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All about my good pal Orlando International Airport

MCO Need to Knows

I’m feeling like talking about the bane of my existence… Orlando International Airport. Good old MCO. First, some basic need to knows:

This airport is *the airport* you need for the most convenient traansportation to Walt Disney World, Universal and cruises out of Port Canaveral (AKA: a lot of people on vacation are in and out of this airport on the daily)
You can’t just get away with arriving “just in time” at this airport
If you don’t have TSA Precheck or CLEAR… consider investing in it.

So knowing allllll of this… I have some recs for ya:

01. opt for private transfers or rideshare

Private transfers give you complete freedom over pick. uptime and arrival. While it can definitely be the pricier option, it also means. you aren’t stopping at multiple resorts picking up other guests that are also heading hoe from their vacation. This means the moment. youleave the hotel the pick up time you choose, you go straight to the airport with no other stoops. Ideal, especially for those early morning flights.

02. leave your hotel early

The recommended time to leave your hotel and make your way to MCO is 3 hours prior to your flight departure and… yes, I recommend sticking with that recommendation. I know it seems a little excessive, but not only do you have a 30-45 minute commute to the airport, but you really cannot predict wait times with TSA, or even to check your bags…. things can get WILD in there. If flying out after a cruise, I recommend leaving the port closer to 3.5 hours before your flight, as it’s about a 45-60 minute commute to the airport from Port Canaveral.

03. Reserve your spot with MCO Reserve

This is probably the biggest tip that I hope you hang on to, if you don’t have access to TSA Precheck or a CLEAR membership. MCO is a partner airport that allows FREE expedited reservations for TSA at your designated reservation time. While it doesn’t mean you can breeze right through and yes, you still have to take your shoes off when they tell you to, it does absolutely cut down on your wait time. CLICK HERE for reservations up to 3 days in advance.

so, with all that said… where to next?

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disney with the littlest of littles

Fun fact: I took my daughter to Disney World, Disneyland and on a Disney Cruise all in the first year of her life. Some called me crazy (…okay, everyone called me crazy) but as a mom, these are memories that I will cherish forever, even though she won’t remember them! Along the way, I’ve learned a little bit about taking kids – particularly the smaller ones – to the Disney Parks!

Here’s a little bit I wanted to pass along to you:

keep a normal routine

If your child still naps – try to keep their sleep schedule the same as it would be at home. The biggest thing is that at Disney, you have more sleep options: a baby carrier, stroller, or a nap in the room. I try to opt for one “real” nap in the room – even if that means going back to our resort in the middle of a park day! No one needs a one way ticket to melt down city, and a really good nap is the best way to avoid it!

prep well for the parks

Know the rules and ways of Rider Switch, study where the bathrooms are located, take note of where the Baby Care Center is located in each park – and most importantly, be sure to pack all of the essentials in your bag for the day: snacks, small toys or games for staying occupied while waiting in lines, and don’t forget the sunscreen and water!

I have an Amazon list of my Disney-with-a-kiddo faves that you can shop here.

practice napping on the go

Stroller naps are a vital part of the Disney experience. 😉

Some kiddos will fight it, though: my daughter started fighting stroller naps around 9 months old, just in time for our Disney Cruise, of course! We took trips to Target in the stroller riiiiight around nap time. I brought a portable sound machine, stuck her in the stroller, and walking around the store until she eventually gave in, and made sure slept at least 45 minutes. It was good practice, and good news – she’s a great stroller-napper again! The bad news: more went into my shopping cart than probably should have during that practice nap.

want more quick bite tips and tricks?

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star wars: galactic starcruiser

The one thing I keep getting asked about – Galactic Starcruiser. Y’all! This was incredible. And I know what you’re thinking, “Haley, you have to say that, you love Disney.” Okay, you’re right. I do love Disney. But trust me when I say – Disney does not get a pass from me on every single thing, and something like THIS? Does not just get an automatic stamp of approval. Not with that price tag! This is long one….settle in with your blue milk, pal.

just a real quick disclaimer…

While I’m personally very big on spoilers (hello, my name is Haley and I read the wikipedia plot section of every movie before I watch) – I’m not here to spoil anything for anyone, so this is a totally spoiler free zone. Alright, let’s go.

The Halcyon/Accommodations: Stepping onboard the Halcyon (the hotel) is truly memorable! It feels very galactic. Like, I felt like I’m on a luxurious spaceship that could just very well be in the Star Wars movies. The common spaces are well thought out and honestly very pretty from an aesthetic standpoint. As for our room – We were booked for a standard cabin, which sleeps 4 guests, or 5, with a pull down sleeper. I’ll be honest, despite how thoughtfully laid out the space was, it was a tight squeeze for the 4 of us. However, the sleeping arrangements were comfortable and we were in our room so rarely that it wasn’t a huge deal. It was the biggest issue when getting ready for the day, otherwise, the space was not an issue. I got a TON of questions about the bunks, since I slept on it. Comfy, yes. Spacious, surprisingly, yes (I’m 5’8″ and it was perfectly fine for me, with room to spare). Would ask for an extra blanket next time, though.

The Food: Overall, the food was honestly amazing, but by the end of the two days, I just really was looking forward to totally normal chicken tenders! Everything I tried was so fun and served in such unique presentation that even “normal” food looked Jedi-worthy. Should you ever reach a point where you need “normal” food, you can always order off the “Younglings” (kids) menu which consists of things like chicken, pizza, fries, etc.

The Characters: I’ll just say this… Ouannii is my new BFF. Galactic Starcruiser did a fun job at mixing old and new friends into the experience. And yes, they just roam the ship and you interact with them freely! It’s WILD.

The Onboard “Missions”: This was so fun! From the minute you get on, start scanning your Magic Band wherever possible and start doing all the things! It was so funny seeing people get messages and drop everything and go do the task that was asked of them. I didn’t think this was an aspect that I would enjoy since I’m not into “games” but this was SO FUN. Also? Lightsaber training – TOO GOOD. It was so much fun!

Excursion to Batuu: As a frequent flyer to Galaxy’s Edge (and Hollywood Studios in general), we only stayed long enough to complete our missions, stop by Oga’s Cantina for a drink, and grab a quick lunch at Docking Bay 7. There’s just so much to do on board that I didn’t necessarily feel the need to stick around longer than that, or leave Galaxy’s Edge.

Was it worth it? Worth is really, really subjective. However… yes. I would do it again in a heartbeat. It does take the right person to do this experience though. You have to be willing to get into it, to participate, to play into the storyline! But what’s interesting about this is that I’m very generally a bystander when it comes to things like this, but this was such fun that it made getting involved very easy. In our group of 4, we had one who has been a lifelong Star Wars fan, and one who had only seen 1 of the movies– we all had fun! I think that speaks volumes as to what kind of experience that Disney has cultivated.

Ready for your Star Wars adventure? Let’s chat about your options and if this experience is right for you!

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and remember…

may the force be with you.

👻 Your quick tip guide to Halloween Horror Nights

this event is intended for guests ages 13+

☠️ Stay and Scream Holding Areas
These are areas for day guests to wait in while the park closes and empties out before the event officially starts. There are two of them, and which one you get in will greatly impact which houses you get to first – so plan accordingly!

☠️ Lines build quick, and waits get long FAST
The good news is, the lines consistently moving. Long waits are never fun, but they are easier when moving!

☠️ The shows are…interesting
We laughed when the announcement was made that it was adult in nature but yall they weren’t joking 🙃😅 it was great though – lots of cool music, pyro, aerial artists, and illusions (and I love a good illusion!). These things fill up so fast. A Team Member gave us the recommendation to arrive 20-30 minutes prior to the next show and he was spot on. We arrive shortly after 9 for the 9:30 show and a crowd had already built up, and it was a packed show!

☠️ Scare Zones
We did all of the Scare Zones and all of them were good, but some were amazing! Our favorite was probably 30 Years 30 Fears, and in my opinion, the weakest was CryptTV (cool concept, just didn’t work as well as the others).

☠️ Haunted Houses
I only did two but the two I did were fab (Scarey: Horror in the Heartland, and Puppet Theater). As mentioned above, the big, showpiece houses attract crowds and the waits quickly inflate to 60+ minutes. Choose your Stay and Scream area wisely, get in line as soon as you can – OR bypass all of the strategy and purchase Express Pass for the event 🙃

☠️ Visit the Tribute Store!
Not only is full of all the horror souvenirs you can possibly need, but it’s got great decor, photos ops, and snacks – it’s just all around a great place to check out.

☠️ Leave the kiddos at home
This event is definitely not for kids. The recommended age is 13+. Obviously, you know your kid best, but this is a SCARY event with a lot of adult themes.

☠️ Beer lines are long
Grab a wristband early in the night so you don’t have to be carded every time you buy a drink, cuts down on a tiny bit of time AND means you don’t have to dig through your bag to find ID