Five Reasons You Must Stay At A Disney Resort

My SassyHubby and I started making an annual trip to Florida the year my first babe was born. What could be better than escaping the cold and running away to the sunshine with your babies in tow? Turns out the answer is running away to Disney. Every frigid Canadian winter we escaped the suburbs, rented a house or a condo somewhere within a stones throw of DisneyWorld and covered ourselves in a wee bit of pixie dust while we were there. One thing we had never done, stayed right at Disney and immersed ourselves in the thick of the magic. It had seemed…. intimidating? Until now.

This year I attended the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration at the Disney’s Yacht Club Resort right on DisneyWorld property. We decided to go for it in a big way, extend our trip by a couple of days and get covered in all the pixie dust we could handle. It. Was. Glorious. Five days of magic. Five days of fun. Five days of hilarity, and a few blisters along the way. Here are my top five reasons you must stay at a Disney Resort.

1. Mystery Of The Magic Express
*When travelling with your family you are often weighted down by a lot of bags. If you’re traveling with babies and toddlers this is even more so. When you travel to a Disney Resort they add a little mystery and magic before you even get off the plane. Special luggage tags arrive at your home, you put them on your suitcases, and drop those suitcases at your airport. Then you check in for your flight and go about your travel day.  When you arrive in Orlando all you have to do is get you and your carry-ons to the Magical Express that will take you to your hotel for your stay. You don’t have to collect your bags! Disney will collect your luggage and they will magically appear in your room for you a couple of hours later.  Insider tip: Make sure you stash a bathing suit or wear comfy walking shoes so you don’t have to waste a moment waiting for your luggage, you can hit the pool or parks as soon as you are checked in!

2. Magic Bands Are The Bomb
*After you arrive at your Disney Resort each member of your family will receive their Magic Band. These Magic Bands can be pre-ordered by you before you arrive or you can set them up when you hit the front desk. If you order them ahead of time, you can customize them by choosing your favourite colours, and having your names attached to them. My chosen pink band had my name “Stephanie” inscribed inside. My Hubby’s, his had “Big Daddy” on it. Imagine his surprise when cast members addressed him as Big Daddy and told him to enjoy his ride. Ha!
*Why are these bands so magical? They are your room key, your charge card at the resort, your ticket into the parks, you charge card at the resort and even your key to the Memory Maker packages. See? Magic.

3. Extra Magic Hours Are Priceless

When you only have five days at Disney there’s no time to mess around. There’s so much to see and do, you have to hit the ground running, right? Unless of course you are staying on site and have access to Extra Magic Hours! Little perks like being allowed into the parks before the rest of the world, or staying at the Magic Kingdom until 2am? It’s a surreal experience to be walking down the mainstream of the Magic Kingdom at 1 am, a Starbucks coffee in one hand, your Hubby’s hand in the other, your teens deciding which ride to go on next. The park is quieter during those Extra Magic Hours leaving you feeling ridiculously special and spoiled.

4. Extra Magic Hours Make You Feel Like A Rock Star

*Whether you choose to stay on site or off you have access to the incredible Fast Pass. The ability to choose three special rides, or attractions a day that you just don’t want to stand in line for. Kind of makes you feel like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZQckHPTeK0

 

5. Nap Time Isn’t Just For Toddlers

*The proximity of the Disney Resorts opens up a brand new world; the world of nap, rest or pool time! Fancy spending your morning at Epcot then heading back to the pool at your resort for a dip, some lunch and a nap? You can do that! Get all refreshed for your afternoon and then head back to the parks for an incredible evening feeling great, no grumpy kids (or adults) in site.

PS. Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts share what is, in my opinion, the very best pool complexes on all of Walt Disney World property. Stormalong Bay is a 3-acre water park comprised of three sand-bottom pools with zero-depth entry. The water is warm and there are plenty of chairs for all.  There is also a water slide that goes through the mast of fanciful shipwreck for the little ones.

6. Bonus Number! (not just for hotel guests!) Memory Maker Gets Mom In The Picture

*There’s a bit of a joke in my family, I’m often referred to as Paparazzi Steph. I’ve made it my personal mission to catch all the memories and preserve them forever on film. Click. Click. Click. There are two downsides to this. hauling that heavy camera all over the place and Mom doesn’t get in the picture. Thanks to Memory Maker you can let Disney do all the work and just enjoy the moment. (Bigger bonus, you won’t believe the action shots those Disney folks can catch!)  Brilliant.

After more then 15 trips to Florida we had finally had our very first getaway at a Walt Disney World Resort.  For five dreamy days we explored the Disney parks and all their nooks and crannies.  We screamed ourselves silly on rides, ate too much ice cream and took advantage of all the little extra magic staying at a Disney Resort provides. We left with tired feet, sunburned cheeks and happy hearts. We took advantage of every waking moment and loved every second.   This trip, on site at the Disney’s yacht Club and Resort will go down in the books as one of the most memorable trips ever, I’m already dreaming of that next vacation.