Galaxy's Edge.......ready?

Emily-Anne Willey • March 7, 2019

If you love Disney, Star Wars, or Both......

If you are any kind of Disney fan or Star Wars fan you’ve heard that Galaxy’s Edge is NOW OPEN at Disneyland and will open August 29 at Disney World. I wanted to break down some information for you to get excited about. I’m also here with information for those of you who would just like to completely stay away while all this craziness begins. Because…..if I know one thing, it is that Disney fans are crazy dedicated…but Star Wars fans are their own special crazy!

Basic Facts:

Disney World : August 29th is the Magical Date! The park will open at 8:00 am for Magic Hour. This magic hour is only for park guests staying on property. But, you can bet it’s going to be crazy busy.

Disneyland : May 31 was the soft opening, and June 23 it opened up to everyone.

Both: This is only Phase 1 for both parks. There is still more to come. Phase 2 has no release date yet, except "later this year".

Planning:

You still must have a valid park pass to access Galaxy’s Edge. This may seem like a no brainer, but I feel the need to spell it out. This also means that Disney will still stick with their capacity limits. Since opening to the general public on the 23rd, lines have been so reasonable that Disneyland lifted their block cast members visiting during the summer. It has yet to prove to be a problem, as lines are still low(even in the summer).

FastPass and MaxPass are still not available, but rumor has it that that they will soon be available for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Disney states that they will evaluate this during the opening. So……..pack your lunch, games, good attitude because you WILL be waiting a long time in line. Lines have yet to exceed 110 minutes with the current boarding groups as well. So, Disney is figuring things out.

As far as getting into Galaxy's Edge, Disneyland is utilizing a virtual queue system. These are the directions direct from Disney.com.

Rides:

There are 2 EXPERIENCES that have been released.

 1. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. This is the MOST anticipated ride. It puts you behind the controls of a Millenium Falcon with 1 of 3 roles during the journey. Guests must be 38” tall.

My son enjoyed this ride the most. He loved being the pilot with all of the controls. I enjoyed being the gunner the best. I liked that I could sit a little further back, which helped my motion sickness. My husband liked the engineer job. Overall it was a fun ride, but the technology wasn't anything more impressive than Pandora's Flight of Passage in DAK(Disney's Animal Kingdom), so I was a little disappointed. My husband and son were able to ride it 3 times.

 2. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Promises to put guests “in the middle of a climactic battle”. It also states that it will “blur the lines between fantasy and reality.” Guests must be 40” tall. This one will not open until Phase 2.

Food:

If waiting in line isn’t your jam, don’t fear. Galaxy’s Edge has plenty to offer. A lot of people come to Disneyland for the food, and there won’t be a shortness of it here. We tried a couple of the food offerings, but I recommend leaving Battu and getting something to eat elsewhere. However there are a few great things.

 Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo

This iis a fast casual location which means you’ll order with a cast member, then walk up to a window to pick up your food. Disney states that the food may be familiar but with “unexpected and surprises colors and textures”.

Here's the List:


Entrées:

  • Smoked Kaadu Ribs – sticky pork ribs served with a blueberry corn muffin and cabbage slaw
    Fried Endorian Tip-yip – crispy chicken served with roasted vegetable potato mash and herb gravy
  • Yobshrimp Noodle Salad – chilled shrimp served with marinated noodles and vegetables
  • Roasted Endorian Tip-yip Salad – marinated chicken served with mixed greens, roasted seasonal vegetables, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, and green curry ranch
  • Felucian Garden Spread (lunch only) – plant-based “kefta” served with herb hummus, tomato-cucumber relish, and pita
  • Braised Shaak Roast (dinner only) – beef pot roast served with cavatelli pasta, wilted kale, and mushrooms
  • Ithorian Garden Loaf (dinner only) – plant-based “meatloaf” served with roasted vegetable potato mash, seasonal vegetables, and mushroom sauce

Desserts:

  • Oi-oi Puff – raspberry cream puff with passion fruit mousse
  • Batuu-bon – chocolate cake with white chocolate mousse and coffee custard

Kids’ Meals:

All Meals include choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small Dasani Water

  • Yobshrimp Noodle Salad (Disney Check) – chilled shrimp served with noodles, vegetables and sweet orange dressing
  • A Taste of Takodana (Disney Check) – black bean hummus served with edible soil with nuts, chilled dipping vegetables, and multi-grain crisps
  • Fried Endorian Tip-yip – crispy chicken served with macaroni & cheese and seasonal vegetables

Specialty Beverages without Alcohol:

  • Moof Juice – Simply Fruit Punch and Simply Orange with chipotle-pineapple
  • Phattro – Gold Peak Unsweetened Tea, Odwalla Lemonade, and desert pear
  • Batuubucha Tea – Suja Pineapple Passionfruit Kombucha



Oga’s Cantina

This fun little bar offers other worldly beverages. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic will be available. This will be a first for Disneyland. They do not offer adult beverages outside of Club 33 in Disneyland itself. If you want a libation you must visit California Adventure, until now. You can make a "day of" reservation using the Disney app and won't need a virtual queue reservation to get in to Galaxy's Edge.


Concoctions with Alcohol
 Featuring a wide range of classic and unique spirits found throughout the galaxy with a mixture of tastes and flavors to liven your taste buds.

Morning Specialties

  • Spiran Caf – Peru Alto Mayo Organic Joffrey’s Coffee, orange marmalade, rum, vanilla whipped cream, and citrus zest
  • Bloody Rancor – vodka, chile liqueur, spicy Bloody Mary mix, and rancor bone

Afternoon and Evening Specialties

  • Fuzzy Tauntaun – peach vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice with tangerine, pure cane sugar, and “buzzz” foam
  • Jedi Mind Trick – grapefruit and rose vodka, falernum, blue curaçao, white grape juice, lime juice, and grapefruit bitters
  • The Outer Rim – silver tequila, açaí liqueur, lime juice, pure cane sugar, black salt, and exotic fruit purée
  • T-16 Skyhopper – vodka, melon liqueur, kiwi, and half & half
  • Dagobah Slug Slinger – reposado tequila, blue curaçao, citrus juices, ginger, herbs, and bitters
  • Jet Juice – bourbon, chile liqueur, açaí liqueur, white grape juice, and lemon juice
  • Yub Nub – pineapple rum, spiced rum, citrus juices, and passion fruit
  • Bespin Fizz – rum, yuzu purée, pomegranate juice, white cranberry juice, and cloud swirl

Concoctions without Alcohol
 Showcasing a combination of beverages found throughout the galaxy which yield vibrant colors along with sweet, tangy, or savory taste and fruity or spicy flavors.

Morning Specialties:

  • Black Spire Brew – Cold Brew Joffrey’s Coffee, honey, falernum, passion fruit, and citrus
  • Moogan Tea – Gold Peak Unsweetened Tea, chocolate milk, vanilla, and cinnamon
  • Tarine Tea – Gold Peak Unsweetened Tea, peach, huckleberry, and mint
  • Blue Bantha – Blue Milk served chilled with bantha-inspired vanilla-butter sugar cookie

Afternoon and Evening Specialties:

  • Cliff Dweller – citrus juices, coconut, hibiscus-grenadine, and Seagram’s Ginger Ale
  • Hyperdrive (Punch It!) – Powerade Mountain Berry Blast, white cranberry juice, black cherry purée, and Sprite
  • Jabba Juice – Simply Orange with pineapple, kiwi, cantaloupe, and blueberry popping pearls
  • Blue Bantha – Blue Milk served chilled with bantha-inspired vanilla-butter sugar cookie
  • Blurrgfire – lemonade, pomegranate juice, and habanero-lime
  • Carbon Freeze – Powerade Lemon Lime, wild strawberry, blueberry, and green apple popping pears

Provision

  • Oga’s Obsession – lemonade, cotton candy flavor, and blueberry popping pearls with a bursting dried fruit mixture

Beers on Tap

  • Gold Squadron Lager
  • White Wampa Ale
  • Gamorrean Ale
  • Bad Motivator IPA

Cider on Tap

  • Spice Runner Hard Cider

Wine on Tap

  • Toniray
  • Imperial Guard

Ronto’s Roosters

This is walk up sandwich stand offering “Ronto Wraps”. I mobile ordered ours, and it cut down on our wait time significantly. The Ronto Wrap was AWESOME. I would go back for that. I would also go to SWGE for the Meiloorun Juice alone. The best thing in the land...by far.


Food

  • Ronto Wrap – roasted pork and grilled sausage with peppercorn sauce and tangy slaw wrapped in pita
  • Nuna Turkey Jerky – choice of sweet or spicy

Specialty Beverages

  • Tatooine Sunset – Gold Peak Unsweetened Tea, Odwalla Lemonade, melon, and blueberry
  • Sour Sarlacc – Minute Maid Limeade, raspberry, and spicy mango
  • Meiloorun Juice – pineapple, Simply Lemonade with blueberry, white cranberry juice, lemon juice, and desert pear

Milk Stand

Promising delicious BLUE(Coconut and Rice Milks with flavors of Dragon Fruit, Pineapple, Lime, and Watermelon)and GREEN milk(Coconut and Rice Milks with flavors of Mandarin Orange, Passion Fruit, Grapefruit, and Orange Blossom) . If you’re in to that. People's choice has been the blue milk. I'm a fan of the green. The blue is more sweet and fruity, while the green is sweet and flowery.


Kat Saka’s Kettle

Offering unique popcorn flavors. The popcorn is good, and only slightly spicy. It's worth trying, but nothing "special". The bottles of Coke products are the fun stuff.


  • Outpost Popcorn Mix – colorful blend of sweet and spicy flavors, popped in coconut oil
  • MSE-6 Series Repair Droid Souvenir Popcorn Vessel
  • Specialty Bottled Beverages – Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, and Dasani (Limit of 3 per guest)

There were of course places to pick up your favorite merchandise along the way, as well as plenty of fun photo ops. Marketplace shops offered fun toys, creatures, and souvenirs from Batuu. There is also an experience where you can make your own light saber. It is the most exclusive experience in Disneyland at $199 a person. You can also build your own droid, starting at $99. There are some other unique gifts worth walking around and finding in Batuu.

Galaxy's Edge is a really fun addition to Disney and I know that Star Wars fans will love it. It was fun for our little family as well. I hope you enjoy it.

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Disneyland's Magic Key

By Emily-Anne Willey • August 4, 2021
Alright friends, Disneyland Annual Pass Program(AP) is a thing of the past and the NEW MAGIC KEY(MK) Program has taken its place. The namesake is a throwback to the Pre-1968 coupon book that allowed guests access to any ONE ride or attraction. Free admission to the park with coupons to rides and attractions seems almost laughable now. But, this new Magic Key program is exactly what some people have been looking for since the AP program went away. The Disneyland website describes the Magic Key Reservation System as a “cornerstone components of the Magic Key program” which leads us to believe there is more to come…which we hope for....since we are already curious about MaxPass and PhotoPass. The system will be located on the same app we currently use to visit Disneyland, but with exclusive access to opportunities for Magic Key members. During this first launch of information on Magic Key we know there are a few perks to being a MK holder. MK holders will have access to discounts on food and merchandise in the parks as well as Downtown Disney, special dining experiences, access to the Magic Key Terrace with a custom menu, exclusive festival offerings, a special MK month(bringing back the hugely missed AP appreciation program), specialty merchandise, early access to events, Photopass opportunities, and exclusive embroidery options for those mouse ears. Speculation also indicates some pretty cool perks if you are a charter member. If you become a MK holder within the first 66 days(as the 66th anniversary of Disneyland occurs) you will receive a special welcome package. The package will include a specialty pin, celebratory button, magnet, and more. MK holders who enter Disneyland will also have access to a limited time experience at Starcade in Tomorrowland(starting Sept 1) with charging stations, photo opportunity, and other fun surprises. If all of this sounds amazing, you can begin purchasing your pass August 25, 2021 at 10 am PT . Remember, to be a charter member, you’ll want to buy before October 30, 2021. You’re pass won’t officially start until you use it, but you’ll want to hop onboard to be eligible for these charter member perks. It’s actually possible to purchase your pass, AND make a reservation, and be in the park as a charter member ON August 25. That’s right…you still need a reservation. Since the park opening post pandemic, you need a reservation. The new MK takes these reservations into consideration. Gone are the days(as of right now) of just deciding to drive to the parks for an evening adventure. Some of the fine print states “Theme park reservations and valid pass for the same park on the same date are required for park entry. Park reservations are limited, subject to availability, public health orders, and applicable pass blockout dates, and are not guaranteed for any specific dates or park. Additionally, park reservations may not be available on select holidays for certain theme parks at any time.” This post pandemic system also only allows park hopping after 1:00 pm(unless indicated differently in the app). Now, you have to decide which Magic Key is right for you. In true Disney fashion there isn’t just ONE magic key. You have 4 options. Let’s see what they are, and decide which one will be best for your family.

Legoland California

By Emily-Anne Willey • June 15, 2021
It's no secret that our little family is a Disney family through and through, however the last year has taught us that we can visit other places, and do other things that are NOT Disney. Why would someone do this, is beyond me(ha)...but trying other adventures outside of Disney has been fun. We decided about 6 months ago that we were going to go to California for Buddy's birthday, whether Disney was open or not. As the trip got closer and Disney was still not allowing out of state visitors, we decided to take on the challenge of having fun in Southern California WITHOUT our beloved Disney. I have always been a fan of the area, but only when in conjunction with a Disney trip. My goal was to do other fun things in the area...and we did. We visited Universal Studios, Sea World, my favorite beach(Moonlight Beach in Encinitas), and a trip to Legoland in Carlsbad, California. I have always wanted to go to Legoland, but have heard so many criticisms on when and why you should and shouldn't go to Legoland. Buddy is now 6, and according to the reviews I had read, this would be the perfect time to visit. So, we did it! We planned a proper Legoland vacation. We spent 2 days in the park, and 2 nights at the Legoland Hotel. Let me start...the Legoland Hotel is not cheap. At around $400 a night it is NOT something I would do every time, but because I had decided before we arrived that this would be our ONE visit to Legoland, I wanted to make it the best experience for our family. The hotel is meant for kids. I would happily compare it to a Great Wolf Lodge in that it caters to kids. We did visit while Covid related restrictions were still in place(so no Lego pits around every corner) and some activities had obviously been adapted, I think that we still received the standard service and experience. You stay at the Legoland Hotel, or the Castle hotel for 1 main reason....it's proximity to Legoland. Everyone who enters Legoland must walk between these 2 grand hotels. They are the perfect welcome to this Lego playland. The decor outside and inside are Brick-tastic. So many lego sculptures everywhere you turn. Our Buddy especially loved 2 fun features.....1 lego faucet, and the elevators. I don't want to ruin the elevator for anyone, but if you are staying on the 1st floor, you may want to just take a quick ride up to the 3rd floor. The rooms are also unbelievable. If you are looking for a nice calm place to go and relax away from the world of Lego, don't stay at these hotels. The room is covered in Lego features, bright wall decals, and carpet that I just kept thinking I was going to trip over. Buddy loved the cool Lego bugs, and pirates, and the monkey! The monkey is part of a scavenger hunt in your room, and around the resort. If you don't want to play, don't worry. Our "treasure chest" was unlocked. After Buddy accidentally locked it, it was easy to ask the front desk for the code again. It features some pretty cool treasure, that you can keep.

Build Your Own Adventure: Bryce Canyon

By Emily-Anne Willey • May 13, 2021
After our adventure last November , I knew we needed to plan another trip to South Central Utah. Utah really is amazing, and I was so excited to go see, and explore more. This time we decided to spend most of our time in ONE place. We decided to spend 3 nights at Bryce Canyon. We did not however ONLY see Bryce. We explored all around and had a really great time. Itinerary: 4 Days around Bryce Canyon Who: Our little family of 3(2 adults, 1 (still) adorable 5 year old) When: Early Spring 2021 (April) Details:……………………………………………………………………………………………. Day 1 : We left around 8:00 and headed down south. We decided to travel off the beaten path and left I-15 in Spanish Fork. We stopped in Price, Utah at a little diner called Farlaino’s. It is very similar to our favorite breakfast place, Penny Ann’s Café in atmosphere. They have a lot of random décor and memorabilia on the shelves and walls. Service was kind but took about an hour to get our food (there was only one other table). The food was good, and if you decide to go there…only order 1 pancake for the table. It is giant…Nothing special, but it is giant. It could feed several children and be a side for adults as well. We then drove about an hour and a half to Goblin Valley State Park. This place is amazing. We drove into the lookout and ended up spending a couple hours wandering among the hoodoos, and caves. There weren’t any designated trails in this area, but it sure was fun wandering around and climbing all over. We didn’t expect to spend 2 hours here, but it was totally worth it. We then drove to Capitol Reef National Park. I had scheduled us to do a couple little hikes and get pie. But, after spending too long at breakfast, and our 2 our adventure around Goblin Valley we ended up missing the pie and decided to just continue our drive to Bryce Canyon. We did see things in Capitol Reef from our car, and I want to go back again. We just continued our drive straight through (about 3 hours) and stopped at Bryce Canyon Pines Restaurant for some dinner. It is quite possibly THE BEST place to eat around Bryce Canyon. They have tasty food, and amazing pie! Don’t miss the pie. At the end of the day, we checked into our hotel, Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel . We stayed here last time and loved it. It did not disappoint, and we’d easily stay again. They offer a hot breakfast and have a fun hot tub that we enjoyed all vacation long. Day 2: We woke up early this morning…only because our son was ready for adventures. It helped us get out the door and on the trails. We headed straight into Bryce Canyon with the intent to do one hike in the morning, and another in the afternoon. I had found several great hikes from my friends here . We ended up doing 3 hikes and were done by noon. Our first goal was the Navajo Loop. It was supposed to be 1.3 miles round trip. However, the “loop” part near Wall Street was closed, so we could have just turned around, but we decided to continue and explore. We ended up leading ourselves to the Queens Garden trail which added another 2 miles to our trail. The only problem with this is that you come out of the amphitheater at Sunrise Point, so to get back to your car you need to hike the half mile back to Sunset Point. It’s not terrible, you just must be aware that you are not making a loop. After getting back to our car we decided to do the 3-mile round trip hike to Upper Inspiration Point. All 3 of these hikes had hard moments and required several breaks with little legs. But we made several friends along the trail and one mother and daughter pair became our hiking buddies and made the trip out of the canyon so much more doable and enjoyable. Always talk to people on the trail, it’s such a great way to pass the time and make new friends. After our hikes we headed back to the hotel for some lunch and some much needed pool time. The hotel pool was closed but the hot tub was nice and big, and open. We made several trips to the hot tub and it was never too hot for our buddy. Around 7:00 we headed to Ebenezer’s Barn and Grill . I had done some research and thought this place sounded like fun. It’s a dining hall where they perform nightly country music concerts. It is a unique dining experience, and I do recommend it if you are visiting Bryce between the end of April and mid September. When you arrive, they have several fun photo ops outside. We love the face cutout walls. So much fun. When you get inside, they check your reservation, give you a paper card that identifies your meal choice (that you make during reservation), and direct you to your table. We were near the front and felt like it was a great spot to view the show. You are seated at a round table for about 8 people, so you will get to know new people if you are a smaller party. We enjoyed our table mates, as well as the show. Food is served buffet style and seemed smooth considering post covid standards. I enjoyed the pork and chicken, while my husband had the flat iron steak. The entertainment was also great. We aren’t huge country music fans, but we really enjoyed the show. My favorite was the song about Bryce being founded by a guy who lost his cow . Check out this video for my favorite song of the night. After the show we headed back into Bryce to see the night sky at the amphitheater overlook. The moon was almost full so we didn’t see as many stars as we wanted, but it was unique experience that I would recommend to anyone.

Dollywood Dreams

By Emily-Anne Willey • May 7, 2021
I believe everyone should have a bucket list , and do everything they can to make those dreams happen. I have an amazing friend who lives in North Carolina, and when I realized it was 3 short hours from Dollywood, I created a dream to visit. Dollywood has been a place I knew about, but never had a reason to travel to Pigeon Forge, TN., no matter how amazing it looked online. But, with my friend living so close, I thought...why not? We made plans to visit in June of 2020, but then Covid happened. So, we postponed. A few months ago I was deciding what to do for my birthday and April seemed like the perfect time to head to Dollywood with a couple of my favorite people. We set out on the road from North Carolina, traveling through the Great Smoky Mountains(Dolly's childhood playground), and landed in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We stayed at an adorable wood cabin, nice and close to Dollywood. The night we arrived we visited the Dolly Parton Stampede, which is like Medieval Times, but more western. The next morning we were headed for Dollywood. The current spring hours are 10-6, but closed on Tuesday and Thursday. We left our cabin around 9, got to Dollywood nice and early, parking in the B(Butterfly) lot. Many things are Dolly themed, including Butterflies, Mountains, Country Music, etc. We took a short shuttle ride to the entrance. We could have walked, but the shuttle was right there, and I was ready to start our FUN! At the end of the day we walked back to our car(it was that close). Once we arrived at the entrance there was a queue to enter the park. They started allowing people in at 9:30, but the rides didn't open until 10. Much of the park was blocked off, but we were able to take a quick restroom break and line up at our first ride! Because of course, we were here for the rides, or food, or entertainment?! Rides The rides are BY FAR the best part of Dollywood. I will happily tell you about the other stuff, but first....Rides. There are so many rides to please any age of visitor, but we rode over 10 thrilling rides! That's a lot for 1 amusement park. I'd rank them, but they are all amazing, and worth riding. One of my friends noted that the more stairs you have to climb, the better the coaster would be. With the amusement park being built in the mountains, there are lots of hills and many of the ride queues lead you up many flights of stairs. And, she's right...the best ones do have lots of stairs. I do have a couple favorites, and one that could have been avoided. So, let me start with the one to avoid(just to get it out of the way). It's called Blazing Fury, and it's an indoor coaster. An indoor coaster....my first sign it wouldn't be AWESOME. The track was speedy, but with only 2 dips it wasn't "thrilling". It would be great for little kids, maybe. Now, for my favorites..... Wild Eagle seats you on the side of the track(as if you were the wings of the eagle). It's super thrilling to look down and not see the track. Lots of fun. My second favorite is the Thunderhead . This is a fast, thrilling, wooden coaster. So much fun. I loved how fast it was, and everything amazing about wood coasters makes this a "can't miss" ride. My favorite though, and I mean possibly my favorite coaster EVER was the Lightening Rod . This ride LOOKS like a wooden coaster, but it is an incredibly fast (74 mph) steel coaster. It has fast curves, corkscrews, big drops, and crazy speed. It is currently my FAVORITE coaster, by far.

Topolino's Terrace Character Breakfast

By Emily-Anne Willey • February 25, 2021
Disney World is open, and things are DIFFERENT. The magic still exists, and that is most important. It is not the same, but it is still fun, and magical, and full of exciting things. When we visited at the end of January it was especially important to me to check out the newest Disney hotel, The Riviera Resort and see and dine at Topolino’s Terrace. Topolino’s opened with so much excitement being a sit down character meal (plus an amazing view). Seeing others visit, I knew that we would check it out on our next visit. What I did not know is that when we visited it would be during a pandemic and things would be different. Sharing my experience will hopefully give you some insight into what it is like dining at a character meal, where social distancing is enforced. Let me start with getting a reservation. Topolino’s reservation are hard to come by anytime, but during the pandemic it is super important to make your reservation right exactly 180 days before your trip. Yes, if you want to eat somewhere specific you MUST book early. With this being said, if you do not have 180 days before you travel you MAY still be able to snag a table, just keep checking the My Disney Experience website or app and hope for an opening. Another thing to note is that during a pandemic you can not have large parties sitting together. Our group was a party of 11 and I knew we would not be able to sit together. At all our dining locations we made 2 reservations (group of 5 and a group of 6). Most of the time we were able to sit near each other, which was nice. At Topolino’s it ended up being just the 3 of us, so we did not have to worry about accommodating a big group. We took an Uber from the Pop Century to the Riviera. We would have taken the skyliner, which is fun, but it planned to open at 8 and our reservation was for 7:55. Taking an Uber was super quick and not more than $10. When we arrived at the Riviera, I was flabbergasted. It is a beautiful hotel. Right when you walk in you can see all the way through out to the lake. It was easy to navigate from the lobby to the elevator. Once at the top we were checked in and took some time to admire the views. It is a beautiful restaurant itself, but the views are the reason to dine here. While you are dining, or after you can also take a visit out to the terrace for views like this.

Packing for Disney During the Pandemic

By Emily-Anne Willey • January 20, 2021
Packing for an adventure can be fun. I enjoy the organizing, planning, and the “tetris” like skills it can take to actually put STUFF in a suitcase. Packing for Disney World during a pandemic adds a whole other level of organization. I love planning, so this adventure has been unique and I can’t help share some of the things I’ve learned, discovered, and just HAVE to share. First off, I’m planning for 3 people, one of which is a tiny human. I am also planning on only using 1 carry on, and checking 1 bag for a 7 day adventure. This may seem challenging, but I’ve got this! The first thing I’ve done is decide what toiletries we will need, and see if I can bring them in carry on size, full size, or if I can put them on a grocery delivery list. Yes, some things like shampoo, soap, lotion, sanitizer, and deodorant are added to my grocery pickup. I like using grocery pickup for a few reasons, all of which can be found here . After I figure out toiletries, I get down to business. I decide on outfits(ears included). I like to lay everything out and decide what bottoms can be used multiple days, which shoes go with the most outfits, and make sure I have enough underwear for the entire trip(unless I’m planning on doing laundry while away). I also make sure to grab my swimsuit, rain jacket, and a sweater. Most months are pretty warm in Florida, but when the sun goes down it can be super chilly(especially now in January/February). Now for the more random, and pandemic period items: Spray Hand Sanitizer. I like the spray kind best and Target and Trader Joe’s have some of my favorites. Reusable and Disposable Face Masks. I like having both depending on the ride and time of day. Sometimes the heat creates MASK-cne, and nobody wants that. Battery Charger. Between checking wait times and catching a character selfie “on the dot” you’ll need a extra boost of power to get through the day. Reusable Straws. Nobody should have to deal with the terrible paper straws found Disney wide. Magic Bands . Disney is going away from using Magic Bands, and opting for phones and cards with the same features. I however prefer the Magic Bands, especially to help with no contact purchases and room entry for the whole family. That’s it! I also have random things like homework, phone chargers, water bottles, and a toy or 2 for my son. The goal though is not to go overboard on anything. The time goes so fast, and we don’t need a lot. Are there things that you would add to this list? What are your “must haves” for travel?
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