It was a true treat to all be on the same airplane, everyone did great and even Judah relaxed between Trev and me for a fair amount of the flight. Van retrieval was smooth and soon we were on our way to Bahama Breeze and lunch outside. Ahhhh, glorious outside. Settling into the lodgings, a walk with my mom followed by a chat by the pool, pizza at the on-grounds restaurant . . . a relaxing start to the time. Kids slept well in the same room, memorable was Karis slipping out to tell me, "Mom, I think Judah pooped". After we got that taken care of, sleep was swift.
First full day, Magic Kingdom. Magic! I had goosebumps walking in and strolling down "main street" and watching Karis's eyes pop out of her head. A few rode the carousel and a couple figured out the Fast Pass situation. We strolled around, rode the magic carpets, had lunch "American Tale" old west style, saw Jasmine, walked through the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse, had the most magical wait for the Peter Pan ride (huge favorite for many), rode the teacups (a couple queasy riders will remain unnamed), rode Dumbo, sailed through It's a Small World, met Ariel in her grotto, had snacks at Gaston's Tavern, danced with Micky & friends, met Tinkerbell (loved her! She greeted Karis by saying, "Karis, that means Grace! But I bet you already know that"). I will recall one overwhelming moment - walking around crowded Magic Kingdom with plugged ears felt a little out of body and I had a moment where I thought, "There is no where to hide": it was in the bathroom, in a stall, and the flushing of 20 commodes was so incredibly constant that I wondered if there was anywhere to go for quiet? Yes, I have introvert moments to the extreme at times. Irrelevant to this recounting but there it is. Dinner was grab and go yummy vittles on the "dock" outside at the Key West Lodge (our accommodations, perfect place for our crew).
Second full day, Epcot. So super. Love that place. Had a blast with grandma, grandpa and the kids going to see Nemo (where a ride was broken, "Crush the turtle got stung by a jellyfish!"), through Journey of Imagination, lunch in Mexico, meeting Mulan in China, gelato in France, meeting Snow White, catching a glimpse of Mary Poppins, strollering napping Judah, cronuts on the way out. Also on the way out was a memorable moment when Judah peed all over me - because of my ignorance about swim diapers. Hello, they are not supposed to absorb water and they do NOT work in a pinch when you run out of regular diapers. Noted. Dinner at Downtown Disney was fabulous and included Irish dancers that were so captivating. Trev and I rushed melting Judah on a bus back for bed while the others took the boat, fun for all.
Third full day, Hollywood Studios. We were there before they opened and zoomed to the Frozen Sing Along - fun for all, plenty of clean adult jokes to keep every age engaged. Then the girls split off to see a Little Mermaid Show, which ended up being much talked about later by Karis: "She got LEGS! Isn't it magical?!". Sure enough, Ariel got legs right there on stage. Then the girls took a bus to the much anticipated Princess Breakfast at the Grand Floridian. I think it was the most impressive to the adults: the best meal (steak and eggs for breakfast, sure thing!). Karis enjoyed it too, got her pic taken with all the princesses, enjoyed Mickey Mouse waffles and then was quite languishing by the end - coming down with a cold, needed rest. So back to our Key West place for some rest, and a walk to the pool, pizza in the room, SuperBowl viewing and early bed for kids (guys got a spot at ESPN where they stayed until the half, so perfect).
Fourth full day, Animal Kingdom. Arrived when it opened and we found our first ride, A Bug's Life. There was a warning that it could be scary for little children . . . sure enough, Karis wanted to leave shortly after it started, and good thing because the others said it got worse . . . Trev, the kids and I found Mickey & Minnie and had a sweet fam photo op. We went on to enjoy more coffee, the safari, a train ride, and then: THE YETI RIDE. I was so excited for this and it didn't disappoint! With some wise eyes on the weather, we grabbed lunch and started packing up right before a deluge. After some gift shop shelter, we made a go for the bus and ended up having a quiet afternoon in the room before heading to the "Boardwalk" for dinner . . . a relaxing pace for the last night there. Back home for some Grandma book bringing/Aunt Melanie reading of Brave Irene and Ferdinand and kid-bed-timing and chatting together. So many precious moments of connecting, so wonderful to be away all together.
Going home day, a normal morning in the room before packing into the van, where Judah so wisely said: "All done. Home". Crazy! We had a smooth journey back. Memorable to me was Judah finally falling asleep on me, and then the drink cart coming by . . . he slept for about 30 seconds. When we got in our car he zonked out, which was such a treat because there happened to be a snow storm and it took about 90 minutes to get home - part of which Karis watched the Little Mermaid video (thank you, Aunt Melanie!) about 30 times. We enjoyed our traditional Qdoba pick up (complete with duo kid meltdown when we didn't stay to eat it there)and an early bedtime.
In a word, the Disney experience was magical. There's just something about that place, the vision that Disney must have had and the legacy that lives on. I totally "drank the kool aid", as they say. I think we all did, and found it so very tasty and satisfying. All in. Loved it, every ride and character and meal and night and morning and interaction and the sunshine and the overpriced coffee and sing along and mermaid getting legs and . . . let's go back someday. I see the value in the togetherness of a place like that, the shared memories and experiences and decisions you make together and bus ride and navigating and following and savoring and watching the kids and everything. And really, especially watching the kids, Karis was at the peak perfect age for imagination and also obsession with princesses. Judah just went with the flow and learned all about princesses and Pooh and rides and that you can thrive on french fries and squeeze applesauce. A Magical Kingdom, in so many ways.
Karis-isms:
- "But mommy, I'm still tired!" (with a smirk on her face, at 4:30. Such a joke-ster)
- "I should be asleep but I'm getting on an airplane!"
- "I see the Pom Pom trees!"
- "This Disney world is so Disney Worldy"
- "She's not as I remembered!"
- "She got legs! It's magic!" (while at a Little Mermaid re-enactment show)
- "Can I have a sword for my little brother" (at a princess breakfast, sweet girl)
- "Maybe we should should just sneak around this place" (at the Grand Floridian)
- "Drewy wasn't sure if the princesses were real. They are real"
- "Can we go to a park that's not a Disney park?"
- "Speaking of Sofia" (pretty sure we weren't speaking of her, she said this totally out of the blue and it was hilarious in the moment)
- "I begged grandma for another bagful of cotton candy but she wouldn't let me"
- "I got to spy Rapunzel's tower first!"
- "We saw Gaston's Tabernacle!" (supposed to be tavern)
- "Belle said waffles are the Beast's favorite!"
- "Snow White called Judah 'prince Judah!'"
- "I can't believe we got to go in Ariel's grotto!"
- "I can't tell you my wish or it won't come true!"
- "My favorite was the Peter Pan ride. How did they do the hat shadows on Grandpa's head?"
Judah jibes:
- He LOVED all the fountains, fans, and buses
- He loved to be carried around and was in a huge "ba ba" phase of pointing to things and saying "ba ba" until the person would name what he was wanting to name
- He pushed through like a champ, remained mostly healthy and happy with a lack of naps and diet of applesauce and french fries
- "I got you!" (a game he and grandma played)
- "Two!" (loved to name things in twos - fans, especially)
- "Cheek!" (while pointing to his cheeks and wanting me to name them)
- "Ride!" (he loved them more than I thought he would)
- "Nemo!"
- "All done. Home" (said in the van on the way to the airport. Scary appropriate timing!)
- Our fam of four slept in one room and Judah conveniently fit in the closet, where he loved banging the doors open and shut as a pre-sleep wind down
- The last couple days were super "mommy don't leave the room". I can tell him about that someday when he doesn't want me to hug him in public
Big people quotes and thoughts:
- Trev called Drew one night while on a jog where he had discovered a "no close pool". Lost in translation, Drew thought he was excited to report a "no clothes pool"
- Sleep now, giggle later. Inside joke, I guess
- I am in awe of K & N's pure joy and generosity brought us all together in beautiful ways. They lead with grace, set the tone of making the most of the day (even when that meant a relaxing afternoon in the room) and making every moment count
- Oh thank you Grandma Nancy for taking Judah out of the room when he got owly, mother's intuition to help her daughter, I'm grateful
- Dittos to Grandpa Kirk carrying Judah around when he could see my arms sagging
- I'm grateful for Aunt Melanie, who held Karis's sneezed in hand for a couple days straight and jiggled Judah and just adds a delightful dynamic to the family
- And of course for Uncle Drew and his willingness to play hide and seek, set up Sofia for Karis, and talk endlessly about princesses
- Oh Trev, such a sport pushing the stroller, enjoying the ride sidelines when he wasn't up for getting sick on teacups, and keeping track of kids while I avoided getting trampled by the Yeti
- But mostly, just the amazing memories to last forever, irreplaceable, valuable, thankful
What a great trip! Thank you for sharing the photos. I can't wait to take my own family some day. In the mean time, Wayne and I are going for our honeymoon in November. :)
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