We decided to leave around 2am with hopes that the girls might sleep for the first half of the ride. No such luck! Both girls were awake a lot, but they entertained themselves and each other with the toys that I had packed, a big bag full of library books and a Nancy Drew book for Maggie.
Our first stop was in Georgia for breakfast and then we made it all the way to Florida and the welcome center. The sun was SO bright and it was already pretty hot.
We drove south a little more and found out that there was a long delay up ahead due to an accident. We were scheduled to arrive to our hotel extra early anyway, so we decided to take a scenic detour. We found ourselves in St. Augustine and we all want to go back for an extended visit! The kids were able to get up close a light house for the first time.
After lots of discussion, we made the decision to stay at the same Disney hotel again. Our last trip was so much fun, and so busy, but our hotel and the giant characters made things extra special when we were having downtime. We arrived on Sunday afternoon and checked out on Friday morning. We had four fun, full and busy days in the parks. We decided to spend three days in Magic Kingdom (because it IS magical) and to visit Epcot (during the International Flower and Garden Festival) for one day. As a family we agreed that we didn't need to go back to Animal Kingdom
Ellie spent her time asking to be carried (Magic Kingdom and the stroller parking lots did not take up any of my time this trip.), running from the camera, or trying to pose exactly like her big sister. Maggie was eager to pose in front of anything that I asked her to and didn't complain about being tired at all. Here are a few pictures from our vacation!
We made our own autograph books at home and opted NOT to spend $12.99 each to buy them at Disney World. The girls were able to meet Mulan, Aurora/Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Pluto, Mickey Mouse, Daisy Duck, Minnie Mouse, Tiana, Mary Poppins and Jessie. There were a few other characters that had long lines and we always let Maggie decide if having their autographs and meeting them was worth the wait. Maggie likes to make the most of her time, so we didn't meet Aladdin and Jasmine, Merida or Snow White. We accidentally had an optimal view of one of the afternoon parades and were able to see ALL of the characters as they rode by on their floats.
I will try to post a few helpful hints and details about our trip later this week.
