Disney, Day 3

Day 3 started out a little rough because Carson had a stomach bug. Luckily it was very short lived and he was ready to go to Animal Kingdom. We didn't get to the park until almost 2:00 so the lines were pretty short for most attractions. One of the most popular, Kilamanjaro Safari, only had a 10 minute wait so we jumped right in line. We were rewarded by seeing some animals up close. Here are a few of Carson's favorites. Notice 4 hippos in one picture.

It was neat to see Mickey and gang dressed in their Safari attire. Carson kept asking if this was the same Mickey from the restaurant a few nights before.


We ended the day with the Kali River Rapids. As you will see from this picture, it's only Jason that was initially brave enough to go down. The signed warned, "you WILL get WET, you MIGHT get SOAKED." Since Carson and I didn't want to get wet, we opted out...the first time. After we saw home much fun Jason had, we had to do it too. We did cheat and use our rain ponchos!

Disney, Day 2

Day 2 has come and gone. Whew, I never knew how tiring Disney could be with a 5 year old. We spent our morning at the hotel because Carson wasn't feeling his best. Last night he woke up with a fever and slept late today. After breakfast in the room, we headed out to the pool for a few hours. We didn't arrive at Hollywood Studios until after 1:00.

He doesn't look like he feels bad does he?

Carson, Jason, and two of his favorites - Lightening McQueen and 'Mater!

We saw Playhouse Disney Live today and it was great - Carson liked watching Leo sign autographs!

Thoughts on day 2 -

1. Your child will get sick - it will happen. Pack medicine from home. We didn't and when Carson woke up with a high fever in the middle of the night, we had to give him a portion of adult Motrin.

2. Definitely pack rain ponchos. Much cheaper to bring them from home than to purchase at the parks. Just like your child is going to get sick, it's going to rain. Today it rained off and on for a few hours but we just kept going in our ponchos.

3. Take advantage of the Rider Swap program on certain rides. We did this today on Tower of Terror and it was great. Jason got in line, the cast member gave me a Fast Pass ticket and Carson and I waited for Jason to ride. Once Jason got off, I went right on. Awesome program!

4. Go to Guest Services when you arrive at EACH park and get a birthday button (even if you've just celebrated a birthday), an anniversary button, etc. It get's you noticed by many cast members and you just feel special. If it's your first time in the parks, as for a 1st visit button. When we got to Hollywood Studios today and Carson got his button, the cast member gave us a fast pass for Star Wars. What a treat. We could now hold fast passes for two attractions instead of the usual one.

5. Use First Aid if you need to. Carson started feeling bad again as we were leaving and since we didn't have a thermometer in the room, we stopped in to have his temperature taken. They did this free and even provided a dose of children's Tylenol.

6. BRING a small stroller - it's a must do!

Disney, Day 1

Today was our first day at Walt Disney World and like most families, we went to Magic Kingdom. Carson was thrilled to be here but he didn't really "get it" until about 1/2 way through the day. It was a long day and very hot. We came back to our hotel for a much needed rest and had a hard time getting Carson to wake up for dinner. We finally made it to Chef Mickey's and it was so magical. As Jason said, "we just paid $100 to eat at a "nice" Shoney's but it was worth every penny." The look on Carson's face when all the characters came to our table was priceless! After all, you don't come to Disney for the food...

Thoughts on day 1 -

1. I'm enjoying time with my big boy. I can't imagine having Hadley here, or even another child close to his age. It's hard to focus on one child and the "magic" - one at a time is enough for me.

2. Although we have a bit of a bus ride every morning to the parks, I'm still glad we didn't get a car. The Hilton has transportation which is a must have no matter where you stay. We used Sunray Transportation to get from the airport to the hotel and they were great - even had a booster seat for Carson! Check them out if you are down this way.

3. Throw all your plans out the window. Let your child dictate where you are going. There is no way to do the Magic Kingdom in one day, likely not even two. We might not get to Animal Kingdom or Epcot this trip and that's OK.

4. Take snacks and a few bottles of water. We made it through day 1 only spending $2 and that was on the way out on a coke for me. (No Fruit Tea or Mountain Dew down here!)

5. Definitely eat at Chef Mickey's. Yes, it's expensive but worth it. I like the fact that we ate there early in the trip - thanks to Ashlea for the tip. It wouldn't have had as much impact late in the trip.