September Mommy & Me Trip Itinerary Day 1

Disney Trip Countdown

We are officially getting closer to our next Disney trip in September! We hit 60 days today until check-in at 6 AM CST. I booked 3 out of 4 dining reservations that I wanted:

• Cinderella's Royal Table

• Hollywood & Vine Fantasmic Dining Package

• Rainforest Cafe At Animal Kingdom For Breakfast

• Boma At Animal Kingdom Breakfast

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We missed Roundup Rodeo by seconds, but that is okay; I triggered Mousewatcher ASAP. And I triggered Mousewatcher for Tonys for Dinner on the 6th. We are staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge in a Jumbo Resort view studio for one night and then moving to a savannah room the next.

We are excited for the trip!

Eye-level view of a colorful Disney theme park entrance

September Trip Itinerary

Airport → Animal Kingdom Lodge

We arrive very early in the morning on the day of arrival, making it quite an interesting experience. With a wake-up call at 3am and leaving the house by 4am, our plane will be airborne by 6am. We always rely on Orlando Transportation by Mike. They are a small family-run business offering exceptional customer service. I used to rely on those large buses you often see parked, until I had a nightmare experience. We were waiting with 50 other people at Pop Century, and the bus was 2 hours late. If you're familiar with the process, they usually arrive 3 hours before your flight to ensure there's enough time to tackle traffic, go through security, etc. As a mom traveling with kids, that situation was unacceptable for me. Never again. It was cheap, but the anxiety of waiting for that bus was overwhelming. From that point on, only private transportation.

Park Day 1

Upon arrival to the resort it should be around 11am or so. Meaning, we drop our bags off and head over to Hollywood Studio's. With all the new experiences happening this year I am so excited to see them all.

Big year for Hollywood Studios! Here's what's new in 2026:

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets — opened May 26, 2026, replacing the Aerosmith version which closed March 1. Same track, but the story now follows the Electric Mayhem band and other Muppets at the G-Force Records studio in LA.

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run — Mandalorian & Grogu update — new mission debuted May 22, 2026, timed to The Mandalorian and Grogu movie release. The engineer role now also involves looking after Grogu. Mickey VisitMickey Visit

The Walt Disney Studios Lot (the reimagined Animation Courtyard) — opened May 26, 2026, with Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! as the headline attraction, an interactive dance-party stage show. Two more pieces are coming late summer 2026:

• The Magic of Disney Animation — the classic attraction returns, this time with Disney Animation characters taking over the studio while the animators have "stepped away."

• Off the Page! — a meet-and-greet walking through six animation departments, featuring Rapunzel, Stitch, Mulan, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Chip and Dale.

• Olaf Draws! — a new animatronic Olaf teaches guests to draw, based on his moment in "Once Upon a Studio."

  
  

Monstropolis (further out, no date yet) — a Monsters, Inc.-themed land replacing Muppets Courtyard, featuring Disney's first-ever suspended coaster, plus shopping and dining. This is part of a multi-year Hollywood Studios transformation.

We have dining at Hollywood & Vine

It's cutting it close, I know, but I managed to book a reservation at Hollywood & Vine for 12:50 PM! This is a character meet and greet in a buffet setting. However, I didn't book it for the character interactions. Honestly, it was for the buffet. Plus, I was able to secure the Fantasmic dining package for the first show. Time is valuable at Disney, and I always find ways to make the most of it since most of my trips are weekend getaways.

Here's what the Fantasmic Dining Package includes:

What it is: A character meal + buffet (features Minnie, Mickey, Goofy, and Pluto in seasonal theming) that includes a voucher for reserved seating at that evening's Fantasmic! show.

Current pricing (as of June 2026 — just went up):

• Adults: $82 (was $81)

• Kids: $53 (was $51)

• Includes a non-alcoholic drink, or alcoholic for 21+

  
  

Hollywood & Vine was the only one of the four Fantasmic dining locations that got a price bump recently — the others (50's Prime Time, Sci-Fi Dine-In, Hollywood Brown Derby) haven't changed.

How it works:

• Book up to 60 days out

• Arrive 25+ min before showtime; reserved seating opens 90 min before the show

• Entrance is on Sunset Boulevard next to Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage

• If there are two Fantasmic shows that night, this only guarantees the first performance

• Accepts Disney Dining Plan (1 table-service credit per person)

  
  

We will be taking it easy this trip and NO RUSHING allowed....at least that's the mindset I have. Now - I debated whether to get another dining reservation but I think we are just going to snack around for the whole night before the show. This will be my daughter's first time seeing Fantasmic and I can not wait to see her face glow.

Next Morning we have a dining reservation at Boma. Which I have never been to yet! After breakfast we are headed to Epcot for a Milana day. Whatever she wants to do. Then I am going to surprise her.

She has no idea we are doing a mommy version of BBB. I have her Tiana dress she wanted and will grab all the fixings. This little girl is going to look like an absolute Princess. It is going to be a long day at Magic Kingdom that day. 2pm reservation for CRT and then she has mentioned she wants to go see Starlight for the first time. All I can say is Thank Goodness for strollers! And thats why I kept an eye out for Tonys late right before Starlight to keep her jazzed. And if not it is all good there are so many options that I would not be mad having QS the whole evening.