Mickey Found

We were on the road once again, but this time it was a flawless flight to Orlando, Florida to dabble in all the delights and magic of its attractions. Our long awaited and planned for vacation to Disney and its neighboring sites was A-Mazing and though we battled some extreme heat, a few sprinkles our first full day( Magic Kingdom) and some mighty crowds just about EVERYWHERE :) we relished each moment and definitely flew home last night( late!!) already anticipating another trip to Florida in the coming years!

We are SO grateful to our generous friends who gifted us with the use of their gorgeous time share( Hilton Grand International Resort ) and our 2 bedroom suite was splendid ~ we are now SO incredibly spoiled from here on out! We are thankful to Papa Bill for shuttling us to and fro the airport AND especially to my folks who joined us in Florida and added that extra sparkle to our stay. My Mom surely witnessed more than a few heat induced squabbles and as we were practically newbies to this whole thing Disney ,our learning curve was mighty huge! And we loved sharing this special vacation with them both!

There is simply so very much to share, but I have added tons of photos which I hope will tell the story better than I possibly could. I can say that our kiddos were angels on the flights( I had been a bit concerned about Little Man ) and that despite the age gap, we managed well with the bigger rides ~ with lots of help from Mimi. Lauren adored Splash Mountain ( we rode TWICE!!) and we all were enchanted with the rides It's A Small World & The Peter Pan Ride (Magic Kingdom) and the incredible Dolphin and Orca shows at Sea World. Scott loved Space Mountain!! Also if you plan to visit this summer don't miss the Electric Parade which is running at 9 p.m. June through August after a 9 year hiatus.....its stunning and we were So lucky to see it!!

While in Florida we took in a grand and full day at the Magic Kingdom, a breathtaking excursion to Discovery Cove ( which I will share much more about in another post), a day at Sea World ( it has changed SO SO much and is incredible!), an unbelievable Character Meal at the Polynesian Disney Resort, Aquatica Water Park ( affiliated with Sea World) and a glorious day at the beach. ( Cocoa Beach ) In between we shopped a few outlets, swam and chased a couple of sunshine kissed monkeys who never seemed to tire! :) (and YES, we did get tired from time to time.....but that's just us ~ the grownups!!) LOL

We can't wait to go back one day and take it all in again.Your tips and emails from my original Mickey Fever post were so helpful and encouraging and I suspect that each time you visit Disney you leave armed with a few new strategies for the next time around and a sense of its overall size and magic! And ya know what? A big part of it all is watching the sheer joy on your children's faces throughout it all! And staying hydrated. :)

So here are WAY too many pictures to share in one post, but my Mom can't see the slide shows on her computer, so I appreciate your indulgence!! (AND I did try to just pick my favorites!) Can't wait to pop around and visit with you all ~ it feels like ages since my last post and I'm sure you all have been busy too!!

Lauren picked the Lilo & Stitch Character Meal and it was FANTASTIC!! We were treated to great food and 4 characters who visited each table!! Stitch especially loved our girl as he spotted her stuffed Stitch and recognized a big fan!!

Stitch picked his nose and wiped it right on Tyler's shirt......LOL So of course.......here is Tyler picking Stitch's nose too! Ack!! But look at those faces of joy!!

Here's Mickey again........just had to share it one more time, cuz look at those faces of happiness!!

Tyler LOVeD it all too!! We had worried he might be afraid ~ not so much!! :)

Cutest waffles EVAH!!

Pretty ladies!! Mimi & Lauren

Our first meeting with Stitch at Magic Kingdom.

A bit of the Electric Parade........

Feeding a bunny in Disney.

Cup O' tea anyone??

My folks!!

Our family.....

Our best girl........

Our Baby Boy........

Peek-a-boo Mickey OR no more pictures please Mama! LOL

At the resort....

In awe watching a show at Sea World.

It's hard to see, but we are in a glass tunnel of sharks......Lauren loved it of course!!

Shamu welcomes us to Sea World.

It was a bit steamy....... :)

Tired kiddos at last! :) Lauren leaned over at the last minute, proving that she was NOT in fact asleep! LOL

Life's a Beach.........*chortle* I could never ever tire of the beach! We had an almost ideal day to visit....low tide, warm waves, few crowds....bliss & a bit of sunburn!

Beach baby......both of our kids adored the ocean ~ so happy we took the drive and time to visit.

Looking homeward........... BUT not before we had 2 special visitors........

Elvis in the HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Little Elvis came too. :)