Olivia's Disney Do's and Don'ts

Top 11 Epcot Favorites  from a former Disney Cast Member  Epcot is hands down one of my favorite parks - it has an epic food court, some of the resort's best attractions (Soarin' over the World and Test Track!) and SO MANY CHARACTERS! In this post I'm going to share my favorite things this park has to offer. Make sure to comment below your favorite Epcot must-do's! 1. Sunshine Seasons Food Court Sick of eating chicken nuggets and french fries at every meal on vacation? Then you are going to LOVE Sunshine Seasons in the Land at Epcot!  Sunshine Seasons Food Court is very similar to the food courts located in resorts, with multiple stations that ensure everyone in your family will find something they'll enjoy. There's an Asian Food section, Grill Shop with classic comfort food options, Soup and Sandwiches, Dessert, Alcoholic Beverages, Kid's Meals, and Grab 'n Go options such as veggies and hummus and pre-made salads. Sunshine Seasons  is...

Do's and Don'ts of Disney Character Dining Tips from a Character Performer One of the most magical times of a Disney World vacation is the Character Dining experience. How cool is it that you get to meet up to 5 characters in a hour and a half?! Like any part of your Disney vacation, it's good to have a strategy to ensure efficiency and optimal magical memory making. There are a surprising amount of factors that go into your Character Dining experience, so here are my best tips from a former character performer on how to make the most out of Character Dining. If you'd prefer to see this in video form, check out this  YouTube video . 1. Sit the Kids on the Aisle   The first piece of strategy happens long before you meet the characters: choosing where to sit. Once the Seater leads you to your table, place whoever wants to meet the characters most on the aisle seats - aka the easiest access to characters . Interaction time is precious during a Character Dining...

Do's and Don'ts: Disney Character Interactions & Scared Children from a former WDW Performer As a performer at Disney World, I met hundreds of guests each day. I interacted with families, couples, fellow cast members, and experienced many magical moments. I also experienced parents struggling when their children were less than thrilled, well terrified actually, to be meeting characters. In order to avoid traumatizing your terrified child, here are my best tips for meeting Disney characters with scared children.  1) Don't Force your Child to Meet Disney Characters If you get one thing  out of this article, let it be this: if your child is terrified,  DO NOT force them to hug a character, high five a character, or even get a picture with said character. Disney Cast Members do not want to be the reason your child ends up in therapy with mascot phobias and trust issues. 2) Do Allow your Kids the Chance to Warm Up It's possible that after a couple of day...

Top 10 Do's & Don'ts of your Disney Vacation  from a former Disney Cast Member Before my 5 months as a Disney Cast Member, I had never been to Walt Disney World before. Being a California native I was familiar with vacationing at Disneyland, but I didn't realize that Disney's 4 Orlando parks were a completely different ballgame! Here are my Top 10 Do's and Don'ts for your first time at Walt Disney World!                                                              1. Don't Plan 13-hour Park Days The typical Disneyland vacation is 3-4 days, which is the perfect amount of time to visit the 2 parks that California has. 12 hour days are very doable when you can crash after 72 hours of fun, however the average Disney World vacation is anywhere from 7 - 14 days, sometimes even longer. Maintaining stamin...