Disney World

This is a little out of order, but I finally downloaded all of my pictures from my camera onto my computer and thought I'd do a post about our December trip to Walt Disney World.  It was a big family trip....8 adults and 3 kids, so I think the adults had the kids out numbered.  Our trip was from December 14 to December 22 and we stayed at the Boardwalk Villas.  What an awesome time we had!  There is nothing like Disney World at Christmas time.  The decorations were beautiful and the Christmas spirit can be found everywhere.

My sister Jennifer and her husband, Kenny, and their two kids (Thaden and Owen) made the trip by truck over a two day period.  John, Jocelyn, Melanie, Dad, Pam and I all flew together bright and early on a Wednesday morning.  Jocelyn did really well on the flight and Melanie kept her entertained with her Ipad!  Thanks Aunt Melanie.  Mom came on Friday night since she couldn't really take the last couple days off of school before Christmas break. 

We took full advantage of the cargo space in the truck and had Jennifer and Kenny not only haul their stuff but also lots of stuff for the rest of us to enjoy for the week.  We stayed at the Boardwalk Villas in a two bedroom villa that had a full kitchen, so we had to stock the fridge and pantry.  One of my favorite things about Walt Disney World are the restaurants and trying different things.  These meals can get pretty pricey though, so we limited our meals at the parks to only one or two a day, so the rest of the meals (mainly breakfast and a couple of lunches) were done in the room.  We also purchased a Tables in Wonderland card which gave our party a 20% discount at the table service restaurants and trust me, with 11 total people, we took full advantage of that and it was well worth the $75 for the card.

My family would probably consider me the Disney tour guide and got tired of me bugging them to get up in the mornings so that we could "stay on schedule."  I put a lot of work into scheduling our hotel accomodations, meals, and picking which park we would be at what day.  For me, planning the trip itself is half the fun.  I organized golf for the guys, made sure we got our reservation at the Hoop Dee Doo Revue early so that we'd get a great table in the center of the room, close to the stage (which we did!),  made sure we had reserved seating at the Candlelight Processional (which was so beautiful and moving), and organized a sleigh ride around Fort Wilderness.   Jocelyn even got her first haircut at the Barber Shop on Main Street. 

One of my goals is to stay at all of the Disney hotels at least once.   I had always wanted to stay at the Boardwalk and really looked forward to spending a week there.  The theming and decor of the hotel is beautiful.  It was beautifully decorated for Christmas.  The location is fantastic and so convenient to the "back door" of Epcot.  I love Epcot and could spend hours just walking around the countries, enjoying the attention to detail Disney provides, and, of course, getting a Gran Marnier Slush from France (love it)!

Jocelyn's favorite ride Dumbo!

It all started with a mouse!

Jocelyn's first haircut.

The gardens in Canada, right before we ate at Le Cellier (yum!).

Sleigh ride through Ft. Wilderness after the Hoop Dee Doo Revue.

What a bunch of characters.

Dinner at 50's Prime Time Cafe (check out those rosey cheeks on Jocelyn).

Jocelyn, Thaden and Owen had a blast with the characters and riding Dumbo!  Jocelyn will tell you, though, that she did not like the Peter Pan ride because it was too dark.  The carousel was also a favorite for the kids.  I'm really looking forward to go back after the Fantasyland expansion is complete.  Hopefully we'll get to go back again soon.