Planning a Disney World vacation can be incredibly overwhelming because there is just SO MUCH to experience. There are literally hundreds of different ways to enjoy these parks so I wanted to share what we did…and what we ate…during our most recent trip! I like to write about our vacations to both help me process the experiences but also share in case anyone is thinking about something similar. Also, we are wild and crazy pescatarians so we get asked constantly “But did you starve? What did you eat?”, so I hope that any vegetarians or pescatarians also find this helpful!
First, we couldn’t have planned this trip without our amazing Disney Planner, Claire with A Pair of Ears Travel. I highly recommend reaching out to her if you are thinking about any Disney trip! We went the week before Thanksgiving during the 50th anniversary…so it was a little wild! There were SO many people there so I couldn’t imagine navigating reservations and agendas without Claire’s help! 🙂
We kicked off our trip with a visit to Animal Kingdom! We stayed at Pop Century on resort so we took advantage of the bus transportation. This park opens and closes early so we made sure to get to the bus stop as early as we could! We opted not to use any lightning lanes or Genie+ this day and didn’t really find that challenging. We did purchase the Memory Maker and highly encourage it! A lot of the photos below are from the wonderful staff at Disney! 🙂
Because we went the week before Thanksgiving, a lot of the holiday decorations were out…and they were just lovely!
The weather was absolutely perfect! It was fairly cool so we decided to layer up! Even at mid-day, it was nice to be in the light layers! If anyone cares, I’ll link some of the things we wore at the end! Now, on to the fun stuff!
What we did:
Our original plan was to hit up a big ride first and we were gunning for Everest! But, it was down that morning so we had to regroup on the fly. The mobile app is really key in seeing what is available and what wait times look like. Below is everything in the order that we did them and I have them linked to the Disney site for more info on the ride or show!
I loved that we started the day with this because it was early and cool so we caught a ton of animals!
We just happened upon this show and LOVED it! The birds are incredible plus it’s quite funny!
This was a fun little break in the day. We caught the Jungle Book inspired show but we sat on the wrong side! When you go, try to ask someone which side will be the most interactive so your kiddos can get a closer glimpse at all the kites on land as well as have the chance to jump into the fun as well! Even on the “wrong” side, the large kites on the water are super cool.
My favorite thing about this park is all the amazing animals. We definitely got to view quite a few on this trail!
This was our first big ride of the week…and let’s just say, we won’t be riding this ride again for a long time! The kids HATED it and said it was way too scary! I actually like this ride because the line experience is fun and the story line is cool…but maybe don’t ride this one first if your kiddos scare easy! 🙂
If you look close enough, you can see Lily is holding my hand for dear life with her eyes closed! We are in the third row!
The kids love this ride. It’s a fun, easy one!
Another must see at Animal Kingdom! This is a really fun show! Plus, it’s a perfect spot for photos before or after!
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
When the ride finally re-opened, we trucked it open! Harrison was NOT interested so Lily and I rode this one without them. And…she hated it! It’s a big ride and I loved it…but I don’t believe she’ll be looking for that Yeti any time soon!
Now, I’ve never seen Avatar (gasp…I know) BUT that didn’t make the land of Pandora any less spectacular. It’s just gorgeous! This ride was truly a beautiful ride that we all enjoyed!
The line for this one was quite insane and definitely the only frustrating part of our day. But, we all agreed that this ride was well worth the wait! Harrison even said this was his favorite ride of the entire week! Again, the photos in this area are *chef’s kiss*.
This is a gorgeous light show at 6:15 p.m. We happened upon it on our way out for the evening and just loved it!
What did we eat?
Snack: Popcorn
My kids LOVE popcorn so this snack was a no-brainer. We purchased the refillable popcorn container which enabled us to refill it at all the parks for less than buying a disposable container each time. Highly recommend!
Lunch: Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes
This quick service stop in the Asia section of the park did NOT disappoint! Chris ordered the Vegetable Tikka Masala while I enjoyed the Sweet-and-Sour Tempura Shrimp. Both were so tasty! The kids weren’t adventurous and stuck with fries and uncrustables!
Dinner: Satu’li Canteen
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS STOP! I literally cannot scream this loud enough. Our dinner was absolutely delicious! This is a quick service stop in the Pandora area. We ordered in advance from the mobile app while we were waiting in line for a ride, which made picking it up even easier!
While the kids enjoyed the cheese quesadillas from the kids menu. Chris had the Chili-Garlic Shrimp Bowl and I had the Chili-Spiced Crispy Tofu Bowl…both were absolutely delicious and filling!
Links to what we wore:
Rachel: Leggings, Button Up Shirt, Ears, Earrings, Best Crossbody Bag Ever
Lily: Fun T-shirt, Layered Long-sleeve Top, Leggings, Ears, Super Cool Fanny Pack
Harrison: Mesh Track Pants, T-shirt we already owned
Chris: Pants and T-shirt he already owned!
I don’t feel like Animal Kingdom gets the love it deserves. I really enjoy this park. The food alone sets it apart for me!
This was just day one of the trip…we have four more posts to go! 🙂