Published in 2004, How to Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life, is a compelling biography of one of the world’s most beloved figures, Walter Elias Disney. Part of the “How to Be Like” series, Pat Williams and Jim Denney depict the life of Walt Disney and the characteristics and qualities that made him a legend and one of the most successful entrepreneurs in history.

How to Be Like Walt follows Walt Disney’s life from the beginnings of his childhood, to his untimely death on December 15th, 1966.  It describes his trials and tribulations over his lifetime  and how he never seemed to give up even when the odds were against him.  Not only is this a great narrative of Walt’s life, but an impactful “self help” tool that shows us how we can model our lives to accomplish greater achievements and success.

If you are looking for a motivational  read combined with the inspiring life story of the legend Mr. Walter Elias Disney, pick up a copy of How to be Like Walt today and try Disney’s approach to achieving success in your everyday life. A few of the life lessons that you can hopefully take from reading this book would be to do what you love, take what you do seriously, do it for others, never just settle with your first success, and don’t let obstacles stop you.Happy reading!

Great assortment of Disney classics compiled into a very well put together production. Singing songs from The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid, performers Alex G and Peter Hollens put on an amazing a capella performance. Go ahead and see for yourself!

For anyone who is a “plan ahead” type of person you will definitely understand where I’m coming from when I say it is very necessary to book your fastpasses for your Disney vacation long before your actual planned arrival date.

Disney’s FastPass+ at the Walt Disney Resort is a virtual queuing system created by the Walt Disney Company. First introduced in late 1999, it allows guests to avoid long lines at the attractions on which the system is installed, allowing them to enjoy more attractions during their visit. The service is available at no additional charge to all park guests.

Disney resort guests have the luxury of booking their fast passes 60 days in advance of their arrival date. Annual pass holders and general park tickets can book 30 days in advance of their arrival date. All this can be done by downloading the My Disney Experience app. from your phones app. store. Once you have booked your fast passes you are able to go in and change either the time or attraction itself, pending on availability up until the date and time of that scheduled FastPass. Same day fast passes can be booked at the park from multiple locations but always remember the popular rides will have already been booked out most likely and that’s why it’s best to take advantage of booking ahead of your arrival date.
Some people feel that the whole FastPass system takes away from the overall experience of visiting the park.  I personally believe it helps you have a more organized way to be able to cover more ground and accomplish more in a day. Instead of wasting your time standing in lines, some of which can be uowards of two hours!!
You are only allowed to have three  FastPasses  booked at a time so make sure to use them on the rides that usually have a longer standby time.  Nothing is worse than wasting a fast pass on a ride that only has a 10 minute wait.
Have a magical day and don’t forget to book your FastPasses 😋

This 5 hour walking tour of Magic Kingdom is a must do for any Disney fanatic.  The tour is well worth the $79 fee which also includes lunch. If you are in annual passholder you get a discount off the fee as we’ll making it even more worth the money.

Best tour guide ever!!!!

I won’t disclose much about this tour because I don’t want to ruin the magic for others but for me it was absolutely life changing. I was nervous at first that I would look at the park differently after going on this tour but I actually am more obsessed with it now and it’s history than I was before!
There are usually 3 options for this tour daily of 8:30 am, 9 am, and 9:30 am.  We did the 9:30 tour and it worked out nicely of not having to get up too early to be there and check in by 9:15 am. Once you check in they will provide you with a device that you will wear throughout the tour that will allow you to hear your guide when he or she is talking because it can get very loud at times walking through the crowds.  They provide bottles of water at check in and this is when you will select you choice for lunch from the menu provided. I went with the ole faithful chicken tender nuggets and fries and my dad and sister got the fried shrimp.

When you arrive for lunch at noon, this is when you will be presented with your “key to the kingdom”. It is a cute keepsake to remember your trip. You get 30 mins to enjoy your lunch before returning to the tour and the finishing up with the most anticipated part of the trip…the chance to go into the world famous utilidor.

One myth I will disclose is that the utilidor system which runs under the streets of the Magic Kingdom is not truly “underground”. The streets of Disney that you walk on is built on the second level and the utilidor system is built on ground level because of our swamp lands. During the tour you are kept to one main area of the utilidor which is the part that runs directly under Main Street USA. It is very busy under there with employees going back and forth from place to place, golf carts, emergency vehicles, and characters.

Magic Kingdom’s Utilidor System

So on your next vacation to Disney if you are looking for some great history and knowledge about the Disney empire and how and where it all started, be sure to sign up for Disney’s Keys to the Kingdom Tour. It is well with your time and money. Here is the link for more information on the tour and how to make a reservation: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/magic-kingdom/keys-to-the-kingdom-tour/

Nothing can be more stressful than traveling away from home and not having the essentials you need when traveling with children.  I personally have a toddler and when we don’t have what we need when we need it, it can be costly and stressful at the same time.  Like forgetting sunblock and then having to buy it in the park…unfortunately I have had to do this multiple times and trust me, nothing is cheap in the park and it is always better to bring from home.

First things first…you will need a large tote type bag to haul all your cargo.  Something that isn’t going to break your arm at the end of the day if you have to carry it, but something with a lot of pockets and that can close on top works best.  Always make sure to throw in the autograph book.  That one time you forget it will be the time that the hard to find character has no wait time and then you don’t have your book for them to sign.  That is a sad day.  It’s not the same when they just sign a paper and it’s not part of your book like all the others.

My favorite Thirty One bag

If your toddler still isn’t completely potty trained than diapers, wipes and a change of clothes will be the first thing you need to make sure to pack for your trip.  They do sell diapers and wipes in park but remember you will be paying the price for it in the end.

Sunblock is a required item to help protect your little one from the harsh Florida rays especially in the summer.  We usually also bring a fan that clips onto the stroller to help with the heat during the 90+ degree days.  Sunglasses also fall into this category and it never hurts to bring a back up pair in case they happen to drop the first ones.

Many people don’t realize that you can actually bring food and drink items into the park.  Now that does not mean anything you want, but you can pack a lunch and bring in a soda or juice box and save yourself some serious money.  We usually bring some snack items, juice boxes, a cup to fill with water, and make a few sandwiches to snack on throughout the day.  This will save you a lot of money in the end if you plan correctly.  Don’t pack too much because then you have a lot to haul around all day.

I hope this helps when packing for your next trip to Disney.  Always remember to check, check, and check again!  Happy travels.