speaker 1: in Los Angeles and you do, what is it, you know, 829 00:41:31,600 --> 00:41:34,560 Speaker 1: an inversion and all that stuff. So it's one of 830 00:41:34,560 --> 00:41:36,840 Speaker 1: the only Disney coasters that's like a real coaster. So 831 00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:40,919 Speaker 1: if you're into that, that's a definite must do while 832 00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:44,560 Speaker 1: you're there. All right, So this question do our question? 833 00:41:44,640 --> 00:41:46,480 Speaker 1: I guess Disney is our love of the week for 834 00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:49,400 Speaker 1: or no that we have a different one. Never mind Okay, 835 00:41:49,400 --> 00:41:51,840 Speaker 1: our question is a bit of a plant, Sarah, what 836 00:41:52,040 --> 00:41:54,960 Speaker 1: are some good Disney alternatives? Like, if you've decided you 837 00:41:55,040 --> 00:41:57,200 Speaker 1: don't want to do Disney World with your family, what 838 00:41:57,280 --> 00:42:01,880 Speaker 1: are some other fun experiences. I think if you're looking 839 00:42:01,880 --> 00:42:04,960 Speaker 1: for the theme park experience and your kids are younger, 840 00:42:05,080 --> 00:42:09,160 Speaker 1: and perhaps your budget is smaller, you should consider Legoland. 841 00:42:09,600 --> 00:42:11,680 Speaker 1: He will get the Florida Sun, You will get lots 842 00:42:11,680 --> 00:42:15,000 Speaker 1: of rides. It is so low key in comparison, but 843 00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:18,399 Speaker 1: there's still a lot of theming. The rides are kind 844 00:42:18,400 --> 00:42:21,120 Speaker 1: of small child friendly. There are more areas that are 845 00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:25,160 Speaker 1: fun for toddlers, and it is just a lower stakes experience. 846 00:42:25,400 --> 00:42:28,080 Speaker 1: My husband loves Legoland. He always compares the two and 847 00:42:28,440 --> 00:42:32,879 Speaker 1: it always seems like Legoland wins. They're different, but that's 848 00:42:32,920 --> 00:42:36,840 Speaker 1: a great alternative, all right. And then let's throw in 849 00:42:37,160 --> 00:42:41,359 Speaker 1: that Universal is obviously right there and just has sort 850 00:42:41,360 --> 00:42:44,360 Speaker 1: of a different vibe. There's some similarities in that you 851 00:42:44,400 --> 00:42:47,600 Speaker 1: can stay in like Universal affiliated properties that have some 852 00:42:47,680 --> 00:42:50,600 Speaker 1: benefits in terms of I don't know if they're still 853 00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:53,680 Speaker 1: doing this, but you basically got the fast pass equivalent 854 00:42:53,800 --> 00:42:58,600 Speaker 1: by staying in the Universal affiliated hotels. Harry Potter World 855 00:42:58,840 --> 00:43:03,960 Speaker 1: is amazing, So you know, you could definitely do a 856 00:43:03,960 --> 00:43:06,960 Speaker 1: great Universal experience, and particularly if you have like older kids, 857 00:43:06,960 --> 00:43:11,040 Speaker 1: because I think they're they're roller coasters are better. So 858 00:43:11,239 --> 00:43:15,560 Speaker 1: if you are a roller coaster aficionado, you are definitely 859 00:43:15,560 --> 00:43:19,800 Speaker 1: going to prefer the Universal experience to the Disney World 860 00:43:19,880 --> 00:43:23,520 Speaker 1: experience because it's just aimed differently. So you know, teens 861 00:43:23,880 --> 00:43:27,799 Speaker 1: might have a more fun time going to Universal. And 862 00:43:27,880 --> 00:43:30,840 Speaker 1: I agree on Lego Land that was I didn't go 863 00:43:30,840 --> 00:43:32,359 Speaker 1: to the one in Florida, but I went to one 864 00:43:32,360 --> 00:43:34,960 Speaker 1: in California when we had little kids, and it was, Yeah, 865 00:43:34,960 --> 00:43:37,040 Speaker 1: it was great. It was wonderful, like they had such 866 00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:39,920 Speaker 1: an amazing time. It was just more aimed at children 867 00:43:39,960 --> 00:43:42,680 Speaker 1: that age. So let's do our love of the week, 868 00:43:44,239 --> 00:43:48,640 Speaker 1: all right. Mine are the on Running brand sneakers. Like 869 00:43:48,719 --> 00:43:52,200 Speaker 1: you've probably seen people wearing them, because as soon as 870 00:43:52,239 --> 00:43:55,200 Speaker 1: I bought my first pair, I saw them everywhere, and 871 00:43:55,320 --> 00:43:58,520 Speaker 1: actually they were a very popular shoe choice at Disney World. 872 00:43:59,480 --> 00:44:01,640 Speaker 1: I got the cloud varieties. I think some of them 873 00:44:01,680 --> 00:44:03,520 Speaker 1: are called like on clouds or whatever. I don't use 874 00:44:03,560 --> 00:44:05,799 Speaker 1: them for running, but they were really really comfortable during 875 00:44:05,840 --> 00:44:07,960 Speaker 1: my call week. I actually did not wear them to 876 00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:10,360 Speaker 1: Disney because right before we left, I started to worry 877 00:44:10,360 --> 00:44:12,319 Speaker 1: that like a tiny part of my foot maybe didn't 878 00:44:12,400 --> 00:44:13,719 Speaker 1: like the shoe, and I was like, that's not a 879 00:44:13,760 --> 00:44:16,040 Speaker 1: good thing to risk for that many hours on my feet. 880 00:44:16,560 --> 00:44:19,000 Speaker 1: But they're really cute and they worked really well for call, 881 00:44:19,080 --> 00:44:21,560 Speaker 1: and I didn't really know about them before, So you go, there, 882 00:44:21,600 --> 00:44:24,360 Speaker 1: you go. I was gonna say this is totally non Disney, 883 00:44:24,440 --> 00:44:26,040 Speaker 1: but my love of the week is my Eddie Bauer 884 00:44:26,160 --> 00:44:28,840 Speaker 1: knee length coat. Because we are still deep in winter 885 00:44:29,640 --> 00:44:31,799 Speaker 1: up here in Pennsylvania. It has now seen me through 886 00:44:31,840 --> 00:44:35,600 Speaker 1: another winter. I've probably worn't it five years. It was 887 00:44:36,600 --> 00:44:39,000 Speaker 1: maybe two hundred dollars and I think I had a 888 00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:42,279 Speaker 1: Eddie Bauer coupon, so I got some discount on it 889 00:44:42,320 --> 00:44:45,160 Speaker 1: as well, and so on a cost per wear because 890 00:44:45,160 --> 00:44:48,759 Speaker 1: I wear it every day for approximately five months every year. 891 00:44:49,719 --> 00:44:52,600 Speaker 1: That's pretty much as non Disney as you can go 892 00:44:53,400 --> 00:44:58,239 Speaker 1: in terms of, you know, being very economical, pretty good 893 00:44:58,360 --> 00:45:00,920 Speaker 1: cost per wear there. So I'm going to give a 894 00:45:00,920 --> 00:45:05,719 Speaker 1: shout out to my Eddie Bauer coat, but definitely like 895 00:45:05,760 --> 00:45:07,919 Speaker 1: to put it away now and have some warmer weather. 896 00:45:08,360 --> 00:45:10,799 Speaker 1: I am not going to Disney World anytime soon, but 897 00:45:12,520 --> 00:45:14,600 Speaker 1: that would be an option if you are you know, 898 00:45:14,680 --> 00:45:17,360 Speaker 1: suffering from the cold and wanting to you know, have 899 00:45:17,440 --> 00:45:19,640 Speaker 1: a little bit warmer. Florida is about to get warm, 900 00:45:19,680 --> 00:45:23,160 Speaker 1: so something to look into. Anyway, this has been best 901 00:45:23,160 --> 00:45:25,799 Speaker 1: of both worlds. We've been doing our Disney sode. We 902 00:45:25,880 --> 00:45:28,040 Speaker 1: will be back next week with more on making work 903 00:45:28,080 --> 00:45:32,799 Speaker 1: and life fit together. Thanks for listening. You can find 904 00:45:32,840 --> 00:45:36,239 Speaker 1: me Sarah at the shoebox dot com or at the 905 00:45:36,520 --> 00:45:40,520 Speaker 1: Underscore Shoebox on Instagram, and you can find me Laura 906 00:45:40,880 --> 00:45:44,240 Speaker 1: at Laura vandercam dot com. This has been the best 907 00:45:44,239 --> 00:45:47,799 Speaker 1: of both worlds podcasts. Please join us next time for 908 00:45:47,880 --> 00:45:50,280 Speaker 1: more on making work and life work together.