hollywood studios Archives

The below article was written by the grandmother to my kids about her special experiences bringing her granddaughters to Walt Disney World.

I had established a tradition of taking my family to Walt Disney World for many years. Once the granddaughters were born, I told them I would take each of them to Walt Disney World when they were 10. This would be a special trip for my grandchild and me, their Nonna. So the oldest granddaughter traveled with me 4 years ago. This past week the youngest granddaughter had her 11th birthday at Walt Disney World with me.

Walt Disney World Wilderness Lodge Boulder Ridge

We chose the Wilderness Lodge, Boulder Ridge Villas, as our home base. I like to this location because we could experience taking the boat to the Magic Kingdom. The boat ride was fun for both of us. The “captains” interacted with us and gave us some insights into experiencing the Magic Kingdom. One special cast member, Ron, provided a very “magical memory experience” for my granddaughter.

We took advantage of the Magical Express as our transportation from the airport to our Resort. We used it on our return to the airport as well. I felt since I was not leasing a car it would be our best option as they took care of your luggage from the airport to the resort and made sure the luggage was deposited at the correct air line for the trip home. I encourage anyone using a Disney Resort to ask about the Magical Express bus transportation.

Using the magic bands where another great way to expedite charging for food, beverages, or gifts. We use the band to enter our room and to enter the parks. They were also used for the fast passes be acquired at the two parks we attended. It was nice not to have to carry extra credit cards or a room key. Plus, they are waterproof, so as my granddaughter swam we did not need to be concerned about taking the band off.

Another advantage to staying at a Disney Resort are the magical early and late hours at the parks. The early hours enabled us to ride at the Magic Kingdom Splash Mountain and The Barnstormer which are popular rides. In fact, my granddaughter was able to ride Splash Mountain three times and The Barnstormer twice due to our early entry.

All of our experiences with cast members were excellent. They were genuinely helpful and always asked about our days in the Parks. Since it was my granddaughter’s birthday they went out of their way to wish her a great day too.

We also had a park hopper thanks to our friends at Disney so that we could experience a few different parks. We ended up going and experiencing both Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom and I will tell you that the park hopper is definitely a benefit for families that want to see multiple parks on the same day. You do need to make sure that you plan out your time because Parks can be busy and it takes a little bit of time to take transportation between the parks as well. A park hopper can definitely help though if there are early hours or late hours or if you want to see a firework show at night at 1 Park and spend more time at another Park.

Whether you are going to Walt Disney World as an individual, a couple, a family, or with friends oh, I feel you will leave with a huge smile and many happy memories. It is truly the happiest place on earth. I know I will return in the near future.