Blizzard Beach and Animal Kingdom

On our 3rd day at Disney, we hit Blizzard Beach Water Park in the morning and then changed there and headed to Animal Kingdom that afternoon. This post will be without many pictures, because they were all on my phone and there was a small crisis trying to download them to the computer. I screamed, cried and nearly threw my phone, but it didn't help anything and all the pictures are lost!!!

We went to Disney expecting to spend 2 full days at Magic Kingdom. Our tickets included free passes to the water park, but I didn't think we had time to use them. After our 14 hour adventure at Magic Kingdom, the group felt like we had seen it all and the kids were ready for new adventure. 

Blizzard Beach was SO MUCH FUN! I love the winter theme and riding the chairlift up to the top of the slides. We loved the big water slide we got to ride together and they had amazing play areas for the kids. Next time, we will plan a full day there! This time, we got a quick dose of fun and then we had to move on.

We spent the afternoon at Animal Kingdom, where the biggest hit was Expedition Everest. The kids rode it 4 times....twice with my mom and twice with me (Animal Kingdom was much less crowded). They would have liked to keep going, but we couldn't take anymore! While my mom was taking her turns on the roller coaster, Gracyn and I saw the Finding Nemo show, which was amazing! It was like seeing a mini-version of a Broadway show.We also loved the River Rapids and the 20 minute Safari ride threw the animals. We finished the day in the Lion King show, which is indescribable! Even Austin loved it. After Animal Kingdom closed, we headed to the Rainforest Cafe for dinner. It was our only non-Disney food during the trip and we loved it! It was a nice break from the quick-service meals we had been surviving on.

We finished dinner just in time to meet Tommy on the boardwalk outside our hotel for the fireworks from Epcot. You could see them perfectly and it was the perfect way to end the trip.

We had plans for a character breakfast on our final morning, but with 2 late, late nights in a row and no bags packed. I cancelled it. We spent a quiet morning in the room and then played around the hotel before it was time to board the Magical Express back to the airport. Poor Reagan had a tough time at that point. Funny that she can ride Expedition Everest 4 times and be just fine and then get carsick on the bus to the airport. Poor girl did not look good when we got there. Her upset tummy was confirmed when she threw-up all over herself, me and the airport floor. I just had to laugh, mop up what I could with babywipes and keep going. The good news is that she felt better instantly and you don't have to wait in security lines anymore after someone in your group gets sick. They escort you right to your own special line and get you out of there!

Magic Kingdom

Monday morning we left the house bright and early to head to the airport. It's always an adventure getting all the girls and luggage to the right place at the right time, by myself, but it's getting easier all the time. Tommy's flight was at 6:00am and required him to leave the house at 4am. I decided it was a much better choice for us to fly alone at 11. We arrived at our hotel ready for some fun around 3 in the afternoon. Mimi and Austin were unfortunately delayed at the airport for 3 hours so we were on our own. We toured the hotel and loved seeing all the MARS decorations they had put in place for the big convention. We explored for a few minutes and then put on our swimsuits and headed for the pool. We had a great time soaking up warm weather and sunshine while we swam, played in the sand and rode the water slides. Mimi and Austin finally got in around 6pm, just in time to meet us for dinner. Poor Tommy popped out to the pool in a suit for a few minutes to see hi and we finally saw him again around 10pm, back at the room.

Tuesday we were ready to start early and begin making the most of our Disney park tickets. I had in my mind to be at the park before they opened at 9, which worked out well, since everyone was awake at 6am. Bippity Boppity Boutique was already booked solid by the time we decided to go to Disney, so we had our own little spa session in the room before we left. Addison wanted her hair done and a crown, but she wasn't about to wear a princess dress all day. She is too hot-natured and also to grown-up for that!!!

Pretty as a Princess at 8am.

My crew and I outside the Magic Kingdom Gates just before the morning welcome show at the Train Station.

We were on the bus and headed for the park by 8am, and I thought we were way ahead of the game! We might have been, but there were at least 1000 other early birds ready to storm the gates with us. I was shocked to see so many people crowded around before the park even opened, but it worked out great. We had our bags checked and tickets scanned and had a front row spot for the morning show. I really hadn't done much (any) research or planning for the trip, so this was a nice surprise. I have to admit, I got teary eyed when that train came through with all the performers and characters. No denying its a magical place to be and I just felt blessed to be experiencing the joy with my kids.

Once inside the gates, a nice man directed us to the Main Street Theater, where we could meet Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. We ran right there, so the line wasn't too terrible. It worked out great for Gracyn to get her fill of princesses early in the day before my mom and Austin caught up with us. She was the only one too interested in characters, so that is the only meet and greet line we stood in.

Gracyn with her favorite princess.

Sleeping Beauty with my girls.

Getting autographs from Cinderella.  Gracyn and Reagan used our old autograph books, Addison wanted no part in it!

After that, we found Mom and Austin and took the only group picture we have from the whole trip. I promise Austin was having fun!!! We loved that hat he bought, it was easy to keep an eye on him among the CRAZY crowds.

We hit up a string of rides/shows for the rest of the morning. Big favorites were Space Mountain, The Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor, Splash Mountain, The Teacups, Pirates of the Caribbean and Thunder Mountain Railroad. We found plenty to do to happily occupy all age ranges. 

Around 2pm we saw that they were beginning to rope things off for the afternoon parade. We were waiting for our Splash Mountain Fast Pass time and needed snacks anyway, so we found a spot and camped out. It ended up being super sunny and warm, waiting on the concrete. I loved it, but the kids got a little (a lot) impatient. 

They ended up spending some of their souvenir money on these water bottle/fans. They were thrilled with their purchases and finally stopped complaining about the heat. Apparently I took these girls out of Texas too early....they can't handle a high temps and humidity!

Poor Austin did not enjoy the parade! To his credit, he never complained, he just looked like he would rather be having teeth pulled! The girls loved the front row view and Reagan even got a hug from Jessie.

Somewhere around 6:30, we stopped for dinner 5 of us were tired, hot and hungry. Gracyn was in great shape, having had a 2 hour nap in the stroller. We grabbed some dinner and tried to decide what was next. Mom and Austin ended up heading back to their hotel, but I wasn't ready to give up. We had gotten a Fast Pass for Peter Pan at 4 in the afternoon, that had a return time of 9pm!!! Crazy Crowds!!! Peter Pan is Gracyn's favorite and I really didn't want her to miss that, so we decided to stay. It turned out to be great. We hit the new Fantasyland and were able to get in all the new stuff with very short waits. Considering you couldn't even walk through that area early in the day, it was amazing! 

If you have little girls and you make a trip there, don't miss Belle's new storytime experience. It is AMAZING!!! No flash photography is allowed, so I don't have any pictures, but the kids get to participate in acting out a story with her and then meet her. Even Addison was thrilled. It is truly magical.

9pm and still going strong! My mom and I had gotten the girls all their glowing treats at Target before we left home. Those glow wands and glowing hair pieces were a huge hit and cost under $10 total! People were stopping to ask where we got them from.

We made it back to the Peter Pan ride in the final minutes of our Fast Pass window and just as I thought, Gracyn LOVED it. We saw a few minutes of the Electric Parade and began working our way through the crowds to get a bus back to the hotel.

Hot, sweaty, sticky from sunscreen and hyped up on sugar, but oh so happy! We made it back to the hotel at 10:30pm, feeling so accomplished. We were bathed and tucked in to bed by 11pm, ready for the next day.

Mimi and Austin ended up hitting the arcade and pool at their hotel. I don't think Austin was too sad to miss Fantasyland and my poor mom probably needed some rest! The vote from the kids was Blizzard Beach and Animal Kingdom the next day, so we had another full day coming up.

Easter Sunday.....hanging out with Mimi, beautiful church service, dying eggs, basket goodies, indoor egg hunt inside away from the cold, lunch with friends and a final egg hunt with the neighbors in the afternoon when it had warmed up....Perfect Day.

A few weeks back, during spring break, my mom came in to town for a 5 day trip. We squeezed a ton in, including Gracyn's birthday party, shopping for Disney and Easter. It was a busy few days. Gracyn's 4th birthday fell on a Saturday, so she had a party at Go-Play-Cafe with 19 of her favorite friends. She felt so special and loved and we all had fun. She had a busy day from a decorated house and streamers that morning, to dinner at Red Robin that night. I still think of her as a baby, but every now and then I catch a glimpse of her, where she looks particularly big and it takes my breath away. Love this girl so much, she is the perfect baby for our family.

Disney 2013!!!

Magic Kingdom, 8am

Magic Kingdom 9:30pm, We packed it in!!! More to come after I catch up on all the previous blog posts.

Reagan's 6th Birthday

I am blogging out of order, because these pictures happen to be ready to go. Soon, I will have to go back and catch up on Gracyn's birthday and Easter. Spring is busy around here.

Tonight was Reagan's 6th Birthday party at Skatetown! We went for a skate night with their school a few months back and she was in love and ready to have her birthday there. Between the games and the skating rink, good times were had by all. More than once, you might have been able to spot parents out on the rink, while the kids were off doing something else!

They did the chicken dance and a birthday song.

She had a birthday sash, plenty of tokens for games and all her favorite families.

More chicken dance!

Reagan and her Olivias. Olivia L. lives two doors down from us and they play all the time. Olivia B. lives a block over and is in Reagan's class. They all three ride the bus together and are in the same dance class. They are the first two friends we made here and have become so special to us.

More dancing, this time with Rolo the mascott.

Skating on their own.

Her cake turned out adorable! I took her invitation to a local bakery and asked them to make something to match. I love how it turned out.

Gracyn posing with her favorite twins.

Present time.

It was hard work keeping this one up, and I ran over her fingers once, but she still had fun! I can't believe my middle baby is 6. She is just precious and I would love to freeze her at this age, right now, before first grade takes her away to all day school! Tonight was a precious night celebrating her with the amazing friends God has provided for us here.