Our trip back to the US this summer was centered around a conference we were attending in Orlando the second week of August. As long as we were that close, the kids said, "Let's go to Disney World!" Indy and I, looking at each other in surprise, said, "Really?! There aren't other things you want to do in the Orlando area?"
Now, let me just get it right out there...Indy being retired USAF means we have access to discounted tickets and lodging...and when I say discounted, it's 50% off and that (plus savings that we do every month into our "travel fund" and packing backpacks with snacks and water to keep the food bill down) is how we can afford to go to Disney. My understanding from Disney staff is that the military "Salute" tickets are the cheapest tickets you can get unless you are a FL resident with an annual pass. That being said, we are thankful and blessed by Indy's 20+ years of service!
Driving in...it's the traditional picture and literally sets our hearts racing and we get so excited and start singing and get really goofy in the car.
Standing in Disney Springs, while waiting for our dinner reservation at "Raglan Road" which by the way has one of the best military discounts in all of Disney Springs. Be sure to take out the mil ID and show it before they tally up your bill.
This was our second time eating here...so, so good and so, so much food.
We had traditional Shepherd's Pie, a shrimp dish, some fish and chips, and another couple of super tasty dishes.
As long as we were in Disney Springs, we had to head over to the Pin Trading Outpost and see if there was anything of interest. The mouse ears have sure changed in the past couple of years. We didn't buy any, but we tried on some fun options.
Checking out all the new pins.
Trading pins with people is one of our favorite things to do!
We only had three days, so we split up the first day with Animal Kingdom in the morning and Hollywood Studios in the afternoon and evening.
We were at Animal Kingdom at 0800...there were extra Magic Hours for those of us staying at Park hotels. We always stay at Shades of Green, which is the old Golf Resort that the Army MWR bought from Disney some years ago and turned into a military only resort. It's amazing!
We had never done the Dinosaur ride before...when we were there back in '07, the kids were too short...then in '13 the wait was always too long, and in '17 it wasn't on our radar at all. This time, being there when the park opened and realizing that within minutes there was a 90 minute long line for the Avatar ride, and we had a 0900 Fast Pass for Everest, we went on the Dinosaur ride first thing. It was fun!
When we came out, it was fun to see a stuffed Mickey-head ice cream cone in the gift shop.
Indy loved that they had a Launchpad (from Duck Tales) hangar.
Heading to Everest for our first roller coaster ride. We love this one!
Family picture with Everest in the background.
Sweet pic of my boys in front of the baobab tree in the center of the park.
Father and daughter.
Some fun dancers in the Africa section of Animal Kingdom.
Animals on the Safari ride...
Then, we scooted over to the Avatar/Pandora area for lunch because we had heard from a good friend that they had wonderful "pick your own" dishes...you pick your meat (chicken, beef, or shrimp), you pick your base (rice, pasta, or potatoes), and you pick your sauce (a teriyaki sauce, a garlic sauce, or a pesto sauce)...we all got something different and it was very good.
Then, we park hopped to Hollywood Studios.
We walked past one of the Star Wars shows.
And, of course, had to go on one of our all time favorites (we usually do it 2-4 times every time we're there, because it is almost always a different scenario and we LOVE that about this ride)...Star Tours!
Classic, can't be missed, Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular Show. Our kids have seen this show every time we've been!
We love the part when they re-enact the marketplace and airplane fight scenes.
We really enjoyed the new Toy Story Land. It was Krypto's favorite movie as a young child. He was a HUGE Buzz Lightyear fan!
We met up with my cousin's wife, Amanda, and his son, Gage, and rode the Aerosmith Rockin' Roller Coaster....so, so fun!
Me with Amanda and Gage. So glad we finally got to meet up!
Looking forward to the new attraction that will replace the old Movie Ride. We will miss that one, for sure.
This was a surprise gem of a ride. We did it at nightfall, when all the lights were on in Toy Story Land, and we loved it! Definitely worth the hour wait.
The Tower of Terror! Indy and Sissi got to ride it...I did, years ago, before I injured my neck, but now, it's just not worth taking the chance with a herniated disc, so I stayed off.
Probably the last time we'll ever get to see the "Fantasmic" laser light show. They say they are ending it in September...it's been playing for years! The last time we saw it was back in '13 with my parents.
It's always fun to see all the characters as they sail on by and wave!
What a full day...we were up and at the park at 0800 and didn't leave until 2200.
Disney is amazing in every way. So glad we have these family memories.
