This Unfamiliar Road

May 22, 2017

Disney: Magic Kingdom {Part One}

We chose to tackle Magic Kingdom for our first park day. This is the vision our girls had when they heard stories of the magical place called Disney World. The castle. The princesses. The rides. This is where it all begins!

Our first glimpse of the castle!

Per veteran Disney-goers, it is necessary to arrive 30-45 minutes prior to park opening to experience rope drop...this did not disappoint! Another happy-tear moment for Momma (and Daddy!)

This also gave us time to get some fabulous castle pictures, and really take in our surroundings.

Our first rides were The Magic Carpets of Aladdin and Jungle Cruise, then we made our way back towards the castle for Mickey's Royal Friendship Faire, which was a great way for us to see lots of characters at once!

We had lunch reservations at Be Our Guest, which is inside The Beast's castle. The experience was amazing and it was definitely the best Quick Service meal we had!

(Pro Tip: Reservations can be made 180 days in advance and are a necessity to dine here. Also, you can make your menu selections prior to visiting so the meal moves along more quickly).

Try the grey stuff-it's delicious!

Because we stayed on-site, we were able to book our Fast Pass reservations 60 days in advance- which was totally necessary for a rookie like me! I researched many of the rides and noted those that the girls were too small to ride on so we didn't waste any time.

(Pro Tip: Make Fast Pass reservations for times of the day when the park is the busiest, around 11am-2pm.)

Our first Fast Pass was for Enchanted Tales with Belle (see what I did there? Lunch at Beast's castle, then directly to Tales with Belle... Momma is a planner!). This was an adorable interactive show with Belle and characters.

Although we were part of an audience, as soon as Belle entered the room, Eliza exclaimed "BELLE!" and ran up to hug her. It was the sweetest moment I will never forget. The girls both got to spend a good amount of time chatting and twirling with Belle.

Our next Fast Pass was for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train- a kid-sized rollercoaster that E was too small to enjoy. However....according to Peyton, she wasn't missing out on much.

Clearly, our girl is not a fan of rollercoasters

From here, my memory is a little blurry on the order of things, but I have picture evidence that we rode Mad Tea Party (the teacups), WDW railroad, and It's a Small World (over....and over....and over). We also enjoyed some ice cream, cause...Disney

From there, we rode Under the Sea (poor E just couldn't hang any longer and fell asleep waiting in line), then we got to meet Ariel in her Grotto!

We wrapped up our day meeting more Disney Pals!

And that's our first day at Magic Kingdom!

May 21, 2017

Disney: Day One {Details}

Andrea 8:58 PM 0 Comments

I just have to capture and share every detail of our very first Disney trip! This will be a lengthy series, but so worth it for my family to remember such a special time. I planned this trip for about a year (mainly because I was a total rookie and wanted to learn every aspect) and our magical trip could not have been more amazing!

No road trip is complete without Cracker Barrel in your pj's

Surprise!
We managed to keep it a TOTAL secret from the girls (using the code word "Orlando trip" during the planning phase). It was tricky but oh so worth it- just watch this precious video when Peyton realized where we were. It makes me cry every time.

Hotel: We decided to stay on-site at the advice of many Disney veterans. I am SO glad we did! Especially due to the age of our kiddos, there are many pros to staying on site: Access to dining plan, free and convenient transportation to parks, and access to early fast pass reservations.
We chose to stay at Port Orleans Riverside Royal room- a place that will always hold a special place in my heart! The accommodations were great, and the Royal Room just added that extra special touch. The grounds were beautiful and lush, and I felt like we were visiting an old southern mansion. It was a short walk to the dining hall from our room. The walk to the bus stop was a little longer, but we fell into a routine pretty quickly and it wasn't too bad.

Stroller: We chose to rent from Orlando Stroller Rentals and we both agreed it was one of the best purchases of the trip. It saved us a lot of headache! For a City Mini GT Double, it was $85.60 for the entire week! They had it waiting for us when we arrived at our hotel, and we dropped it with the concierge before we left...easy peasy. Both girls fit very well into it, plus a basket for goodies.
(Pro Tip: Bring a laminated stroller sign with bright ribbons so you can easily spot yours!)

Dining: We decided to go with a meal plan- another fantastic purchase for our trip. The Disney Dining Plan included (1) Table Service Meal, (1) Quick Service Meal, and (2) Snacks per person (except Eliza, due to age) and per day. We also each received a rapid refill drink mug. We took full advantage of the table service credits and booked a character meal almost every day. We later agreed it might have been overkill, but what other time in life can you dine with your favorite Disney characters every single day?! The cost for the plan was very reasonable, and it was so convenient that meals were taken care of.

On night one, we really started off with a bang, dining at 1900 Park Fare with CINDERELLA, Prince Charming, The Wicked Stepsisters, and The Wicked Stepmother. The food was delicious, and the experience was the perfect way to start our vacation. Our incredibly sleep-deprived children were troopers...and in total awe!

Aaaand that about wraps up day one! Back to our comfy bed to gear up for our first park day!

# Disney # Travel

May 12, 2017

Peyton and Eliza's Baptism

Andrea 10:59 AM 0 Comments

There is something truly wonderful about baptisms in the spring, specifically during the Lenten season. This year, as we prepared our hearts for Easter, we also prepared to renew our promise and commitment to our children that we would lead them to know and love Christ.

Peyton and Eliza were baptized on a beautiful spring Sunday, and our church was filled with a loving and supportive congregation, Grandparents, Godparents, and close friends and family.

It was the first warm(er) day in March! Spring is here :)

It takes a village, y'all...and we have THE BEST one!

We hosted a brunch at our home after the service. You know how much we love to entertain, and this gave me a chance to bring out the fancy serve ware :)