Disney World

Disney World!  Why would anyone fly to Florida when they live in Hawaii?  Kevin and Kristen and their four kids live there, and since we were in D.C., it was a "quick" flight over.  We did not tell our kids about Disney until a few weeks prior to the trip, although we did mention we would go to Florida.  They were terrified Owen would get swallowed by an alligator.  We talked to three Disney experts--Kristen, my cousin's wife Livia, and my local friend Angie--and prepared as much as possible before arriving.  We were warned in advance that it was hotter and more humid than Kauai, that the walks and waits were more intense than Disneyland, and that we should definitely introduce our kids (and me) to Star Wars.

Were we prepared?  Maybe.  I think we were as prepared as possible, but the stifling heat still surprised us.  The crowds were what we anticipated.   I'm glad I watched portions of Star Wars, and Zachary and Kate loved getting introduced to it and then seeing the storm troopers at the park.

Day 1: Early wake up from Kevin and Kristen's and then rushing off to Magic Kingdom.  From doorway to entrance of the park, it took us 2.5 hours.  Whoa.  The kids rolled with it, though, and we were lucky to hit weather in the high 80s/low 90s that day.  

By the time we entered, many of the rides we hoped to get on had long waits, so we booked it over to my most favorite ride memory from Disneyland--Little Mermaid.  When Kate was 2, she held my hand and rode it a dozen times, and Zachary loved it, too, even though he claims it was not one of his favorites even when he was 5.  My memory is not perfect, but I know both kids were enchanted last time around and I wanted to relieve the magic.  It did not disappoint.  

Next, Zachary and Brady rode Tomorrowland.  We were new with Fast Passes and rider swaps, and apparently so was the Disney employee, because they wouldn't let us do a swap.  We had some panic moments but figured it out quickly with some help from Kristen and Livia.

Carousel rides and princess meet and greets.

Owen was pretty nervous about this moving "doggie":

Kate was wearing Rapunzel but wanted to meet Elena.  I had no idea who Elena was, but we are now very acquainted since learning we could watch episodes for free on the Disney Junior app.

Possibly our best Disney shot of Kate:

Zachary was a good sport, waiting in line for these princesses.  He adamantly refused taking pictures with them, though.

Space Mountain!  Kate and I rode first, which was definitely a mistake.  She had never been on a big coaster, and this ride is single-rider.  She sat in front of me, held my hand, and moaned the entire time.  I could think of nothing but "WHEN WILL THIS END SO I CAN HOLD MY LITTLE GIRL?"  After the ride, she brushed tears aside and said she did not want to ride anything else.  I told her she could do whatever she should only ride what she wanted the rest of the trip, but that this was probably one of the biggest rides she would do.  Zachary and Brady followed and Zachary learned he now killed it on big rides.

Tea Cups!  A ride Owen loved.  Zac and Brady got their own so they could spin and I would not puke.

Kate is decisive.  When she sees something and has money saved up, she knows immediately if it is worth it to her or not and does not look back or regret the way she spends her money.  Zachary will spend hours analyzing and she will know in 3 minutes or less.  She saw these princess ears and knew it was her souvenir.

Nostalgia dragged us back to Pirates even though the line was 45 minutes.  Worth it!  We adore that franchise, although not enough to realize there was a new one out right now.  It was our longest line of the 5 days.  

Midnight bedtimes and 6am wake-calls plus hot weather catching up to these kids.  We were waiting for the epic meltdown but it never happened.

Lunch and splash pads.

The incredibly hot and sunny parade was great but we were not close enough to get the princess and character attention.  Lesson learned.  We escaped the heat with frozen lemonades and orange-flavored soft serve that is so much more delicious than it sounds.

Zac's pose when he is waiting for anything:

Brady's He-Man skills, hoisting Kate on his shoulders so she could see the parade better.

I did say Zac is careful with his money, but candy is a temptation too great for him to resist.

Best decision of the trip: tugging along our gigantic BOB stroller.

Story time with Belle was okay, and mostly because of the A/C.  The kids liked it enough, especially since they both had roles to play.

We couldn't convince him to pose, but she could.

Magic Carpets of Aladdin:

Kate's other souvenir: a baby Anna.

The floating lanterns and Repunzel:

We ate dinner, then did a couple more rides including Barnstormers and everyone's favorite, "The Seven Dwarves Mine Train."  Disney is so good at details and charm and nowhere is that more apparent than on that ride.  Kate, after her morning coaster scare, rode both of them willingly and was very excited to tell us that she wasn't nervous or scared at all.

We took off before the fireworks.  The crowds were so thick we could barely squeeze through.  It was claustrophobic and sweaty and overwhelming.  We did watch the fireworks from the street at the exit.  Zachary raced a bunch of trams, making vacationers gawk.  He walked 9 miles that day and could not stop running.

We stayed the night in the All Star Disney movie resort, which was not impressive but it was relatively inexpensive and not far away.  It was practically on site for Animal Kingdom, which we hit the next day.  This time, we were there and walked right in at park opening, so Zac and I were able to ride "Dinosaur" without a wait.  Zachary rode a twisty ride that required 48" height, and Kate was devastated that she wasn't going to ride either "Dinosaur" (too scary) or the other ride.  We found her a kiddie ride.

While Zac and Brady rode again, we met Pocahontas.  "Mom, I seriously have no idea who she is," she said, ruining my excitement that she was posing with a diverse princess.  

Meeting Mickey and Minnie:

A sneak peek at "Pandora," a huge new segment of the park that did not officially open until the following day.  There were lines two hours long for the rides/simulations.  We were excited the rest of the park was so calm and most people were here.

Everest!  This was my favorite ride of the 5 days, and hands down my favorite moment with Zachary.  We stood in line, chatting about climbing mountains and yetis.  We strapped in and he looked at me with anxious anticipation.  

Zac finished the ride and said, "Mom, I am NOT going to ride that again."  He told Kate she would hate it.  Kate said she was not sitting behind AGAIN and went to the line with Brady.  Zac decided to go with them after all.  When Kate came off the ride, she skipped up to me and said, ""How come you guys think I can't handle that?  It wasn't bad at all!"

It had a walk-on single rider line, and Zachary proceeded to ride 5 more times.  I rode 6 times total, including one time with Kevin when he and Kristen arrived with their family.  Brady took it in a few times, too, and then decided to spare his head and belly.  What I can't figure out is how I can ride a roller coaster like this 6 times and get so carsick and airsick.  (Granted, I was dizzy the rest of the day.)

Zac's first time:

Ride 6 of 7.  He begged for more but it had to end sometime.

The giant birds that surrounded us while we ate lunch:

Our favorite Owen shot of the trip.  He is the most content child ever.  He went up and down this little hill for an hour.

We had our Fast Passes to ride the Kali River Rapids with Kevin and Kristen's family.  All day, our kids asked when their cousins were coming and having them with us was a huge highlight.  We had two scares right off the bat--losing Brandon for a minute and watching Owen choke on goldfish crackers, throwing up into the bushes.  Both incidents shook us up and I'm extremely paranoid about choking weeks later.  Those mini-scares carry a punch.

  

The Safari!  Kristen pointed out that it's disconcerting to have dangerous wild animals so close, but that there are electric, hidden fences keeping us safe as we drove by.

I love the expressions on the kids' faces, and that Owen is nestled in between and looking the wrong way.

 I'm not the only Nufer than can fall asleep on metal bars.

After the Safari, we headed back over to "Dinosaurs" for Kate to ride and to meet up with my cousin Sean and his family.  Sean was one of my favorite cousins growing up and it was thrilling to meet up with him again.

Zachary kept his head covered the entire ride with me, and it's clear that Kate was spooked, too.  However, she saw me after the ride, beamed, and said again, "You guys said that was scary!  It was fun!!"

Dinner with the whole gang.

Lily and Kate were fast friends, and we kept trying to snap pictures of their hand-holding.  I love this age.

Sean and I talked for a long time while the others rode "Dinosaurs" again and we waited for the light show.  The show was spectacular and in my opinion, one of the highlights of our experience.  Brady remembers it as the reason we did not get home back to Kevin and Kristen's house until midnight.  Cool, but not cool enough.

Brady saw a shop at Animal Kingdom selling dragons.  He knew instantly that this is what Zachary would love, and Zac has slept with his souvenir by his side ever since.   A purple dragon with fancy details.  He spent loads of time convincing Wasabi (Sean and Livia's son) to save up and buy one, too.  Wasabi and Zac had a 4 year age gap but were close buddies throughout the trip.  Zac is so good with younger kids and loves to make them laugh.

Saturday morning, we took turns working out and prepping for the water park.  Watching the kids play with their cousins, we wondered if we should have spent more time in Florida or just skipped the water park altogether.  Kristen and Kevin kept Owen for the day and we had a really fun time at Blizzard Beach.  We loved the Teamboat Springs--all of us riding together on one tube.  Kate did the zip line at Tike's peak and we all had more fun when Sean and Livia's family joined us in the late afternoon.  The park was extremely busy and lines were about 30 minutes, until 7pm when everyone cleared out.  Suddenly, we were all running up and down the stairs to do the rides we'd been waiting for.  I had my eye on Summit Plummet--one of those awful rides that drops straight down for days.  I adamantly stated that I would not ride it but the Nufer in me could not handle missing the experience, so I went with ten minutes to closing.  Then I went again.  It was crazy fun and I'm glad that I still have sparks of my competitive personality that force me to do things I would not otherwise be tempted by.  Zachary saw me go down and immediately raced up the stairs to try it himself.  He went down without hesitation.  We ended the night tubing down with the kids.  

We got home late (again), and spent a few more hours visiting with Kevin and Kristen.

Sunday was my 35th birthday.  I remember so many adults in my life turning 35 and it surprises me to be here already.  I definitely look 35, maybe older (thank you, Hawaiian sun).  My baby face disappeared years ago.  

Kristen was a hero and took our baby in the morning while making a muffin, eggs, and orange juice special breakfast, baking a cake, watching her four children, AND decorating the house for me.  It felt like gold (mixed with guilt).  We all went to church together, saw and alligator on the way home, and then packed up to leave for the condo Sean hooked us up with right by Disney World.  We scored this beautiful resort with 3beds/3baths for a good deal.  

Here's me sticking my feet into the Atlantic ocean.  It was mossy and stagnant there so I only put in my tippy, tippy toe.  Also, I high-tailed it out of there after seeing a snake in the long grass by my feet.

Dinner at the condo!  This was one of my favorite times of the trip--eating with Kristen and Kevin's family and Sean and Livia's family.  We had a spontaneous dance party that lasted over an hour and the kids laughed and played while we talked.  

Zachary, usually a cautious dancer, completely let loose.

Brandon had some hilarious moves that involved hitting his own arm and exclaiming, "Ouch!" over and over.

Wasabi put on a show.

Sean and Livia met while attending BYU-Hawaii.

Owen turned in circles 100 times, alternating occasionally with tip toes.

Allison, Kate, and Lily put on a dance performance.

Some of the sweet birthday cards.  I think Allison made me five of them, and matched that number with hugs and birthday wishes throughout the day.

Kevin and Kristen's family stayed the night.  The next morning, we all went and spent a few hours at the pool before heading to Hollywood Studios.  It was wretchedly hot--over 97 degrees with high humidity.  I was glad we stayed at the pool as long as we did.  The kids love swimming and swimming with cousins is extra exciting.  Kevin threw them around in the pool and we have all kinds of slow-motion videos of their flips and tricks.

We hit traffic from an accident on the way to the park and almost missed our first Fast Pass for the Frozen Sing-a-Long.  I hate to miss anything but figured that would be the one to miss.  We made it with five whole minutes to spare and it was the best things we did all day.  We all sang our hearts out and watching Zachary giggle and belly laugh at the jokes was a highlight.  Kate was enamored and Owen loved the snow at the end.  It was legitimately funny and reminded us that Disney knows how to create magic.

Hollywood Studios was full of rides Kate couldn't do because of height--including Rock 'n Roller Coaster.  Frozen lemonade goes a long way to sooth a sad heart.

We waited in line for The Great American Movie Ride, which was definitely not age-appropriate for our crowd.  The shooting guns freaked my kids out and they still think the guns were probably real.  It was entertaining and inspired me to start watching "Gone With the Wind," even though that movie was not showcased.

Toy Story Mania!  Even Owen got in on the action.

We caught an Indian Jones stunt show and followed up Hollywood Tower of Terror.  Zac rode it and Kate sat this one out.  Brady rode with Sean and then I took off with Kevin and Allison for one more go on Aerosmith's ride.

We took three pictures, and Allison has the same expression in all three.  Haha!

Sadly, it was time to say goodbye to Kevin and Kristen.  Thanks to them for helping make this trip spectacular.  It is not easy to meet up at Disney World when you have four children.  Thanks for all the time you spent with us, the planning before the trip, and the special moments you created playing games with the kids, baking cookies, baking birthday cake and the hundred other efforts.

We rode the Star Wars simulation, watched a light show, and then took off to Disney Springs for a 10:30pm dinner with Sean and Livia's family.  Kate and Lily were sad to part ways, but possibly not as sad as Zac was to part with Wasabi.

The trip finale at Magic Kingdom.  We caught more shows, waited in a few more lines, dripped sweat, met Ariel, and gawked at the people standing in the 160 minute line for Splash Mountain.

Ariel made a big deal about Kate wearing her Ariel costume.  She said she wanted legs.

Toddler champ, barely fussing at all.  He was probably too hot to exert the energy.

Peter Pan ride.

Hands down, the best part of the day was watching the parade. This time, we staked out our spot 45 minutes ahead of time and had perfect views.  Kate had no less than a dozen kisses and waves from princesses and Zac had an adorable moment with Peter Pan trying to shoot him a magic arrow.  He scored high fives and winks, too.

We had Fast Passes and still waited 30 minutes.  I could not believe anyone would stand in line this long, but then we did the ride and thought it might be worth half that time.  It was amazing.

I love this little ornament and I'll remember forever the way I felt riding The Little Mermaid with my kids years ago, watching their bright, excited eyes and Kate waving to the characters at the end.  This time, they were more excited by the creativity and saw it through older eyes.  It was still so fun and Kate would ride it all day.

Kate did not surprise us at all when she announced she wanted to ride Space Mountain again.  This time she laughed at the end.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  Kate loved being the first to try this coaster.

Last ride of the trip: Splash Mountain!

Getting on a little train to get some A/C and pass time while Zac and Brady rode Space Mountain.  

Owen found a little park that was almost his size.  This little girl took over the big sister role.

I spent some of this final day thinking that Disney is ridiculous--the crowds, the heat, and the cost make it such a dumb vacation choice.  Then, as we walked out of the park, I felt sentimental and had this overwhelming desire to bring my kids to Disney every single year.  Seriously...is it something they put in the water?

I think it has more to do with the realization that kids grow up fast.  Magic is only magic for a short period of life and then we live it through our children.  Disney is too hot, too expensive, and too crowded, but childhood is too short.

Good-bye, Disney!  Until next year.  Haha!

At the airport for our loooonnnnnggggg flights home.

I took Dramamine Less Drowsy to avoid the motion sickness this time, but here was my result.

This blog took me more days to compose than the trip, so I'm wrapping her up.  Happy memories and onto more summer days.