Animal Kingdom

Our last day, we went to Animal Kingdom and started the day off with a nutritious breakfast with Donald Duck & Friends. Well, it could have been nutritious with eggs, fruit, and orange juice but the boys opted for the Mickey waffles covered in syrup, chocolate covered glazed doughnuts, and chocolate milk.

Family Photo #4 ruined - LOOK AT THE CAMERA!

Family Photo #5 ruined - thanks Hughes for the head shot!

And then there is the Berglinds and their perfect family picture! Ugh!

Daisy trying her best to get some attention.

Hughes looking up Goofy's nose.

Banks terrified. Need I say more?

Family Photo #6 - ruined LOOK AT THE #@$@# CAMERA!

Hughes shaking his tambourine during the Donald Duck parade. Hughes stayed in his seat but did participate. Banks got up and joined the parade.

Family Photo #7 - ruined Why do I even try?

Giraffe - I love the animal safari

Hughes relaxing with his two new bestfriends in DinoLand at the dinosaur playground.

The boys checking out the jeep.

Banks and his new bestfriend, T-Rex, on the playground.

David, Banks and a dinosaur skeleton

This was the walking safari - the boys loved those fish (David included!)

This is how Banks spent a few hours every afternoon at the parks - totally wiped out!

Hippo swimming - very cool!

Silver Back - really cool! Of course, Hughes was just looking for the alligators. The guide tried to talk to him about the gorilla but Hughes asked him where the alligators were.

Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios was the park we chose to go to on Friday. Immediately, we saw Minnie Mouse. Banks was talking a big game in the line waiting for his chance to see Minnie. He was telling David that he was going to give Minnie a kiss but when the time came he froze! Oh well, we got a picture! This day was more about shows than rides. We saw The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Little Einsteins. We missed the Toy Story ride because we didn't get our fast passes in time. They were out by noon and the wait was 60 minutes. By far, the longest wait we ever encountered during our adventure. We opted out.

Two hot dudes in their private shuttle powered by Mom and Dad

Pat, Pat, Pat, Pat, Blast Off!

Leo and Annie from Little Einsteins pose with us - Banks looks sad but he was very excited to see his favorite characters. He really wanted to see Rocket but we settled with the characters.

Snack break with Lighting McQueen suckers- we had many of these. This one was while the dads could ride Aerosmith's Rockin' Rollercoaster - my favorite roller coaster of all time! Don't worry, the moms got to ride it, too!

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids playground - the boys ran and ran and climbed and climbed.

After the playground break, we went to see the racecar stunt show. It was really cool and both the boys loved it. It was really loud but worth the four flights of stairs I had to climb while holding Banks - my quads are still burning!

Lightning McQueen in the flesh!

Oh yeah, Mater, too!

We left Hollywood Studios with a remote-control Buzz Lightyear space command car, a little Buzz Lightyear, Buzz Lightyear Christmas ornaments, and some stocking surprises!

Magic Kingdom

On Thursday, we went to the Magic Kingdom. David and I were very excited to show the boys Disney - it was like Christmas morning as a child again! I think they were more in shock than excited when we went in. The people, the characters, the loud music - it was a lot to take in! much.

The Tram ride to Magic Kingdom - Oh, did I mention that the temperature was in the high eighties/low nineties! It's the end of October, Mother Nature, Get with the season!

Family Shot #2 - ruined

Anyone have any tips on how to get children to look at the camera and smile?

Buzz Lightyear was our first and second ride - we had to do it twice because the boys liked it and because David beat me in my laser score so I had to have another chance to beat him. I didn't :(

David and Banks fighting the evil Emperor Zerg

Hughes and I leading the star troops into battle.

Family Photo #3 - Hughes terrified and screaming at Buzz Lightyear, Banks in shock. Hey, at least we came away with his signature!

David and Hughes riding Dumbo

Banks and I on the carousel. Hughes refused to ride. From what I can remember about our last Disney trip, Hughes didn't like the carousel then either. Maybe, he has something with rotating horses with big metal poles through the abdomens? Just a thought.

Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse - Hayden, Will, Banks and David

Mickey's PhilharMagic 3D - surprisingly, the boys did pretty well during this show

The Berglinds on the Magic Carpet ride (think Dumbo ride and you know how it goes)

Look at that cute mouskateer! Banks loved his hat. Hughes refused to wear his. Story of my life - one boy loves something, the other hates it!

We rode everything we wanted and were able to sneak in a few adult roller coasters. The waits were never longer than 20 minutes and we used those times for snack and juice breaks.

Downtown Disney

On Wednesday night, we headed over to Downtown Disney. We were prepared to wait for a while but we only had to wait 20 minutes to be seated. I guess that's the beauty of going in the off-season. TRex was amazing - I think Hughes thought he was in heaven. Banks, of course, fell asleep but soon woke up to push the food around his plate and stare at the dinosaurs. I can't even begin to describe all of the life-size dinosaurs we were surrounded by.

The outside sign

The TRex that greets you as you walk into the restaurant. His roar is quite terrorizing but the boys took it in stride.

William and Hughes on the dig-site (aka playground)

Family Photo in front of the TRex family. Banks kept calling them the mama and daddy dinosaur. Don't you like how neither one of my boys is looking - Family Shot #1 ruined!

Before and after TRex, we went over to the Lego store where Hughes and William built race car after race car. We raced them, rearranged the legos, raced them again. I overheard one parent talking about how their kids' race car was kicking every one else's A%S! Brownie Scout Honor! That's when I had to roll up my sleeves, push the boys out of the way, and call out my inner race car technician and show her son who the boss was! Just Kidding - but seriously, can you believe a parent was bragging at the Lego store! Sheesh, some people.

Hughes and Me

Hughes and William in deep concentration

Still Building

Orange Lake Resort

So, the boys and I headed down with BecBec and PopPop on Sunday. We stayed at the Orange Lake Resort and had a great condo. We had a great time swimming in the pools, playing putt putt, playing on the playground, riding the shuttles, and examining the pirates to make sure they were statutes.

BecBec showing the boys that the pirate is not real.

The boys exploring the pirate and making sure he was not real. Just in case, they have their balloon swords to protect them.

Pirate Hughes and Black Beard

BecBec and PopPop left Tuesday morning so the boys and I just played around the resort until David and the rest of the gang came on Wednesday. Next stop, Disney!

Disney World 2009

This past week we went to visit our friends Mickey, Donald, & Goofy. However, the boys seem to like them a lot more when they are on our television and not humongous mascots standing next to us. So, my dream of where I get the perfect Christmas picture with both boys with their mouse ear hats on with Cinderella's castle in the background - FORGET IT! My dreams of getting a great family picture with whatever in the background - FORGET IT! Let's just put it this way - my boys do not smile for cameras nor do they look at cameras. So, despite most of the pictures where the boys look bored, I promise you they had a blast. Tower or Terror, Rockin' Roller Coaster, Thunder Mountain Railroad - oops, that would be us. Let's see - Goofy's Barnstormer, Racetrack Race Cars, Dumbo, Buzz Lightyear - the boys loved it all!