It has been THREE long years since we've been to the happiest place on earth...
And we have been counting down the days until we get to return...
TODAY is the day!!!
When my mom and I were planning this Disney trip (because we always go to Disney with Grammie and Poppy!!!) we thought it would be even more fun to 1) ask Aunt Judy (my Dad's sister) to go with us AND 2) to go during Christmas time!!!
My Aunt Judy has never been to Disneyworld before...and we were super excited to show her ALL of our favorites!!!
It has been a hard year for her and my Dad - losing my grandmother...and this trip came at just the right time. In fact, Grandma B helped pay for some of the trip!!!
The first day we all met up in Disney Springs for dinner after flying to Orlando...
Disney...here we come!!
Disney Springs doesn't hold a candle to the parks...
but it's still a lot of fun!
Day One: Epcot
Let's GO!!!!
Everyone was up and ready for the first day of Epcot.
We decided to say hi to Baymax and Joy first...
And we HAD to meet Mickey!!!
Aunt Judy getting to hug Mickey for the first time - IN DISNEYWOLRD!!
Matching shirts and Minnie.
Everyone LOVED Soarin Around the World
These two would have stopped us all day long to make souvenir pennies...but we had a schedule to keep!
Off to the World Showcase...
A spot of tea with Pooh in England.
And then the girls stopped off in Morocco for some beautiful hennas.
And we had to stop in Norway to see Elsa and Anna!
Hailey was definitely feeling the mood while waiting for the Frozen ride!
Some sombreros in Mexico.
We stayed for awhile there to watch the incredible firework, laser and floating kites show.
One more quick ride on Test Track - AT NIGHT - which makes it so much more fun!
And then we decided to call it a day!
We literally walked AROUND the world in a day.
Day Two: Magic Kingdom Christmas Party
The next day we rested all morning/afternoon to get ready for our big night.
We splurged on this trip and bought tickets for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party!!!
The actual party started in the evening but we were able to get in early to ride some of our favorites!
Everything was decorated for Christmas.
Once the official party started...the rides switched over to Christmas-themed.
This was the JINGLE cruise - instead of the Jungle Cruise.
It was still as corny as ever - filled with some cringy puns...but also some jolly Christmas carols.
The firework show was absolutely breathtaking.
Yes, it was raining.
And very cold.
And crowded.
But it was still incredible!!
The finale was the Christmas parade on Main Street with all of our favorite characters.
Jackson and Hailey decided to be brave and test out Space Mountain for the first time - Christmas style.
And they LOVED it!
We managed to squeak in a visit with Moana just as we were heading out.
Day Three: Animal Kingdom
We slept in a little...hoping we wouldn't be too tired after the night before.
The iconic pose with the Tree of Life.
The rapids managed to wake us up!!!
You can't really tell from this picture...but Aunt Judy LOVED this ride!!!
In fact, we went on it several times (ponchos and all)!!
The newest attraction at Animal Kingdom is Pandora - the World of Avatar.
It was so intricate and real...you almost believed you were on another planet.
The wait was about two hours...which was the longest for our entire time at Disney.
But the rest of the group agreed that it was well worth it.
I spent the rest of the evening trying to stop the world from spinning...
Day Four: Hollywood Studios
First up...meeting Mickey - AGAIN!!
And MINNIE!!
Star Wars land opened RIGHT before we went to Disneyworld. We were so excited to see what all they hype was about. It certainly did not disappoint!
This was the line for the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run ride.
TWO HOURS!!!
Everyone that went on the ride LOVED it.
They actually were able to pilot the plane through a mission...each person has a different job.
Mom and I decided to sit this one out and hold spots at Mama Melrose's for when they were done.
ToyStory Land is so much fun...we had a fast pass for ToyStory mania so we had to get there kinda quick after lunch.
We made sure to stock up on treats - popcorn, Mickey ears, churros, etc. before heading to watch Beauty and the Beast.
More Star Wars!!
My friend, Sara Pepper, lent me her sweatshirt for our trip.
That night was REALLY cold and it was the night we waited outside for over and hour to watch Fantasmic!
The Heroes vs the Villains!!
Day Five: Magic Kingdom
The next day we let the grandparents sleep in and we hit the park early.
We decided to celebrate Tyler's 16th birthday while at Disney.
Almost every single cast member we passed wished him a Happy Birthday!!
Our one splurge meal was at Crystal Palace...
with all of Pooh's friends!
Eeyore was sad that we were leaving.
After lunch we tried to pack in some more rides and enjoy the light day at Magic Kingdom.
Day Six: Hollywood Studios
Back again...this time Jackson and Hailey were trained to be Jedis.
They were taught how to use the force to wield their light saber's and defeat the dark side.
Hailey against Dark Vader.
The Jedis.
We waited a LONG time to be able to ride Slinky Dog dash...and it was absolutely worth it!
And then a Frozen Sing Along.
A bite of funnel cake.
And a Star Wars show.
Then it was back to Toy Story Mania for one last time!
Day Seven: Magic Kingdom
The last day...my aunt treated us to a hot air balloon ride at Disney Springs.
Up in the air, you could see for miles...all across the different Disney parks.
One last time in front of the Castle!
The kids had been reading Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn...so they really wanted to make a trip over to the island.
It was an INCREDIBLE trip.
We had such a good time with my parents and Aunt Judy...and Mickey too.
Farewell, Disney....hopefully we'll be back soon!
