Our Simply Magical Trip Report

WOW this is so late! But better late than never, right??
I can't believe it's already been a month since we got back. I miss it so bad I can barely stand it! Hopefully writing this trip report will help with my Mickeysickness. :)
Forgive the quality of some of these pics; everything was so fast paced and we had a seemingly neverending problem of people wanting to bump into me while I was snapping pics. :\

Day 1

We left our house in KY at 8:00 AM on Saturday, March 24th. We is my husband, Josh, myself, and our two girls, Emily and Caitlyn. The girls were SO hyped up; I think it might have been the first time ever that they didn't whine and complain about getting up early on a Saturday!
527667_10150674226384576_509679575_9564706_592137884_n.jpg


My hubby and I loaded the last of our stuff into the van and we set off for Florida. The girls were really good throughout the drive, thanks to those nifty new DVD players we bought for the trip.
535083_10150674226504576_509679575_9564708_2099497179_n.jpg

We drove for a total of about 8 hours the first day, and stopped in Valdosta, GA. I was kinda shocked to see palm trees growing in Georgia, but excited to show my girls... Before this trip, they had never seen palm trees before!!
526101_10150674255844576_509679575_9564775_1435039112_n.jpg

They fell in love; I think our little one was more in love with seeing the palm trees than anything else until we actually got into WDW! LOL After stopping in Valdosta, we went straight to bed because we knew our day was going to be a long one the next day...
 

britdaw

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 2
We got up early and left our hotel by 8:30 AM. We only had about 3 1/2 more hours to drive, but we were hoping to check in early at Shades of Green, so we wanted to get a jump on it. I'm glad we did, too, 'cause traffic was crazy!!
The closer we got to WDW, the more excited Emily, our oldest, got. She was squealing at EVERYTHING with the word Disney on it. LOL And when we saw this road sign, all Hell broke loose in the van.
The girls started screaming like banshees! Normally I'd be screaming right back, yelling at them to be quiet, but all me and hubby could do was laugh. :)
As we got close, I got a little teary-eyed, watching the girls getting so excited. We had to drive under the sign to Magic Kingdom to get to our hotel, and this was Emily's reaction when she saw it:
557753_10150674256539576_509679575_9564783_2032421495_n.jpg

I couldn't help it; I cried. LOL Both the girls were just so freakin' adorable and excited, and I was overcome with emotion; it took us 5 years to get here, and we were finally at Disney World!! It felt surreal, but also so incredible to know we finally made it, like we'd been promising for years!!
We got to our hotel around 1:30 (traffic and having to stop a couple times set us back!), and we were so excited!! All of us were just buzzing; we couldn't believe we were finally there.
522018_10150674256809576_509679575_9564785_1516164219_n.jpg

Our room was pretty much what I expected, since a friend had been nice enough to share her pics with me after they got back in February, but still, I was in love with our view from our room. We even had visitors immediately after getting into the room and opening the curtains:
292582_10150674257144576_509679575_9564788_126584870_n.jpg

Those ducks came to the window almost every time we opened the shades...
Anyway. After we got into the room, it was time for us to unveil a little "welcome gift" we got for the girls. Each of them got a personalized blanket (Ariel for Emmy and Minnie for Caitlyn), a WDW 2012 tee, an autograph book, and a little Minnie and Mickey doll. Originally I was going to make little cards that said "From Mickey and Minnie" and we had this big elaborate plan to surprise the girls, but of course it didn't work out, so we just made them go in the bathroom and wait til I set it out:
550994_10150674257614576_509679575_9564791_595145929_n.jpg

The girls LOVED all their treats, especially the personalized blankets. I think Emily was almost as excited for her autograph book, though. LOL
After we got settled into the room, we rested for about an hour and then decided to go ahead and go to Magic Kingdom. The kids were so excited they could barely sit still on the tram to the Monorail station. Once we got to the park, we activated our tickets and each of us got a button to show what we were celebrating:
538804_10150674258699576_509679575_9564799_1865929904_n.jpg

I was in awe when we walked through that tunnel and onto Main Street USA, which I think is the whole point. The tunnels sort of transport you to a time when life was so much nicer, and I definitely felt it the moment we got into MK. I was snapping pictures of Main Street like a mad woman. LOL Right after we got into the park, though, we were ushered off the street and onto a sidewalk, because there was a parade coming! The girls were absolutely ecstatic to get to see the parade; I thought it was an awesome way to start our day off:
554955_10150674259919576_509679575_9564806_1612342482_n.jpg

556076_10150674260259576_509679575_9564810_1848943164_n.jpg

563291_10150674260389576_509679575_9564811_1030502304_n.jpg

The girls absolutely loved the parade; Caitlyn kept telling me "Momma, I sawed Mickey and Minnie!" LOL
 

britdaw

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 2 continued...
After the parade was over, we got our first picture taken together as a family by the Photopass photographer we saw, and then we headed straight for the place we promised the girls we'd go first:
383442_10150674261409576_509679575_9564817_884711582_n.jpg

The girls were both awed by seeing Cinderella Castle for the first time. I have to admit, I was a little awed too. :) I was so young the last time I was in WDW, this was kinda like my first time there, too. I was drinking it all in!!
564641_10150674261769576_509679575_9564820_1419359415_n.jpg

After taking the girls to see the castle, we went back up Main Street, exploring shops along the way. My favorites were the art store and the Confectionary... There was just so much awesome stuff to look at!
We were killing time before our dinner reservation, and we took the girls in The Emporium. I was AMAZED by this store! Everything you could possibly want with Disney characters on it was in here. I loved looking around, but the girls were bugging the hell out of us for Mickey ears, so I didn't get to look around as much as I really wanted to. That's ok, though, 'cause this trip was theirs, too, so we obliged and got them each their very first pair of Mickey ears:
535276_10150674261889576_509679575_9564821_1931986334_n.jpg

536588_10150674262179576_509679575_9564823_438243919_n.jpg

After getting their ears, it was time for us to head to Tony's for our dinner reservation. I absolutely LOVED the statue of Lady and the Tramp in the center of the restaurant; it was so pretty!
380670_10150674263074576_509679575_9564833_1952173870_n.jpg

The food was pretty good, too; hubby and I each had the braised lamb, and it was delicious! The girls each had spaghetti and said it was pretty good, but I think they were more impressed (and jealous!) when our waitress brought me an awesome ice cream sundae, since I was wearing my birthday button. I shared it with them, of course, though... The girls loved the Mickey-shaped sprinkles on top. ;)
After Tony's, we came outside to decide what to do next. It was quickly decided for us when Emily spotted the sign for the Princess M&G. LOL So we got in line, and the girls had their very first M&G experience! Emily was rendered speechless; she had no clue what to say when the princesses asked questions or asked her name. LOL Caitlyn was completely in shock; she just wanted to stare at all of them!
549455_10150687414184576_509679575_9616592_648857547_n.jpg

559092_10150674264509576_509679575_9564855_1096470935_n.jpg

Emily was stoked to meet Ariel, and was so excited to get a hug from her. Caitlyn just kept staring at them all. LOL Caitlyn did warm up, however, when Cinderella asked for a hug; how could she turn down her favorite princess?!
After the girls met the Princesses, it was time to ride some rides!!
We rode the Mad Tea Party first, which was a big hit (we ended up riding it a total of 4 times while we were there that week!), and then the Winnie The Pooh ride, which was adorable but terrified Caitlyn. After the Pooh ride, we went back to Cinderella Castle and sat down to catch the fireworks. I really really wish I had brought a tripod for pics, like this guy did, 'cause my dark pics are pretty lacking. I don't have pics because we didn't have a very good view of the show, but it was absolutely amazing. We sat to the right of Cinderella Castle on this big concrete bench on the bridge.
Trees kinda blocked our view, but it didn't matter; the girls were completely awestruck. :) After the fireworks, we tried to catch the late Electrical Parade, but the girls were getting tired so we left before it started and went back to our hotel.
 

LeCellier.Lover

Well-Known Member
I just wanted to say that I am LOVING your TR so far and the good part is is that it's just begun! :sohappy:
Your daughters are so cute! Their excitement reminds me of myself (even though I'm 18.... not as young as them but still!). I remember when my family and I would drive down and we live in Illinois. That was a long trip, but it was always fun because we knew what was waiting for us!
The presents you gave to your girls are adorable!
Can't wait to read more! :)
 

Grumps

Member
Nice report. I love reading these things, but they make me remember how far October is. :lol:

We are not staying at Shades of Green, but are getting our tickets through them. How was your experience with them?
 

britdaw

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 3
For our first full day in the parks, we had an early reservation for Akershus, so we got up super early and headed to the Monorail Station. Emily insisted on dressing up so she wore her Mulan kimono I bought before the trip. Caitlyn wore her Tiana dress with her new Cinderella mouse ears. LOL
Riding into EPCOT before everyone else was there was awesome... The views were spectacular:
561937_10150674384199576_509679575_9565208_754380885_n.jpg

558841_10150674384564576_509679575_9565212_1865929819_n.jpg

552685_10150674384799576_509679575_9565213_1771236099_n.jpg

Walking around in the virtually empty park was amazing, too... We were able to take our time to take pictures without all those people in the shot. ;)
529425_10150674385299576_509679575_9565215_60989552_n.jpg

522803_10150674385424576_509679575_9565216_310113181_n.jpg

536282_10150674385814576_509679575_9565219_1476445801_n.jpg

After taking a few pictures, though, we decided we needed to head straight for Akershus. Our reservation wasn't until 8:40, but we got in 30 minutes early! Honestly I wouldn't have minded waiting; I was loving looking around at the details on the buildings at the Norway paviliion!
The girls were amazed by the beautiful setting in the restaurant. We especially loved the storybook in the entryway. At Akershus, the girls got to meet Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Ariel, Cinderella, and Belle. One of the things they loved most about our breakfast here was the Princess Procession, where they got to walk around the restaurant in a little parade with the princesses. :)
After we left Akershus, we decided to skip seeing the rest of World Showcase and go ride some rides before the park started filling up. We were able to walk right onto the Nemo ride and then had only a 5 minute wait to see Turtle Talk with Crush. The Nemo ride absolutely terrified Caitlyn, which surprised me since she loves the movie so much. The poor thing lost it when we got to the jellyfish and didn't stop crying the entire ride. :( Turtle Talk was a lot better, though, and she insisted on calling us "dude" for the rest of the day. LOL
After Turtle Talk, the park was officially open so it was getting really busy. We decided to attempt to ride Soarin', even though there was a 60 minute wait. We had been in line for about 20 minutes when Caitlyn started crying that she was ready to go back to the hotel. She was tired from getting up so early and despite the fact that we hadn't done much, she was already ready for a nap. My husband admitted that he really didn't want to ride, so he was willing to get out of line and go wait for me and Emmy to get done, so that's what he did. Emily and I waited the rest of the way and rode Soarin' (which was AMAZING!!!), and I'm so glad we did 'cause it ended up being my favorite ride there. I really wish my hubby could have stayed to ride, 'cause I know he would have liked it better than he thought!
After we came out of Soarin', Caitlyn was sleeping in her daddy's lap. We talked about staying to ride a couple more rides, but decided to just go back to the hotel for a nap and some downtime first, since at that point, Emily was also complaining that she was tired of walking. So we went back to the hotel, had a little nap, and then ended up playing in the pool all afternoon and evening instead of going back to the park.
529748_10150674391779576_509679575_9565252_1011942973_n.jpg

Looking back, I really wish we'd gone back, but the kids needed to relax, so we did what we thought was best for their little legs.
 

britdaw

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I just wanted to say that I am LOVING your TR so far and the good part is is that it's just begun! :sohappy:
Your daughters are so cute! Their excitement reminds me of myself (even though I'm 18.... not as young as them but still!). I remember when my family and I would drive down and we live in Illinois. That was a long trip, but it was always fun because we knew what was waiting for us!
The presents you gave to your girls are adorable!
Can't wait to read more! :)

Aww, thank you! I'm glad it's not boring the hell outta everyone. LOL

Nice report. I love reading these things, but they make me remember how far October is. :lol:

We are not staying at Shades of Green, but are getting our tickets through them. How was your experience with them?

Glad you're enjoying it!! :)
Our experience with Shades of Green was great, especially buying tickets. Their people made sure we were getting the deal that was best for us, and even showed us how to save more money when buying our tickets!
 

britdaw

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 4
For our second full day in the parks, we went back to Magic Kingdom. This was the day the girls had been waiting for: Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique day!!! :)
We got to the parks sooo early. It was weird to see MK with hardly any people walking through, but also really cool.
551489_10150676040944576_509679575_9569852_1125388021_n.jpg

Since we were there so early, I stopped and took a bunch of pics of Cinderella Castle and the Partners statue, all light up with the early morning light. It was so pretty... Almost magical. ;)
After my mini photo session, we walked to the BBB door to get in line. We were the first ones there, so I also killed some time by taking pics of the beautiful mosaics in the hallway of CC. I also ran out to get some of the Castle Couture area; I love that shop, and the gorgeous Cinderella fountain! I also got some great shots of the backside of Cinderella Castle. :)
Once we were let inside BBB, the girls were completely wowed. The whole atmosphere was so awesome, and I had a blast watching all those sweet little girls getting made up like princesses. I know my girls were definitely happy with their outcome. I have to say, the whole experience was amazing. The girls' "Fairy Godmothers" were awesome and did a wonderful job working with the girls. We will definitely do it again when we go back... Well, that is if the sticker shock from the final amount doesn't keep my husband from letting it happen. I thought he was gonna choke when he paid that bill! LOL
After we left BBB, the girls were amazed to see the REAL Fairy Godmother behind the castle! Of course we had to get their picture taken with her:
549337_10150676047124576_509679575_9569897_825620664_n.jpg

After meeting Fairy Godmother, the girls went into Castle Couture to do their photoshoot that was included with their BBB package... They did an amazing job with their photoshoot... Caitlyn was totally hamming it up, and Emily told me "I feel like a real princess, Mom!" That is worth all the money in the world. :)
After we left Castle Couture, we went to ride rides. First up, we had to ride the teacups again 'cause Caitlyn insisted. We met the White Rabbit right outside the ride, and Caitlyn said "He liked me, Mom!" because he gave her a hug. ;) After that, we ran to Dumbo. All we have heard since we started talking about this trip is "Mommy, I gone ride Dumbo!" from Caitlyn, so we knew we had to knock it out early to make sure we got it before she got too tired to ride anymore. So we did, and all of us had a blast. I never got to ride the original Dumbo when I was a kid, so I was kinda excited to say we were some of the first people to ride the new one. ;) Here are a couple pics of us riding Dumbo:
558474_10150676050684576_509679575_9569918_1808938324_n.jpg

555676_10150676051254576_509679575_9569923_716790668_n.jpg
 

britdaw

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 4 continued...
Since the line for Dumbo had been so long and we had to wait forever to ride, after we got off Dumbo, we had to turn around and go back to Cinderella's Royal Table for our lunch reservation. The girls were giddy at the thought of eating in the castle, and I have to say, our experience was absolutely brilliant. We sat near the windows, so we had a wonderful view, and our table was the very first one that the princesses came to when they came out to greet everyone, which the girls thought was the coolest thing. I was enchanted by the ambience of the restaurant, and the food was incredible, as was our server. I almost wish the tip wasn't included in our pre-paid amount, 'cause I would have loved to tip him more; he was awesome! At CRT, the girls met Snow White, Belle, Ariel, Cinderella (of course), and Sleeping Beauty.
After eating, we rode "Snow White's Scary Adventures" (which no one else wanted to ride but me, but I insisted since it's closing this month!). Emily ended up loving the ride, but we were forced to switch off because Caitlyn was scared of the queen and didn't want to ride. Caitlyn being scared of things became a theme on this trip... :\
From there, we headed to Adventureland to take the girls through the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse (which they loved!!) and then attempted to ride Pirates of the Carribean. I say attempted because I didn't get to ride. We waited over an hour to ride, and I ended up getting sick and having to leave the line. Can I just tell you how horrible it was to need to get to a bathroom to vomit and have to go back through the entire line to get to one?! Emergency exits should be installed in this ride, Disney folks!! Josh and the girls rode, but Josh said Caitlyn cried because she was scared the entire ride. I felt bad for him for having to deal with that. :\
After all that, the girls were exhausted from getting up so early, so we went back to the hotel for a nap. Our "short nap" ended up lasting a LONG time, so we didn't go back to the parks that day. We chose to order pizza in our room and hang out, letting the girls play with their new toys and goodies from the parks.

Day 5
We slept in this morning... This was the one day of the trip I didn't have a hardcore plan, which was good. At this point I think all the walking and staying-up-late-and-then-getting-up-early was getting to all of us. We woke up late, took our showers and got ready for the day, fed the ducks outside our hotel room, then headed to the Grand Floridian. The girls had a 2:00 tea party with Alice and the Mad Hatter, which they absolutely loved:
389315_10150687433454576_509679575_9616722_1510426878_n.jpg

574450_10150687434259576_509679575_9616727_872495865_n.jpg

581298_10150687434914576_509679575_9616732_1906396192_n.jpg

While they were in the tea party, though, Josh and I couldn't go in so we walked around the Grand Floridian, looking in the shops (I still wish I'd gotten this awesome Snow White shirt!) and walking around the hotel grounds. I fell in LOVE with that hotel and hope we can afford to stay there when we go back!
After the girls had their tea party, we came back to the hotel and got ready to head to Downtown Disney for some shopping. We had a blast looking around in all the shops and picking out souveniers for our family.
554455_10150677491149576_509679575_9573712_1611344139_n.jpg

541464_10150677491319576_509679575_9573714_2091384850_n.jpg

One of our favorite stores was the Candy Cauldron. There was so much Disney-themed goodness to look at/try; we didn't know where to start!
546225_10150677491709576_509679575_9573719_1177009018_n.jpg

560955_10150677491919576_509679575_9573723_752977616_n.jpg

547839_10150677492134576_509679575_9573726_1669886429_n.jpg

Emily ended up falling in love with the cake pops, though, so that was her special treat from that store:
557828_10150677492229576_509679575_9573727_287573465_n.jpg

I have to say, that cakepop was absolutely amazing!! I've had some good cake pops, 'cause my friend makes them, but this one was beyond anything else I've ever tasted. Can't wait to go get another one when we go back!
We walked around Downtown Disney for a long time; there were so many cool shops to look in! We really wanted to do the Characters in Flight thing, but the line was too long and we didn't want to waste a bunch of time waiting, so we will do that next time. We mostly just spent a LOT of money on gifts for family members and ourselves, and on the yummy food we wanted to try. ;) After we were done shopping we left to go back to the hotel and get some rest.
 

britdaw

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 6
On the 6th day of our trip, we got up and headed to Chef Mickey's for breakfast. It was my 30th birthday, and I know we picked a great way to start our day; we had a blast at Chef Mickey's! The buffet was amazing, and the characters were so much fun!
536127_10150677600394576_509679575_9574203_260773656_n.jpg

539989_10150677600584576_509679575_9574204_991587280_n.jpg

533484_10150677600704576_2118367918_n.jpg

292192_10150677600824576_509679575_9574206_2004216372_n.jpg

555903_10150677600944576_509679575_9574207_795623685_n.jpg

The girls were once again jealous when I got brought a special birthday cupcake to top off my breakfast... This one I didn't share. LOL
523967_10150677601069576_509679575_9574208_1569464356_n.jpg

After we left Chef Mickey's, we went back to the hotel for our stuff and headed to Blizzard Beach. I don't have a whole lot of pics from the park (I was scared of getting my camera wet), but we had an AMAZING time there! We were forced to leave a little early because of a storm that rolled in, but the kids loved the water slides and the wave pool. Emily also had a blast attempting to cross the "ice chunks" in the kids' area... She wasn't very good (she never made it all the way across), but at least she had fun! LOL
After Blizzard Beach, we came back so Josh and I could get ready for our date at California Grill. We hired Kids' Night Out, and we thoroughly enjoyed our date night! First we walked around in various shops and tried on hats and things to have a little fun before having drinks, then going to the restaurant. I told our hostess that we were there to celebrate both my 30th birthday and our 10-year-wedding anniversary and they hooked us up with not only a table with a view of Cinderella Castle, but THE best view of the castle in the restaurant; we were facing it head on! Again, because I can't take great dark pics with my camera, I didn't really get a good shot of our view, but the meal and service was absolutely phenomenal. We will definitely be heading back to CG every time we go to WDW; it was our favorite meal of the trip. We started out with a cheese sampler, then had wine with our dinner. I can't remember everything we chose, but I had some goat cheese ravioli that rocked my world, and our waiter surprised us with a huge slice of dark chocolate cake for my birthday, which was to die for. Seriously can't wait to go back to California Grill!!
 

PeoplemoverTTA

Well-Known Member
First of all - happy birthday! :so happy:

Great job on your TR - what an adorable family you have. Looks like you had a blast, and I'm enjoying all the fun details of your trip.

Can't wait to read the rest!
 

britdaw

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 7

We began Day 7 with breakfast at O'hana. We walked over to the Poly from our hotel, and trekked through the maze of paths to the grand entrance and in to the restaurant. I really, really love the Poly. It's so gorgeous and I really like the island decor and flora. The kids want to stay there next time we go, just for the pool with the volcano. LOL
Breakfast was a lot of fun, and the food was awesome.
557309_10150677603834576_509679575_9574232_1443413689_n.jpg

The girls loved meeting Lilo and Stitch, and getting to see Mickey and Pluto again. "Lilo and Stitch" has been one of Emily's favorite Disney movies since she was a baby, so she was absolutely giddy when Stitch came to the table. :)
After breakfast we walked back to Shades of Green, which took MUCH longer than it should have because we got lost. LOL We tried to follow the signs backward to the path that let out right in front of the Shades of Green driveway, but we somehow ended up all the down near the Grand Floridian... It took forever to get back to the hotel, and we were all worn down when we got there. The kids were complaining that they were too tired to leave, so we rested for a little bit, then got ready and headed to Hollywood Studios.
I absolutely LOVED Hollywood Studios and the look of the buildings. This was my first time visiting HS, and I was snapping pictures of everything:
545812_10150677605909576_509679575_9574247_1439115465_n.jpg

389601_10150677606289576_509679575_9574250_2019434776_n.jpg

We had a late lunch reservation for 50's Prime Time Cafe, so that was the first place we went to. We absolutely loved the PTC. The kids were amazed by the old school decor, and they were shocked when we told them that back then, no one had colored TV, so that's why all the videos were in black and white. Our waitress was hilarious, and she made an example out of my husband when he didn't "clean his plate" the way she told him to:
546946_10150677607454576_509679575_9574264_1056829009_n.jpg

After leaving the PTC, we headed toward "
525786_10150677607914576_509679575_9574271_33118720_n.jpg
". Once again, Caitlyn was scared. She cried through almost the whole show, til I promised her a Mickey bar if she shut up. LOL Emily LOVED the Little Mermaid, which was one of her must-see attractions. After the show ended, we got the kids the ice cream we promised them, then got in line for Disney Junior. We were the first ones in line, so the girls got to "help" open the doors, and a special award from the cast members. We also got to sit in the center of the front row, which was AWESOME. Caitlyn was blown away by Disney Junior; she was jumping up and down and cheering and it was the happiest I saw her all day. :)
After Disney Junior, we did MuppetVision 3D, which both kids loved. Daddy bought them "The Muppets" to watch on the way to Florida, so they were both all over seeing MuppetVision. It was a cute show, but hubby was disappointed that it hasn't changed since his last visit to the parks in 2001.
After MuppetVision, we hit up the Great Movie Ride. I was the one who really wanted to ride it, and was a bust for the kids up until we got to "The Wizard of Oz" scenes. Both the girls were mesmerized by Munchkinland and the Wicked Witch of the West, so for that reason alone they said it was an ok ride. ;)
After Great Movie Ride, we walked around in different shops and things, and then it was time for Tower of Terror. Josh and I knew Caitlyn couldn't ride, so he sat out with her and took her for another ice cream while Emily and I waited to ride. The Tower of Terror was absolutely beautiful!! I was awestruck by the amazing architecture and detail of the queue; I could have taken a million pictures just waiting in line.
536768_10150677612374576_509679575_9574305_1218210889_n.jpg

Emily's experience with this ride was absolutely hilarious... She is only 9, but she has been begging to go on this ride since before we ever left, so I let her. While in line, I kept asking if she was sure she wanted to ride. She kept insisting that she was, so I let her ride. That poor girl screamed as if someone was murdering her the entire time we were in the elevator!! She clutched my arm as tightly as she could, and when we were finished, she cracked up the whole party when she asked "Do we have to ride this again, 'cause I don't want to!" LOL She was a good sport about me laughing at her, though... She admitted it was pretty funny, the way she screamed. ;)
After Tower of Terror, we met up with Josh and Caitlyn and headed back to the hotel for the night.
 

britdaw

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
First of all - happy birthday! :so happy:

Great job on your TR - what an adorable family you have. Looks like you had a blast, and I'm enjoying all the fun details of your trip.

Can't wait to read the rest!

Thank you very much for the happy belated birthday! We definitely had an amazing day that day; it was the best birthday I've had in a very long time!
Glad you're enjoying the TR! I'm having fun reliving our trip as I write. :)
 

britdaw

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 8
On our last full day in the parks, we headed to Animal Kingdom. We were all super excited for Animal Kingdom; the girls couldn't wait to ride Kilimanjaro Safaris and see all the animals. We took our time getting there; our lunch res was late, and we wanted to sleep in. We took so long, though, that we missed the bus we'd need to go there, so we drove ourselves. ;)
We started our day with lunch at Rainforest Cafe.
Emily and I have been to the Rainforest Cafe in Nashville, and Josh had been to the one at Downtown Disney on his last trip, but Caitlyn had never been and she absolutely loved it. She was mesmerized by the animals, and everytime they moved she would laugh as if it was the funniest thing ever. :) Lunch there was pretty good, but we really just enjoyed the atmosphere more than anything else. :)
After we left Rainforest Cafe, we headed straight for Africa. I was amazed at how authentic everything looked, and loved the rustic feel to Harambe.
533075_10150677757184576_509679575_9574621_1088178608_n.jpg

We made a beeline for Kilimanjaro Safaris... It was a must-do thing for all of us, and we were really disappointed when it started raining while we were in line. I really, really wanted to get pics of the animals, but it started a torrential downpour (which is kinda fitting, since we were "in Africa, right?), so I put my camera away before we got on. Even though it was raining so hard, the animals were all out and super active! A group of 5 or 6 rhinos even ran alongside our car, which the kids thought was absolutely awesome. Caitlyn got so excited to see her "eppants" (elephants) and we got to watch a baby playing in the water with its mommy, which was too freakin' cute. Even though I got no pictures, I really loved that ride. :)
After we got off the safari, we went to hit up Festival of the Lion King. We got there just as the show was starting, so we were pretty high up in the theater, but we still really enjoyed the show. The performers were great, and the kids loved the floats with the animatronic animals on them.
528655_10150677758439576_509679575_9574634_1000730100_n.jpg

427817_10150677758554576_509679575_9574636_1614229470_n.jpg

553949_10150677758989576_509679575_9574642_9888935_n.jpg

305696_10150677759124576_509679575_9574643_1168448042_n.jpg

After FotLK, we headed to "It's Tough to Be a Bug". The girls loved pointing out the animals in the Tree of Life, and the show itself was pretty cute, although Hopper's apperance and the part where the wasps "sting" you scared Caitlyn (again).
After the show ended, we didn't have much time til the park closed, so we had to rush to go see Asia. We didn't have time to ride Expedition Everest, but I knew Caitlyn couldn't ride it, anyway, and Emily probably would have been terrified. So we just took pictures of the ride and then rushed through the rest of Asia to get out before park closing and beat the crowds.
555355_10150677760514576_509679575_9574655_481365213_n.jpg

*EDIT*
I can't believe I forgot to write about going to Mickey's Backyard BBQ!!! After our day at Animal Kingdom, we went to Mickey's Backyard BBQ over at the Campsites at Fort Wilderness. First off, let me just say how JEALOUS I was of the guests who were staying at the Fort Wilderness Lodge!! WOW that place is gorgeous! I kinda fell in love with it, and will be lobbying for that to be our next choice if we can't afford Grand Floridian next time we go. Anyway...
We would have had a better time at MBBBQ if I didn't have a slamming migraine by the time we got there. I was really sick, and we ended up only staying long enough to eat our meal, have an ice cream bar for dessert, and let our little one dance with Goofy. The girls were more excited about getting some time to play on the playground nearby, so we left after only spending 20 minutes there; it was just too loud for me. And since I'm not a big country music fan, I wasn't too keen on the music choices, but the kids had fun so that was worth being there for.
 

britdaw

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 9


This was our last day there; we had to leave on Day 9. :( Since it was our last day, we decided to get up early and check out, so we could drive over to MK to hit up a couple more rides one last time.
We started out by having a light brunch at Casey's. I was pretty unhappy with Casey's... Hubby said his hot dog was awesome, but the girls and I had "nachos", which was basically just a bunch of shredded cheese on top of some tortilla chips. I was pretty ed to pay so much for nachos and not even get actual nacho cheese on my chips. But anyway...
After that, we headed to the Haunted Mansion. I didn't get to ride it the last time I was there, so we made sure to ride it. We were loving all the beautiful scenery in the queue, and loved looking at the headstones in the "cemetery".
530316_10150677761459576_509679575_9574662_1995005482_n.jpg

553877_10150677764224576_509679575_9574676_271791413_n.jpg

555993_10150677762219576_509679575_9574665_909624176_n.jpg

Here's where the day got "fun"... We mistakenly assumed that the Haunted Mansion had the switch off option. Our plan was to let one of us ride through with Emily, and then switch with the other one so she could ride again, since she was so excited to ride it. Caitlyn cried the entire time we were in line, and when we got inside the Mansion, I happed to ask a cast member we were passing "It's ok, you guys have the switch off option, right?" and she said "No ma'am, everyone has to ride." GREAT... So we rode, and Caitlyn screamed almost the entire time. The only time she stopped was when Josh made her turn and bury her face in his side. Nice...
After we got out of the HM, we rode the Mad Tea Party again, since the line was short. After that, it was time for us to leave. :( So, we stopped in the Confectionary to get a few treats for the road, then headed out.
On our way home, we stopped in St. Augustine, FL, so the girls could go to the beach for the first time. They both absolutely fell in love with the beach and the ocean, and Emily has asked if we can plan a beach trip later this summer so they can do nothing but play in the waves and build sandcastles. LOL
522522_10150677787499576_509679575_9574755_2138012482_n.jpg

Overall, our trip was absolutely amazing. We did all those character meals, and the girls got made up at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, so for them the trip was everything they wanted it to be. Josh and I had a great time just watching the girls' reactions to everything, and our date night was unbelievable. I was a little disappointed that we didn't get to ride more rides, especially in MK, but that's what happens when you take a trip with kids; you have to take time to rest, and at Caitlyn's age they need a lot of rest.
We cannot wait to go back. Josh and I are even talking about trying to surprise the girls with a trip back for Christmas instead of buying gifts this year, but we'll see...

Thanks for taking the time to read my TR!! :)
 

Kita79

Member
OMG your trip report is so awesome. My daughter (4 will turn five while we are there) and I are taking our first trip at the end of October 2012 for her birthday/first visit for both of us. I love the idea of the welcome surprise you gave the girls when you got to the hotel. I'm gonna have to steal that idea.:ROFLOL:.
 

PlutosRHM55

New Member
I'm here!

What a wonderful TR you have so far! I never got the chance to go to Disney as a child (well non-teenager) so it's great to hear how that went with your two girls. :) Loving all the pictures too, darn those people who kept on bumping into you, not cool. :( I must praise you for the great ADR choices so far, if I was that young those would be the table services I would choose on a trip like this. I'm also amazed at how slow you are taking this trip, I'm always such a go-go-go person, but you are really taking the time and enjoying it all. What a unique and great way to experience! :D

Can't wait to read more about this trip!
 

britdaw

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
OMG your trip report is so awesome. My daughter (4 will turn five while we are there) and I are taking our first trip at the end of October 2012 for her birthday/first visit for both of us. I love the idea of the welcome surprise you gave the girls when you got to the hotel. I'm gonna have to steal that idea.:ROFLOL:.

Glad you enjoyed it!! And please feel free to steal the idea, 'cause I stole it from here, too. LOL
You guys will have a BLAST and your daughter will have the time of her life!! :)

I'm here!

What a wonderful TR you have so far! I never got the chance to go to Disney as a child (well non-teenager) so it's great to hear how that went with your two girls. :) Loving all the pictures too, darn those people who kept on bumping into you, not cool. :( I must praise you for the great ADR choices so far, if I was that young those would be the table services I would choose on a trip like this. I'm also amazed at how slow you are taking this trip, I'm always such a go-go-go person, but you are really taking the time and enjoying it all. What a unique and great way to experience! :D

Can't wait to read more about this trip!
LOL Timmy, hate to tell you but I'm done writing my trip report. ;) We were there for 9 days, so we had plenty of time to take our time... I'm actually glad we did take time out for rests, too, 'cause Caitlyn (our little one) got tired really quick, despite riding in a stroller for the majority of the trip. It's a lot to take in for little ones that age, so I knew it was important to have downtime. I would have liked to be more of a go-go-go person, but I didn't want to push the girls too hard.
 

britdaw

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I just got done re-reading this... Awww, the memories!!! I really wish I had written a trip report for the trip in 2016; I'm not sure why I didn't! Can't wait to be able to write my next one in 2021!
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom