Well the Disney trip was a complete success. For those who thought the girls were too young to really experience it and "get it" oh that was not the case. The girls had a really great time. So much so that Daddy (and he says I spoil them) wants to go back next year....we'll see about that.
For my own history and for my next trip, here is a quick summary of our trip:
Arrived on Saturday, October 10th around noon after a non-stop flight. Flight went well. Isabelle and Daddy slept most of the way and I did my best to keep Miss Ava entertained. Grandma flew down with us too. Dave and I got lucky again with the row to ourselves and Grandma was only a seat away. We ran into a snag with the rental car (never use Avis) not having a car, or even better, car seats which delayed us by about 2 hrs but after that was solved we were off to check into the villa and go to the pool. Boy oh boy, do the girls love the big pool. They even love floating on their backs which was a big surprise to me. Grandma went to the grocery store and stocked us up with good eats for the week.
Sunday, we kicked off Disney with a bang by going to Magic Kingdom in the morning, back for naps and then returned for dinner, rides and the SpectroMagic Show. We met Mickey for the 1st time on Sunday and got some great pictures with him. By the end of the trip, I think the girls saw the light show 3x and they enjoyed it each time. The funny part of the show Sunday was that we had to get our spot along the sidewalk and wait for the start of it. So the girls ended up playing in the closed road with the other children and had a blast. Miss Ava tried to hula hoop and they both ran around with the funniest little boy who was just amuzed by them. Dressed like little minnies themselves, they were their own little pre-show for everyone. The fun rides in Magic Kingdom that the girls loved was "Its a small world", the winnie the pooh ride, jungle cruise and aladdin's carpet ride. The place to eat that was a hit with the girls was Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe in Tomorrowland cause it had an lounge lizard who entertained the girls with his songs and jokes.
Monday, we went to Animal Kingdom in the morning where the girls loved the safari cruise. They even got to meet Donald and enjoyed the Festival of the Lion King Show. I was surprised that they would sit through an entire show but the shows are just so entertaining it captures their interest the entire time. They were both glued to the attractions and clapping the entire time. It was a hot day so by lunch the girls were exhausted. As they took a quick nap in their strollers, Grandma, Dave and I enjoyed a peaceful and air conditioned lunch at the Rainforest Cafe. After naps, we went to Epcot in the evening where they did Turtle Talk with Crush, the Nemo Ride and checked out the Aquarium.
Tuesday, we went to Hollywood Studios to catch some of the shows there. They had a great Beauty and the Beast Show and Disney Playhouse show. We then grabbed lunch in the 50's prime time cafe. That evening we went to Chef Mickey which I highly recommend. It was wonderful. After dinner, we went over the check out Lego Land at the Marketplace. Tuesday night after the girls were in bed, Dave went to pick Grandpa P and Tony up at the airport.
Wednesday, the entire gang went to Epcot in the am and then Magic Kingdom in the evening. The big rides at Magic Kingdom at night were Pirates of the Caribbean (which D scared some little girl one doing his pirate laugh), Jungle Cruise, Grandpa's favorite Country Bears and of course the SpectroMagic Light Show. The girls also got to see Pluto and meet Chip and Dale.
Thursday, we spent a low key morning in the Disney marketplace picking up some gifts for the nieces and nephews at home. Grandpa, Grandma and Tony checked into the Animal Kingdom Lodge for the night and D and I took the girls to Magic Kingdom. We ended up hitting our first rain storm but lucky for us we were having dinner in Adventure Land so it was no big deal. The girls were so tired that night that we were back at the villa at 7:30.
Friday was my birthday! We ended up having a relaxing morning and letting the girls catch up on some sleep in the am. Then off to ESPN Zone for lunch on the boardwalk. The girls loved looking at the boats on the water and running off some energy. Then to celebrate my birthday, the girls, Dave and I went to a character dinner at the Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom to meet Pooh, Tiger, Eeyore, and Piglet. Grandpa and Grandma Pondillo couldn't make the dinner but they surprised me with a cake for dessert. It was a night of shows too since the girls saw a cute one at the castle with mickey and his friends about wishes coming true before the meal and then of course caught the light show afterwards.
Saturday, we flew home around 3pm after a morning of packing and a quick stop at the Marketplace for lunch. The flight home was wonderful (arrived about 45 minutes early) and both girls slept almost the entire time.
Going in October is fun too since it is all decorated for Halloween. They also have separate nights which Magic Kingdom closes and they have a separate Halloween party. This is something we would like to do when the girls are older as it only starts around 8.
Things which were funny or I need to remember is that:
-Daddy lost the double stroller on the tram one night as it went around the corner!
-Pack light for the parks. Good to have a cooler with snacks but the more you bring the harder to coordinate getting on and off the tram with kids.
-There is a place in Marketplace called the "World of Disney" that girls can get made up to look like a princess. Something to keep in mind for the future.
I didn't get to take a lot of pictures of the girls on the rides since we were holding them but I did get some random cute shots at each park that I promise to post soon. We also used the big video camera often so I didn't get any short clips. If anyone knows how to cut big video into small blog worthy short clips, please email me. I'd love to post some of the video for everyone to see. Some of it is just too cute for words.
