1.21.2014

Disney World 2014

Ella thought she was going to Disney World too.
Our day started off pretty early having to get to the airport at 6:30 in the morning, but the girls did great!  Our flight didn't end up leaving until 8:30 or 9 instead of 7:30 which turned out perfect because we just literally got off the first plane and went straight to the next plane.
The girls at least got to get some wiggles out before getting on the plane.

We were so excited!  I think we were more than the girls.
Getting excited to see Big Daddy and GiGi!
They were so excited to see GiGi!  I had to capture the moment!
Going grocery shopping is never a simple task for us.  My dad wanted to go to Costco to get things in  bulk since we had lots of mouths to feed.  He is just so funny...getting a big box of Ramen noodle bowls,  4 cans of spaghetti sauce, 2 things of peanut butter (after he already brought a big can from home), a big box of pudding cups, and a big box of tennis balls (like we were going to have time for tennis).  All the shopping and time spent at Costco, my mom and I still had to go to the grocery store for individual items.  That's my dad!  I like grocery shopping with him though because I just throw stuff in the cart that I want.  Hee hee!

Of course, we had to go to the hot tub to start off the week!

Our first day at Disney World!
MAGIC KINGDOM
(So, we never told Shalom we were going to Disney World.  She just knew that we were going to see Big Daddy and GiGi in Florida.  We wanted her to be surprised once we stepped foot at the Magic Kingdom.  The day day before, when my parents picked us up while we were driving to the condo, my dad started to talk about Disney World, but we stopped him and told both him and my mom what we were doing.  The next thing that comes out of my mom's mouth was, "So, Shalom, tomorrow we get to go to Disney World!"  We were all like, "What did we just say?!"  Maybe my mom just phased out that moment we were explaining what we were doing.  Oh well, we figured maybe she didn't really understand anyway.)
It was SO cold the whole day!  The high was like 40 something.  They were bundled up in their blankets with 2 pairs of pants, sweaters, and jackets, and they were still cold.  We got there a little after 9 in the morning and toughed it out until about 7:30 that night.  Both the girls did really good for it being so cold and staying there so long!  I was pretty impressed with Eden for her age.  She was a trooper.  Shalom on the other hand, was pretty firm about when she wanted to just stay in her stroller. We did a fair share of riding the rides and meeting some characters.  The rides/exhibits we did this day:  Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Mad Tea Party, Ariel's Grotto, Peter Pan's Flight, It's a Small World, The Swiss Family Treehouse, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Jungle Cruise, Walt Disney World Railroad, The Hall of Presidents (Mike and I got a little power nap in this one), and Buzz Lightyear (just Mike and Shalom at the end of the night).
Finally at the Magic Kingdom!  Shalom was too cold to get out of the stroller.
 Merida was the first princess we got to see!
(While we got to meet Merida, My dad was awesome and started off getting Fast Passes for us!) 

Riding the teacups...Shalom looks so excited!  
Right behind Mike is Eden.  I'm running trying to get on the ride before it starts.  
Waiting in line to meet Winnie the Pooh and Tigger!
Mom trying to snuggle up and get warm with Big Daddy while waiting in line.





The Dumbo ride!
Luckily this line wasn't very long at all!  But, when the line is long, you can wait your turn inside the Dumbo circus playground.  It was great for the girls, especially Eden, to get some wiggles out!
Shalom's face is hilarious!  I don't know if she looks scared or is not enjoying being cold...probably both.
Shalom and Eden got to meet Ariel!
I love how even Eden was excited to meet her and take a picture.  
Ariel's Grotto
I love see how excited she gets!

Afterwards, we got to meet Gaston while he was walking around in his village.  Gaston was pretty spot on.  I was so mad that my camera on my phone froze just as I was taking pictures!  Luckily I was able to get these from our PhotoPass!  I thought the guy playing Gaston was pretty spot on.  I'm so glad I spotted him because there are so many princesses to meet so it's nice to meet one of the guy characters.
I think I like the guy in the green.  ;)
Next, we went to get in line to meet Rapunzel and Snow White then back in another line to meet Cinderella and Aurora/Sleeping Beauty.  I love how Shalom hugged each of them before she left them and told them that she loved them...so cute!

Rapunzel was so cute to play a little game of hide-and-go-seek with the girls.  Eden loved it!

Snow White's voice sounded so much like the one from the movie.  It was so crazy!



Later in the day, we were just walking around/taking a break and found a great spot for a picture!
She looks like she's saying, "Hey, check out the Magic Kingdom!"
I love this picture of Eden and my dad!
Again, Shalom is in the stroller...too cold.

The It's a Small World Ride!  Our last ride for the day.

The castle is absolutely beautiful at night!  It really is magical! 
The Magic Kingdom is definitely a magical place!  I love this picture!
Eden was a great cuddle buddy!  
EPCOT
This park was pretty cool.  It's more on the educational side of the theme parks so there were only so many things that the girls would be interested in, but were mostly here for the lunch with the princesses in Norway.  Some of the other things we did here:  Spaceship Earth, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Soarin', Living with the Land, Mission: Space, and Test Track.
 

 Our first character to meet at Epcot, Pluto!
 

Mickey!  Shalom was so cute when she met Mickey.  Right before she was leaving Mickey she gave him a big hug and said, "I love you, Mickey!"


 
Minnie Mouse!

I love how Eden was so playful and cuddly the whole time!  But, who wouldn't be happy in GiGi's arms?!


Shalom meets Donald Duck in Mexico!

 

Lunch with the Princesses in Norway!













Again, no Shalom by the end of the night.  When she is tired, she IS tired!  By this point she had been sleeping for over an hour.  Eden, though, is such a trooper!  She just went a long wherever we were going.  Of course, she was held most the time, though.

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground
 
c


 



 The MAGIC KINGDOM with Amy and Scott's family!













Monsters, Inc.

Buzz Light Year ride


I love Rylan's face in this picture.

Tiana!




ANIMAL KINGDOM
We must have spent most of our time her at the dinosaur park.  Both the girls loved it and were quite content to stay here the whole time; so much so that Shalom didn't really care to go meet Pocahontas. We definitely did not want to make her do something she didn't want to do since we had been pushing her beyond her limits the whole week.
I guess he looks looks like part of the little mountain to climb.  He was so worn out by the end of the week.  He was ready for another vacation after this one.  He just didn't know what he was in for with a Barrow vacation!  Hahaha!
I think Shalom may be bipolar...
just 2 seconds later,...this face.  I never know what I'm gonna get from her!
The African Safari was probably one of the coolest things at this park.  It was so neat to see the animals in their natural habitat amongst other types of animals.  I think Eden loved it too!  She kept going, "Ooooohhh!"  So cute!

There was another ride that just us adults plus Brooke and Bryce did that was a roller coaster ride.  It was probably the most thrilling ride for us adults that we rode the whole trip!

My family (Mike, the girls, and I) almost went on the Kali River Rapids Raft Ride but saw people getting off who looked soaked.  So, we were like, "Nope!  Not for us!"  Once the rest of my family came back from the ride, they weren't even that wet.  I don't know how those other people were soaked.  Oh well.  At least we didn't take any chances.

We also saw the Finding Nemo musical and It's Tough to be a Bug show which were both pretty cool!
"Talking" to someone on the phone while we were waiting for the rest of the family to get back to the front of the park.
It was great seeing my Uncle Brian and Aunt Mindy at the Animal Kingdom!
The rest of the kids were in the strollers.  We did not want to go through the hassle of getting them out for the picture.  Never ruin a good thing!  ;)
 The photographer said to roar and I look like I am not very happy.   For some reason, I just can't make the right face for whatever it is.