Our trip to Orlando was great! Here's a quick run-down...
Day 1: got to our hotel. checked out the gorgeous pool. napped. went to a phenomenal dinner where every female wait staff fussed over Shepard. It was awesome. Because J's conference was at a beautiful, but "off-site" hotel, we stayed there.... I think next time, we'll definitely stay on Disney property and was impressed by the Yacht Club and Beach Club- from a distance. FYI, my impressions are 100% based on drive by appearance + location.
Day 2: Ladies. Two words. Outlet malls. Seriously, Ferragamo, Burberry, Coach, Fendi (does Fendi have an outlet?!), Janie & Jack, Victoria's Secret, etc. etc. Great shopping. Obviously, because I'm a mom, I bought 90% kids stuff and the purse I purchased presently has Gerber puffs at the bottom. Sweet. But, if you can take even a 1/2 day to check them out, they are about 2 min. from Disney. Good stuff.
At night, we went to Bongo's on Pleasure Island. Loved Pleasure Island!! The only Disney property that allows alcohol- I think- and Mr. Disney and I needed to have a little chat about that policy around dinnertime Friday.
Day 3: Magic Kingdom. So much fun! Unfortunately, your little ones will likely already be tired from all the travel, as was the case with us. We decided to bring his "comfy" stroller vs. his umbrella. Despite the bulkiness, it was a great choice! The rental strollers looked rough, especially for those under 2-3. He was able to take a much-needed nap comfortably in ours. Every ride has stroller parking, and I noticed most people had brought a stroller. I was really happy to learn that your child can ride most any ride that you deem appropriate... we rode the carousel, The Haunted House (he was fine, but I second guessed myself about 60 sec. into it), It's A Small World. Hands down, Small World was his favorite.
(The highlight, in my opinion, was at the end when the ride got stuck. 'It's A Small World After All' on repeat, sporadically interrupted with "It's A Small World has experienced a temporary delay. The ride will move momentarily." for about 5 minutes. I considered asking for a refund.) I was disappointed that we didn't make it back to Dumbo, but there's always next time.
We enjoyed dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern, a colonial family-style dinner place (basically Thanksgiving dinner). It was great fun to watch Shep interact with the characters. I've heard The Crystal Palace is good for little ones, since Winnie-the-Pooh & friends are there, but it was closed for renovations. I'd suggest making reservations, but if you eat early like we do, they are not necessary.
The parade of lights and fireworks were spectacular, but our little babe was exhausted and didn't see it at all. :(
Day 4: Sea World. SO GREAT! I would actually say that it was on par w/ Disney. Shepard loves animals and really enjoyed the dolphin and whale shows. While my sister, bro-in-law, and I all rode Manta (and I almost had a heart attack), my mom took Shep to an aquarium, which she said he just loved. Well worth it! I would definitely suggest making time. The adult roller coasters were a blast, but not much in the way of kiddie rides!
Day 5 was an early morning and flight back. Shepard was sooo tired. My little guy has been progressing toward less passi and fewer naps--- vacay = passi whenever, and 3 naps today! Needless to say, the schedule is off. I'm really glad we had yesterday afternoon and today to unwind!
