​Ok so at this point, we are not new to planning Disney vacations and I don’t want to brag here, but this has been the very best weekend trip we have EVER planned. Let me tell you all our secrets to booking the most magical Disney weekend you can imagine. 
 
We flew in on Thursday night after work and got into our hotel a little after 8pm. Luckily, we stayed at the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Disney Resort Hotel which is literally steps from Disney Springs. We dumped our bags in our stunning pool view room and headed over to Disney Springs. 
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Before I get into what we did over there, I just need to take a second to tell you about our resort. We sing Wyndham Lake’s praises from the rooftops every chance we get! You get the full resort experience (you can see pics of the pool below) at a fraction of the cost of the surrounding resorts. We also LOVE being so close to Disney Springs since it is one of our favorite parts of the Disney experience. 
 
Ok so - we walked over to Disney Springs and immediately got a table at Chef Art’s Homecoming Kitchen. I ordered the Thigh High Chicken Biscuits, and they were a DREAM. Then we jumped in line for Gideon’s and were pumped to get some warm cookies before they closed up for the night. Then it was up to our room for some much needed rest before Magic Kingdom in the morning. 

It is almost Valentine's Day and I know this is a BIG and joyful time in the classroom, so I put together some resources and freebies for you to use with your kiddos! Have fun! 

If you are on my email list, you know that Sunday Slow Down emails are such a fun way to catch up with one another and that I take it as an opportunity to share all my favorites! 

I've had some newcomers to our community that have asked to see past editions of the Sunday Slow Down series so I've linked them here for you! Have fun looking through the old editions and don't hesitate to let me know if you have suggestions for our next edition! If you want to sign up - you can do that right here! 

My husband and I FINALLY got to travel after a year of cancelled trips and when you need a little joy in your life, where else do you go other than DISNEY WORLD?
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We had an incredible time, even with the COVID precautions and so we wanted to bring you our thoughts and recommendations to keep in mind if you’re considering a Disney trip!

Ben and I picked Disney because we wanted to go somewhere that had consistent rules surrounding the pandemic and was predictable in what would be open. That consistency was one of the most incredible parts of our trip. Disney goes above and beyond to keep you safe. Since we’re both school teachers, we are both fully vaccinated, but we really appreciated the lengths Disney went to, to keep the parks safe.

To that point, you do have to wear your mask the ENTIRE time you are in the park. If you take it off to eat, you must be seated in a designated area where they can ensure you are properly distanced. The ride lines are also distanced so they look really long - but actually they’re shorter than normal in wait time, just longer in distance due to spacing. Finally, there are currently no fast passes - but we didn’t find that to be a hindrance to our experience because park capacity is capped at just over 30% and there were just less people in the park driving up wait time.

The COVID related safety measures in Disney are thorough but not annoying, in our opinion. We really can’t think of a better place to be in this weirdo pandemic world.
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We were lucky enough to be hosted by the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Disney Spring Resort Area and we are wholeheartedly recommending this incredible resort. The resort is WALKING DISTANCE from Disney Springs and less than half the cost of some other options in the area. It was seriously stunning - and though they do charge a small resort fee - the luxury experience more than paid for that fee AND we still came in significantly under budget.


It was a total treat to be greeted by R2D2 as soon as we got to our hotel and the pool area was unbelievable. The staff was also over-the-top accommodating and the rooms were massive, clean, and just the perfect place to get off our Disney feet after a LOT of walking.


I also cannot stress enough how convenient it was to not only be walking distance to all the fun at Disney Springs but ALSO have restaurants on the resort itself.


I consider this a total hack. If you’re trying to stay at Disney AND stay in a reasonable budget. This resort is for you. We’ll be returning here again and again.


Click here to check out the resort! And click here to check out my Instagram Reel all about this hotel!

We spent time at Disney Springs, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom while we were there so here are a few of the tips and tricks that served us best during our stay!

Since our hotel was walking distance from Disney Springs, we spent a ton of time there! We literally went straight from the parks to Disney Springs every night and we had an INCREDIBLE time there. It honestly shocks me that people don’t talk about it more! Here’s what you can’t miss:

1. World of Disney! I have a TikTok and Instagram Reel about what you can get there!
2. Gideon’s Bakehouse! This was THE BEST cookie I’ve EVER had! Which made it well worth the 4 hour line!
3. Jack’s Hanger Bar! Order the queso dip and ask to sit outside!
4. The Boathouse! Order the Truffle fries with lemon aioli and thank me later.

Epcot was a TOTAL dream and you better believe we drank our way around the world! We had the luck to be there during the Flower and Garden Festival so we had an even more over the top incredible time!
Here’s our tips for EPCOT:

1. If you can go during a festival - DO IT. It made the experience even that much cooler.
2. Definitely visit the Garden Grill if you can! We had the full feast and enjoyed it so much!
3. Don’t miss Soarin’ - even if the wait times are long.

Check out our mini-vlog of EPCOT here!

Hollywood Studios was mostly new to us since we hadn’t visited for several years so we spent the entire day just having our minds blown in various ways. The day is PACKED full of incredible experiences, but here are 3 we feel you really must not miss.

1. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Guys - I cannot with this ride. I won’t spoil it for you so I’ll just let you experience it for yourself, but wait in whatever line necessary to ensure that you experience this.
2. Rise of the Resistance! This ride uses a virtual queue so you literally need to be awake at 7am with your finger ready to press that join button on the DisneyExpereince app or you won’t get to ride. And yeah, you really must ride.
3. All of Toy Story Land is a dream come true, especially for Toy Story fans like myself. The rides are precious but I really think you shouldn’t miss the homemade pop tarts at Woody’s Lunchbox!

Check our our Hollywood Studios mini-vlog here!

Animal Kingdom was our very favorite day of the trip. We had amazing weather and the whole day felt calm but fun and we truly loved every minute. Here are our top 3!

1. AVATAR FLIGHT OF PASSAGE. We waited in TWO ninety minute lines. We were totally obsessed and I don’t think I’ll ever really stop thinking about it. One of the coolest experiences of my LIFE.
2. The character boats came through all day and they were just the sweetest surprise.
3. You MUST try the food in Avatar land! The cheeseburger pods were to die for.

Check out our Animal Kingdom mini-vlog here and thanks SO MUCH for reading our Disney tips!

And one more HUGE thanks to The Wyndham for hosting us during our stay! Don’t forget to check them out here when you start planning YOUR trip!