Disney does not disappoint!

They finally got it!

My sisters and I surprised the three oldest kids at the end of January with a trip to Disney World. Pre-Disney I was most excited about the surprise part of things. I also kind of can't believe that the entire family kept it a secret and didn't give it away. When there are 15+ adults who know, that's a hard thing to keep. We gave them clues and made them do a scavenger hunt. At the end, they totally did not get that we were going to Disney, like now. Then they got excited.

Before I get into the details, let me tell you two things: 1) I HATE roller coasters and 2) I generally don't like things in costume. So...you could say I didn't really think that Disney would really be the place for me.

This might give an idea about just how much I hate them...

I'm happy to report that it was great and did not disappoint! And for those of you who also don't like people in costume, Disney is not the same. It's not like a creepy guy in a clown costume, these people are real deal actors who do not break character. On the roller coaster thing, I have to report that I still hate those- more on that later.

We stayed at Art of Animation, a Disney resort. I was so impressed with everything Disney- I mean they have pretty much perfected this gig. Since we were at a Disney resort, we put luggage tags they sent in the mail on our bags, and we didn't see them again until after we got to our room. We took the bus from the airport to the resort and got settled in. We quickly headed out to Disney Springs for the evening, including an appointment at Bippity Boppity Boutique. The kids were mesmerized by their fairy godmothers and had so much fun being pampered. It was late, so we grabbed a burger at D-Luxe Burger then headed back to the hotel.

After the fairy godmother treatment

We did three parks while we were there- Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom. All of them were so good and so much fun! I mean, Disney is truly the happiest place on earth. This is going to sound so adult, but from a company culture standpoint, Disney is unreal. Everyone there is truly there to make your day- the parking attendants, the band scanners, the custodians, ride supervisors and of course the characters- all of them are so happy to have you there. Their people are their product, and they know it. It was incredible.

First day at the park! K was being four and missed the pic

Epcot was day one. We got the tip to Uber to the parks, which we did and would recommend. We wandered around, rode Soarin' Around the World, then headed to Norway where Anna and Elsa live. No detail is left undone, and the girls were enchanted by everything. Throughout the day we rode the Frozen Ever After ride, hit Soarin again, went to Turtle Talk with Crush, visited the rest of the aquarium and created cars on the Test Track.

Anna- our first princess!

In awe meeting Cinderella

There are characters all over Disney, and you can pretty much wait in line to see any of them. That said, I would highly recommend character dining whenever you can. It kind of makes meals more of a production, but it didn't hurt us to have a little more time off our feet and not on the go. At Epcot we did Akershus Royal Banquet Hall for lunch where we met Cinderella, Aurora, Snow White and Ariel. For dinner we did the Garden Grill Restaurant where we met Mickey, Goofy, Pluto and Chip and Dale. Another tip- do the dining plan and use your FastPasses wisely.

K meeting Vampirina

The second day we did Hollywood Studios where you have lots of Star Wars stuff, Toy Story Land, Disney Junior pals, muppets and other performances and rides. You're greeted by Storm Troopers doing a the March of the First Order down Main Street who then engage in a good versus evil show with all of the Star Wars characters- really cool. We went to Voyage of the Little Mermaid (you could skip it), then K and I went to meet Sophia, Vampirina and Doc McStuffins while Abbs and Lala went to Star Wars Launch Bay. We split up again after that- K and I went to Beauty and the Beast while everyone else went to Tower of Terror. Thankfully, K was too little to ride so I got to skip that one. Beauty and the Beast was really good too- go if you have one too little for rides.

Meanwhile A and L do Star Wars

We went back to the hotel in the afternoon for a little break, then returned to Hollywood Studios for dinner at Hollywood & Vine and then exploring Toy Story Land. Again, I would highly recommend character dining, as we were able to see Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy while we were at dinner. Toy Story Land is awesome. We rode the Slinky Dog Dash, did Toy Story Mania and then wrapped it up by meeting Woody and Jessie. I'm wrapping this part up here. We saved the best for last and went to Magic Kingdom on our final day, but more on that later.

Slinky Dog Dash...did I mention I hate roller coasters

I was shocked, but I loved Disney World! The whole time we were there I kept telling BK that I couldn't wait for the four of us to come back together when the kids are older. Take my word for it- Disney is truly the happiest place on earth. So. Much. Fun.