We are at Disney World! It is so cool over here. Here is what we’ve been up to for the past few days. I have pictures up on Instagram and Facebook.

Monday, July 20

The day started very early. I woke up at 2:00 a.m., and we left the house around 3:45 a.m. We took two cars to the airport, and after dropping us off, the boys drove them back home. Trying to keep up with Tommy was an adventure all by itself; we couldn’t keep up with the way he drives!

Our first flight was from the city to Dallas, and then we had a connecting flight from Dallas to Orlando. While we were waiting in Dallas, we placed a Walmart grocery order for delivery to our hotel. That way we’d have breakfast food and snacks for the week without having to spend a fortune eating out every morning.

As soon as we stepped outside the Orlando airport, I knew we weren’t home anymore. My glasses instantly fogged up from the humidity. The air was so thick it honestly felt like you could swim through it.

We caught a Disney bus to our resort, Disney’s Art of Animation. After checking in and getting settled, we headed to Disney Springs. We met up with our friends when we got there.

The first thing we did was grab a snack: poutine. It was fries topped with cheese curds and gravy, and I think it was a great way to start our vacation.

From there, we wandered through several shops. We spent quite a bit of time in the Art of Disney store just looking around. The girls each found a few things they liked. Kel surprised me by buying me a pair of Cheshire Cat ears, and Tommy bought me a Nightmare Before Christmas pin that I absolutely love.

We continued browsing through stores, including the candy shop, before stopping for dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. I ordered the shrimp platter, and it was huge. By the time I finished eating, I was completely stuffed.

After dinner, we visited the Christmas shop, which is always fun no matter what time of year it is. Eventually our friends and the rest of the group split off to do their own thing for the evening.

Tommy, Kel, the girls, and I kept exploring Disney Springs while searching for the Coca-Cola Store. It took us a while to find it, but eventually we did. While we were there, we tried the “Coca-Cola Around the World” tasting experience, where you sample different Coke products from countries around the globe. Some flavors were really good, while others were…interesting, to say the least.

Tommy also spoiled me with a Coca-Cola bear, a magnet, and a T-shirt before we left.

After a long day of traveling and exploring, we caught the bus back to Art of Animation. I took a shower, climbed into bed, and called it a night.

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Tuesday, July 21

Even though we were on vacation, my body was still on home time. I woke up around 5:30 a.m., which felt more like 3:30 back home.

I got ready, drank a protein shake for breakfast, and around 7:00 a.m. we all headed to the bus stop to meet up with the rest of our group before going to Magic Kingdom.

We packed a lot into the day. We started with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train before making our way to “It’s a Small World” and Haunted Mansion. After that, we rode Pirates of the Caribbean. I may not have the exact order of everything right because we fit so much into the day.

One of the biggest highlights was riding TRON Lightcycle / Run. That ride is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Instead of sitting in a regular seat, you’re positioned like you’re riding a motorcycle, leaning forward while holding onto handlebars. When the ride launches, it accelerates so fast, up to 60 mph, that it almost takes your breath away. It was such a fun experience.

We stopped for lunch in Tomorrowland before continuing to more attractions, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Aladdin’s Magic Carpets, and Prince Charming’s Carousel.

At one point, we cooled off with a Dole Whip, which was perfect in the Florida heat.

Florida weather definitely lived up to its reputation. It started raining, so we hurried to put on our ponchos. Of course, almost as soon as we got them on, the rain stopped. A little later it rained again for just a few minutes before clearing up once more. Thankfully it never lasted very long.

We also watched Mickey’s PhilharMagic, which was a nice chance to sit down in the air conditioning for a while.

By dinner time, none of us were especially hungry after snacking throughout the day, so Tommy, Kel and I shared a pretzel with cheese.

Later, Kel and the rest of our group used a Lightning Lane pass to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which used to be Splash Mountain. They changed Splash Mountain and created Tiana’s Bayou Adventure because Splash Mountain was deemed offensive because it was tied to the controversial 1946 film Song of the South. Critics and advocacy groups pointed out that the movie relied on racist stereotypes, perpetuated harmful plantation-era tropes, and featured a romanticized view of the South before the Civil War.

While they were on the ride, Tommy, the girls, our friend’s mom, and I found a spot to watch the evening parade and fireworks. Disney really knows how to put on a spectacular fireworks show. The music, projections, and fireworks together were incredible.

One of my favorite moments of the night was watching Karissa. She became emotional during the parade and fireworks because she was just so happy to be there. Seeing her excitement made the experience even more special.

When everything was over, we met the rest of our group at the bus stop and headed back to the hotel after a full and unforgettable day.

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Wednesday, July 22

Once again I was awake by 5:30 a.m. I usually wake the girls around 6:00, but Lexi was already awake. I did have to wake Tommy and Karissa.

Today our plans were a little different. Kel and the rest of the group decided to spend the day at Universal’s Epic Universe to see the new Harry Potter area. Since tickets were around $200 each, Tommy, the girls, and I decided we’d rather spend another day at Magic Kingdom.

Around 7:00 a.m., we headed to the bus stop and made our way back to the park.

We decided to start the day with snacks instead of rides. Our first stop was the Cheshire Café, where we tried the famous Cheshire Cat Tail. It was delicious, basically a flaky chocolate-filled pastry that reminded me of a chocolate croissant.

Next we walked over to Gaston’s Tavern. Tommy and I shared both the crème brûlée croissant and one of their giant cinnamon rolls. They were both excellent, although definitely sweet enough to share.

Our first ride of the day was Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. After that, we rode Peter Pan’s Flight. I’d never ridden the Peter Pan ride at Disneyland, so now I can officially say I’ve experienced it at Disney World.

For lunch we all ordered the lobster roll. It was surprisingly good and a nice change from burgers and chicken tenders.

After lunch we wandered through the shops on Main Street, U.S.A. Both girls found a few souvenirs they wanted to buy.

By then Karissa’s feet were really hurting. We suggested that she and Lexi head back to the hotel to rest, and they decided that sounded like a good idea.

With the girls gone, Tommy and I slowed our pace. We went into the Country Bear Musical Jamboree to get out of the heat and rest for a while. It was still hot outside, although thankfully not quite as miserable as the day before. I felt like I was sweating all of my sunscreen off.

Since there was almost no wait, we rode Pirates of the Caribbean again. It’s one of those rides I never get tired of.

We also watched Mickey’s Friendship Faire in front of Cinderella Castle. I honestly don’t know how those performers can dance in that heat, especially the ones wearing full character costumes. We also stopped to watch the Main Street band perform for a while.

Later I spotted what I thought was just a bakery because I really wanted an iced coffee. It turned out to be the Starbucks on Main Street. I ordered a mocha iced coffee, while Tommy tried the Horchata Shaken Espresso. The cold drinks were nice in this heat.

From there we made our way to Tomorrowland to ride the PeopleMover, which was relaxing, and then watched Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. The interactive comedy show was really cute and had us laughing several times.

Eventually we sat down to figure out what we wanted to do next. We were getting hungry, but none of the food options really sounded appealing. We had talked about riding TRON again after dark because the lighting looks amazing at night, but both of us were feeling tired.

Instead of pushing ourselves, we decided to head back to the hotel early.

After dropping our things off in the room, Tommy and I went downstairs to the resort café for dinner and brought our food back upstairs to eat. Later the girls went down to grab something for themselves.

Kel and the rest of the group were still on their way back from Universal.

I was actually glad we decided to call it an early night. It was nice to relax, cool off, and have a little quiet time after two busy park days.

Tomorrow we’re heading to Hollywood Studios, and I’m looking forward to seeing what adventures the next day brings. A friend from high school may come down to visit if she is feeling better. That will be fun.

My feet are so sore and tired. I hope they feel better tomorrow because we have more walking to do.

Here is some things about Disney World:

Today, Walt Disney World includes:

* 4 theme parks
* Magic Kingdom
* EPCOT
* Disney’s Hollywood Studios
* Disney’s Animal Kingdom
* 2 water parks
* More than 25 Disney-owned resort hotels
* Disney Springs shopping and dining district
* ESPN Wide World of Sports
* Four golf courses
* Hundreds of restaurants and attractions

* Magic Kingdom was built on land that was raised so that the Utilidor tunnel system could be constructed underneath for cast members and operations.
* Cinderella Castle stands 189 feet (57.6 m) tall—just under the height that would have required aircraft warning lights.
* Walt’s original dream for EPCOT was a functioning city where people would live and work. After his death, the concept evolved into the EPCOT theme park that opened in 1982.
* Walt Disney World opened in 1971.