Skip to main content

#34 - Go to Disney World

Truth be told, I'm not quite sure how Pixar movies and Atlas Shrugged beat this goal to the top of the list.  Disney World is at the top of EVERYONE'S bucket list.  If it's not on yours, you have no soul.  (Yeah, I said it!  What now?)

Ricky and I aren't exactly Bill and Melinda Gates, and Disney World isn't exactly a $5 stroll around the local museum, so we weren't quite sure if our Disney trip would be anything more than a one-time deal.  We did some soul-searching, however, and upon realizing that soon enough we would have children dragging us into the bottomless pits of parenthood (I say that lovingly, all you wonderful friends of mine who happen to be parents), the time was ripe to cram in the rest of our own childhood antics while we could.  Plus, babies aren't tall enough to ride rollercoasters.  I know...my logic astounds you.

The moral of that story is that we took advantage of the lovely monthly payment plan available to FL residents for season passes!  Orlando's a bit of a drive (three hours), but we're up there fairly often for the temple anyway, so it's an awesome-awesome (think win-win, only better).

Since the passes are good for all the park-hopping we want, we've become stroller-weaving maniacs as we dash from one fireworks show/parade/Fastpass to the next.  It's fantastic.  So far, we've been twice: once after the space shuttle launch and again after our June temple trip.  I should also mention that Ricky had never been to any Disney world, land, store, or kiosk before this, so it was even more magical!

First trip: Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios (which I will always call MGM).  Here are some highlights!

Main Street, Magic Kingdom!
Handsome prince, fancy castle, etc. etc.

NERD JOKES AT DISNEY!  Does it get any better?
Pffffft.  Fake Liberty Bell?  No thank you!
At one point, this cookie looked like Mickey Mouse's head.  We bought it in a confectionary on Main Street that was pink and white striped, smelled like peppermint, and was staffed by an adorable old man in a big baker's hat.  I'm still in love with it.
Ricky embracing Hollywood Studios.  As everyone should.
What, no magic broomsticks?
"Ricky, pretend to be scared." "What?" "READY GO!" 
$55 fedora!!  Not even Ricky loves Indiana Jones that much.
Yeeeesssss.
Our last picture of the night--in line for Space Mountain, our favorite ride!  We dashed back to Magic Kingdom after the Fantasmic show at MGM so that we could catch the fireworks and ride this awesomeness a few times.  The best part was that we had started the day watching a space shuttle launch, and we ended it with Space Mountain! 

And trip number two: Epcot!

There are a lot less pictures from this trip...I'm not sure why.  I can't remember if I just didn't take very many, or if I never uploaded them all.  Either way, Epcot was pretty cool, but Magic Kingdom is still our favorite!

The excitement is palpable.  And speaking of Chuck Norris shirts, did you know that Chuck Norris' patronus is Neville Longbottom?  HARRY POTTER 7 NERD JOKES.
Waiting for the fireworks that have ruined fireworks for me forever.  Everything compared to Disney is lame.
I'm pretty sad that I didn't get a picture of my fried ice cream and Ricky's funnel cake.  Definitely the best fried ice cream I've ever had!  (We got them from the food stand in the USA area, of course.)  You would think my experience with fried ice cream would be limited...and you would be wrong.  I'm from South Carolina, people.
Still waiting for fireworks...we were pretty worn out at this point, and full of fried food, so we picked a good spot by the water to wait.
I can't wait until it cools down enough to make a trip to the Animal Kingdom!  I remember going as a kid after it first opened and just being in love with everything.  And next time we go to the Magic Kingdom, we're bringing autograph books...

Comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 19, 2011 at 6:07 PM

    Yay! I've been looking forward to a Katie blog post! Does Ricky know he's also hugging a man in what I assume are orange crocs? I love your expression next to the fake Liberty Bell. It's almost as if you're judging them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Awaiting AdventuresJuly 20, 2011 at 11:21 AM

    I am so amazingly envious of you guys! Really? You can go pretty much whenever you want?! So not fair!!! I've been having recurring pregnancy dreams where I'm at Disneyland and I cant go on any of the rides!!! THATS MY FUTURE! YOURS IS GOING AFTER THE TEMPLE!!! Where is the justice in this world?! ;) I'm just kidding, you guys are awesome and deserve it!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

#29 - write in a journal weekly for six months (1/27)

Ok, blogosphere.  It's time to get serious.  One of the items on my list is keeping a weekly journal for six months, and since I'm getting dangerously close to not having six months left in those 999 days, I better start now.  I'd much prefer to keep a paper journal, but it takes so long to hand-write things.  (First world problems, right?)  So here we are. I'll be pulling prompts from this website whenever I get stuck...so, basically all the time.  I really struggle with blogging because I'm too worried about how I come across to the people reading it, and that distracts me from writing about real things like how I really want to play a Dungeons and Dragons game (I'm serious, you guys) and how I may or may not have left a load of laundry in the washing machine for two days and am writing this to avoid dealing with it.  First up is something eerily similar to those Livejournal/Facebook "fill this out about yourself" lists, so consider this m
8 comments
Read more

#88 - buy a kitchen table and chairs

Compared to many of my other 99 goals, this one seems a little silly.  After all, what impact will acquiring a table and chairs have on my personal growth?  But, let's be honest, some things are just necessary.  Ricky and I loved eating on the couch and everything, but it's a tad embarrassing when you have guests...so I was on the hunt for a table, not for my personal growth, but for my social development.  And by "on the hunt," I mean "scavenging Craigslist."  (As if you didn't already know!) Most of the options down here in southwest Florida fall into two categories: the white-washed, pastel-cushioned, retirement-community style... ...or the metal-and-glass, I-don't-have-any-children-that-may-break-their-faces-on-this style. Give or take a few rattan pieces (which probably could be used as makeshift rafts in a hurricane-induced pinch, I suppose), this was my selection. "Why can't I just find a contemporary, wooden set that just h
1 comment
Read more

#21 - go to the temple at least once every three months

On the last Saturday in September (procrastination, as usual), Ricky and I made the 3 1/2 hour drive to the Orlando, FL temple for what threatened to be a supremely awesome day.  (For those of you unfamiliar with the purpose of LDS temples, there's a website !) It was hard leaving our dear Washington, D.C. temple behind--after all, we did get married there--but we were excited for the chance to make Orlando our "home base" for the next few years.     Not as impressive as the D.C. "towering over the Beltway" look, but still impressive! Isn't this place gorgeous?  You can't see the fountains in this picture, but the temptation to jump in them was pretty strong.  It was SO HOT. No Jensen outing is complete without an awkward, "look, we match" picture.   95% of the time this is a total accident. The temple was, as usual, amazing.  You know that feeling you get when you're on vacation and you realize that you have nowhere to rush to and n
3 comments
Read more