The Magic Kingdom

On Wednesday, we made our way back to Orlando.  After a quick dinner and some time at the playground, we headed to bed.  Thursday started bright and early.  We parked at the Magic Kingdom, bought our tickets and took the monorail over to Chef Mickey's.  The girls indulged in a big breakfast complete with Mickey Mouse shaped waffles.  Shortly after we finished eating, the characters began taking pictures and signing autographs.  To the girls' delight, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Mickey and Minnie visited our table.  It was well worth the hefty price tag...thankfully the girls were free. 

Our day continued at the Magic Kingdom, which proved to be one of the absolute best days we've had as a family.  We started out on the carousel, followed by It's a Small World (the unanimous favorite) and Peter Pan's Magic Flight.  We were three for three and enjoying every second.  Next, we relaxed for a bit while watching the Country Bear Jamboree.  All the shows kept the girls attention and gave us a chance to rest our arms.  While we never stood in line for more than 20 minutes, that's a long time to hold 20+ pounds of toddler. 

Next, Mate went on Big Thunder Mountain while I changed diapers.  He was hesitant to take a second away from us, but I insisted.  It was his first time in Disney and I wanted him to experience as much as possible.  We reunited for the Jungle Cruise before heading over to watch Mickey and friends perform in front of the castle.  The girls absolutely loved all the singing and dancing.  Ava, atop Mate's shoulders, swayed to the music.  Mia spun in circles at our feet.  I must admit, this was only one of the many times I felt myself get a bit choked up.  Seeing our girls have so much fun made me emotional. 

Ava spinning us on the Teacups

Next, we headed over to ride the Teacups and Dumbo.  One of the best things about Disney was the big circus tent next to the Dumbo ride.  Instead of waiting in line, families get a pager and are sent inside to play on a giant playground.  I think the girls were disappointed to leave when it was our turn on Dumbo. 

Lunch was next on our agenda followed by another show and then the parade.  We sat on Main Street and watched all the characters pass by.  Mia was so excited it took all my strength to keep her in my arms.  Our next adventure was on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.  Although, I wouldn't recommend this for all little ones, ours girls seemed to enjoy themselves. 

Last ride of the day

While inside the Tiki Room watching animatronic birds sing, it began to rain.  We were fortunate to be inside, but our stroller got soaked.  Luckily, we only had a few more rides to go on and were able to carry the girls without too much trouble.  Our absolutely wonderful day ended on the Winnie the Pooh ride.  After 10 hours of Disney fun and only a couple of quick naps while waiting in line, our girls were exhausted, but happy.

I don't think Mate or I could have imagined the day going any better.  It far surpassed our expectations and is something we'll always remember.  Many people say it is a waste to take kids as small as ours to Disney.  If you're only going to go to Disney once, then wait.  However, if you plan on going back, there are a million reasons to go with toddlers.  For us, Mate's conference was an opportunity to do something special with the girls before the baby arrives.  Their smiles, laughter, and dancing made it worth every second of planning, every penny it cost, and every mishap that took place the days prior. 

Much deserved souvenirs

We spent Friday morning at Downtown Disney, the afternoon at the swimming pool, and the evening at the playground.  Our trip home Saturday went relatively well (minus being chosen for a random security screening).  Both girls slept the majority of the plane ride and Hurricane Sandy only made the turbulence slightly intense.  We're happy to report that operation replace pacifiers with Mickey Mouse stuffed animals has been a success.  We are two days in and the girls don't seem to be having much trouble adjusting at all.  By the way, we did allow them to have a small love affair with those darn pacifiers all vacation long.  Instead of making the girls leave their pacifiers in their cribs like we do at home, we allowed them to come everywhere with us.  Luckily, it didn't make taking them away for good any more difficult.