Disney World -- Florida Trip, Part 2

The drive from Albany, GA to Orlando, FL on Sunday, Sept. 21 seemed to take forever. Both kids had crying moments, we had to make a few bathroom stops and we wasted a few minutes looking into discount Disney tickets to find out that it was related to viewing a timeshare (not gonna do it!).

Around 3:30pm, we finally drove onto the Disney World grounds and we were obviously all excited. The All Star Sports resort at which we stayed was incredible. So much to see and the designers were so imaginative in the layout and use of colors (you'll see in the last few pictures of the slideshow below). We quickly unloaded our stuff into our rooms (Mom and Dad in one, and me and the kids in another, two doors down).

Next we headed out to the bus pick-up area to ride over to Downtown Disney. This is a walk-thru shopping, eating complex which Matthew had been to before and recommended. It also has no entrance fee so it worked for me. We had to wait for 45 minutes to eat at Rainforest Cafe so we browsed a souvenir shop. Philip found many things he wanted but was reminded that he could only buy one thing while at Disney World so he should wait until we got to the Magic Kingdom the next day!

Dinner was great (despite we started eating at 7:50pm) and the restaurant's atmosphere was really fun. Very jungly (word?) and every 15 minutes or so there would be a thunderstorm inside (the lights would flicker as lightning, the thunder would rolls and the "animals" all started to roar). Braewyn liked it very much and Philip did after his tummy was full of pizza. We then looked in a few shops and the kids were very excited by a Buzz Lightyear statue and a HUGE Tinkertoy sculpture. Back to the bus where we almost all fell asleep!

When next morning arrived, we got dressed and headed down to the End Zone Food Court. I'm very excited to come again and get the Disney Meal Plan which Mom and Dad had. You have so many meals allotted for you and all you do is show your Park pass when you want to eat. So easy!! Me however, I spent $33 for breakfast for me and the kids. That did include buying 4 bananas and a poptart pack for the day's snacks and Philip a souvenir Mickey travel coffee mug.

Back to the bus pick-up heading to the Magic Kingdom. When we arrived, I remembered walking through that same entrance gate 18 years before. The place really makes you feel like a kid all over again and it's really good at overwhelming you at the same time. Our first objective was to find the Buzz Lightyear ride, but we got a little side-tracked watching a stage show in front of Cinderella's castle. A good side-track because Philip got to see IN PERSON Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Captain Hook, Peter Pan and a mean witch! Next stop Tomorrowland.

We spotted the Buzz ride, but first a potty break (next time I go to Disney, I'd prefer no one to be wearing diapers!). The lines really weren't that long so we rode Buzz, and then walked over to the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor. That's a cute audience interaction comedy show (the camera would focus on someone in the crowd and the monsters would ask them silly questions). Now it was around noon and the kids were getting cranky and our plan was falling apart.

Ice cream saved the day, followed by riding the very air-conditioned Pooh Bear ride and then experiencing the awesome 3D concert of Mickey's Philharmagic (highly recommending this event). By then it was around 2:00pm and I changed Braewyn's diaper behind a flowerpot outside of a restaurant! We thought we would head back to the hotel for a few hours and come back for dinner and fireworks. However...

We got into the huge Emporium giftshop near the front gate at 2:30pm. Mom went to find a bathroom so Dad pushed Philip around in an umbrella stroller and I pushed Braewyn around in a second umbrella stroller throughout this huge gift store. At 3:00pm, the skies opened and a heavy rainfall started which lasted an hour! Around 4:00pm, we decided to make a run for the buses. When I picked Braewyn up from the stroller, poop literally fell out of her little skirt and off to the bathroom we went.

Goodness! Finally back at the hotel by 5:00pm, all pretty wet. We made runs to the Food Court to pick up dinner and then I swam with the kids from 7:00-7:30pm. It was still dreary outside so after warming up and drying off, Mom, Dad and I decided to call it a day and head to bed (it was close to 9:00pm by this time).

Overall I wouldn't have traded our day at Disney for anything, however I did spend close to $70 for Philip to ride 4 rides, play in a water fountain park (we have a free one here), sleep in the stroller for an hour, but capture a PRECIOUS video of him speechless upon seeing Cinderella's castle for the first time ever. I'll try to post that soon. Braewyn was free so it didn't really matter how much or how little fun she had. I was glad to be there with both of them, but I REALLY look forward to going back with Matthew when the kids are at least 6 and 8 years old!!!

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