- EPIC Arizona Family Vacation
- Ready, Set, Go…to Montana and Wyoming for an EPIC National Park Tour with Littles
The Disney vacation we will never forget…
Finally feeling up to writing my Disney Trip blog. Not because we didn’t have the best time and so many memories but because how it ended…If you don’t follow me already you missed the fun story where we had to shorten our family trip due to my husband testing positive for Covid. It was a huge let down that unfortunately happened on day 5 of our trip, to be exact. There were a few tears shed, mostly by myself but I fully intend to lay out as I do with all of our vacations our day-by-day itinerary complete with costs associated with each part of our trip.
Day 1: The BIG surprise
I’ve always envisioned surprising my girls with a trip to Disney. In full transparency this was not their first trip to a Disney Park. I grew up going to Disney a lot as a child, my grandmother lived in Kissimmee. We have taken the older two girls for a park day to Magic Kingdom when we have visited family and friends in Orlando. This trip was going to be different. A full Disney vacation where we stayed at a resort and went to all the parks. Our parents were also on board to go too. Advice #1 take the grandparents! They are so much help.
I can’t believe we were able to pull off the surprise with all the Amazon deliveries and the code talk about going to the “Mouse House”. Anyways back to it…I woke them up Thursday morning telling them to get ready for school. It took them a minute to figure out that their suitcases were packed with Disney Bound t-shirts were waiting for them in the living room. They were elated and then we got to tell them G-ma and G-pa and Nina were coming too.
Flight: IAH>MCO we used miles for our flights so those cost $0, if we had not used miles they were $226/person round trip direct flight.
Ground Transportation round trip: $237.90
Orlando Taxi Service | Orlando Airport Taxi Service (skippytransportation.com)
They were so great to work with, highly recommend. We had 8 people and needed car seats. They had a large passenger van that accommodated us all plus some and all our luggage. I communicated with them via text as well.
Resort: Wyndham Bonnet Creek $1400 6 nights
Orlando Hotel – Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek
We actually initially booked at the Swan Hotel using miles. After looking at the price to add another room for our parents it would have cost significantly more to get 2 hotel rooms, even using miles at the Hotel rather than a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom with kitchen condo at the Wyndham. We booked through www.airbnb.com not directly through the resort. Full discloser this is a timeshare property too, so they will give you the spiel to get you to go to the meeting to purchase a timeshare. We opted out and let them know we were not interested. No harm.
Location: While not a Disney Resort this resort is located right next to Disney’s Caribbean Beach resort and is among other Disney resorts, making it an easy drive to Epcot, MK and HS (in order of closest to furthest away) no more than a 5-8 minute drive.
Condo Details: main bedroom king bed with shower bathroom, 2nd bedroom 2 full beds, pull out sofa, full kitchen, balcony
Resort Amenities: We didn’t take advantage of any of these but they have putt putt, an activity center with daily activities, crafts and arcade.
Pools: several pools and lazy rivers. We went to I think ¾ main pool areas. They also have a kids splash pad and 2 of their pools have slides (1 for bigger kids that is enclosed and the other is for a little younger). We were very pleased with the pool amenities.
Restaurants: I believe they have a total of 3 restaurants. We ate at 1 restaurant several times since it was so close to our building. They had breakfast, pool food and one night we got food to go. They also had a pizza place and ice cream which we visited as well.
Transportation: There is a shuttle that takes you to some of the parks and the main Disney transportation center. We opted out of this as the times were not ideal (later in the morning than we wanted to leave). The price was $10/person and roughly the same cost of using Uber.
After checking in and getting situated we headed to the Disney’s Wilderness Lodge | Walt Disney World Resort (go.com) for a character dining meal. This resort is breathtaking and considered one of Disney’s Deluxe Resorts and I see why. We just traveled to Yellowstone last summer and visited Old Faithful Inn, this resort reminded me of that hotel. Just beautiful. I would love to stay a night there one day.
Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White $593
*5 adults and 3 children, meals and extra drinks. Gratuity included
Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White Menu | Walt Disney World Resort (go.com)
This restaurant is so incredibly beautiful. You are nestled in an enchanted forest with trees and twinkling lights above you. They have musical breaks randomly throughout the meal where Snow White, Grumpy and Dopey will come out dance and come to your table for a photo op. Sometimes they have the Evil Queen present, she was not there when we went.
Downside of booking at a non-Disney resort is that often dining reservations are taken before you get the opportunity to book at 60 days. This was not a deal breaker for us, so I just signed up for www.mousedining.com for alerts. That is how I snagged the reservation for Storybook the week before our trip.
Menu: 3 course meal
Appetizers:
- Kids get their own “from the garden” plate that is adorable. Honey butter with fruit, vegetables and cheese.
- Adults get mushroom bisque, shrimp cocktail and little breaded meat pie
Entree:
- Kids (3 options to choose). Mine choose the grilled chicken and they were able to choose 2 sides. Mine also chose the mac and cheese and a veggie.
- Adults(7 options to choose). Our table got a little of everything, Beef Stroganoff, Prime Rib Roast and Slow Braised Pork Shank. The fav of the table was the Pork Shank, it was delicious.
- One thing to note is that it does come with sides but you can add more sides to the meal that is included. I ordered a side of Broccolini.
Dessert:
- Shared desserts 3 for every guest
- Cookies ‘n Cream Panna Cotta and Chocolate Gems
- Dark Chocolate-Apple Mousse and Sour Center
- Meringue and Gooseberry
Drinks:
- Water, tea, sodas included
- We of course had to get the fun extra drinks. Transformation Potion (changes colors) and In the Clouds (has cotton candy)
- Alcohol is extra as well
Stroller Rental: Kingdom Strollers $137 for 6 days
Stroller Rentals in Orlando, Florida – Strollers to your Orlando Resort (kingdomstrollers.com)
- Advice #2 Get the Stroller. If you have more than 1 child, get the double stroller. We rented a double bob and have 0 regrets.
- They delivered it to our hotel. It was very clean. Came with a 2 cup holders, small cooler and a rain cover (which we did not need on the trip).
- Highly recommend
Day 2: Epcot
We started the morning at the Starbucks and got the girls donuts at our Resort $42. Uber to Epcot and arrived around 8:30am. We did not get magic bands and survived. We used my phone for 2 parks and the cards for the other park. It worked fine and we saved a few bucks not getting the bands.
Genie+ I was very confused at first. I thought I was going to be able to book 3 right away in the morning. Apparently, I did not review well…face palm. I booked probably the least busy ride at Epcot as a Genie +…oops at least I learned and had it down for Magic Kingdom the next day.
Best advice, pull out your phone and look at the times for the meet and greets. There are different characters at various locations around the park. They have set times so if you really want to meet one check out the app and see the times they are there. We took more of a leisurely approach that I don’t regret but if you want to get them all in plan accordingly. We walked around the world and I looked at my phone to see which characters were nearby and planned that way.
I forgot to mention it was The Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot. Not only beautiful floral displays around the park but so many stations in each country with curated food/drinks. I wish I would have been able to try more food. This would be a good date night for sure.
Nemo and Friends Genie+
- Cute ride
- No height requirement
- After the ride you can go inside the aquarium which is really neat and out of the sun.
Meet and Greet Elsa and Anna
- 45-minute wait in line, part outside and part inside.
- The actual meet and greet is inside
- My girls really enjoyed meeting them and getting to hug the princesses again
Snack Break
- Pastries in Norway were delicious
Frozen Ever After
- 45-minute wait in line
- wish we would have booked this Genie+
- Cute ride. There was 1 part where my daughter (3 years old) did not like the snow monster. She will still mention liking everything except the snow monster…lol
- No height requirement
Lunch
- Regal Eagle Smokehouse BBQ- Quick Service $52
- Pretty good. Wouldn’t have been my first choice since we live in Texas and get plenty of BBQ but we wanted something inside and quick.
- They had ribs, mac n cheese, hamburgers, pulled pork and beans, salad
- Cajun Food booth outside $20
- Gumbo and Boudin Balls- husband saw them and had to try. Very good
Drinking around the world
- We enjoyed several beverages around the world.
- Hubby opted for several beers
- I went for a Limoncello in Italy and a Sangria in Moracco.
* paid cash for most of drinks
Beauty and the Beast Sing Along
- Another awesome let’s get out of the sun opportunity. You go inside a move theater and watch a cute little story about Beauty and the Beast complete with songs and lyrics to sing along. My girls loved it and the guys got to have a quick nap.
Aurora Meet and Greet
- Outside under shade. We did not wait but 15-20 minutes to take our picture and have her sign the autograph book
- Speaking of check out these cute custom books I had made from etsy
Disney Autograph Book Personalized Mickey or Minnie Mouse | Etsy
Ratatouille
- 60-minute wait. We did not purchase Individual Lightning Lane.
- Line is mostly outside with a section inside.
- No height requirement
- VR ride complete with 3-D glasses. As soon as they handed these out, I knew I was in trouble. I get very motion sick, so as cute as the ride was, I never put on the glasses and most of the ride closed my eyes. This ride is for all ages too with adult, but I do know my body and did not want it to ruin the rest of the day
- What I learned is that apparently my daughters are also sensitive to motion. After we got off the ride they seemed worn out. I just assumed they were hot and tired, but that was not the case. To be continued….
We walked around the world some more. I got a delicious snack from Canada
Pound cake with peaches, ice cream and maple popcorn. My daughter got a Dole Whip.
As we were waiting for popcorn before headed to Mexico was when our Epcot day came to a close. My daughter was eating her ice cream and talking about how the ride made her belly feel funny. Seconds later she threw up. That is when were learned no more VR rides for us this Disney trip.
Dinner: This night we did to go from the restaurant at the hotel $50
Outfits of the day:
Snack Dresses
Pink & Blue Watercolor Mouse Snacks Short Sleeve Dress – Beyond Beautiful Bows
*similar to the one we purchased. You could email her to see if she has the light blue one if you prefer that one
Drinking around the world shirts
Drinking Around the World T-shirt Disney Family and Couple | Etsy
Grocery Delivery: $156 Instacart for the essentials milk, oj, bottled water, breakfast foods, pb&j, snacks, coffee/tea, sunscreen, hair stuff, etc
Day 3: Magic Kingdom
We started the day a little late. Made a quick breakfast at the resort. We got to the park around 10:15am, but I got the hang of Genie+ and booked a ton of rides this day. We left the park around 9:30pm so we had an 11+ hour day. It really was the best day.
Remember that popcorn bucket…. it’s refillable for I think $2.50 at ALL the parks. Advice #3 Get the popcorn bucket and fill it up as soon as you walk in the park
Little Mermaid
- 30-minute wait
- Line outside mostly with a short line inside
- No height requirement
- This is my favorite ride
Barnstormer
- 5-minute wait
- height requirement for this small roller coaster 35 inches, both my 5 year old and 7 year old were able to ride
Dumbo
- 20-minute wait
- line outside with a short line inside and play area that you choose whether you want to play in or not. If you choose not to play you get to go ahead in the line to the ride.
- No height requirement
- It’s a classic and we have to do this every time we go
Lunch
- Cosmic Ray’s Quick Service Food $59
- Tomorrowland- next to Speedway
- chicken tenders, fries, mac n cheese, burgers, salad
Tiana and Rapunzel Meet and Greet
- Genie+, I snagged this one first thing in the morning around 7am, for an after lunch meet time.
- Loved getting to skip this 60-minute wait in line with our Genie+
Peter Pan
- Genie+
- We rode this right after the princess meet and greet. The way I booked it worked out perfectly. I was able to book this one at 9am for an afternoon ride.
- No height requirement
It’s a Small World
- 20-minute wait
- Line is covered but outside.
- My youngest fell asleep in the line with us holding her. She continued to sleep and had a nice nap for about 45 minutes until the next ride.
- No height requirement
Pirates of the Caribbean
- Genie+
- No height requirement but my youngest did not like this one
Aloha Isle
- Snack Break $30
- Must stop! Dole whips and Dole floats. SO good and refreshing
- Adventureland: Next to Magic Carpet Ride
- We got the girls popsicles from a stand $12
Monsters Inc.
- 15 minutes
- Line inside. Another great stop for a good laugh and indoor AC break
- I feel like this is underestimated Disney attraction. I would say a must stop.
Haunted Mansion
- Genie+
- Even though we had Genie+ there was a small wait and honestly, I was very disappointed in the organization of this pre-ride wait.
- We joked…not funny after all that it was a covid hotspot. I’ve been on this ride several times and understand that they put you in a room a mansion. Usually, it opens up to an organized line but instead it was opened into another area that had several more groups of people just waiting to board the ride. So many people and way too close for comfort.
- The ride is not scary but for a 3 year old…. she was not pleased.
- No height requirement
Winnie the Pooh
- Genie+
- We made up for the Mansion ride by taking the girls on a carefree Winnie the Pooh ride. It’s adorable and a classic.
- No Height requirement
Dinner
- Sleepy Hallow $25
- Liberty square area: when facing the castle to the Left and in front of Haunted Mansion.
- A must stop! Delicious Sweet and Spicey Chicken and Waffles comes with potato chips and a Nutella/fruit waffle. They also had this 50th anniversary blueberry and ginger ale drink that I wish I had right now to drink. No alcohol at MK unless you are at the seated reservation required dining.
- Pecos Quick Service $50
- Frontierland: Next to Splash Mountain. Another easy and quick meal. Don’t expect to be blown away but there is AC and chairs and tables to sit and rest.
- Mexican food- tacos, burgers, nachos, etc.
Splash Mountain
- 30-minute wait
- Line mostly outside with a small area covered
- There is a height requirement 40 inches but my 5-year-old was able to ride. I was surprised she did but she loved every second.
- You get a tad wet but it was so fun and be sure to look out for the castle before the big drop.
Fireworks
- We had a Genie+ for Space Mountain but it was too close to fireworks time so we opted out.
- We went to the Emporium and did some shopping before the show.
- Watched a bit from the park and then made out way out to the Ferry where we watched the rest of the show.
- This is a decision you have to make. Beat the crowds and watch from a far or watch at the park and get the mad rush out. We picked the former and got a beautiful boat ride show.
Outfits of the day:
Princess Dresses with mouse ears
Princess Dress/ Disney Princess Dress/ Twirl Dress | Etsy
50th anniversary shirts
Vintage Disney World 50th Anniversary T-shirt 1971-2021 DW | Etsy
Day 4: Rest/Pool Day
Breakfast at the resort before heading to the pool. We spent pretty much from 10am-6pm at 3 different pool areas between the splash pad, pools, lazy rivers.
Our family from Florida met us this day so we had a chance to see them after a few years missing them.
Lunch $88 was quick service at the resort with plenty of fun pool cocktails.
It was a great day with fun in the sun.
Dinner $50 We planned to have our pizza outside but a storm ended up coming through so we stayed inside the condo and then went out for ice cream at the resort.
Advice #4 Take the rest day
Day 5: Hollywood Studios with a Splash of Covid….
I’ll start with the fun and end with the not so fun.
We had a short 6-hour day at Hollywood Studios and it was not long enough.
Toy Story Mania
- Genie+ Definitely worth it
- This ride is also VR with glasses but very calm. I did not wear my glasses just in case but could have, I think.
- It is interactive like you are in an arcade shooting to various VR targets.
- No height requirement
- My youngest loved this one with me
Lunch
- Woody’s Lunchbox $80
- Adorable! Quick service but outside. I enjoyed it but it was by far our most expensive lunch
- A few options for sandwiches including grilled cheese, comes with tater tots (can get loaded ones-but that sounded so awful to eat in the heat of the day).
- They have various kinds of homemade pop tarts which was my fav. We had the raspberry. So delicious!
- And I bought the dang $16 alien slushy cups for each of my girls…lol I know but I just didn’t want to deal with the sharing at this point.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- We just walked through and went to some shops, unfortunately Smugglers Run was closed and it was VR so we would have needed to avoid that anyways
- Rise of the Resistance was one I wanted to ride later in the day with just my husband and I but didn’t get to do that.
- Job well done on Disney making everything look so realistic. I enjoyed just being there to see it all and I’m not a huge SW fan.
Olaf Meet and Greet
- Genie+ worth it
- We waited outside in a line for about 10 minutes because they take you inside in groups.
- Once inside cute Olaf is ready for summer for his photo op with you
Mickeys Runaway Railway
- Genie+ Definitely worth it
- This adorable ride has a small preshow where you stand for a couple minutes in the AC. Woohoo. Then you get a train like cart for the ride
- I think this was one of my favorites on our trip
- No height requirement
Disney Junior Characters Meet and Greet
- Check times. I think last meet and greet was around 4:30
- Doc McStuffins, Vampirina, Pluto and Fancy Nancy were all available in separate sets from their shows for a photo op and autograph signing.
- Photo maker is available during these meets
Disney Junior Play and Dance
- Genie+ not really needed but we used it
- I think this was my 3 daughters fav of the day and we didn’t mind the seated AC break (even if we sat on the floor)
- The MC was super entertaining and energetic. Several of the Disney characters came out and did a little dance. The kids joined in too and there were bubbles everywhere. Such a win!
Pixar Pals Motorcade
- Sunset Blvd
- Toy Story and Incredibles Characters Sunset Blvd for a very short parade (minutes) but it’s a cute little parade and worth the quick stop.
Frozen Sing Along
- Genie+ not really needed but we used it
- Underrated show in a theater with an actual seat with a nice AC break.
- The MCs were super funny and Characters were present on stage for the show.
- My girls really enjoyed this one as well.
We were going to try to ride Slinky Dog Dash but it was a 60-minute wait and Genie+ was sold out all day
Now for the bummer of the day…my husband tested positive for covid day 5 of our trip. The rest of our family tested negative thankfully. He missed out on Hollywood Studios due to symptoms. We had a date night planned for this evening; my parents were going to watch the girls but that obviously didn’t work out. We shifted gears quickly and made new travel arrangements to leave a day early…Advice #5 Pack Covid Tests. I actually packed 4 tests but didn’t have enough so had to Instacart some more. Not a huge deal but we had to wait for them to arrive.
*The covid test line was so faint my mom had to put on her glasses, but if you look close it was there.
*The shirt he was supposed to wear, we planned on having an date at the park with our shirts.
Dinner this night was leftovers, helped the stress of packing up quickly and we needed to eat the food anyways.
Outfits of the day:
Toy Story shirts girls
Disney Shirt Disney Toy Story Shirts Disney Toy Story | Etsy
Toy Story shirts adults
Disney Toy Story Shirt Let’s Get Buzzed Shirt What the | Etsy
Day 6: Mass Orlando Exodus NOT Animal Kingdom Day
I contacted our ground transportation Skippy the night before letting them know of the illness and the need to leave a day early. They were so kind and accommodated us, taking us to the airport.
My parents flew home with my 2 oldest daughters first thing in the morning.
My husband, youngest daughter and I rented a car and drove the 15 hours home. We were able to get a small flight credit for the change. Thankfully they also had a car seat we were able to rent as well since my daughter still needs a 5-point car seat.
Disney was so great and is allowing us to use the un-used park tickets at a later date. No expiration.
Despite being really upset about this awful virus impeding our lives once again and messing with our vacation, I’m so thankful at the same time. So thankful we were able to go on this trip to begin with. Thankful we were able to share this with our parents and daughters. We had 4.5 really awesome days of memories. Thankful my husband is doing well. Thankful the rest of our house and parents were spared this time.
Now we have a story…” remember that time we went to Disney and daddy caught covid?”…see you next time Disney thank you for the memories.
Price Breakdown:
- Flights= Miles $0
- Condo (6 nights details above)= $1400 total we paid $200 after splitting with our parents and deducting the flights we purchased for them using our miles
- Park tickets (4 days with Genie+ all 4 days for 2 adults and 3 children)= $2439
*I used a discount spot through work. I think it saved us a couple hundred dollars
- Ground Transportation (8 guests round trip)= $238
- Ubers= $200
- Stroller Rental (6 nights)= $137
- Meals and Snacks= $500
- Character Dining (1 dinner 5 adults and 3 children)= $593
- Grocery Delivery= $156
- Magic Maker (2 days worth)= $138
- Souvenirs= $317
TOTAL= $4918
Other Stuff I purchased before the trip
- Autograph book (x3 Etsy) = $44
- Disney Shirts/Dresses (14 shirts and 6 dresses) = $567
- Amazon Goodies= $232
Kids Walking Sandals
Womens Skirt (Magic Kingdom)
Spandex Shorts (Hollywood Studios)
Mickey Ear Scrunchies
Retractable Sharpies for Autographs
Rain Ponchos (didn’t need them but you should get them just in case, it rains more than you would think)
READY, SET, GO to Montana and Wyoming for an EPIC National Park Tour with Littles
I knew I wanted to do a trip to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary in August. I was given the choice to take a trip with just the two of us or a family trip. Tough choice huh. I ended up choosing a family trip not because I don’t love being alone with my husband but because after such a blah 2020 I thought we could all use the fresh air and time to reflect on the beauty our country/world has to offer. After much research we decided to head North to Montana/Wyoming for a National Park Tour. Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park were on the agenda. Here is what we planned and how we traveled with a 7, 5 and 2.5 year old.
Day 1:
We chose a 4:40pm flight out of IAH in Houston, Tx which is our home city. Guys this flight time was so ideal. No rush to the airport. We woke up, took our time finishing packing, had lunch at home and then drove the almost hour drive to the airport…and the littles had a quick car ride nap. We decided to park at the airport. Yes it was more expensive (double in fact) but no way we were taking luggage for all of us plus car seats any further than we had to.
Also maybe buy one of those bag weight checker things. Don’t pull a Jessica and have to rearrange your luggage at the airport because your bag is 10 lbs overweight…eye roll to my husband who said it would be. Bring all the things on the flight: tablets, snacks, water bottles to fill up, coloring books, sticker books. The flight from IAH to Bozeman was 3.5 hours. The Bozeman airport is beautiful and small (so much different that our super large international airport in Houston).
Rental car: I’m going to let you in on a secret that I accidentally stubbled on in booking our trip. I looked on the traditional sites for a rental car. The prices were crazy expensive and I was not about to spend $1500-$2100 for the 7 days we needed a car. I found a Ford dealership in Bozeman that rents cars (so now I know to contact dealerships 1st before rental car companies). The price for 7 days was $830. We had a small SUV and it fit 3 car seats and all our luggage perfectly. Since we arrived and left on the weekend, when the dealership was closed they left the car in a parking spot and messaged me the code to enter to retrieve the key. Seamless process and highly recommended
The airport is actually in Belgrade, MT. Not much to do there. We did book a hotel for the night in Belgrade at a La Quinta, however if I were to do it again I would just have drove straight to Yellowstone which was 1.5 hours from the airport. I was worried it would have been too much with the girls but I think they could have handled it. Also it gets darker a bit later so depending on when your flight lands you will have daylight arriving into Yellowstone.
Day 2:
We woke up, grabbed a few items from the continental breakfast at the hotel and drove to Yellowstone. We drove through the North entrance in Gardiner, MT. Also the cutest little town that I want to stay in the next time we go. At the North entrance you will see the old Roosevelt Arch, which was built in 1903. Then you will proceed to the Entrance gate where you can purchase the park ticket or show them your pre-purchased ticket. Here is the website to pre-purchase.
Yellowstone National Park Site Pass in Wyoming – Recreation.gov
We bought a 7 day pass for $35
From here follow the road to Albright Vistor Center: 5 mile drive (will take about 12 minutes or so depending on traffic). Here you can see the historic structure that was built by the US Army in 1909 as quarters for the officers who were protecting the park. There is also little exhibits of wildlife seen in the park, park rangers to answer questions, you can buy junior ranger books and patches (I think we paid $3 per child) and of course there is a restroom. We also parked here and spent the morning through lunch here in this area.
Mammoth Hot Springs: Hot springs on a hill of travertine, so many beautiful thermal features
Where: within walking distance from the Albright Vistor Center at the North Entrance of the park Trails: There are lower and upper boardwalks that allow for a level walking surface.
Distance: Roughly 1.75 miles each way with a nearly 300 ft elevation change.
Accessibility: There are areas of the boardwalk that are wheelchair and stroller accessible. There are elevation changes with ramps and some with stairs. If unable to get to the upper boardwalk due to stairs there is a driveway and parking that will allow you to see the views from the top with accessible boardwalks.
Difficulty: This is always hard to rate but very doable with kids. They were a little tired but we worked up an appetite for lunch.
Lunch: Mammoth Terrace Grill- quick service meals and not cheap (roughly $50 for our family of 5 to eat, sandwiches and hot dogs) but we flew so didn’t want to go through the hassle of getting a cooler.
Due to Covid the indoor dining was closed so we grabbed a picnic table outside with a beautiful view of the Hot Springs.
Other: There is also a general store with ice cream in the building next door to the Terrace Grill. The Mammoth Hotel has a nice hotel dining room, which was also closed during Covid.
Lamar Valley: Right after lunch we jumped in the car and drove to Lamar valley which is East. It is 23.5 miles but takes about 45 minutes to get there (perfect time for a nap for the kiddos). Along the way you will pass The Roosevelt Lodge. We did not stop here but there is a General Store, Dining Room and a place you can go on an Old West Dinner Cookout Roosevelt Cookout | (yellowstonenationalparklodges.com)
Lamar Valley is really neat, acres of Bison roaming free and even on the road if you get lucky. We even saw some Elk and a Prong Horn. We went about 10 minutes further than where the GPS told us we arrived to Lamar Valley and saw so many more Bison. You can get out of the car (be careful though not to get too close-Bison can be dangerous). We just stayed in the car and enjoyed the drive. Then we turned around and went back the way we came.
On the way back we made a stop down a cut through road Blacktail Plateau Drive to see Petrified Tree. It was a neat little detour you can add to your stops.
We then continued down making a quick photo op stop (it was raining) at Roaring Mountain which was named for the sound the fumaroles make. This stop is accessible via stroller or wheelchair.
Norris Geyser Basin was our last stop in the park on our day 1. We got to see some amazing geysers and fumaroles. There were several trials we did the shorter one (roughly 30 minutes) Norris Geyser Basin trail loop, where we saw Whales Mouth, Crackling Lake and Colloidal Pool. Part of the boardwalk is accessible via wheelchair and stroller.
The drive to exit the park via the West Entrance was beautiful. There are plenty of spots to get out and look but we were getting hangry so we just drove straight to the hotel.
Hotel: Kelly Inn-West Yellowstone, MT
There are 2 buildings the Canyon Building (older western style, open year around) and the Grizzly Building (new, even has bunk style rooms, only open in the summer).
Honestly I did not do much research had I, I would have preferred to stay in the newer Grizzly building.
Dinner: The Buffalo Bar- bar style food but so good. I got Bison Meatballs, Derek had the Bison burger and the girls had a spaghetti casserole that was really good.
Day 3:
There was a pretty impressive hot breakfast included in the cost of the hotel. We grabbed some fuel to get the day going…believe me you will need it. On park days we would enter the park at 8/8:30am and not leave until 8pm. I know that sounds crazy with kids but they survived and we had a lot to see…lol.
So from the West Entrance we stopped at Firehole River and Falls about 15 miles in (roughly a 25 minute drive). We parked along the river and walked over. This is also one of the only places you can swim at in the park. Be sure to check the park website to ensure swimming is permitted, there are designated times and certain times of year it is not permitted. We then jumped back in the car and drove up to the falls, it was beautiful.
Lower Geyser Basin was our next stop, 7 miles (roughly 15 minute drive). This is an accessible board walk roughly .6 miles round trip. Here you will see the Great Fountain Geyser, Fountain Paint Pots as well as other geysers
Grand Prismatic Spring was our next stop, 2.5 miles (roughly 5 minute drive). This hot spring is the largest in the US and the 3rd largest in the world. When you see pictures of Yellowstone with the beautiful rainbow spring…this is it. The spring is 370 ft in diameter and about 120 ft deep (roughly 10 stories), tempts in the 170 degrees…yikes. There is a parking lot (guys this area gets busy) but wait for a spot it is worth it. There is an accessible boardwalk (we opted out) where you can get right up close to the spring. We decided to hike the Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail about 1.6 miles round trip with a 135 elevation gain. It was very doable for our older girls to hike, with minimal complaints. lol. We used the hiking backpack for our littlest. The view is incredible. Best time to go is when the sun is out, the colors are amazing.
Old Faithful was our next stop, 6.7 miles (roughly 12 minute drive).
Where: We parked near Old Faithful Inn, built in 1903 with local logs and stone. I would love to stay there one day. If you have plans too, go ahead and book a year in advance.
Food/View: We grabbed some sandwiches at the deli downstairs and then walked upstairs to the patio/lookout for a front row picnic to watch Old Faithful Erupt. They know roughly the exact time it will every 1.5-2 hours so plan accordingly. We even had ice cream while we waited. You can also get closer to the geyser but really I think we had the best view.
Accessibility: In this area there are tons of walk able boardwalks to see the other geysers in the Upper Geyser Basin. We did not have time for these but if you are in Yellowstone for longer you can ride our bikes around these Geysers since there are so many. Wheelchair and stroller accessible areas.
Gift Shops: There were a couple gift shops in this area we stopped at and got some good souvenirs.
Around 2pm we left Old Faithful to make our way to our next stop, which was a perfect time for a car ride nap for the girls.
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone was our next stop, 44 miles (roughly 1 hr, 10 minute drive). There are both Upper and Lower Falls. It got a little confusing where we were exactly but found ourselves at the Lower Falls. We did not know what to expect but let me tell you this was a HIGHLIGHT of our trip. You have to make this stop!
Brink of the Lower Falls
What: .4 miles of switchbacks that drops more than 300 ft to a lookout. Going back is the hard part.
Difficulty: Moderate. I mean our 2 older kids (5 and 7 years old) did it and I carried my 2.5 year old in the hiking backback but we were out of breath a bit.
Accessibility: we did see someone push a stroller but they were struggling a bit.
Lookout Point
What: view of the canyon and lower falls from directly in front.
Where: from the parking lot bear Lt
Accessibility: There is a parking lot with a paved overlook, wheelchairs and strollers would be able to access this area.
Red Rock Point
What: a closer view of the lower falls, trail down through the canyon
Where: from the parking lot bear Rt
Difficulty: Moderate. We did allow all 3 kids to walk this trail. There are steps and drops 500 ft in about .38 miles. We did have to be careful with our youngest, but she was feeling independent.
Accessiblility: unfortunately this was not accessible.
Exhausted we made our way out of the park, 41 miles (roughly 1 hr drive). We planned to order pizza, which would have been a great idea but I didn’t have service. So we went back to the hotel and my husband grabbed McDonalds while I bathed the girls. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do lol.
Day 4:
Breakfast at the hotel before we left on our long drive to Whitefish, MT 6.5 hours through rural Montana. We even got to cross another state off our list…drove through a section of Idaho.
Oh I will spare y’all of the full story of our drive, but I will say it involved my daughter throwing up in the car. If you know, you know and solidarity to you.
We arrived in Whitefish, MT and checked into our Hotel The Pine Lodge | Whitefish, Montana Hotels | Glacier National Park right on the Whitefish River. Definitely recommend this Hotel! They have an indoor/outdoor pool, game room, light breakfast, cookies in the afternoon and S’mores Kits in the evening, kayaks and paddle board all included in the stay. The hotel is a bit pricer than the others but comparable to other hotels in the area.
This town was swoon worthy! The city center has all these walk-able shops and restaurants. Our hotel was a mile or so away.
One thing I wanted to do so badly on this trip was a Cowboy Cookout. I did tons of research and found this place. Home (cripplecreekrides.com) HIGHLY RECOMMEND. It was about a 40 minute drive North from our Hotel. Ora and Irene have a ranch they host these tours from. Typically they have groups but this day we happened to be their only tour. The 2 horse drawn wagon ride through the Kootenai National Forest and the Cripple Creek Ranch was about 1 hour long. We then arrived to a tent where we had a delicious 3 course homemade meal. The girls got to run around and play too. We enjoyed it so much. If you are in Whitefish in the Winter be sure to check out their horse drawn sleigh rides through the snow. They said Winter is actually their busiest time.
Day 5:
Glacier National Park Day
Our drive from the Hotel to Glacier was 27 miles (roughly 40 minutes) You will need 2 tickets for entry
1. Glacier National Park entry ticket $35
Glacier National Park Ticketed Entry, Glacier National Park – Recreation.gov
2. Going-to-the-Sun Road Entry tickets are $2 available 60 days in advance on a rolling daily window for arrivals May 28 – September 6, 2021. Beginning May 26th, 2021, tickets will also available two days in advance at 8 a.m. MT on a rolling daily window. Entry tickets ($2) are good for 7 consecutive days including the reserved day of arrival.
*We purchased our tickets 60 days in advance, just to be safe. Guys this is a DO NOT MISS part of your trip. Don’t go all the way to Glacier without this ticket. Be sure to screen shot the ticket and save on your phone camera roll, service is not the greatest at the park. You will also need a Glacier National Park Entry ticket
Going-to-the-Sun Road Entry Ticket, Glacier National Park Ticketed Entry – Recreation.gov
After entering the park we made a stop at the Apgar Visitor Center for a quick restroom break. There are also park rangers that you can ask questions.
Going to the Sun Road: Connects West to North East side of the park via a 50 mile 2 lane road with one switch back. This road was built in the 1930s and is a National Landmark. We took our time, getting out at some spots for pictures and nature hikes. There are only a few parking areas along the road. Most parking is parallel off the side of the road. It took us 2.5 hours on the way in and 1.5 hours on the way out.
- Lake McDonald/McDonald Falls– We did a small hike down the river and to the falls. This was walkable with kids by foot, we didn’t do the hiking backpack. Not wheelchair accessible most of the trail but there is concrete right off the parking lane where you can still get a pretty view of the falls and river.
- Trail of the Cedars– We didn’t stop here but heard great things and it is wheelchair and stroller accessible
- Heaven’s Peak Lookout– The sharp switchback in the road happens here. There’s an 8 mile round trip trail you can do that is strenuous. We did not do with kids, but there is a parking area where you can get some pretty amazing views.
- Weeping Wall– water feature, we just drove by this one
- Logan’s Pass Visitor Center– a great stop for a restroom break. There is also a great hiking trial that can range in distance.
- Jackson Glacier Overlook– this was pretty incredible to get out and take pictures
- Rising Sun– There is a little general store, restrooms and a mile trail.
- St. Mary Visitor Center-This is a park entrance if you want to start here. We stopped at the Inn for lunch (Meh and expensive). Pack a lunch if you can.
Many Glacier
About a 30-45 minute drive from St. Mary. Many Glacier Hotel is “Switzerland of North America”
There are tons of hiking trials. Some of the most beautiful in the park. We did Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine. For the most park pretty level terrain. It took us a couple hours to complete. Big girls walked and carried little sis in the hiking backpack.
After a busy day we went to dinner in Whitefish and then had fireside S’mores back at the hotelJ
Day 6:
We took it easy this day. No hiking…lol. We kayaked the Whitefish River in the morning after breakfast. A short little hour round trip. We then let the girls swim in the Hotel pool and then headed out to lunch at Whitefish City Center for lunch, dessert and shopping.
- MacKenzie River Pizza-very good a variety of food. The girls got a Mac and Cheese Pizza, BIG fans
- Sweet Peaks Ice Cream-OMG you have to try this place
Our flight out was the next afternoon, so instead of driving 5+ hours to the airport in the morning we decided to drive 3.5 hours to Helena, MT (Capital of Montana). We arrived around dinner time and checked into
Best Western Premier Helena Great Northern Hotel – MT
It was the perfect stop for the night. Walkable to restaurants and shops along a waterway.
We ate at the Silver Star Steak Company for the night. It was a great meal.
Day 7:
We ate a hot breakfast included with our stay at the Hotel then drove 1.5 hours to the Bozeman/Yellowstone International Airport.
We had a wonderful trip! A trip of a LIFETIME and I really can’t wait to go back. If you can make it happen add this to your bucket list. You won’t be disappointed.
Branson, Missouri for Christmas
I have been eyeing Branson the last couple years for a family vacation. It seemed like the perfect spot to please the whole family. Outdoor activities to please my husband, plenty of kids activities and for me the only thing you need to do to please me is to actually take me on a vacation. Anyone that knows me, knows I bug my husband on the reg to go on a trip. He is a little harder to convince so when he was down for this one I knew I just had to book it.
Transportation: Big bertha aka land yacht our 2008 Ford Expedition. To be honest we were going to rent a car. I mean our car has 260,000 miles on it, but then we saw the prices of rental cars and decided to take the risk. Lol. It is a great vehicle we did make sure the tires, alignment and shocks were all good to go before we left.
Duration from our home: 10 hours, took us 12 hours. 4 stops total. I’d like to blame the stops on my daughters but really it was my bladder. Hello 3 children.
Lodging: We stayed at this lovely Air BnB condo just a few miles from the main street in Branson. It was in a private gated community called Pointe Royal. There is a golf course if that is your thing too. The condo was 2 beds, 2 baths with a living room (pull out sofa) and kitchen. We had no plans to really cook but did bring snacks and made 1 breakfast there.
Let me take you on a day to day itinerary for the 5 nights we spent in Branson:
Day 1:
We arrived to Branson around 4:30pm. We quickly unloaded and unpacked. Freshened ourselves up and went to eat
Dinner: Pasghettis www.pasghettis.com
I saw this restaurant and knew we had to try it. My oldest daughter pronounces spaghetti just like this and there is a giant meatball and fork outside (World’s Largest in fact) for a fun photo-op. It is a neat place. They have themed dining rooms, game rooms and an indoor Ferris wheel. We had the Tri-Perfecta which included alfredo pasta, lasagna and of course pasghetti and meatball. After dinner we decided to head back to the condo for some R&R before the next day of fun.
Day 2:
Breakfast: Hurts Donuts www.wannahurts.com
This place was amazing. All the fun touches from the inside decorations to the donut ambulance to the fun donut toppings and names. We were in donut heaven and order about ½ a dozen too many but we wanted to try as many as we could.
Runaway Mountain Coaster: www.bransonalpinemountaincoaster.com
We happened to drive by this leaving our condo and my husband being the speed junkie he is HAD to ride it. So why not right after a belly full of donuts? I will say it was so fun. What is this mountain coaster? It is an individual cart that is pulled to the top via a chain similar to a roller coaster, difference is at the top carts are released to travel down hill. You can control the speed by a braking system hand lever. I wish I had a go pro on so you could see how crazy it was. There is a height requirement of 36 inches and age of 3 years to be a passenger. Driver must be 52 inches and at least 9 years old. Each of us took a child, baby sister stayed behind with grandparents. The ride cost us $60 for 2 drivers and 2 passengers.
Talking Rocks Cavern: www.talkingrockscavern.com
About a 20 minute drive from our condo we stopped at the Talking Rocks Cavern for the hour tour. All ages are allowed to enter, however you must tell little hands to not touch. We had our two year old with us as well. Let’s just say we barely made it without a full meltdown. The tour guide and other families were so patient when we had some whines and mommy “I have to go to the bathroom” right as the tour began (even though said child just went to the bathroom). There are narrow paths, stairs (with handrails) but very doable as there are many stopping points. The cavern was breathtaking and just amazing to see the wondrous natural creation. The girls were also able to pick a geode to crush which they loved. They also have a nature trail, gemstone mining, mini golf, Speleobox mazes and a playground. During the Pandemic the high touch zones like the mazes and playground were closed.
Cave tour pricing:
Adult admission $21.95
Children 4-12 $11.95
0-3 Free
Lunch: Diana’s BBQ and Burger Shop www.dannasbbq.com
This place was incredibly good and minutes from the cavern. A quick service order at the counter. May favorite kind of restaurants with children. I at this point was in desperate need of some vegetables so I grabbed a salad with pork, brisket and sausage lol more like meat with some lettuce. I felt somewhat healthy with my choice. My husband went for the BBQ nachos which were amazing.
Rest and Refresh: Back at the condo we went to chill out and get ready for our dinner plans
Dinner and a Show: Dixie Stampede www.dpstampede.com/branson
Do you go to the Midwest without stopping at a Dolly Parton staple? The answer is No. My mom booked this for us and I’m so glad she did. We got there right on time. The place is huge. Also very neat the stables for the horses are all outside along the path to walk in so you get to see them and read their names. No touching though, as tempting as that is for horse loving children. They took our temperature and we had to answer screening questions. Thank you Covid-19 but glad they were being safe. We were escorted to our seats where they are all facing the main arena. Any seat in the house really is a great seat. The show started and of course was Christmas themed. They really included all the fun traditions of Christmas with a main focus on faith. There was a manger scene, toy shop scene and Santa came out on his horse drawn sleigh. They have friendly competitions between the North (north side of the arena) and the South (south side of the arena). Not to mention some spectacular horse riding. While you watch the show you get to eat. What could be better? We had a creamy vegetable soup, biscuits, cornish hen, pork loin, potatoes, corn on the cob and an apple turnover for dessert. We were stuffed. The dinner and show was about 2 hours long. No melt downs the girls were entertained the whole time.
Day 3:
Breakfast: Our only meal at the condo we cooked eggs and bacon and had left over donuts:) I opted to stay at the condo with the girls since I knew we had a big day/evening planned starting at 1pm. The guys went to the Branson Auto and Farm Museum www.bransonmuseum.com and the rest of the group went shopping.
From my husband: He says the museum was awesome and huge. He was so glad they went. Tickets: $22 adults, Children 6-18 $12
Silver Dollar City: For the record make sure you by your tickets in advance. Lol. Long story short. I thought my mom bought our tickets. Literally on the way into the park we realized she did not and I was suppose to buy ours…I panicked and quickly walked to the front to see if we could buy day of tickets. Mind you tickets were limited secondary to the Pandemic. By the grace of God we were able to by a 2 day pass which we planned on doing. I also highly recommend this if you are going during the holidays. The park opens at 1pm and closes at 10pm. It was the perfect amount of time to be open. They were also great about taking temperatures, screening questions. You can rent a stroller. We rented a double also highly recommend for $20. This was the coldest day of our trip. We thought we layered well but after the son went down man were we cold. The double stroller came in handy to hold all the jackets until we really needed them. This day we were all in a funk with the whole ticket debacle and my husband and I argued about food. He seriously just ate lunch and all he wanted to do was eat. Lol. I was on a mission to get these girls on as many rides to make our day worth it. Also plan on eating dinner at the park you will want to see the beautiful lights. See day 4 for what to do and eat in Silver Dollar City.
Day 4:
Breakfast: Billy Gail’s Branson (State Hwy 265) www.billygailsrestaurant.com
A must stop for breakfast, there will be a wait so be patient. The biggest pancakes you have ever seen… seriously 14 inch pancakes. We had so much left over we ate on it the next day for breakfast and still had to throw some out. They also have Million Dollar Bacon, which was a hit with the guys or any bacon lover.
Silver Dollar City round 2:
Kids Zones
Fireman’s Landing: Our favorite area for the age group children we have. Most of the rides our 2 year old could ride as long as one of us was with her. This was important because the day before we were in a different kids zone and she was unable to ride the rides even though I was with her…That annoyed me. In this section these were a hit with our family: Fire Wagon Frenzy, Lucky’s Dizzy Dogs, Fire Spotter, Up the Ladder.
The Grand Exposition: our 4 and 6 year old enjoyed this section as they were able to ride most of the rides. They have classics like the Tea Cups, Elephant March and a kid friendly roller coaster to name a few.
Midtown: had the must stop for kids- Hugo and Mary’s Carousel and the Train Ride which goes through the park and the whole family can ride. There was one more family ride that we did not get a chance to ride here as well.
Shopping: There are some cute craftsman shops that are fun if the kids need a little break or the grandparents need a break.
Shows: They had a few shows you could watch throughout the park with many different show times. We took advantage of one outside while we ate our dinner day 2.
Christmas: The Christmas lights were the most incredible I have seen. 6 million lights and they begin decorating in July. I would seriously just leave them up year around if it took me 6 months to decorate. Lol. They also have Santa’s workshop (Pandemic Safe-he is behind a little glass in his workshop) and Rudolph’s Holly Jolly Christmas Light Parade.
Food: Chester’s Kettle Chips (think nachos but instead of tortilla chips it is kettle chips), Buckshot’s skillet cookery or Lumbercamp Falls Skillet (potatoes, sausage, veggies in a bowl. So good), Hatfield’s Tater Patch (where your husband can get the delicious sausage wrapped in a spiral potatoe on a stick), Fanny’s Famous Funnel Cake (You must get the Cookie Butter Cheesecake Mouse Funnel cake. Trust me AMAZING), lastly enjoy some Wassil or Hot Chocolate as you stroll through the lights.
Final thoughts on Silver Dollar City: Do not try to compare to Disney. I can’t help it though as Disney was a place I visited often. There are not as many family rides which I do appreciate about the Mouse House, however my kids so enjoyed the rides they were able to ride and the food was the best theme park food I have had. Also the lights were worth the 2 day trip.
Ticket Cost: 2 adults and 2 children $288 for a 2 day pass. If you go the Dixie Stampede they will give you a coupon on the back of your ticket for half off children tickets with an adult purchase. So maybe it was a blessing we waited to buy the tickets because we saved some money.
Day 5:
Breakfast: was left overs from our super large pancakes from Billy Gail’s. We also stopped by a coffee shop called Expresso www.expressobranson.com It is a drive thru only boutique coffee shop in a shipping container. They have designer coffee options. I got the Snickerdoodle and my husband got the Peppermint Mocha. It is a good stop for some good hot or iced coffee.
Big Cedar Lodge: www.bigcedar.com
Owned by the founder of Bass Pro Shop….so you know it is so cool and well done. This place is huge and amazing. We wanted to stay here but I found a cheaper Air BnB option that was very nice, however after driving through this property when we go back we have to stay here even if it is just a few nights. I will add most of the activities you can do without actually staying at the resort. There are two main and sections: 1. Top of the Rock which has golf with some amazing views, dining, Ozark Natural History Museum and a Canyon cave and nature trial tour you ride on a golf cart. They also have a beautiful church and a wine cave (maybe open in the evening. We were there in the morning) 2. Big Cedar Lodge itself which has several different areas we only had time to visit Fun Mountain. This area has a restaurant, Go Carts, bumper cars, an arcade, rock wall, laser tag, ropes course and an ocean themed bowling alley. You pay individually for all these activities. I also researched they have fishing, horse back riding as well.
Polar Express Branson Scenic Railway: www.bransontrain.com
This was our second time to ride a Polar Express. I think it will be our new family tradition each Christmas, they are so fun and you only have so many years of the Magic. This train was a 1939 train, due to Covid precautions we had a cart to ourselves (12 of us in total). We had our own “chef” if you have seen the movie that serves hot cocoa and cookies. They had an audio reading of the book and then of course the cute songs from the movie. The best part Santa came to visit and brought bells. My favorite part because the girls got a chance to interact with him without being behind plexiglass. The ride was about an hour long.
Dinner at Branson’s Landing: www.bransonlanding.com
After the Polar Express you can walk right across the street to Branson’s landing an outdoor area with shops, restaurants and water light show for Christmas. They have a big LED light Christmas tree that plays with music and a water feature that also has lights. Many restaurant options to choose from we were missing Mexican food and stopped at Cantina Laredo.
What do you think? Sounds like a fun trip right? We really did have the best time! Writing it all down sounds exhausting but it really wasn’t. It was packed with so much fun, good food and family time. We really wanted to stay another night but had to get home for Christmas Eve. I highly suggest a trip to Branson and can’t wait to go back.