Disney World, Here We Come – Part 1
When we discovered I was pregnant, we decided that Callee needed a “last time as an only child” trip. Jeff and I decided on Disney World because none of us had ever been. Then my mom, my brother, Corey, and his girlfriend, Zoe, decided to join us. So, I found out I was pregnant in September of 2014. The trip planning started in September of 2014. We made our reservations at the Art of Animation resort. We chose The Lion King suite because it was the only room big enough to hold all 6 of us. After we started planning, my granny, my aunt Tammy, and my cousin, Stella, resolved to come with us too. However, there was not a room big enough for all 9 of us and no more rooms at Art of Animation, so they stayed at Disney’s Pop Century resort. Their resort wasn’t that far from ours, so it was convenient. Our plan was to arrive on Sunday, February 1, 2015 and come home Saturday, February 7, 2015. Even though I would be 6 months when we went, I was still excited to go. We planned from September 2014 until the day before we left. It was fun and exhausting at the same time, but nothing would ever compare to our first trip to Disney World.
Sunday, February 1
Arrival Day!! We arrived in Orlando around 2:30 pm and hopped on Disney’s Magical Express motorcoach to head to Disney World. The whole process was amazing. We didn’t have to worry about our luggage, and the motorcoach was comfortable and right on time. The ride to Disney World was engaging. The motorcoach had trivia and interesting tidbits of information about Disney to keep all its riders entertained. After about a 20 minuter ride, we finally arrived at Disney World! They even dropped us off at the front of our resort, Art of Animation.
After we checked in, Callee put on her Cinderella dress and we headed to Disney Springs. Callee had a reservation for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and she couldn’t wait to be dressed up like a princess. We checked in with the cast member (CM) and waited for her turn. During the wait, Callee picked out her hairstyle and accessories. When it was her turn, she was escorted to her princess chair and the transformation began. She savored all the attention she was getting. Her expression when they finally turned her around to face the mirror was priceless! She was glowing!!
Our last stop for the night was 1900 Park Fare to dine with Cinderella and her family. The food was delicious and we got to meet some interesting characters. We met Cinderella, Prince Charming, her step-sisters, Anastasia and Drizella, and her step-mother, Lady Tremaine. It was a great way to begin our Disney World adventure. Callee was treated like a princess the entire time.
Monday, February 2
Our next day was Magic Kingdom. We started our day off early by being at the park for rope drop. The opening number the characters performed was pretty neat. Our first stop at Magic Kingdom was Anna and Elsa. Callee was obsessed with them, just like any other 5 year old girl. We weren’t able to get Fast Passes to see them so we had to wait in line, for 2 hours. To me, it was well worth the wait because of the look on Callee’s face when she finally got to meet them. She was beyond thrilled and on cloud nine!
After Anna and Elsa, we headed into the thick of it! We had FPs but unfortunately we didn’t schedule any until the afternoon so we hit every ride and attraction we could. Callee wanted to ride Prince Charming’s Regal Carrousel so off we went. Jeffrey also took her on the Mad Tea Party. Those spinning cups made me dizzy! We explored Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. While we were meeting Ariel at her Grotto, it began to rain. However, we had reservations at Be Our Guest so we had to brave the rain to make it on time. We ran up the hill to the restaurant and barely made it on time. Trust me when I say, it was completely worth it! The food was delicious and we were able to meet the Beast! After our lunch, we explored Belle’s village, making sure we checked out Gaston’s Tavern and his statue in the middle of the square.
Our FPs were next. We had Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Peter Pan’s Flight. Since I was 6 months pregnant, I wasn’t able to ride the mine train but Granny didn’t want to ride it either. We wondered around Fantasyland while the others waited to ride. Turns out, Callee loved it. She was hesitant at first but that didn’t stop her from getting on it. Jeff rode in front of Tammy and Stella so he could video their expressions. The video was lost when his phone shorted out but the pictures tell the whole story. Shortly after they exited the ride, a parade started. We happened to be in the right place at the right time so we had front row seats! The attention to details were amazing!
After the parade finished, we headed to Peter Pan’s Flight. It is a slow ride with small drops so I was able to ride it. It was magical! The detail work that was put in to that ride is beautiful. Then, we headed to visit Tinker Bell at Town Square Theater. The line was short and we basically walked straight up to her. She was so cute and patient with Callee. At this point, Callee was tired and shy but Tinker Bell was patient and encouraging. I would definitely say one of the best experiences of our trip. Plus, she was super sassy when she met my brother, Corey, so…
Our last stop for our first night at Disney World was The Crystal Palace for dinner. The buffet was good and we were able to meet the whole gang from Winnie the Pooh! It was a magical first day but we were all extremely ready to go to bed. Our trip was just beginning and it wasn’t going to slow down!
Tuesday, February 3
This day was all about Hollywood Studios. Due to Callee’s obsession with Frozen, our first FP for the day was For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration. When I say “our,” I mean Tammy, Granny, Mom, Callee, and I. Not everyone shared Callee’s obsession. After the celebration, we headed to Hollywood & Vine to eat with some characters from Disney Junior. We met Doc McStuffins, Sofia the First, Jake from Jake & the Neverland Pirates, and Bob the Builder. That character dining experience was the best one we attended. Not because of the food, which was a good buffet, but because of the characters. The characters stopped by our table multiple times and interacted with us more than any other experience. Our next FP was Disney Junior – Live on Stage! Callee sat in the floor and stayed captivated the entire time. The show featured characters from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Doc McStuffins, Sofia the First, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates. Finally, it was time to meet up with the rest of the group.
Since Jeff, Corey, Zoe, and Stella didn’t want to have anything to do with Frozen, they had FPs to ride the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. They said it was exhilarating! Being 6 months pregnant, I couldn’t ride anything. Not that I would have ridden that one even if I could; I’m not a roller coaster person. After their ride, they headed to Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano. According to them, it was the best meal they had ever eaten! I did get to try it on another trip and it was delicious, but more on that in another post. Their next FP was Lights, Motors, Actions Extreme Stunt Show. Due to a long lunch, they missed that FP window. Instead, they rode Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith.
Everyone’s next FP was for Toy Story Mania! This ride was the best ride ever! The point of the ride was to score as many points as you could while shooting a small cannon at a 3D screen. The games were set up like carnival games, including water balloon toss, a balloon pop, and a ring toss. I honestly can’t remember who won but everyone had a blast. We even tried to ride it again later in the day but we couldn’t get another FP for it and the line was way too long! However, we did get to meet Woody and Buzz!
We ended our day at Hollywood Studios by watching Fantasmic!, their fireworks show. It was truly beautiful. We arrived back at the resort late and headed straight to bed!
