The Magic Kingdom

Back from Disney, had a blast! 5 and 7 are perfect ages for the Magic Kingdom. We pulled into the parking lot at 8 AM and drove out of the lot at 11:30 PM. A full day, but so much fun.

The most fun part for me was getting to spend the day with the Perrys, our old friends from Houston. Henry and Jackson were born two months apart, and spent the first two years of their lives [before we moved to Boston] as big buds.



How about a little flashback?



Spencer and Annie were also born about two months apart, but sadly we moved when Spencer was only 5 months old [Annie, 3 mos], so they didn't get as much time together. But everyone got along great, which I was excited about because you just never know how these things are going to work out, you know?



We rode Buzz Lightyear three times. The first two times were by choice, the third time because Spencer had a little freak out about not getting to ride with Jackson -- which in all fairness to him, it was his turn -- so we waited another 30 minutes to get back on the ride. By this point, we were all pros. Julie even got a 212,000 score, which I think was Super Space Ranger status? It's a fun ride, especially for this age group.



We ate lots of ice cream, because when in Disney do as the Disnians do...



The most stylish Disnians I saw were these ladies from It's a Small World:



That ride is a classic -- loved it as much this time as 20+ years ago.

The street dance parade was a favorite of mine, too. Kids have the best dance moves and are so unselfconscious. And man, those dancing Disnians really get down.



Both boys said their favorite ride was Peter Pan. My favorite was Splash Mountain. It doesn't get much better than that.



Good times were had by all!

I'll end this post with my top 5 tips for Disney:

1. Go early! We rode Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a Small World, Peter Pan, The Haunted Mansion and Snow White plus had time for an ice cream break all in the first 1.5 hours. There are no lines first thing in the morning. Peter Pan was already starting to fill up at about 9:30 AM.

2. Pack water bottles and snacks. Everything in the park is super expensive but you can take food and drinks [non-alcoholic -- the guy inspecting my bag told me someone just tried to smuggle in a 12-pack -- really?!] into the park. The food is pretty gross and pricey, so I'd even consider packing lunch.

3. If you aren't staying in the resort, leave earlier than you think. It took us about 30 minutes to get from where we parked to the Magic Kingdom. And if you can swing it, I'd recommend staying in one of the hotels in Disney, on the monorail.

4. Use the Fast Pass system! This system rocks. For Splash Mountain, the wait time was 65 minutes. With the Fast Pass, we waited about 5 minutes. I highly recommend timing things out to where you do the popular rides using the Fast Pass so you don't have to wait.

5. And lastly, go into it just expecting that it's going to be crowded and at times crazy, but it's worth it to see their little faces light up when they are experiencing something so new. I was so confused when I would see adults look annoyed at excited [and admittedly rowdy] kids. If you can't be wild and excited at Disney, where can you be?!

I'd be happy to answer any specific questions, too, so let me know!