Top 10 Tips for Parents taking Little Ones to Disney!



Top 10 Tips for Parents of Little Ones at Disney

1)      Make Character Dining Reservations! (And invest in a meal plan that includes character dining! Also, be ready to book online at 6 a.m. exactly 180 days before the first day of your trip to get character dining!) Waiting to have your picture taken in the parks can be a 45-80 minute wait. Have you ever tried to tell a 4-year old that they have to wait that long to meet their favorite Disney character? With character dining the characters walk around and come to you with no wait! We tried 4 of them and highly recommend Stitch & Friends at Ohana and Chip & Dale at the Harvest Grille. We liked them best because it was family style dining and not a buffet… which leads me to tip #2…

 

 

2)      Avoid buffets. They have long lines and by the time you get your kids through and go back for yourself you have wasted a lot of time.

3)      Take a long nap in the afternoon. The parks are least crowded at opening and late at night. Late at night (after 11 p.m.) there are no waits on even the most popular attractions, even at times when Disney is crowded! We walked right onto some of the biggest rides with no wait, such as the Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, and the Jungle Cruise.

4)      Utilize and understand the fast pass system. We didn’t wait more than 20 minutes for anything! One of us would run at opening to the biggest attraction, while the other went to get in line for a smaller attraction. Also, carefully watch the next time you are eligible for a fast pass and be ready to snatch it up immediately.

5)      There is no such thing as packing too many socks (but there is such a thing as packing too much other “stuff”). By the end of the week I wish we had more socks, but less outfits!

6)      Don’t leave immediately after a night time fireworks show (which there shows at Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom). Jump on a few rides, enjoy an ice cream, etc. Why wait in line for buses and elbow your way through crowds?

7)      Other than the “obvious” items (sunblock, hand sanitizer, extra clothes for little ones), pack: Brita water bottles with filters. The water in Florida has high sulfur content. You don’t want to be buying several water bottles a day at $3.50 a piece and this makes the water taste just fine.

8)      Wearing matching shirts with your party is not only “cute” and “fun,” but also makes it easy to spot and find each other. Might I suggest “Sweet Peas Britches and Bloomers?” (You can find them on facebook)

 



9)      Gift cards made life so much easier. For Christmas, Easter, and birthdays when people asked what to get us or the kids we suggested Disney gift cards! The boys were able to get plenty of souvenirs and special snacks without us wincing at the cost. Thank you if you were one of these people! J

10)   Buy your ponchos in Disney. Yes they are outrageously priced (like $7 or $8) BUT it’s a little known fact that if you save your receipt and your child rips/destroys their poncho, they will replace it with no questions asked countless times during your visit. Blake liked to pull on his and this saved us money in the long run! Also, tough it out when it rains because many people will leave!

 

Bonus Tip: Do your research. There is no such thing as being over planned. I HIGHLY recommend “The Unofficial Guide to Disney” to book. I loved it so much I carried it with me. From tips like the ones above, to touring plans that give you the most bang for your buck, to explanations of rides and restaurants it was so helpful! Disney can be a nightmare (waiting in lines, wasting time) if you don’t play the game! Also, asking friends who had been what they wish they would have known before going revealed some awesome ideas! If you have some tips or things you wish you would have known, PLEASE comment below! I am by far no expert compared to some people I know!

 

Can't wait to go back in 2015!

Train Garden at Richardson's

 I have heard through facebook and by word of mouth that Richardson's Farm has their first Christmas Train Garden this year. Since it's just down the street, we decided to stop by. While small (especially if you are a regular at the Wise Ave. train garden in Dundalk), the boys still really enjoyed it. There are many Disney cartoons from Mickey Mouse to Lightning McQueen that boys were excited about. Blake was over the moon (it doesn't take much to thrill a 3-year old) the entire time, jumping up and down, pointing, and yelling. He even tried to make a break for it and go under the ropes at one point.

 

My personal favorite was the Disneyworld portion of the set up, with the Magic Kingdom castle and monorail. Caleb informed me that he is going to take me there one day. If they only knew we're going in a few short months and they will find out on Christmas morning!

 

While I wouldn't recommend driving a far distance just for the train garden, if you're going for food to it's definitely worth the trip. For $13.50 you can get a chicken dinner that includes a whole rotisserie chicken, 2 sides, and 4 pieces of cornbread. The crab mac & cheese is fantastic (but nowhere near healthy).

 

 

Richardson's Farm is located on Ebenezer Road in the White Marsh/Middle River Road. For detailed information visit: http://www.richardsonfarms.net/

 

P.s. Cost of the train garden=FREE (though they are taking donations for Johns Hopkins)

Valley View Farms

Our family has several traditions... from ice cream for dinner in the summer to visiting the Dundalk train garden every December. Tonight we did one of our November traditions and visited Valley View Farms! Valley View Farms, Baltimore, and Christmas are synonymous! With hundreds of trees and thousands of ornaments to choose from, it's a Christmas Wonderland. Some of you may be asking, "If it's a Christmas place, then why on earth is it a November tradition?" It's all about STRATEGY, especially with a 6 and 3-year old boy. We pick a week night, preferably a Monday, in November before Thanksgiving and go each year. There was literally no one there, other than the employees. If you go after Thanksgiving it's wall to wall people and impossible to enjoy. A critical part of the tradition is that each boy gets to pick their own special ornament. Our Christmas tree will be filled with special memories as each year passes!

 Here is the traditional Christmas tree shot!

 This was Katelyn and Sean's first visit... although I am sure there will be plenty more!

 Blake had a tough time selecting his ornament because he is really digging fire trucks and police cars right now, but in the end the fire truck won!

 Caleb picked an angry bird!

Both Grandmoms joined us!

If you have time, sneak over there before Christmas... you'll love it!

Crockpot Taco Soup

For some reason this is the time of the year where I want to pull out the slow cooker and try new recipes. Today's experiment was "Taco Soup" and it was fantastic AND healthy! (Imagine that!) Also, only took about 5-10 minutes to prepare! (My kind of meal!) I found several recipes on the internet and just put the ideas together to my liking. Enjoy!

Crockpot Taco Soup

Ingredients:
-1 lb ground turkey (you could also use ground chicken or extra lean ground beef)
-1 15 oz can pinto beans
-1 15 oz can white beans (I think you could use 30 oz of any kind of bean)
-1 can of corn
-1 11 oz can of Rotel with chiles (this gave this soup some zest!)
-1 envelope taco seasoning
-1 envelope dry ranch dressing mix

Optional (to put on after it's cooked):
-Chopped jalapenos
-Light Sour Cream
-Light Cheese
-Baked tostitos

1) Brown turkey, drain, put in crock pot.
2) Put all other ingredients in the crock pot and stir well. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
3) Sprinkle on optional items as you wish and enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Dessert

 

Last weekend we went to Chester, VA, to visit my future sister-in-law's parents for the weekend. While there her Mom made us a delicious treat, Pumpkin Pie Dessert! We enjoyed it so much that we asked for the recipe (I've never met a pumpkin goodie that I haven't loved) and made it this weekend for a dinner party. It's quick, easy, and delicious! Here it is:

Ingredients:
1 29 ounce can pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (I did not have nutmeg or ginger and used pumpkin pie spice instead)
4 eggs, beaten
1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
1 package 2-layer-size yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped nuts (we used pecans)
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
Cool whip

1) Grease 13x9 pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger; add eggs. Beat lightly with wooden spoon just until combined. Gradually stir in evaporated milk; mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly (this part is important)  over pumpkin mixture, sprinkle evenly with nuts. Drizzle with melted butter.

2) Bake, uncovered about 50 minutes or until edges are firm and top is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Top with cool whip (there is a cinnamon one out right now for the fall) or vanilla ice cream, if desired. Must be refrigerated.

Let me know how it goes for you! :)

Apple Picking 2012

Yesterday we took our third annual trip to Baugher's Farm for their pick your own apples! This is one of our favorite traditions. From the hayride, to picking apples, to shopping, to the petting zoo... it's a great day! It's also quite affordable as there is no cost for the hayride and you pick as many apples as you want to. They do have a deal where you can fill a giant bag with as many apples as you can for $19. We will be eating crockpot applesauce (http://mrsamentmiddleriver.blogspot.com/2011/09/crockpot-applesauce.html), apple pies, and searching for apple recipes for the next few weeks! They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are 9,000 words....

Marshy Point Nature Center

 Today we checked another item off of our to-do list and visited the Marshy Point Nature Center in Chase, MD (for those of you that aren't locals, it's in the Middle River area... about 10 minutes from White Marsh). I've seen several friends post pictures recently and have really wanted to take the boys. Since summer is coming to abrupt end at the end of this weekend and the weather was beautiful, we couldn't resist doing something outdoors!

We spent the first portion of our visit in the Nature Center itself. It is filled with local animals (turtles, chatty birds, mice, snakes, opposums, and more). The boys are excited about an eel in this picture. In addition to animals they have several activities/centers for kids.

The staff could not have been sweeter. They were excited to talk to the boys and even went out of their way to pull out critters for the boys to see close up and pet. Not only did they get to pet the friendly opposum Virginia seen in the above picture, but they also got to pet a milk snake. The staff was careful to point out that in the wild you wouldn't want to touch a real opossum. This one has been in captivity since it was a baby (it's mother was hit by a car). Since it is used to people it was very friendly!

Part of the Nature Center includes a "Kid's Corner." Blake enjoyed playing with the toys and looking through the books.

After visiting the Nature Center we took a hike along one of the trails at Marshy Point. I was scared to take the long trail (blue/red) because our last trail experience did not go too well. I asked the boys if they wanted to do a long or short one and they both voted for the long one. I explained that once we started we couldn't turn around! Suprisingly it went  extremely well. We picked up a pocket guide and along the trail are numbered stops that  the pocket guide explains (specific trees, plants, a fox den, a tidal creek... to name a few). The boys really got into this process and were excited to find each marker. On our hike Blake spotted a turtle (that Caleb and I missed). Caleb couldn't resist picking it up! He learned quite a few new words today: estuary, nocturnal, and metamorphosis. Be sure to quiz him the next time you see him!

By the end of the hike the boys' pockets were filled with acorns, pine cones, and other treasures. While I am not an outdoorsy person (I often joke that roughing it for me would be staying at the Days Inn), I am trying to step way out of my comfort zone to give the boys as many experiences as I possibly can. I know this trip was a total success as both boys are currently napping! We hope to go back in September for their fall festival!

Tips:

• You can borrow an exploration bookbag from the Nature Center to use along the trails. I saw various bookbags, including one for collecting bugs.
• The Nature Center is open from 9:00-5:00.
• The blue trail into the red trail is the longest and is about 1.5 miles (or maybe more by the time you walk from the end of the trail to the parking lot) and took about 90 minutes. We took our time and tried to search for critters and learn as much as we could. There are other shorter trails.
• If you decide to do the trails, be sure to pick up a guide book at the beginning of the blue trail and follow along. It made the experience so much more interesting!
• There are picnic tables available at the Nature Center and one in a field of the Blue trail if you wanted to bring a lunch.
• COST=FREE
• See their webpage at www.marshypoint.org for more details! They also have a facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marshy-Point-Nature-Center/270787291581?ref=ts