Disney World 2013

Main Street U.S.A.

After 2 years of planning, the time has come and gone!  The Disney World trip was amazing and we were blessed enough to have had the opportunity to have my mom and dad (Bob and Teri) join us.  Despite health scares and concerns, my dad (Papa) was able to come to the place "Where wishes come true", Disney World!  More than just wishes for us and more like answered prayers to keep my dad healthy enough to enjoy some quality time with the family.  This was truly a trip that we will all remember and cherish forever!

 Andy was the master planner for our trip.  He spent HOURS researching the tips and tricks to make our vacation full of fun and at the best price!  Three cheers for Andy!  If you want some advice on a trip to Disney World, Andy is your guy. 

The top 3 tips I would suggest:

1. Bring a poncho.  Target or WalMart has them for cheap.  You do not want to be stuck in a classic summer thunderstorm and at the mercy of Disney prices for some plastic.  Thanks mom (Teri) for hunting some down and packing them for all of us!

2.  Use the FastPass system!  Through scheduled time periods, you can get a FastPass for your favorite rides.  This allows you to wait about 20 minutes for a popular ride instead of an hour or more.  

3. Stay hydrated.  The Florida humidity is no joke!  After having a sick kid last trip, we really watched our hydration.  We prefer to drink water and lots of it, however, the tap water is awful. We were able to find a cost-effective solution.  We found individual Gatorade powder packets at the grocery store. They packed well along with other snacks in our bags. They were great to add to a cup of iced water (free at any food station in Disney parks).  This would work with any other drink flavoring out there.  A free way to stay hydrated!

This is my dad's (Bob aka Papa) first photo with Mickey Mouse.  It was neat to hear my dad talk about his memories about going to Disneyland (in California) when he was a kid.  I believe he said it was only $0.50 to get in!  He mentioned his favorite ride being Autopia.  It was fun to see both of the girls excited to be able to drive all by themselves.

 

We had a great time visiting all the parks.  The rhino above was not shy.  We got to see this one and many other animals VERY close as we went through the safari tour (in a large truck-like vehicle).  It is amazing to see how massive the animals are when you are this close.  The tour included close up views of elephants, giraffe, cheetahs, hippos, crocs, rhinos, antelope, lions, and more!  The safari ride is one of the highlights of Animal Kingdom.  Besides animal viewing, we had fun riding "Expedition Everest", seeing The Lion King performance and taking a time out in the AC to eat lunch at Yak & Yeti.  On our second day at Animal Kingdom, we were able to meet up with some former neighbors.  It was great to see old friends and so sweet to see the kids enjoy eachother's company.  They had fun riding rides and working on their "Wilderness Explorer" booklets.

The dark skies are just proof of why you need those ponchos!!!  This was our final day at Magic Kingdom and we had to juggle rides and shows with the storms.  Andy had the perfect lunch reservations for us twice as we were inside eating, it was raining cats and dogs outside.  Although a pain while tring to enjoy the park, it was beautiful to see the night sky filled with lightening.  Never have I seen a light show for such a long period of time - nature sure has a way of amazing us with such beauty at times! 

Disney spares no expense when it comes to their "Wishes" fireworks show.  I love fireworks, and this was breathtaking!  Such a sweet storyline accompanied with music and the beauty of the fireworks.  This was my favorite show each night while at Magic Kingdom.

Fun times at Epcot's Akershus Royal Banquet Hall.  Located in Norway and in the setting of a castle,  we got to meet 5 of the princesses and have time for photos and autographs.  What a great daddy to make this reservation - definately a special treat!  We had a lot of fun at Epcot.  This park is a great place to do some hands-on learning and exploring.  We enjoyed some of the rides, but this park's highlight is the World Showcase.  We had "passports" (a special thanks to our friend Katie for the templates) where the girls could learn something about each of the 11 countries showcased at the park.  Something I find wonderful is that Disney has employees native to the countries showcased working in each area.  It was fun to hear people speaking in their native tounge, tase new and traditional foods, have conversation, and look in the shops at authentic goods. 

 

I can't believe it has been about 2 years since I have sat down to update "The Carter Crew" blog!  For those of you taking the time to read it, thanks for letting us share this special occasion in our lives.