Back-to-School Shopping at Disney

I received admission to attractions, hotel accommodations, and a gift card in exchange for sharing my honest opinions.

Last week we had an amazing experience courtesy of the awesome people at Disney in Florida. We were invited on a back-to-school shopping trip at Disney Springs, which also included hotel accommodations, admission to Typhoon Lagoon, a delicious lunch prepared at a celebrity chef’s restaurant, and admission to Cirque du Soleil. I’m going to kinda go in order of what we did, starting with Typhoon Lagoon.

We had never been to Typhoon Lagoon before, so this was a fun new adventure! Generally I don’t go to water parks without a second adult to help monitor the kids, so I was a little nervous at first, but there’s so much to do that allowed me to spend time with the kids and monitor them safely. Since I’m not a big ride person {or water slide person}, we took a relaxing ride on the lazy river, played in the Ketchakiddee area, jumped into the huge waves in the wave pool, and went on a family water slide together, the Miss Adventure Falls. If you’re not into thrill rides and you’re with younger children, there’s still so much to do to enjoy a full day together. I recommend renting a locker and leaving all of your belongings in there {including towels and shoes}.

When we left Typhoon Lagoon, we headed to our hotel, Disney’s Beach Club Resort. While we visit the Disney theme parks regularly, we always stay off-site. Now I understand why so many travelers recommend staying on a Disney property — the accommodations and amenities were amazing. Our room was spacious, with two queen-sized beds, a large vanity area, and nice bathtubs. Downstairs is a beautiful lobby, multiple dining options {inside and outside}, and of course, the swimming pools and water slides.

To get from the self-parking to the hotel, you cross a bridge. I couldn’t help but capture an image of the reflection of the property in the water. The kids really loved the swimming pools and water slides. The cool thing about these pools is that they are surrounded by beach sand, so kids can play in the pool water and enjoy the beach at the same time. Each area of the pool was monitored by a lifeguard. Since I was watching the kids by myself, that was really important to feel extra safe. One feature I did not photograph was the giant pirate-themed water slide. The kids wanted to go down that slide again… and again… and again. They loved it! There’s also a lazy river that floats around one of the pools.

On to our shopping trip! The next day, we headed to Disney Springs for our back-to-school shopping. The kids picked out new clothes and a backpack for Bryce. With so many shopping options – like World of Disney, LittleMissMatched, Uniqlo, and the Levi’s store – the kids added so many fun pieces to their wardrobes.

For lunch, we dined at Art Smith’s restaurant Homecomin‘. If you’re not familiar with Chef Smith, he used to be Oprah’s personal chef. He’s appeared on several cooking shows, including Top Chef Masters. I’ve followed his career for over a decade, so it was exciting to try his food. It did not disappoint! I got this delicious seasonal salad with watermelon, tomatoes, and green goddess dressing. Lydia enjoyed the chicken strip kid’s meal, and Bryce had a cheeseburger.

That night, we went to Cirque du Soleil: La Nouba. It was mesmerizing! This was a whole new experience for me and the children, and they had their eyes glued to the performers the entire time. The acrobatics, the gymnastics, the dancing, the bike tricks — All of it was just amazing. The show closes end of this year, so I urge you to check it out if you have not. You will not be disappointed!
After La Nouba, we went to Splitsville for dinner and bowling. Throughout our 3-day stay, we visited other properties, like Fort Wildnerness and Port Orleans, and dined at their casual restaurants. Each restaurant on Disney properties offers unique entrees, beverages, and desserts for adults and children, and everything was tasty! We had such an amazing time on our Shop Disney Springs adventure!