DISNEY!!!

We arrived home late Friday evening after a six-day trip to the most magical place on Earth. I gotta be honest- before this past week, I couldn't figure out why people save for years to spend one week in Orlando. My experience with Disney was a bit limited so I really had no idea what to expect.

Best.Vacation.Ever. That's all I have to say about that. Gorgeous condo, gorgeous weather, amazing parks, rides and family. Of course our honeymoon was incredible, but there is something unbelievably heart-melting about watching your child's face light up at the sight of Mickey.

I can't wait to go back! Mark and I are so grateful to his parents who made this trip possible-- we will never forget Wyatt's first trip to Disney World and all that went with it. We had a fantastic time with Steph, Joey and baby Delaney and will cherish all the memories that came with it- we only wish Kurt could have joined us (busy accountants apparently can't take time off for Disney :)

Here's the rundown:

Day 1: Mark, Wyatt and I took off for a character breakfast at Chef Mickey's. Wyatt met Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto and Goofy-- several times. He was so excited to be amongst celebrities that I had to stop him from running up to them while they were signing autographs and posing with other children.... luckily everyone was a great sport and didn't mind his over-friendliness :)

We were all so exhausted from traveling and Steph was re cooperating from the stomach virus, so we ended up taking full advantage of the beautiful weather and the fabulous pool at the condo. In layman's terms: we sat around the pool and played all day long :)

Day 2: We got up early and got six adults, a baby and a two-year-old on the 8:20 shuttle for Magic Kingdom(seriously, we rock!). Spent all day there, only to return that evening for the electric parade (FANTASTIC!!) and fireworks. By this time, my child had fallen asleep in the stroller, had a meltdown in line for Dumbo and got sea sick on the ferry. So, I may have been pushing it a little bit attempting a 16-hour day with a toddler. Oops. You live and you learn I guess. Word to the wise- MAGIC KINGDOM TAKES TWO DAYS. Do not try to be overly ambitious with this park. You will regret it, trust me.

Day 3: After re cooperating in the room during the morning, we made it to Animal Kingdom. We took a safari through the African Bush (The Birmingham Zoo will never be the same), Searched for Yeti's in the Himalaya's, ate some sort of yummy frozen banana thing, sifted for Dino Bones, witnessed the most impressive Lion King reenactment I have ever seen (not that I am friends with Simba or anything) and ate dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. The food was yummy and the Mango Mojitos even better :)

Day 4: The Grandparents waved the white flag of surrender. We had done them in. Two consecutive days of crowds, strollers and grandchildren was all they had in them... so the four remaining adults and two kiddos hit Hollywood Studios with no backup. I am not going to lie- I was a little nervous to venture out without reinforcements... but little did I know that between the Toy Story line and another impressive show (Little Mermaid this time) our day would be eaten up. Joey, Mark and I traded Stephanie both kids for the Tower of Terror. I think she was more traumatized than us, haha.

And, we returned to the Ham just in time to set the clocks forward. Needless to say, we are all exhausted- and here are the pictures to show why :)

Glad to be home!