Waking up at 8:30 for me is so strange on a Walt Disney World vacation. I opened my eyes and saw the sun shining on Mike’s face- I smiled, then panicked because I thought it was later than it was! It is check out day and I still had quite a bit to do before we needed to leave by 11am. But, I was lazy and stayed in bed another hour- no one else was awake yet and we needed the rest. Magical Express wasn’t picking us up until 5pm, so we had another full day ahead of us.
Once I got up and started making noise, everyone started motivating. Having 2 full bathrooms helps on a day like today because that meant two people could shower at the same time. We were able to get everything ready for Bell Services in record time to get our bags and store them for our departure. Before I knew it, we were at the bus stop waiting for the next bus to the Magic Kingdom!
There is noting quite like arriving…
When we first arrived we needed to eat. It was far more crowded today than it was last night and we wold need nourishment before we started to get cranky. Mike, Mikey, and Katie headed to Casey’s on Main Street USA for hot dogs and corn dog nuggets…
Jacqueline and I headed to Cosmic Rays for burgers.
After lunch we met at the Peoplemover, again, for another spin.
We then headed over to the Haunted Mansion for our first Fast Pass of the day.
Then we split up. I really wanted to see the Festival of Fantasy Parade and the kids were itching for more rides.
So I grabbed myself a popcorn, some shade, and enjoyed my parade…
And Mike took the kids to Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, and the Carousel of Progress (yes, again!) before we met for ice cream at the Plaza Ice Cream Shoppe.
Now it was time to say goodbye… but we had to make it fast because we were going to be late for our Magical Express transfer. The crowds didn’t make it easy to get down Main Street…
Buses only run every 20 minutes or so from the Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Magic Kingdom- and we must have just missed the bus when we got to our stop. It all worked out in the end and we had no problems getting to the airport with time for a quick dinner before boarding our 8pm flight back home.
This was such an amazing trip, both professionally and personally. Mike got to be “Fun Dad” while I got some valuable time with colleagues PLUS getting to be “Fun Mom” too. The kids are growing up and our family is changing everyday- trips like these have become increasingly important to Mike and I as they we all get older. The memories we make together are the kinds some families can only dream of- and we are fully aware and acknowledge how blessed we are. Life is short, and we have always vowed to make the most of if and enjoy these years we have together doing the things we love to do- and for us, that is travel together.
We all decided during our next Walt Disney World trip, we would like to stay in an amazing resort with a fabulous pool and great quick service lunch options. Our thought process- In the 5 hours we were in the Magic Kingdom this afternoon- we hadn’t come close to seeing and doing as much as we had the night before using Extra Magic hours. Ideally we would sleep in, lounge by the pool during the day (lunch there too), then head into whichever park has evening Extra Magic hours for dinner and enjoy the park without the sun and crowds. Our day in Epcot, strolling through World Showcase, was glorious- but our afternoon in the Magic Kingdom- while magical- was far less magical than the night before without the sun and crowds. We shall see if this pans out for our next trip- one in which we haven’t even begin to start to plan.
Next up for our family? Our Adventures by Disney trip to Southern California!
