Wander with Kelsey
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort · Sep 27 – Oct 3, 2026

The Lemaster Family Getaway

Your day-by-day plan for Johannah, Jokeisha & the whole crew of 9 at Disney's Art of Animation Resort — two magical park days at Magic Kingdom & EPCOT.

🍫🌟🚒🏠✨

Hi Johannah & Jokeisha! 🎃 Here's your whole week mapped out — both families side by side, with your park days, character breakfasts, Lightning Lane game plans, and a pile of insider notes flagged just for your crew. All hours come straight from My Disney Experience, but Disney can tweak them, so give the app a peek each morning.

Art of AnimationValue Resort
MK & EPCOT2 park days
9 Guests2 families
Sep 27–Oct 32026

Johannah's Room

The Little Mermaid Standard Room
Johannah · Caleb · Azaryiah (13) · Zaylee (3)
Sun Sep 27 – Thu Oct 1 · 4 nights
Conf #40135021 ·
4-Day Ticket · Disney Dining Plan · Memory Maker

Jokeisha's Room

The Lion King Family Suite · sleeps 6
Jokeisha · Carrie · Zack · Hadleigh (5) · Harper (3)
Mon Sep 28 – Sat Oct 3 · 5 nights
Conf #37940935 ·
2-Day Ticket · Memory Maker

📅

Your Day-by-Day Plan

Sunday · Arrival · Johannah's Crew

September 27 — Check-In

Check in after 3:00 PM at Disney's Art of Animation — your Little Mermaid room. Direct-to-Room is set up, so you'll get a text when it's ready and can head straight up (no front-desk line).

Settle in and explore: the Big Blue Pool in the Finding Nemo courtyard is the largest resort pool at all of Walt Disney World, with underwater speakers playing Disney tunes. Wander the Cars, Lion King & Nemo courtyards — every corner is a photo op.

🍽️ Dinner idea: Keep tonight easy at Landscape of Flavors, the resort food court — something for everyone, no driving. Jokeisha's crew arrives tomorrow!
Monday · Arrival · Jokeisha's Crew · Whole Gang Together

September 28 — Check-In

Check in after 3:00 PM — your Lion King Family Suite (roomy for all five). Direct-to-Room again, so head straight up when it's ready.

Now the whole party of 9 is on property — meet up at the Big Blue Pool and let the kids shake off the travel day. Easy dinner, early night, big days ahead.

Tuesday · Flex Day · Both Families

September 29 — Resort & Rest Day

No plans booked — the perfect buffer before your two big park days. A few easy wins:

  • Big Blue Pool morning — the little ones will be in heaven.
  • Disney Springs afternoon — free to enter, no ticket needed: World of Disney (the biggest Disney store on earth), waterfront strolling, easy family dining.
  • Or simply a slow recharge day to beat travel fatigue with four littles in tow.

Just for Johannah's crew

Your 4-Day ticket gives you two extra park days beyond our group Magic Kingdom & EPCOT days. Today (or the 27th/28th) is a great slot for Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom — say the word and I'll map those days too.

🎃 Heads-up: it's Halloween season

Magic Kingdom hosts Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party tonight (separate-ticket event, 7 PM–midnight). It's not on your plan and doesn't touch our park days — but if the kids would love trick-or-treating, the Boo-to-You Parade & special fireworks, it's pure magic. Just ask and I'll check availability.
Wednesday · Park Day 1 · Both Families

🏰 Magic Kingdom

Early Theme Park Entry 8:30 AM (resort perk) · full daytime hours — confirm close & fireworks time in the app. Good news: the 30th is a regular day, so no early Halloween-party close.

🍽️ Booked ✓ — Chef Mickey's Fun Time Character Breakfast

9:50 AM · Disney's Contemporary Resort · Conf #356211024052 · all 9 of you
Start with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy & Pluto making the rounds table to table. No rope-drop rush today — enjoy breakfast, then it's a short walk (or one monorail stop) from the Contemporary right into Magic Kingdom.

⚡ Suggested Lightning Lane game plan (little-one friendly, entering ~11:30):

  • 11:45–12:45Peter Pan's FlightLL Multi · Fantasyland — books up first, grab it!
  • 12:45–1:45The Many Adventures of Winnie the PoohLL Multi · Fantasyland — perfect for Harper & Zaylee
  • 2:00–3:00Jungle CruiseLL Multi · Adventureland — skipper puns for the whole gang
  • 3:15–4:15Haunted MansionLL Multi · Liberty Square — spooky-silly, not scary
  • Add-onSeven Dwarfs Mine TrainLL Single · Fantasyland — 38″ to ride (Azaryiah & the grown-ups)

Suggestions only — I'll book your real Lightning Lanes with you the moment your window opens (see below).

✨ Don't-miss at Magic Kingdom

  • Enchanted Tales with Belle — the kids become part of the story.
  • Princess Fairytale Hall — meet Cinderella, Tiana & friends (bring the dresses!).
  • No-LL toddler wins: “it's a small world,” Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid, Dumbo, The Barnstormer, Prince Charming Regal Carrousel & the Mad Tea Party.
  • Festival of Fantasy Parade in the afternoon — grab a curb spot early.
  • Stay for “Happily Ever After” fireworks over the castle.

🍍 Two must-grab MK snacks: the Dole Whip at Aloha Isle in Adventureland (mobile-order to skip the line), and the cult-favorite Cheeseburger Spring Rolls from the red Adventureland Spring Roll Cart (opens 11 AM, ~$9.50, grab-and-go).

Thursday · Park Day 2 · Both Families

🌐 EPCOT

Park Hours 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM · Early Theme Park Entry 8:30 AM (resort perk).

🚝 Ride the Skyliner today!

Art of Animation has its own Disney Skyliner station — hop the gondola and it drops you at EPCOT's International Gateway, right at the back of World Showcase and a short stroll from Norway (where Akershus is!). Way more fun than the bus, and the views are a hit with the kids.

👑 Booked ✓ — Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus

11:25 AM · Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, Norway, World Showcase · Conf #356211024061 · all 9 of you
A royal welcome from a rotating cast of Disney Princesses (think Belle, Ariel, Snow White, Aurora & Cinderella) inside a Norwegian castle. The big one for Zaylee, Harper, Hadleigh & Azaryiah — bring the princess dresses and autograph books!

Just for Johannah's crew

Today is your check-out day (before 11:00 AM). Check out in the morning and have Bell Services hold your bags so you can still enjoy Akershus and a full EPCOT day before heading home. If your flight or drive is early, tell me and we'll rework it.

⚡ Suggested Lightning Lane game plan (after your 11:25 breakfast):

  • 1:00–2:00Frozen Ever AfterLL Multi · Norway — steps from Akershus & the #1 to grab
  • 2:15–3:15Remy's Ratatouille AdventureLL Multi · France — no height limit, great for all the littles
  • 3:30–4:30Spaceship Earth & The Seas with Nemo & FriendsLL Multi · gentle rides everyone can enjoy
  • Add-onGuardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic RewindLL Single · World Discovery — 42″ (Azaryiah & grown-ups). Test Track is a fun 40″ Multi option too.

🍷 The Food & Wine Festival is ON — and it's the 30th anniversary!

Global Marketplace booths ring World Showcase with small-plate bites and desserts from around the world — perfect for grazing your way around the lagoon (grab a free festival passport at the entrance). And for the kids, Pluto's Pumpkin Pursuit scavenger hunt is running: buy the map (~$11.99), hunt hidden Halloween pumpkins across the park, and redeem for a keepsake prize. A blast for Hadleigh & the girls!

✨ Don't-miss at EPCOT

  • Meet Anna & Elsa in Norway and Disney pals around World Showcase.
  • Stroll all 11 World Showcase countries — a mini trip around the world (the kids can collect “passport” stamps).
  • Gentle favorites: Journey Into Imagination, Living with the Land, Gran Fiesta Tour (Mexico) & the Nemo & Friends aquarium.
  • End the night with “Luminous The Symphony of Us,” EPCOT's fireworks-and-fountains finale over the lagoon.
Friday · Flex Day · Jokeisha's Crew

October 2 — Resort & Play Day

Johannah's family has headed home 💕 — so today's all yours, Jokeisha. Your 2-Day tickets are used up on the Magic Kingdom & EPCOT days, so this is a lovely no-park day: Big Blue Pool, a Disney Springs outing, and packing at your own pace.

Want a third park day? I can add a 1-day ticket anytime — just let me know and I'll line up Lightning Lanes to match.

Saturday · Departure · Jokeisha's Crew

👋 October 3 — Check-Out

Check out before 11:00 AM (Conf #37940935). Bell Services can store your bags if your flight's later, so you can squeeze in one last Big Blue Pool morning or a Landscape of Flavors breakfast before you go.

💕 One more magical moment — a final family photo by the giant Nemo or Lion King figures before you head home!

Lightning Lane & Your Planning Hub

Everything you need to book and manage Lightning Lane lives in your private Disney World hub — the step-by-step for Lightning Lane Multi Pass (bundle the shorter-wait rides) and individual Lightning Lane (top headliners like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train & Guardians), plus My Disney Experience walkthroughs, dining, and park guides.

  • As on-site resort guests, you get the earlier booking window to lock Lightning Lanes in before off-site guests — a real edge on Frozen Ever After and Peter Pan's Flight.
  • Book & modify Lightning Lanes only in the My Disney Experience app (not online).
  • I'll sit down with you the moment your window opens and grab the good ones together.
🔒 Open My Disney World Hub

Password-protected — use the password I shared with you. More guides at wanderwithkelsey.com.

💕

Meet Your Family's Favorites

You've built two character meals right into the trip — a dream with this many little ones:

  • Wed · Chef Mickey's — Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy & Pluto come to your table. Classic hugs-and-autographs magic.
  • Thu · Akershus Princesses — a rotating royal court (Belle, Ariel, Aurora, Snow White, Cinderella). The princess-crown moment of the trip.
  • In the parks, add Enchanted Tales with Belle & Princess Fairytale Hall at Magic Kingdom, and Anna & Elsa in EPCOT's Norway — check the app each day for meet times.
🍟

Best Quick-Service in Your Parks

Magic Kingdom · Columbia Harbour House (Liberty Square) — widely rated the best counter-service in MK; hearty seafood & fried platters with a quiet upstairs escape. Runner-up: Pecos Bill in Frontierland (build-your-own bowls, tons of seating).

EPCOT · Sunshine Seasons (The Land, World Nature) — food-court variety with something for every kid: sandwiches, chicken, salmon & a great dessert case. Also great: Les Halles pastries in France, Regal Eagle BBQ in the American Adventure, and Connections Café for quick pizza & burgers.

At the Contemporary (right where you'll be Wed for Chef Mickey's) — Contempo Café is a solid grab if anyone needs a bite, with the monorail gliding overhead.

Flex-day pick · Disney SpringsPolite Pig for Michelin-recognized BBQ if you want one really good sit-and-order meal off-park.

Quick-service picks via Disney Tourist Blog's Top Counter-Service list — menus shift, so I'll flag any changes.

📋

Good to Know

📱 My Disney Experience is your command center. Digital room key (Direct-to-Room), park tickets, Lightning Lane, Mobile Order, live wait times & your PhotoPass photos all live in the app. Load everyone in before you leave home.

📷 Memory Maker is included for both families. Every Disney PhotoPass photographer shot — plus ride photos — is yours to download free (Jokeisha's Memory Maker Conf #12246616664). Just have the photographer scan your MagicBand or app each time.

🍽️ Johannah — your Disney Dining Plan. Your meals are largely prepaid on the plan (Chef Mickey's & Akershus are table-service credits). One honest heads-up: the plan doesn't include gratuity, so bring a little for the tip at your character meals.

🍴 Mobile Order your quick-service meals to skip the lines — a lifesaver with four littles. And grab free cups of ice water at any counter-service window (a money- and meltdown-saver in the Florida heat).

⏰ Check park hours every morning in the app — Disney can adjust them — and remember Lightning Lanes modify only in the app, not online.

🛣

Getting Around from Art of Animation

  • EPCOT & Hollywood Studios — take the Skyliner! Your resort has its own gondola station; it's the fun (and often fastest) way to EPCOT's International Gateway.
  • Magic Kingdom — take the Disney bus from the main depot. For Chef Mickey's on Wednesday, bus to Magic Kingdom, then it's a short walk (or one monorail stop) to the Contemporary.
  • Animal Kingdom & Disney Springs — Disney buses from the resort depot.
  • No MagicBands required — the My Disney Experience app is your digital key and holds your tickets & Lightning Lanes. MagicBands are a fun optional add-on if the kids want one (I can help you order).
💡

Kelsey's Top Tips

  • Let me grab Lightning Lanes the minute your window opens. Frozen Ever After and Peter Pan's Flight go first — I'll be watching the clock for you.
  • Easy mornings win. With character breakfasts anchoring both park days, you don't need to rope-drop. Enjoy the meals, then roll into the parks relaxed.
  • Build in a midday break. Early October is warm — a couple hours back at the Big Blue Pool resets the little ones for the evening.
  • Two character meals = two dress-up moments. Pack the princess dresses for Akershus and comfy play clothes for everything else.
  • Anything to add or tweak? A third park day, more dining, or the Halloween party added — I'm just a text away.

This is your plan — let's make it perfect together.

Select Kelsey Salyer as your advisor at registration.

Magically yours, Kelsey

Kelsey Salyer · Wander with Kelsey
Polka Dots N' Wishes Travel · Your Disney Specialist
📞 606.483.6560  ·  ✉️ kelsey@polkadotsnwishestravel.com
wanderwithkelsey.com

Concierge Planning — Always Free to You ✨

© 2026 Polka Dots N' Wishes Travel · Have a magical trip! 🎃