Right before Thanksgiving this year the entire family along with a Nagypapa, Nagymama, Aunt, Uncle and Cousin all went on an adventure to Disney World. Generiously Nagypapa and Nagymama expensed the vacation and with a lot of planning with Aunt Amy, we had a fanastic trip planned out of what park to visit, where we would eat and where we would all stay. The fun part about this whole thing, the kids had no idea.
On a cool November morning, the kids and I woke up to eat our morning breakfast. Little did they know that suitcases were packed away in the car and we would be going to an adventure for an entire week. Once we all got ready, we piled in the car. Ben was a little skeptical as he notices everything and wondered why there were suitcases in the trunk. We told Ben that Nagypapa and Nagymama needed to borrow them for an upcoming trip. That satisfied him enough and he asked no more questions. We reached Nagypapa and Nagymama's house where the kids always love to go to and were welcomed by smiling faces. Nagypapa and Nagymama also knew that there was a secret to be told. We started off very casually but then ask Ben to come to the family room. He thought he was going to help Nagymama clean her basement that day, which as a child apparently Nagymama's basement was the mecca of treasures. He had readily agreed to this ahead of time. We then broke the news to Ben, that he wouldn't be cleaning the basement today. Worried and a little upset Ben asked why. We then told him he would be going to Disney World. Hilariously, Ben had no concept of what that really meant and stated he wanted to clean the basement instead! He gave us all a laugh and we told him he would love it and that him and Alexis would get to share their first experience of riding on an airplane together. Ben liked the idea of flying on an airplane and thankfully he readily adapts to doing anything and going anywhere so we all hopped on the car to Reagan National Airport.
At Reagan it was quite interesting going through security. Ben had no idea why you had to take off your shoes to have them scanned. Alexis being very little and carried by her Mother did not have to. That was a God send. At least TSA sort of knows the pains of putting on a toddlers shoes. Once we passed through all the lines and reached our gate, we were greeted by Aunt Amy, Uncle Eric and the kids cousin. The kids chirped about what their discovery was that day as none of them knew until that morning what they had in store for them for an entire week. As we boarded the airplane, I was a bit apprehensive wondering how Ben and Alexis would handle the flight with their ears popping and the duration even if it was only an hour. Both kids did great. Alexis had her other "person" aka Aunt sitting next to her which she adores which was very helpful. The kids did wonderful the whole trip there with snacks and watching the television screens on the back of the seats. Once in Orlando we took the bus to our hotels, which was Port Orleans French Quarter. Again, the kids did marvelous for the hour long ride it took to get there. I couldn't really ask for better behavior.
Once at the hotel, we were happy to see how beautifully charming it was. The grounds were not vast, which was ideal to walk around with little ones. I had rented a stroller, which was in the baggage selection ahead of time and took that to our room. Ben and Alexis were excited about their hotel room with towel shaped animals on their bed and quickly explored every nook and cranny there was. Once situated we explored the grounds for a bit and then headed off to dinner to Mickey's Backyard BBQ. It was a nice BBQ dinner and the kids had their first taste of Disney characters. Alexis was excited jut to eat and Ben's eyes bulged watching Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald coming through the crowds. It was completly unexpected of him and we danced along with the characters and had a fantastic time.
Magic Kingdom:
The next day was our first day at the parks. Amy and I choose the Magic Kingdom as that would be the best start of any Disney vacation. We all dressed and Ben decided he wanted to wear his Peter Pan costume, an idol he has had for quite some time. There was never a more appropriate time for him to wear this and I packed it just in case he decided tot wear it. I was happy he did. We had breakfast at the Crystal Palace where more Disney characters would actually come to your table and you could have a picture taken with an autograph. We were greeted by Pooh, Eeoree, Tiger and Piglet. Ben loved it. Alexis wanted no part in this character greeting and promptly told Pooh to beat it. It was pretty amusing because she certainly doesn't put up with anything she doesn't want to. After breakfast, we headed towards the castle and low and behold there he was....Peter Pan.
I couldn't be happier then to see Ben's idol who was the figment of his imagination for the last two years right there. Ben was a bit taken back and studied him a bit. Thankfully the line wasn't too long to meet him. When Ben got up there, in true Peter Pan spirit, Peter remarked "hey its me" looking at Ben's costume. They both chatted for a bit. Peter Pan told Ben that the red feather in Ben's hat came from a red neverbird. Ben was in awe and it took everything in me to not bust out crying from shear happiness to see the wonder and magic of this moment.
Afterwards we had the time of our lives and got to ride on so many fantastic rides. Ben's favorite was the pirate ride and Peter Pans Adventure ride. Alexis hands down loved the Its a Small World ride. She commented and pointed about all the babies. She was in awe of that ride and I think we rode that one three times that day. Alexis also decided on that vacation that she was not really going to use the stroller her Mom rented for her. She decided she wanted to be carried around Disney World. Her Mom was the most sufficient person there was for this task in her eyes and not even her Dad was acceptable to carry her most of the time. The only other person she would go to for this wonderful task was her Aunt Amy. Thankfully Aunt Amy was up for the task to help relieve her Mom a bit. Carrying anything especially a toddler really takes a toll on your upper body strength after a while. While Alexis Mommy was on a ride with Ben, Aunt Amy and Nagymama took Alexis to the Country Bear Jamboree. It isn't everyone's cup of tea as Aunt Amy and Nagymama thought it was lame even for them, but Alexis certainly enjoyed herself.
That evening we had dinner in Cinderella's Castle. We were all greeted at the entry by Cinderella and escorted upstairs where the girls recieved wands and the boys all received swords. As we ate dinner we were greeted at our tables by most of the Disney princesses. Snow White, Jasmine, Sleeping Beauty and Ariel all took pictures with us and signed the kids autograph books. Alexis decided that the princesses were okay but she did observe them first before becoming completly okay with it.
Hollywood Studios:
The next day was our Hollywood Studios day. Aunt Amy and Uncle Eric who have been to Disney several times in the past few years knew exactly where to go first. They got the fast pass tickets to Toy Story Mania and signed the older boys up for Jedi Lessons. We then ate breakfast at Hollywood and Vine where many Disney Junior characters greeted us such as Agent Oso, Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates and June from Little Einsteins. Ben loved seeing Jake as he is quite a fan of that show. Alexis observed but wanted no part in the characters.
Afterwards we all headed out and enjoyed the rides. Ben really liked the Star Wars ride. Alexis like the Kodak Theater ride and the Honey I Shrunk the Kids section. Later on in the afternoon, Ben and his cousin got Jedi training from a real Jedi master and then to everyones surprise Darth Vader appeared and both kids had to fight against the powers of evil. It was certainly a awesome experience for both kids and they did really well fighting such a scary dude.
Later that evening we all dined at the Sci-Fi and dine and had yummy milkshakes. Uncle Eric really wanted to eat there and I think the kids dug the drive in experience. Afterwards we headed out and saw the Osborn Lights and the kids danced in the snow like crazy. It was another one of those magical experiences. Everyone was a bit tired especially Alexis, so we then headed home to rest for the next day.
Epcot:
We woke up gingerly for our day at Epcot and ate at the resort. The kids as usual got Mickey Mouse waffles as they served at all the Disney breakfasts. After we headed to Epcot and enjoyed walking into each of the countries. Ben and his cousin enjoyed playing a Phineas and Ferb spy game and their Dad's helped them finding clues in the different countries. Alexis really enjoyed the drums show in Japan. The older men also "drank around the world" and got a bit silly but were having a great time. We had lunch at Le Cellar in Canada and later had dinner at the Coral Reef. Both had very yummy food. Coral Reef was pretty neat as we sat near the aquarium side and watched the fish swim by. The kids enjoyed the Nemo ride, Soaring and the Viking ship ride.
Break Day:
On Wednesday we all decided to have a day of rest. We met up with Aunt Amy and Uncle Eric at their resort and had breakfast at the Cape May. Alexis finally accepted some of the Disney characters, but only if they were girls. Minnie and Daisy Duck were perfectly acceptable. Mickey and Donald were basically told to scram. On our break day we swam in the pools and explored downtown Disney. We ate at the T-Rex Restaurant where it was incredibly loud but the dinosaurs were pretty awesome. Ben thoroughly enjoyed the lego store and we of course got a lego kit since he is such a huge lover of legos.
Magic Kingdom Part II:
The next day we headed to the Magic Kingdom again. The kids had another fantastic day with the rides. The teacups almost made their mother sick, which was quite hilarious to a few little boys. The Winnie the Pooh ride was enjoyed by all especially Alexis and of course we had to ride a few favorites from the first day of the trip, It's a Small World for Alexis and The Peter Pan Ride. Later that evening Aunt Amy happened to get reservations on one of the first days the Be Our Guest Restaurant opened. We ate in the West Wing and the food again was very good. Ben and Alexis loved the occasional thunderstorms and the decor of the restaurant was true to the movie.
Animal Kingdom Day:
Alexis loved the Animal Kingdom as there were many animals all around the park. She could sit and stare at a bird for at least 15 minutes if we allowed her too. The kids really enjoyed themselves but there was one dinosaur ride that even scared their mother. Alexis was too little to ride and I was glad of it. Ben decided he did not care for that ride and requested not to ride it ever again. I was more then happy to oblige because their scaredy cat mother didn't care for it much either. I did however ride the rollar coasters with Uncle Eric and enjoyed hanging out at the park. Later that evening the families split up and gave a chance for Nagymama and Nagypapa to have a date night. Our family feasted on crab at the crab house and we all enjoyed the boat ride back to our hotel in the evening.
We were exhausted from the trip but had such a fantastic time. Everyone had such fantastic special memories that meant a lot to them. I will never forget Ben's expression and experience meeting Peter Pan or how sweetly Alexis called all the people in It's a Small World "babies". Disney truly was a magical experience for us and I am so grateful our parents thought to provide us with such a generous gift.
