** In full disclosure, I was provided with complimentary tickets to Disney World but all thoughts and opinions are completely my own. **
There is no greater joy than seeing the excitement in your children’s eyes on their first trip to Disney World … except the joy you feel experiencing it alone. Last month I celebrated my birthday in the house of mouse and did the part of Disney my children never really want to go to because they still love the teacups as much as they did when they were 5. I had a glorious time strolling around Epcot, hopping from country to country, eating my way around the {Disney} world during their Flower and Garden Festival.
Rabbit and Winnie the Pooh
While there is an abundance of food to be had, it is important to remember eating around the world ain’t cheap … especially Disney World. I was celebrating, but I was also balling on a budget and only took a certain amount of monies with me. It’s certainly easier not having to worry about kids asking for some random item they saw that they must have … like those giant swirly lollipops my daughter always wants but never eats … but I didn’t want to replace them as the person who saw something they must have.
I stuck with 3 rules for this trip that helped me avoid overspending, while still having a great time all by myself.
Set A Budget
Generally, I like to use Disney gift cards while in Disney World. Not even just for budgeting purposes but because it just makes the trip feel that much more special. Sadly, I couldn’t quite recall where I placed mine before this trip, so I designated $60 in CASH. Emphasis on cash because I can see my money and know immediately how much is remaining. Once it was gone, it was gone.
Develop A Game Plan
Crispy Citrus Chicken with Orange Aioli and Baby Greens 
Tres Leches 
Spicy Blackened Shrimp and Cheddar Cheese Grits 
Honey Tandoori Chicken Flatbread 
Beef Tenderloin Tips and Griddled Maple Pound Cake
Bless Disney and those handy little booklets they make that let you know all the items at each outside kitchen location. Along with the food description, it has the prices, so I like to go through and mark the pages that have items I want. If all the items add up to more than I’ve got, I do a combination of things. I look through again and get rid of things I want but aren’t SUPER excited about. I also look at the pictures on the signs to see if it looks as good as the description. Finally, I look at the plates to see what it looks like in real life. After I’ve had the item, I un-mark the page in the book and continue on to the next kitchen location.
Stop and Smell the Flowers
Pluto 
Daisy 
Mickey and Minnie Mouse 
Huey, Dewey, and Louie
I will admit, it’s all about the food and drinks at Epcot for me. It’s why I love it. This time, with my budget in check and my tummy full of yummy, I didn’t want to forget to take some time to enjoy the namesake of the event. I stopped and view those beautiful flowers.
Tigger and Eeyore 
Troll
I love my kids to the moon and back, I also loved that I was able to really sit and take in what I was seeing. I caught a glimpse of flowers while running the Disney Princess 10K in 2018, so coming back to actually take part in the festival was a spring highlight. I’m sure it’s something my kids actually would have enjoyed, but I definitely enjoyed being able to explore Epcot Flower and Garden alone.
