Yesterday we arrived at Disney World! We woke up way too early in our hotel at Manchester Airport and hopped on the shuttle to Disney. This was nice as the parking at the hotel is free, and makes for a money saving adventure - instead of paying airport parking, we had a nice night at the hotel and woke up at only the ungodly hour of 4:45 for our 6:30 flight instead of more like 3:45 if we were still in Hampton Falls. This was actually a huge deal, since we spent our whole day out in the parks once we arrived. Also, it got us into vacation mode a little early. Mommy was working late on Saturday and met the boys late Saturday night - but they had a lot fun waiting for her in the hotel pool and going out to dinner at the airport diner too!
The flight was pretty uneventful, though I have to say that flying without a car seat and with a preschooler who likes to play iPad games is amazing! I think I slept the whole way. Such a difference from our first few flights.
We landed, and we decided to take a cab to Disney World. The last two times we went to Disney Mommy found Disney's Magical Express to be neither Magical, nor Express - so I put my foot down this time and I refused to take it, we were to take a cab. This would have been fine, except there was a cab line we needed to wait in for 25 minutes. Each minute when you have landed, and you are not in the park, and you are wasting on a cab line is an eternity. So, guess I have just decided that for some reason the Orlando airport just doesn't want you to go have fun. Still not sure what to do here. The cab was not magical either, but it was more express. We got right to our hotel (instead of making any number of stops at other hotels prior like the Magical Express does) and because we did not arrive in hoards, we got right in line to check in.
We are staying at the Polynesian. For many, many reasons this is the best of all Disney hotels to stay at. It is one of the oldest, it has an awesome theme, there are many delicious and amazing restaurants, there is Peter Pan's dinner time thing - for babysitting the kids all night while you go to dinner (we are not using this this trip, but will in the future!), a killer pool with a volcano, etc, etc. All of these things are great - but the number one reason is for sure, the location, location, location. Not only are you on the monorail directly to get you into the Magic Kingdom, but you are steps away from the Transportation Station, which has the Monorail that gets you into Epcot, and all of the buses that get you into any of the parks directly. This is key as the buses that leave from the hotels stop at other hotels and your 15 minute bus ride easily turns into 45 minutes - from the transportation station you are guaranteed just park and back, huge!
So, we were about to get out of the cab, having just arrived at our hotel, and I said to Joel Andrew: "Thank you very much for coming to Disney World with me." To which he responded: "Your welcome" and made the cab driver laugh. We had a nice lunch at the Polynesian and then hipped the monorail to the "Castle," as Joel Andrew and I have been calling it. Daddy and I got Joel right in, and skirted him directly in the line to meet Pluto. He waited and waited patiently, but had no idea what for - and then he saw him, and it was the best face I have ever seen - "There's Pluto Mommy!" - So happy to be here!
We loved Mickey's Philharmagic, It's a Small World was ok... Buzz Lightyear was super fun to look at, but he was not yet into playing the game. Pirates of the Caribbean was a hit, and next time Daddy, James and Joel Andrew will all need to go to Pirate's League to get Pirated out... We saw a Daddy come out all Pirate-like and sparkly with his son, I thought Joel Husband was going to be horrified, but instead he was sad I wouldn't let them do it this go-round.
Joel Andrew has done really well. Not every moment has been really magical, he does get tired. But he is having the best time. To think, he woke up at 5am and went all the way until 9pm yesterday, with Disney and a plan ride and all and managed little tantruming whatsoever.
The best: we went to the Haunted Mansion. We had totally thought that Joel Andrew would be ok with this. He watches scary movies all the time. We have brought him to this ride before. We went right into the elevator part of the ride where either the room goes down or the ceiling stretches up (I have never been able to figure that out) and Joel was on his Dad's shoulders looking around intrigued. The spooky MC came on and tells you the whole back story of the ride, and then the lights shut off. I screamed for fun, and all in the elevator when oooooohhhhh. All except Joel Andrew that is, who burst out crying. All of the ooohhhs faded into aaawweee... Which was hysterical for Daddy and I, all while Joel Andrew was screaming crying. We are so mean. We calmed him down and took the ride out and he was all set. But, pretty funny!
His favorite ride yesterday was the pirate one, but he also loved Peter Pan. We already met Donald and Goofy, and sat through a parade. The stroller has been our best friend this trip, but next time we will mark it with neon or something - stroller parking is anarchy and everyone has a MacLaren here. It is hard to find yours! Mommy also found an awesome new Minnie poncho.
We also went to the best dinner ever at the Contemporary Resort. They basically had a kids section so you do not have to feel so bad if your kid is going nuts - you are all in this together. Pretty much each kid, including ours, was playing on an iPad when not eating. Mommy and Daddy enjoyed a nice bottle of wine (Schweiger Cabernet, one of our favs) and Joel Andrew had the most beautiful fruit salad as an app, some goldfish to nibble on in between, at the whole plate of mac and cheese for dinner, and then got the most awesome kid sushi for dessert. He did pretty well with the chop sticks! But at the rice krispie treats with swedish fish on them right up!
So, Day 1 done, plenty of fun had, two sleeping Joel pictures taken, 1 hot dog and 1 plate of mac and cheese consumed. We miss James a ton (he is at home with Ama and Grumpy), but we can't wait to bring him back when he is old enough to really enjoy things as Joel is now!
No comments:
Post a Comment