Yeah, Disney is everything either wrong or right with America. And yes, it is a bit expensive,

but seeing MAGIC is truly priceless.

By MAGIC I do not mean the wonder that is Mr. Walt Disney, Magic Kingdom, or any other part of the Disney world. By MAGIC I mean the wonder in a child’s face, the true sparkle in their eyes, the truly innocent smile of pure happiness…and when it is coming from your own child it is something you’ll certainly never forget!

We just got back from a week’s stay at Disney, and I have to say it was one of the best vacations I’ve ever taken…and lucky for me I had just finished my Hybrid Program, it was my recovery week, and year anniversary of starting P90X – so the vacation was on 100%.

We actually took our boys to Disney last year (when one was 3 and the other 1) and seeing my oldest son’s first reaction to Disney made us have to go back this year. Alejandro, my oldest, left Disney last year talking about it for the entire next year, and, when we finally made it back, he said something within the first 10 minutes of being there that made the whole trip worth while (be sure to check out the video below to see and hear what he says…Spanish accent and all).

Being Niña’s spring break I was hoping she’d get a bit of rest. The idea of getting rest at Disney actually made me a bit worried because my Disney experiences were always a whirlwind of stress and trying to get everything done in one day. To try and fight that anxiety, this time we decided to stay on a Disney property to see if it would alleviate some of the Disney stress. Long story short –

it worked 120%…we will never go to Disney again without staying on a Disney property!

We stayed at the Art of Animation Hotel and got 6-Day Park Hopper Passes which allowed us to go between different parks every day (so we could start a morning at one park, go back to the hotel in the afternoon, and then go back to a different park in the evening…all in a relaxed and laid-back demeanor) . The Art of Animation Resort is all about…well, the art of animation. From the décor to the larger-than-life courtyard designs and statues, this resort does everything to make 4 Disney movies come to life. And being that our boys love The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Finding Nemo, and Cars, The Art of Animation Resort was a perfect fit for our boys.

Staying on Disney Property has a number of perks (one of the best being not having to depend on your car for anything) but one of the coolest is the “Magic Park Hours.” During these magic hours Disney Property Guest have exclusive access to park rides….which means you can ride all the rides with NO WAIT…and, between you and me, this is amazing being that I personally don’t think (that for adults) any Disney World ride is worth more than a 45 minute wait. Nonetheless, I would recommend spending the few extra hundred bucks to stay on a Disney Property because the vacation ends up being a thousand times less stressful and the whole family gets to focus more on having fun and being relaxed (especially the parents).

So, in summation, if your kids like Disney movies, stories, shows, or characters, etc. and you want to experience TRUE MAGIC, take them to Disney before it’s too late…

and do yourself, and your sanity a favor, and try to stay on a resort!