Disney

Vacation Part III: Epcot & the Beach!

Day two at Disney kicked off with another surprise thanks to Craig, taking his role as a girl dad very seriously and booking a makeover by a local business to transform regular six-year-olds into real princesses! The girls were slow to wake up after such a magical first day, but we managed to convince them to zombie sit on the couch for a little television and breakfast bright and early. Their excitement sparked as soon as the surprise revealed.

On theme, Harper—ahem, I mean, Aurora—was thrilled to style with pink eye shadow and finger nails, plus a fancy updo to complete the look with her beautiful dress. Emerie, fully embracing her new title as Queen Elsa, chose purple eye shadow and nails with an Elsa-inspired twist braid and lower curls. And Reagan, sticking with her alliance to Princess Jasmine, rocked gold and teal eye shadow, teal nails, and a bubble braid updo. The stylist assured us all the hairstyles would survive the long day and the Florida humidity—and they did!

To top it all off, each princess sported bright red lipstick that also lasted the day, along with a healthy spritz of hair glitter (twice, on request!) and a sparkly crown comb. The crowns gleamed in the sun all day—well, except for Emerie’s, who later declared the crown was ruining her life and dramatically yanked it out, but luckily her hairstyle held up! Meanwhile, Harper and Reagan would have slept in their crowns if allowed.

It was a really fun experience and I was impressed with how quickly three incredibly sleepy kids transformed into ready to perform princesses. They even humored me and gave me Anna braids, so my hair was fancy and out of the way for the heat filled day. Everyone insisted on a photo op outside before we left – but carefully away from any impending alligators (according to the girls)- I mean honestly, is that not the cutest picture you’ve ever seen??

Outfits were changed for a second time before 9 AM, with Craig and I insisting dress up dresses would be uncomfortable through a day of walking and direct heat. With that in mind, I packed cotton twirly dresses with same theme of course, that were light weight and soft enough to handle all the activities. And then were were off for the day! While Magic Kingdom definitely took the trophy for the best park of our stay and one of the best adventure days in the past six years, Epcot still offered some memorable moments—despite not having much in the way of rides for younger kids. Epcot focused more on food, beverages, and shopping from around the world, catering more toward older kids and adults. However, the primary reason for our visit was a must: two out of three favorite princesses only make appearances at Epcot, so the choice was made for us.

And when it came time to meet those princesses, whether waiting in line talking to other families or with said princesses, the girls’ excitement was contagious. Harper nearly burst with joy meeting Aurora while Reagan was thrilled for a second Jasmine sighting and in a slightly different outfit. Emerie asked about a million times when we would see Elsa in her frozen wonderland and was undoubtedly in awe when she came into view.

This park entrance was within walking distance from parking, which greatly simplified everything. We wandered through Alice in Wonderland, briefly seeing her walk by but refusing to stop (she claimed to be on break!) and then waited in France until Princess Aurora made her appearance, walking through the gift shops and grabbing tasty treats to try. Harper’s wait was limited and before long Sleeping Beauty walked over.

We were second in line, which was outside again so thankfully still morning temperatures (still hot for us whiny northerners but not 2 PM hot!). As she sauntered up, all three girls squealed with excitement and commented on her dress. The spot was beautiful with the gazebo for shade and a treed backdrop. In no rush, she took the time to answer everyone’s questions and inquiries, giving each kiddo a little bit of individual attention, and hugs to all. Harper was beyond thrilled and talked about that ten minutes for the rest of the trip; and honestly, this is one of the best photos of the visit! With no Disney photo pass option, I took a ton of photos and ensured everyone had a solo or hug photo too. Out of all the princess, she was by far one of the best, in style, humor, and willingness to slow things down and give the girls a great interaction.

We wandered around the area a little longer and determined the landing spot for Beauty and the Beast’s Belle, since we didn’t spot her at Magic Kingdom during dinner the night before. Everyone was heating up waiting in direct sun, but making friends with other excited kiddos waiting too. The enthusiasm for Belle wasn’t the level of other viewings, but the girls still happily took a photo with her and scrutinized why she was dressed in everyday blue and not her famous, yellow gown. After a momentary chat in the shade, we were off to the next country, for a second sighting of Jasmine under the cover of glorious air conditioning! Her line was short, but long enough to admire the intricate walls and decor and the golden lamp. I do have to note, the lines were FAR smaller than the prior day’s park, likely because Magic Kingdom is larger and more focused on the child experience; so that was definitely appreciated. And I’m still a little disappointed we were unable to catch Alice, Snow White or Mulan for meet and greets. As Emerie always says, Alice is daddy’s favorite!

Each country hosted a small coloring station with specific characters to beautify, one of the only real kid focused activities. We found most spots and the girls happily sat down and colored with Grandma Sue while Craig and I wandered through a shop or two for souvenirs or goodies to try. We found a few fun Christmas presents, like fans with their names written in Japanese in the Japan store and princess ornaments. Wishes were made in more wishing wells like at Snow White’s well in Germany, many photo ops stops occurred all along the way and a few more “magic” induced ones by the Disney folks, and a long stop at a huge area with mini trains running through the “village,” with a pathway through it so the kiddos could view details up close. Lastly was a brief stop in China to look at a gift shop filled with panda things, like a panda umbrella that Reagan excitedly begged for (and made it home with us and is already damaged!).

After a morning of when do we see Elsa inquiries from our littlest, we blew through the country of China to arrive in northern Europe- a spot I hoped for indoor air condition to keep with the cold movie theme. The girls first wandered through the themed gift shop, Emerie taking stock of everything Elsa related and to get her long awaited doll (which she looked for at every princess related shop to no avail). Waiting in the princess line felt like stepping right into the Kingdom of Arendelle—it may have been the longest line of the day, but the detail made up for it. Inside was cozy like being in a cold place, the walls were adorned with family portraits of the sisters, and the dining table was set with Nordic flair. The girls were thrilled to explore all of it, giggling and wiggling with excitement as they spotted all the hidden Frozen details. By the time we reached the end, it felt less like a wait and more like a walking through part of the movie set with Elsa and Anna!

Anna was up first and they humored her existence, all the while wanting to get to the real prize of the day, Elsa. I’m guessing this is quite a common response. I’m surprised Emerie didn’t clobber anyone in her path and run straight into Elsa’s arms -the shyness and or utter awe held her back a little- and everyone did a quick Anna photo before pestering excited questions to Elsa. Emerie is convinced that Elsa promised to add her picture to her dress. I’m unsure what was actually said here, other than she’s repeated that sentiment a number of times since then, like it’s the most exciting news of her life! Just as the interaction started a light bulb in the ceiling exploded with a bang, so loud it could’ve been a plot twist in Frozen 3 (hahaha). Everyone in the room jumped but the moment was far from ruined. The automatic Disney camera captured the moment perfectly: Emerie and Harper’s faces frozen (pun intended!) in horror, while Reagan was mid-turn toward Elsa. Trying to lighten the mood, I joked that Elsa must’ve been behind it; without missing a beat she replied with a perfectly straight face, I didn’t do that. After many more questions and excitement we left the throne room and to a nice, Frozen themed photo op that produced two of my favorite photos of the whole visit. A little Disney magic added to Emerie cute reaction to “pretend there’s something on your hand” and a great family photo.

With the final, required stop of the park complete, that equaled a stop for ice cream. The girls spotted Kristof across the way, but we were informed his time was up so we couldn’t join the line to say hello. Instead everyone devoured a rapidly melting treat and took in the landscape of the area. We wrapped up Epcot at this point, with the girls begging to go to the pool again to cool off. Since other princesses weren’t out for a while, we opted to sail through the last half of the park and head back to the condo to relax. This was a good call and mostly avoided the overheated, sun filled tiny humans from melting down in the middle of the trek to the car.

Swimsuits and princess hair!

On the way to dinner, which might I add took eternity to drive only THREE miles from the condo (this seems to be a theme in Florida), we swung into a nearby outlet mall. Craig found shorts he was looking for and Sue, the girls and I wandered into an unknown (to us) shoe store, leaving with three pairs of pink flats and a couple pairs of AMAZING sandals for me that, you know, won’t be worn until next summer. Dinner at an Italian restaurant with great service and food, the girls colored and chilled from the busy day, doing great for how late we finished eating.

But did the day end there, after 12+ hours of fun activity?! Of course not. The day we arrived in Florida, Reagan started complaining about ear pain. A little Tylenol resolved it for the moment and thank goodness, with big park days ahead! But the next evening, Harper was having similar ear pain, enough to trigger a check up prior to our upcoming flight. Craig found a 24-hour urgent care not far from our dinner spot, so we headed there pretty late in the evening, with the plan to check all three pairs of ears to rule everything out.

The girls kept entertained coloring and watching a movie in the waiting room, and soon we were back in the exam room. The nurse was a good sport and answered an interrogation of favorite princesses -or LEAST favorite princess as the questions morphed into- before convincing the girls to respond to questions for the reason of the visit. By the end of the two and a half-hour visit, two ear infections were confirmed and Reagan’s freshly flushed out and releasing a massive chunk of wax to show for it! By the end, Harper and Emerie were sound asleep in the car with Sue, no amount of convincing kept them conscious, and Reagan out cold by the time the car was on the road.

It was a long night, but the staff was incredible, and the best part? No pharmacy run in an unfamiliar city! Unlike back home, the doctor prescribed and mixed the medication right there, so we were out the door and on our way with one less stop. Now THAT is what I call a day, and a good one at that. With one more day to cram activity into, everyone instantly went back to sleep in their beds, refreshing for one more day of adventure before heading home.

Orlando Day III: Beach Time!

We opted out of any Disney parks for our last vacation day, knowing it was too close to pass up the opportunity to visit a “real” beach, and that the experience would be worth it. The beach is also less expensive (i.e. free) than Disney extravagance and much needed after the prior two days spending (but also not the point!). The day started out slower, with no fancy makeovers or rushing to get there, and eventually we headed an hour or so east to Satellite Beach. At one point on the drive the dashboard map froze and required rerouting, but otherwise was mostly uneventful, with kiddos coloring and drawing in the back and discussing the events of the past few days.

Thanks to a friend from college who shared fantastic advice and directions to the best spot to visit (it was wonderful to see her and catch up!), we enjoyed an incredible afternoon. The beach was nearly empty, with just a few other people passing by in the middle of the day. The weather was perfect—sunny and in the 80s, which says a lot coming from someone like me who typically hates the heat—the breeze off the incoming tide kept us cool.

The girls were instantly excited to explore the waves, though a bit hesitant at first. They were all determined to stand in the surf and see if they could stay upright (holding the hand of an adult!), and it was adorable to watch their reactions and bliss when realizing the water was warm. Before long everyone was discovering shells—so many, and so different from the ones back home. It was wonderful watching them become completely captivated by the waves and their new collections.

After Emerie had her fill standing in the big waves with Craig, which were increasing in size as time passed, she discovered several Ariel necklace shells and wandered down the beach to find more, just like we do at home. She was the only one to find those spirals and even the adults were impressed at the discoveries. Harper was harder to track down, her enthusiasm lying with jumping and sitting in the waves and running all over the place. When Reagan had her fill of the waves, she walked along the beach with me, looking for specific shells in different colors. I was quite impressed by the variation in shells compared to those on Alaska’s beaches. However, I suppose it makes sense when you think about it—after all we are literally a world apart, with entirely different ecosystems and oceans shaping the shorelines, and Florida is definitely a lot more tropical.

Burying one another in sand was also a required activity, which is very different up north where it’s VERY cold! It was such a fun afternoon, no one sunburned (and I wore my t-shirt to keep that true!), we left with tons of fancy shells to use for crafts back home, and all three begged to stay longer. If we could do it again, I would have stayed another day to go enjoy a second visit.

After physically removing the children from the sand, with a much higher tide at this point, the only consolation that actually maneuvered everyone into the car was the promise of ice cream down the street to cool off. Such a cool spot, called the Surfin’ Turtle, where you could enjoy ice cream or soft serve in the presence of real turtle rescues. This family-owned business was friendly, fast, and Emerie was in heaven getting a treat with her favorite animal wandering around behind her. Definitely a spot worth visiting again!!

We wandered to a few more shopping spots in the area and another outlet mall. Hilarious shopping surprise of the trip? I never realized the store Five Below indicates below five dollars. This northerner assumed that meant another winter clothing store, not befitting for the south at all, and referring to five DEGREES (like the 32 Degrees brand), and I chuckle at how wrong that was. Our last store of the trip, the girls were thrilled to look at all the exciting stuff, and several stocking stuffers were secretly purchased.

It was another long day and jam packed with exploration to make the most of the end of our trip. The only real hiccup was the ridiculous traffic on the way home, bumper to bumper taking more than an hour to go five or six miles. Other than the fact that Alaska appears to have a better ITS traffic system than more populated southern states, it was a fabulous day. The evening ended with a packing frenzy to get all purchases shoved into suitcases and totes, and a quick jog to the nearby Walmart, which was “Alaska Black Friday busy” at 10:30 at night on a Friday. I’ve never seen half the checkouts open at any store in Anchorage, and every single one was open and with a line. Hilarious, indeed.

Heading Home: Travel Day

After purchasing additional suitcases in Cincinnati and Walmart totes in Orlando, we definitely left our vacation heavier than we started it. In our (my?) defense, we found amazing bargains too good to pass up, and my out-of-state shopping was overdue by a solid six years. The outlet malls did us quite a solid, and I don’t even want to share how many pairs of discount shoes returned with us, but it was well worth it! From the light-up wands from Disney on Ice and hand-painted parasols from Magic Kingdom to the oversized light-up goblets from Belle’s ballroom dinner, our packed bags were both eclectic and memorable. And yes, there were also three bags of massive pine cones, a bag of authentic, unwashed seashells and a little sand for good measure, and plenty of other store-bought treasures. The next morning at a balmy 4 AM, we barely—and I mean barely—managed to fit everything into the car. After an impressive round of Tetris-style packing, we loaded three very sleepy girls to trek to the airport and return the rental.

Knowing Orlando International is a lot larger than Anchorage or Cincinnati’s airports, we arrived in just enough time to return the car, score luggage carts to the terminal and onto the train -that many suitcases and three booster seats is a full body workout, even with three adults- check in, route through a long TSA line, and find the correct boarding gate. The highlight—the blog-worthy part—of that three-hour saga? Not one, but two kids puking in the never-ending, winding TSA line. And no, I couldn’t make this up if I tried. It was hot—unbearably so for everyone—whether from the lack of air circulation, the crush of people, or my brilliant choice to dress the kids in three-quarter sleeve dresses and pants in preparation for the colder weather up north. Or maybe it was just the sheer length of time we stood there, inching forward at a glacial pace, looking at other locals in hoodies and sweatpants, and questioning their survival choices! Who knows, but the result? Vomit in front of a lot of people; a different spectacle from the usual oh you have triplets? comments.

Harper, to her credit, managed to give us the classic heads up just in time for full-on mom (and grandma) mode. Cue me frantically dumping out a plastic bag from my backpack to improvise a puke bucket, rerouting her to a nearby trash can mid-eruption. Crisis averted, or so I thought. As we’re catching our breath and trying to regain some dignity amongst strangers (who did NOT offer to help but at least didn’t laugh) —all while still stuck in that damn line—Reagan suddenly spins around and projectile vomits all over the floor. And yes, at this point we were almost to the front of the line.

It’s safe to say this was a TSA experience for the books. After Reagan joining Harper’s puke parade, another TSA agent appeared and swiftly blocked the line behind us with a rope—presumably to protect everyone else from an unfortunate slip-and-slide situation brought to you by the Douglets. Honestly, I’ve never felt more complimented in my entire traveling life (I said what I said!). I mean, how many people can say they’ve had a TSA line shut down in their honor? You? It’s not every day a federal agent takes such action and I was ready to roll with it….that, and then we finally made it to the front of the line!

Miraculously, we didn’t miss our flight and—praise the travel gods—without any more vomit-related disasters. As we were boarding Emerie, ever the sane child, looked at me and proudly declared, well, at least I didn’t puke too. You know what? She’s not wrong. And that sums up my life in a nutshell…small victories, folks, small victories.

Fortunately, the rest of the travel day was calmer; if anything almost enjoyable. Our 6.5 hour flight to SeaTac shortened with a tail wind, and that repeated and shied off an hour of the Anchorage leg. Very minimal turbulence and sunny skies and other than the basic bickering, everyone in our group was completely chill. Only hiccup was a random passenger across the aisle deciding it was his duty to suggest I mask Reagan, who developed a mild, throaty cough the night before. It was clearly aggravated by the dry, air-conditioned and freezing cold cabin, but she had no fever or other symptoms. His tone was, let’s just say insulting, and when I politely declined, he turned to his wife with a dramatic, well, at least I tried and complete with an eye roll. Other than the darting glares from that direction for the next four hours, and the scenario replay of a better response to it than my “um, no” answer him, all was well.

It is good to be home and comical it took me a month to fully write out this adventure. It was a wild 15 days and went by quicker than expected. The girls adapted smoothly to each transition and better than younger years would have, all the different states and hotels we visited (Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida = making up for no prior out-of-state trips!), and all the new venues and people. I didn’t get a single demand from Emerie to go home, something she requests a lot when we are out and about in Anchorage, because home is her happy place, as is mine. By the end Harper was asking to stop going shopping, which was fair. Returning home after a long but wonderful trip was a mix of relief and travel exhaustion. The familiar surroundings of home, normal cool temperatures, your own bed and snuggly kittens, the girl’s toys and stuffies, and the chance to finally decompress- it was definitely worth it.

And mother nature was kind enough to wait 36 hours before dropping the first real 6+ inches of snow for the winter, and then back to the usual grind. First big vacation is officially a success!

❤

Vacation Part II: Heading South to Disney

Headed south for adventure!

First day of the second half of our trip was spent in the car, driving from Cincinnati down to Atlanta, with three six year olds in tow. For NINE hours in the car, they did so well and better than we expected. The drive was seamless through Lexington with no traffic, speeding south with that lovely 70 mile per hour speed limit; bumper to bumper traffic didn’t occur until until Knoxville, which sucked up over an hour of slowly moving forward. Once again we then cruised until Chattanooga, and then off and on had traffic delays until we arrived at our Airbnb in downtown Atlanta. With only a few potty and food breaks, a brief run session while we waited for food, and a random playground, we spent the rest of the day in the car. The girls colored, wrote down words displayed on billboards and played with their toys, and watched a couple television shows. That, and a LOT of snacking.

Craig had another surprise in store, unbeknownst to the girls, with Grandma Sue walking in the door that night in Atlanta, to complete surprise and delight. While we traveled all day by car, she traveled by air. She walked in the front door like it was no big deal and they were so surprised! Little did they know that their beloved Disney castle was right around the corner.

Atlanta was not our final destination but a good midpoint on the long drive, so we shoved two major tourist destinations into a one day visit. We walked over to the Atlanta Zoo, first thing in the morning (once we found the front entrance!), and explored all the attractions in perfect morning temperatures and with very few people around. Staying a couple blocks from our morning destination and being able to walk over was a nice touch to the visit.

So many pictures!
Elephants!
Gorillas galor!
More elephants!

First stop was the elephants, learning that a couple were older than us! We stopped at most of the penny machines and I towed a huge bag of customized, zoo animal featured pennies back with us. Everyone saw the zebras and giraffes but didn’t get to feed them, as they didn’t wish to cooperate while we stood in line for it. Gorillas were everywhere in several different enclosures, but the girls could care less and were more excited to follow the random squirrels -which are everywhere down there- and collect acorns and pine cones off the ground. We saw snakes and other reptiles, and a variety of different turtle breeds. A few beautiful birds humored us in the bird enclosure while the lone red panda refused to wake up from his nap to say hello.

Fake pandas everywhere but no live ones…sad day.

Turns out the Atlanta Zoo didn’t quite live up to Cincinnati’s vibe, but at least it filled a morning. The real kicker? The live pandas packed their bags and returned to China just a week before we showed up. Reagan took the tragic news like a champ—definitely better than I did. She still strolled around the panda exhibit like they were magically going to reappear, we made panda themed pennies, browsed the still-open panda gift shop, and grabbed some panda merch. Because if you can’t see the real thing, at least you can own the T-shirt, right? And the irony of it all- while we were in Atlanta not seeing the pandas, another pair was refueling in Anchorage on their way to a different zoo—one we weren’t visiting. Talk about timing!

The petting zoo was cute, with goats and sheep enjoying the sun and a little love from kiddos and adults alike. Emerie and Harper insisted on picking off all the straw on them, and stood there talking to the zoo employee while “cleaning” them off. The kid specific area had a little train that looped the section, decked out for Halloween with a candy-themed stretch that looked like sugar rush from Wreck It Ralph. It was basically Halloween eye-candy central, minus the actual candy (thankfully, because the last thing we needed was more candy). The girls enjoyed pointing out the types of candy decorations and yelling echos as we passed through the tunnel.

After the zoo visit we walked back to the house and drove further into downtown, stopping for a quick lunch eating some local barbecue -brisket and pulled pork that took forever and didn’t actually get eaten until hours after our next adventure. We headed to the Georgia Aquarium for our second aquarium of the week, and honestly? I was a bit disappointed. Compared to the Newport Aquarium in Kentucky—which might be smaller but is definitely more exciting and better laid out—this one just didn’t impress.

Harper immediately spotted the seal enclosure -which was tiny by the way- and she happily watched them swim around, talking about them with Reagan and Emerie. For so many seals in one spot, the size of the area didn’t even compare to the Sealife Center here in Seward, but still drew quite a viewing crowd. The adjacent wall displayed paintings of all different types of seals and we had to return later to ensure Harper had a picture with it! The girls weren’t really impressed at all the fish varieties swimming in the many tanks, although I did hear Emerie exclaim look it’s Dory! and later look it’s Nemo! when we passed those species. And in truth there were many beautiful fish- though through the eyes of a six year old, I can see how that is less exciting than all the larger sea creatures swimming around. Another fish coloring activity led the girls to requests to color lots of different fish and see them swimming along a full wall projector, and it took a few minutes to convince them we couldn’t do that section for an hour.

The dolphins and the single, large shark were seen without any big excitement from the three, surprisingly. The kids absolutely loved crawling through the tunnels under the penguins—so, naturally, Craig and I found ourselves down on all fours, squeezing through like giant, overgrown toddlers (kidding not kidding!). We popped up inside the viewing bubbles, face-to-face with those cuties, probably looking just as thrilled (or ridiculous) as the kids. It was a sweet family moment— with a side of mild knee trauma for the parents! Another, more readily accessible spot had a moving escalator below the large fish tank and was met with more excitement than the actual exhibit, and less suffering on the adult knees for that experience. We touched more stingrays in the touch tank, took pictures in front all all kinds of fish, and the girls touched every piece of fake treasure on display throughout the Halloween themed halls.

After a couple of hours wandering around, we ventured back outside and to a nearby playground for a few minutes, then attempted to find ice cream to no success. The place we found was in a large, air-conditioned mall and hotel, but nearly everything was closed. The funniest thing about that stop? The highlight of that stop? Three girls, probably in their early 20s, walked by and asked if we were triplets—a question asked countless times on this trip. Turns out, they were fraternal triplets themselves, sparking a cute conversation about life as triplets, who’s the oldest, middle, youngest, and all that fun stuff.

We ended the evening driving to the Atlanta Airport to swap the rental car for a large model; you know, to accommodate Grandma and our continued shopping excursions. Craig and I managed to find the right location within the city that is the airport, and the rental folks were very nice and helpful. After clearing out one car, loading all the car seats and coloring (so much coloring) into the replacement, we drove home with the sunset dropping across the sky. This time, the quest for a local ice cream spot was successful, with tons of random flavor choices to try.

By the end of the day everyone was tired; no bedtime stories or Tonies were requested, and not even a nightlight to keep the darkness away. The three bedroom AirBnB meant each kid slept in a big bed with one adult, and were off to dreamland in no time, unsuspecting that Disney was right around the corner after one more day in the car. While Atlanta was a bit disappointing overall, I believe we made the best of the stop and still had fun. Reagan found plenty of panda swag, Harper saw more of her beloved seals, and Emerie

Final Travel Day: Atlanta to Orlando

The long awaited trip to Disney World is finally here! After six years as a parent, over a year of saving up funds and buying plane tickets, we finally made the final 400 mile drive to get to Orlando. Some grumbling and complaints were heard with another day in the car, but not enough to give away the surprise at the southern destination. With a fourth “older” kid in tow (Grandma Sue haha), the overall ride consumed less complaints and arrival time requests. Everyone rotated seats, with one in the very back surrounded by luggage and Grandma and the other two in the middle row. Each kiddo spent a block of the ride doing their reading homework with Grandma when seats swapped, time very well spent in the car, and eventually we conceded to allow iPad games for a while too, a rarity all were thrilled about! Nobody napped, everyone snacked and enjoyed the unusual screen time as we made our way to our final, exciting destination.

I will also add, traffic was nonexistent on the drive until outside Orlando, which was MUCH appreciated after the first trip’s challenges. With fewer cities to get through and more rural areas on the one interstate, traffic moved at a fast pace and the 70 mph speed limit kept us moving. We drove through areas affected by Hurricane Milton earlier in the month, with the billboards (or lack there of I should say) torn to shreds and missing on a long stretch of road. Many were blown down, in pieces, or ripped apart, as was the brush and trees nearby. Numerous DOT employees were out clearing trees along the interstate right of way and continuing efforts to clean things up. Once into Orlando area, we couldn’t see any devastation other than more missing signage and areas with high standing water.

The temperature and humidity continued to increase as we worked our way south. Our final rest stop potty break was met with a slap of humidity and the girls finally felt real heat as we coaxed them off the iPads and out of the car. I was surprised we made it more than halfway through our trip before encountering any real humidity—Ohio had been drier than usual, and Georgia only slightly more humid. The girls eyed the palm trees and found other trees dropping pine cones, which were bagged in the back of the car and even made it home to Alaska with some effort, for a flower craft we will do this winter.

First stop after arriving at our home base for the next few days? The pool! After a long day cooped up in the car, all three of them couldn’t get into their swimsuits fast enough. They practically sprinted across the condo parking lot to the pool, which turned out to be the perfect temperature to cool down a bit on a nice day. The only thing that slowed them down? Recognizing dozens of tiny geckos living their best lives along the pathway, each one spotted getting an excited remark from one of the three. They had fun torturing Craig in the water while I relaxed poolside, letting my eyes refresh from a long day of driving. Later, we tried out a local spot for dinner; while the my salad and the rice bowls were amazing, the place could’ve used a few more hands on deck. We gave up waiting for a the kid meal dessert and explored a Publix and a Disney outlet shop (they’re practically everywhere!) next door before calling it a night—a good nights’ sleep was a must!

Everyone chose their parent for the first night and ended up staying in that same room for the rest of the trip. Harper roomed with me in the master bedroom and glorious king sized bed, Emerie insisted Craig bunk with him in a room with two full beds, and Grandma and Reagan were together in the last bedroom. Each bedroom had a fun feature- colored lighting under the bed frames, and a nice way to handle kids’ dislike of darkness in a foreign place; definitely a good set up for families visiting Disney. The condo perfectly fit our group, even though we only really slept there each night, and spent the rest of our time adventuring, meeting princesses, shopping, and enjoying what Orlando had to offer.

Orlando Day I: Disney, Disney, Disney!

We opted to keep the excitement of the day a secret until the very last second. Getting the girls up, showered and fed, Craig and I then walked out in our princess themed t-shirts (Rapunzel for me and Snow White for Craig, the least girly color options!), and handed the girls three more matching ones with their favorite ladies, Sleeping Beauty’s Princess Aurora, Frozen’s Queen Elsa and Aladdin’s Princess Jasmine. They initially took the news a little calmer than I expected, with minimal screaming, but definite excitement that grew once we made it to the park and the realization of the day’s adventures became reality.

Matching shirts in front of the real Disney castle!!!

It took over an hour to get from our condo to the actual park—despite the fact that we were only 10 minutes away by car! Little did we know, once you find the right parking lot for the right park, you catch a ride to the park entrance, only to then hop on a train to finally get near the actual entrance. This all equals lines in between each transportation stop, and of course, doing this right at opening time meant everyone else was just as eager as we were. Thankfully, the girls were thrilled to ride on both vehicles and managed to stick close to ‘their adult’ in the crowd of equally eager park-goers. Somehow I was also flagged BOTH times we entered the park for security to go through my bag. Not Craig, who wore a backpack himself, just me. The girls kept saying my boobs were setting the censors off…silly kids!

This being my first time at any Disney theme park, I wasn’t expecting the throngs of people that surrounded us. In fact, one park employee noted about one hundred thousand people pass through in a day; in Alaska terms, that is a third of the city we live in, which is crazy! Because of that, each kiddo was reminded to stick with their “assigned parent,” which rotated throughout the day (although Reagan was mostly glued to me for the whole trip). Everyone was handed a Disney card “ticket,” Emerie instantly unimpressed that Elsa was not an option. It took the girls a couple tries to swipe into the park, but we made it. The cards helped with our princess photo pass, the predominant reason for the visit, and will make the memory book at some point later.

A wishing well, where dreams come true!

The first day of Disney World, at the Magic Kingdom Park, was a big success. Not only that, but we ended our 14 hour day with very tired but happy kiddos and parents, kiddos who exclaimed this is the best day of my life! (Emerie!). No amount of coaxing in the world would have kept all three awake on the short drive home, after such a fantastic day.

We met several characters the first day, including Encanto’s Mirabel, Tiana, Cinderella, Elena of Avalor, Rapunzel, and Ariel; but knew a few others were going to be part of day two. We stopped in many shops, rode the carousel and twirling tea cups, ate popsicles, smoothies and ice cream (anything cool!), enjoyed dinner in Beauty and the Beast’s ballroom and rounded out the day with the big firework show. It was a magical day made extra special by a few thoughtful details. For example, smoothies came with edible chocolate crowns, something small and fun that made it even more enjoyable. You better believe Grandma and I made sure to get three crowns for those tiny humans! New dresses were selected and everyone sparkled in the sun with princess-themed jewelry (jewelry that kept falling apart and making the adults crazy, I might add!). Eventually each kiddo found their mini princess doll (Elsa, Aurora and Jasmine duh) and toted them around like a tiny royal friend. The custom princess t-shirts were eventually traded for tank tops, which felt so much cooler in the direct, afternoon sun.

Another epic find in my mind was the customized parasols, each one hand-painted right there in the park and with their names on them. Emerie, of course, picked a “Frozen” theme, with cool snowflakes and an Elsa and Anna dress against a purple backdrop, while Reagan went for a Jasmine design against blue, full of vibrant colors and the magic lamp. Harper couldn’t resist Aurora’s signature pink, with a touch of fairy tale elegance of her crown and pink dress. A few hours later, we picked up their custom creations—perfect souvenirs for a day spent in their own little kingdom and a keepsake I hope we can keep from utter destruction for a couple of years!

Watching your kids see Disney World for the first time is like seeing pure magic unfold right before your eyes. Their eyes light up with a joy so big it seems to spill over, and each new sight—whether it’s the castle, a fancy dress (or pair of shoes!) or a favorite character—feels like a piece of their dreams coming to life, a small look into what they see as magical and important at this stage of their lives. It’s hard to put into words how wonderful it is to witness them in that pure, unfiltered excitement; in those moments, you realize you’re sharing something they’ll (hopefully) remember forever, just like your bank account will (am I right or am I right?!). I found myself pausing to watch the experience, and so very glad we made the effort to travel across the country to do it, and that we waited until this age.

I could write a book on the adventures of the first day, so in lieu of that here’s a list of some of the highlights:

The goal of the day was simple, to meet as many princesses as possible. Day one consisted of Mirabel, Tiana, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Elena of Avalor, Ariel and Jasmine. We learned that Elsa, Anna, Belle and Aurora would be day two at a different park, much to Emerie and Harper’s dismay. Many assurances continued to remind them all the favorite princesses would be met before we went back home to Alaska. We also spotted lots of familiar sights, like this photo with Rapunzel’s tall tower, which really looks like the real thing!

Seeing the real Disney castle, was a request Craig and I heard on repeat for the past two years or so. The girls didn’t fully comprehend the upcoming day until that castle came into view and were met with shrieks of excitement and awe that it does indeed exist! We took pictures in front of it, watched a couple dance numbers in front of it, walked through it, and explored with three very joyous and excited girls. Watching the magic come alive and their reactions to it was one of the best parts of the entire vacation. The firework show with the castle all lit up was a pretty exciting thing to see as well.

So many princesses to meet, such lines! We strategically decided who to see and when, with Tiana the first stop because her stop had no line. It was pure surprise when we walked in to the Princess and the Frog’s Tiana AND Rapunzel, and the girls peppered both princesses with lots of questions. The best part? The girls explaining they called Rapunzel “Pan” for all their toddler years, because it was easier to say and for her excellent use of a frying pan, which was met with a laugh and smile. Emerie also commented that Rapunzel’s hair was so beautiful, and we have braids too!

The moment they saw Cinderella, the girls made a beeline to ask her the most pressing question of all: what do your shoes look like? With a kind smile, she humored them and lifted her dress just enough to reveal those famous sparkly shoes, and the girls were so thrilled.

I couldn’t resist mentioning to Cinderella that Grandma Sue (and now Craig and I) always say, don’t act like Cinderella’s stepsisters! She actually laughed—a genuine, out-of-character chuckle—as if even she couldn’t help but non-verbally agree that it was pretty solid advice. The girls also asked her about her mice friends, and the prince, and were so fearless and not shy at all!

While rides were not the main focus for the day, we absolutely took advantage of low lines to ensure a full experience. At one point while Craig waited for lunch to be ready, Sue and I caught a quick line and rode the spinning teacups with the girls. We rode the carousel several times throughout the day, Aladdin’s magic carpet, and the girls drove the motor car track and ensured all three adults received minor whiplash from the wild steering. Apparently Harper became a speed maniac and was giggling and screaming manically with Grandma Sue in tow. Sounds about right.

We committed to a very long, winding line in a cave to ride the Ariel clam shells. Waiting in that line with the massive throng of people around us was the most anxiety I had the whole trip, but the ride was pretty cute once we made it. Reagan and Emerie hopped in with me and Harper with Sue and Craig behind us, and off we went. At one point everything stopped and the ride was stuck, which presented more time for the girls to look at everything closely. It was fun and got us out of the elements for a few minutes, not to mention all the creative characters and sets to look at.

Later in the afternoon we finally made it to see Ariel, in another cave. While in line we actually met another set of six year old triplets visiting from Michigan, whose mom is on my triplet Facebook page. It was nice chatting with them as we waited. Everyone was SO excited to talk to Ariel and full disclosure, Harper definitely reach out and touched her boobs. She told me later she wanted to know if her bikini top was made of real shells. So funny.

Last but definitely not least was Princess Jasmine and Aladdin. This was the toughest line of the day, 2 PM in direct sunlight, and we all look as sweaty and overheated as we felt. Reagan was SO thrilled to meet Jasmine and give her a hug; no one even batted an eye at Aladdin there with her, which was pretty funny. After pictures we rode the magic carpet ride, which provided a little breeze and view of the park from above.

It was really impressive that all the characters we visited took the time to listen to the girls, answer their questions as they all spoke at the same time, and just let them bask in the magic of the stories playing out in front of them. Everyone took turns pretty well, getting triplet photos and single photos with each princess, and often loudly announcing we’re triplets! to ensure that message was conveyed clearly to everyone in the room.

After a couple rides we walked through the Monster Inc. scare floor, watching the comedy show. It was cute although no Sully sighting was a little disappointing, but the air condition and momentary break to sit, on the other hand, were great! We rounded out the evening with dinner at the Beauty and the Beast ballroom, with the Beast walking around and waving but unfortunately no Belle sighting. Adults and kids alike had a three course meal and funny enough, Reagan and Emerie both ordered appetizer salads with their meals and quickly devoured them. The food was delicious after a very busy day and the girls received light up cups to pack home (to their delight and our addition of another tote for home). The kid dessert also had fun chocolate teacups that came with paint brushes to paint, so the girls decorated their masterpieces before tasting them.

By the time dinner was over it was dark outside, and we were right on time for the evening fireworks. While we initially planned to leave the park before this to beat the traffic, I’m really glad we found a spot off one path, with a direct view of the castle and sky. The girls oo’d and awed over all the different colors, which lined up with both the music and in relation to the princesses and characters. It was a spectacular show and the girls happily watched, without the “I’m tired” complaints after exploring for close to fourteen hours. It took another full hour to leave the park after the fireworks, along with practically everyone else. It felt like herding cattle, trying to keep my little ones close and with the adults as the crowd shifted to tired kids and sleeping babies in strollers, all of us pushing toward the train cars and the distant parking lot. Once we reached the car, keeping the kids awake was impossible, and the drive was completely quiet. Back at the condo, they instantly climbed into bed, still in their tank tops and shorts, with wonderful memories of the day to dream about.

Since this is apparently the longest blog ever, I’ll wrap up this post here and finish our trip’s highlights in the next one! There’s just so much to capture—so many moments I never want to forget and so many details that deserve their own stories. I’m beyond grateful to be part of this family trip, sharing these magical days with my girls, an amazing mother-in-law who makes traveling so fun, and a husband who’s wholeheartedly embraced his role as a girl-dad, making every moment extra special.

Being here together, watching the girls light up with every surprise, princess encounter, and adventure, has been something I’ll certainly treasure forever. And I can’t wait to share the final leg of our trip soon….when I finish writing it 🙂

❤