As a twin parent there are very few things that I only do one time. My days are spent on repeat, as I care for one twin, and then do it all again for the next. But when it came to taking my kids to Disney World, I wanted it to be a one and done trip. I am by no means a Disney expert, and I wouldn’t even classify myself as a Disney fan. However, we had a really fun trip and it wasn’t super stressful or expensive (by Disney standards) because I spent some time planning and prepping before we left. I’m sharing my best tips with you today. First, here are the specifics. We took a 5 day trip to Disney World in Orlando, FL. We visited all 4 parks, with whole days spent at Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, and a split day at Hollywood Studios and Epcot. We went in the Fall and our twins do not need a stroller or naps anymore. Travel We flew into Tampa International Airport and rented a car, then drove to Orlando. Disney no longer provides complimentary shuttle service from the airport, so you have to arrange and pay for this yourself. It was cheaper for us to fly into Tampa than flying into Orlando and it was nice to have a car to pick up groceries and other supplies as needed. Our return flight was out of the Orlando airport. We reserved day 1 and day 5 of our trip for travel with no park plans on those days. After we arrived at the hotel, we headed straight for the pool, and made it an early night to prepare for our first park day. Hotel We stayed on property at the All-Star Music Resort, in a Family Suite. This allowed us to have two separate sleeping areas and a full size refrigerator, kitchen, and microwave. The suite also had 2 bathrooms which made the morning rush and bedtime easier. Even though this resort is considered on the “value” level, it had every convenience we desired and had short bus rides/wait times to the parks. In fact, once we even had the whole bus to ourselves. I also requested a late check-out to allow for a little swimming before our flight out, and it was readily accepted. Food We made it through the whole trip without making a single dining reservation. Our twins are selective when it comes to eating away from home, and we didn’t want to waste an hour or more of our park time sitting down and eating a meal that not every family member would enjoy. So instead, I stocked our suite’s refrigerator with breakfast and lunch foods. We ate breakfast in our room each morning, and then packed a lunch for the kids and snacks for everyone. My partner and I used the Disney app to order a quick meal at the park. As a whole, we were not impressed with the meals at Disney, but some of the snacks were tasty. We also brought frozen water bottles into the park with us each day. They served as ice packs to keep lunches cold and then as they thawed, more drinking water. Also, ice water is free from any restaurant at Disney, but they only have paper straws. So bring your own if your kiddo requires them. Disney App/ Genie + If you are trying to do all the things in one trip, you must spring for the Genie +/ LightingLane options. I think it is ridiculous that on top of paying hundreds of dollars to simply enter the park you must also pay extra for Genie +. But without it, we wouldn’t have been able to ride and see all we wanted to in three days. It’s worth it to not have to wait in line at attractions and shows. I had packed activities to keep the twins busy as we waited in line, but we didn’t need them as we never waited more than 20 minutes. My main tips with Genie+ are to get used to the app before your trip, and keep refreshing it. There were several times we were able to get Genie+ times at the most popular attractions by simply refreshing over and over. And don’t forget to bring a portable charger, as all that refreshing will drain your battery. What I Packed
Each day we brought a backpack and a small shoulder/waist bag into the park. Sometimes they searched our bags and other days they didn’t. In addition to our phones, money, and our Disney Ticket Cards…here is what we brought.
Are you planning a trip to Disney with your twins anytime soon? Clicking on the book above takes you to an affiliate links. This means Me Two Books may earn a small commission should you make a purchase using the links. Forget the grocery hauls, here is the haul I love the most. Check out what we checked out from the library...inspiring children's books! Clicking on the book above takes you to an affiliate links. This means Me Two Books may earn a small commission should you make a purchase using the links.
This post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Bunny Books. All opinions are my own.
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Enter for a chance to win one of three signed copies of Lulu the Beaver or one of two very awesome Lulu the Beaver prize packs: The Illustration Pack or The Blast-Off Pack.
One (1) grand prize winner receives: THE ILLUSTRATION PACK
THE BLAST-OFF PACK
Clicking on the book above takes you to an affiliate links. This means Me Two Books may earn a small commission should you make a purchase using the links. Forget the grocery hauls, here is the haul I love the most. Check out what we checked out from the library...our favorite books from 2022! Clicking on the book above takes you to an affiliate links. This means Me Two Books may earn a small commission should you make a purchase using the links.
This post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Foreword Publicity. All opinions are my own.
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Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree
Written by Richard Wagner Illustrated by Sydni Kruger Ages 3+ | 38 Pages Publisher: Mascot Kids | ISBN-13: 9781645437086 Publisher’s Synopsis: The world is not always a perfect place. Needles, a scraggly little tree, must endure criticism, laughter, and setbacks to realize his goal of becoming a beautiful Christmas tree. This is a story of dreams, desires, hope, determination, and never giving up. It also offers the observation that what others think is beautiful may not really matter. Beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder and paired with the spirit of Christmas, maybe we can make the world just a little more perfect! Giveaway
Enter for a chance to win a copy of Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree, autographed by Richard Wagner.
One (1) winner receives: - An autographed copy of Needles, the Forgotten Christmas Tree This post contains affiliate links. This means Me Two Books may earn a small commission should you make a purchase using the link.
This post is in partnership with The Children's Book Review and Medea Kalantar. All opinions are my own.
Not only is the story in this book entertaining, but it teaches some very important lessons about diversity and breaking down limits.
~Ali Dunn, Me Two Books
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Honeycake: A Helping Hand
Written by Medea Kalantar Illustrated by i Cenzial Ages 4+ | 33 Pages Publisher: Medea Kalantar | ISBN-13: 9781777289768 Publisher’s Book Summary: In the sixth installment of the delightful Honeycake book series, Nala’s uncles, Victor and George, take her to a fundraiser where she meets Alexis, a girl with an artificial arm. Through her interactions, Nala learns that you are never too young to lend “a helping hand,” that it’s okay to be different, and that being different doesn’t stop you from doing great things in life.
Medea Kalantar is a Reiki master and practitioner, a Guinness World Record Holder, and a multi-award-winning, best-selling author of the Honeycake Book Series(TM). Inspired to write these books when she became a grandmother, Kalantar’s stories are based on her own family, whose members come from many ethnic backgrounds. This unique mix is a perfect recipe—just like the spices in a honey cake. That is why she calls her grandchildren her little Honeycakes.
Book Review
Themes: Inclusion, differences, people with disabilities
Honeycake: A Helping Hand, is the sixth book in the Honeycake series. The main character Nala meets a girl with an artificial arm, and learns how to embrace and celebrate the differences that unite us all. Not only is the story in this book entertaining, but it teaches some very important lessons about diversity and breaking down limits. The book also contains a glossary of words used throughout the book, which is a great way to build understanding around terms that some children may be hearing for the first time. I love the message of this book, and it is one that your children will want to read over and over. As if that wasn't reason enough to add this book to your home library, all proceeds from each book sale goes to The War Amps CHAMP Program. Giveaway
Enter for a chance to win 6-book set of the Honeycake series with bookmarks—including a copy of Honeycake: A Helping Hand autographed by Madea Kalantar!
One (1) grand prize winner receives: - A signed hardcover copy of Honeycake: A Family of Spices - A signed hardcover copy of Honeycake: Help, I Swallowed a Butterfly - A signed hardcover copy of Honeycake: Special Magical Powers - A signed hardcover copy of Honeycake: A Circle of Trust - A signed hardcover copy of Honeycake: Counting All My Blessings - A signed hardcover of Honecake: A Helping Hand -Bookmarks Four (4) winners receive: - A signed hardcover copy of Honeycake: A Helping Hand Five (5) winners receive: - A signed paperback copy of Honeycake: A Helping Hand
This post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review. All opinions are my own.
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Tell the Truth, Dragon!
Written by Bianca Schulze Illustrated by Samara Hardy Ages 3+ | 32 Pages Publisher: Clever Publishing ISBN-13: 9781954738034 Publisher’s Book Summary: Acknowledging and owning up to a mistake is a very difficult task for children—and it’s not always easy for adults, either! In this most recent installment of the popular Dragon series from Clever, Tell the Truth, Dragon introduces a situation in which Dragon blames someone else for the mistake she makes. Gentle text prompts readers to encourage Dragon to tell the truth and apologize for her mistake, even though it’s a tough thing to do. Dragon realizes her mistake and offers an apology—and then more than makes up for it! Designed to be a read-aloud, parents will take pleasure in the playful text as much as children will enjoy following the prompts to interact with Dragon. The whimsical and colorful illustrations enable the dragon to jump off the page and will delight readers with her personality on every page. Giveaway
Enter for a chance to win a 4-book set of the Dragon series—including a copy of Tell the Truth, Dragon! autographed by Bianca Schulze—a framed 'Growing Readers' print illustrated by Samara Hardy, and a $50 Bookshop.org gift card!
One (1) grand prize winner receives: - An autographed 4-Book Set of the Dragon series, including: Don't Wake the Dragon, signed by Bianca Schulze Just Be Yourself, Dragon, signed by Bianca Schulze Who Loves the Dragon?, signed by Bianca Schulze Tell the Truth, Dragon, signed by Bianca Schulze - A framed 'Growing Readers' illustration by Samara Hardy (Art Size: 7" x 7", Final Frame Size: 12.88" × 12.88") - A $50 Bookshop.org gift card Two (2) winners receive: - A copy of Tell the Truth, Dragon, signed by Bianca Schulze Clicking on the book above takes you to an affiliate links. This means Me Two Books may earn a small commission should you make a purchase using the links. Forget the grocery hauls, here is the haul I love the most. Check out what we checked out from the library...books about twins! Clicking on the book above takes you to an affiliate links. This means Me Two Books may earn a small commission should you make a purchase using the links.
This post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Dover Publications. All opinions are my own.
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