Around the World: Day 4

The fourth day of our Disney vacation found us at Epcot. I was left out of the first ride, Soarin' (which makes you feel like you're flying over mountains, oceans, deserts, etc in California) because I was too short. But there was plenty else for me to enjoy, like the Finding Nemo ride and the interactive Turtle Talk with Crush show. And there was this close encounter with a shark:


Don't worry, I'm okay. Dad and I took a picture in front of the Nemo ride (Julia decided she didn't want to do even though it was a slow-moving ride for the whole family; her loss!).


We both got a kick out of the nifty fountains in the Imagination pavilion.



We went to the Norway pavilion for a lunch with the princesses. While I worked on dirtying my diaper, Julia got reacquainted with Belle...


And Aurora...


And Cinderella...


And Snow White...


And Ariel!


When we left the Princess lunch, we checked out a fountain at the Norway pavilion.


It was a quieter day for us, which left lots of time for clowning around.



We also squeezed in a few more meet and greets, including time with Stitch (from Lilo & Stitch)...


And Daisy, who is certainly hard to find in the parks for some reason.


That was our day, which means it's time for video:



After that, my day was over, but Julia and Dad had some more fun on tap for that night. Stay tuned...

Around the World: Day 3

Our third day at Disney was truly Princess-riffic! We were back at the Magic Kingdom, and after we went on my favorite rides again (Peter Pan's Flight and It's a Small World), we met lots of Disney Princesses. First up was Princess Aurora (from Sleeping Beauty):


She gave Henry a big smooch:


Next up was Cinderella.



You can still see Aurora's smoochprint on Henry's forehead!


Next, we met Belle (from Beauty and the Beast).


She also had a kiss for Henry.


Look at Henry with his face full of Princess kisses!


Next, we toured Mickey and Minnie's country homes, and then met Mickey and Minnie themselves.



We then spent some time on the Walt Disney Railroad, where Henry dozed off soon after this picture was taken.


Remember when Mom and Dad told me we were going to Disney World and I cried? Well, I've certainly changed my tune since we got here!


Next up was another meet and greet highlight: Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen (from Princess and the Frog). While we waited on line, I put stickers all over Henry, much to his delight.


I was so excited to meet Tiana and Prince Naveen!



Henry really liked meeting them too.


Dad says one of his highlights of the week came when Tiana and Naveen asked me what my favorite song was, expecting me to tell them a song from the movie, and I responded with "Paparazzi." They almost cracked up — I guess they didn't expect me to pick a Lady Gaga song!

Next up was a character dining experience that blew away everything we've done at Sesame Place: Cinderella's Royal Table. I got to eat dinner with Cinderella and the other princesses, right in her beautiful castle! I met Cinderella again as soon as I got there.


Then we were seated, and I showed off the special "Wishing Star" they gave me.


I received a special princess wand there too.


And Henry got a sword! Cool, but perhaps not the best gift for an 18-month-old...


After that, the princess quickly began making the rounds. There was Snow White...


And Aurora...


And Ariel (from Little Mermaid), who was another highlight...


And finally, I got to see Belle once again.


As usual, the video tells the real story of the day, so check it out:



Tomorrow, we've got a special double post from Day 4, which found us visiting Epcot and then attending a special Christmas party with Mickey.

Around the World: Day 2

Julia and I had so much fun at the Magic Kingdom on the first day. Imagine my surprise when I found out we'd be at Disney World for the whole week! On the second day, we headed over to Animal Kingdom. We started the cooooold day (like Day 1, temperatures barely got out of the 30s — it was actually colder in Florida than it was in New Jersey!) at Kilimanjaro Safaris, where we saw some amazing animals, like lions and giraffes.


We saw a terrific musical based on Finding Nemo, with astounding puppetry. Julia discovered this Nemo-themed Christmas tree. Neat!


We also spent some time in the Boneyard, which was a play area for little kids like us. After being stuck in my stroller for much of the trip, it was great to finally get to stretch my legs.

Then it was time for more meet and greets, like Pluto & Goofy...


Winnie the Pooh...


Tigger...


Mickey Mouse(!)...


And last but not least, Donald Duck.


We also watched another terrific parade, Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade. We left the park after that and had hoped for a quiet night after two crazy days, but then we went out to dinner and discovered that Dad had locked the keys to our rental inside the car. So we were stuck there until AAA could get into the car. Oops!

Here's a video from Day 2:



Check back soon for Day 3, back at Magic Kingdom!

Around the World: Day 1

At long last, we're ready to tell you all about our fabulous Disney World vacation. I got over my tears as soon as we arrived at the airport, and I was very good on the flight (it helped that they showed one of my favorite Christmas shows, Prep & Landing). Henry napped for a bit on the flight but had three separate crying fits during the flights (it turned out he just wanted milk). And that was pretty much the last bit of trouble he gave Mom and Dad all week.

The next morning, we were all set for Day 1 of our Disney adventure. First up was the best park of them all: the Magic Kingdom. We were a bit delayed in the morning because Henry and I had some trouble getting up early (especially after getting to bed late the night before), then the monorail broke down, which delayed our entrance into the park. But after that, we were all ready to go. First up was the Dumbo ride, which Henry really enjoyed:



We moved on to Peter Pan's Flight, which was hands-down my favorite ride at Disney World. The runner-up was It's a Small World, which we went on next:


Not all the rides were a big hit with us. Neither Henry nor I liked the Winnie the Pooh ride, and I made Mom take me out in the middle of the PhilharMagic short movie, because I didn't like the 3-D elements. But that was quickly forgotten when Henry and I had our first character meet and greet of the week (and one of the best): Jessie and Woody from Toy Story!


It was really fun, especially because we had dressed up as them for Halloween. We were all smiles afterward!


Mom promised if I was good and ate my fruit, I could have a treat that I had been coveting: Mickey Mouse ice cream. And where better to eat it than in front of Cinderella's Castle?



We took in the Dream-Along with Mickey show (in front of the Castle), and then relaxed on the PeopleMover, which gave us a leisurely tour of Tomorrowland (though I didn't like the parts that were in the dark).


After that, it was time to wait for the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade.


The parade was a blast, and I saw so many of my friends there. Then it was time to meet another one: Buzz Lightyear (also from Toy Story). Henry was so excited as we waited in line!



Buzz did not disappoint!


By dinnertime, we were spent — but happy!


We concluded the day with a real treat: watching them light up the Castle at night. It was breathtaking!

These photos are great, but you really need to see the Day 1 video to appreciate it. Here it is:



That's it for our first day. Check back soon for Day 2 at Animal Kingdom!