Disney by Danielle - An Affiliate of Academy Travel

21/06/2018

Toy Story Land is opening next week, Donald's Dino-Bash is beginning at Disney's Animal Kingdom, 2019 packages are now available to book! It's the perfect time to plan your next Walt Disney World vacation!!!!

01/06/2018

Toy Story Land officially opens this month!! There is a FREE dining plan promotion going on this Summer and Fall so it is the perfect time to go visit Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the gang!!

Explore a room and ticket package offer that includes a dining plan at select Disney Resort hotels—valid for arrivals most nights from August 20 to December 23, 2018 when you book by July 7, 2018.

29/03/2018

We love Toy Story and Jessie is Zooey's favorite character so we are so excited for these meet and greets!

As regular readers know, we’ve been sharing updates on what to expect when Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios opens to guests on June 30. Today, we’re excited to let you know that inside this new land, you’ll have the chance to

19/03/2018

Tickets for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party are now available! You can dress up in costume and trick or treat through the Magic Kingdom or Disneyland Park as well as view special party only shows and parades! We attended the party last year at the Magic Kingdom and it was a lot of fun, also we got SO MUCH candy! Let me know if you have any questions about this, or any other special events :)

12/02/2018

That's all of the playgrounds at the resort hotels! There are playgrounds at some of the parks, including seasonal playgrounds that are moved in only for special events. If you have any questions about those please let me know!

12/02/2018

The last category of resorts we have is the deluxe resorts which also includes the deluxe villas. These resorts tend to have the most amenities, including close proximity to parks and other destinations. There are still some activities for the kids, but there are not playgrounds at all of the deluxe resorts. I have included the Swan and Dolphin resorts in this category because while they are not technically Disney resorts, they are on the property and the amenities here are closest to the deluxe level. You can find the following playgrounds at deluxe resort hotels:

The Animal Kingdom Lodge has the Hakuna Matata playground located in the Jambo House (main resort building) side of the resort. This playground is decorated to fit in an African safari, and has a lot of space around the actual climbing areas to run around. This playground is for the use of guests staying at both the Jambo House and Kidani Village sides of the resort, but the walk from Kidani Village is a bit far so you may want to take the shuttle. Beyond the amenities for guests, there is a 46 acre safari with over 20 species of animals running and playing. Unfortunately guests cannot play IN the safari with the animals, but there are observation decks throughout the resort, and it is even visible from many guest rooms!

At Disney’s Boardwalk Inn and Villas, you will find the Crazy Horse Playground. This playground is a bit smaller than at the other resorts, it has two sets of double slides, with a couple of areas to climb up to them, and there is a small section of the play area meant for toddlers not yet climbing. There is space to run around in this play area, but children may get bored of this play space quickly. As is the case with the Caribbean Beach resort, the playground in the pool area of this resort is much more extensive than the dry playground, so while this playground may be great to get the kids to burn out some energy in a short period of time, if you want a longer stretch of play at the Boardwalk Inn and Villas, I recommend you focus on the pool area.

The playgrounds at Disney’s Old Key West fits the resort theme by placing you on a sandy beach in paradise. There is sand surrounding the playground (where there is not safety padding) so even the parents can imagine they are on the beach, while they supervise their children climbing on the playground at Sandcastle Pool. The playgrounds here are close to the pool areas, so it may be best to combine pool play with the playground play, and the Sandcastle Pool is truly larger than life. Your children will climb and play in a giant sandcastle with shovels and plastic sand toys towering around you. The theming of these play areas is incredible! There is also a playground by the South Point Pool which tends to be a little quieter than the main playground and pool area.

The Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa (themed after our very own Saratoga Springs, NY) has an adorable playground called the Paddock. This playground is not large, but it is very beautifully built and feels like a playhouse more than a playground. There are a few different ways to climb up and around the playground, so children of different ages can enjoy playing in the same space. This resort also has two water playgrounds, at the Congress Park and Grandstand pools.

The playground at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel is the largest playground on the property. This playground is also on a sandy beach, and there are hammocks nearby for easy relaxation while the kids play. This resort hotel can be walked to from the Swan hotel, if you are a guest of either of these resorts you can enjoy the amenities at both. If you were to choose a resort hotel based on only the playground, this may be the one to choose. The space is large enough to keep children occupied for longer periods of time, and is not located in the pool area so you won’t have to worry about keeping children away from the water while they are playing.

The photo you see is the Paddock playground at the Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa.

12/02/2018

The moderate resorts on the property also all have playgrounds. These resorts still have amenities for families and children, but they begin to cater to older guests a little bit more. Don't get me wrong, there is still a lot for the little ones to do, but at these resorts you begin to find more restaurants and bars than you would at the value resorts. But as for playgrounds, let's see what we'll find:

The playgrounds at Disney’s Caribbean Beach resort look similar to those at the All Star resorts. One of them is on the sandy beach at the resort, so that would theme it to Caribbean Beach! At this resort there is children’s play area at the pool, with slides and spouting water. If you're looking for low key day at the resort hotel, you may need to wear the swimsuits because the water play area overshadows the playgrounds here. But for an hour of downtime and letting the kids run off some energy, the non water playgrounds will get the job done.

I often hear comparisons between the Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs resorts, they are similar in price and amenities. However the Coronado stands out in the area of playgrounds! The play areas at the Coronado Springs resort are well themed to match the decor. The Explorer’s Playground is decorated around an ancient Mexican ruin; your little archaeologists will be hard at work in the archaeological dig sandbox. There is a playground for older kids with more climbing pieces, and a smaller playground for toddlers with stairs and slides. In terms of playground theming, the Coronado Springs is my favorite! The photo you see is of the Explorer's Playground!

At the Fort Wilderness campground you will find two separate playgrounds. These playgrounds don't appear to have a strong theme to tie them to the resort, however these spaces are larger than some of the other resorts which makes up for the decor. This resort also has horseback riding and bike rentals. If you have kids a little older than the playground age but not quite old enough to venture off of the hotel property alone, this may be a great resort to consider.

The Port Orleans French Quarter and Port Orleans Riverside resorts, are located within walking distance of each other. Each of these resorts has a small playground on property, but with them being in such close proximity to each other you could easily switch between the two for a little change of play place. The playgrounds are basic, similar to the All Star resort playgrounds, with the one at Riverside a little more themed to the resort - there is a large watermill at the main resort building and a smaller one built into the playground.

12/02/2018

To start off with, let's look at the playgrounds at the value level resort hotels. These are the hotels that tend to have some more amenities for families with children. All of the value resorts on property have playgrounds, so let's take a look!

The playgrounds at the All-Star and Pop Century resorts are not as themed as you may find at some of the other resorts. The playgrounds look like what you would find at your local park. They are still fun for the little ones! The real theming at these resorts is in the buildings and the pools. There are larger than life decorations all throughout these resorts that will keep you and your children occupied just taking a stroll through the property.

At the Art of Animation resort, the playground is themed like an undersea reef in Finding Nemo, as you can see in this photo! Little dudes can climb and slide through this reef with Crush and other friends from the film. This resort also has some smaller play areas to explore, like the Elephants’ Graveyard from The Lion King, but these won’t keep little ones occupied as long as the Finding Nemo playground, this is more just a stop to make on your resort tour, because this resort also has amazing decor to walk around and take in. The Art of Animation resort is just a short walk from the Pop Century resort (fun fact, the location of the Art of Animation resort was originally supposed to house an additional five decades of the Pop Century resort but that idea was scrapped and Art of Animation born years later) so if you are staying at either of these resorts, there is so much more to see just on the other side of the bridge!

Speaking of the Pop Century resort, it also has its own playground. This playground has a few more pieces that the larger kids may enjoy than other playgrounds on property, there are monkey bars which aren’t found on many. The playground is very colorful, which is sort of themed since it is located near the 1970s theme buildings. The real fun of this resort will be walking around and looking at the larger than life toy replicates that are built throughout the decades. You may not be able to play with these toys (I mean can you really ride a 3 story tall Big Wheel?) but it is fun to see them all and there are a few areas where the toys and games can be played with.

12/02/2018

I had a request for information on the playgrounds located at Walt Disney World resort hotels. I did a little research, so I will be posting a few comments on what I found. If there is anything else that anyone is wondering about regarding any Disney Destination please let me know and I would be happy to look into it for you!

09/02/2018

Epcot has different events going on throughout the year which is great because you can visit the park at various times of year and still see something new! I am so excited to be visiting this Spring to see the beautiful floral showcases!

Also the France pavilion has the absolute best pastry I've ever had, their version of the beignet is so delicious 😊

05/02/2018

Nick Foles and the Eagles are going to Disney World, I think we all should too!

04/02/2018

As if I ever need a reason to visit!!

With an amazing land set to debut at Disney’s Hollywood Studios this summer, plus the return of guest-favorite festivals and multitude of new dining locations, the year 2018 is shaping up to be thrilling for our guests.

01/02/2018

A trip on the Disney Cruise Line is a great way to escape the Winter chill! Did you know the Disney Cruise Line has a private port of call, Castaway Cay? All of the ships in the Disney fleet offer something for everyone: family fun, adult only amenities and activities for the kids.

Trade your snow shovel for a snorkel and say goodbye to winter!

29/01/2018

The biggest reason I love Walt Disney World, feeling like a kid for every visit!!

29/01/2018

Hi everyone! This is officially my first post on my new page representing myself as a travel agent specializing in Disney Destinations! I have decided to take my passion for planning and perfecting my own family's vacations and share it with everyone I can! If you are planning an upcoming trip, or just want some more information, feel free to message me or post on here any questions you may have! I'm very excited for this new adventure 😊