Monday, February 18, 2013 at 11:05AM 
We took our 1 year old to get his first haircut last weekend. They really do a great job with kids at the Harmony Barber Shop in the Magic Kingdom. A combination of a sticker trick, toys, and a lot of patience make this a stress free enjoyable experience. Plus they get a little Mickey Ear hat that says First Haricut, and a certificate. The cost for the First Haircut is $18 (tips are cash only)
Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 2:26PM 
1. Star Wars Weekends May 18th through June 10th — on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of each weekend at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Owen has been a Star Wars fan since before he turned three, so we don't really need much more this weekend. I'll just have to mentally prepare myself for the crowds. I know I'll be riding Star Tours with him (I was pregnant and couldn't before) If you want to this, keep in mind the height requirement is 40 inches for this ride and they're pretty strict with that. Tall shoes might help, hats won't (not that we tried to sneak in our kid before... ;) The lines can get long for pictures with characters, having water helps. Having a lightsaber helps even more. Kids can bring in a lightsaber and train in the Jedi Academy, then use it to defeat whatever gets in your way.
Oh, and here's a little behind the scenes video showing Darth Vader hard at work. It seems he had a lot to do with this event.
Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 12:12PM 
We had a great time at SeaWorld yesterday. We got there a little after 10 a.m. and it was about as crowded as I've ever seen it. We were not surprised, being that it is spring break and easter. Still, I think we are theme park pros because we did pretty much all we wanted without dealing with the crowds. The easiest way to do this at SeaWorld is to turn right when at the start. Most people turn left, towards the dolphins. By turning right you get a clear path through the Water Front and across the bridge all the way to the Wild Artic. If you keep going that way you'll find Shamu's Happy Harbor — the playground, rides for kids, and most importantly, the baby care center. At lunch, we headed to the Seafire Inn Restaurant, and once again avoided the crowds by ordering at the front booth, instead of getting in line to browse and pick an item. We sat on the outside porch, which is open but has a system to keep big hungry birds away from your food. It was nice. We also found out yesterday that they're redoing the whole penguin area. Antarctica is scheduled to open in Spring 2013. I'm excited to see what it'll be like.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at 9:54PM 
So, the first phase of the new Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom is now open. I still don't feel very at ease with the fact that Mickey's and Minnie's houses are no longer there, however, I really do like the way everything is looking so far. We were there about a week ago and encountered some big lines – it's spring break! That didn't stop Owen and Will from flying over the water aboard the new Dumbo though. They loved it. The Barnstormer looks fun too.
Monday, March 5, 2012 at 10:51AM 
The trip to Legoland was a happy one. I had a smile on my face the whole time. The rides are all new and shinny, and most of them are geared towards little ones. 36 inches seems to be the magic number. We only waited in line once – for about 15 minutes. The weather was awesome. Since the park is located on what used to be Cypress Gardens, the trees are grown, and there's even a few water falls. And if you walk through the part labeled "Cypress Gardens" you'll get to see a really amazing giant Banyan tree.
Owen is a big Lego fan, so he of course loved it all. And, baby Kellan didn't really get to ride on anything, but he loved the Baby Care Center, where he could enjoy some alone time with mom and eat in peace. I do wish some of the rides would allow for babies to ride on your lap, like at Disney. But no biggie – Will and I just took turns riding with Owen.
After a full day there, we decided we were likely to be back before the end of the year, so on the way out, we upgraded our tickets to annual passes. We did one of them as a "Plus" so it'd include parking. Since we had our receipt in hand they refunded us for that day's parking. A friend had also given us the tip to google "Legoland coupon" before we went. I don't know how long that will work for, but our child's admission was free that day thanks to that.
As far as favorites for me, I'd have to say Miniland USA. It was noon, and seeing all those cities built out of Legos made me forget how hungry I was. Only something really amazing can do that.
BTW, I think the Legoland website has lots of good info, but I don't think the pictures and videos there truly reflect how nice it is.
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 8:46AM 
The Animal Kingdom is my favorite of the Disney Parks. There are a lot of neat details everywhere and it just feels really authentic. Here are some of the things we like to do there when we visit with our 3 year old son:
1. Camp Minnie-Mickey - A great place to meet the characters. There's usually no lines, or they're short. For extra smiles get a soft serve ice cream on the way out.
2. Kilimanjaro Safaris - The best – in my opinion. You get to ride through the African savanna in a "Bumpy Jeep." All the animals are real, so the experience is never the same. We've gotten some really good views of the giraffes, elephants, and the other animals before.
3. Africa - We like to hang out in this area and look for the local street performances. There's also a set of drums for the kids to play, and a cart that sells refreshing fruit.
4. Pangani Forest Exploration Trail - A nice walk. Again, always different, but we've caught the gorillas doing some pretty fun stuff before.
5. Tricera Top Spin - Like Dumbo at the Magic Kingdom, but with shorter lines.
6. The Boneyard - Really fun playground that even has a fossil excavation site.
7. Rafiki's Planet Watch - Ride aboard the Wildlife Express Train to get to the petting zoo. More fun things and characters inside too.
8. Finding Nemo – The Musical - A really great 30 minute show.
9. The Tree of Life - For a nice and quite time explore the trails around the tree and find all the animals carved into it.
10. Yak & Yeti Restaurant - Ok, this is just food, but it's good (and pricey too) If the weather is nice ask to sit in the balcony upstairs.
I also wanted to mention the baby nursery. Every Disney Park has one. They are nice, and have changing tables, an area to feed the baby, and even supplies you might need. If you're visiting with a baby these are worth checking out. The one at the Animal Kingdom is located on the left, before the gate where you enter Africa.
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 3:41PM 
So we went to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party the other night and got tons of candy. However, I'd say the highlights for our three year old were the parade and the dance parties. He loved dancing with Woody and Jessie in Frontierland. And loved pointing at all the characters and their costumes in the parade.
I couldn't believe he kept every piece of his costume on throughout the night. He really wanted to be a pirate this year and was so proud of his costume, especially the beard. My camera card messed up as soon as we got to the park so I'll have to post pictures of him post Halloween.
On the negative side the Boo To You song has been stuck in my head for days.... to you - and you - and you - Happy Halloween!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011 at 10:27PM 
We took our son to the Magic Kingdom for the first time before he was even 3 months old. The first ride he got on was Small World, which 'till this day he loves. He's 3 years old now and he loves going to the parks. And, even though he doesn't meet the height requirements for all of the rides, I can assure you there's plenty for a toddler to do at the Magic Kingdom. I actually had a hard time narrowing it down to 10.
1. It's a Small World
2. Peter Pan's Flight
3. Mickey's PhilharMagic
4. Dumbo and Carrousel
5. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
6. Tomorrowland® Speedway - The height requirement is 32" He can't see where he's going but still always asks to drive. (See the video my husband took last weekend below)
7. Tomorrowland® Transit Authority PeopleMover
8. Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
9. Tom Sawyer Island - This is a great place to run around and explore. They have a playground too, but the best part is the very unstable bumpy bridge.
10. The Parade - what kid doesn't like to see all their favorite characters?
There are still other rides he can get on and enjoy, like the Jungle Cruise, and Pirates of the Caribbean. And also plenty of other places to explore.
And I can't close without mentioning the Walt Disney World Railroad. Riding aboard a real choo choo train with a steam powered engine is always cool.
Friday, July 15, 2011 at 9:38PM 
Here are the fun, not scary things our toddler enjoys when we go to Epcot:
1. Spaceship Earth: Inside the Epcot ball. Best done in the morning when there's usually no line. There's a fun little game you get to do while you ride. We let Owen make the selections and the results are always fun and different that way. You might need to prop up your todd when they take the picture (towards the beginning of the ride)
2. Innovations (west): He loves the firetruck in there and makes us visit it every time.
3. The Seas with Nemo and Friends: You come out of this ride into the aquarium. Owen likes the ride but I think he enjoys exploring all the fish in the aquarium even more.
4. Journey Into Imagination With Figment: Kids love it. Warning: Silly song might get stuck in your head.
5. Living with the Land: He loves riding on the boat. I love showing him the humongous fruits and veggies.
6. Drums: African drums close to the China Pavilion are a mandatory stop. Soft serve ice cream right next door for extra smiles...
7. China Pavilion: Just fun to run around and 'gently' play with the puppets.
8. Germany Pavilion: CHOO CHOO TRAIN!
9. England: Running through the mini maze. Live band is fun too, when they're around.
10. Mexico Pavilion: Boat ride, and if you're lucky the mariachis might be around which is always fun.
They also have activity stations in the shops throughout the countries with coloring, stamping, etc. to create your own souvenir.
Friday, April 22, 2011 at 2:44PM 
We've been to the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival twice this year. Had great weather both times. We arrived there early, before the crowds started to come in. The topiaries are amazing and my 3 year old Owen really enjoys looking at them. However, there are a few other things he enjoys that you can only see during the festival.
1. Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden: Really neat playground for children 2-5.
2. Main Playground: If you're standing in front of the Lightning Mcqueen topiary make a right. You'll see this unusual structure on your right. This playground is a bit larger than the previous one and has lots to climb on and some fun music playing in the background, which Owen seemed to really enjoy.
3. Bambi's Butterfly House: In here you can of course see... butterflies! However, I thought the best part was seeing the caterpillars. Everyone's read The Very Hungry Caterpillar and seen how he becomes a butterfly at the end of the story. I think being able to explain to your child the process while standing right in front of real caterpillars and surrounded by butterflies is priceless.
After doing all these, we go on to do some of Owen's other favorite things at Epcot.
April, Epcot, Flower and Garden Festival, March, May, family activity | in Holidays + Events, Theme Parks Tweet 
