Back from Disney World

Yes we were able to enjoy a few days at the land of Mickey this week. Dad had a work event in Orlando and decided to bring Charlotte and Mom along. Plus with baby number 2 joining us soon, we figured it would be our last shot at a Disney vacation for a while. So we burned up dads frequent flier miles and Marriott points and had a grand 'ol time.

Charlotte did great flying again. Although it was a very early flight (6am), which meant we were out of the house by 4:10am. Waking Charlotte up was not fun but she seemed to do pretty good on the flights down to Orlando. This would be her last flight as a lap child. From now on she gets her own big girl seat!

This would be where I tell you all about the work aspect of the trip but I will skip it to prevent boring you non-technology sales people.

Day number one we hit the Magic Kingdom. I will preface this picture by saying we got to the park early. We were there at 9am when it opens. However those of you who have been to Disney know when you get there you are not really there. It simply means you got to the parking lots, then you have to take either the boat or tram over to the park. We chose the tram. Bad move. It broke down about 10 feet from the station. 45 minutes later we were on the boat, now completely packed since the tram was broken. Charlotte pooped her pants and was squirming around miserable after be stuck on the tram. $85 for tickets and they can't keep a tram running? (they will be getting a letter from dad). We finally made it into the park only an hour late (not too bad considering).

Here is Charlotte at the castle. We expected a shot of her just being amazed, screaming her head off when she saw the castle, but it didn't really happen. We did get some "ohhh WOW's" out of her but no flailing of the arms.

She did however just stare at the castle for a while. We have a feeling it took a little while to sink in to really understand that this is a "real" castle. Ohhh the Castle!!!
The first ride we decided to try was the Winnie the Pooh ride. We were not sure how she would do. Once on the ride she didnt say a peep. Just stared at everything wide eyed. Shelby and I looked at each other like "humm did she like it?". Then it was time to exit. "MORE, MORE, MORE" is all we heard.
Next on the list was the now infamous "its a small world" ride.
Again with the staring at all the stuff. Believe me there were also plenty of smiles. Towards the end of the ride she was laughing hysterically.
This was by far her favorite ride in the park.
Something must happen to your inner ear when you get older. Dad used to love rides that spin and twirl and swoosh. Now even the merry-go-round makes him feel a little queasy. Charlotte though had no problem riding the horsies.

After a few rides we had no plans. We just wandered around the park enjoying ourselves. Over near the castle we found Cinderella's fairy Godmother. She signed Charlottes autograph book and took a lovely picture.

Dads favorite was Chicken Little. The guy taking the picture (a disney employee) was super nice. The pen dad had purchased earlier in the day (for the characters to sign Charlottes autograph book) stopped working. He walked over to the store and just exchanged it for him. No questions asked.
We bought some ears for Charlotte. Although mom couldn't help but wear them. (dont worry I didnt let her walk around like this all day).
Snow White and Bashful. We didnt get our picture with them or their autograph because the closed the line (which was too long of a wait anyways).

So day number one at the Magic Kingdom was great. The weather was perfect (low 70's, dry, and sunny). By about 2pm we were done. Hindsight we should have just tried to get Charlotte to sleep in her stroller but we were not sure if she would nap or not. We figured it was best to go nap, then come back later.

Later never came. By the time we got back to the hotel and napped it was too late. We still had plenty of time for more parks.

The next park on the list was our favorite of course. Animal Kingdom. We knew Charlotte would love it. We decided to really get there early this time. 8am when the park opens at 9am. And no they do not open a minute early despite the lines forming at the gates.

Here is a great shot of Mom, Dad, and Charlotte. Ooops. Thats goofy not dad (Im so funny).

And who else? Minnie! These were both taken before the park even opened. So if you do go to Animal Kingdom, get there early to see the characters wandering outside of the park. Or if you just want pictures and autographs, skip the ticket and just hang out front.
Opening ceremony of the park:
Around every corner was a new character. Tigger was there to greet Charlotte next.
As you can see she wasnt too sure about this Tigger guy. She kept a very close eye on him and his bouncing.
Dad and Charlotte on the Dino ride. She wasn't a fan of this one. It went up in the air. Soon after this picture she said "All Done".
So we decided to get Charlottes face painted. We figured it would look so cute having a butterfly or a princess painted on. However the guy who was trying to paint it was a little scary.

So we ended up with one blue eye. And it would stay like this the rest of the day. Mom and Charlotte cruising through Dinoland.
Ok the highlight of Animal Kingdom is the new Nemo musical performance. Imagine Cirque de Soleil meets Nemo. Simply amazing and worth the whole trip for miss Charlotte.
An example of the performers and puppets. Singing dancing fish. What could be better?
Yes, that is Charlotte crying when it was over. Luckily the tears didnt ruin that wonderful face painting.
Charlotte at the aquarium. She could spend all day watching fish. She just sat there on the ground and watched them.
As we walked through the park we kept asking Charlotte if she was going to see the gorillas. She would pound on her chest and scream like a gorilla. Of course this is actually a sign of aggression to the gorillas so they tell you not to do it near them. A 2 year old does not understand that. However the gorilla didnt seem to be too intimidated by Charlotte.

The safari ride is one of the best rides for kids. They get to see so many different animals. Yes these are all real animals roaming next to the safari truck.


This rhino was literally a foot from us.
We wrapped up our day at Animal Kingdom. Being in a disney park with a 2 year old is exhausting. Charlotte wanted to walk most of the time. However she doesnt do a great job watching were she is going. She would head right towards a giant group of people coming towards us and walk right through them. Great if everyone else is taking a leisurely stroll like us. Unfortunately most people are on a mission at the parks.

Charlotte also started feeling a little "warm" at the park. She was obviously catching a cold. Coughing a lot and sounding hoarse. A little tip for anyone with kids. There is a "baby center" at each park. Clean changing tables, nursing rooms, rocking chairs, a small play area, and baby stuff like Tylenol etc. And its quiet. Great place to just escape the hustle of the parks for a little while.

We found the worlds largest Disney store at the Marketplace at Downtown Disney. Talk about hours of fun for Charlotte. Her cold was now in full force. I wonder how many other kids she infected.

Wow, a giant princess. Charlotte had to give her a kiss.



A sleepy kid in our arms at Disney? She must have a cold.
The family at the Rainforest Cafe. She loved it.

Back at the hotel pool. Charlotte loved swimming through the water spouts. She laughed and rolled as the water hit her belly.

The return flight home. Luckily we had some extra room on the plane and Charlotte got to sit in her own seat. She did GREAT!!