KINDERMOON TO DISNEY WORLD!

What is a Kindermoon you may ask? A kindermoon is a special getaway or experience for a child who is entering kindergarten. Basically, it’s a new reason for parents to take their children on trips when they graduate preschool. Yes, I thought it was completely ridiculous when I heard it too. But, then, I took a minute and thought… Hmm, could I use this as a reason to take my girls to Disney separately for some mommy & me time? And, guess what?? My amazing husband agreed that it was a good idea. Quailty time with each of my girls is hard to come by so I was really looking forward to each of these trips! I flew to Disney with Emma the previous year (using Gregg’s airline points) for three days and nights of pure fun. And, now, it was Olivia’s turn.

Why did we choose Disney World?? Well, Disney World is a planners paradise. For every step of the way, there are hours of planning fun. Which hotel should we choose? Should we be on property, pick a good neighbor hotel, or just stay off property? Where should we eat – character meals, quick service, or pack meals? When is the perfect time for our three fast passes each day? And, what is the perfect outfit to wear for each occasion? I can honestly tell you that I love every single step of Disney planning.

For this trip, we flew from Greensboro to West Palm Beach. My parents live in Delray Beach, FL, and we spent a few wonderful days before the kindermoon enjoying some R&R with them. Emma stayed in Delray Beach with BB (my mom) when it was time for our journey to Orlando.

Gregg, Olivia, & I rented a car and made the quick 2.5 hour drive to Disney. We stayed, using Gregg’s Hilton points, at the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando – Disney Springs area. Emma & I had stayed at the same hotel the previous year and loved it. This property is an official hotel for Walt Disney World so you are still able to make fast pass reservations 60 days before arrival as well as take advantage of extra magic hours. There’s a small kitchenette, dining area, living space, bathroom, and a bedroom. The hotel is in a great location and clean! When you have a stroller and tons of luggage, it’s a great place to stay!

For this trip, we purchased park hopper passes. I am always a fan of park hopper passes especially on short trips! Since our trip was for 3 nights and 4 days, it was the best option for us to be able to hop around in order to see and do as much as we could.

This is our itinerary for the trip:

• Day 1 – Drive to Orlando, FL, Animal Kingdom, & Magic Kingdom
• Day 2 – Epcot, Akershus for breakfast, Magic Kingdom
• Day 3 – Hollywood Studios & dinner at Artist Point
• Day 4 – Breakfast at 1900 Park Fare & Magic Kingdom

When at Disney, I highly recommend going to a table service restaurant once a day if you’re able to. I have found that it is really nice to sit down for a few minutes for a refresher. We have princess and autograph loving children so we also try to incorporate character meals. Character meals are a perfect treat for a rising kindergartener. For this trip, we experienced Akershus, Artist Point, and 1900 Park Fare.

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall is located in the World Showcase of Epcot. It is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We have been previously for lunch, and I would definitely recommend breakfast over lunch. We were able to see Belle (when you first walk in to the restaurant), Ariel, Aurora, Cinderella, and Snow White. Five autographs and princesses is as good as it gets!!

Artist Point went through a transformation in December 2018 and became Storybook Dining at Artist Point. It changed from a signature (fine dining for Disney) restaurant to a character dining restaurant with a Snow White theme. Artist Point is located at the Wilderness Lodge. We really enjoyed the atmosphere with the light up trees. Snow White, Grumpy, and Dopey all came to visit our table. The Evil Queen was in a photo area in the middle of the restaurant. Make sure you get in line to see the Evil Queen when it’s not busy as the line can take awhile! We will be visiting this restaurant this coming March so stay tuned!

Our last character meal of this trip was the Supercalifragilistic breakfast at 1900 Park Fare. We were able to see Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter, Pooh, and Tigger (in the back room with a photopass photographer). This breakfast is buffet style, and we really enjoyed it! In my opinion, the Grand Floridian is the most gorgeous hotel so having breakfast at their restuarant is always a plus!

Wow, our kindermoon was a blast! I’m so thankful to have spent this special time with my little girl. Lots of smiles, giggles, and happy memories. Below are my top 5 tips for a successful kindermoon to Disney!

Hope these tips help you plan an amazing kindermoon! Thank you for reading!! And, we hope to hear from you soon!