So excited to have my friend Kara Brown enlightening us on her twin adventures to Walt Disney World once again. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
If you’ve been around here for a while, you likely saw my series back in the Fall (2020) about our first trip to Walt Disney World with our twins. If you missed it, you can find the 5 parts at the links below.
Family photo on the girls’ first visit in October 2020 vs. their second visit in April 2021
Our girls were 15 months old for their first visit, and 21 months old for their second. Yep, you read that right, we visited Walt Disney World with two toddlers TWICE in a 6 month period. Not much was different this trip as far as things to pack and other tips that I covered in my series, but the “day to day” of it was quite a change. Our girls were preemies, so their “adjusted age” (developmental age based on their due date) on our first trip was 13 months. They had just started walking but hadn’t fully embraced their mobility yet. This made things a bit easier, as they were perfectly content riding in the stroller and being held in the carrier while we were waiting in lines. This trip, however, they were full-on toddlers who wanted little to do with riding or being held. They wanted their independence and wanted it all the time! Though this posed some challenges when standing in lines or navigating crowds, they actually did far better than I anticipated with staying right with us and holding our hands. We still had the stroller and the carriers with us, though we can likely ditch the carriers next time. One of the days, I’m pretty sure Claire walked close to 3 miles, and Mackenzie close to 2 (collectively, not all at once). They just wanted to be “big girls” (Mommy isn’t ready! Stop growing!) and walk!
While they did really well with walking, there were times when they just had to get in the stroller (crowds, needed to move quickly to a reservation, etc). With their language skills not totally developed yet and them headed full-speed for the terrible 2’s, this did cause some crying/tantrums, but thankfully they moved on rather quickly when they saw the next thing (re: distraction) we were headed for.
The other big change from the last visit was mealtimes. When we were there last, restaurants were still a fairly new and exciting thing. They were just really mastering table food and loved trying the new things that we don’t typically get at home. This time, however, high chairs are restrictive and waiting on food to come is no fun, so we did have a little more difficulty with meals. Thankfully, I had anticipated this and planned most of our meals with some sort of distraction/entertainment. We did mostly quick-service meals this time so we weren’t waiting as long, but the few table-service meals we did were well thought out. We did a character breakfast (same one as last time and 100% worth it!), 2 meals with live music/dancers, and one in a resort where we could easily walk them around the lobby while waiting if needed. If you would like advice/help choosing restaurants to best fit your family, your Coasters & Castles Travel vacation specialist would be glad to assist you in that! I was very glad to have the experience and knowledge to know which options would be better fits for our family.
Topolino’s Terrace character breakfast was one of our favorite things from our first trip (left), so of course we had to do it again this time (right)!
In the last several months, our girls have really taken to music and dancing. We sing and dance at home a lot, and its one of their favorite things to do. Knowing this, I tried to make sure we experienced as much of the music as possible. They also have started recognizing characters, so we thoroughly enjoyed the cavalcades, shows, and the character breakfast. Even the rides they were able to go on got bigger reactions this time than last.
One thing I “preach” often is experiences/memories over things. Yes, vacations cost money. Yes, vacations take a lot of planning (this is why you work with a travel advisor- so you aren’t doing it alone!). Yes, vacations can be stressful. But I promise, you won’t regret that quality time with your family and you won’t forget those magical moments and priceless memories you made! We have loved both Walt Disney World vacations we have taken with our girls, and have already begun planning our 3rd (as well as a few trips to other destinations)!
Keep an eye out for my next post with some tips/mentions from out trips, as well as lots of photos!
Kara Brown is a Vacation Specialist with Coasters & Castles Travel and a mom to twin girls. She loves traveling with her family and making priceless memories. Kara specializes in Disney destinations and Universal Orlando Resort. You can contact her at KBrown@travelcnc.com.
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