Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Day 1: Magic Kingdom!

 Day 1:  Magic Kingdom! 
I mentioned before I'd offer some tips to Disney along the way. First, I had a dear friend, MJ, help me plan things out ahead of time. I could now plan another trip by myself, thanks to her. So, Tip #1 would be to talk to a real person about his/her experience and get suggestions as you plan your trip to Disney. Ideas about where to stay, places to eat, and rides to make sure you hit are really helpful to know ahead of time. I'm thankful for all of the ways MJ helped me work out this trip!! And Tip #2 before I start things off. . .Bring a camera OR don't. Helpful, right? In all seriousness, I love taking photos and capturing memories. BUT, my camera lens is big and heavy. I decided to bring my smaller fixed lens which was light weight, but honestly, I barely used it. I ended up relying on my iPhone camera for most shots. AND, that camera isn't the best. I expressed to my husband, my envy over a friends' pictures of her recent trip to Disney. She brought her camera and used it! My sweet husband reminded me that bringing my camera around wasn't something that I wanted to keep up with. We have decent shots, though not perfect quality, and we are happy. I truly am, now. All of the memories are in our hearts and seared in our minds! How's that for sappy?! ;) However, you could also choose to go the route of paying for a photo package. Next time, we might consider that. So check it out before you go!

And now, without further delay (again), we began our Day 1 by hopping on the monorail to start our trip with a character breakfast at Ohana in the Polynesian resort. Simply put, it was a perfect way to kick things off! Breakfast was delish, with food that kept on comin', the highlight of the meal being the Mickey waffles! And of course, this is where the boys first met Mickey, Pluto and Goofy, along with Lilo and Stitch. And they were smitten with all things Disney in a matter of a 45 minute breakfast before stepping foot into a park! Precious!




And this is how Magic Kingdom greeted us! We walk into the park and a show is going on! Singing and dancing and the boys had a perfect view!




Maybe my favorite photo of the entire trip.
 I'm thankful for whoever offered to snap this one of us!


We ducked into a little shop I was told to go to (right behind Cinderella's castle), and asked for some Pixie dust! We had just watched Peter Pan the day before we left for the trip (my hubby, who has started blogging again, tells of our Disney movie week before we left--remember our boys had no idea), so I was excited to get some Pixie Dust! Turns out, it's like a secret code, you just have to ask a person who works there and they will pull out a magic wand and sprinkle you! My boys and Hubby were all dusted too, but with "pirate" dust instead! ;) We then got a feel for the place and checked our Fast Pass+plans on my phone, Tip #3, get the My Disney Experience app on your mobile device! It has maps, wait times for rides and if you are lucky enough to get Magic Bands for your trip, you are able to plan 3 Fast Passes before you even step into the park! Life-saver! What better way to start Magic Kingdom out, then to ride the simple, classic ride, It's a Small World?!!!





And after that, we were off! We made it to Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Swiss Family Robinson tree house, the Jungle Cruise, and so much more! Plus, we couldn't end our day without a snack!


After the electrical parade and a fireworks show, we made our way back to the Contemporary resort, for a good night's sleep to prepare us for Day 2: Animal Kingdom! Stay tuned. . .

***Updated the rest of our trip, so you can now find Day 3: Hollywood Studios here,
Day 4: Epcot here and Day 5: Magic Kingdom and wrap up here !

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