Parent's First Trip to Disney

Core Memories Unlocked - Let the Magic Begin!

Adventure Awaits...

There's nothing quite like seeing Disney through someone else's eyes for their first time in the parks & property. I had the privilege of planning this trip with my parents back in summer of 2025. They have never been and my mom was always wanting to go and living vicariously through me each time I had gone. After what started as fun planning, turned into "yeah, let's go to Disney in January." I had them pick a resort from what quotes I sent them, and we decided on Caribbean Beach Resort with park days in Magic Kingdom and Epcot!

For those who go to Disney where they hit all four parks, kudos! I usually am one to try to get to all four while we go, but I knew my parents would be pretty overwhelmed if we tried to hit all of them on our 5 night trip - so we decided to ease them into the Disney bubble and walk before they sprinted! :)

Our trip started a day early with an incoming ice storm that was set to hit our area and other areas where our connection was the day we were supposed to leave. We decided to take up the offer that our airline had sent us to fly out a day earlier - and boy were we glad we did. We didn't go straight to our Disney resort mainly because we weren't set to be in Orlando until well after 5:00pm and quite honestly, it was easier (and cheaper) to find something last minute that was close to the area of Disney springs that was a non-resort hotel. It was pretty nice and we got some hot tub time and my parents were loving the Florida, sunshine weather! Especially considering that the Midwest was getting hit with ice and snow, we loved the warm weather.

We arrived at Caribbean Beach Resort on our first day and it was nice since we'd have some extra time to explore the resort and head to Disney Springs for the afternoon. We were able to request a specific area, which I recommend going to the check in desk vs. checking in via your mobile app. You can see if they can put you in a specific area or make any special requests.

One of mine and Nick's favorite spots to stop at when we go to Disney Springs is Wine Bar George. If you haven't been there, do yourself a favor and pay them a visit. Not only do they have a very large selection of wine to choose from, but the vibes are so modern, sleek, and it's just a great spot to have a glass of wine and either people watch or have good conversation.

We checked out multiple shops and even took some photos since we had Photo Pass. I decided to get Photo Pass for this trip specifically to get some really good group shots with my parents for an extra magical trip. We had a blast exploring Disney Springs and I think they really enjoyed the vibes! They were also great sports about taking some silly pictures while we were in the area.

We headed back to the resort for a night in to rest up for our Magic Kingdom day for the next day! We checked out Banana Cabana and got to catch some of the EPCOT fireworks from where we were sitting. All in all a great night. If you want to check out more about the resort we stayed in, check out my blog entry on Caribbean Beach Resort.

Magic Kingdom

To say I was excited to see my parent's reaction to walking down Main Street USA and seeing Cinderella's castle for the first time, would be an understatement. I got to watch their eyes go from this is cool to when they saw the castle "woah." It was fun to hear my mom talk about how she would always watch the fireworks/parades on TV at home, but was so surreal to see it in person. We had Multipass for the day so we headed towards Seven Dwarves Mine Train - which got delayed for the early morning entry.

Pro Tip: If you stay on resort, you get early entry for you park days which is 30 minutes before non-resort guests. Not all attractions are open during early entry, but it definitely saves some time to knock out some of the longer waits.

My parents got to experience not only their first delay that trip, but they also got to experience an evacuation from the queue line in Tron since they had to shut it down - which it immediately went back up as we were walking out. We hit most of our "must do's" for that day and I'm glad we did, because it was surprisingly busy but it's usually always busy in the parks these days.

We got to check out Beak and Barrell at Magic Kingdom which is the new pirates themed bar that opened in August 2025. You do have to get reservations in advance for this popular lounge. The drinks were delicious and the atmosphere was very fun! We rode Pirates of the Caribbean before hitting up the lounge. The cast members were super fun and they had a lot of "hidden treasures" and a singing parrot.

Pro Tip: You can make reservations 60 days in advance of your Disney booking. I'd highly recommend doing that and pick a time in the afternoon to escape the heat! You will also want to show up roughly 10-15 minutes before your check in time and check in online in the mobile app. If you are late, you may lose your spot.

We had a surprise when we were waiting on fireworks that night, and that was the nighttime parade called "Starlight Parade." They went down Main Street USA and in from of the castle. There were so many different characters and the starlight spectacles were magical. Definitely something we didn't expect and it was a pleasant surprise.

The fireworks for "Happily Ever After" were definitely my parent's highlight of the trip - they were very impressed with the projections and everything that came with it. We also snagged a super nice spot with a great view of the castle. Every time I see Tinkerbell fly from the castle, I always tear up. I'm pretty sure I may have seen my mom tear up a bit as she watched the show as well. As always, it was super magical - but even more magical I got to share those moments with my parents. Taking my parents to my happy place - core memory unlocked!

Pro Tip: Get a to a spot in the hub early (at least an hour) if you want a good viewing. If you don't mind a "meh" view of the fireworks, you can still find something in the hub but it gets crowded fast! Also, when the show ends, have your patience pants on - because it's a lot of people leaving all at the same time.

Rest Day & Resort Hopping

What's better than a rest day on Disney property? Nothing much! We explored our resort a little more but also showed my parents some of the other resorts on the monorail such as Polynesian, Contemporary, and Grand Floridian.

While at the Polynesian, we just so happened to be there around when Trader Sam's was opening (which they now open at 11am vs 2pm) for their waitlist. We went ahead and put our name on the list and surprisingly we were able to get in less than 20 minutes! I had never been in Trader Sam's before but it's a really fun, tropical-vibe lounge where the cast members are so funny and some of the drinks have special surprises! The food is quite good - we had ordered two appetizers since we had not had lunch yet and it was great. My mom had gotten a drink that literally tasted like a frozen dole whip. All in all, it was definitely well worth and is for sure a revisit.

Pro Tip: You cannot get reservations to Trader Sam's ahead of time. So I suggest getting there early so you can get your name in. It has gotten much easier with the earlier opening since we were able to snag a spot!

We ended the afternoon in Port Orleans - French Quarter before heading to Disney Springs for dinner at Raglan Road. We had to get some Mickey benights to share since my parents have not had them yet. Worth it - every, single time! And they were quite busy! But the wait is definitely worth it.

EPCOT

Coldest day I have every spent on a Disney vacation! With the crazy ice storms hitting a good portion of the US, it caused some major cold fronts to come through Florida. We had to wear layers and my parents even had to find some stocking caps to stay warm during our EPCOT day!

Pro Tip: Just because Florida is known for their warm weather, be prepared by taking layers if you are traveling in the winter months! It got down to the 30's on our EPCOT night. Brrrrr!!!

While we were there, Festival of the Arts was happening - which was one of the festivals I haven't been to yet personally! It was so much fun and they had so many different artists, food, & activities around the park! Many vendors were selling a variety of Disney artwork - which I ended up buying my first Thomas Kincade piece which I love. They also had a lot of different fun foods (as they do with every festival), paint by number mural activity, live chalk art artists working on some really cool drawings, and more!

Did I mention the food? We love a good EPCOT festival food :) And drinking around the world of course! No trip is complete with grabbing some Viking Coffee from Norway! (And yes, Nick and I shared everything!)

They also had a Broadway display of all the Disney on Broadway history - which I'm sad we didn't get a chance to go see with everything else we wanted to do. We did manage to see a live performance from some Broadway performers that night - and they were phenomenal. We hit the main attractions we wanted to hit and had an individual lightning lane reservation for Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind - which my dad got quite dizzy on, but he made it!

All in all - it was such a cool day and fun vibe all around! We went on some favorite attractions, saw Voices of Liberty (which they blew my parents minds), and ate some good food. We also checked out EPCOT's new lounge Geo -82, which was really cool but if I'm being completely honest - I was expecting a little more from this adults only lounge. It was modern, sleek, and had a very "EPCOT" vibe to the space - but it just lacked in my opinion.

Overall, it was a really great trip. Minus it being extremely cold in EPCOT - but just goes to show, be ready to have layers when you travel to Florida in the winter! Because you never know. Getting to experience Disney with my parents for their first time is something I'll never forget and never take for granted. What a magical journey to have been able to do with them to one of my happiest places. I think they will be back at some point!

Until next time, Disney...

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