Well, I am
finally getting around to blogging about our trip to Disney World! (This is me resisting the urge to analyze why my days go by so quickly. Let's just say, I have accepted the fact that I am horrible at time management.)
Tom and I honeymooned, 7 years ago, in Disney World and ever since then I have been dreaming of the day we would go back with our children. We finally got that chance in March, and though it wasn't a cheap vacation, it was worth every penny. Though you can't put a price on the incredible memories we made and the bonding time we had as a family.
The boys as we got ready to leave home.
We left on Friday, March 25th, stopped at a Chick-fil-A in North Carolina somewhere for dinner, and then drove as far as Florence, SC (after about a 7 hour drive). We stayed overnight in a little, not-as-clean-as-I-would-like hotel room at a busy Fairfield Inn. (Which was right next to a Mello Mushroom.) The next morning we grabbed a basic breakfast at the hotel and hopped back on the interstate by around 9:00am or so.
I can't remember what town we stopped in for lunch, but I think it was in Florida. For the first time ever we went as a family to McDonalds. (Tennyson still mentions it when we drive past one.) The boys wolfed down their food and we kept on driving. I still can not believe what amazing travelers the boys were! I am not exaggerating, there was maybe a total of 30 minutes of fussing/crying on Raleigh's part the whole way down and none at all from Tennyson. Amazing indeed! Of course, it helped immensely to have the computer so they could watch DVDs. We tried to limit that so they could enjoy looking at the windows, too, and see some new things.
Holding hands as we drive
As we got closer to our hotel the excitement was really starting to kick in! It was SO exciting to drive under the huge "Welcome to Disney World" sign!
This is what you see as you enter the parking lot for Pop Century.
As we were walking up to the lobby I actually started crying. I couldn't believe we had made it and we there with our children! I was just overwhelmed with excitement! We got checked in and after potty-breaks we went to find our room.
Pop Century Resort is a HUGE 2,880 room hotel with sections of rooms representing 5 eras: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. We were given room 0201 in the 70s, which apparently is a great location, not too far to the main lobby, gift area, and food court.
The impressive lobby
Our room before we "moved in" for the next 7 nights
After we got settled in and grabbed dinner at the food court (the boys were too excited to eat anything). We decided to go to the pool. Raleigh did not care for the baby pool because the large water geysers were really loud. He did enjoy swimming a bit with me in the big pool. Tennyson, of course, l-o-v-e-s the water, and Tom and I think he would have been happy just to stay at the hotel and go swimming everyday. It was almost a perfect night, except there was a little incident at the pool. Tennyson was excited to try the big pool and despite my pleas to wait he walked down the steps into the pool.....and.kept.going. It was like I was frozen and I remember thinking "Hmmm, he can't swim. I should probably get him." For some dumb reason I didn't jump in, but told Tom, who was making his way from the baby pool to hurry up. By that time, some kind and quick-thinking bystander got in (with his clothes on) and saved him! I couldn't thank him enough! Poor Tennyson was fine but understandably upset, as was I. You can tell I have no medical emergency background.
By the baby pool
Tennyson enjoying the water
Well, after the excitement we were all beat and decided it was bathtime and bedtime. Bright and early the next morning we were going to the Magic Kingdom for our first day in Disney World!
