Sunday, June 14, 2009

Disney Day 1

Our day started off around 3am after a not so restful 4 hours of sleep. We finished off that last minute stuff and woke the kids around 3:45am. Yes, you did read that right. Jason was a bit hard to get up and Micah was very grumpy and shaky. But Hannah woke up, realized WHY we were up this early and starting talking and getting all excited. Thankfully her enthusiasm spread to the boys so by the time we got to the airport at 4:20a, everyone was awake and ready to go.

This was the kids first time flying and they did great. I brought extra stuff for them to do but never needed it. We left Columbus at 6am and landed in Orlando at 11:30am after a layover in Chicago. One priceless moment came when we landed in Chicago and Micah cried out as
the plane touched down and started to break "WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE IT!!! WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE IT!! He got the passengers around him (and us) all laughing so when we landed in Orlando, he cried "OH NO! WE'RE GONNA CRASH!!!" I have no idea where he gets these things. After being up since 3:45, Hannah did dose on the flight from Chicago to Orlando, but not for more than a few minutes at a time. The boys never just fall asleep so we just kept on powering through.

Our first stop of the day after picking up our rental (Really, does it have to take THAT long?), we headed over to the Downtown Disney area. As this was our first trip, they kids starting screaming their excitement at every sign and bus and Mouse Earred object they saw. It was a good thing. :)


Once parked, we headed directly to lunch at the new T-REX restaurant. Since we knew the evening would be very Princess themed, we wanted to give the boys something as well. The restaurant was very cool with animatronic dinosaurs and really neat themeing. Every 20 minutes or so the restaurant experiences a "meteor shower" and the sound effects get loud, the animals come alive and the lights go dark and flashy. The kids LOVED it, but it did get a annoying to Hannah after a while. I think she was happy to go when the meal was done, although Jason could have stayed and talked to the moving animals for hours. Yes, I did say talk.



After lunch we decided to do a bit of shopping before Hannah's appointment at the Bibbity Boppity Boutique. We hit the Lego store which was super cool and then headed over to The World of Disney where the boutique was located to check in. While we waited to be buzzed, we did a little shopping. Micah found a Buzz Lightyear laser gun that he just couldn't part with. Seriously, couldn't. He has a blue squirt gun at home that he carries everywhere. We had to leave it at home, so he, apparently, has found a suitable replacement.


We finally decided to pick up a little thing for each of them which became a bit more trouble than it was worth. They were very hot and very tired by this point and with so many amazing choices, they had a hard time deciding. (Except Micah who had a death grip on the gun since he picked it up, lol) It took a while, but Hannah picked out a small music box and Jason a stuffed Simba.

During all of this choosing, it came time for Hannah's appointment. I stayed with her and Andy took the boys back to the Lego store and then to Once Upon a Toy. Sadly, I had the camera so we don't have any good picks of the boys becoming "Certified Lightsaber Technicians" as they learned to build their own.

At the boutique, Princess Hannah was given the royal treatment by her "Fairy Godmother." She got her nails painted, sparkly make-up and stick on jewels for her cheek. Her hair was drawn up into the coolest 'bun' and she was given a crown and a sash. With her dress completing the picture, my travel weary little girl was transformed into a beautiful princess. For the rest of the day, people of all ages would pass her and tell her she was beautiful or something similar. She took her role to heart and curtsied with a smile to nearly everyone she saw.



Finally, we regrouped and headed to check into our condo. Windsor Hills is literally right off Disney property which will be so super convenient this week. And the condo is very nice. The kids room is Mickey themed and the master has a very comfortable looking King sized bed. We rested there for a couple hours and let the kids cool off and wind down. Micah, who would not nap despite waking up so early, vegged out in front of the TV while we unpacked and got organized.

Finally, it was time to go. Those of us not attending dinner in full royal attire changed into clean, not-so-casual clothes and we headed out to the Grand Floridian. This hotel is GORGEOUS! The lobby was amazing to wander around while we waited for our table and the live music (first a pianist, then a jazz band) was just wonderful. While we waited, we took turns dancing with each other to the piano music bringing about a lot of smiles from us all. It was after 8pm when our table was called, but still, the kids were doing great. We took a really nice family photo as we entered and were quickly seated and given our drinks.



I've been to a lot of buffets in my time, even at Disney, but this one was amazing. Everything we ate was succulent and delicious. We picked this meal originally because it's the only princess meal we could all attend that was not in a park. But now that I have been, I have to say, it has to be the most fun of them all. Seriously, there were many times that we were all laughing so hard we cried. The characters (Cinderella, Prince Charming and Cinderella's Step mom and step-sisters) make the rounds and visit each and every table interacting with the kids and signing autographs. Hannah was ENTHRALLED to meet Cinderella and Prince Charming. But while we did this meal for her, I think the boys had just as much, if not more fun.



Micah charmed the heck out of Cinderella with his Space Ranger skills. But Jason was the real show stealer here. While all the characters really played up their parts, Drizzella, just took to Jason. At one point she had him dancing the waltz through the dining room and doing the sprinkler in the aisle. The best was when Jason told her she was pretty and she asked if he had a girlfriend? The rest is history, so to speak. After sealing the deal with a kiss on the cheek, she drug him through the restaurant all the while screaming to her "mom" and "sisters" about her new beau. Jason just ate it up and played along. It was so cool. I, honestly, don't think I've had more fun at dinner, ever.



Finally, it was time to say goodbye and we headed back to the condo. By then it was 10pm and the kids were very, anxious to go to bed. It took a bit of reminding them to be quite, but within 5 minutes of the last "stop making noise" declaration, they were asleep. Which is what I should be doing right now.

No comments: