Disney World

My experience on this trip was something that I have never gotten to do before. This was the first trip where I was able to take my daughter to Disney World for her first birthday, and that made the entire experience very, very different from any Disney trip I had ever done before.

A lot of that difference comes from thinking about completely different things. It is no longer just about how early you can get to the park or how late you can stay. It becomes about how late she will sleep in, how early she will need to go to bed, and how to make the day work around her schedule. It is not just packing a quick backpack and worrying about where to eat in the parks. Now it is making sure you packed enough bottles, sippy cups, snacks, and everything else you might need throughout the day.

There are so many little details and nuances that you need to pay attention to when you are doing Disney as a parent. It completely changed my perspective of Disney World. Being a parent in Disney is very different from just being an adult in Disney, and it made me think about the parks, the resorts, and the entire trip in a totally different way.

I will say that Disney really does a great job of making sure everybody is taken care of and making things as easy as possible for parents. The childcare centers are invaluable. They were one of the best parts of the trip because they made it so easy to take her in, get her changed, and take care of what we needed. They had a station to warm up bottles, and they even had things available for purchase like diapers, wipes, formula, and other essentials in case you ran out.

Even beyond the childcare centers, every bathroom having a diaper changing station made things much easier. Stroller parking was something I did not love as much and definitely something you have to get used to. It takes a little strategy, and I also learned that next time I would probably bring a better stroller than the one we took on this trip. Those are the live and learn moments that come with doing Disney in a new way.

This trip changed my perspective and helped me think about planning Disney trips in a much better way. Now it is not only about how to use Lightning Lanes, what rides to do, or what parks to visit. It is also about what the child is going to like, how they are going to handle the day, what you need to pack, and what tips are actually helpful for parents visiting Disney.

We stayed at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, and overall it was a nice resort. The room was comfortable and clean, and we had no issues from a housekeeping perspective. However, we were placed in a building toward the very back of the property, which meant it was a very long walk to the front where the food and conveniences were. That became a big hassle, especially when we realized we had run out of milk and needed to get more.

This trip also taught me something important about the rooms. We had requested a crib, but instead received a pack and play. We also learned that the room "coolers" are not cold enough to safely store milk or juice because the temperature is too high. They are really made to take the edge off a drink, not to work like an actual refrigerator. If you need to store milk, juice, or anything that needs to stay cold, you have to separately request a mini fridge. That was something I asked the front desk about, and they made me aware that the coolers cannot be used the same way as a fridge.

Being in the back of the resort also affected transportation. The bus stop was close to our room, so we did not have a far walk to catch a bus, but we were the second stop either way. By the time buses reached us, most of the seats were already gone, which made it harder to find seating even with a baby. On the way back to the resort, it also took longer because we had to stop twice to let people off before finally getting to our stop.

I do not have anything negative to say about Coronado Springs as a resort overall, but from a parent perspective, I would probably suggest a different resort because of that complexity. I think Caribbean Beach could be a better alternative because of the Skyliner. With buses, you have to collapse a stroller every time. On the Skyliner, you do not have to collapse the stroller, which makes transportation a little easier. If you request a room near the Skyliner, it can make a big difference because you are not relying on a bus for every park you visit.

Overall, it was an amazing trip and a great experience. I loved getting to do it, getting to see Disney through her eyes, and being able to understand and witness her experience. That is something I will treasure and remember forever.