Yay! Day 1 of our Disney World adventure was a success! While not everything went as planned, those tiny mishaps made for an even more enjoyable time.
The first objective, upon arrival, was to get the iconic Cinderella’s castle photo checked off the list before we got all sweaty and spent. I set up our little tripod and this is one of the shots (image above). Au natural! It certainly captures the moment. You might notice that I am consoling Preston and trying to work my Bluetooth “Shutter” button. While setting up, a gentleman offered to take a photo for us and Preston was still feeling a bit uneasy about the interaction. Aw! I am just realizing that Christian and Joseph have the same smile. Upon closer examination, those smiles (as similar as they are) look slightly forced. That’s likely because we were wondering whether the “clicker” was indeed responding to my clicks and thinking about little Preston who was in tears but calming down. Posing in the blazing sun also played a factor for sure. “Perfection” was not the goal here, but I love these photos and the moments behind the scenes —so to speak.
I believe you can get a small glimpse of a cast member or two in costume performing in the background — on the castle’s main stage. Zooming in on the left side, I have spotted Minnie’s ears with her red polka dot bow and matching dress. It’s unmistakably her — the ‘real Minnie Mouse’. Now this is a phrase I definitely used several times throughout the day — one might say overused. Any time I spotted a character, I would emphasize that he or she was the real “one”. My kids didn’t need my reassurance on this. One can’t help but feel the ‘make believe’ come to life as soon as you walk through that Disney World entrance!
Oh! Before I move on, I spoke of the heat. The Sunshine State did a number on us that day. That number was 92° F midday. We were ever so grateful for a few clouds in the sky serving as a bit of a shield and for the most gentle of breezes, which were few and far in between but most welcome nonetheless. In actuality, it wasn’t terribly dreadful— not at all. We managed quite well. We wore our portable fans when needed and stayed hydrated most importantly.
We chose Magic Kingdom to kick everything off since we thought it would be a good, “classic” way to start. My hubby and I definitely felt like kids again (to a degree, of course). It’s funny how I now notice and appreciate the mechanics of the rides and wasn’t quite as lost in wonder at the things I was once mesmerized by as a young girl. With that being said, it was a beautiful and nostalgic experience. Being with my kids and husband at Disney for the first time together was special.
Apparently, meeting the real Buzz Lightyear isn’t something Christian, Nathan nor Preston would care to do again any time soon. The boys were understandably hesitant, but it took just a few encouraging words and Buzz’s intergalactic charm to win them over. He was playful so that helped them view him as less intimidating. I truly appreciate how patient and warm all the actors we met were. They all seemed well suited for their roles (no pun intended), which is such a fun one at that.
The boys’ ages: Christian is four years old. (He’ll be five next month.) Nathan is two years old and Preston is 10 months.
A common question I hear parents ask is:
“What is/are the best age(s) to take your kid(s) to Disney?”
I can’t really answer that question because there are so many factors. However, I will say I am so glad we took them this year. Christian, at four years old, still has that boundless imagination. I feel like the ages 2-5 years old are when they are in those peak years of make-believe / playing pretend.
Preston was curious and taking in all the exciting sights, sounds and smells too!
Though he enjoyed all the rides we rode, Christian told me his favorite was Dumbo the Flying Elephant…until he disembarked Peter Pan’s flight. Flying by ship through the mysterious Neverland, undoubtedly, changed his mind.
This might be a bit of a spoiler…
I thoroughly enjoyed the ambience of Dumbo’s attraction from the carnival style entrance to the lit up circus tent to the ride itself. There was even an air conditioned indoor play area for the children. Such an unexpected treat!
I’m so glad all the rides we chose that day were ones we were able to ride together – no height nor age restrictions.
As for the wait times for rides, with one exception, they were not as long as I expected them to be based on prior research. Our visit took place during a less busy time of the year as well. Referring to our Disney app was useful. We could look up estimated wait times and choose which to venture to and when.
Peter Pan’s Flight was predicted to be one of our longest waits, if I recall correctly, along with the Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train. We didn’t end up riding the latter. For one, only Christian and one of us adults could ride while the other stayed with the younger of our two children. Secondly, the wait time was outrageously long (for the time of year, I would say). The expected wait time for Peter Pan’s Flight was around 85 minutes for most of the day. We definitely didn’t want to stand in line that long; so we enjoyed other rides until the wait was about 20–30 minutes. The time flew by. Although it was one of the shorter rides, it was worth the wait.
Coordinating our outfits was another fun part for me. Christian chose his own outfit to match. The kid’s EPCOT outfits were my favorite, which I shared in a separate post – Disney Day 2: EPCOT. (We’re saving our third Disney day for Christian’s birthday week, weather permitting, next month.)
Ahh yes! I can’t forget to mention our visit to the Hundred Acre Wood. In Fantasyland, you’ll find the ‘enchanted neighborhood’ where Christopher Robin plays with his childhood “cubby” —Pooh Bear of course! The wait for this ride was possibly the longest of the day. Thankfully, there were plenty of interactive features as we gradually made our way to our oversized honeypot.
Oddly enough, this ride was the most spooky one. We were transported through Pooh’s dream and that’s where it got a little eerie. I vetted the rides for the most part and was good at diverting the kids’ attention to something else when I felt I should.
Overall, it was sweet to see my kids play and run about in one of my childhood favorite storybook worlds “come to life”.
The ‘meet and greets’ require an additional wait period, so we opted out of this one, but caught glimpses of Tigger and Pooh walking around several times. Joseph practically brushed shoulders with Winnie the Pooh himself at one point! (See image above)
I will be adding more to this post soon! I hope you enjoyed. If you have questions, feel free to ask.
Love Travels Fast 