Over the many years we’ve been coming to PEI in the summer, we’ve managed to visit every corner and many stops along the way.
There have been many favourite locations we have discovered and returned to over the years, but one that we always make a point of going to is Victoria By the Sea.
Why we love Victoria By The Sea
Located only 20 minutes east of the Confederation Bridge (which is close to where we stay), it’s an easy drive to a coastal town that is perfectly picturesque.
There is a lighthouse to climb and snap photos of (every PEI trip should include lighthouse visits) and it’s situated with a backdrop that is worth seeing.
Give yourself enough time to walk around and shop the Village. I love these two shops where you can purchase local gifts, decor and more!
Of course, we don’t go anywhere without knowing we’ll be eating some amazing local food.
Richard’s is THE place to get a lobster roll. You can also order something else on the menu (my eldest opted for the steamed mussels during our last visit and they looked amazing) but I can’t get past their lobster roll and fries. And they have beer on tap for those who enjoy that!
There’s the newly re-done Landmark Oyster House that we weren’t able to get to yes, but the food sounds delicious.
We often end up at the Lobster Barn for a patio meal overlooking the water.
Other places to visit
There are many other places to check out in this small town, but here are a few more to consider:
Island Chocolates will have treats for the family or gifts to bring home (if they make it that long!) and also serves locally roasted coffee. You can see them making the chocolate too!
The Victoria Playhouse offers a season of live theatre and you can check in advance of your trip to see what’s playing.
And finally, if you are feeling adventurous, you can rent kayaks or bicycles to tour around (or even learn how to kayak!)
A few notes:
As with almost every destination on the Island, it’s worth checking to confirm that shops and restaurants are open and for what times. In high season, they are open more frequently but sometimes closed early or not at all, especially during the quiet seasons.
There are a few small parking lots but you may end up needing to street park.
Bring a camera – this is a spot where you’ll be able to capture plenty of picturesque photos!
Are you planning to travel in Ontario this summer? If you are already dreaming about your next road trip and will be staying in Ontario (or having family from afar coming to visit) you may be happy to know that Attractions Ontario has announced discount offers!
This isn’t a sponsored post but I like to share this link almost every year because I’ve used it and saved money myself!
Attractions Ontario Discounts
These offers – things like 20% off admission, or buy 2 tickets for the price of 1 – to some of Ontario’s favourite family destinations may help take a bit of the bite out of the rising costs of travel right now.
While a lot of travel plans still may be different this year for a lot of families, I know that it’s exciting to start thinking about making some trips; sometimes the ones within our own province can help create favourite memories.
And given that everything costs more right now (or so it seems), finding ways to save on some local travel is a great place to start!
We are Excited for more Travel as a Family
We have some local trips planned already. Summer travel offers so many more opportunities to have some fun and create so many memories.
The Attractions Ontario discounts are often very popular, and I’ve used them before myself. Here are some that I wanted to highlight!
A few discounts for family travel in Ontario:
Save $3 at Bird Kingdom in the Niagara area (you can read about our previous visits here)
I call the day before back to school the ‘last day of summer’, and then a whole bunch of people tell me how wrong I am because summer doesn’t end for a few more weeks. Fine. More accurately, it’s the last day of summer vacation. And one reason we love vacation so much is all of the travel we fit into the summer.
As we begin school and get back into a work routine in the Fall, we forget that our days of adventuring don’t need to end just because summer does. Fall is a gorgeous time of year for a local day trip or even an overnight staycation. As the leaves turn colour, and the temperatures drop just a bit, there are still opportunities for s’mores, bonfires and outdoor fun. Even grey November days can be made brighter.
I’m always wondering if we shouldn’t try to sneak in a quick overnight or two somewhere one weekend, just to remind ourselves that our time together and the travel that we enjoy can be year round and to get away from our new routine a bit. Here are some spots that you and your family may enjoy visiting this Fall!
We’ve been in the summer, late Fall after the holiday decorations go up, and the dead of winter and love each visit. Going when the leaves are orange and red would be a stunning time. There’s the indoor pool to enjoy no matter the weather outside, plus fitting in a game of mini putt while wearing cozy sweaters is easy to do. Here’s some info about a previous!
Feeling adventurous? Read about our overnight stay in Parc Omega. You can still reserve a spot for the Fall! I can imagine how stunning the drive through the area would be when the leaves turn colours!
This resort will make it feel like you are out of the city without really having to go very far. They have mini putt, golf, and indoor arcade and an indoor pool. Depending on the weather, the outdoor heated pool may still be open! I love the ‘kids eat free’ dining option too. We always enjoy going there!
It’s not hard to find activities to do in downtown Ottawa. Whether your family wants to visit Parliament Hill, or head over to see Mosaicanada in the autumn, it’s nice to relax and enjoy staying right in the city without worrying about driving home. The kids will love the indoor games room too.
It’s only about 90 minutes East of Orleans but Chateau Vaudrauil in Quebec is lovely in the Fall. We went a couple of years ago for Thanksgiving weekend and not only scored amazing weather but had such a fun time. There is plenty of food in the area, tennis courts on site, and since it’s right on the water it’s the perfect location for a morning cup of coffee. We bundled up and enjoyed the calm. Look for their suites to give you and your family a bit more space.
Cottage Country
Browse around and look for a cottage that is within a 90 minute drive in the area and see if you can secure a mini, secluded getaway where you can sip a beverage, stare at the water, and wear cozy sweaters while playing board games together.
Do you have any mini getaways planned for the Fall?
Our experience was gifted to us by Tourism PEI. All opinions are my own
I have two words for you: Beach. Goats.
Having visiting Prince Edward Island for many years with the kids (we began when our youngest was only 2 and now both are teens), I can safely say that we have been able to experience so many activities, food bites and generosity the Island has to offer. And of course, it’s no secret that we love to visit year after year.
Family Activities in PEI to do with Kids and Teens
We’ve gone to lighthouses, Bottle Houses, many beaches, and foodie destinations (some, admittedly, were more for mom and dad than the kids) and as the years have gone by, we’ve reduced how ‘busy’ we keep ourselves.
Because our cottage is a destination and attraction on its own, we don’t leave for day trips like we did when the kids were smaller and were waking up earlier in the day. We’ve been treating our vacation as a ‘home away from home’ for a while now.
However, when Tourism PEI offered us the chance to try something new, we welcomed the opportunity to become adventuring tourists again. All the offerings that we could have done looked like a blast, but it was the Beach Goats activity on the list that BOTH my kids insisted we do.
What is the Beach Goat experience?
Beach Goats are located on the southern part of PEI in St. Chrysostome. This family run business has been operating for five years, welcoming visitors to their beach-front property to play and walk with the goats.
On the day of our visit, we had about 17 goats taking us for a walk (and yes, I say they took us because we just followed along as they strolled the beach, snacking on vegetatian and playing around).
While we booked a private experience (which meant it was just us, the owner (Devon), and the goats), there are a variety of ways to come hang with the goats.
You can visit during a public drop in ‘sampler’ on Tuesdays and Saturdays in August from 1 pm to 4 pm (no reservations required), sign up for goat yoga or paddleboarding, book your own private experience or check out one of their special events like Paint Night.
If your little one is 5 and under, you may want to attend the playgroup, a visit designed for younger kids.
Rates, schedules and registration information are listed on their website.
Our hour-long visit seemed to fly by while Devon kindly told us stories about the goats (they all have their own unique personalities, and names of course), and as we walked the beach at low tide, followed by Jimmy, the extremely friendly dog, it was easy to see why so many people love visiting the goats.
We just watched them eat, play, frolic and fed them dry pasta snacks Devon had brought and it was just what all of us needed. My youngest held them from time to time and both kids had big smiles on their faces while they petted and walked along.
It’s an experience that landed high on the ‘top things we did’ list this year, and there are already plans to book again next year to visit our new friends. How could we not when we had such a great time?
If you are visiting PEI, with kids or without, you’ll want to book your own visit to the Beach Goats.
If you are travelling with kids, of any age (remember, my kids are teens!!) this is a must-do and will become a highlight for your trip I’m sure. BUT for special events and activities like paddleboarding, bookings do fill up quickly (and are dependent on the tide schedules) so you’ll want to book in advance.
For years, we have been going to PEI in the summer, and this year is no exception.
If you’ve been following this blog, or any of m y online accounts, you know that PEI holds a dear place in my heart. It’s become the most fantastic travel spot for our family each summer.
We’ve been visiting since my youngest was 2 years old, so from a family travel perspective we’ve learned quite a few things along the way.
It’s become one of our most loved trips to plan, primarily because we feel like locals when we go now.
Every year, I’m asked about our trips to PEI and I highly encourage other families to make vacation plans to visit PEI as well. The memories will last a lifetime.
What to do in PEI with kids
Most people ask me what we ‘do’ on PEI while there with the kids. The answer is a bit confusing because we do nothing and everything all at once.
We spend a lot of time on the beach, we eat fantastically, we explore, we find new places, we try new things, we watch the sunrise and sunset over the ocean water, the play, we laugh and ultimately we spend time together, just the four of us, that our responsibility-filled lives don’t usually allow for, at least not in the same way.
Every year, we seem to find a new local spot to hang out. But more and more, we just sit back and enjoy our time in the gorgeous space we have.
One thing I recommend is to lean into what the kids love themselves. My son loves history so we usually find spots that have historic stories to share (Charlottetown is the perfect place for this).
My daughter, meanwhile, becomes a little mermaid when we head East so we look for new beaches or build into swimming time for her throughout the weeks.
These activities may change as they grow, but there’s always something to do.
Mostly, we spend a lot of time at our cottage making memories, playing games, reading, swimming and challenging each other to epic soccer tournaments and pop-fly 500 games.
I do recommend a few places when people ask about visiting the Island. Keep reading for some suggestions.
There are so many beaches to choose from, and those visits usually depend on where we will be and the weather, but a few to look into are Thunder Cove, Brackley Beach, Basin Head, the Argyle Shore, and North Rustico.
I also always recommend you find some lighthouses to explore. There’s a map that you can get on the Island that shows you where they all are. These make for amazing photos, history lessons, and a great way to see a lot of the province.
PEI Vacation Planning: Want more information about PEI?
Here are some posts I’ve written to help you make your own plans.
There’s so much to see and do on the Island. It’s historical significance is being celebrated against the backdrop of green lands and glorious beaches. We are pretty excited about heading back each year.
Where to stay when visiting PEI
Want to spend the afternoon looking at cottages? Check out the Tourism PEI website to start. We’ve also used Home Away and Rentalo in our searches.
There are many parts of the Island to stay on. We stay on the southern shore because we love the tide coming in and out, the red sand, the shallow (warmer) waters, and the bird life.
But that area may not be for everyone.
Another spot we love is East (Panmure Island, Souris if you go further North East).
Location based on Beach
I always recommend you think about the following before deciding where to go
a) the beach you want to be on
b) how close to the nearest larger City you want to be (Charlottetown or Summerside for example)
You need to decide if you what type of beach you want to be on first (regular, sandy style beach, or the red sand and extreme tides?) and that should help. The closer you are to open water, the better the breeze typically which has helped us greatly with bugs and not having air conditioning.
We typically would recommend you look for properties near or on the Straight or Coasts with open water because the Bays can sometimes not get enough breeze which means it can be really hot and really bug invested. The same for inland rentals.
What’s the weather like in PEI?
The weather on the Island can vary in the summer months, but typically we deal with warm, summer weather and the nights tend to cool.
Some years have been much warmer than others but the cooler mornings and evenings only add to the attraction. We love sitting on the deck with our coffee and a sweater to start the day.
It can rain, which will affect your beach time, but there are plenty of indoor activities and plans to make on rain days. But of course, we always hope for sunny weather! Also, just because the weather calls for rain doesn’t mean it will last all day. Sometimes the showers are short!
If you rent a cottage, like we do, you’ll find warm days are cooled slightly if you are near the open water and there’s a breeze.
We live in Ottawa and it’s about a 14 hour drive from Ottawa to PEI. We drive and stay over for one night on the way before taking possession of the cottage rental.
In previous years, we have stayed in Saint John and Fredericton and other places along the way.
The plan is typically to drive the furthers on the first day, and then have a leisurely morning the second day.
We usually drive to Fredericton and stop for a picnic lunch in La Pocatiere, QC. This is about a six and a half hour drive. We pack our own lunch (although there is fast food nearby) and we can stretch our legs.
When the tides are right, you could consider a stop at Hopewell Rocks (this is such an amazing area). We’ve done this on the way to PEI and on the way home from PEI before.
On the drive home, we drive it all in one day.
PEI also has an airport, so you could fly into Charlottetown and rent a car to get around the Island as well.
Summer vacation planning to PEI is so much fun! Enjoy!
Have you been to PEI? Going to summer? Let me know below!
The pandemic continues and while some things have started to open up, we are still all trying to keep our distance from everyone who isn’t in our bubble and we are wearing masks when we will be near others.
When I look back on these posts years from now, I wonder if I will remember all the feelings I’m having now. Some days I’m frustrated. Other days I am worried and anxious. Some days angry. Some days sad. And some days happy – there are moments of joy that I’m able to enjoy.
As you may have seen, writing hasn’t been easy lately. Neither is reading, or being productive. It’s a really difficult time, and yet, I find comfort in enjoying the nice summer weather, being with my family, and staying as safe and healthy as we can.
The weather makes a big difference, and we’ve been enjoying the backyard this year even more.
The kids are happy to not have school requirements and we are definitely treating the summer like a summer – lazy days, filled with outdoor time, screens, good food and fun.
Work has been my welcome distraction, and even though both Andy and I are working throughout the summer (he usually takes it off) from home, we are finding some sense of balance and routine and boundaries. I had to start focusing on the latter because I was turning to the computer far too often somedays!
As a family our time this summer is a bit different, as our activities have had to change, but we have been trying to focus on rest and we all know we need it. We are in a fortunate position to have us all at home. I do miss having a quiet house though 😉
We were able to go visit our family in Southern Ontario for a few days recently. The trip was a bit different (it required us to de-bubble from my parents, to bubble with the 5 people we were going to see in Windsor) but it was such a nice time away, mostly spent at grandma’s house and outdoors.
It’s hard to believe the summer is almost over. That a new journey will begin (one that has my kids at home doing virtual learning while both Andy and I are working. More on that another time).
But the lazy summer days and gorgeous weather have been just what we needed.
Planning a vacation with the kids? We’ve been travelling with ours since they were about 6 weeks old. We’ve always had family out of town, so road trips and flights were necessary to visit them, and as the years have gone by we’ve planned many fun vacations as a family of four.
Now that our kids are older, travel has gotten even easier, but we are still on the look out for tips to make our journey a smooth one!
Thanks to our love of travelling, we have often stayed in hotels and at resorts. Sometimes it’s for a quick night while we continue on to another location, other times it’s for a few nights as a mini vacation in itself. Over the years, we’ve picked up a few tips along the way that make each of our stays even easier. Have questions? Ask away!
Pack for the hotel
When we go on long road trips, and have a lot of items, we don’t love carrying every single baseball bat and beach towel into the hotel room, especially for only a simple overnight stay. Instead, we make sure that our hotel items (the overnight clothes we need for example) are either in a smaller bag or on top of the rest of the clothes we pack in our main suitcase. We only take what we need. Some items can stay in the car, while others will remain neatly packed in the suitcase thanks to some pre-planning.
If we are flying, we are even more mindful about what we are bringing.
Find a place that includes breakfast
I love places that include breakfast. It not only saves us money, but breakfast is the meal that my kids are guaranteed to eat so much of. Some places off a hot continental breakfast which is always amazing (and usually have coffee to go when we hit the road again!) Other places offer a voucher for room service (I love this!) or a restaurant meal, depending on the package you book. For us, finding a place with breakfast is always worth it.
A fridge can help
Especially when the kids were younger and their diet was more limited, a fridge in the room was exactly what we needed. But even now, we still use the fridge to ensure favourite snacks, and fresh fruit or veggies, are available.
This isn’t included everywhere, but some places offer mini fridges and I love having them. We can keep yogurt or a small milk container and bring along some cereal which makes a perfect bedtime snack (especially if the kids are fussy and don’t eat much at dinner). Even at Disney we had a mini fridge and I brought small boxes of cereal for late night snacking – I just had to get some milk at the cafeteria!
It also means cold drinks are always handy which saves you money at the vending machines or restaurants.
Bring stuffies
We don’t go anywhere without a favourite stuffy friend (or, sometimes, many). Not only do they provide a cuddle buddy for sleeping, but also a play mate for quiet time. When the sleep environment changes, having a friend from home is often more comforting for kids.
Consider the bed set up
Most rooms will have double beds, others will have a king bed with a pull out couch. If you need an extra cot, check to see if they are available, if there is a charge, or if you need to request it earlier. You don’t want to assume there is a cot or crib, and then find out that the hotel doesn’t provide it.
Look into booking a Suite
There are many suites and longer-stay style hotel rooms that are perfect for families. Having an extra room when you have young kids that you are trying to put to sleep might be exactly what you need. Having a kitchen set up in the room will also be helpful, especially if staying longer. Yes, sometimes suites are expensive at some hotels, but we’ve found many that are reasonably priced, include breakfast and even other food like evening receptions.
Is there enough to do?
If you just need a place to rest your head before continuing on your way, look at the room itself as a priority (and consider saving money if you are in and out quickly).
However, if you need a place to spend some time, even if it’s for an afternoon, check out places with pools or play areas for kids so you don’t have to spend all your time in the room.
Sometimes, hotel stays are nothing but a stressful event because kids won’t sleep or the set up isn’t ideal for families. With a little advanced research, hopefully you’ll reduce the number of nights like this. And remember, part of the adventure for the kids is sleeping at a hotel! They’ll likely be excited no matter what. Have fun!
After five family trips to Walt Disney World, and many more to come (ha), I have learned MANY things about planning this trip as a family. I’m updating this massive post with my latest to help you plan your own magical time.
Pick your Date
We wanted to go at a time when it wasn’t too hot in sunny Florida but also, and more importantly, when the parks wouldn’t be at their busiest (President’s Day, our Family Day weekend is SUPER busy for example)
After speaking with friends who had gone in January, and checking out some very handy Walt Disney World blogs (like this one and this one), we found links like this one that told us when the busy times were. While we knew some rides wouldn’t be available (a common factor during ‘off peak’ weeks), this didn’t concern us.
Note: Sometimes when you go during ‘low season’ some rides will be unavailable because they use this time to work on them.
We’ve picked the last week of January or into the first week of February most years. Which sometimes happens to be my birthday as well. Woot. This year, for my 40th, we specifically kicked off the trip with my birthday at Magic Kingdom. That’s how I wanted to celebrate.
We have also gone the week before March break. Now, as the kids are getting older and we’ll soon be dealing with high school exams, we are back to looking at March Break. It will be busy, but we are confident that because of all we’ve learned over the years it won’t affect our time.
(Note: This year, the week in February was super busy for some reason. It was fine, but we noticed the difference.)
Book Ahead
Once you decide on your date of travel, you’ll need to worry about two major things when planning your trip: How you are getting to Orlando (your travel arrangements), and booking the place you are going to stay.
For the purpose of this post, because it has been our experience, I am going to talk about staying at Disney itself, at a Disney World property. There are many places nearby Disney that you can stay at, but we have always stayed on resort and love it.
We have often used points to fly (and save money!) before, or have waited for sales. When using points, you may need to book in advance to maximize which points to use.
Now, as the kids have gotten older, we’ve changed our strategy. Instead of only using Air Canada (and points) we have decided that our favourite flight is the evening on a Saturday with WestJet, and the Noon flight coming home with Air Canada (vs West Jet’s late evening flight coming home).
This is for my Ottawa friends who are planning – the reason is, the early morning wake up to make a 7 am flight is ROUGH and some of us don’t fly well to begin with. Having all day to finish packing and eating normally really makes a difference. Plus, the day we fly in is never a Park day, so really, we just end up being overly tired and hanging at the resort (which is fine, but doesn’t always work for us).
What to consider when looking at resorts
Next, you will want to book your resort stay. To book your stay, and guarantee your resort won’t be booked up, you only need to put a $200 deposit down. You then have up to about 45 days before your actual trip to make changes.
Here’s also what I learned: If a better deal comes up, and there is availability at your resort, you can sometimes get that better deal applied. We’ve had this happen multiple times (although it’s not guaranteed).
Usually, the next year accommodations get posted around mid-June. If you are planning to go, book your resort ASAP, then swap if a deal is available.
This year, we booked at Disney’s Pop Century for the first time. I secured it in June. It was sold out very quickly so while there wasn’t a deal, it was still the better purchase (it’s less expensive than some others typically). But I could have missed it completely if I waited.
One of the pool’s at Disney’s Pop Century Resort. There are three, although one is currently closed for refurbishment.
Booking your Resort
For many years, we stayed at and loved Port Orleans Riverside. We took recommendations from people who had previously been there, searched websites for recommendations, and then looked at the price differences vs the facilities to make our decision.
Here’s the long and short of it: You can spend a lot more or less money depending on what you need or want. We basically ended up in the middle ground for budget. Each resort has different restaurants, amenities, themes, and so on, but ultimately, you need to decide what your priorities are. We wanted something with easy access to food and transportation (although I would guess most have great transportation to the parks.)
Port Orleans Riverside (and nearby is the Port Orleans French Quarter which is also a great pick from what I hear) feels like you are somewhere different and it’s green and lush. In our early years, when we spent more time at the resort (and ended our park days earlier because the kids were younger) this was perfect.
Riverside has two transportation methods to use: Buses at four different stop points (it’s a big resort), that take you to the parks, but also a boat service to get to Disney Springs. We always enjoyed the boat.
Last year, when we stayed, we literally only showed up in our room for sleep, and the one ‘off park day’ we usually book.
Because of that, this year we decided to try Pop Century. It saves us about $100 a night, and has recently been refinished so the rooms were really new and well organized (lots of storage space). They aren’t huge in size, and ours had a murphy bed pull out (plus another bed) but it was perfect for our needs.
Disney’s New Skyliner is a game changer for transportation to some parks
In addition, new this year is Disney’s Skyliner transportation service. These gondolas connect Pop Century, Art of Animation, Riviera and Caribbean Beach Resorts to Epcot and Hollywood, given us the Skyliner and bus as options. WE LOVED the Skyliner. It’s a total game changer for getting to and from Epcot and Hollywood.
It helped secure our decision that Pop is our new go-to resort.
NOTE: Most resorts are set for up to 4 people. This means that families of 5 or more, start to get limited in their options. You’ll notice that while Riverside will accommodate 5, Pop actually doesn’t (but the neighbouring Art of Animation will. There is price difference though!)
View of Art of Animation Resort from Pop Century Resort.
Using the My Disney Experience App
What you should do right away is download the My Disney Experience App Sign up for an account and set up the members of your travel party. If other adults are travelling, they can sign up for their own account and then you can link them together. This will give you access, and everyone else you connect with, to your ticket information, booking dinner reservations, making FastPass selections, requesting special room needs and more.
This App is amazing. We use the app to keep an eye out on bus times at our resort, dining options nearby, booking and changing dining or FastPass selections and more. It’s the only app you’ll need the entire week you are there! Love it.
Dining and Food
I’ll update some of our favourite biets to eat in a whole other post, but there are a couple of things to note.
In the first few years of our Disney travels, we did opt for the Disney Dining Plan which included a quick service, snack and Table Service each day. Gratuities aren’t included, but a main course, dessert and drink are with table service. A main, drink and dessert is also included in the quick service. A snack is a variety of things: bakery bites are a snack, Mickey Ice Cream bars are snacks, and fresh fruit is a snack etc.
We spent a lot of time researching dining plans and deciding if it was best for us at the time because the kids were under 10. Even the first year when we had our son turn 10 and become an ‘adult’ for Disney, it still worked.
It’s nice to have the ease of buying food and booking any dinners you like. However, after that last year with our eldest being an adult (but not really eating adult portions) we decided to start going off-plan. The past couple of years we saved SO MUCH money off plan. In part because the kids are both adults (and the cost difference no longer makes sense) and because we just don’t eat that many table services, expensive meals or even that amount of food.
I’ll do a separate food post with our tips on dining, on and off plan, but message me if you have questions.
Also, it’s important to note that our goal being off plan was to still never say no to a meal or bite we wanted – even eating when and whatever we wanted we still saved.
Me enjoying a birthday dinner at Tony’s at Magic Kingdom
NOTE: You can book resort and park passes and opt out of dining. Sometimes, dining is included as a special, or you get a discount if you book a complete package with dining. It’s worth crunching the numbers to see! Bottom line – if your kids are under 10, definitely consider the dining plan.
What I do recommend is that you make dining reservations in advance. These can change right up until the day before your reservation, but some character meals and popular places to eat book up quickly. If you know where you want to eat, book it as soon as you can!
What we did find was that most restaurants took a certain amount of walk-ins the day of, but if you really want to eat with Cinderella, I wouldn’t take the chance. Dining locations with characters, or ones like Be Our Guest will all need reservations (otherwise, you can wait in a stand by line but those can be long. I may wait for some rides but I don’t love waiting for food!)
180 days before you will be notified that you can start making your dining selections. Even if you aren’t sure of all of your plans yet, it’s worth booking them, especially for the character experiences.
Here’s how we did it:
We decided which park we wanted to visit on which day, and then focused on food in or around the park. If we desperately wanted to eat at a certain restaurant, and the day we planned on being at that park wasn’t available, we swapped our park days. Yes, our trip was heavily planned around food (of course!)
We based our restaurant selections on how many stars they received on Trip Advisor, the menu, the atmosphere and the location. Menu was very important! Also, some restaurants use up two credits for a meal instead of one, so we were cautious of that. There weren’t any restaurants we looked at that didn’t have fantastic, varied options for the kids, so it was more about what we wanted to eat.
Now that we are off plan, we still basically use the same formula and focus on location and menu.
TIP: Use the My Disney Experience App to keep an eye out for ‘better’ reservation times or experiences if you don’t get them when you first try. I couldn’t get reservations at Oga’s Cantina in Galaxy’s Edge when I first tried (and that was 180 days out!) but in the months leading up to our trip I kept checking and scored some!!
What Park on What Days? Our schedule
Since year 1, this has been the order we have done the parks:
Fly into Orlando Saturday
Magic Kingdom Sunday
Epcot Monday
Hollywood Tuesday
BREAK on Wednesday (swimming around the resort, shopping at Disney Springs)
Animal Kingdom Thursday
Magic Kingdom Friday
Fly home Saturday
This year, we added an extra day so after our day and doubled up on Hollywood (because of Star Wars) and Magic Kingdom.
If you can swing it, I always recommend doubling up on Magic Kingdom Days. There’s just so much to do and repeat, and it gives you the chance to make sure you see their fireworks at least one night.
The reason we pick our order like that is because we want to book end the trip with Magic Kingdom, and Epcot is usually a quieter day (lots of eating) so since Sunday is a full day after travelling, and we stay up late for the fireworks, we don’t want a go-go-go pack on Monday.
I consider Epcot and Animal Kingdom parks to be less ‘hustle’ and more chill.
Next year, we are looking at March Break so we may change up the order to ensure we don’t end up at Magic on a Saturday if possible (I worry about it being extra busy)
Also, every day, typically, one of the parks has ‘magic hours’ for people staying on resort. These are extended park hours. You could try to make your park schedule based on this if you can their hours planned in advance.
FastPass
You may have heard about the FastPass at Disney. Basically, it’s like a ‘cutting the line’ ticket that you can plan for. It’s included in your ticket. You get 3 FastPasses per park per day, and there are some limitations. When choosing your FastPass, you are given grouped options, which means you may not get the exact 3 FastPasses you want. There are different tiers.
No matter what, USE THEM. Book them as soon as you can (60 days out from your trip if you are staying at a resort). They were amazing for us. There are definitely better ways to use them – I’ll try to put together a list (for example, some rides don’t have long wait times so it’s not worth using the FP)
In our early years, when the kids were doing fewer rides, we Fastpassed a lot of character meet and greets and that was totally worth it. Now, we use them for all the most amazing rides possible.
Once you decide your priorities, plan to go for those.
One year, I stayed up until 1 am to try and FastPass (Anna and Elsa were hard to get at the time!) and the system wasn’t ready yet, so I bailed, woke up at 6:30 and got in. I actually didn’t get the first date I wanted for them (they were booked already!) but did get our additional date since we doubled up on visiting Magic Kingdom. That’s how popular some of these FastPasses can be.
A quick note about Rise of the Resistance:
I know I have to do more posts about these stuff, like about Galaxy’s Edge – but I will say this. At this time, Rise of the Resistance is the most sought after ride at Disney (and that’s saying a lot because there are still 4 hour waits some days for Avatar’s Flights of Passage!)
You can’t FastPass Rise currently, but they have a Boarding Pass System. It’s all done through the My Disney Experience App (see how important that App is?) and Boarding Pass opportunities don’t open up until the Park opens for that day. BUT you and all of your party who plans to ride will need to be scanned INTO the park to have a chance. Then, when the Park opens, the App opens up the chance and you try to get them.
This means that going there at 6 am won’t matter. Sure, Disney has been letting people into the Park earlier than it opens (because otherwise the lines were getting ridiculous) but sitting in the park that early doesn’t give you a better chance. You do want to give yourself enough time to catch a bus, or uber, and get to the park, through security and find a place to use Wifi or data.
So when we went, both days, the park opened at 8 am. We arrived on the first day at 7:15, the second around 7:30. Although we were in the park and nothing else was open, it was nice not to stress about the security line to make sure we were in.
I used wifi and the app and Andy used data and the app so at 8 am when passes were available, we both tried to get them.
We did both days, and let me tell you this ride is an EXPERIENCE. I loved it so much. I can’t say much more because I don’t want to offer spoilers – but YES it was worth us planning the extra day for it to make sure we got on it.
Oga’s Cantina at Galaxy’s Edge. This was super fun! But not a part of the dining plan and can be pricey. Worth checking it out though!
Other things to note:
Magic Bands are amazing. They aren’t mailed to Canadians ahead of time, but you get them at check in, and with your My Disney Experience App or web log in, you can customize them with your names, colours etc. They link up to your credit card too. You can pay for merchandise with them, use them for your meal plan etc. We didn’t need to carry wallets.
The Magical Express (which my son called the Evil Express upon leaving because it was going to take us home) is your transportation to and from the airport and resorts. It’s easy to find at the Orlando airport, but they do pick you up on your day of departure about 4 hours before your flight time. You need to call and add yourself to their list to ensure you have a spot on the bus when you arrive or depart. This needs to be done in advance.
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that we travel with the kids quite a bit, but that we take rather relaxing vacations. A lot of downtime is involved. We weren’t sure how Disney would be for us since we are crowd-avoiders usually, however, thanks to the time of year we went, plus some great planning (and a little luck), it turned out to be amazing. You can guess how much we love it since we keep going back!
We ran the kids pretty hard some days with a few very late nights, but what we decided to do was sleep if we needed to sleep. That is, there were no days that we got to any park before it opens. For some, this isn’t great planning since it’s quiet first thing and you can get to some rides quicker, but for us, the extra leisurely morning set us up well for a really great day. Know your kids and take breaks when you need to. We aren’t rope-droppers. We don’t want to rush our mornings (we typically would arrive at the parks at 9:30ish)
You will NOT get to see everything at Disney in a week. It’s impossible, and you’ll be disappointed if you tell yourself you are missing out on stuff, so pick your priorities, expect some surprises and know that because you won’t cover it all, you should just enjoy what you can!
Be opportunistic – this works well for us. Sometimes, if we walk by and a line up is short, we just hop in! We don’t plan every moment of the day because some of our best experiences have been impromptu.
I’ll have more about food in another post! That deserves its own! Plus, some tips for planning out the week and our favourite rides and shows.
Editor’s Note: My son has written some articles about topics he’s chosen that he thinks readers, or maybe their kids will be interested in. Here’s another one and it’s all about PEI! I am often asked what we do with the kids when we go out East. His answers give you a little taste of what the kids love to do when we go.
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My family and I have been to Prince Edward Island for many years as a vacation. Every year, we have a great time. The island is home to many historic places on the island. However, history is not the only thing available on the island. Many other forms of fun can be enjoyed while on Prince Edward Island. Let’s see the top five best things to do on Prince Edward Island.
5. Visit the beaches
Some of the islands most popular areas are the beaches! There are currently 23 beaches located on the island, and all of them are different in their own way. Some of our favourites are Greenwich, North Rustico & Cavendish. However, those are just three. There are still twenty more waiting to be explored. Also, be ready to swim!
4. Explore the light houses
Another one of PEI’s most popular destinations are the lighthouses. 63 lighthouses are found in PEI. You may think that lighthouses are boring but they are pretty cool once you reach the top. Yes, you read that right, you can climb the lighthouses. Each of them are fairly similar in shape, color and size. However, some of them are pretty unique in their own way. Here are some to check out. Souris East Lighthouse, North Cape, Point Prim and Panmure. These lighthouses are all cool and besides, there are 63 of them.
Victoria-by-the-Sea
3. Visit Charlottetown
PEI’s capital and the birthplace of confederation, Charlottetown is where the magic happens. Perhaps you want a drink? They have it here. Oh, you would like some French Fries? They have it here. Perhaps you want a great place to explore? They have it here. Yes, Charlottetown has it all. One thing you need to check out is the province house. They are currently renovating it so you most likely won’t be able to go in until 2020. Nonetheless, Charlottetown is a great way to spend a day at, as it has restaurants, tourist attractions and food. Who doesn’t like food, right?
2. Visit a Cows Ice Cream shop
Cows is one of the best ice cream cones I’ve tasted in the last 10 years. I don’t think I’m alone. There are 12 locations on the island and even some in other places in Canada. Some of places are Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta and British Columbia. You’ll recognize Cows because it literally has a giant cow outside each of the shops. On top of that, make sure you visit the creamery too. It is where the ice cream is made. Also, Cows makes merchandise too. However, they are all parodies of popular movies and TV shows. An example is “Farmite Cattle Royale” Obviously after Fortnite Battle Royale. Try the ice cream it is some of the best you’ll ever have.
1. Try all the food
PEI has all these great things, but the food is what really counts. I mean seafood, of course. Lobster, Oysters, Mussels you name it they have it. You may think it’s just seafood you can find anywhere. We’re on an island of course it’s going to be better than any other seafood! You can have it for dinner, and lunch. As I said, Charlottetown will have all of this seafood. However, some stores will carry it as well. I suggest that if you’re on vacation, you’ll want to eat as much as you can, because once you leave, you won’t be able to have it again.
*editor’s note: He LOVES mussels now, and is a picky eater. Thanks PEI!
So that’s what you should do if you go to PEI. Try the food, visit the lighthouses, swim at the beach and have a good time. I hope you enjoy your time in PEI and have fun.
Editor’s Note: My 12 year old resident writer is back with another post! This one is about our trip to Toronto in March to kick off the baseball season. It was in partnership with the Toronto Marriott City Centre, and you can read my own official full post here. But this recap is one he wanted to write as a part of his series of posts, with his own view point so if you have kids, it may help you plan your next Toronto trip too! We are returning to Toronto in August, on the train, and I grabbed a great rate at the Marriott to stay there again, so reading his post has me more excited about the trip!
Toronto Trip
My family and I recently visited Toronto for a baseball game, tourism and of course, a family trip. We had a lot of fun during our stay. Here’s what we did throughout that time.
Part 1: Transportation
Of course, it all begins at the train station. We took the VIA train down to Toronto. The trip down was pleasant, and made me realise how much I loved the train. Service was good, along with the food. It is also worth mentioning that the wait to get on the train good too. Overall, I enjoyed the trip down and I would go on the VIA again.
(Editor’s Note: Via Rail is offering one-way trips for kids all summer long for only $15! The age cut off is 11 though 😉
Part 2: Arrival
Once we got to Toronto, we began to feel at home. The place was huge. Towers were big and seemed humongous. Unlike where we live, This felt incredibly new.
We quickly found our way to the Marriott connected to Rogers Centre. We checked in and then toured around the beautiful city. We saw interesting areas like the CBC Headquarters. After that, we got tired and went to our hotel room. The room was big. That night, we ate at the Sportsnet bar and grill. The food was great and I recommend it. On top of the food, you get a beautiful view of the field. If you wanted, you could eat and watch the whole game there. Of course, later we went to the game. We were able to go to the TD lounge that game, which was cool. On top of that the food was great, I could certainly go back to a game at Rogers Centre again sometime, and if you haven’t been, you should definitely go check it out.
(Editor’s Note: Only the boys went to the game. My daughter and I enjoyed the gorgeous hotel pool!)
Part 3: The Next Day
The next morning, we went back to the bar and grill for breakfast. The buffet was great and it was another great meal. After, we went to the pool. The pool is pretty big and it is cool. After, it was time for some more touring. This time, around the city a little bit more. It was fun and each place looked new.
Once again, we went back to the room for the afternoon ballgame. The Tigers lost again, so that’s bad. Nonetheless, it was fun. We ended up getting upgraded to the field view room in the upper levels, which is insane.
The room is basically a ticket within itself. The window looks over the ballpark’s field where you can see almost everything. We had to find supper, so we ended up at St. Louis bar and grill. The wings there are awesome and it was one of my favourite meals there. It was getting late and our time in Toronto was fading away so we called it a night.
Part 4: Time To Go
We woke up again, but for a bad reason. It was time to leave Toronto. We walked back to the train station on a gloomy day to head home. Overall, our stay in Toronto was great. Ball Games, food and the hotel made it fun. If you’re down in Toronto at all, Have a good time.
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