Celebrating Mom at Disney
May is a lovely time to be at Walt Disney World. The first week of May is value season, and crowds continue to be low at least until the second half of May.
Case in point: I've been tracking the wait time for Avatar: Flight of Passage which is by far the most popular ride at Walt Disney World right now. In early February the wait time was easily 180-240 minutes. In the last month or so, post Spring Break, I noticed a drop to about 110 minutes - still quite long, but not as insane. But this week? This week when I've checked, the wait time at 11am ET has been about 80 minutes. That's.... actually almost reasonable! For the first time in forever!
So, what does that have to do with Mom? Well, this year, May 13th is Mother's Day and if you are lucky enough to be in Walt Disney World during May, you should not have to use that as an excuse to not celebrate mom, especially if she's along!
But let's be honest, I know how this really goes. Mom is probably the one who plans the vacation and probably the one reading this and doing the research. If that's the case, here are some suggestions on hints you can drop.
Get her a celebration button
If you are celebrating anything, you can stop by Guest Relations any one of the parks and get a free celebration button. Just tell them you're celebrating Mother's Day. The best part about these buttons, aside from that they are one of the free things at Disney, is that Cast Members will notice them and make sure to give warm greetings and recognize her.
Take her to tea
The Garden View Tea Room at the Grand Floridian has a wonderful tea for any age. Even children find something special here with special "tea" (juice) and the chance to have a really fancy English-style tea served on china in a cute setting.
There are several different version of tea available. Last time I was there we had the Cheshire tea which came with a lovely cheese and fruit plate which was the highlight of the tea service, so I definitely recommend going for a tea that at least includes the cheese plate.
Be advised this will set you back about $50 per person, but it's just lovely. Time it right and you might be there when Cinderella and Prince Charming have their dance in the Grand Floridian lobby.
Finally, you need to book this 180 days in advance if you can. It cannot be scheduled via the normal ADR system. You will need to call Disney directly to book.
Treat her to the spa
There are several spas on Disney property, mostly at luxury resorts, with the notable exception of La Vida Health Club - Massage - Salon - Fitness at Disney Coronado Springs, which is a moderate but which has many of the amenities of a deluxe.
However, if you want a full service spa, consider a Senses location. There are two - one at the Grand Floridian, and another at Saratoga Springs. If you are staying within easy access to the monorail, the Grand Floridian is probably easiest to get to. If you are staying near Disney Springs with easy access to the Sassagoula River, Saratoga Springs will be easier.
Have a meal out
Aside from tea, dining at Disney is no normal theme park dining. Because I could talk for days about food at Disney, and probably sometime will have, today let's just summarize the following places I would recommend:
For a casual brunch - Boulangerie Patisserie at the France pavilion at EPCOT. It is relatively quiet (from here out, referred to as "Disney quiet") and the pastries are out of this world delicious and numerous. It's very casual, but who wouldn't want to sit in the courtyards of France having a lovely al fresco breakfast?
For fancy meal - 3 places really knock my socks off and will likely impress mom too. Any of these should be booked 180 days out via the ADR system.
Citrico's - located at Disney's Grand Floridian, if timed correctly she might get a view of the fireworks in the evening. Aside from which, the food is wonderful.
California Grill - located at the Contemporary Resort, time this one correctly and she WILL get a view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks because you will be allowed onto the rooftop observation deck, which is a special experience.
Tiffins - no fireworks here, just really REALLY good food, located at Disney's Animal Kingdom. This is one of the newer additions to the dining scene and many are saying it is currently the best in this category. Last time I visited, I dined here. Below is a picture of my duck dish. It was amazing. Also, the service is just phenomenal. Be advised, you will need to enter the theme park to dine here, so admission is required.
For the fanciest meal - If you really want to bust open the piggy bank for mom, then Victoria and Albert's it is, designed to impress the mom who already has everything. This dining located at the Grand Floridian is in a category of its own. By that, I mean it has a triple A 5-star rating and was recently ranked the #2 best restaurant in America by TripAdvisor. You will need to book this 180 days out via Disney's ADR system as well.
Did someone say dessert?
Mom's not a big eater and would just prefer some good ol' Disney magic while enjoying some sweets? Then, consider booking a fireworks dessert party.
While Disney changes the offerings frequently, there can be dessert party options for all three theme parks that do fireworks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney Hollywood Studios (Animal Kingdom does not do fireworks because it stresses the animals). But I'm going to give a strong recommendation to keep this classic and do the Magic Kingdom Happily Ever After dessert party if you are considering doing one. Because fireworks in front of the castle is about as special as it gets. In May, prices are $59 per adult and $35 per child. This, too, needs to be booked in advance.
While I hope I've given several ideas for how to treat mom at Disney, always remember it's her day and about what she likes to do. That might just be spending time with family. If you're in Disney World with mom on Mother's Day (or mom's if you are so lucky to be at Disney World with your child on mother's day), you are already winning.
And if you're just planning a trip and not actually there on Mother's Day, then consider whether it's mom who is doing all the planning and coordinating. If so, although she may like the planning, it can get stressful so consider cutting her a break. Go pick up the suntan lotion, draft up the plan if the family gets separated, copy the flight itineraries and ADR numbers, offer to get up early to book those ADRs and FastPass+, throw a load of laundry in and pack it. Help out a gal!
No matter what you do, the most important thing is family.
