How to Destress a Stressy Mummy at Walt Disney World

Can you de-stress a Stressy Mummy? Apparently, you can.

It doesn’t happen very often, but a holiday certainly helps. Having said that, holidays can be hard work, can’t they? You have this idyllic dream of going away and spending relaxing days chilling out. In reality, I often find that a week of running around, trying to keep all of the children happy and fitting lots of fun things into the time away leaves me feeling like I need a holiday from my holiday. I just end up prioritising the children’s enjoyment of said holiday, without thinking about scheduling in some much-needed rest for my husband and I.

With so many things to do and see in Walt Disney World Resort, I have to be totally honest and say that I thought that relaxation and destressing would be out of the question.  Surely, there would be no time for that?  Surely we would spend the week rushing around from one park attraction to another? The answer even surprised us: in a week, we did find plenty of time and opportunities to chill out and relax.

Sit down and enjoy a show

There are many opportunities to see a show at Walt Disney World.  We saw a few and not only were they spectacular, but they gave us a chance to sit down and relax.  From The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic or the Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom to singing along to For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, they all gave us a chance to cool off. These are just a few that we enjoyed during our stay but there are lots more that people recommended, such as Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and Fantasmic! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. There just weren’t enough hours in the day to fit them all in!

Find a place for a parade

The parades at Disneyland Paris were spectacular and we had such fond memories of them, that we were determined to watch one at Walt Disney World. In Magic Kingdom, we were all excited to see the parade, so we found the perfect spot, arrived early, picked up some snacks and drinks and settled in for the show. The Festival of Fantasy Parade was top of our list, as we had seen some highlights during our Disney’s Magical Express bus ride to the resort from the airport. It certainly did not disappoint.  Colourful, captivating and so entertaining, it is just the best way to see all of your favourite characters in one place. The dragon from Sleeping Beauty is the most incredible part of the show, seeming to be powered by the spinning wheel as it’s heart, it breathes fire and moves so realistically that my daughter hid under my arm until it had passed.

Not only it is worth seeing, it is a brilliant excuse for a sit-down rest and as it takes place at 3pm, it is also the perfect way to break up the day.  One piece of advice would be to look at the route first to find a good spot for any of the parades you want to see and go and grab said spot early, as it soon fills up!

Unwind at Port Orleans Riverside

We all fell in love with Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside, which was our home for the week.  Relaxing in the shady setting of rural Louisiana, strolling along the river or sitting outside and watching the world go by were the perfect chilled-out experiences. The resort has a really laid-back feel to it and I loved it.  It didn’t feel crowded, people weren’t rushing around and you were never far away from a picturesque stretch of water to stroll along. Even inside, the bars and restaurants all shared the chilled-out vibe and so whatever we did in the resort, it felt relaxing.

Stretch out by the pool

My children should have been fishes I think, they are completely at home in a pool and whilst I am thrilled that they all love the water, I do not.  Whilst they made the most of the swimming pools at Port Orleans Riverside, I made the most of the sun loungers and spent many happy hours laying watching them have a brilliant time in the water, soaking up the Florida sunshine, sitting up occasionally to sip an ice-cold drink and take a photo as one of them popped up for air.   That is definitely a good way to de-stress, I can tell you!  With one larger play pool and lots of smaller pools, we found lots of opportunities to swim and even did night swims a couple of times, which the kids absolutely loved and those sun loungers proved so very comfortable…

Take a trip with a horse and carriage

Another highlight at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside was the horse and carriage ride.  We were picked up just outside the resort and taken on a carriage ride around Riverside, along the Sassagoula River and the neighbouring resort, the French Quarter.  Our driver was really chatty and filled us in on lots of interesting information about the resorts and Walt Disney World in general, and it was so lovely to be able to sit back and take it all in from the carriage.  There is an additional cost for the carriage rides which take place in the evenings, but I would so recommend it, it is a great way to completely relax and enjoy seeing the resorts from a completely new perspective.

Stroll around the world at Epcot

If I had to choose my favourite theme park at Walt Disney World Resort, it would be a difficult choice but I think Epcot might just edge into the lead. Epcot is so unlike anything I have ever visited before. With fantastic future-themed rides that celebrate the wonders of technology in one part, the other is a celebration of the diversity of the world.  The World Showcase shares a small piece of 11 different countries from around the globe with buildings, landmarks, culture, entertainment and even cuisine from each country, all set around an enormous lake.  My son and I took a fascinating tour around all the different countries, discovering something new in each part and sampling some of the delicious food.

Attend an IllumiNations Sparkling Dessert Party

This is a real treat.  A party with a selection of drinks and an even bigger selection of desserts from around the world, followed by a special place to watch the IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth firework show. An evening to truly remember.  We feasted on the desserts and we were mesmerised by the incredible firework show which celebrates the history of the world in a unique way. I took this opportunity for some mother and son time, with my twelve-year-old son, and we spent a lovely evening together chatting and seeing how many different puddings we could try.

Stop off for some shopping therapy at Disney Springs

Travelling from Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside to Disney Springs is relaxation in itself.  We took a very relaxing steamboat ride along the Sassagoula River and as the boat steams gently along, you get to see more Walt Disney World resorts.  As soon as we arrived at Disney Springs, the children all spotted different things they wanted to see.  There are lots of shops, but our favourites had to be the incredible LEGO store (which my eldest son would have loved!) and the World of Disney Store, which has to be the biggest I have ever seen.  We lost actual hours wandering around both shops browsing at the amazing ranges.  A. was sprinkled with Fairy Dust in the World of Disney Store which she thought was the best thing ever and the boys loved the giant LEGO models (of which there are lots to see and they make perfect photo opportunities) at the LEGO store.

After that, we stopped off for a Starbucks and went to watch the incredible Amphicars launch onto the water. The Amphicars are 1950 style water taxis that take off from a slipway, and you can be chauffeur-driven around the lake (for an extra charge). It was great to watch them and to watch the children’s faces as they watched cars driving on to the water.

Disney Springs is a place that I would have loved to have spent more time in, there are lots of fabulous restaurants, a bowling alley and you can even go on a hot air balloon ride! If shopping is your relaxation as is mine, there is a huge range of shops that sell just about everything, making it the perfect place for some retail therapy.

Watching the world go by at the water parks

There are two water parks at Walt Disney World Resort and my little family of fishes were very excited about them.  They haven’t really experienced a water park before, and having discovered the exciting slides at Blizzard Beach and the 8-foot (yes, 8-foot!) wave at Typhoon Lagoon, they are now well and truly hooked.

Apart from the excitement and thrills of the slides, rides and waves, the water parks can also be really relaxing.  My absolute favourite part of both parks was the lazy river; a river that gently flows around each park.  I did have a few issues mastering how to get into the inflatable hoops which caused a huge amount of hilarity for my children and any passers-by, but once in, I was perfectly happy to lie back and float around in the sunshine.

There are also endless chairs and sun loungers for a spot of sun-worshipping and these came in handy when the children stopped to play.

So, there you have the perfect recipe to de-stress a Stressy Mummy: it definitely worked for me and now, as we approach the end of the summer holidays, I would love to go back and do it all over again…

Come back next week for my next post with everything you need to know about a trip to Walt Disney World Resort.

Read the other posts in my Walt Disney World series;

Planning a stress-free trip to Walt Disney World

What you need to know about a trip to Walt Disney World Resort

Something for everyone at Walt Disney World

This post is in partnership with Walt Disney World. All opinions here are my own

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