I don't know how some people can go to a park like the Magic Kingdom for just a few hours and then relax poolside. We've tried to do that and failed miserably. There is just too much to do and see. The Magic Kingdom alone required 4 separate and long trips. Each child has his or her ride criteria as did Mom and Dad. Over the course of umpteen hours we hit (at the Magic Kingdom alone): The Buzz Lightyear Ride -- several times using Speed Pass as well as standing on excruciatingly long lines, The Laugh Floor (the new Monster's Inc. experience), The Goofy Roller coaster, a walk through Toon Town, Dumbo, The Winnie The Pooh Ride, Mickey's Philharmagic -- an interactive, 3D experience -- one of my all-time favorites, It's A Small World ride, Peter Pan's Flight, Pirates of the Caribbean, Thunder Mountain, The Jungle Cruise, The Flying Carpets, The Blue Line Transit, lunch at the Crystal Palace. Some of these rides we hit a few times. We used our Fast Pass when we were able and waited on long lines when we had to. The weather was cool for Florida. The first few days the temperatures were in the upper 60s with overcast skies. Perfect for park-hopping not so perfect for getting a little color!
We went to Epcot on one of the cooler days and walked around the world! I love how you can just have a glass of wine or beer as you walk around. I didn't, however, but enjoyed a nice hot tea over in China. The flower show was in full bloom. We totally forgot to check out the butterfly exhibit and were unable to get on Soarin' my all-time favorite ride. By the time we got to the park, at 11:00, the next Fast Pass was not until 7:30 pm! I was not about to stand on line for an hour and a half either. At least not with a 3 year old. Next time we will plan accordingly. We did enjoy the Nemo ride as that was closed for maintenance last time we were at Epcot. There was a wonderful playground for the children so we stopped there too. The kids' favorite place, by far, was the Coca-Cola store where you can sample best-selling Coca-Cola products from around the world!
We also went to Hollywood Studios where was had a great lunch at the 50s Prime Time Diner. Loved the decor, waitresses and the food. We saw a show for the pre-school set featuring the characters from Handy Manny, The Little Einsteins and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Honestly I was disappointed. The characters were puppets and our view (as well as everyone else's) was very obstructed. I hope they go back to the older format. Alexander enjoyed himself thoroughly and Christopher was bored to tears! We saw an interactive Little Mermaid show, a movie about the Life and Times of Walt Disney, played in the amazing Honey I shrunk the Kids playground and lastly got a chance to experience the new Toy Story Ride, also interactive and 3D. Amazing!
We decided not to go to Animal Kingdom despite my really wanting to go on the Safari, which is truly an amazing experience, because we were all exhausted from our long days and endless hours on our feet. We went, instead, to Typhoon Lagoon, one of Disney's water parks. It was by far our best day there! There was an enormous zero-grade pool which boasted, at the sound of a whistle, giant 6 foot waves! The kids delighted in it! We went on a family white water raft ride, a water roller coaster, several slides and even took some time to relax in our chairs on the sand. We chose the perfect day with bright sunshine and temperatures in the mid 80s. My favorite part of the day was my swim in the salt water tank with salt water fish, sharks and sting rays. it was a most amazing experience. I took pictures with a disposable underwater camera and will post pictures when they come back. That night we didn't hit the pool (nor did I hit the pool-side bar!) but we headed back to Downtown Disney for another amazing dinner at Wolfgang Puck's place.
Friday saw our last visit to The Magic Kingdom and our last swim at the pool. We didn't end our vacation without incident. Christopher had a run-in with one of the brass horses at the pool (see previous post for pictures) and ended up with a large gash over his eyebrow that needed immediate attention and a trip to the ER. Luckily Daddy was able to talk the Dr. at Celebration Hospital that he would be much better off with Dermabond in lieu of stitches. Luckily Daddy has much Dermabond experience. The trauma of stitches and needle in the forehead was spared. Christopher came home not too much worse for the wear, proud of his war wound which, thanks to Dermabond, will heal beautifully!
We miss the warm weather but it is awfully nice to be home! The kids are already planning their next Disney Adventure!