On Saturday we arrived at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in time for a late lunch. This hotel with its savanna views had been on our bucket list and we decided to do a split resort stay to try it out for two nights. While we loved the resort itself (the pool and general areas, as well as the giraffes and zebras!) our room's particular view wasn't amazing so we aren't jumping to do a savanna view again anytime soon. After a somewhat exotic lunch at Sanaa (where both kids even tried the 9 African inspired dips with the naan bread service) and some playtime at the pool, we finished the night at Epcot where we did a few rides and greeted Mickey and friends.
On Sunday we headed to the Magic Kingdom. It was so exciting that Kellen was tall enough to ride almost all the thrill rides this trip and we had a great time introducing him to some of the classics like Splash and Big Thunder Mountain. We had a casual lunch in Belle and the Beast's castle. Kel slept through the parade and the rest of us relaxed on Main Street and watched the floats go by. It was a great day!
On Monday we checked out of Animal Kingdom Lodge early and went over to Animal Kingdom park for the morning and early afternoon. We safaried, saw the Lion King and Nemo shows, viewed animals, and split up for some rides. We then went to our new resort, Old Key West, to get checked in, rest a bit, and then get ready for the Hoop Dee Do Musical Revue at Fort Wilderness. This dinner show was fantastic. The kids thought it was hilarious, Bryan and I enjoyed it, and the food was great. The kids were in good spirits after and Bryan and Kel headed home while Noelle and I went to MK on the boat for a girls' night in the parks. It was great to catch some of the spectromagic parade and the fireworks and ride our favorite rides together.
Tuesday we visited Hollywood Studios for most of the day. We rode most of the rides, saw some great characters (including the Storm Troopers and Darth Vader who gave Kel a threatening but funny look), and saw our favorite shows. After a rest we took the boat from our resort to Disney Springs and shopped a bit, had some yummy sandwiches, and strolled around. We let the kids use their gift cards to get one souvenir each and that worked perfectly! It was a nice, early night and good break from the insanity that can be found on my Disney itinerary.
Wednesday morning we had our other table service meal prior to park opening at Epcot. We had a delicious family-style breakfast at Garden Grill and even had the honor of being first guests in line for the park that morning! Farmer Mickey, Chip and Dale, and Goofy were at breakfast so we got some pictures and finished in plenty of time to ride Soarin before the park even opened. This allowed us to also go on Test Track twice that day. We visited the different rides and countries in World Showcase. We then headed back to Hollywood Studios despite some rain to see the Osborne Lights for their last showing at the park before the major construction for Star Wars Land and Toy Story Land. The lights are absolutely amazing and if you have never seen them watch a youtube video!
Our final day at Disney was spent back at Magic Kingdom with a brief early afternoon detour to check out the Grand Floridian's decorations. We were able to re-ride all of our favorite rides before heading back to the airport and home. It was another amazing Disney experience and I can't wait for the next trip. Thankfully I only have a few short weeks and then I return solo to Old Key West for my first ever marathon in January! Bryan and I also have a couples trip in April, Bryan and Kel may go for a boy trip in late summer, and then we will all be stopping by Disney next November on our way to our Saxton family Disney cruise. Yes, we are crazy. But now we are crazy people with a Disney timeshare so you should be nice to us :)
