The Magic Kingdom

Our first year with no strollers!! We vanquished the Magic Kingdom!! It was amazing how much faster we could get around and get things done without having to park our strollers and then find them again at every ride. As usual the kids all loved it - they aren't yet big enough to be sent out on their own to explore the kingdom, but they definitely all ride with each other now and adults aren't necessary but we go anyway because it's fun.

The back of this year's shirt. . . 

We headed back to Fort Wilderness around 4pm to get ready for dinner and this is how the sky looked when we boarded the boat.

Unfortunately as we were sailing the rain came bucketing down so when we got to our first stop, the Fort Wilderness Lodge, which is not our stop, they wouldn't keep going. Our choice was to wait it out on the boat or make a dash for the lodge and then catch a bus to our campsite. We all opted to stay on the boat . . .until I had to escort two of my children to the bathroom. We sprinted to the lodge and took care of business as fast as we could, hoping the boat wouldn't leave us, but as soon as we got back the captain announced that they weren't going to sail and we would have to take the bus anyway. Sigh. Ironically once we took the bus back to the campsite and walked down to get our golf carts from where we had left them parked at the marina we saw the boat pulling up to the dock. Grrrr.

After dinner we re-grouped and headed in for some for magic with our fearless Disney leader Ali leading the way!

I love this one!

The next morning we had a few golf cart driving lessons before heading to lunch at the lodge and making our way home. Thank you Papa and Mama for another great adventure!

Fort Wilderness

Our Disney Weekend always begins at Fort Wilderness. After a fun day at whatever park we've chosen with our families we meet up and check into our cabins then cookout for dinner. This year our cookout was inhibited a bit by rain - I can't seem to find my photos of Dad and Stacy cooking on the grill under an umbrella but it was pretty funny. The adults made the kids all eat in their own cabins, rather than on the deck in the rain,  and we got to enjoy some grown-up time eating in Mama and Papa's cabin. Thankfully the rain let up after dinner and we all piled into our golf carts and headed down to campfire where we made s'mores and sang along with the cowboy and had our annual photo with Chip, or Dale, not sure which one!

The "A" team - me, Will, Ali, Shannon and Brian.

Besties.

The cousins - Chris, Lilly, Anders, Josie, Samantha, Josh, Meggie, Ellie, Anna, Katie, Will, Lucien and Jude.

Loading up the carts.

They're growing up!

Universal Studios

This year we went to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure for our first two days in Orlando and LOVED it!! We stayed overnight on the property which allowed us to fast pass all the rides and I highly recommend it.