Disney - Day 4

Wednesday was an off day from the parks. After two long days, we figured Eli could use a down day. Papa Tom had some morning meetings to attend, as well. Mid-morning, Danny and I decided to take Eli to downtown Disney to eat a special lunch and do a little shopping. Mimi stayed and took Layla to the playground. We did some souvenir shopping, hit Lego land, and had a great lunch!

Several people told us that we HAD to eat at the T-Rex restaurant. We made a lunch reservation for the three of us, and REALLY enjoyed it! Such a neat experience for kids and adults, too!

 We spent a lot of time in the Lego and Disney store while we waited for lunch time.

 Eli was in Lego Land heaven! We know what to get him for Christmas now, that's for sure. 

 Lego Buzz & Woody

 I'm so glad we opted for lunch reservations, rather than dinner. It wasn't too crowded, and we were able to walk around and check everything out while we waited on our food. We also hit the gift shop and got a few dino souvenirs for Eli and his buddy Declan. 

 We ate in the ice den. It was FREEZING! 

We left feeling very thankful that we were able to have this time with just Eli. Layla would have been terrified of the roaring dinosaurs and loud meteor showers! 

We went back and got the kids (and daddy) down for long afternoon naps. My mom and I were able to get away for a few hours of shopping bliss! We've never had a problem finding the nearest outlets on any vacation. Orlando has great outlet malls in every direction!

Papa Tom, Mimi, Cindy and Eli had tickets to Medieval Times for that night. We knew Eli would love it, but boy did he LOVE it. He hasn't stopped talking about it. He's quick to re-enact any part of the show for you, too. I'm so glad he was able to go!

Here he is after the show. He was in full on "knight mode." 

While the rest of the group was at the show, we took Layla to Downtown Disney to eat and find some entertainment. We did some more shopping, and ate a true vacation-ish dinner. 

 Ghirardelli ice cream! You can smell it from a mile away. I dare you to walk past that place without stopping! We tried to go back for round two on Saturday night, but it was crazy crowded. 

Tip to remember - stay away from Downtown Disney on the weekends.

 Sweetness went back and forth between our two desserts until we made her stop. 

She was so happy all night. I'm sure the ice cream for dinner had something to do with it :). 

And then the DJ got on stage. This girl loves.to.dance! She can be shy at times, but certainly not when she's ready to bust a move. She was putting on quite a show!

Another fun day down! We ended with fireworks, and lots of "knight" stories.

Disney - Day 3

Tuesday was full of fun, and many firsts! Breakfast with the characters, Magic Kingdom, water park, and then back to Magic Kingdom that night. We had reservations for our character breakfast at the Ohana Polynesian resort. I went to this same character breakfast on my first trip to Disney when I was four. My mom was so excited to do it again! It was a real treat, and absolutely the best meal we had all week. They do a family style breakfast, with unending Mickey waffles, and many other gourmet breakfast foods.

Sweet girl and her daddy taking in the view.

Ready to meet Minnie (but not really!). 

 Thankful for this one group shot, because I think it's the only picture from the whole week with all of us together! 

 The food just kept coming. It was a fantastic spread! 

 Horrible picture, but Eli was fascinated with the Mickey waffles. They tasted even better than they looked!

 We got to dance throughout the restaurant with Mickey. 

 Layla clung to me for dear life.

 We had a beautiful view from our table.

 We met Lilo & Stitch first. 

 I would say Layla liked Lilo the best. She wasn't quite as scared, I should say.

 Once the characters started coming to our table, this is where she stayed. She would jump straight out of her highchair when she saw them coming. She wasn't screaming in fear, just a little unsure, and wanting to keep her distance. 

 She loved waving to them from afar, and always gave them a big goodbye when they left. She was glad to see them go!

 Cindy and Eli were loving it, though! They got big hugs from everyone.

 Layla said no way hosay to pictures with Mickey!

 Pluto was so fun! 

 Layla didn't think so...

After breakfast, we rode the monorail into Magic Kingdom.

 There's just nothing like seeing the castle for the first time. Eli had one of his "is this really real" moments. He thought it must be too good to be true!

There was a show going on at the castle, so we were able to catch that. 

Next stop...teacups! A favorite of Eli's.

 And then onto the racetrack. Eli and Cindy were behind the wheel!

They survived!

 Layla found her happy place inside the secret Dumbo play place. It was perfect for her, and gave her the chance to stretch her legs away from the crowds.  

 And to slide over and over again!

 Eli lucked out and got an extra ride on Dumbo. Layla was going to ride with me on this particular time, but she wasn't too thrilled. We did an over the fence kid swap, and Eli got to ride a second time.

We continued to ride throughout the day, but as the day progressed, my picture taking slowed down, as I was toting around a tired toddler on my hip. Did I mention that our bodies were achy everyday?!

We made it until late afternoon, and then went back to the resort to relax by the pool. No naps for anyone this day!

 We made our rounds and hit several different pools.

 The splash pad was perfect! Dan & I were able to relax while the kids played for a while. 

Little one soaked up some sun too!

Later that night, after an early bedtime for the kids, we were able to get away for a date night in Magic Kingdom. We rode space mountain and several other rides, and then found a good spot to watch the light show and fireworks. 

The castle is breathtaking at night! Fighting the large crowd of people after fireworks...not so much.

This was an unforgettable day, for sure! We were all overcome with emotions as we watched Eli experience the magic of Disney. He really made our trip perfect!