Welcome to
planDisney, Cari. We're so glad you stopped by!
I do currently live in Ohio, but not long ago I used to live in Mickey's backyard, just a short drive to
Walt Disney World Resort. I definitely miss being able to leave work and just hop in the car for dinner at
EPCOT! Now, I plan differently because like you, my trips are less frequent. I can definitely understand why your West coast family would want to make the most of your vacation given the travel distance!
First, we should define "short time" - for my crew, a short trip is a long weekend, but if you're taking the time to get to Florida from Washington state, stretch your trip out as long as you can. In fact, a few years ago, friends from Oregon switched from their usual, two shorter Walt Disney World Resort trips, to one long trip each year, and they've never looked back. For them, the money saved by traveling once meant more experiences during their longer vacation, and they loved the ability to slow down a bit with the extra days. With a longer trip, you can build in different activities and downtime rather than focusing on maximizing time in the theme parks. For my crew, that slower pace is the pixie dust we need to keep the magic alive during our entire trip!
While many of us focus on the four theme parks, Walt Disney World Resort has so much more to offer. In fact, some of my family's favorite memories are from stays at
Disney Resort Collection hotels,
Disney Springs, and the
water parks. On a recent trip, we spent an entire day just at our resort! After enjoying the amazing pools, dining options, and daily recreation activities at
Disney's Riviera Resort, we topped off the day with
Movies Under the Stars and
roasting marshmallows on the campfire. That day stands out as a magical memory for us, even though we were just hanging out at our fancy new "home" for the day!
If you can't visit often, you might also want to consider sprinkling some extra pixie dust on your trip from
Disney's Enchanting Extras Collection to create truly unique magical memories. Does your kiddo love
Kilimanjaro Safaris as much as I do? Surprise them with a closer look at the majestic African elephants on the
Caring for Giants tour. Or, create your very own magical Disney dream day with a
Disney Private VIP Tour, complete with your own official VIP Tour Guide! Offerings change throughout the year, and there are unique Enchanting Extras for all budgets and interests.
I hope your family keeps creating magical Walt Disney World Resort memories for years to come, no matter where you call home. Please don't hesitate to reach out with other questions!
See ya real soon!
Ryan J.