Window Wednesday!

Welcome back to another week of Window (of Main Street, U.S.A.) Wednesdays!

Sully's Safaris

& Guide Service

Bill Sullivan

Chief Guide

Disney Legend Bill "Sully" Sullivan started his career at Disneyland at age 19 - he applied 1 week after watching the opening of Disneyland on t.v.!  He started as a ticket taker at the Jungle Cruise and worked his way up to operations supervisor at Disneyland.  He managed many lavish events, from the 1960 Olympics which had Disney been tasked with Pageantry, all the way to movie premieres including Mary Poppins.  

In 1971, Sully made his way to Florida which led to him eventually being the Vice-President of the Magic Kingdom which included responsibilities of entertainment, Guest Relations, and so much more!

After he retired in 1993 after a 38 year career with Disney he said "If I had to do it all over, I'd do it all again tomorrow."

Another wonderful Disney window representing a true Disney legend!

Question Time!

Thanks to a Disney blogger friend, Lisa at Babes in Disneyland, I was asked to help a young girl learn a little more about Walt Disney World!  I love Disney trivia and learning more, so I enjoyed the challenge and wanted to share it with you!

The original looked something like this:

My daughter is working on a Disney project for her 3^rd grade class.  She is working on a 3 month long research study and part of it is asking some questions to an expert!  She chose Disney after we toured the history of Walt Disney at Disney World/Universal Studios.

I love it!  A 3 month long research study on Walt Disney World?   What a great topic!!

1.       How long did Disney World take to be built?

Planning for Walt Disney World (FL) started in 1963, 8 years after the 1955 opening of Disneyland (LA).  Walt Disney himself scouted the country to find a perfect place of land to make an East Coast version of his theme park.  Unfortunately, Walt Disney passed away of lung cancer in 1966 and the project was put on hold for a few years.  His older brother and business partner, Roy O. Disney took over changing the name “Disney World” to “Walt Disney World (WDW).”   Construction took two years – starting in 1969 and the park opened October 1^st, 1971 (Just celebrated 40 years!)

I found a cool website with a ton of info about this http://www.generalcontractor.com/resources/articles/disneyland-disney-world-construction.asp

2.       What inspired you to be a part of Disney?

I became a Disney blogger (http://www.disneybabiesblog.com) because I felt insane planning a trip to Walt Disney World with my 6 month old.  Most everything I read said “wait until they’re older.”  So, instead of following that advice and missing out on all the fun myself, I decided to figure it out and started sharing my stories.  At 2 years old, my son has had 4 trips and the park has become even more special!

3.       Why is Disney important to you?            

I grew up visiting WDW on a regular basis thanks to having family in Florida.  Starting in college, I began visiting often on school breaks with friends and it began to feel like “my” park.  I felt like I was at home – I no longer needed a map of the Magic Kingdom.  And, the Disney magic that took over as soon as we crossed into the resort and especially when walking down Main Street USA has made it a place I love to visit as often as possible!

4.       What was the first Disney movie ever made?

Snow White was Walt Disney’s first full length animated feature.  It premiered in 1937.

5.       What is the most popular ride in Disney

While I don’t know any official stats – I would guess that Toy Story Midway Mania located at Disney’s Hollywood Studios would be one of the most popular ride.  It regularly has the longest lines in any of the parks and the fast passes are usually distributed for the entire day before lunch time!  I do believe based on numbers that Spaceship Earth in Epcot (Inside the Epcot Geosphere!) sees more passengers than any other attraction at the park.  Thanks to the fact that it’s constantly moving and loading/unloading, it rarely gets the lines that other attractions get!

6.       What is the least popular ride at Disneyland?

I’ll have to answer for Walt Disney World, as I’ve never been to the Disneyland Resort in LA!   I would say the one attraction that I always hear the most “redo this ride” is Stitch’s Great Escape in Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland.  It was originally known as “Alien Encounter” and was changed to be less scary/more family friendly while incorporating a Disney character.   Another ride that many people ride once and use the phrase “never again” is Mission: Space at Epcot!  It’s a great idea – you literally feel like you’re on your way out of the atmosphere.  Unfortunately, it’s not an easy ride and most people seem to feel sick after riding it (myself included!)

7.       About how many people visit Disneyland/Walt Disney World each year?

I found this chart for park attendance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_amusement_park_attendance_figures  It lists the parks individually – remember that WDW includes: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot while Disneyland has Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure!

8.       How come EPCOT is in Disney World?

EPCOT stands for the “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow” and was Walt Disney’s dream at what cities would be in the future.  He had a vision of a wonderful society that everyone worked and contributed and public transportation via the Wedway (Did you visit the Wedway Peoplemover/Tomorrowland Transit Authority attraction in Tomorrowland?  That!) or underground roads and parking garages.  The Magic Kingdom was actually planned to help fund this Future City.  Unfortunately, after Walt’s death, his ideas and creative genius was literally unparalleled and what came about was EPCOT Center, which opened in 1982 – celebrating 30 years this October 1^st.  The original model is shown https://sites.google.com/site/theoriginalepcot/progress-city-model and actually, you can see a portion of it while riding on the Wedway Peoplemover!  I think much of my true respect for Walt Disney came when I watched his videos, recorded only months before he passed away from lung cancer.  His ideas are amazing and I think you should check them out! 

9.       Is there anything else about Disney that you think I should know?

There is too much to write about it one essay!  I’ve been visiting my whole life, but didn’t start learning until a couple of years ago.  Disney is all about details – the parks, the movies – there are hidden Mickey’s all over the parks and other hidden trivia everywhere you look at the resorts.  One of my favorite stories – Walt had a house keeper that helped him, his wife, and two daughters for years.  There were times he couldn’t pay her as much as he needed, but always gave her gifts of Disney stock before it was worth anything.  She held on to the stock and when she passed away, had over 9 million dollars!!  That’s a lot better than a $50 bonus!  http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19941028&id=Lk1WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2-sDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5647,6917837

$100 Disney Gift Card Giveaway!

I am so excited to be a part of a great group of Disney bloggers - and we've come together today so that one lucky winner wins a $100 Disney Giftcard!!

Image from DisneyGiftCard.com

There are a ton of ways to enter, so make sure to stop on by!  It's not every day you get the opportunity to win $100!  Entering is easy - just check the following options on the Rafflecopter widget below and good luck!!  Open to residents of the U.S. and Canada.  Must be 18 or older to enter.

Thanks to Theme Park Mom and Disney Every Day for organizing this group giveaway! 

Mommy's Favorite... not for all?

Maybe it's the flying.  It might be the music.  I can't pinpoint the exact reason, but my favorite Walt Disney World attraction is Peter Pan.  He's even one of my favorite characters to meet at the World.  And, since we've starting our family trips, it's been the first stop on our Magic Kingdom list. 

With trips at 6 months, 13 months, and 18 months behind us and no serious reaction - he's always in absorption mode instead of reaction mode - I was hoping that at 25 months, we would finally have a good reaction to enjoy.  What we got was not what we expected:

"Mommy, I'm scared!"

Scared??  On Peter Pan??  How is that possible?

"Hook.  And Tic-Toc Croc"

Oh no!  About halfway through the flight, he started saying he was scared - no tears, no over the top reaction, just the words.  But, we did our best to comfort him - we assured him that Peter Pan saved the day and that we were safe flying around Neverland.   And, we went back and flew again later in our vacation.

Still?

"Noah scared"

Of course, as we finished the ride, he asked to go again.  But, still - not the reaction I had been hoping for!

Even now that we're home, he'll say he's scared of Hook and Tic-Toc Croc.   I'm hoping this won't make him nervous on our next trip, but being 10 months away, I'm betting that he'll forget to be scared.

But, as a warning - it may be scary for young children!!  The only other ride Noah showed fear on was the Astro Orbiter, but that's a fair complaint!   A bit too fast with a bit too much tilt for a little guy!

Anyone else experience any fears on Peter Pan or other rides?

The Disney Moms!

The 24th of every month is my day to post over at The Disney Moms!  The Disney Moms is a blog comprised of several Disney moms (and 1 dad!) who gathered together to share information on a wide variety of topics and of children of all ages!

This month, you can see our experience on the Astro Orbiter!  Check it out!  I'd love to hear what experiences you've had on the Astro Orbiter - Are you a fan?

Check back next week for more tips and tricks - and as always, if you ever have questions, please feel free to ask -  I love helping!! 

Time to Celebrate!

Yesterday, I received this email from an old college friend:

Hey there! We are taking Melanie to Disney for a week for her 2nd birthday in April. Is there anything special that Disney does for birthdays? I thought you would be the best person to ask.  Thanks! 

Perfect present for a 2nd birthday!  Nothing is as amazing, in my opinion, than Walt Disney World and celebrating anything there is magical.  Birthdays are my favorite - I've celebrated several there!

1st things 1st - When you check in at the resort or head to buy your tickets, make sure to get a "Happy Birthday" button.   If you don't want to let a 2 year old wear a button, no worries - pin it to her stroller or dress her in birthday clothes - Cast Members go out of their way to say Happy Birthday and help you celebrate.  It takes a fun and exciting day and turns it up a notch!  **There have also been many reports of extra special decorations in resort rooms when a birthday is mentioned.  No guarantees, but worth a shot!**

2nd - When booking dining and room reservations, make sure to let them know you're celebrating!  I've read stories of room decorations, extra magical birthday wish phone calls, and more!  For dining reservations, most restaurants will sing and bring out a cupcake - not all, but many!

My birthday Cupcake 6/19/2010

3rd - If you want to add a little extra - Disney has several options you can add - birthday cakes!!  Check out their special customized options you can add to your vacation to make the memories even better!

What do you celebrate at Walt Disney World?

Window Wednesday!

I normally only do 1 Main Street Window a week, but these 3 need to go together!  Enjoy!

Sailing Lessons

Susan Timothy

Roy E. Disney

Specializing in the Gentlemanly Sport of

Racing at Sea

Aboard the Ketch

Peregrina

Patty Disney 

First Mate 

(Poor Patty's name is in desperate need of some attention!)

Sailmaker

Roy Patrick Abigail

Roy E. Disney - Disney Legend and the only son to Roy O. Disney - Walt's older brother and money savvy business partner

His wife for the majority of his life (he divorced her and remarried a mere 2 years before he passed away!) was Patricia and she was the mother of his four children - Timothy, Roy Patrick, Abigail, and Susan

Roy passed away in 2009.

Flashback.. Tuesday?

I don't usually have good flashbacks to share, but this one - for me - was too good to pass up!

Looking through an old wallet, I found not only my key to the world card from a trip in 2004, but a dining reservation confirmation.

Make sure to check the date and time the ADR was made!

Now, I have a lot of luck with same day ADR's, but I'm not sure this one would be possible today!  

Oh - and on the back of the receipt was our confirmation for a resort - we went to guest relations and booked a room at All Star Music for that night - December 23rd - for... $49.  $49 is nearly half of the price of All Star Music during normal season, so that seems like a crazy number to me!

Bye, Bye Naptime..

At 25 months, Noah visited the Walt Disney World Resort for the 4th time.  Every one of these trips has been completely different, except that we've had so much fun each time.

How can you not take a pic of that?

With that said, Noah has never been much of a sleeper.  In fact, he was that one baby in the hospital that the nurses asked us to walk around to wake up the other sleeping babies.  Yup, that's our boy.  Luckily, thanks to some amazing sleep training and, later on, wanting to do what the other kids are doing at school, he's become a great night sleeper and a decent napper.  Weekend naps have always been hit or miss - not the 2 hours he takes at daycare, but usually an hour or so.

18 months

We weren't sure what a trip at 25 months would be like.  We figured with me being 6 months pregnant that we would probably head back to the house for naps most days, but I was hopeful that he would occasionally crash in his stroller.  Even 6 months before, he took a few stroller naps.  Of course, that trip we stayed at the Grand Floridian and heading back for nap time was incredible easy.

This trip wouldn't be as easy.  Our flight in, he crashed in his car seat for about.. 10 minutes.  Did I mention he's never been much of a sleeper?  We arrived on Thursday and didn't start in the parks until Sunday, so we had good house naps Friday and Saturday.  Sunday around nap time, we were strolling the parks with our favorite travel buddies and Noah had his playmate, Piper, to keep entertained.  But Piper is different - if she's tired, she sleeps.  In fact, while our husbands rode Space Mountain, Mellie and I took our 2 year olds on a peaceful trip on the TTA/Wedway/Peoplemover. During that short trip, Piper curled up and said "I'm going to take a rest."  Seriously one of the funniest things I've ever heard from a child!  

But Noah?  No.  That's not his style!  In fact, when we tipped his stroller seat back in hopes of him falling asleep, he held himself up so he could still see out and around him.  So, while Piper took a great 45 minute nap, Noah continued to be Noah and take in the sights.  Being our only day in the parks with them, we didn't take our daily nap break.  

So, how did that change our days?  Well, we definitely couldn't utilize our Soarin' Fastpass after our dinner at La Hacienda de San Angel.  By 7 p.m. we were all exhausted and ready to get back.   We said goodbye to our friends, departing the next morning, and took the 5 minute drive back to our house.  

Since we've been back home, nap times have yet to become regular again - naps at day care have been great, but at home?  Not so much.  We did promise him last weekend if he napped for two hours that we would let him ride on the monorail, which he had been asking to ride all morning.  An hour and a half later, we were worried about catching an afternoon flight when he woke up.  

We learned that our 2 year old can function decently well without a nap..  Not our favorite way or the best option for a great day, but if it happens, we'll make out okay as long as he gets to bed on time!  And for now, that's the best we can do!

Tips Requested!

I love when readers ask questions - remember, yours are always welcome -

Just the other day on the our facebook page, Courtney, a reader left this:

Hi! My family is taking our first trip thr Disney in May. I will have my 18 month old son and 4.5 yr old son oh my hubby too. We are only headed to MK 2 days and doing hotel/pool/Downtown Disney ect. the other days. Need some tips and tricks please!

My first tip - Check out the Tips section of the blog!  I've organized tips in 3 categories:

1. Planning
2. Traveling
3. In Park Tips

Luckily, I love having specifics to work with, so I can add even more!

1st - Congratulations on planning your first Disney vacation!!  What an exciting time - I hope you love every second of it!  Two days of the Magic Kingdom will be amazing, though I hope you love it enough to go back soon and add more days and more parks!

2nd - Make sure to start off your trip by picking up "1st Visit" buttons for the entire family!  Cast members go out of their way to help guests celebrate, and a 1st visit is definitely an experience to celebrate!

May averages temperatures right around 90 during the day and 65 at night, so you might want to bring a light layer for the evenings, but over all, prepare for the heat!  Drink lots of water, use good sunscreen, and take breaks!  Especially with little ones, getting out of the heat and sun is very necessary.  Especially in the warmer months, I definitely recommend heading back to the resort for nap/pool/relax time.  Feeling refreshed, you'll be able to spend more quality time in the parks while also avoiding the most crowded times in the park!

Another tip - take full advantage of the Fast Pass and Rider Swap options!  Rider Swap is valid with fastpass, so if you plan correctly, you can treat your 4.5 year old (if he's tall enough!) to ride the big attractions with each of you separately without waiting in line!  You can also use this option if/when the younger child naps in their stroller!

With 2 days spent in only the Magic Kingdom, you'll have plenty of time to visit all of the attractions and hopefully take in some of the extra magic that the Magic Kingdom has to offer!  Your older son might enjoy trying out the new interactive mystery game - The Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom.  The target audience might be slightly older and for regular guests, but in your second day, if you want to try to add a little treasure hunt, this may be an option.

Overall, for park touring, I would simply recommend to ride the attractions you want - more than once, since you'll have plenty of time!  Enjoy the magic as much as possible.  Stop to watch the parades, shows, characters, and extra experiences and you can enjoy the park as much (and maybe more!) than your children!

More for resort days to come in future posts!

As always, feel free to comment, ask questions, or share your tips below or on our facebook or twitter pages!

Fun in the Queue

Walt Disney World is filled with hidden secrets - I love to share many that I have found (or research weekly!) with the Window Wednesday series.  Some of the special details pop up in unexpected places.  For example - the Writer's Stop Cafe, though no longer a symbol of the 90's ABC sitcom "Ellen," there are still details that can be seen of that time period.

Around Disney's Hollywood Studios, some of these old details can still be found.  We found one in the queue to meet Buzz and Woody in Pixar Place:

No, no, not the 'mutant' toy from the first Toy Story movie - the Binford tool box!  Who else remembers Home Improvement?  

This queue also has a lot of great photo ops, to get ready to join the toys on Andy's bed!

My very own Prospector!

And then, once you get through the toy boxes:

Wordless Wednesday

Don't be surprised - I don't usually follow the theme, but I loved this weeks theme:Animal Attractions And, I've wanted to share some fun pictures in January, so this is a perfect chance to share!

Shortly after a helicopter flew over head - I didn't know a hippo could jump!  Startled his eyes wide open for a second!

A close encounter with a beautiful giraffe from the Kilimanjaro Safari

Probably the first time on a safari we've seen the Lions active - beautiful creatures!

Thanks again to Deb @Focused in the Magic for hosting Wordless Wednesday!

Happy Valentines Day!

I have to admit - I've never been a big fan of Valentines Day.  Even married, it's never ranked high on our list of holidays.  However, I know that not everyone feels that way!  And, I know many think that Walt Disney World isn't a romantic place.

I beg to differ - I loved going to Walt Disney World even before my little one was born - there is something amazing about getting to be a child again and share that magic with someone you love.  In honor of that, I wanted to share some pics of our pre-baby trips - just the two of us!  I would love to see some of your favorite 'Disney romance' pics - please feel free to share them on our facebook page!

Can you guess where these pics were taken?

Our first trip together - Thanksgiving '06  

Later that night

We took a park break in '07-'08 - paying for our wedding took a toll on our Disney trips!  Luckily, we've made up for it since..  Here is a shot from our last trip pre-kids.  I have to admit - I like our nights out, but can't imagine going without him!

Reader Question - Planning for a 16 month old!

I was asked on Twitter this morning what attractions are not to be missed with a 16 month old.  I originally thought about tweeting back, but with 140 characters or less, I knew I needed more room!

So, here is a quick oversight of our favorites from around that age (18 months):

Magic Kingdom:

• Fantasyland - A very anxious child may find Snow White's Scary Adventure a bit scary, but in our experience, 16 months was more about seeing than understanding - we didn't have much fear then!  We enjoyed every attraction in Fantasyland available to us - favorites were Prince Charming's Royal Carousel and the Mad Tea Party teacups!
• Tomorrowland - Our favorites have been The PeopleMover, Tomorrowland Speedway, and Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters
• Nap/Cool Down - Carousel of Progress (Tomorrowland), Hall of Presidents (Liberty Square), or the Baby Care Center located next to the Crystal Palace
• Main Street- Main Street Vehicles are a personal favorite and our son loves the train!  And, there's a great place for a 1st (or any) haircut if you're in need!

Epcot

• The Seas with Nemo and Friends
• Journey into Imagination with Figment 
• Need to cool down?  Bring a swim diaper or a change of clothes - there is a great splash pad in Future World!  
• Germany Pavilion - the model train set can be a great place to relax and enjoy the trains - as long as they're working!

Animal Kingdom

• Rafiki's Planet Watch - take a nice train ride to the Conservation Station to get up close and personal with animals, characters, and more!  
• Dinoland, U.S.A. - Noah loved the Dinosaur version of Dumbo - the Triceratops Spin!
• Kilimanjaro Safari and the walking paths are great to watch the animals and enjoy the atmosphere of this park!

Hollywood Studios

• Toy Story Midway Mania - at 6 months, this ride was too intense for Noah, but by 2 he's grown to love it.  If you're child doesn't like quick and jerky movements, this may be a problem, but hopefully they'll enjoy taking in the fun games!
• Disney Junior, Live on Stage! If your child knows the shows and characters on Disney Junior, this show is a great opportunity to catch them up close and join in on the fun - make sure to check times and plan around!  We always seem to be 3 minutes late for a show!

Hope this list has been helpful and given you a great place to start!  Many more attractions are child friendly, but this is a list of the ones we've had the most success with over our past 4 trips!  For a list of Places to Play and burn off energy, click here!

Women of Main Street

I adore Main Street, U.S.A.  You probably knew that already.  The characters of Main Street always make me smile and I love interacting with them and watching them perform.  I only wish I had a better singing voice and good improvisational skills so I could join them one day!

One afternoon, I came as close to joining them as I probably ever will - we met the Mayor and took a

couple of pictures with him and some of his fellow citizens.  The Women of Main Street were milling around and even the Saxophone Quartet was ready to perform.  Obviously, something good was about to happen.  Noah was getting fussy, but I couldn't resist and set up shop for a couple of minutes!

The Mayor, the Honorable Christopher George Weaver, stepped up to announce that he would be running for reelection!  I tried finding out how long he has been the mayor, but I'm pretty sure that it's not a recent thing!  I'll have to remember to ask him next time I meet up with him!

Then, as they were all breaking out in song, the women decided they would take it no longer and broke out into song - Women Unite - time for women to have a vote (Mary Poppins).  I tried to get the whole spiel on video, but I didn't get the very beginning and it's definitely in two parts!  Make sure you make it to the end of the second video (I won't tell anyone if you skip to the end!) to see a special guest star!

The whole gang!

The women!

Pluto!

I mentioned in yesterday's Window Wednesday that we met Pluto in the Magic Kingdom - our first day of park touring and we just happened to see Pluto.

At 2, Pluto is pretty high up on Noah's list of favorite characters, so even with a few people in line ahead of us, we knew we had to wait!  Noah learned the phrase "wait your turn" early on during this trip and actually was pretty decent at waiting.  Or, more accurately, he ran around with his dad while I waited in line!

Pluto was meeting his friends at the Main Street Fire Station - soon to be home to Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom:

Engine Co. 71 - for the Park opening in 1971!

Being his first character of the trip.. actually, just being a two year old, Noah walked up hesitantly..  Pluto is amazing in that he gets down on all fours to greet his friends:

Then he got a little closer..

And then he showed some love!

And couldn't look away long enough to smile for the camera!

How can you not love Pluto?

Window Wednesday!

This week I'm sharing a Disney World Window that most people have probably missed.
Why?
Because it's location!  It's located on the side of the stable - I found out while after Noah's 3rd haircut at the Harmony Barber Shop while we were waiting in line to meet Pluto at the firehouse.  

Broggies Buggies

Handmade

Wagons, Surreys, Sleighs

Roger Broggie, Wheelwright

Roger Broggie - Disney's first Imagineer, has been a Disney Legend since 1990.  Among literally too many things to name, he installed the miniature train at Walt Disney's house and later developed the railroad for Disneyland and the Sante Fe Railroad in Anaheim. 
In 2003, one of the trains at WDW was renamed the Roger E. Broggie in his honor.  
Talk about a Disney All-Star!

A Great Start

On Marathon Sunday (January 2012), we excitedly arrived early at the Magic Kingdom to see my favorite rope drop.  We had made plans to meet Melissa and her fam there and with the several times I've just missed it, I tend to leave earlier than later!

Our first cool experience happened on our way to the TTC - as we were driving in, we noticed we were passing mile 7 on the left - tons of runners going strong... then, on our right, we saw 2 separate people.  2.  One keeping pace with the bicycle pacers and the other not far off.  Checking his number later, that 2nd person came in 4th or 5th.  Pretty awesome and inspiring to see people like that so close to the end!

Next, we arrived at the TTC early enough to park for free thanks to the marathon viewers!  I wasn't sure what roads would be closed and delays, so we were there by 7:30 am for a 9 am park opening.  Of course, we parked in a lot I had never parked in and we realized that, because of the race course, we couldn't simply walk into the TTC to grab the monorail like we usually do.  Instead, we were directed to buses parked at the side of the lot.  We arrived just in time to catch a completely full bus about to depart.  And, as we boarded the bus, who did we see?  Melissa and her family!  What are the odds?  They were staying on property, but like us, prefer to drive to the parks instead of taking the Disney buses!

All together, we arrived at TTC and boarded the monorail to watch the Rope Drop - our first day of park touring and their last.

Unfortunately, the rope drop was a shortened show - no train, no 'Good Morning' medley, nothing!  Sad, right?

Though, I do love seeing talking Mickey up there on the podium!  I still can't wait to be able to meet talking Mickey.  Hopefully someday we'll be that lucky!

Well, once the park opened, we walked in on the left side and noticed all the characters coming down the stairs - we were up close and personal with several friendly ones, though Mickey was quickly shooed away from sight!

And then, one of the friendly singers - I'm not sure what they're known as - stopped by to say good morning to Noah!

He was so friendly and welcoming and it was definitely a wonderful start to another wonderful and magic-filled day!

Best Friends at Disney

When my friend Melissa and I started writing this blog, we were days away from our first time we ever visited Walt Disney World together.  Even after years of friendship and park touring, we had somehow never taken a joint trip.  We knew that with our long distance friendship (VA/LA), that we would probably see each other for a couple of days every few years - what I love is that now we're sharing that friendship with our babies.

Our first trip together, June 2010, we took this fun picture together:

Piper - 1 year, Noah - 6 months

Other than photos, skype, and occasionally saying hello while Mellie and I are talking, these two really didn't know each other at all.  Luckily, they're both incredibly sweet and outgoing children.  We finally met up with them in the lobby of the All Star Movies Resort for lunch - and this is what happened:

They held hands and walked to get lunch together.

Absolute sweetness.  They played together for our 1 mutual park day and they still ask for each other.  No clue when we'll all be together again, but I love that we have fun memories to share from our days together!

Waiting to enter the Magic Kingdom!

Meeting the Fairy Godmother

Thanks for stopping by!