A TEEN AND A TODD: Walt Disney World

Day 2 was going to be spent at the Animal Kingdom. We slept really well after being exhausted from Hollywood Studios and headed back to the Pop Century food court for breakfast again. On day 2, we decided to drive ourselves to the park to see if we preferred driving or taking the bus transportation. The bus transportation was super convenient except you have to empty out your stroller and fold it up and then carry your bags onto the bus. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a packer and try to prepare for everything so I had our stroller packed down with rain ponchos, sunscreen, camera, snacks, hats, sunglasses, bandaids, ibuprofen, change of clothes for Addi (just in case), glow sticks (for after it got dark), and the kitchen sink. Because of my pack mule tendencies, the bus transportation and the whole process of emptying out the stroller and having to carry everything onto the bus was kind of a pain so driving our rental car and then loading up the stroller in the parking lot proved to be the best option for us!

On the 2nd day, Addi and I wore our matching red t-shirts that were a gift from my cousin Shannon! The park opened at 9 and that's when we got there! Animal Kingdom closed at 5 that day so we wanted to make sure that we had time to get everything in! The sky was clear and a little overcast and the temperature was perfect for shorts and t-shirts! We had fast passes for Kilimanjaro Safari, a roller coast called Expedition Everest, and a show called "Festival of the Lion King" that I had heard was fabulous.

We absolutely LOVED the Animal Kingdom! Addi did great on Expedition Everest (which is their feature ride) but decided once was enough for her. The lines were short so after we used our fast pass, Austin and I got back in line and rode it again with less than a 10-minute wait. Kilimanjaro Safari was an amazing guided safari where we saw all kinds of animals--zebras, rhinos, elephants, giraffes, hippos, flamingos, etc... It was very, very cool!

We ate lunch at a place called Restaurantosaurus--the food was okay. We all got cheeseburgers and fries and cheesecake for dessert. Addi has loved this trip because we have let her drink lots of sprite and she doesn't get that too much at home! We keep telling her it's just because we are on vacation!

The "Festival of the Lion King" show was definitely worth going to. The costumes and the singing and the stunts and acrobatics and the props were hard to describe. These pictures just don't even come close to doing it justice (couldn't use a flash)! It was definitely entertaining and we would have gone back and watched it again that day if we had more time!

Addi loved a little kiddie ride called Tricera Top Spin which she rode probably 4 times with one of us riding with her each time. We also rode Primeval Whirl which was a fun ride but Addi was too short so Austin and Craig rode it together first while Addi and I were at Tricera Top Spin and then Austin and I rode it together later in the day.

We went to a show called "It's Tough to be a Bug", which was a very cute 3-D show with a lot of cool effects and we rode something called "Wildlife Express Train" which was not cool at all and quite boring.

Going through the African area of Animal Kingdom was always fun because they had live entertainment--dancing, playing bongos, and getting the crowd to join in. We stood around and watched them dance and were so entertained! I truly could have stood there all day!

Another one of our favorite things was a playground called "The Boneyard." It had slides and things for kids to climb on and just run around and it also had a big area filled with sand where kids could "dig" for dinosaur bones. Addi really enjoyed playing in this area and Craig and I took turns staying there with her while Austin and one of us left to ride other things (such as a ride called Dinosaur that Austin and I rode and ended up getting stuck on for like 30 minutes)!! Craig and Austin had already rode it and told me it was good so Austin and I went to ride it and got stuck! It was pretty funny except we were kind of bummed because after we got off that ride we had planned to go and get Addi and Craig and go and see one more show before the park closed and because we got stuck for so long, we actually missed the show.

While at Animal Kingdom, we got to meet a lot more characters including Mickey & Minnie in their safari gear, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto, & Pocohauntus!

As the park was getting ready to close, we just happened to be in the right place at the right time because a huge dance party broke out and the characters all gathered around and started dancing and doing the Cupid Shuffle and the Electric Slide and it was a lot of fun. Of course, I jumped right in while my family just laughed at me. Addi got in on the fun too but she mostly stood staring at the characters in her sweet, pure amazement.

It was a great day and we totally enjoyed the Animal Kingdom. It was time for the park to close though so we headed to the car so that we could get back to the hotel to change for dinner--we had reservations to meet Cinderella for dinner at 6:45 that evening!

We got to the hotel and all got cleaned up and changed and headed to the Grand Floridian Hotel which is another Disney resort. Addi had on her beautiful Cinderella dress and glass slippers that she had gotten for Christmas and looked like a little princess. We got seated and got to meet the step-sisters, Anastasia and Drizella, and Cinderella's mean stepmother, Lady Tremaine. One of the step-sisters was super flirty with Austin (which was hilarious). Then came Cinderella and she was so pretty. Addi's facial expressions were truly priceless. So many times throughout this trip, I was reassured of how perfect this trip had been for her and what a perfect age she was to experience (and remember) this. We also got to meet the handsome prince but so far I haven't found a picture of that one!