Yup. I'm One of Those Disney People

Our first family trip to Disney World was June of 2013.

I had never planned on being a Disney family. In my mind, it was too expensive and just wasn't ever going to happen. Then I went to a conference that was held at the Contemporary Resort on Disney property.

My mom had taken me to Disney World for a day when I was around 5 years old. I had a few memories - mostly because it's the story of the time I got separated from my mom. And I remember riding Haunted Mansion.

33 years later, I found myself back at Disney World. I attended the conference and the final day, we had a night at Magic Kingdom. So many memories came flooding back! I'd already loved my time at the Contemporary. I knew that I had to bring my family to Disney World.

2013 First Family Trip

2014 Secret Husband and Wife Trip 

2016 Second Family Trip

2018 Third Family Trip

Our plan had been for our next family trip to happen in 2020. But sometimes plans change.

Teagan and I have to go to Florida for a tae kwon do tournament over Memorial Day weekend. And Miami is only 3-4 hours drive from Orlando.

You can see where this is going, right?

Yep. A last minute mother-daughter trip to Disney World!

And as I prepare for the trip and start making my spreadsheets and plans and studying restaurants and FastPass strategies... I realized that I have become one of those Disney people. I speak the Disney World vacation language. I am a full on Disneyphile.

But here is the very best part of this trip coming up...

It's been amazing, already, for my relationship with Teagan. We have something we are both excited about and looking forward to doing together. It feels like it will be a celebration of surviving junior high. She is very involved in planning and has been researching rides and snacks and transportation. My hope is that we create fantastic memories and strengthen our relationship as she heads into high school.

Until next time,
Liz

Guest Post: Disney Magic Kairos Time

Today's post is from my friend, Andrea. She's an unexpected Disney fan just like our family. She just got back from a trip and wanted to share why Disney is magic for her family!

***

Kairos (καιρός) is an Ancient Greek word meaning the right, critical, or opportune moment. The ancient Greeks had two words for time: chronos (χρόνος) and kairos. The former refers to chronological or sequential time, while the latter signifies a proper or opportune time for action.--Wikipedia

“You are going to Disney again?” I know what they really mean to ask when they say this. They mean, “Wasn’t once enough?” or “Why don’t you go someplace else.” “Aren’t the kids too old for Disney now?” Maybe we should go somewhere else. But was once enough? Nope. Disney is magical. Disney is Kairos time, sacred time, a time carved out of ordinary time where regular time is suspended.

We just returned from a Christmas holiday trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It was our 7^th (?) trip in about 15 years. We had never been there during Christmas time, however, always preferring to go in October during fall break. With one kid in college now and breaks not lining up the way they used to, the only time we could fit the trip in was Christmas. Initially, I was not happy about it. The most crowded week of the year? Give up my relaxing time at home between Christmas and New Year’s? Not at all what I preferred to do. But, we make sacrifices for our children. And for those moments of Kairos.

A well-planned Disney trip (thanks to our wonderful Disney planner, Katie Dixon with Hi Ho Vacations) sets the stage for Disney Magic Kairos Time. Despite the schedule, jam packed with early morning Magic Hours, fast passes, and dining reservations, this year I really tried to pay attention. I wanted to drink in this family time, knowing that it may be one of the last trips we take as a whole family together. I wanted to pay attention to who the kids are and who we are as a family.

One of the best things about Disney is how it grows with you. When they were little, the magic of meeting their favorite characters “in the flesh” was just about all the excitement they could bear. We would seek out the characters at the various meet and greets. Armed with their little autograph books, they would bask in the glow of a hug from Pocahontas or a high-five from Mickey. What a treat to meet Buzz Lightyear and Woody after riding the Buzz Lightyear ride! As they grew, they tackled the more thrilling rides like Rock n Rollercoaster and Space Mountain. This year, the youngest kid started really noticing all the work and attention to detail that Disney puts into creating each one of its rides and environments. Disney goes all in with the theming, no two dimensional facades for them. In Pandora, he noticed that even the railings for line control at the Na’vi River ride were designed to look like natural materials instead of just standard metal railings. We all marveled at the way the Banshee in Flight of Passage “breathed”. Still, at each stage, they love to return to the old favorites… Buzz Lightyear, Pirates of the Caribbean, the cheesy Jungle Cruise. They even humor me in my assertion that you have only really been to Disney once you’ve ridden It’s a Small World.  

Three boys, ages 20, 16, and 12. Different stages and very different personalities. In real life, the two oldest get along ok. Jake tends to be very critical of his younger brother, Griffin, but they share an interest in sports and their deep involvement in DeMolay, a Masonic youth organization for boys and young men. Jake also tends to be critical of the youngest, Owen, but has more patience for his quirks than Griffin does. In real life, Griffin and Owen do not mix. They are the proverbial oil and water. Or, perhaps, a more combustible mix like cyanide and some kind of acid that creates a highly toxic hydrogen cyanide gas that can kill all in its path. Griffin lacks any patience with Owen and can’t believe Owen doesn’t like sports. Griffin sees Owen’s youth as stupidity instead of inexperience. They have DeMolay in common as well, but Griffin’s advanced age, bossiness, high expectations, and selective memory make him extra critical of Owen in that arena. Life in ordinary time with these two is rife with conflict, hateful attitudes, toxic conversations, and generally surly teenage attitudes.

Disney Magic Kairos Time, is different. Disney Magic Kairos Time brings out the best in all of us. It begins the moment we settle into the car to get on our way and generally lasts until a few miles away from home at the end of the trip. Nope, not even 16 hours of confinement in the car (each way) can disrupt Disney Magic Kairos Time.  I mean we aren’t perfect, even in Disney Magic Kairos Time. We are just better, nicer, more helpful, more enthusiastic, more patient versions of ourselves. There is no room in Disney Magic Kairos Time for surly teenage attitudes. Nobody is “too cool” to ride It’s a Small World. They won’t ride it more than once, mind you, but it is part of the Disney experience. Griffin, the king of 16 year old attitude, insists that we start our Disney vacation with the Ohana breakfast at the Polynesian. He happily embraces Lilo, Stitch, and Mickey when they made the rounds at our table. Those Mickey waffles do something to a guy… Despite my reluctance to see that abomination, Donald Trump, defiling my beloved Hall of Presidents, my boys convinced me to go anyway. And we didn’t hate it. My husband thought Disney handled it well. There was no eye rolling as we stood in the short line for the Three Caballeros ride at Epcot. Soarin’ just makes us happy. There was genuine awe and joy as we looped, dived and flew through the Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom.

Perhaps the best and most important realization that I had during our time out of time at Disney this year, was how connected we are as a family. It is at Disney that I notice most that we are truly a unit. At Disney, I can see the invisible threads of love and devotion that connect us. It gives me hope that those bonds will endure even after they are grown and gone from our home. In Disney Magic Kairos Time, Griffin leads the way consulting with Jake, checking the Disney app for wait times and the best route from here to there to make sure we get to our next fast pass on time. He leads, but he never leaves behind. He is never more than three or four yards ahead, always checking back to make sure that we are still with him.  

In Disney Magic Kairos Time, I notice how physically connected we are. We hold hands, walk with our arms around each other, and occasionally hug. Owen, at 12, is still not quite taller than me, despite what he says, and still enough of a little boy that he doesn’t mind frequent hugs and hand-holding with his mother. Griffin, firmly entrenched in the teen years, shows his affection with pats on the back that are almost a little too hard, playfully bumping into us to move us along or get our attention and, occasionally, he puts his arm around me and leans. Jake, almost 20, mature for his years, seems almost protective and solicitous of me. He frequently puts his arm around me as we walk and talk, staying connected in the midst of the bustling crowds. They do the same with their dad. We stick together. There is no splitting up, Jake makes sure of it. We all go or none of us do. In Disney Magic Kairos Time, the older brothers put their arms around the baby brother to guide him and encourage him, rather than to choke him. It is a beautiful thing to see and even more beautiful to be a part of.

We stay in warm bubble of Disney Magic Kairos Time during our trip home, for the most part. Everyone is reluctant to go back to normal. If there were a way to conjure it up when we are back home and back to our daily lives, I would. I find myself looking at our pictures frequently. (Love that Memory Maker.) My new Disney tennis shoes on a Monday morning brighten my day and conjure up just a little bit of the Disney Kairos Time. My husband holds on by keeping up with the updates on Disney parks throughout the year.  And there is always planning the next trip. Maybe next Christmas? Star Wars Land, anyone?

***

Thank you, Andrea! I love this because it really captures why I also love going to Disney. It's unexpected but we are really a version of our best selves when we go. Not every moment is magic, of course. But I can more easily see our goodness and joy and love for each other. I like the spirituality of calling that Kairos.

Until next time,

Liz

It's Reveal Time! #Disney

The original plan had been to reveal the trip on April Fools Day. But then we would be leaving the very next day and my gut just kept telling me that it wasn't a good idea. For lots of reasons.

Then it hit me - Easter is a week before the trip. Why not do the reveal as an Easter thing?

So we put it together. And I guess it's kind of an Easter thing - except we aren't doing baskets. Instead, the grand prize will be a Mickey (for Zach) and Minnie (for Teagan) tote bag with Disney shirts, books, and gift cards. The games leading up to getting the tote bags will reveal clues to help them figure out that we're going to Disney World.

Here is the plan.

They wake up Easter morning. Once we're all out of bed - and there aren't any Easter baskets around - we hand a clue to Teagan and ask her to read it out loud. They take turns receiving the clues and reading them out loud. The final one gets them dressed and headed outside (hopefully).

Notice - these are all in "Disney" fonts.

My kids are fans of a game show on Nick called "Paradise Run." So the outside portion of the reveal is loosely based on that show. There will be 3 team challenges and then a final puzzle. Each prize earned gives hints of the big prize.

Challenge #1 The Cotton Bowl. Move a pile of cotton balls from one bowl to another using only a straw and your mouth!  Prize - a picture of a hotel.

Challenge #2 Chalk Art. 1 person has the picture, the other has the chalk and can't see the picture. The picture holder has to describe the image to the artist and the artist has to create it on the driveway. Prize - a picture of luggage.

Challenge #3  The Power of 10. Each player does 10 tricks on the trampoline, shoots 10 baskets, and then runs 1/10 of a mile (to the corner and back). Prize - a picture of an airplane.

Final Challenge - the kids are given a stack of words. They have to put the words in order and then guess what the clue means. The clue is: "Not in our house... but it all started with a mouse!"

Once they guess "We're going to Disney World," we hand them their grand prize tote bas and tell them that we leave the next weekend! WAHOO! I'm hoping we can capture video of the fun - and I also hope we wear them out a little bit first thing in the morning.

I'm looking forward to sharing all the plans with them, getting their input on things, showing videos of rides, and no longer having to hold my tongue every time something Disney pops up! I've kept this secret for 6 months and the excitement is overwhelming!!

Disney - here we come!

Edited to add the video of our reveal!!

2 Weeks Until #Disney (and my kids still don't know)

My heart is all a-flutter. I am in double and triple check mode. I have lists going and second lists. I have a list of what to pack. A list of what to order from Amazon Pantry. A list of what still needs to be done.

But we are basically ready. Except for that part where the kids still don't know!

Here's the plan - we won't tell them anything until the day before we leave. Which happens to be April Fools Day. Which is kinda perfect. It's going to take our best improv abilities. We know the plan to get the "joke"started and then it will all depend on their reactions.

The kids know we've been talking about a Disney trip in the year 2016. They also know it takes a lot of planning. April Fools Day - we are going to call a family meeting. At that meeting, we will tell them that the deposit has been made for our Disney vacation! When they ask when we are going, we say "Tomorrow!" But we're going to really cheese it up.

And in the next 2 weeks, there is going to be a lot of hint dropping about pranks and jokes and how you can't pull a prank over on Daddy or sharing the best pranks we've done. We want them fully prepped for prank mode on April 1.

So when we give the big cheesy "Tomorrow!!" - they will either get excited and believe us or they will think we're joking. Or some other reaction. But the plan from that point is to neither confirm nor deny (immediately) but to proceed with packing as if we are going. And to also keep any normal routines we have - because that also throws them off.

Other final details include packing, outfit planning (which is harder to do when I can't pre-pack anything), figuring out our grocery plan (we order from a service to have snacks and breakfast items and bottled water delivered), and a few other odds and ends.

I've got coordinating shirts planned for our travel days. I've got shirts planned for Hollywood Studios (all Star Wars, of course) and for 1 of our 2 days at Magic Kingdom. We've purchased Disney gift cards for souvenir spending. We've planned out cash for housekeeping and table service meal tips.

I may start trying to prepack a bit once the shirts I order arrive. I figure I can start plotting things out at night after the kids are in bed.

And because the travel details are so nicely under control, that means my focus for the next 2 weeks is really strongly focused on work. There is a lot I want to make sure is lined up before I'm gone for a solid week.

Watch out Disney... we're coming... soon!!

Disney Nerd + Spreadsheet Nerd = Me!

I work with spreadsheets all day, every day. I found uses for spreadsheets in my everyday life thanks to falling in love with them at work. The ability to organize information is key. I'm not generally a list maker or a particularly organized type of person.

Except...

When it comes to Disney.

I am part of a group on Facebook that is connected to my travel agent for Disney vacations. (Her name is Katie and she is awesome and you should contact her if you are thinking of going to Disney!) In a recent discussion, I happened to share that I keep a spreadsheet with many tabs when planning my vacation. My travel agent does the planning work and makes recommendations and helps me make decisions. My spreadsheet helps me stay excited about my trip, stay organized about all the different aspects of planning a dream vacation, and lets me relax more once we are officially on vacation!

My organizing for Disney includes 3 important tools.

1. My spreadsheet
2. The My Disney Experience website/app
3. Touring Plans

The Disney website and app are a tool that I use with my travel agent while planning and also while on our trip. I use MDE to choose our MagicBands, select our Fast Passes, and keep track of all of our reservations (dining and extra experiences). While on property, I can use the app to check wait times for rides and make decisions about what experience we will head to next!

I have a membership for Touring Plans. I use their Crowd Calendar to help us decide when to travel, what park to visit on what day, and to loosely plan out the attractions and rides we want to hit! I use their app while on site, too, for live updated wait time info and recommendations on what to do next.

And then there is my spreadsheet.

I start my spreadsheet when I first start thinking of planning a trip. It's where I keep track of quotes, resort ideas, flight options, and more.

When Jeff and I went to Disney without kids in 2014, my spreadsheet had tabs for: Quotes by resort, parks plan, flight info, cost, packing list, and Garden Grocer order (this is a service where you can order stuff to be delivered to your room). The Quotes by resort tab compared the total price for the resorts we were considering - Polynesian, Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, and Coronado. We ended up choosing the Contemporary. The Parks Plan tab has information on which park we would visit on which day, the times and locations of our dining reservations and confirmation numbers, and the attractions in each park that we wanted to visit (including entertainment and times). Flight info had details on our flights - flight number, departure and arrival times. Cost tab was my payment plan. I always pack for longer trips with a list so of course my packing list gets a tab of its own. And then info on what I had ordered from Garden Grocer - mostly grocery items like breakfast food, snacks, and toiletries.

This year's family trip spreadsheet has the following tabs:

Travel Dates
Resort Info
Park Plans
Dining
Fastpass
Payment Plan
Movie Prep
Packing

Travel Dates shows what day we fly in, what day we visit which park, what day we fly home. I've also included all the flight info on this tab.

Resort Info has a Walt Disney World map that shows where the resort is located on property and a map of the resort itself.

Park Plans started out as the place where I was keeping track of Crowd Calendar data from various sources, just to compare. It's really an unnecessary tab after we made our decisions.

Dining is a VERY important tab! We love the Disney Dining Plan. It's wonderful to show up and basically have almost zero expenses. We bring cash for tips and souvenirs. But by using the Dining Plan, we don't have to pay every check or stress about how much we are spending on food. We get the tab, sign it, leave a tip. And we will not go hungry. For every night of our stay, we get 1 table service, 1 quick service, and 1 snack. Table service - sit down, waited on, order from menues or enjoy a buffet. Lots of character meal options with table service. Quick service - walk up to a cashier and order from a menu hung above a counter. Snacks - there are some amazing snack options that could basically count as a meal at Disney World. On my Dining tab, I keep track of when we will be using each of the table service credits, when we have our reservations booked, the quick service places we would be most interested in (I study the menues on the Disney site and read various Disney food blogs), and note any special snacks at each park.

Fast Pass is where I start making lists of what attractions we might want fast passes for. Touring Plans is hugely helpful on this one - they even make suggestions of what attractions might be a good option for Fast Pass. Once i have them booked, I have them listed.

Payment Plan. Once of the best parts of working with a travel agent like Katie at Hi Ho Vacations is that I book our trip with just a $200 deposit. I then have until 30 days before the trip to pay in full. And I can make payments! So I schedule it out, budget for it, and keep track of my payments on my spreadsheet.

Movie Prep - I like my kids to be familiar with the characters and themes they are going to see while at Disney. I don't want them to be disappointed in not seeing the Disney things they love so I feed them certain things they will see more of before we get there. We aren't going to see Disney XD stuff too much while there. Teagan loves Disney channel shows like Gravity Falls, Jessie, Liv & Maddie and there just isn't much in the parks for these things.

Packing List - I started out using the list from WDW Prep School. Put it into a spreadsheet and I can totally customize it to what we need. Here is a little snippet:

Here are the 2 most important things about my spreadsheet.

1. It is constantly changing. I use it to remember things, investigate options, keep track of various details.

2. Just because I keep a spreadsheet and totally overplan doesn't mean I strictly adhere to all of it once we're on the ground. The best way to have fun at DIsney is to know what you're getting into but also be able to just let go and have fun. By "over preparing" before we go, I feel like I am really knowledgable about all the options and can then make on the fly decisions more confidently.

There you have it. My Disney planning obsessive spreadsheet weirdness. When I'm stressed at work, I open my spreadsheet and feel a little better. When I'm reading blogs and websites and don't want to forget a tip or packing item or snack to try, I pop over to my spreadsheet. My spreadsheet is just my way of keeping track of the information overload required of a Disney vacation. It's not fancy or particularly pretty. I don't make it printable or color code it. But I do use it throughout the months of planning that it takes to really embrace a Disney vacation!

Shhhh. Don't Tell My Kids!

They know we're going on vacation.  Without them.  Grandma is coming to stay with them for a long weekend.  And they know that we are "most likely" going to Florida because Mommy has a conference there that week.  But they don't know what we're really doing...

We had an overall great time at Disney with the kids last summer.  We did.  I swear.

But.

Zach was 5 and he was very easily overwhelmed, over-stimulated, and scared of very many things.  We had not anticipated this from him since he is usually a pretty easy going, ok with trying new things kind of kid.  But by the time we went on our trip, he was more cautious and concerned about things.  And the BIG nature of all things Disney was just too much for him.

Teagan did great most of the time.  She was 8 years old and had the courage to try bigger rides and experiences.  But sometimes the drag of that little brother... the hot day... the rain... the lines... resulted in some attitude meltdowns that weren't our favorite moments.  Family vacation requires the ability to be flexible, embrace spontaneity, and sacrifice and compromise for those around you - Teagan wasn't quite there yet.

There were so many experiences, rides, and events in each park that the kids just couldn't quite do or wouldn't quite embrace where Jeff and I found ourselves saying... "We would really love this... without the kids!"

So we're doing it.  A long weekend.  Just the 2 of us.  Celebrating our 11 year wedding anniversary and my 40th birthday.

These are the things we are doing to make it a more "adult" trip.  These are the things that will make it a special vacation for a married couple away from the kids.

• Late Nights.  Our kids get up before the sun so staying up for any of the fantastic fireworks experiences at Disney never happened.  We caught glimpses once or twice as we travelled back to our resort.  We are hoping to be able to catch the end of night extravaganzas in a couple of special ways - like the Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party and the Fantasmic! Dinner Package.
• Deluxe Resort.  We stayed in a Moderate with the kids and we enjoyed it.  But by bumping it up and staying at The Contemporary, we are more likely to be rooming around more adults and less families.  
• Less Routine.  With the kids along, we needed to have a solid plan each day to make sure the things that the kids would love would definitely happen.  We also had to plan on meals in pretty specific timeframes.  That's just how my kids operate.  Without kids, we can be a bit more freeform.  Enjoying Disney will always mean some planning.  Dinner reservations have to be made.  You have to be able to take advantage of Fast Pass +.  
• EPCOT.  Epcot was the park I was most looking forward to and ended up most frustrated with by having kids with me.  I am very excited to enjoy the rides we couldn't do (like Soarin').  And I am very excited to take my time enjoying the World Showcase.  I fully intend to explore, browse, eat, and drink my way through each of the countries.  In fact, we aren't making any table service dining reservations for the day we are at EPCOT simply because I know there will be much eating and drinking throughout the day!
• Hollywood Studios.  One of Jeff's very favorite things was in this park and I know that we will spend more time in The Magic of Disney Animation - specifically in the Animation Academy (where a class is led by a Disney artist and you get to draw a Disney character).  Plus, we can ride Star Tours together and multiple times!
• Romance.  Just as I enjoyed some sweet moments with my kids... hand holding as we walked, heads resting on shoulders on a bus back to the resort, the look of awe on their faces... I am going to enjoy those kind of moments with my sweetheart.  Holding hands as we walk the parks.  Sitting side by side to enjoy dinner, dessert, fireworks.  Stealing a kiss under those fireworks.  A hotel room with no kids in it.  

If you know my kids, please don't give away our secret!  I'm sure we won't keep it a secret the entire time.  But we're not ready to tell them yet.  For now... it's a secret plan for 2 grown ups to go and be big kids in the most magical place on earth!

Of course, we are using Katie from Hi Ho Vacations to help us plan our trip.  She has all the knowledge and know how and inside scoop and she has the patience to do all the phone calls and waiting to get the reservations we want.  

Disney: Journal and Notes

We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside in a Royal Room (kids loved the fireworks headboards). Future visit, I'd like to be closer to a park (Caribbean Beach Resort, for example).

First night, we did Chef Mickey's. Won't do that again. It was too much to have a day of travel and then hit the ground running and deal with transportation and everything. Next visit- check into the hotel and then just chill, hit the pool, etc.  It was fun to meet characters - but the dinner was late, the kids were tired and it was the one time we had a less-than-friendly server.  Add to it the frustration of a long wait for a bus back to our room and it was just a really long and late night for a quick and so-so dinner.

We did 1 park per day and would do Park Hopper next time. We were up and at 'em for Epcot on Weds and it would have been better to take that morning to ease into the day. Maybe hit Animal Kingdom first since it's more shows and entertainment and a zoo like feel - less new and overwhelming.  Animal Kingdom also closes earlier and doesn't have the late night entertainment - we were done with the park well before it closed.  So I think it's ideal for a first park or less-than-full-day option.

Day 1 was EPCOT.  We didn't start having actual fun as a family until the evening at Epcot - after a midday rest. Table service at Coral Reef for dinner helped set the tone for a good evening.  But the morning was rough.  The kids were overwhelmed and tired.  They had their own expectations for what Disney is supposed to be... and who knows if it met their expectations or not.  I didn't stick to my plan and that was also a problem.  Instead of going for Fastpasses right away, we went to the Seas area.  It was a great area to start out in but with each kid taking turns having snit fits and such... it wasn't as awesome as it could have been.  We liked the Nemo ride.  We loved Turtle Talk with Crush.  Zach and I loved the aquarium area - Teagan was less impressed and busy having a mini-meltdown with Dad.

Zach had a meltdown at our snack stop at Seasons.  A fly landed nearby.  And he fell apart.  Big crocodile tears.  it was the beginning of what felt like the end.  Disappointment abounded as we tried to do Captain EO (both kids had to be removed from the theatre) and then tried to do Journey into Imagination with Figment but it broke down.  We headed toward World Showcase, picking up the Agent P mission along the way - which was not a hit with the kids.  However, the 3 Caballeros ride in the Mexico pavilion was a huge hit.  We grabbed lunch in China.  We enjoyed some fun in Italy with Sergio.

Then a quick ride on a Friendship Boat and back to the resort for a desperately needed rest time.  Back to Epcot for dinner at Coral Reef.

You can see that some of us were NOT having a good time...

But we got over it and ended up enjoying Epcot after a lovely dinner.  Unfortunately, we learned (too late) that many of the rides close at 7:00 so I missed my chance to ride Soar'n or Living with the Land.  However, Teagan became a big fan of Spaceship Earth (the ride inside the big ball).

Day 2 was Magic Kingdom and it was great all around. Midday rest again. Got there early (before park opened at 8 for Extra Magic Hours). Hit Mommy's plan exactly so we got to do the major things right away and utilized Fastpass for things. We really learned how to make Fastpass work for us! No table service this day - just did counter service at the park for lunch (Cosmic Ray's) and at the resort for a late dinner (came home before dark, though).

Teagan was chosen to play Belle's father, Maurice, in the telling of the story of how Belle and Beast met.

Tilting at windmills in It's A Small World

My Prince Charming!

One of the best snack credits we spent!

Loved riding the train around Magic Kingdom!

Zach especially loved the Country Bear Jamboree!

Day 3 was Hollywood Studios and Star Wars Weekend. Fun to see the characters around but didn't feel like there was much super special about the Star Wars thing. Didn't feel like there was a lot for us to do at HS - maybe when the kids are older. Missed the backlot tour and the lights, motor show and Beauty and the Beast show and want to do those next time. Had our awesome magic moment when the kids got picked to be Junior Directors and kick off the Indiana Jones Stunt Show! Left before the Hyper Space Hoopla and missed out on Fantasmic. Dinner was Sci Fi Drive In Theater - enjoyed it.

We did, however, love Toy Story Mania.  We also really loved the Magic of Animation area.  Jeff would have spent the day in the Animation Academy.  His drawing of Mickey Mouse was awesome!  This was also a great place to meet characters - Mickey, Mr. Incredible, Wreck It Ralph and Venelope, and Pluto!  Teagan and Dad enjoyed the Muppets 3D experience (Zach was overwhelmed by it so we had to leave).  

I felt most lost in Hollywood Studios.  It seemed like it was hard to know where to go and how to get around.  Plus, it was VERY crowded (due to Star Wars Weekend).  We tried to play in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground and couldn't hardly move through the space so bailed on it quickly.

However, the most important lesson I learned came from Hollywood Studios so that alone was worth it.  

Stitch stole Zach's hat!

Day 4 was Resort Day. Slept in, went to Downtown Disney on a boat, bought souvenirs, came back to hit the pool and thunderstoms rolled in so we hit the arcade instead. Lunch at Portobello's Downtown. Dinner at the resort.

Day 5 was Animal Kingdom. Tusker House for breakfast/lunch. Liked the animals (like our Zoo experiences better - safari was fun but you zip through. We like to stay still and watch the animals and feel like Indy and Cincy and Louisville Zoo all get you way closer to the animals). Loved the shows (Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo: The Musical) and the parade.

That's me in the red shirt and the hat - dancing to the african drums!

Jeff - checking out Goofy's bum

Teagan participating in Goofy's little parade around Tusker House

Yup - we're the family that snuck a pic of Rafiki's blue bum and totally laughed about it!

She was pretending to be scared - this lizard really enjoyed getting attention up by the glass!

Parade - Zach was excited to see Donald and give commentary on Donald's float.  Had we known how much he'd love the parade, we would have hit the parades in each park!

Day 6 we did breakfast at 1900 Park Fare and then flew home.  Love this character meal - Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland (who talks 90 mph and did a great bit at our table about not eating the biscuits because they make you grow).

Next time, I'd most likely add some days so we had more rest and recovery time. Fly in, quiet evening, easy morning, hit a park for dinner and fireworks. Now I know about the dinner and Fantasmic packages at Hollywood Studios, for example. Would totally do that next time.

Favorite restaurants - Coral Reef and Portobello and Sci Fi and Tusker House. Really liked all of those. Not sure I'd repeat any of them - just because I would want to have different experiences next time.

Favorite attractions - loved the shows at Animal Kingdom. Loved Enchanted Tales with Belle and loved watching Zach fall in love with Country Bear Jamboree and It's A Small World. Loved that Teagan was eager to be brave. Loved that Zach used glow sticks and bracelets to combat fear of dark rides. Loved that Teagan fell in love with the classics like Carousel of Progress and Spaceship Earth. Loved that Zach "won" on the Buzz Lightyear ride (highest score in our family). Loved watching Jeff crack up in the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor. Loved that Teagan and Jeff did Haunted Mansion together and that Teagan had been so excited for it and fell in love with it.

I don't have any particular favorite rides - I skipped over the things I would have loved like Space Mountain and the coasters and the more thrilling rides. I am the only one in my family that would go for that. I wish we could have enjoyed Epcot more - we missed Soar'n and Living with the Land and Jeff wanted to do Mission:Space. We also missed Journey into Imagination because it broke down - boo! I wanted to see Figment!

Totally loved the movie at Hollywood Studios about Walt Disney's life. Kids loved it, too. We wanted to go back and watch it again but ran out of time and energy. I had to miss out on the Muppets experience because we learned that Zach cannot handle anything 3D without a freak out.

The main way we kept the kids happy - dry feet, distraction, and feeding them regularly.

Future character meal - Crystal Palace (all the Pooh friends), Akershus (princesses), Garnde Grill (Chip and Dale and Mickey and Pluto).

Future restaurant plans - dinner and a show combos for Fantasmic and for IllumiNations. Also, had to cancel our Ohana reservation because it was WAY too late. Killed me to cancel it - it was one of my top things I wanted to do. So it's top of the list for next time.

Jeff's observation was that he felt like we were overly scheduled for being on vacation.  So planning more down time would be good.  He understood that to eat at certain places, a reservation was really necessary.  But it felt like the reservations drove us on too much of a schedule.

So that's it - a basic run down of our trip and our observations!  Jeff and I would love to go back on a "just us" trip - the kids totally cramped our style.  And a future family trip might happen in a few years - when both kids are more adventurous!