Most Magical Trip Ever
After some consideration, we decided to head back to Disney with the kids for Spring Break 2015. This time we drove to Ocala and stayed the night at the Hampton Inn and Suites. It was conveniently located by a Waffle House which was a win for the family that night for dinner. For this trip, we decide to spend a little more money and opt for a moderate resort, Coronado Springs. I love the landscape design of the area; the large lake in the middle of the property provides for a good view. We liked the dining option but not having to wait at the counter for food. At other places, they give you a pager and you can sit until your food is ready. Some nights it got crowded waiting among other hungry people.
To start this trip, we took the kids to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Down Town Disney (now Disney Springs). This is when it was still located in the back of the World of Disney. That made it a little hectic waiting for the kids' turn. Reagan was treated like a royal princess. They offer multiple packages based on your price range. We opted for the the full experience---costume, hair, makeup, nails, and a photo shoot. An easy way to save money though is to bring your own costume from home which many people do. We did purchase a knight package for Cooper. He got his hair spiked up, treasure in it, and a sword and shield. He also got to participate in the photo shoot which made for memorable souvenirs. The experience is great for girls up to age 10; after that they may like the Pirates League better. Cooper enjoyed becoming a knight but he didn't want to do it on other trips. (Side note: I have recently taken Reagan to the new Biddibi Bobbidi in Disney Springs and will included that in my post about our November 2017 trip)
After the Bibbidi Bobbidi, we took the kids over to Magic Kingdom. Just remember that you can't catch a bus from, now, Disney Springs to any park. Apparently some people we trying to out-smart Disney by parking there and taking the bus to the park to avoid paying the parking fee at the parks. It is best to take a bus to the Contemporary and walk to Magic Kingdom. We hit up our favorite classic rides: Small World, Dumbo, and Peter Pan. We treated the kids to dinner at Chef Mickey's again. Though we had to wait a little longer for a table (Ryan and I were able to enjoy the bar while we waited), we had another great character dining experience.
The next day we decided to dedicate entirely to Magic Kingdom. While we enjoyed meeting Tinker Bell and Buzz Lightyear, we really enjoyed meeting Merida. The cue outside was decorated like her home and the kids got to try their hand at archery while we waited to see her. She was fantastic! Her look and her accent was on point! Still after all of our trips, she is a top character experience! After we met her, we ran over, literally, to the Beast's castle to dine at Be Our Guest for dinner. We sat in the main ballroom area and enjoyed some delicious food. At the end of the meal, each family gets to have their picture taken with the Master himself. It is definitely a bucket list place!
The next day we double dipped: Animal Kingdom and Epcot. At Animal Kingdom, the kids got to meet Russel and Dug from the movie Up. Again, the safari did not disappoint. The giraffes, zebras, and elephants were very active that morning. In the evening when we visited Epcot, we fell in love with the park. We spent most of our time wondering through the countries, in awe of the decor but not truly exploring them yet. The kids enjoyed meeting Alice in the United Kingdom. We left the back entrance of the park and walked to the Beach Club to enjoy the notorious "Kitchen Sink" for dessert. Here is a link to famed dessert so you can read all of the ingredients that goes into making a kid's dream dessert (and a parent's one too)!
We're suckers for Magic Kingdom and headed back there the next day. We spent the entire day there! We enjoyed the Haunted Mansion, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, and Small World (again). Reagan met Marie from Aristocats and Jasmine from the movie Aladdin. They also enjoyed hugging Anna and Elsa from Frozen at Fairy Tale Hall. But the characters that were the highlight of the trip were at the Grand Floridan's 1900 Park Fare. This is a buffet style restaurant (better than Chef Mickey's in our opinion) with the characters from Cinderella. While Cinderella and Prince Charming were elegant and polite, the real fun came with the step-sisters and her wicked stepmother. They played their parts wonderfully and were perfect in character. The stepmother even embarrassed my husband which is so difficult to do. I loved it!
We spent our last day at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot. Cooper rode Star Tours with Ryan while Reagan and I did a Frozen sing-along (love the adult humor in it). Back then Hollywood Studios had the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground that Reagan loved to explore. In the back area you could also meet Mater and Lightning McQueen as well as Sully and Mike from Monsters, Inc. We opted for lunch at Hollywood'n'Vine to enjoy the company of our favorite Disney Junior friends. Reagan and Cooper both enjoyed autographs from Sofia, Jake, Handy Manny, and Doc McStuffins. The buffet was good; a step up from Chef Mickey's but not as good as 1900 Park Fare. At Epcot we toured the World Showcase to enjoy the topiary's on display for the annual Flower and Garden festival.
I honestly can't tell you what in particular about this trip made us fall in love with Disney; it was just a magical trip. When we got home we kept talking about it and the fun we had. When we realized we were spending so much time talking about Disney and researching anything we could about it, we realized we had a problem...a Disney hangover that can only be cured by more Disney!
To start this trip, we took the kids to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Down Town Disney (now Disney Springs). This is when it was still located in the back of the World of Disney. That made it a little hectic waiting for the kids' turn. Reagan was treated like a royal princess. They offer multiple packages based on your price range. We opted for the the full experience---costume, hair, makeup, nails, and a photo shoot. An easy way to save money though is to bring your own costume from home which many people do. We did purchase a knight package for Cooper. He got his hair spiked up, treasure in it, and a sword and shield. He also got to participate in the photo shoot which made for memorable souvenirs. The experience is great for girls up to age 10; after that they may like the Pirates League better. Cooper enjoyed becoming a knight but he didn't want to do it on other trips. (Side note: I have recently taken Reagan to the new Biddibi Bobbidi in Disney Springs and will included that in my post about our November 2017 trip)
After the Bibbidi Bobbidi, we took the kids over to Magic Kingdom. Just remember that you can't catch a bus from, now, Disney Springs to any park. Apparently some people we trying to out-smart Disney by parking there and taking the bus to the park to avoid paying the parking fee at the parks. It is best to take a bus to the Contemporary and walk to Magic Kingdom. We hit up our favorite classic rides: Small World, Dumbo, and Peter Pan. We treated the kids to dinner at Chef Mickey's again. Though we had to wait a little longer for a table (Ryan and I were able to enjoy the bar while we waited), we had another great character dining experience.
The next day we decided to dedicate entirely to Magic Kingdom. While we enjoyed meeting Tinker Bell and Buzz Lightyear, we really enjoyed meeting Merida. The cue outside was decorated like her home and the kids got to try their hand at archery while we waited to see her. She was fantastic! Her look and her accent was on point! Still after all of our trips, she is a top character experience! After we met her, we ran over, literally, to the Beast's castle to dine at Be Our Guest for dinner. We sat in the main ballroom area and enjoyed some delicious food. At the end of the meal, each family gets to have their picture taken with the Master himself. It is definitely a bucket list place!
The next day we double dipped: Animal Kingdom and Epcot. At Animal Kingdom, the kids got to meet Russel and Dug from the movie Up. Again, the safari did not disappoint. The giraffes, zebras, and elephants were very active that morning. In the evening when we visited Epcot, we fell in love with the park. We spent most of our time wondering through the countries, in awe of the decor but not truly exploring them yet. The kids enjoyed meeting Alice in the United Kingdom. We left the back entrance of the park and walked to the Beach Club to enjoy the notorious "Kitchen Sink" for dessert. Here is a link to famed dessert so you can read all of the ingredients that goes into making a kid's dream dessert (and a parent's one too)!
We're suckers for Magic Kingdom and headed back there the next day. We spent the entire day there! We enjoyed the Haunted Mansion, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, and Small World (again). Reagan met Marie from Aristocats and Jasmine from the movie Aladdin. They also enjoyed hugging Anna and Elsa from Frozen at Fairy Tale Hall. But the characters that were the highlight of the trip were at the Grand Floridan's 1900 Park Fare. This is a buffet style restaurant (better than Chef Mickey's in our opinion) with the characters from Cinderella. While Cinderella and Prince Charming were elegant and polite, the real fun came with the step-sisters and her wicked stepmother. They played their parts wonderfully and were perfect in character. The stepmother even embarrassed my husband which is so difficult to do. I loved it!
We spent our last day at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot. Cooper rode Star Tours with Ryan while Reagan and I did a Frozen sing-along (love the adult humor in it). Back then Hollywood Studios had the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground that Reagan loved to explore. In the back area you could also meet Mater and Lightning McQueen as well as Sully and Mike from Monsters, Inc. We opted for lunch at Hollywood'n'Vine to enjoy the company of our favorite Disney Junior friends. Reagan and Cooper both enjoyed autographs from Sofia, Jake, Handy Manny, and Doc McStuffins. The buffet was good; a step up from Chef Mickey's but not as good as 1900 Park Fare. At Epcot we toured the World Showcase to enjoy the topiary's on display for the annual Flower and Garden festival.
I honestly can't tell you what in particular about this trip made us fall in love with Disney; it was just a magical trip. When we got home we kept talking about it and the fun we had. When we realized we were spending so much time talking about Disney and researching anything we could about it, we realized we had a problem...a Disney hangover that can only be cured by more Disney!
Comments
Post a Comment