Into The Magic, Yet Again
It is very difficult for us to travel to the east coast without making a pit stop in DisneyWorld. It is a fantastic opportunity to see our dear friend April, and we are thankful that she has not tired of going to the parks with us, year after year. Yet each year, we are able to embrace new attractions and enjoy the old ones. This year we got to stay in The Art of Animation hotel, which has been on Jamie’s radar for many years. The best part of the Disney themed hotels, are that they are so elaborately designed that you are automatically transformed into another world on your way to your hotel room. While we stayed in the Little Mermaid rooms, we got to sit poolside at the Lazy Cone Motel. An evening at DisneySprings filled our suitcase with Mickey attire that will last us for years, particularly due to their Pride line that was out. Take that, Desantis.
Magic Kingdom. There is magic in the air, and it never disappoints us. A top favorite of mine is to frolic beside castles with friends.
Our favorite park. Here we get to enjoy Cinderella’s castle, the Haunted Mansion, Mike Wazowski’s Comedy Floor, and pictures with Mickey. A first for us was dining at the Beast’s Castle, and then enjoying Gaston’s Brew afterwards. The new Dwarves Mining roller coaster is always a delight, but the line for it can be brutal. However, when faced with eating dinner or standing for an hour to ride it, we of course took our place in line.
Animal Kingdom. Each time we go here, we realize how wonderful it is. Avatar land is just as magical as any kingdom, and at night the fluorescent colors create an other worldly effect. It was there that we got to see the first photos of Celine, my niece, being born. She is magic, and was born in magic! At least, from where we were standing.
The Finding Nemo and Lion King show was spectacular. I also loved waving to Pocohantis as she cruised the waterways. The Lion Latte and chai milkshake from Joffrey’s cooled our bodies, where the Everest ride spun me into a mild panic attack. They literally had to kick us out of the park, as the adventure of it kept us from wanting to leave.
Harry Potter World. My special place! Even though I left my wand at home, I was able to still feel the magic at my fingertips. I enjoyed hot butterbeer for the first time, and ended on frozen butterbeer. The Hagrid Motorbike line was always long, so we got to ride the Castle ride at least 3 times while we waited for it to thin out (which it eventually did, thanks to a lightning storm). I love shopping for chocolate frogs at Honeydukes, and sitting down for a third butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks. Diagon Alley had shows playing, dragons breathing fire, and the Gringotts Bank ride. It is truly my favorite place.
