You'd think by now I'd be Disneyed out but I'm not, each trip is magical and watching the girls love all that is around them is purely priceless. Every time we have gone their has been something new to experience and the girls are getting braver with meeting the characters. This trip we took Nana to celebrate a late Mother's Day, it started as a day trip to Epcot to see the Flower and Garden Show and quickly turned into two full days of fun, you can't go to Disney and not the Magic Kingdom!
We headed out bright and early last Tuesday morning, the car packed to the brim, of course we over packed but it was calling for some severe rain so at the last minute I threw some extra things in. The girls are becoming good car riders and the 100 times of "are we there yet" are dwindling. Our room was ready early so we were able to stop by the hotel, unload the car and eat our picnic breakfast before we headed to Epcot. MagicBands are really magical and not having to go to the front desk to check-in and get a key saves you about 20 minutes of time.
We headed to Epcot passing through the Disney World Archway, to which both girls screamed in excitement, even at 37 when I see the arch I get a little giddy, there is just something magical about that sight. We parked the car, loaded up all our gear onto the stroller, got the rain cover situated for an easy pull down and headed to the gates. We were ready to start what would be a great two days. J thought it was funny to stick out her tongue, make bug eyes and silly faces in almost all of the pictures, just wait until I take out an ad in her high school year book with some of these!
We had no FastPasses (we saved them for Magic Kingdom later that night), the only plans we had were for lunch and to see the gardens. As we entered into Future Land the line was not very long to meet Daisy but the girls passed, they wanted to see Mickey, Minnie and Goofy. C got to see them last time, J was scared and I was surprised she wanted to see them this time, she really only wanted to see Minnie but was told she had to see and be nice to the others first since Minnie was at the end. We waited in line, the girls talked the entire time about their autograph books and who they were going to see. When we got into the room C squealed when she saw Mickey and started to walk right up, she doesn't get we have to stay in the line and wait our turn. Mickey is her favorite and she loves him but she wouldn't let go of Nana, J had to be bribed to see him and eventually got him to sign her book. C skipped out on Goofy, his size has to intimidate her but J held on tight to Nana to get an autograph. Finally we got to Minnie, both girls were happy and went right up by themselves. We had a successful character meet with no meltdowns a sign a good day was to be had!
Next we headed to the Seas, leaving the stroller parked undercover, showers were called for most of the day. C loves Nemo and was excited for the ride, she didn't want to get off and wanted to go again. After the ride we hung out and saw the manatees, the big fish tanks and fish being fed, we went to Turtle Talk with Crush and then watched the dolphins. After almost an hour we had enough fish and ventured over to the Land to ride the boat. C was much better this time and actually sat through the ride, instead of getting up and jumping around like she did last time. It was getting close to lunchtime and we need to start heading back towards Norway for the girls surprise lunch. We left enough time to see some of the gardens and the butterflies on our way. The girls loved the butterfly garden (it was really a tent) and probably would have stayed in there an hour if we would have let them. The gardens were gorgeous, it is amazing what horticulturists can do to bring the characters to life in plant/flower form, truly an art.
We arrived in Norway for our lunch at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall and the girls were greeted by Belle. They were excited to see her and have her sign things for them, I took photo mats for each of the girls so that we can hang up with a picture in their rooms. We were then seated and ordered our lunch. When we got back from the buffet the music started and out came the rest of the princesses, Jasmine, Aurora, Cinderella and Snow White, the girls squealed in delight as they saw them. They made their way around the room and started to sign autographs. Snow White was the first to our table and C sat there with her hands at her mouth in awe. Both girls were friendly, sociable and talked her ear off, there was definitely no shyness to be had, or food to be eaten, they were too excited.
The music started again and the princesses whizzed off to different areas of the dining room. They announced a Story Book Parade and for all the kids to find the princess closest to where they were seated. Princess Aurora ended up by our table and the girls made a bee line for her. To say they were excited is an understatement, I think the videos say it all. They both held her hand the entire time, she was so sweet with them, I think C would have stayed with her all day.
After the parade our lunch arrived and we gobbled down bites between Jasmine, Cinderella, and Aurora's visits. All signed our garb, talked to the girls but none were as personable as Aurora. As soon as she headed to our table C got all excited and ran up to her and gave her a hug. She wanted Aurora to hold her as she signed their stuff , just their interaction with her was worth the price of lunch! Then it was time to say goodbye to the princesses and finish our lunch, with all the excitement not much was eaten. When I finally got to eat my food I was impressed, the food was actually really tasty and they made the girls what I asked them for (steak and mac and cheese). We got a sampler of three different desserts, all of which were good, and were stuffed by the end of the meal. We had a wonderful lunch and J was already asking when we could come back, I told her for her birthday.
After lunch we walked the countries (we had to walk off all that food we ate), saw the gardens in each, and Nana and I had a little bubbly. You could see that the storms were going to start rolling in so we decided to head to the front of the park and shop. I put my stroller cover on all day and luckily for us it had kept the rain away! Each of the girls got a charm for their necklace and C got to pick out a jewelry box, she picked Ariel. They both wanted to ride the big ball (C had to take her box with her) so we did that before leaving. By 3pm we were pooped and headed to the hotel to relax for a bit, we got there just in time for it to pour.
By 4:30 the rain passed and it looked as if we were clear so we headed to the Magic Kingdom. We took the ferry across the lake and when the girls saw Cinderella's castle they screamed in excitement. We headed down Main Street, took some pictures and strolled towards Fantasy Land. We parked the stroller, I secured it down with the stroller cover and went to ride. We rode Peter Pan and the carousel before the skies opened up and the monsoon started (guess we should have checked the radar!). We put on our ponchos and went and rode Small World and then ate some dinner. After one last check of the radar we decided it was best to leave as the weather was only going to get worse. I went and got the stroller (it was all nice and dry), loaded the girls in, put on my flip flops and we headed for the front of the park. We finally made it to the Transportation Center (girls were still all nice and dry) and I put Nana and the girls on the monorail to the Grand Floridian, my quick thinking thought I could pick them up in valet and keep them and our stuff dry, it worked and was a wonderful plan, note for next time it rains! We headed back to the hotel, took showers and the girls passed out, C with her jewelry box. Wednesday we were headed to the Magic Kingdom and I was praying for no rain!
Wednesday morning we woke up, J and I are the early risers, we were up before the alarm at 7am, I checked the weather and the rain was gone, blue skies were called for! We got dressed, ate breakfast, packed, loaded the car and were headed out just before 8am. We ferried across the lake, I am not a fan of the ferry, much easier with the stroller and less crowded than the monorail. It took a while to get through the bag check, we finally got in and headed down Main Street, we were trying to get to Anna and Elsa before the line go to long, we got there and it was already a 30 minute wait. Nana kept them occupied in line and it was finally our turn. C saw Elsa and just like when she saw Mickey wanted to run right up to her. This was our first time seeing them and I thought Elsa looked a little mean and wasn't as friendly as I would have liked (she was definitely playing her role), Anna on the other hand was amazing with the girls. C couldn't take her eyes off them and just kept starting in awe.
C then insisted on going to meet Ariel so we went and did that while the lines were still short. J didn't want to go so we rode the ride while Nana took C to meet her. Again she ran right up to her, no fear in this kid this time, she was the brave one! Nana said that she talked Ariel's ear off and didn't want to leave, she said the cast members tried many times to see her out but she just sat there and talked to Ariel like they were best friends. After she met Ariel we rode the ride twice and then headed to Enchanted Tales with Belle. The girls didn't get a part in the story but sat at the front with the rest of the kids, when it was time to parade around they followed and took their pictures with her, each trip there is a little more bravery!
The rest of the morning was mushed together. J and I rode the Mine Train while Nana and C went on Pooh. We rode the carousel, race cars, teacups and people mover before we had lunch. After lunch we went and met Cinderella and Rapunzel and it was a repeat of how it has been with the other princesses, C didn't want to leave! We took a spin on the carousel and then headed to the other side of the park to relax some, we decided since we missed the Electrical Parade that we were gonna push through and try and stay, meaning we'd get home very, very late! We saw the Country Bears and Tikki Birds and rode the Magic Carpets. We had planned to skip the 3pm parade but when I was getting the stroller I saw the perfect spot and snatched it up 10 minutes before start time, it was hot and I wasn't gonna wait an hour for a parade spot like we did last time. We watched the parade and relaxed some, the girls enjoy watching and yelling for the characters.
After the parade we rode Pirates and then went back to try and see Cinderella again since our pictures didn't come out, Disney was great and put us in the FastPass line, the girls got to see them both again and were happy. We rode Buzz Lightyear, took a break in the Carousel of Progress, J and I rode the Astro Orbiter (which I never will again) and we rode the people mover one last time. Whew, that was a lot for one day!
We said goodbye to the rides and headed up front before our dinner reservation. The line wasn't long for Tinkerbell so we saw her before we ate, it happened to be the same girl from last time they saw her, I think in the near distant future J is going to realize that they are not the same person each time. We had a nice dinner at Tony's and after dinner J and I claimed our spot for the parade. Since we had missed our FastPass the night before to see Mickey, Nana talked the cast members into letting her and C into the FP line. C walked up to Mickey and gave him a Minnie sticker, he signed I love you to her and gave her a hug.
The girls were great while we waited for the parade to start. I changed them into clean clothes and gave them a wipe down since we'd be getting home late and skipping baths! At 9pm the parade started and the girls faces lit up, again there is something about the magic of Disney. No matter how many times you see the parade it's always great and magical. They called out to the characters in their tired little voices. When the parade was over we headed for the ferry and our magical day came to an end. Both of the girls fell asleep in the stroller walking to the car, I had to wake J to make her potty. We had a quiet ride home, both fell fast asleep and arrived just before midnight exhausted. We had a great two days and the girls were angels! Can't every day be a Disney day???
We'll see you after August Mickey, this time dad is coming!
The music started again and the princesses whizzed off to different areas of the dining room. They announced a Story Book Parade and for all the kids to find the princess closest to where they were seated. Princess Aurora ended up by our table and the girls made a bee line for her. To say they were excited is an understatement, I think the videos say it all. They both held her hand the entire time, she was so sweet with them, I think C would have stayed with her all day.
After the parade our lunch arrived and we gobbled down bites between Jasmine, Cinderella, and Aurora's visits. All signed our garb, talked to the girls but none were as personable as Aurora. As soon as she headed to our table C got all excited and ran up to her and gave her a hug. She wanted Aurora to hold her as she signed their stuff , just their interaction with her was worth the price of lunch! Then it was time to say goodbye to the princesses and finish our lunch, with all the excitement not much was eaten. When I finally got to eat my food I was impressed, the food was actually really tasty and they made the girls what I asked them for (steak and mac and cheese). We got a sampler of three different desserts, all of which were good, and were stuffed by the end of the meal. We had a wonderful lunch and J was already asking when we could come back, I told her for her birthday.
After lunch we walked the countries (we had to walk off all that food we ate), saw the gardens in each, and Nana and I had a little bubbly. You could see that the storms were going to start rolling in so we decided to head to the front of the park and shop. I put my stroller cover on all day and luckily for us it had kept the rain away! Each of the girls got a charm for their necklace and C got to pick out a jewelry box, she picked Ariel. They both wanted to ride the big ball (C had to take her box with her) so we did that before leaving. By 3pm we were pooped and headed to the hotel to relax for a bit, we got there just in time for it to pour.
By 4:30 the rain passed and it looked as if we were clear so we headed to the Magic Kingdom. We took the ferry across the lake and when the girls saw Cinderella's castle they screamed in excitement. We headed down Main Street, took some pictures and strolled towards Fantasy Land. We parked the stroller, I secured it down with the stroller cover and went to ride. We rode Peter Pan and the carousel before the skies opened up and the monsoon started (guess we should have checked the radar!). We put on our ponchos and went and rode Small World and then ate some dinner. After one last check of the radar we decided it was best to leave as the weather was only going to get worse. I went and got the stroller (it was all nice and dry), loaded the girls in, put on my flip flops and we headed for the front of the park. We finally made it to the Transportation Center (girls were still all nice and dry) and I put Nana and the girls on the monorail to the Grand Floridian, my quick thinking thought I could pick them up in valet and keep them and our stuff dry, it worked and was a wonderful plan, note for next time it rains! We headed back to the hotel, took showers and the girls passed out, C with her jewelry box. Wednesday we were headed to the Magic Kingdom and I was praying for no rain!
Wednesday morning we woke up, J and I are the early risers, we were up before the alarm at 7am, I checked the weather and the rain was gone, blue skies were called for! We got dressed, ate breakfast, packed, loaded the car and were headed out just before 8am. We ferried across the lake, I am not a fan of the ferry, much easier with the stroller and less crowded than the monorail. It took a while to get through the bag check, we finally got in and headed down Main Street, we were trying to get to Anna and Elsa before the line go to long, we got there and it was already a 30 minute wait. Nana kept them occupied in line and it was finally our turn. C saw Elsa and just like when she saw Mickey wanted to run right up to her. This was our first time seeing them and I thought Elsa looked a little mean and wasn't as friendly as I would have liked (she was definitely playing her role), Anna on the other hand was amazing with the girls. C couldn't take her eyes off them and just kept starting in awe.
C then insisted on going to meet Ariel so we went and did that while the lines were still short. J didn't want to go so we rode the ride while Nana took C to meet her. Again she ran right up to her, no fear in this kid this time, she was the brave one! Nana said that she talked Ariel's ear off and didn't want to leave, she said the cast members tried many times to see her out but she just sat there and talked to Ariel like they were best friends. After she met Ariel we rode the ride twice and then headed to Enchanted Tales with Belle. The girls didn't get a part in the story but sat at the front with the rest of the kids, when it was time to parade around they followed and took their pictures with her, each trip there is a little more bravery!
The rest of the morning was mushed together. J and I rode the Mine Train while Nana and C went on Pooh. We rode the carousel, race cars, teacups and people mover before we had lunch. After lunch we went and met Cinderella and Rapunzel and it was a repeat of how it has been with the other princesses, C didn't want to leave! We took a spin on the carousel and then headed to the other side of the park to relax some, we decided since we missed the Electrical Parade that we were gonna push through and try and stay, meaning we'd get home very, very late! We saw the Country Bears and Tikki Birds and rode the Magic Carpets. We had planned to skip the 3pm parade but when I was getting the stroller I saw the perfect spot and snatched it up 10 minutes before start time, it was hot and I wasn't gonna wait an hour for a parade spot like we did last time. We watched the parade and relaxed some, the girls enjoy watching and yelling for the characters.
After the parade we rode Pirates and then went back to try and see Cinderella again since our pictures didn't come out, Disney was great and put us in the FastPass line, the girls got to see them both again and were happy. We rode Buzz Lightyear, took a break in the Carousel of Progress, J and I rode the Astro Orbiter (which I never will again) and we rode the people mover one last time. Whew, that was a lot for one day!
We said goodbye to the rides and headed up front before our dinner reservation. The line wasn't long for Tinkerbell so we saw her before we ate, it happened to be the same girl from last time they saw her, I think in the near distant future J is going to realize that they are not the same person each time. We had a nice dinner at Tony's and after dinner J and I claimed our spot for the parade. Since we had missed our FastPass the night before to see Mickey, Nana talked the cast members into letting her and C into the FP line. C walked up to Mickey and gave him a Minnie sticker, he signed I love you to her and gave her a hug.
The girls were great while we waited for the parade to start. I changed them into clean clothes and gave them a wipe down since we'd be getting home late and skipping baths! At 9pm the parade started and the girls faces lit up, again there is something about the magic of Disney. No matter how many times you see the parade it's always great and magical. They called out to the characters in their tired little voices. When the parade was over we headed for the ferry and our magical day came to an end. Both of the girls fell asleep in the stroller walking to the car, I had to wake J to make her potty. We had a quiet ride home, both fell fast asleep and arrived just before midnight exhausted. We had a great two days and the girls were angels! Can't every day be a Disney day???
We'll see you after August Mickey, this time dad is coming!
Here are the pictures from the trip.
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