We spent spring break last week at our favorite place: Disney World! This year we planned for even more fun by adding two new parks to our trip. This post will be FULL of photos!
After a ten hour drive to Orlando, we arrived at our annual hotel spot for Disney at the Marriot Grande Vista. We absolutely love this resort! This time we reserved two bedrooms and a connecting living area complete with a kitchen and dining space. The extra room was such a luxury especially when I wanted to get dressed extra early without waking anyone up. :)
Our first day we visited Hollywood Studios. We had never been as a family, so everyone was eager to explore. The biggest highlight for Tuttle was the Star Wars attractions. Luckily I was able to score an 8am character breakfast, so we could enter the park early and sign Tuttle up for the Jedi Training Academy for later in the day.
Our breakfast was at Hollywood & Vine with the Disney Junior characters. I think this was the last year that Tuttle and Maggie would be interested in these shows, so I am glad we were able to fit it in.
Maggie's dream came true when we were able to meet the newest Disney princess, Moana. She watched the movie twice in the days leading up to our trip and already knew all the words to the songs from her friends at school. I suggested that she make Moana a necklace one day when she was designing some treasures with her bead kit. Maggie was so proud to present Moana with a special necklace and bracelet, and the princess could not have been any sweeter reacting to Maggie's gift.
The entire family's favorite ride at Hollywood Studio was the new Toy Story Mania. We even played around with the green army men before our Fast Pass time.
The time finally came for Tuttle to join with the other kids for Jedi training. The whole experience was so much fun! Tuttle was on stage with Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, and the Seventh Sister Inquisitor. The force was strong with Tuttle, and he was able to defeat all the dark side characters.
Jacob was such a trooper on this particular park day. Hollywood Studio does not have a ton of rides, so Jacob had to be patient in the stroller while we met characters, watched shows, and enjoyed a Star Wars performance.
We all decided the perfect end to our first exhausting day was a dip in the pool. Everyone was in bed before 8pm!
We slept in the next day and arrived at Epcot around noon. We immediately were able to meet Daisy Duck.
After riding Spaceship Earth, we ventured to Germany for lunch at the Biergarten. This was probably my favorite meal at Disney this year. The food was delicious, and the live entertainment impressed the entire family!
Our longest wait time for any ride was the Frozen ride in Norway. Luckily Jacob slept in the Ergo on my back for about half of our time in line. :)
The absolute best ride in my opinion for the week was Soarin'. We had to do a rider switch pass since Jacob was not tall enough to ride, so Maggie and Tuttle rode twice! I was super jealous because it was amazing. I literally was smiling the entire time!
Our last Fast Pass allowed us quick access to Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy.
Although our goal was to last until the firework at 9pm, the Thorne Family could not make it. We grabbed pizza in Italy for dinner and headed back to the hotel.
Our lazy pool day was Tuesday and also the first day with Grandmommy and Grandaddy in Disney! I took the kids down to the pool right after breakfast, but only an hour later Jacob was ready for a nap. Daddy, Grandmommy, and Grandaddy soaked up sun at the pool with Tuttle and Maggie while I took Jacob to the room. He and I both enjoyed a super long nap before showering for an early dinner at Disney Springs.
Everyone devoured a big meal at the Rainforest Cafe before a little shopping. Daddy and I took turns walking Jacob around the restaurant and exploring all the animals.
It would not be a trip to Disney without our annual visit to the big Lego store. Tuttle picked out a Star Wars Lego set as his souvenir from the trip.
I did not realize until this year how huge Disney Springs actually is. We walked from end to end and collected bags from several stores with goodies to take home.
This sums up how much Jacob wants to cooperate for a family photo! :)
Our final day at Disney was spent at the Magic Kingdom. We arrived bright and early for a full day of rides, dining, and a parade.
We have always done the Magic Kingdom in two days, but we crammed in so much in our one day. Grandmommy and Grandaddy were ready to race all over the park to cover our favorite rides. Surprisingly the wait time for almost everything was under thirty minutes. Jacob grabbed a quick nap on my back during our longest wait time at the Haunted Mansion. Little Boy loves rides, so the Magic Kingdom was his favorite day!
We ate brunch at the Crystal Palace, and it has been my favorite character meal to date. The food was extra yummy, and the characters were quick to visit our table which is essential with a 15 month old that only wants to sit still for the time it takes to cram his mouth with food.
Jacob even received a special visit with Piglet after he finished eating and was checking out the restaurant!
Every day of our trip was filled with magic. I love that our babies are creating such special memories at Disney especially this year with Grandmommy and Grandaddy.
We had front row seats for the afternoon parade before we ate dinner at Tony's Town Square Restaurant. Maggie sat in the shade with Grandmommy and Grandaddy, but the boys and I were up close for the action.
We cannot wait to return soon to Disney! We loved every second of our spring break trip!
(P.S. This was our best shot in front of the castle. It's a little blurry, but isn't every trip to Disney a little blurry with all the activities?)
