Horse Show

As you may remember from my last post, we drove from Disney World to Montgomery in one day in order to drive in for Joshua's horse show the next day. He does horseback riding therapy & has loved it again this year, as you can see from the smiles in the following pictures.

I think he rides the biggest horse they have. All of the horses are beautiful.

Check out those pink cheeks....it was quite warm! He was hanging out with Grammy while he watched big brother.

All of the riders got awards at the end of the show. We are looking forward to the next year of classes!

Disney Day 7 - Chef Mickey's

Our last day at Disney we went to breakfast at Chef Mickey's & then packed up to begin the drive home.

Timothy saw the Mickey Mouse balloons as soon as he woke up & was so excited! He ran around the room with both of them for a while. After we got them up & ready, we headed to Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary.

Waiting for the characters to come visit.

Pluto spent the most time at our table. He seemed quite fond of Joshua.

I wanted a picture of the boys in the shirts I made for them. They wanted to look at the water.

One last family picture in the lobby before starting the long drive home. We had hotel reservations in Montgomery so we knew we had to make it that far! We wouldn't have driven so long in one day except that Joshua had a horse show the next morning with his horseback riding therapy & we wanted to be back in time for that. We ended up not getting to Montgomery until around 8:00 that night. John & I had not had dinner, though we had stopped at a rest area & given the boys some food that I had in the car for them. We stayed at the Renaissance & our room overlooked the river & the fountain, so the boys were thrilled & hard to get settled down for bed!

I think we really did have a great trip. We had not known what to expect from Joshua but he did really well. He even ate some foods that he would never eat before....a hot dog, french fries, chicken nuggets, pizza...not the healthiest but these were major things for Joshua. He basically lives on crackers, PB&J, and some fruits. For him to eat meat of any sort was amazing!

So, here is my two cents on the logistics of the trip: the Polynesian was worth every penny. If you are traveling with little kids (or kids of any age with special needs) I would highly recommend staying at either the Polynesian or Contemporary. Travel to the Magic Kingdom & Epcot are super easy & quick with the monorail right there. The Grand Floridian is also on the monorail but it looks fancier & I think I recall it being more expensive. John says he doesn't think we would do the deluxe dining plan again because there was so much food at every meal. However, if you want to do Chef Mickey's or California Grill (& maybe a few other places that we didn't go) it might be worth it because those places are pricey & no longer included on the basic dining plan. If you do the deluxe plan, make sure to use up all of your snacks! You eat so much during the day that you forget about snacks. We mostly used ours to get bottled water in the parks. John laughed at me but I would go by the gift shop every time & get a bottle of water. We took what we didn't drink there & drank it on the way home rather than stopping to buy some along the way. Also, make sure the cashiers apply it to your snack plan....otherwise you end up paying $2.50 for water (that happened to us twice). We did four character breakfasts (most table service meals at breakfast include characters). If we go again I think we will only do one but I think it was good that we did so many this time. Timothy cried at the first one when Mickey came up to him but by the last one he had gotten used to it & was excited to see the characters. If I had to choose one it would probably be Chef Mickey's because those were the classic characters, but if you want one that is included in the basic dining plan, Mickey was also at the Tusker House at Animal Kingdom & at O'Hana at the Polynesian. Also, we wish I had planned for breakfasts to be later. I forgot that I was scheduling on Eastern time & not Central. That meant we were having to drag the boys out of bed & were rushing to get to breakfast on time. Next time I will remember!

Disney Day 6 - Magic Kingdom

This was our last day in the parks, so we headed back to the Magic Kingdom. We had breakfast with Pooh & Friends at the Crystal Palace. It was also a buffet with your basic breakfast foods.

Saying hi to Winnie the Pooh.

Hugs from Eeyore.

Timothy had started standing up in his high chair & trying to climb out. So I got to be in the picture with Piglet.

Joshua even bounced with Tigger!

After breakfast we went back to some of our favorite rides: Winnie the Pooh, Its a Small World, Tomorrowland Speedway, Buzz Lightyear, & the carousel...a couple of times :)

Timothy really took it all in on It's a Small World. He would point to things & say what they were.

Our last time on the carousel.

So happy!

I think he was ready for it to start.

Cece bought the boys their own sunglasses & Timothy really liked his!

We ate lunch at the Lunching Pad (hot dogs) & then went back to the room to rest. After Timothy took a long nap, we headed to the pool for the first time. Joshua loved it & Timothy hated it. He started crying as soon as he hit the water. Even with just his toes in, he was mad. He kept telling me he was all done. I ended up taking him to look for the ducks in the stream. John & I went to dinner that night at California Grill in the Contemporary Resort while John's mom stayed with the boys. It was so good! We both had steak & chocolate cake for dessert. If you want to splurge on a great meal, this is the place. We had read that it has the best food on the property & I think that might be right. It is no longer covered on the basic dining plan but is on the deluxe dining plan (though it takes 2 meal credits....totally worth it). After dinner John & I went back to the Magic Kingdom to do a little shopping. Timothy had been wanting a Mickey Mouse balloon all week so we had to get one for each of the boys.

Disney Day 5 - Epcot

 Our fifth day started with a luau themed breakfast at O'Hana in the Polynesian. There was a monkey bread type pastry, fruit, eggs, bacon, potatoes, biscuits, & Mickey shaped waffles. It was a buffet but they brought everything to your table on platters.

The boys with Lilo.

Stitch & the boys. I don't think they knew what to think of that!

Hugs from Mickey.

Loving Pluto!

Pluto being funny. John's mom said this should be our Christmas card this year...I will have to keep it in mind when the time comes :)

As we rode the monorail in, Timothy said "Ball!!!"

CeCe & the boys.

Our first stop in Epcot was Soarin'. We weren't sure if Joshua would like it or not but decided to try. We used the Fast Pass line & only had to wait maybe 10 minutes. Joshua fussed the whole time & started crying when we got in our seats. As soon as the ride started he got quiet & seemed to really take it all in. I had read that Soarin' was probably the best ride in the park for all ages & I think we would agree! It is definitely a must see! We saw signs that Test Track had run out of Fast Passes within an hour, I think. We weren't going to take Joshua on that one but I think John would have liked it. From there we went to The Seas with Nemo & Friends. I think the boys enjoyed it. They really liked all of the aquariums in the rest of the building.

 Joshua & Timothy looking in one of the aquariums. Please note that Joshua again is wearing his lei but this time he has it sash-style. I think he was trying to start a trend. Every time we fixed it, he moved it back like this!

We were visiting during the Flower & Garden Festival so everything was especially pretty! From Nemo, we went to Spaceship Earth. We had a special waiting area for people with Guest Assistance Cards. The ride wasn't super exciting but it was nice to sit for a bit.

From there we went to the World Showcase. We ate lunch at La Cantina in Mexico. John & I had tacos, chips & popsicles. We ate overlooking the water. We then went to Gran Fiesta Tour. It is an indoor boat ride so Joshua was content. I think it made Timothy sleepy. Then we went to Norway & rode Maelstrom, another indoor boat ride. It scared Timothy a little since it was dark. There was a waterfall that you went down backwards but that was no big deal. Then there was a forward drop that was much bigger & I don't think either boy was prepared for that. It still wasn't scary though...just the dark & loud noises made it slightly scary for Timothy. After that we decided to head back to the hotel.

Timothy decided on the monorail to start wearing my sunglasses. Ever since I can't wear them without him asking for them :)

That evening, John & I went back to Epcot while his mom watched the boys. We were able to see some of the Chinese acrobats' performance before our dinner reservations. We ate dinner at Tutto Italia & it was wonderful. I had fettuccine that was amazing! The servings were massive. After dinner we stopped back by the China pavilion to watch the "Reflections of China" movie. It was a great movie & captured the beauty of China. It was fun seeing that & the replica of the Temple of Heaven (which I visited while I was in China).

Disney Day 4 - Magic Kingdom

 Our fourth day started with breakfast at the Kona Cafe in the Polynesian. It was not a buffet. We were still stuffed from dinner the night before so none of us ate too much. We ordered pancakes, which were good. Joshua's came out with 3 pancakes making a Mickey Mouse head. 

After breakfast, we went to the Magic Kingdom. We spent most of our time in Fantasy Land. Here is a rundown on what we rode & how the boys reacted:

Peter Pan's Flight - we were able to use the Fast Pass lane with the Guest Assistance Card so we didn't have much of a wait. It was pretty dark during the ride, so I think it may have been a little scary for Timothy. I think Joshua was ok with it but didn't love it.

It's a Small World - no wait...everyone was just walking right up. This was probably Timothy's favorite. He seemed to be mesmerized by all of the stuff to look at. Joshua was content since we were in a boat in water :)

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh - we were able to use the Fast Pass lane here as well so we didn't have too long of a wait. This ride was super popular. It was really cute & probably one of our favorites. I think both boys really liked it.

Mad Tea Party - not too long of a wait. I was afraid this one would be too much, but Joshua laughed through the whole thing & Timothy seemed ok with it too.

Carousel - never too long of a wait. Joshua's favorite I think...he kept asking to ride it again. 

Dumbo - there was a 40 minute wait the first time we tried & the lady working said we would just have to wait in the line even with the Guest Assistance Card (not the way it is supposed to work) so we waited & came back that night when there was only a 15 minute wait. The boys were ok with it but didn't love it. Thankfully there was water around it :)

The Barnstormer - we used the Fast Pass lane here & only had to wait a minute or two. I thought this was a bit rough (maybe because we were at the back?) & it was hard to tell what Joshua thought about it. He had no idea what we were getting in to. Timothy was just a couple of inches too short but I'm glad...he would have gotten jerked around too much. Joshua didn't ask to ride this one again.

Tomorrowland Speedway - John & Joshua were able to bypass the long line with the Guess Assistance Card. John said Joshua laughed the whole time. While Timothy was just tall enough to ride we thought it would be too rough so we just watched from the side.

Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin - we used Fast Pass lane again & didn't have to wait long even though it was also very popular. It was really fun. Joshua didn't really know what to do but I think he liked going through it. I think this was John's favorite....he got really into getting a good score.

Magic Carpets of Aladdin - we had to wait about 15 minutes. This was like Dumbo. Again the boys didn't love or hate it. Well, there was a camel that spit water at you & when Timothy got a squirt in the ear, he decided he didn't like it!

Jungle Cruise - we used the Fast Pass lane & didn't have to wait. We had a great guide which made it entertaining. The jokes were corny but hilarious at the same time. Timothy liked the animals & Joshua liked the water.

John & Joshua at the Tomorrowland Speedway. The girl behind them kept ramming into their car (by girl, I mean teenager not little girl). But Joshua was laughing anyway.

 Timothy on the carousel.

The Polynesian gives out leis & Joshua decided he wanted to wear his all day...quite the fashion statement. He also bunched all of the flowers together which made it even cooler :)

John & the boys.

Me & the boys...not looking as usual.

The four of us in our tea cup.

We ate lunch at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe which was huge & had decent options. I had a turkey sandwich, apple slices & chocolate cake. I think John had a burger. Joshua had a PBJ sandwich, grapes & a cookie. We rode everything except the Barnstormer, Dumbo & the carousel by the early afternoon & headed back to the room to rest. Timothy fell asleep on the water taxi back to the resort. He managed to get a little nap in the room. We decided to head back to the Magic Kingdom to find a quick place for dinner & ride a few more things. We ended up eating at Pinocchio Village Haus which had pizza, pasta, & meatball subs. It was alright. After dinner we rode the Barnstormer, Dumbo & the carousel.

The boys & I on the train.

John & Joshua on Dumbo.

Timothy & I on Dumbo.

After we finished the rides, we found a spot to wait for the nightly parade. Joshua was unhappy about waiting & by the time the parade started he was done. He just sat on the stroller fussing wanting to go. Timothy however loved it all.

Minnie at the front & Mickey on top at the back.

Timothy was a huge fan of the parade.

Disney Day 3 - Animal Kingdom

Monday morning we headed to the Animal Kingdom. Thankfully, Timothy's fever was gone & he seemed to feel fine. Since the monorail doesn't go to that park, John decided to drive. Taking the bus would have been our other option but we didn't want to do that. We had a character breakfast at the Tusker House restaurant inside the park. It was a buffet with your standard breakfast foods....eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, potatoes, fruits, granola, muffins. They did have cereal & doughnuts for the kids as well.

 As soon as we checked in, we stood in line to have our picture taken with Donald Duck. Timothy wasn't completely sure about that but he seemed ok since someone was holding him. You can see him checking Donald out here!

All of the other characters came around to the tables while you ate. They were all dressed in safari gear. Joshua wasn't happy about being in the restaurant so he didn't really care about the characters.

 

Timothy had cried when Mickey Mouse came by, so we skipped that picture with him! As you can see, he was still pretty unsure when Goofy stopped by our table.

By the time Daisy came by, Timothy was starting to get used to the characters. He was still keeping an eye on her though! 

After breakfast, we went to Kilimanjaro Safaris, which is the bus ride through the wildlife refuge. It was really fun to see all of the animals, though most of them weren't close enough to get great pictures. The lions were the only thing we couldn't really see since they were sleeping in the shadows. The Guest Assistance Card was great for this attraction since it was really popular. We were able to enter at the Fast Pass return line & didn't have to wait too long.

Joshua checking out the hippos under water...you can see one of them right beside his face.

Giraffes out in the field.

Timothy taking it all in. He loves animals! After we finished that ride, we did two self-guided walking tours, Pangani Forest Exploration Trail - where we saw gorillas, hippos & birds - and Maharajah Jungle Trek - where we saw tigers, birds & Komodo dragons. One of the best pieces of advice I got was to use a sit-n-stand stroller so that Joshua could have a place to sit if he got tired of walking. He used that a lot! I found one at a consignment sale this spring & it was a great investment! We also rode the Wildlife Express train to Rafiki's Planet Watch where we visited the petting farm area. 

We ate lunch at Flame Tree Barbeque (quick serve). It was great barbeque. It was busy but didn't take too long. If you eat there, it looks like there are only two areas to sit to eat. Both of those were packed but we got a table as soon as some people left. However, when we left, we walked further down & saw more places to sit to eat & there were only people at two tables. So, if you have a meal there, walk down further if you are having trouble finding a table!

Before we left, we rode Triceratop Spin. The boys were ok with it but they didn't love it or hate it. As you can see from the picture, it is basically like the Dumbo ride. Our Guest Assistance Card also came in handy here. That was all we did at Animal Kingdom. Some of the other rides looked to rough or scary for Joshua & Timothy was too small/young for them as well. We didn't think the boys would sit through the shows and it had gotten too hot to play in the Boneyard. It was also mid-afternoon & we wanted them to rest a bit in the room. Timothy fell asleep in the stroller as we walked out of the park. He slept in the car back to the hotel but as soon as we got to the room he was ready to get a snack & play!

John's mom went on the trip with us. Here she is enjoying the stream & waterfall with the boys. Did I mention how much they like water? I think they may have been watching the baby ducks swimming here too.

This was in the lobby of the Polynesian. So pretty! That night, we had dinner at O'Hana, which is the other restaurant at the Polynesian. They have a set menu that they bring to your table & serve family style. So, there is no ordering. They cook meat on skewers over a fire. We had bread, salad, wings, potstickers, chicken, pork, shrimp, steak, noodles, broccoli, & bread pudding with ice cream & caramel/banana sauce. It was also very good but we were all stuffed. If you eat dinner here, don't plan a big breakfast the next morning!

Every night at 9:00 there is a water parade on the lagoon. We went out the beach to watch. Boats float by & light up various scenes. Above is the sea serpent. Music plays during this & the boys seemed to really enjoy it.

This is the second half of the line of boats after the last one lit up.

After all of the boats are lit up, they change to this patriotic scene at the end before they float off. It was really pretty.