Hi Gwenn!
Thanks for visiting planDisney again! How exciting that your little one is about to celebrate her first birthday - and in the Most Magical Place on Earth of all places! Don't forget to grab a complimentary "Happy Birthday" button from your resort or in the park. It's a great way to share your celebration with everyone you meet!
Gwenn, I think you have a great plan to spend one full day at Magic Kingdom Park. This is the perfect place for toddlers to soak up all of the magic and wonder of Disney. I'd recommend a character breakfast with Winnie the Pooh and friends at
The Crystal Palace. It's been a popular choice for my boys over the years! If your little princess loves Disney princesses, you'll want to make time for a royal visit to
Princess Fairytale Hall. Ariel can often be found
meeting guests in her grotto outside of
Under the Sea - Journey of The Little Mermaid and Belle interacts with visitors over at
Enchanted Tales with Belle. Don't miss the
Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade where she can sing and dance along with all of her favorite characters!
For day number two, I love your idea of grabbing a park hopper ticket. I would recommend starting at
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park. If your daughter is anything like my kids, the concept of "sleeping in" on vacation isn't a reality. Animal Kingdom typically has the earliest park opening time of any of the theme parks. Don't forget that guests staying at a Disney Resorts Collection hotel can take advantage of
Early Theme Park Entry to get an even earlier start to your day. The morning is also the best time to look for animals on
Kilimanjaro Safaris. After exploring the park, I like to take a midday break back at the resort to rest, refuel, and recharge. When you're ready to head back out, I like
Disney's Hollywood Studios as the second park to visit that day. Here you'll find rare opportunities to interact with Disney Junior characters with meet and greets in Animation Courtyard and
Disney Junior Play and Dance! You can sing along with Anna and Elsa at
For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration and meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight.
Roundup Rodeo BBQ over in Toy Story Land would be a great place for a rootin' tootin' birthday dinner!
Gwenn, I'm sending lots of pixie dust for a magical birthday celebration. Please stop by and see us again at planDisney with any other questions you have!
Cheers,
Kristi