3.31.2013

Walt Disney World: 11 Must Do's for little girls

My four year old seriously lucked out.  She's been begging us to go to Disney World for the better part of a year and we kept putting her off -- telling her we needed to wait until her little brother got a little older.  But when my husband was scheduled to go on a business trip to Orlando we decided to hop on the tail end of his trip and make our first visit to Disney World.   (Actually, it turned out to be the best time to go because at not yet 2, my son enjoyed everything FREE of charge! Cha ching!)

I planned our trip for about three months to ensure we hit all the highlights -- focusing, this trip, on my daughter.  It's easy to see why people go back year after year to Disney World, there's just so much to do.  I figured this would be the only trip my son wouldn't mind missing out on the pirates and the "boy" stuff because...well, he was just too little to know any different.

For that reason, I made it a trip fit for a princess...and it was (here's our 4 day Disney World itinerary)! As I said while we were in Magic Kingdom, on our first day there, my daughter wasn't at Disney World...she was in heaven!

Here are my suggestions for 11 things little girls must do while in Disney World:


Meet the princesses - Set aside time to meet the princesses whether it's waiting in character lines at designated meeting spots or going to a meal with the princesses either at Cinderella's Royal Table or Norway in Epcot.

Cinderella's Royal Table - Hands down the best character meal we had in Disney World.  Not only do you meet Cinderella and have a professional pictures taken with her (prints are included in the price of the meal), but the food is unbelievable and the atmosphere is unbeatable.  Snow White, Jasmine, Arial, and Aurora all walk around and stop at every table throughout the dinner.  Little boys get swords, while girls get wands.  (It's well worth two table service Disney Dining Meal credits).

Tales With Belle - One of the new attractions in New Fantasyland is a must-do.  There's no FastPass and it's a shame there's not because the line is almost always long.  It's worth the wait though.  Be sure to tell your little princess to be a volunteer!

Wear a Princess Dress...just 'cause -  Santa brought my daughter a few
princess dresses for Christmas with the intention that she'd wear them while we were in Disney World.  Little did I know I could have left the rest of her clothes at home.  She practically lived in the princesses dresses and picked up another while we were on our trip.  I say it's better to bring them, then buy them -- in the parks they run close to $60 a pop!  And if your daughters' anything like mine she'll need the tiara and wand to go with it, too.

Dreams show - Don't miss the Dreams show in front of the castle at Magic Kindgom.  There's lots of singing and dancing and all the favorite Disney characters, plus the princesses make appearances.  It plays several times throughout the day.  The stage is set up high so there's not a bad viewing spot. 

Soarin' - Even at 4 years old, my daughter was tall enough to go on Soarin' in Epcot.  In fact, of all the rides she went on during her trip, she repeatedly declared it her favorite.  It was mine, too!

Bippity Boppity Boutique - This is NOT to be missed for little girls.  Fairy God Mothers in training will do your little girl's hair, nails, and makeup and finish the look with some fairy dust.  (Check out the precious "after" picture above.) There's a rather hefty price to pay, but if you do nothing else, do this!  It's a little girl's dream.  (Save some money, but bringing your own princess dress instead of buying a $60 dress, $25 shoes and $20 tiara there.)

Voyage of The Little Mermaid - The Little Mermaid live show at Hollywood Studios is a must-do for any Ariel fans.  Even for older children and adults it is very enjoyable and the effects are very cool. 


Be Our Guest Restaurant - The new Be Our Guest restaurant in the New Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom wasn't my favorite meal, but it's definitely something little girls will enjoy.  The facility is amazing with
the mosaic artwork and a giant spinning statue of Beast and Belle in the center of one of three ballrooms.  When we went in February 2013 BOG had just recently opened and I walked away feeling like they still had some kinks to work out. The one thing that is nice is that for lunch it's a counter/quick service restaurant, but turns into a table service meal for dinner. Therefore, if you're like us, and can't get reservations for dinner you can still go for lunch without a reservation. We waited in line for about 45 minutes to get in on one of the slowest tourist weeks of the year.  It was the longest we waited for any attraction/ride of our entire visit.

Chef Mickey's - The best and easiest way to meet all the Mickey and friends characters.  Each comes to your table and will pose for pictures, be silly, and sign autographs for the kidsMy daughter (and young son) were in heaven.


Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage - The Broadway-style live Beauty and the Best show at Hollywood Studios was amazing.  The amphitheater was a perfect venue allowing great audio and good viewing from anywhere.  My daughter loved this show with all the singing and live characters.  Watching the beast turn from the beast into the prince right in front of your eyes will leave you speechless (and that's saying a lot for my chatty 4 year old.)


More from my Disney Series: 

DIY Disney themed photo books

4 Day Disney World Itinerary with Kids: What First Timers MUST see and do

Disney World the First time: 10 tips for taking little kids

 



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