First time at Disney: Part Three

Ok I know I promised I was going to share our last day of our Disney trip a few days ago, but life and the weekend got the best of me. Eek!

But listen, what better way to spend a Monday (especially the first one right after daylight savings - yawn!) than to reminisce about the happiest place on earth? 

I knew you would agree. Ok here's the last part of our trip...

DAY FOUR: ATLANTA BRAVES SPRING TRAINING

GO BRAVES! Longtime readers know we are HUGE Atlanta Braves fans. In fact, when I was first planning our Winter Break trip the very first thing I booked was our Spring Training Braves tickets. I realized our break coordinated with the Spring Training season opener and thought how fun it would be to go to both season openers this year. 

So after two full days of Disney parks, we would it down with one of our favorite things - baseball! We made our way to the ESPN Wide World of Sports on the Disney property a little before the game because we love how interactive Spring Training games can be for fans. 

The park is smaller and you are able to have a great view from any seat. We chose to sit on the first base side only three rows back so that the kids would be close to all of the action. They would be able to interact with the players more (if the players choose to toss a ball or two), and be able to see better (read: pay attention more so mommy and daddy can actually watch).

The day started off rainy and kind of slow for the Braves, but quickly both the weather and our favorite team turned things around. 

We were able to see some of our favorite players, and cheer on our home team for about five solid innings. 

Considering our kids ages we were impressed. Not to mention having a one year old at a game (and by now we've been to our fair share with The Cutes at all ages) we felt like this was a win. Baby Cute must be a Braves fan too. Typically we've learned young kids tap out somewhere between innings two and four. 

We had a fun time, but it was getting hot and the kids were done. So I let Mr. Cute enjoy the remaining innings in peace and quiet while I took the kids back to the hotel. 

HOTEL SWITCH!

For the last few nights we switched hotels. In my original planning I thought it was supposed to be much cooler during this time of year. I knew we would have some downtime and rather than do another park, I thought swimming would be fun. I did some research, and while I knew the Animal Kingdom Lodge had a heated pool, I wanted to be prepared for anything. So I researched hotels in Orlando that would have a heated indoor pool - in case it rained or weather was too cold - and I stumbled upon the Embassy Suites. 

It was a more spacious room than our room at Animal Kingdom, which was nice, and it had a ton of amenities that the kids loved. Both around the pool and inside there were game/activity areas set up for kids (electronic and non-electronic). As a parent, I loved this because there was always something for them to do. 

As hot as it was though, I didn't need to worry about the indoor pool. We switched into our suits and headed straight to the outdoor pool. 

And I was able to lounge while the Kids Fun Zone entertained them straight through until bedtime. We were even able to watch a poolside movie on a large projected screen this night. The kids thought it was so fun that you could swim and watch a movie at the same time.

We paused momentarily for food though. One of my favorite things was there was a "happy hour" starting at 5p.m. every day. They had snack bars set up for kids complete with fresh popped popcorn and cotton candy (not shown). It was replenished often, so there was plenty for everyone. 

The adult snack bar wasn't too shabby. Neither were the adult drinks. ;) You could order what ever you wanted complimentary, but they also had special cocktails that they created each day. On this day it was a blue margarita of sorts. It was delish. I promise. 

If you want to stay in an off property hotel that is a little more budget friendly but has a ton of amenities, and transportation to the parks, I would highly recommend the Embassy Suites. 

After an evening of swimming fun and relaxing with friends, we closed our trip with a good night's rest and hit the road early next morning back to Atlanta. It was a whirlwind of a week, but we had an absolute blast. 

Now off on our next adventure...

Have you been to Disney? What were some of your favorite things? Do you have any tips or tricks? Share with us!

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First time at Disney: Part Two

Thank you for following along yesterday with the first half of our Disney trip. Today is all about the second half of our trip. On this portion we make it to...

...Disney World! 

DAY THREE: DISNEY WORLD

We originally were up in the air about what park to attend on this day. The debate was save Disney World until Baby Cute was old enough to enjoy it as well or go ahead and do it. After seeing how well the kids did at Animal Kingdom we decided to go ahead and do it. 

We woke up nice and early to try to be one of the first ones in the park. We actually even took a cab to try to beat the busses. We arrived early...or so we thought. It was a "Magic Hour" day so the park opened an hour earlier than normal.  The park was already jam packed with fellow guests, not to mention the Disney Princess Half Marathon weekend was kicking off,  and everyone seemed to be there early. And again, we saw people running in. 

| Cute's Shirt | L.C.s Shirt | B.C.'s Romper |

We had learned from the previous day to fast pass, so this didn't make us as worried. Everyone in line seemed to be running to the Mine Train first. So when we walked into the park took it slow, grabbed one of the cast members to help with photos, and then we went in the complete opposite direction towards Adventureland. 

On our way The Cutes spotted Chip & Dale and there wasn't a line so we broke out our autograph books and they were able to spend a ton of time with them. 

The lines definitely weren't long on this end of the park to start. 

Tip #7: This is for the Disney first timers, but the Disney app was so helpful on checking line times. We knew where to go to keep our waits to a minimum and it was pretty accurate on updating to real time.  

The Pirates of the Caribbean ride was one of my favorites as a child and I knew my pirate loving little ones would love this one. 

And as soon as we got off the ride, we stumbled upon Captain Jack Sparrow's Pirate Tutorial.

The Cutes loved this interactive show. They learned to sword fight, speak pirate, and become officially part of Jack's pirate crew with an official pirate scroll. They kept telling everyone they met they were now pirates. 

And this must have really resonated with Cute because he was allowed to choose a souvenir and all he wanted was to be just like Captain Jack. Later in the day, after we circled the whole park, he went right back to Adventureland to get his gear. At this point in the day both girls were also crashed out in  our double stroller so we let Cute check out the Pirate's Adventure: Treasure of the Seven Seas Quest. This became his obsession the rest of the day. He was so intent on finding all of the hidden clues Captain Jack left behind. Definitely a fun activity to do with your pirate loving little ones, especially ones who are old enough to follow clues, and read landmarks on simple maps. 

Now let's chat about one of my favorite discoveries...the Pineapple Dole Whip. YUMMY! We kept hearing people talk about these, and we decided we needed to see what they were all about. Listen, I totally get the hype now. The good people of Dole Whip are missing out on mass marketing this. I might be willing to give up my beloved Talenti for it - and that's saying a lot. 

Tip #8: Again, for new Disney adventurers...this delicious treat can be found in only four places in the entire Disney parks/resorts. For Disney World it is available at the Aloha Isle Refreshments in Adventureland. 

We did make it out of Adventureland, and looking back one of our favorite parts was that any time we passed the Castle their seemed to always be a stage show happening. The kids loved Mickey's Royal Friendship Faire before we headed towards Fantasyland. 

And in Fantasyland while Mr. Cute had The Cutes in line for the Barnstormer, I apparently decided to continue my Disney food tour from the previous day. I smelled something sweet in the courtyard, and found Big Top Treats. 

How cute are all those Disney themed treats?!? 

I purchased a Frozen themed Olaf cookie to share with all of the littles in our group who couldn't do the Barnstormer. It was quite tasty - just like everything else on the tour so far. Thank goodness for all those extra steps!

Even thought it was mid-February, it was HOT. The Casey Jr. Splash 'N' Soak in Fantasyland was a fun little find for the kids (and maybe a parent or two) to cool off in. 

I think one of The Cutes favorite things was the Festival of Fantasy parade. We staged ourselves pretty close to the castle which was near where it started. 

We set our little crew up with some snacks and some waters about 30 mins prior to start time and were able to get a front row seat. The kids loved being right in the mix of everything!

Tip #9: I learned that right as the parade starts a huge wave of people stop to watch. And fill in every little hole they can. Other adults (yes adults) did not care if they separated our kids from us as long as they got to see - so stay close, sit tight. 

The kids were so excited to see all of their favorite characters up close and personal.

L.C. has a huge thing for Ariel and was so excited to see she was in the parade. For days she didn't stop talking about how she was out of water and waved her tail at her. 

And then I think she about passed out when her favorite princesses made their way to us. 

Everyone cheered for Belle and the Beast. I have a feeling the movie coming out next week is going to be a huge hit already because so many people were so excited. Not to mention Belle was the hardest princess to get fast passes for and had the longest line. 

Speaking of princesses right after the parade I had fast passes for meeting Tiana and Rapunzel. Tangled is one of The Cutes' favorite movies so they couldn't wait to meet Rapunzel in person. Right outside meeting them is Cinderella's glass slipper. I wasn't able to get a good picture, but it was so pretty I had to stop and take one. 

Now we have a million adorable posed pictures of the kids with the princesses but this one might be my favorite. Baby Cute was SO excited and kept running around. She was cracking everyone up. She would run up to the princesses, wave, go in for a hug, but then run off. And obviously having the best time ever. 

Everyone has to have a fangirl moment in their life. 

Tip #10: Put your name, address, and phone number in your autograph books. The cast member at this location saw ours labeled with it and our kids photos and thought that was genius. She said most people don't do that and then showed me a stack of lost autograph books. She said Disney will contact you - if they can - to return it to you right away. 

We found during our trip that Tomorrowland was the most crowded. A lot of the wait times were over an hour long. Luckily, I was able to get fast passes for the Toy Story ride - which was Cute's favorite of the entire trip - and Mr. Cute took Cute to ride the race cars, but most other things were packed. Mr. Cute said his favorite though was the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor show. 

Cute walked in and walked right back out when he was whatever was inside. He was still traumatized from the Bugs Life show from Animal Kingdom and didn't like something he saw. So Mr. Cute took L.C. inside to watch, and they said it was hilarious. 

After this we grabbed a snack and headed towards the Castle for the night show and fireworks. Everything on Main Street was so pretty lit up!

It was amazing to see how they projected the entire show onto the castle. The Cutes were in such awe and L.C. kept clapping. 

As soon as the show ended we headed out with our tired little ones (not to mention mommy and daddy were 23k + steps into our day and we were done too). 

Tip #11: Sit tight after the show. The fireworks start ten minutes after it ends, but the entire crowd got up. We didn't hear the speakers say it wasn't done (because the show was pretty spectacular already) and it was chaos. Like pushing, angry people, trying to get home chaos. 

Okay if you stuck with me this long, we have one more day I will share with you tomorrow!

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First time at Disney

Today is all about Disney! A few months ago I asked you guys for a little help planning and you came through in a big way. Some of your tips were so helpful, and came in handy for us first timers. Thank you!

We had SO. MUCH. FUN. And while at the end of the trip I think we all needed a vacation from our vacation we are so glad we decided to head south to the happiest place on earth for our Winter Break. Here's a little recap of our visit, and I will try to share as many important details along the way. 

DAY ONE: ROAD TRIPPIN' & ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE

From Atlanta it takes about 8 hours to drive to Orlando. We debated back and forth about flying and driving and somehow Mr. Cute thought driving would be easier. Baby Cute had some other thoughts on that, but the older two were pumped about watching unlimited Disney movies the entire time. 

Because the road trip ate up most of our first day, it was already dusk by the time we finally arrived at Disney. 

{Photo Credit}

For the first half of our trip we planned to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I booked this resort because I knew we were going to Animal Kingdom on our second day and my children LOVE animals. After doing some research on the resort I thought it would be perfect for our stay especially after I read that you are able to see animals from your room. I knew everyone in our crew would be so excited about that experience. 

We were given a room in Jambo. I had originally requested the bunkbed rooms, but at the last minute changed it to a double queen room because I was nervous the kids would (1) fight over the top bunk or (2) someone would roll off the top bunk in the middle of the night. 

The room was so cute and definitely spacious enough for our crew.

We loved all of the fun African inspired details everywhere! 

The resort both day and night is gorgeous!

And true to promises you are able to see animals right from your room! If you didn't have a room with a savanna view, there were multiple places around the lobby area that you could see the animals. We couldn't believe how close they came. 

It was raining when we arrived but the next morning we were able to take in the gorgeous pool on site. It also has an amazing waterslide and is heated year round for enjoyment. 

Tip#1: We learned that almost all pools in Orlando are heated year round. So as long as you are able to stand the temperature when you can out of the pool might as well pack your swimsuit. 

The kids were beyond excited to finally arrive at Disney (and be out of the car) that they had no desire to pose for any pictures. I can't blame them. I was ready to be out too. I wanted to document their super cute Disney attire though. One of our fabulous readers shared the Gap x Disney collection with me, and I fell in love with the whole line. I ordered a few pieces for this trip but it was a lot warmer than initially we thought it would be. So for the car ride I figured the they could at least a couple things down. 

Little Cute's Dress

Baby Cute's Minnie Romper

The whole line is adorable though! From pjs to tees there is a little something for everyone. Here are some of our favorites (click pictures for info)...

After we settled in and explored the hotel a bit, we decided to make our way to dinner. Now here is where my second tip will come in.

Tip #2: Make reservations. Make reservations. Make reservations. 

I thought I could just walk into any property restaurant and our party of five could eat. Wrong. Even at 7p.m. at night there was a 2 hour wait for almost all of the restaurants. The one that didn't have a wait (Jiko) required a reservation anyway, and looked a little nicer than we needed at the moment. There was no way my kids were going to sit for an extended meal after sitting all day in the car. If you have kids who need to eat at certain times I would definitely plan ahead.

We ended up eating at the The Mara quick service restaurant, and it was great for what we needed - a quick, easy dinner.

After dinner we stumbled upon one of the fun evening activities where the kids were able to play music on their own little drums. The kids loved this and had so much fun playing and dancing. After this we called it a night knowing we would be having a long day two.

DAY TWO: ANIMAL KINGDOM

Day two we hit the ground running bright and early. The family we were traveling with told us that the animals are most active during the morning and at dusk and that would be the best time to ride on the safari to see them. 

We took the bus from the resort to Animal Kingdom and it took around 10-15 minutes to arrive at the gate. I thought we were getting there early but I was astonished to see how many people arrived before we did. Not to mention we saw people running to some of the rides once we got in. Running. 

Clearly I was unprepared for the new age of Disney lines. Enter my next tip. 

Tip #3: Download the My Disney app. Choose fast passes ahead of time. I wanted to go with the flow on our trip, but I quickly learned that those who don't fast pass don't get the worm. Or the Disney princess. 

At first it stressed us out to see everyone running around us to try to get first in line for some of the more popular lines. We were instantly thrust into a world of navigating maps, apps, and hoping our phone batteries lasted the entire day (spoiler alert: they didn't). 

Tip #4: Pack a cordless battery charger. 

Then our children spotted Flick, their first character, and all worries melted away. They were so in awe and could have cared less about what popular rides were around that they had no clue about. 

They had so much fun chatting with him, getting him to sign their autograph books, and getting pictures with him that it made us realize that was the "magic" we were looking for. Not stressing about what to do. From then on we took it pretty easy over the next few days. Don't get me wrong, we fast passed but if certain rides weren't available we didn't give them a second thought. 

Tip #5: Look into the Disney Photo Pass. I added this to our Magic Bands and in the end was so glad that I did. It was a suggestion from one of our friends and it was so nice to interact with our kids and the characters or the rides without having to pull out our phones or cameras to capture the moments. We simply let the cast members take the photos and then swiped our Magic Bands along the way. And there are cast member photographers everywhere!

The safari was one of our favorite rides, and even though it was one of the more popular ones, the line moved pretty quickly. 

We didn't make it onto the ride until about 11:00a.m. or so but those animals must have known we were coming because they were definitely still active. 

Even as warm as it was, the animals were out and about and several got up close and personal. 

It was such a neat experience, and one of the few rides we would ride over and over if we could. You really did feel at times you were in the jungle with the animals. 

We explored, and Cute was able to get on his first official "big person" roller coaster. I thought he would be scared, but he ended up loving it. The nice thing about Animal Kingdom is that everyone (even babies) can right most rides. Some rides I think were 40 inches and up and 44 inches and up. One was 48 inches in Dinoland, but otherwise kids - even younger ones - could enjoy the majority of the park.

At some point during the day we made our way to the Tree of Life and went to see the Bugs Life show held inside it. The show is a 3D show and they give you glasses upon entering. 

The Cutes thought the glasses were hilarious. The show...not so much. I realized later this was my fault. They had never seen a 3D or IMAX style show before and right from the start they were scared. Like full on screaming "GET ME OUT OF HERE!" at the top of their lungs scared. 

The show was super cute and I think if I had warned them what it was they would have been fine. But there was no recovering from the initial terror of seeing a larger than life spider in your face. I think we might have scarred them for life. 

Luckily we rallied with our second show. The Lion King show was fabulous and might have been one of my favorite things all week. It was so fun, full of audience interaction, and lots of music and characters from the movie that the kids could identify with. They loved it!

At some point towards the end of the day we began our own little food tour. Totally unintentional, but considering my iWatch had been telling me we far exceeded our step goal for the day I wasn't too worried. 

I kept seeing these yummy Mickey pretzels everywhere, so it was only fitting to give one a try. 

And then to stumble upon a little area that had fresh fruit (hallelujah!), water, and some other healthier snacks (minus the chips). After eating fast food for almost two days it was a nice little oasis of yummy to find.

And then there were Mickey popsicles and ice cream to be had by all. This is one of the few pics of all five of us together. I am not sure what is funnier...the chaos going on, or the fact that someone stopped and took this precious photo moment for us. 

After our carb and sugar fest we decided to test out The Boneyard playground to work off some of our Disney Foodie Tour, and O.M.G.

First this play area is awesome. Second it is a parents nightmare. Kids were running around everywhere and there were so many little hiding places. I promptly lost two of the two children in my care with in five seconds of walking through the gate (B.C. was still snacking with Mr. Cute) . I panicked slightly, but parked myself near the exit and did my best to look around for glimpses of them. Thankfully, I came home with all the children I started with. And my own children.

We were able to get almost everything in that we wanted to see and do. The kids were such troopers and loved every minute of it. As the day wound down we planned to stay at least until the new Rivers of Light show took place.  

It was beautiful! Our group was split on how they felt about it, but I thought it was a great way to close the day out at the park. 

Tip #6: If you are staying for the Rivers of Light show be sure to either Fast Pass or get in line super early. We got in line about 40 minutes early and only a few people behind us they closed off entrance. 

That wraps up our first few days of Winter Break. Stay tuned tomorrow for part two!

Have you been to Animal Kingdom Lodge or Animal Kingdom? 

If so, share with us your favorites! 

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