Today I am back with Our first trip to Walt Disney World: Part 2. If you missed part 1 you can read about it here. I’d like to say day one was as good as it’s gonna get but oh no my friend day two was even better than day one in fact even better than any of us expected.
Waking up in the morning realizing that we were still at Disney World and the day before was NOT a dream was about the best thing ever. I was so happy to get out of bed and get our day started I woke up my family super early. That will probably be the only time ever they didn’t mind being woke up early. I was even happier because we had magic hour. If you aren’t familiar with magic hour it is basically where Disney resort guests with valid admission are allowed in the park an hour before it opens to the public. As guest of Disney’s Rivera Resort, we were allowed magic hour for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This worked out great because we had not yet been to this park, so off to the bus we went.
When we walked into Animal Kingdom the very first thing I noticed was the smell and the sounds. It looked and smelled as if we were in a real rain forest. Birds chirping, waterfalls running over giant rocks, tall trees, and stone under our feet. It was the coolest! There was even a point and time where I actually just stopped to record a waterfall so I could relive the sound. Our first stop was Pandora- The World Of Avatar. Dayjhan is a huge fan of Avatar and had been teaching the girls about it so we had to stop there first. We rode Na’vi River Journey. Being that it was so early in the morning this was a great first ride. We sat there as we took a clam journey over a water boat into the rain forest. Listening to Na’vi songs. Everything was so realistic and we really enjoyed it. Next Dayjhan and Ivy actually hit up Avatar Flight Of Passage. I stayed behind because Aria was too little. After a few crocodile tears and a walk, we found ourselves at a little spot where they had face painting. Let me tell you face paint and toddlers are a mood. When Dayjhan and Ivy got off the ride we took a walk through Africa.
In Africa Ivy was able to get her face painted too and after a little exploring, we caught a ride on Kilimanjaro Safari. A 30-minute bus ride where we got to ride through the African savanna and see all types of animals. The girls and I fell in love with all the newborn baby animals such as giraffes and zebras. We were even able to spot a newborn baby elephant. When the ride was over we ran right into a delicious African themed treat shop and bought so many snacks they literally lasted us the entire day. Though as good as they were we were still hungry. We decided to head off to find a place to eat for lunch. We finally found a spot for lunch, Rainforest Cafe. Rainforest Cafe has been a long time favorite of mine. Dayjhan and I use to visit them every time we were in San Franciso until they closed a few years ago. Needless to say, I was so ecstatic. Lunch didn’t disappoint and we were beat so we headed back to The Rivera to unwind by the pool.
Back at The Rivera, we visited one of their amazing pools. The kids had spotted them on our first day there and had literally been crying to go. From complimentary life jackets and towels the pool and all, it’s sparkling glory made for a great cool downtime. But after an hour it was time to go because that night was the night! The first night I got to meet up with all the creators!
I showered, changed and headed to the lobby without my family to catch a bus. I’d meet up again with them later. In the lobby is where I met one of my best friends from Instagram Gabi for the first time in person. I also got to meet my friend Drea and some other new faces as well. Talking to these ladies over Instagram for so long and finally being able to meet them in person was so surreal. They were the best! We were all dropped off at a back entrance in Epcot where we were then led to a giant gate, that then led to a big building with bright lights and lots of security. I’m telling you by now I def felt like I was famous or like a secret agent or something. Inside the building, we were greeted by Disney reps with personalized goodies which included keychains, fanny packs, and an autograph book. We were served unlimited drinks as we were able to mingle with one another and were introduced to some of Disney’s top media.
When all was said and done it was time for dinner. Behind a huge curtain was a beautiful ball like room with tables for the creators and their families, a buffet filled with a top-notch selection of foods and not to mention a really funny comedic show too. When dinner was over there were Disney toys passed out to little ones and the Disney princesses came to take photos. Now if you have been a reader of my blog you would know that after two Disneyland trips the girls had never been able to meet Princess Tiana. Well, their dreams finally came true when they got to meet her that night. There was laughter, there were smiles, there were tears.. oh yeah forgot to mention Aria was suddenly terrified of her. Apparently meeting the princess in person was awfully scary because she was “going to turn me into a frog!” Aria’s word’s not mine. But the princess was so patient. She convinced Aria she would not turn her into a frog and kinda got her to take a family photo. Ah, memories eh.
The night ended with a bang! No serious fireworks! loud, bright, beautiful fireworks over the water at Epcot and dessert! Yes not only did Disney provided us a private area to watch our fireworks with our families but also a buffet filled with desserts to enjoy as we watched. Gosh, the waffle bar changed my life. I can still taste those waffles. This was such a perfect night to end the perfect day.
Next Monday I take you guys on to day 3! Day 3 we got to meet some big people including celebrities and even the talented man behind the voice of Mickey Mouse. I’ll even be sharing a bunch of other fun stuff like what new rides are coming to Disney and how you can be apart of it all.
To be continued…
