Growing up in Florida, I had many opportunities to visit Walt Disney World and experience Magic Kingdom! I have such great memories with my parents and sister that I will always cherish! This past Saturday, Joshua and I had the amazing privilege of introducing our own children to the magic that is Disney when we took them to Disneyland in Anaheim, CA! What a fantasmic (I'm pretty sure that's a Disney term) experience! The bright smile that came across our sweet Samuel's face every time he saw a new Disney character in person or rode a new ride brought so much joy to my heart. I honestly had no idea that going with children (with all the chaos that that entails) could actually be more thrilling than going without them! It is a day that Joshua and I will forever remember and hope that Samuel does too!
Donald was the first character we found as we entered the park! It was actually convenient that Samuel wasn't able to officially meet him right away (Donald had a strict schedule to follow…) because when Samuel followed him away, he followed him straight to the "CAST MEMBERS ONLY" door. WHAT A TREAT he got himself into! Being there early and stumbling upon this door, allowed Samuel to be the first child to meet each character as they came out (or in) the door!
Samuel wasn't the biggest fan of Daisy, but enjoyed the hugs…
Chip & Dale were heading back in when they, too, stopped to show some love to Samuel before the greatest part of our day………...
See that HUGE smile on Samuel's face? That is what made any hard thing about the day completely worth it!! Minnie decided Samuel was going to be the apple of her eye for a few minutes and boy did he feel special.
Not only did she kiss him…
…and cuddle him…
…but she proceeded to take Samuel under her wing and give him the special treatment…
As Minnie was walking around, holding Samuel's hand, he spotted the one and only MICKEY MOUSE walking around! She could tell he was so eager to see him so…
She hurried him straight over to Mickey Mouse himself and presented Samuel to Mickey before any of the other children could reach him. Joshua and I were SO very excited for Samuel! When we think about the entire day, we can definitely say that the first 20 minutes of our day was the absolute BEST!
Our first ride (and Samuel's favorite of the day!) was the Astro Orbiter! The line was super short (compared to later in the day when Samuel insisted on riding it again) so they almost got right on. We were planning on it being just Samuel and Joshua but last minute, we tossed Benjamin in the mix and I think they all had a great time!
Toontown was such a great place for little kiddos! Here, they were able to run around and be more free (especially in the earlier morning hours)
Meeting Mickey for the second time…definitely not as climactic as the first encounter ;)
So many great things to see!
Benjamin waiting for the parade to start while brother took a quick cat nap.
So many things to see during the parade! It was so nice to take a minute, sit, and enjoy some entertainment!
We watch parts of Lion King probably once a week!
I had to get a picture of The Princess and the Frog float because it has a special place in my heart ;) The movie had just come out around the time that Joshua and I got married so the day after our wedding, we were staying in Orlando and Joshua took me to see it in the theaters! It was our first "married" date!
I love this kid's fascination!
Between "Buzz" and the "Rockets," Samuel chose the rockets to be his last ride of the day. It was getting late and the sun was setting so we thought just one very long line would be enough. Throughout the day, the boys got to experience some great attractions: Pirates of the Caribbean (he LOVED this one, too), Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, and more! Lots of walking, eating, and family time!
Classic.
Love that face.
The sky was so magical as the sun was setting behind Sleeping Beauty's Castle (made me miss Cinderella's castle in FL!) See my earlier post about Abba and the balloon!
Love them!!!
Such a happy day at the "happiest place on earth!!"
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