Turner's First Trip to Walt Disney World

I haven't posted a blog in quite awhile because we have been so busy! Everything is a go for selling our house. We either close May 16th or 19th. We will be living in a rent house for 6 months until we build our next house (a 2 bedroom 1 bath rent house!). Now, we use to live in a house with only 1 bathroom but it is going to be very hard to revert back to old ways- especially now that Turner is potty-trained! He seems to have to go at the same exact time Wes or I have to go!!!
And, this past Sunday we took Turner to Disney World in Orlando, Florida! Now, I am going to post a few tips for anyone who is taking a toddler to WDW for the first time at the bottom of this blog. But, for the most part, I think Turner really enjoyed it! He loved meeting all of the Disney Characters especially Mickey Mouse more than riding most of the rides.
We flew into Orlando on Sunday. I booked our rooms at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, which is great!! The hotel is beautiful and very unusual with animals roaming outside your balcony. We ate at Jiro, an African Steakhouse, which was fabulous!! I recommend the Flatbread, the Halibut, and the Macarooni & Cheese!!
Monday was spent at the Animal Kingdom. Now, we had never been to this park before so it was a first for all of us. It's a great Zoo but not my favorite park at WDW. The park is full of trees and foliage so it stays pretty cool even at the hottest part of the day. The safari ride and Mt. Everest (the new roller coaster) are the best rides at this park. We ate dinner at the Rainforrest Cafe which is always one of our favorites.

Turner sticking his head inside of a rhino's mouth.

Wes is trying to get Turner to brush the goat but Turner would have no part in this!

Mimi, Turner, and Papa at It's a Bug's Life inside the Tree of Life. Very cute 3-D movie!

Family Portrait with Mickey! Turner was so excited to meet Mickey he didn't want to look at the camera!

Tuesday we went to the Magic Kingdom. The moment we stepped inside the park, Turner could not keep his eyes off of the "Dreams come True" performance at the Castle. It had all of the important Disney Characters singing and dancing. He watched it twice!

Cinderella's Castle
Turner in awe of the performance by Mickey and Minnie!
Turner represented LSU by wearing his hat everyday so his head would not burn!
One of Turner's favorite rides-Buzz Lightyear! This ride is very similar to Universal Studio's Men in Black ride where you shoot aliens with laser guns. Papa beat all of us with a score of 49,000. Turner and I only shot a 1500! We had to ride this 2 times!!
One of the best things at WDW to spend money on is eating with the Disney Characters although you have to book this VERY early in advance. We always eat at Liberty Tree Tavern at Magic Kingdom. The food is great (home cooked ham, roast, turkey with mashed potatoes, mac n cheese, dressing, and peach cobbler for desser!)! But, I have never seen Turner use a napkin or keep himself neat and clean than when he was eatting here! He did not want to get food on any of the characters as they came around to greet him so he would wipe his hands and face after every bite!!
Wednesday, our last day at the park, was spent at Hollywood Studios. This is one of my favorite parks because of Rockin' Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. And, Turner really enjoyed it because of Playhouse Disney and the stunt shows! We ate dinner at Mama Mia's Italian Restaurant which was good but not great.

Turner waiting outside of Rockin' Roller Coaster.

Tower of Terror
Turner with Little Einsteins

Lights, Camera, Motion Stunt Show-VERY COOL!!!
And, a nice way to end the day is to get squirted by an oversized water gun in the 'Honey, I shrunk the kids' playground.

Now, for a few tips:

1. Kids under 3 get in free so you don't have to buy a park pass which is a savings of $67 per day.

2. The lines for the Disney Characters are LONG!!!! Make sure that the characters will still be there before you stand in line for a long time to see them. There were several times that we would stand in line and the characters would have to leave to be in a parade or trade-out with other characters. We had several melt-downs due to this!

3. Bring a stroller, a leash, or a sling to carry your toddler in. There are always crowds at Disney and Turner would take off running into these crowds and we would have to chase after him-not fun when your feet are already tired of walking 1000's of miles each day.

4. You have to walk 1000's of miles each day so pack comfortable clothes and shoes.

5. We went at a great time. The lines for most rides were very short and the weather was perfect. We had a nice breeze every day.

6. Book reservations for dinner in advance for every night. We knew when and where we were going to eat so there was no arguing on who was deciding. And, I highly recommend atleast one Character dining experience!

7. SUNSCREEN is needed at all times!!!!

8. Check to see which airport your plane is going to! We booked Allegiant Air which is a low-fare airline from Shreveport but it flys into Sanford, Florida not Orlando International. Sanford is 55 miles from Disney World where as Orlando Int is 25 miles from Disney. But, we hooked up with a taxi service that had a van and car seat and it costs less than if we had taken the Disney Magic Express from the other airport. Magic Express is a shuttle from Orlando Int only and it costs $32 per person both ways but the Taxi service was $22 per person on the way to WDW and $18 per person on the way back. We gave the driver a nice tip both ways.

9. Stay at one of the WDW resorts! It is a great experience to stay on the grounds of Disney. Each resort has a theme, there is a shuttle to and from everything in Disney, and there are tons of activities going on at all times!! At the Animal Kingdom Lodge, there is night vision of the animals that are roaming around, great pools with a water slide, a playground, and much more.

10. Have fun and know that not every minute is going to be great! If you are taking a toddler know that they might not be able to ride all of the rides. As soon as you walk into any of the parks, there is a brochure that shows what is catered to kids under 5. Know that your child may not have a nap. Turner was on the go from the moment we woke up until about 9pm every night! We did not stay for any of the fireworks because they did not start until 9pm. And, we knew if we needed to get him up the next morning we needed to get him in the bed at a decent time. Turner was not always on his best behavior but it goes with his age.

All in all we had a great trip. We would like to thank Mimi and Papa for going with us! It is always more fun with mom and dad and it would not had been as much fun without a bit of extra support to help watch Turner. Now, if I think of any other tips, I will be sure to blog it later or if you have any questions, let me know!