Our Magical Disney Vacation

We embarked on the ultimate Disney trip plus a bonus visit to see family. It was a week filled with lots of firsts for the kids, Disney magic and unforgettable memories.

We had the smoothest travel day. The stretch limo picked us up in libertyville at 8;30 and we arrived at a very crowded o'hare with enough time to get lunch. The kids did fantastic on their first ever plane ride. They watched movies on their ipads and snacked the whole time. They weren't scared or nervous at all. Gracie kept asking grandpa "are we flying now?" We arrived in Orlando early, got the car quickly, packed up and were on our way to visit my aunt in record time.

After a quick visit with family, we were finally on our way to Disney world after a long travel day. While it was a long day, it went super smooth and better than we could have hoped. the kids were so excited to finally be here. ben told us "disney is my life. we are going to my life." many times on the journey under the magic arches.

The most magical place on earth.

We got to our hotel (Beach Club Villas) around 7:15pm. We were in a 1 bedroom suite with the kids and my parents were across the hall in a studio. We had groceries delivered and quickly unpacked our things and set up for the night. The kids were in little blow up beds in the master bedroom and Danny and I slept on the pullout couch.

After unpacking and getting settled, we cracked open the wine and beer and went to the balcony to enjoy the warm weather. It was then that we discovered that our balcony faced Epcot and the giant ball. We could see fireworks right from our room. The kids had never seen fireworks before so it was the perfect introduction from a distance. They were amazed and we were all super excited too. The perfect first night in the most magical place on earth.

The kids slept fantastic the first night. They woke up around 8am, we ate breakfast and got ready for Hollywood Studios. Breakfast in our room and then off to the Friendship boat and Day 1 in Disney World.

Our first park visit was a bit of a test run. We weren't sure how the kids would do and how long they would last each day. It was extremely hot (95+) and we didn't have the best plan. We still managed to do a ton:

- MIckey's run away railway (1)

- Meet & Greet Olaf (11)

- Meet & Greet Darth Vadar (50)

- Lunch at PizzeRizzo

- Muppet 3D Show (26)

- A walk through Star Wars Land

- Oga's Cantina Bar (35)

After walking down Sunset Boulevard and picking up our popcorn bucket, we headed right to Mickey's Runaway railway. It was a super fast, jerky ride but no one cried or was scared! We missed the Great Movie Ride but this was cute too.

Next we headed over to do some character meet and greets.This was the kids first time meeting Disney characters. First up was Olaf who did not disappoint. They gave lots of hugs and were bouncing around. Darth Vader was next. They were a bit more weary of him but still excited. Ben did the "force push" and he told us to come to the dark side. We wandered around a bit trying to find lunch, it was way too hot to eat outside so we ended up at a simple pizza place.

Some things that really saved the day were the bubble wands and popcorn buckets. We filled those up daily, sometimes multiple times a day! For this trip, we picked up Ariel and Buzz Lightyear. They kept them busy and entertained while walking around in the heat. They worked during the half hour wait for Magic Kingdom fireworks to begin! I would highly recommend this being the first purchase for families with small kids, the moment you step foot into a park. Or purchase ahead of time on ShopDisney if you want a discount.

We wandered around Star Wars land for a little while, it is extremely well done and looks like you are in a movie! Our last stop in Hollywood Studios was Oga's Cantina for some alcoholic beverages. They were exotic and super tasty. We all enjoyed the AC and some calm before heading back to the hotel for a rest.