From our whirlwind 2017 weekend to our most recent 2023 adventure, our Disney World memories are nothing short of magical. We’ve crisscrossed parks and turned every visit into an unforgettable story. Our Disney journey began with Sarah’s very first trip in 2012 – packed with fairy-tale charm at Magic Kingdom, amazing sea creatures at DiveQuest at The Seas, culinary fun at Epcot’s World Showcase, and a rhino crossing during our Animal Kingdom safari. We soaked in the beauty of Epcot’s topiary-filled Flower & Garden Festival, braved Expedition Everest, and of course devoured turkey legs. In 2020, we were at Epcot when the world changed with news of the global pandemic. But in 2023, we came full circle – returning to Epcot, discovering our new favorite ride: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, dining among the stars at Space 220, and giggling through Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. From performing Enchanted Tales with Belle and having dinner at Cinderella Castle, each trip has brought us wonder, nostalgia, and just a bit of pixie dust. ✨
💡 Tips & Tricks
- 🎟️ Book reservations early – Especially during busy seasons or festivals, restaurants at parks like Magic Kingdom and Epcot can fill up fast.
- 🎢 Plan park visits based on your experience – If it’s your first time, only do one park per day. For repeat visitors, park-hopping is a good way to hit the new attractions and keep costs down.
- 📲 Download the My Disney Experience app – Essential for checking wait times, mobile ordering, Lightning Lane (LL) reservations, and navigating the parks.
- 🪢 Arrive early (rope drop!) – You’ll beat the crowds and knock out headliners like Space Mountain, Avatar Flight of Passage, or Guardians of the Galaxy before the lines build.
- 🧞♂️ Use Genie+ wisely – Stack LL for later in the day while enjoying shorter morning lines.
- 💦 Hydrate & bring snacks – Florida heat is no joke. Refillable water bottles and portable snacks will save money and time in line.
- 🎪 Take breaks – Escape the heat with indoor shows like Festival of the Lion King, Carousel of Progress, or American Adventure.
- 💎 Try the lesser-known experiences – Hidden gems like DiveQuest, Behind the Seeds tour at Living with the Land or Enchanted Tales with Belle offer a quieter, magical touch.
- 📲 Use mobile order for meals – Skip the lines and plan your food stops in advance. Great for places like Be Our Guest, Satu’li Canteen, or Columbia Harbour House.
- 🍽️ Plan for one nice dinner – Whether it’s Cinderella’s Royal Table or Space 220, a special meal makes the trip even more memorable.
- 📸 Capture memories creatively – Buy a Genie lamp or take character photographs from afar (to avoid lines) and bring the magic home.
- ☔️ Be flexible – Rain happens. Rides break down. Sometimes the best moments are the unplanned ones – like getting roasted at Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor.
Disney World – Epcot (March 2023)
We visited our favorite Disney park – Epcot – on our 2023 trip before heading to Jupiter for Cardinals spring training. It did not disappoint, and we even discovered our new favorite ride: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. We didn’t know what to expect from Guardians, but we absolutely loved it – it’s like a modern, smoother Space Mountain with incredible visuals and a great soundtrack. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure was cute and definitely more geared toward kids, and we also rode Frozen Ever After for the first time in forever. We also checked out the new Space 220 restaurant, which simulates dining on a space station – it was super fun! As always, we visited during the Flower and Garden Festival and I absolutely loves the topiaries.
One Day Itinerary: Epcot Focus on New Guardians, Ratatouille & Space 220
🎟️ 1-Day, 1-Park Ticket: $317 + ~$30/person Genie+
- 🚗 Drive to Epcot and park on-site ($25)
- 7:00 AM – Book main rides
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Virtual Queue (Group 18, ~11:00 AM)
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure LL (10:20 AM – 11:20 AM)
- 9:00 AM – Park opens
- 🪐 9:45 AM – Ride Guardians of the Galaxy
- 🐀 10:35 AM – Ride Ratatouille
- ❄️ Book Frozen Ever After LL after tapping in
- 🥐 Crêpes at La Crêperie de Paris (Try both ham and Nutella)
- 🏎️ 12:35 PM – Book Test Track LL
- 🪂 2:35 PM – Book Soarin’ Around the World LL
- 🍽️ 4:50 PM – Dinner + Drinks at Space 220 Lounge 🚀🍸
- 🎆 9:00 PM – Watch Harmonious Nighttime Show (park closes right after this)
Disney World – Animal Kingdom & Epcot (March 2020)
In March 2020, we visited Animal Kingdom and Epcot in one day as part of a planned trip to also catch the Cardinals’ spring training. Ironically, we were literally at Epcot when we found out about the global COVID-19 pandemic – and that everything, including MLB spring training (our main reason for the trip), was suddenly shut down. Despite the unexpected twist, it was still a memorable trip. It was our first time experiencing Pandora at Animal Kingdom – and wow, it was absolutely breathtaking! We also got to enjoy the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival for the second time, and we made it a mission to find all the topiaries throughout the park. Check out our photos from Epcot and Animal Kingdom, including some of my favorite topiaries and fun shots of Aladdin and Jasmine modeling their matching shirts in Morocco!
One Day Itinerary – Animal Kingdom and Epcot Park Hop
🎟️ 1-Day, Park Hopper Ticket
🦖 Animal Kingdom: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM (arrive early for rope drop)
- 🚗 7:45 AM – Uber to Animal Kingdom
- 8:30 AM – 9:45 AM – Ride Avatar: Flight of Passage
- 9:45 AM – 10:15 AM – Ride DINOSAUR
- 10:15 AM – 10:30 AM – Ride Expedition Everest (🎟 FP 9:50–10:50 AM or Single Rider)
- 🐅 Optional – Ride Maharaja Jungle Trek (20–25 min)
- 11:10 AM – 11:20 AM – Ride Na’vi River Journey (🎟 FP 11:10–12:10 PM)
- 11:20 AM – 12:00 PM – Lunch at Satu’li Canteen (Mobile Ordering available)
- 🦍 (Optional) – Ride Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail (20–25 min)
- 12:25 PM – 1:00 PM – Ride Kilimanjaro Safaris (🎟 FP 12:25–1:25 PM)
🌺 Epcot: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- 🌸 Special Event: International Flower & Garden Festival
- 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM – Bus to Epcot
- 🎡 Key Attractions:
- Spaceship Earth
- Living with the Land
- Test Track (Single Rider Line available)
- Epcot Experience
- Soarin’ Around the World
- Frozen Ever After
- 🍽️ World Showcase Snacking Tour:
- 🇫🇷 Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie (French pastries)
- 🇩🇪 Sommerfest (Bratwurst, pretzels, Beck’s beer)
- 🇯🇵 Katsura Grill (Yakitori)
- 🇳🇴 Kringla Bakeri og Kafe (Pastries, open-face sandwiches, Ringnes beer)
- 🇬🇧 Rose & Crown Pub (Guinness, Harp, and Bass beers and ales)
- ✨ If time allows: We opted out of visiting these this trip due to the pandemic announcement
- Take the Monorail to Magic Kingdom
- Or ride the Skyliner to Hollywood Studios
Disney World – Magic Kingdom and Epcot (January 2017)
We packed a lot into a whirlwind Orlando weekend in 2017 – flying in Friday night, doing two Disney parks Saturday and two Universal parks Sunday, then flying home early Monday straight to work. It was our first visit since before New Fantasyland opened, so we made it the highlight: from riding in a Little Mermaid clam and laughing at Gaston’s antler obsession, to Sarah playing Philippe the horse at Enchanted Tales with Belle (and getting a shoutout on her Belle shirt!). We had lunch inside the Beast’s castle at Be Our Guest, spotted Rapunzel’s Tower, and even caught a surprisingly good Jack Sparrow. In the afternoon, we hopped the monorail to Epcot for the Behind the Seeds tour at Living with the Land, then wrapped the day with a giant pretzel and German beer in the World Showcase – exhausted, but completely worth it.
Here’s the full itinerary.
Disney World – Epcot, Animal Kingdom & Magic Kingdom (April 2012)
From Epcot’s futuristic thrills to Magic Kingdom’s fairy-tale charm, our Disney adventure was packed with laughter, wonder, and just a touch of shrubbery. We basked in the beauty of Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival, where nearly every Disney character was reimagined in leafy green topiary. Not a bad way to start Sarah’s very first trip to Disney!
We blasted off at Epcot as co-pilots on Mission: Space (Sarah bravely took the controls while Scott played navigator), designed our own backflipping roller coaster on Sum of All Thrills, and snacked our way through Epcot’s World Showcase – falafel in Morocco (our first time trying it and we loved it!), pizza and tiramisu in Italy, and a glimpse of Aladdin and Jasmine. We even brought home a shiny genie lamp that now lives on our shelf!
One of our most unforgettable experiences was taking the plunge with DiveQuest at The Seas in Epcot. Swimming in a nearly 6-million-gallon saltwater environment filled with rays, sharks, and sea turtles, we found ourselves part of the magic – literally – visible to guests through massive viewing windows. The dive offered a chance to support the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, all while floating in a space large enough to fit Spaceship Earth inside!
At Animal Kingdom, we conquered Expedition Everest, caught the high-energy Lion King show (complete with monkeying around), and spotted wildlife galore including a rhino crossing.
And Magic Kingdom? Pure magic. From Space Mountain to Sarah’s surprise dinner inside Cinderella Castle, it was unforgettable. She met princesses galore – Aurora even declared, “We could be sisters!” But perhaps the biggest laugh came at Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, where Sarah’s birthday pin got her roasted on camera, and her mind (and silly sound effects) became part of the show.
Top it off with her first iconic Disney turkey leg, and you’ve got one enchanted trip for the books.💫
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