Disney

The family took an impromptu trip to Disney World over Memorial Day weekend while we were in Jacksonville visiting my parents. In retrospect, taking a toddler and infant to Disney World on what may be their busiest day of the year may not have been the best timing. On top of that, it was also “Rock your Disney Side” day, one of the rare events where the Magic Kingdom is open 24-hours and people can wear costumes into the park, making it a even more popular weekend than usual.

Given all of that, we still had a great time! We stayed at Disney’s Art of Animation Studios, which worked great for us. We had a Finding Nemo themed family suite, which gave us plenty of room and Laurel absolutely loved! The entire place featured art and imagery from Finding Nemo, the Lion King, Cars, and the Little Mermaid. If I had to guess, I would say Ariel better watch out. I think Anna and Elsa may be coming for her wing at the resort during the next renovation. Speaking of Anna and Elsa, we didn’t get to meet them at the park. Even when we woke up early and went straight there, the line was 420 minutes long. It was the only attraction that ran out of fast-passes ahead of time. Turns out Laurel was happy enough seeing the characters in the parades. We did, however, wait in line to see Tinkerbell, but that didn’t turn out like we expected. If you didn’t already know, Laurel is a huge Tinkerbell fan. She has seen all the movies… at least 20 times each. She would not stop talking about how excited she was and what she was going to talk to Tinkerbell about the entire time we were in line. As soon as she went up to meet her she claimed up. After an hour in line, she made a duck face in every photo. EVERY PHOTO!

I think Kyllan’s favorite part of the trip was watching all of the parades. Laurel’s was definitely Finding Nemo the Musical, especially after staying in a Nemo room. Kyllan and I were both shocked by how much Elliott enjoyed Its a Small World. In fact, he still perks up whenever he hears the music. My favorite was Kilimanjaro Safari in the Animal Kingdom.  I think our time at the Animal Kingdom really made the trip. The crowds, the heat, and the waits at the Magic Kingdom were  just too much for the kids to bare and the Safari and Finding Nemo the Musical were the two best attractions in the entire park.   We have tons of pictures from the trip. Here are a few below.