We decided to give the kids one big Christmas gift this year. It wasn’t hard to choose what it would be, but it was hard to keep it a secret until Christmas morning! Pete was working over Christmas, so we planned to Skype in the morning while the kids opened their stockings. The fact that the Christmas parade from Disney World happened to be on at that same time was a lovely coincidence.
That’s right, we surprised the kids with a trip to Disney World! Ella and Sam each found a ticket in their stocking.
I know a lot of parents tell their kids about a Disney trip way in advance, but I think Ella might go a little wild waiting, so we told her three days before we left.
One of the very best parts of our Disney trip was that our dear friends, Luke and Hannah, were able to join us. We all stayed at The Fort Wilderness Cabins right at Disney World. We had never visited this area and weren’t completely sure what to expect, but it was perfect. Cozy little cabins and campgrounds set up just like any campground in Northern Minnesota, only it was a boat ride away from Magic Kingdom!
We arrived at our cabin Friday night and took a shuttle to Animal Kingdom Saturday morning.
The parks keep their Christmas decor up until about a week after New Years Day, so everywhere we went felt very festive.
Our first stop of the morning was in Pandora, from Avatar. Such an incredible area. Most people would go straight to Flight of Passage, but Sam isn’t tall enough yet, so we had already decided we would save that wait for a trip not during Christmas vacation. From right away in the morning, the line was four to five hours long. Instead, we jumped in line for Na’vi River.
Ella has never seen Avatar, but she was caught up in the fun of Pandora and decided to have her face painted.
Isn’t it pretty? It lasted all day, even in the humidity!
She fell in love with these little guys. They have buttons to make them move, which was fun to watch.
And these guys were pretty into this giant…thing. I have no idea what it’s called.
I admit, though, it was pretty cool when a guy came out and actually walked around in a similar thing. Pete and I saw Avatar when it was first in the theater right after Ella was born. She was itty bitty, so we didn’t get a sitter. We went solo on consecutive nights and then talked about it. Whatever works, right?!
My favorite treat at Disney World is the Dole Whip Float. It’s sort of a pineapple soft serve in pineapple juice. My absolute favorite is the swirl version – mixed with vanilla soft serve – but they don’t have that at Animal Kingdom.
It’s a requirement to have Mickey-Shaped treats while at the parks, like this lovely ice cream sandwich.
The Olsens all agree that our favorite show at Animal Kingdom is Lion King. (Nemo: The Musical is a close second.) We’ve now seen this multiple times, and every time feels so special. Ella & Sam danced and played with the performers at the end of the show.
There are lots of fun areas to explore around Animal Kingdom, including walking paths and jungle trails. The cool kid even paused a moment for a photo before running to see the tiger.
I don’t even know how to caption this one. Oh, Sam.
I love getting Starbucks at the parks. Always feels special, even if it’s the same drink I can pick up in Duluth.
Check out the little photo bomber while Pete was capturing this one.
We were able to get a reservation at Yak & Yeti, a tasty sit-down restaurant in Asia. Sam loves shrimp, just like his daddy and big sister.
After exploring the park through the heat of the day, we watched the Tree of Life come alive with lights and music as the sun went down, then hopped on a bus back to our little cabin at the Wilderness Campground. I feel like every day at Disney World should end like this. My three loves, all cozy together.
Our day at Hollywood Studios is to come!
