DisneyWorld Recap (a little more positive)

Whew! I'm finally recovered! I'm literally laughing out loud that my initial recap was so negative. Overall we had a lovely time and I'm thrilled that my kids enjoyed the trip. We were only there 4 days, but we really covered some ground.

Day #1, we checked into the Grand Floridian resort around 10am. Our room wasn't available for a few more hours, so we checked our bags in and headed straight to the Magic Kingdom. We were able to ride several rides without too much of a wait. Pirates of the Caribbean will always be my favorite ride, and I was thrilled that our son enjoyed it so much. Marissa was a little "ehhh" It made her nervous, but she muddled through.

Once we checked into our room, we had a couple hours of downtime. We were Club Level guests, so we were able to pop up to the 4th floor for drinks and goodies. I'm telling you, I will never do Disney again without being Club Level. I'm thinking that with going Club, you don't need to have a dining plan. We had so much food left over on our plan because we just at on the 4th floor at the Floridian. Most of the food at the parks is really terrible anyway, so our options were so limited. I think next time, we'll just do Club Level and then make reservations for the character meals.

After we had some time to rest, we went back to the Magic Kingdom and rode more rides and caught a little bit of the parade fireworks. We were able to get on the Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, that was a FUN FUN FUN ride! All of us really enjoyed it. It was interactive, fast moving and the props and scenery were so well done (of course, its DISNEY!) but I really felt like we were in action with the famous toys!

We all slept like rocks that night; it had been an extremely long day of travel and theme park adventures.

Day #2, we slept in. Until 7:30 AM! I know, that's what vacation is all about! We hopped on a bus to Hollywood Studios where we were able to catch a Camp Rock Parade. Marissa danced and sang along as the cast members rocked it right there in the middle of the street. She was Star Struck for sure! We then headed over to Hollywood and Vine Play and Dine for breakfast/brunch with all the Playhouse Disney characters (it was really just Handy Manny, Agent Oso, Leo and June from Little Einsteins) Christian was a disaster. He just couldn't not handle the excitement. He refused to eat and would not so much as even look up to greet the characters as they came to our table. We made it through the meal and I was feeling a little deflated, but the day improved from there.

We were able to sit in at Monsters, Inc Laugh Floor. That was really funny and I'm still trying to figure out how they were able to interact with the audience as well as they did. The jokes were great, the answers were definitely not standard answers/questions or scripted. It was a great show. I thought it might have been over Christian's head, but he laughed so hard and I think it definitely left an impression on him.

I was disappointed that we were unable to get onto the Toy Story ride. They had released all their Fast Passes by 11am for the day. I'm glad that my kids did not fully understand what the ride was or that they would not be able to ride it. I'm thinking that they were overwhelmed by everything else they didn't really feel they were missing out. I do wish we had been able to see it though. Because of their ages, I don't know if they will enjoy it so much next time we go...

After Hollywood Studios, we went to Epcot. That was fabulous! Actually, I think Epcot is my favorite. Surprisingly, I think Epcot turned out to be my kids' favorite park too. People might not think that there is a lot for the kids to do at Epcot, but I think it is loaded with fantastic kid activities. We actually saw a lot of Characters too! My kids LOVE the "giant golf ball ride" Spaceship Earth. They wanted to ride it THREE times! LOL!

I love that Epcot has the Kidcot activities in all the different "countries". The kids loved looking for the Kidcot stations and getting their passports stamped. I also like the food in Epcot. We ended up eating in Italy at Via Napoli. The pizza was a traditional italian pizza and the wine was just what this mama needed! I would have loved to have had their fresh spaghetti and handmade meatballs, but I didn't notice that until we were leaving! Darn!

Another great thing about Epcot is that they do have so many hands-on kid friendly activities that have absolutely zero wait time. Marissa was able to participate in some great science activities and also get a realistic view of the future. I love the age she is at right now and that things are really starting to make sense to her.

Day #3 We started our morning at Downtown Disney. Marissa spent about 2 hours getting pampered at the Bippity Boppity Boutique. She was transformed into a princess and she totally lived it up! This year, she chose to be dressed as Princess Aurora. She chose the Disney Diva hairstyle, and even though I wasn't thrilled, she chose Princess Pink hair extensions; she looked adorable! After her pamper session, complete with hair, make-up, a gorgeous dress, shoes and accessories, she had a photo shoot and it really did make us so happy that she felt so special. I love how Disney does that for the kids! Christian didn't participate at the boutique, but they did give him a sword and shield. I thought that was pretty cool. He LOVED it.

We then spent the next couple hours shopping and collecting souveneirs for ourselves and family and friends. Everything was extremely overpriced, but of course, we had to get things! We got my niece, who is 15 months old, a Minnie Mouse plush dressed as Tinkerbell and a Minnie Mouse accessory set with bag. Christian got a hat, "Not too Large, But Definitely In Charge", the kids picked out candies and other goodies and we picked up a few other small random things.

After Downtown Disney, we headed back to the Magic Kingdom and rode some of the "kiddie rides". We also took the train around. Christian loved the train. I think that was another highlight...oh the simple things! Of course, everyone ooohed and ahhhhed over Princess Marissa and her pink hair and gorgeous gown. :) We goofed around at the MK for a while and then Marissa and I had to get ready for our dinner at the Royal Table at Cinderella's Castle.

The boys split and headed over to Animal Kingdom. I was sad to miss it, since I know how much Christian loves animals it would have been much fun to see his reaction while he was on the safari. Marty says that they had a great time and that the park was not crowded at all.

Meanwhile, Marissa and I caught a "Hannah Montana" themed parade in the street and then we did a little shopping on Main Street. We then headed over to the castle and this was the evening where all her dreams came true; she met Cinderella!!!!!!

She had her picture taken with the princess and then we were led upstairs to the Royal Table. There we ordered a lovely dinner, and met Belle, Ariel, Aurora, and Snow White. Marissa could hardly contain herself. It was truly a magical evening and the two of us had a great time together. She was just a doll! The food was "ehhhh" but they tried really hard to make it fancy. I imagine it is difficult to create high quality meals for such large quantities of people and that also suits children. Marissa is a foodie though, and I could tell she was somewhat disappointed in the quality of the food. :(

We finished the evening catching up with each other and sharing details from our separate experiences. We took a boat ride in the lagoon and watched fireworks.

Day #4 We were at the Contemporary Resort for breakfast at Chef Mickey's at 7 AM. Christian was a totally different kid. He was ecstatic to see Mickey and Friends. The kids ate great, the buffet was actually pretty good. They got to meet and get autographs from Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto. They were thrilled! We got some great family pictures and had a wonderful time.

After breakfast, we headed back to Epcot...yeah, that's where the kids wanted to finish their trip. We rode the Viking Voyage and had lunch in Mexico. It was a calm day and I truly felt like we had spent the perfect amount of time on this vacation. This is not a vacation that is peaceful or slow-paced. The kids were completely satisfied with all we had done and I think all 4 of us were ready to go home.

So there's my recap. I hope it sounds a little more positive that my initial post. I think it will be 2013 before we go back. I think our max is every two years. :)