Family, Disney and Fun

One of the best parts about being in Florida to me is family time. It's even better when you get to spend it with family you don't see too often. While in Florida we made time to visit some of Brett's Aunts and Uncles that we haven't seen in a while and it was so nice to catch up. 

On our first Tuesday, we loaded up the rental car and drove to visit Brett's Aunt and Uncle at their home. We enjoyed a delicious lunch, took a tour of their lovely community and had a little celebration for our birthday boy. 

Seconds before he turned around and got Brett with his icing covered hand

Halle loved helping him open his presents

It was so nice to see familiar faces and catch up with them. The kids had a wonderful time, and it was nice to have such a relaxing day on vacation. It's not always that way while you're visiting Disney World.

The following day was the exact opposite! We were up early, and preparing to leave the condo by 9am. Our first stop - The Magic Kingdom. This was the day that all of us (grandparents included) visited a theme park. We met lots of characters, rode a ton of rides and even stopped for a character lunch.

Nolan was sleeping when we went to meet Mickey, so it was just the three of us

Cooling Nolan off in the mist... Lion King style

It had been ages since I was last in the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse... Halle LOVED it

I had booked our lunch back in early March, and we had a wonderful meal at The Crystal Palace. I cannot stress the importance of making a reservation if you want to do a character meal, especially with a small child! When we arrived for our reservation there was a huge lineup of people waiting for an open table. It was nice to be able to just walk in and sit down, especially since everyone was feeling hot and Halle was already asking to go back home because she was hot and tired.

Lunch seemed to turn everything around. The food options were fantastic! So much good food we all went back for seconds (some of us even thirds). The service was friendly and attentive, and Halle was so excited to meet Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger. It totally revived our cranky 4 year old... especially the all you can eat soft serve ice cream! I highly recommend doing a character meal, especially with preschool aged kids. The cost can be high, but the food was much better than any of the counter service places and we all left feeling really happy about the choice to do the lunch!

The rest of the afternoon was filled with so much more fun! Including the new Little Mermaid ride (our favourite), and meeting Ariel in her Grotto. We had booked a fast pass for it in advance because I knew she was a princess Halle REALLY wanted to meet. When we arrived there was no wait and we got to walk right in, but I'm glad we didn't leave it to chance. 

Nolan got a big kiss from Ariel and wore it proudly the rest of the day

For the light parade we bought Halle "Made with Magic" Ears and a wand that changed their colour. She refused to wear them so Brett and I had a good time with them instead!

After a busy day at The Magic Kingdom, Thursday was a chance to slow down a little again. Brett and I, along with the kids, joined his parents at Disney Springs to meet up with Brett's Aunt's and cousin. We enjoyed a yummy lunch, walked around, chatted and caught up and of course grabbed some ice cream at Ghirardelli.

Halle loved throwing coins into every fountain that we passed

Our little photographer capturing a family photo

In the evening Brett and I put on something nice and had a fantastic dinner at Morimoto Asia at Disney Springs, followed by a show of Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba. We ate at the Sushi Bar for dinner and it was a very intimate experience, and sitting beside one another gave us a great opportunity to talk. The show was incredible and at the end Brett told me that he wanted it to keep going. I felt exactly the same! We highly recommend seeing La Nouba if you're visiting the Walt Disney World Resort! Great for a date, or even to visit with some older kids. I think even Halle may have enjoyed it, but we needed some time for just the two of us.

The best part about this trip was balancing it out between doing a lot and taking it easy. While somedays seemed rush, others were pretty laid back, giving us a chance to catch our breath a little. Always the way we would recommend doing Disney World. There is so much to see and do, but it's best not to exhaust yourself and just enjoy every second!

Magic Through Her Eyes

As we were packing up to head to Florida, Brett seemed slightly amused by my excitement to return to Walt Disney World. It made me stop to think about why exactly I was so excited for this trip. For me, Florida holds so many special memories starting back when my parents first brought my brother and I there when we were eight. I remember visiting the timeshare resort that they bought in, and having so much fun riding in the limo around the resort after they purchased a unit. 23 years later we're still going back to Westgate Vacation Villas in Kissimmee and have created so many wonderful memories there with family and friends. It was also the very first vacation Brett and I took together back in 2008. With all of those wonderful memories there and more to be made with our two kids, I just couldn't wait to get back this past May.

We arrived in Florida shortly after 6pm the Saturday before Mother's Day, and after a late dinner and catching up with both sets of Grandparents at the condo we all passed out, exhausted from a long day of travelling. The next day we had a slow start, then headed down to enjoy the water park at the resort. Shipwreck Island is located inside Westgate Vacation Villas and offers a large pool with a variety of slides for kids of all ages, and on the second level you'll find the splash pad and lazy river (my favourite part). There was something for everyone, and I always enjoy the extra large drinks you can purchase at the bar! Perfect for a day relaxing by the pool! Brett made sure I had one in my hand the minute we arrived - after all, it was Mother's Day!

After a day of fun in the sun, we went out to dinner and then Brett's Mom surprised us all with a ride on the Orlando Eye. Though I am not particularly fond of heights, I figured I would do fine as I had no problem riding the London Eye when I was in England. About halfway up, I learned that I now had a stronger fear of heights and had to sit in the middle of the pod with my eyes closed until we were on the opposite side on the way down. Thankfully my Dad was there to man my camera and take some photos.

The last photo I snapped before I just could not take anymore...

The next day we spent more time down by the pool, enjoying the water and a free lunch for owners at the resort. We played and soaked up the sun until it was time to get ready. That evening we had reservations at the Rainforest Cafe in Disney Springs, followed by Halle's appointment for a Princess Makeover at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.

Sadly, our little princess only wanted to be Snow White but there was a Disney-wide shortage of Snow White dresses. Her little heart was not broken for long, and she opted for an Anna dress instead, a princess I find much more fitting to our girls personality. She waited patiently for her turn and I couldn't help but smile as she sat mostly silent as her Fairy Godmother in training talked to her about all of the princesses. I found all of the ladies here so lovely to deal with and they were so fantastic with all of the little princesses, making sure to refer to them as such each time they addressed them. It is definitely the type of experience that will make any little girl feel truly special. I especially loved the book they had every princess sign after their makeover!

The rest of the night we spent wandering store to store, giving Halle her first taste of Walt Disney World. She picked out a couple of toys to buy with her own money, and enjoyed riding on the carousel with my Dad and then the train on her own.

We had so much going on during this vacation, it will make for a few posts (which may be spotty with using RV Park Wi-Fi here and there). I'll do my best to share as quickly as possible. I can't wait to get to this trip and share photos from Alberta, Montana and Wyoming!