We are back home after a wonderful week away in Florida. Our trip originated as an escape from the winter, with the goal of visiting Legoland for a day (you may recall the Lego-obsessed Christmas we just had!). We started the trip with a fire drill at the airport in Plattsburgh (someone was smoking in the bathroom), and they had to evacuate the entire airport. We had to stand outside for a good 20 minutes while we watched fire trucks arrive, and once we were finally let back inside, we had to go through security a second time before boarding our plane. Thankfully that was the only hiccup of the trip. Our house was beautiful, the weather was mostly sunny and warm, we had lots of time to swim and relax in the sun, and we made a lot of fun family memories.
It was VERY cold out while we were evacuated from the airport
Doing their best to stay warm
Less than 24 hours later, we were all toasty warm
First swim at the resort
Legoland was definitely a highlight of the week, with lots to see and do. There was such a variety of experiences, from building with Legos, to going on Lego-themed rides and admiring some seriously amazing Lego creations. The water show with waterskiing Lego characters and the Ninjago ride were especially fun!
We spent an evening at Disney Springs, enjoying the shopping and having dinner at an Irish restaurant, and getting a little sampling of Disney since we were nearby. This ended up being such a memorable evening for us! The Irish restaurant, Raglan Road, had a live band and amazing dancers to entertain us during our meal. We were lucky to have a table right up front to enjoy the entertainment. Toward the end of the performance, one of the dancers came around and asked if any kids were interested in going on stage to learn to dance. After a little coaxing, Evie said she wanted to do it. We watched all the kids file on stage, and Evie was nowhere to be seen. I thought she had gotten cold feet, but in reality, she was getting ready for a solo dance! When the first group of kids finished, the band introduced Evie and said she had a few steps under her belt already, and our brave girl did her dance in front of the whole restaurant. I could tell she was nervous, but she powered through it with a smile on her face! When she got back to the table, she told us she was shaky the whole time she was dancing. I couldn't have been more proud of her courage that night - and yes, this proud mama was a little misty-eyed!
At the end of the evening, after the kids were tucked in bed, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were missing an opportunity to take the kids to Disney since we were only 10 miles away. We haven't planned a Disney trip before, because it has felt like too much (money, time, planning, stress), and we tend toward vacations that involve relaxing by the beach or pool rather than fighting crowds. Matt and I talked about it, and analyzed whether it was crazy to do an impromptu Disney trip. We have heard of so many people who plan their Disney trips for months in advance, have the special wristbands, plan out their shows, rides, meals, and path through the park for each day of their visit. Would we be wasting our money to go for a day without a plan in mind? With the help of our niece Carly, we decided to go for it, and just surprise the kids in the morning by telling them we were going to Disney. Strangely, the kids didn't have a very big reaction when we told them, but I don't think they realized the fun that was to come. It was a quick drive to the Magic Kingdom, and then we took the tram and the monorail to arrive at the park entrance. Evie's first glimpse of the castle was truly magical, and at that moment I knew we had made the right decision to come to Disney.
The best part of having no plan was that we also had no expectations. We knew we wouldn't make it to everything, so we tried to see a little bit of each section of the park. We went on some of the classic rides (It's a Small World, Dumbo, Splash Mountain), we got to see a Monsters, Inc. comedy show, and saw the Mickey parade. We took tons of pictures near the castle, and gawked at the number of families with matching personalized Disney t-shirts (meanwhile Evie hadn't brushed her hair and Noah had his shorts on backward all day!). We ate our Mickey-shaped pretzels and ice cream sandwiches. I was so impressed that our kids held up for the whole day of walking around (woo hoo, no stroller!), as I logged almost 6 miles on my Apple watch. I really didn't think I'd enjoy Disney, but I figured I'd do it for the kids...and guess what? I LOVED it. It was happy, friendly, fun, and I can't wait to go back again. The joy and excitement on our kids' faces was such a gift for us to witness. I also learned an important lesson that it doesn't have to be perfectly planned to be a fun time.
The rest of the vacation involved lots of swimming, basking in the sun, water sliding, and floating in the lazy river. The kids loved starting their day with a swim in the pool at our house, and we also enjoyed soaking in the hot tub after walking for miles at the parks. It was incredible to feel the warm sun, humidity and fresh air after a particularly harsh Vermont winter. We are back to reality this week, with just a few tan lines and lots of great memories of our week away.
No comments:
Post a Comment