Family, travel, mom blog | Theme Park Mom (Leigh Caldwell)

Spring is in the air in Central Florida, and that means the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival is in full swing. While this event is a delight for gardeners, flower lovers and just about anyone who likes to be outside, it is also one of the most fun times of the year to bring kids to EPCOT.

Here are my top 5 tips for taking kids to the festival:

1. Don’t miss the topiaries. There are two dozen of them sprinkled around EPCOT, and while your kids may not be patient enough for a walking tour of all of them, be sure to pick out a few favorite characters and go take a look. Our favorites this year are the “American Gothic” Mickey and Minnie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Bambi and friends. Older kids can take a close look and try to figure out how EPCOT’s horticulturists make them happen.

2. Playgrounds, playgrounds, playgrounds. Part of the magic of the Flower and Garden Festival are the children’s playsets sprinkled around the park for kids. There’s one on the walkway between the Canada Pavilion and Future World (behind the Fantasia topiaries), on in the Living Green area near the France Pavilion and one near the Fairy Garden in Future World. Truth be told, I think the EPCOT experience for kids would be improved if one or more of these play areas became a permanent fixture.

3. Speaking of the Fairy Garden, be sure to see the Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden! I love, love, loved the colorful, tiny Tink and friends topiaries here. And there’s an interactive art project – kids can pick up a sheet and move around the garden doing rubbings to complete a picture. Also in this area is the butterfly house, where you can see butterflies flutter by, and Princess Tiana’s Wedding Showcase, which is a great area for pictures.

4. By the way, take pictures with your kids at the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival. Ask them to pose like the characters they are standing in front of or just be silly. And it’s never too early to be thinking about that Christmas card photo. So much for Santa, Christmas sweaters and snow — when it’s cold outside at Christmas, you can send everyone a picture of the Florida sunshine. I met a mom with six kids at EPCOT last week, she was lining them all up in front of Mrs. Potts and the Beauty and the Beast topiaries. The six little stair-steps were all doing their best “I’m a little teapot” pose, and the mom told me that was definitely going to be her Christmas card picture this year.

5. Take time to sing and dance. Don’t forget to take your kids to one of the Flower Power concerts held on weekend evenings during the festival. Sure, they may not know who David Cassidy is, but that doesn’t mean they won’t enjoy the music. Do an Internet search and stream a Partridge Family episode or a little “I Think I Love You” audio to get your kids familiar with who they will be watching.

The EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival continues at Walt Disney World through May 16.

If you want to see more of what’s in store, check out this story and photo gallery.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is one of my favorite parks for younger children because of all of the animal sightings and the great shows. Here are a couple of rides that the preschool set will enjoy:

Kilimanjaro Safaris: Climb into an off-road vehicle for this safari through 100 acres of savannah in Animal Kingdom’s Africa area. You and your child could see giraffes, elephants, flamingos, rhinos, antelope and maybe even a lion or two. This attraction is best experienced in the morning, when the animals are more active and easily seen.

Triceratop Spin: Little ones will enjoy making their dino go up and down on this circular ride in the DinoLand U.S.A. area of Animal Kingdom. This gentle ride is similar to Dumbo the Flying Elephant in the Magic Kingdom.

Wildlife Express Train: What child doesn’t love a train? This one runs every 5-7 minutes and takes you between the Harambe, Africa area and Rafiki’s Planet Watch. You can get off the train at Rafiki’s Planet Watch to take part in some educational activities and learn about animal conservation.

This post is part of “Under 5 Friday,” a series of posts with my best tips for taking young children to Walt Disney World.

Are you planning your first trip to Walt Disney World? One of the best ways to be sure you are getting the most out of your vacation (and your time and money) is to use a a travel agent who specializes in Disney vacations, like the folks at Enchanted Destinations.

There is a lot to see and do at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, including a couple of great rides that even children under age 5 can enjoy:

Star Tours: Star Wars fans will enjoy this motion-simulator ride to the moon of Endor. When your pilot takes a wrong turn, you blast-off to an entirely new adventure. This ride is in a vehicle that simulates twists and turns without actually going anywhere. The ride queue is filled with Star Wars props and familiar characters, which can also be fun for your jedis.

Toy Story Midway Mania!: Join Woody and other friends from Toy Story on this ride through classic carnival games. You will use a shooter on your car to pop balloons and shoot water in 3-D. Children will need to wear 3-D glasses to get the full effect of this slow-moving ride.

This post is part of “Under 5 Friday,” a series of posts designed to give advice on taking children ages 5 and under to theme parks.

How do you know it's cold at the Magic Kingdom? You'll see the parade dancers wearing skin-colored bodysuits under their costumes.

In case you’ve been living under a rock somewhere warm, I’ll start this post by noting that much of the United States has been in a pattern of unusual cold weather for the past two weeks. Central Florida has had temperatures below freezing at night since the first of the year. Last week, the high temps barely reached 45 degrees many days.

And I talked to several Walt Disney World visitors who were in complete shock.

Today, it’s going to be 70 degrees and gorgeous. Exactly what you expect when you plant a winter visit to Walt Disney World, right?

But after living in Florida for 16 winters, I’m here to tell you that freezing weather does happen here. It happens every year for at least a day or two.

So here are some tips for dealing with cold during your Walt Disney World visit:

Pay attention to Orlando’s weather forecast before you leave home and pack accordingly. Don’t expect that because you’re coming to Florida, all you will need are shorts and tank tops. I talked with one family at the Magic Kingdom this weekend who had left their winter gear behind in Indiana, assuming temperatures would be in the 70s. One cab ride and $400 Wal-mart shopping trip later, they were all clothed in long pants, jackets and hats on their vacation, trying to decide whether to pay an extra bag fee or leave the new stuff behind.

Wear layers to the parks. Even on the coldest days of this cold snap, there was a 20 degree difference between the morning and afternoon temperatures most days, so bring some layers you can shed. On our Sunday visit to the Magic Kingdom, my daughter and I opted for three layers on top (long-john top, long-sleeved shirt, fleece hoodie) rather than a winter coat, because we figured at some point we would be carrying those coats around rather than wearing them. We wore long-johns under our pants, two pairs of socks and hats. We stayed warm, even when we were waiting for the afternoon parade.

Take advantage of the activities inside the resorts in the mornings and evenings, while heading to the theme parks during the warmer afternoons. Even people who have stayed at Walt Disney World resorts multiple times are surprised to find out about the many free activities offered at their resorts. So take a look at that activity schedule you were given when you checked in – you and your kids can play wildlife games at Kidani Village or learn to make a lei at the Polynesian.

Don’t forget sunscreen, and add lip balm to your pack. Even though you are freezing, the Florida sun can still be brutal. And the cold weather means drier air and chapped lips.

Parents, check your attitude. I talked to a lot of cold, happy people this weekend at Walt Disney World, but I also encountered some very unhappy families. Grown-ups, remember that it’s your job to make the best of your vacation, even if it is not turning out as you expected. There is lots of fun to be had at Walt Disney World during very hot weather, very cold weather, monsoons or hurricanes. You just need to be open to changing your plans and finding it. You are going to set the tone for how your children remember this trip, so make the best of it for everyone involved. (And remember that even Disney still can’t control the weather!)