It exists there.
I've often thought about what it would be like to take my own children to the happiest place on Earth.
It was better than I imagined.
We arrived in Orlando late on Wednesday evening and spent Thursday enjoying some pool time and our last hours with a one year old.
trying to maintain my expectations of a day I've dreamed of and planned for some time...
with a two year old.
But my anxiety gave way to pure joy when I woke up with a happy birthday girl who was excited and ready for the day ahead.
And that joy...
It continued throughout the day.
Lauren was a fabulous first time Disney visitor.
She loved each ride,
she was especially enthralled with Small World
the only cries we heard was when they were over,
because she wanted to go again
hugged every character we met,
sometimes even threw a kiss in
and had a magic sparkle in her eye the whole day through.
Meeting Mickey was an absolute highlight.
He sang our sweet girl Happy Birthday
and I had to hold back tears.
The character lunch with Winnie the Pooh & Friends was another huge highlight.
She loved it!
We all did!
And considering she fell asleep for a quick 20 min nap right before our reservation,
she did fantastic.
There was also an opportunity for a little lesson about patience and waiting our turn.
Which garnered the response,
"I next.."
I think I can speak for everyone when I say we had an amazing day.
Lauren and her entourage lasted from 9 am - 5 pm
and by the time we reached the parking lot
this was the state of our birthday girl...
with her Mickey Mouse lollipop in hand.
But Lauren's birthday wasn't over and neither was the fun.
After a little nap and a bath we celebrated with presents, ice cream, cupcakes, and some playtime.
On Day 2, we took our two year old to Animal Kingdom.
It was a slower day, we slept in a little bit, casually arrived to the park and took our time checking out the attractions we thought Lauren might like best.
The highlight: Kilimanjaro Safari
Lauren's got a thing for animals
and has even gotten over her zebra {teeth} issues,
so riding in a jeep seeing all of her favorites
was pretty cool.
And in Lauren's opinion riding in a 'jeep' without being in a carseat was also a highlight.
Hugging Daisy and receiving a compliment on her skirt was also a favorite.
We took in a few shows, but when she slept through the Lion King we realized all this magic had left our birthday girl worn out.
Oh, this trip.
These two magical days.
sigh.
They were so good.
I still can't believe we got to take our Lauren to such a special place to celebrate her Golden Birthday.
I know that she is young and will likely not have vivid memories of this particular trip,
but with the way she has been talking about it since we returned;
hugging Winnie the Pooh,
bouncing with Tiger,
riding the horse {carousel} with Papa and Grandma,
Belle, Ariel, and Daisy,
and the excitement in her voice when she sees anything Mickey or Minnie,
I know the magic is real.
And she saw it.
As for me,
I'm still on a little Disney magic high,
and am already looking forward to our next trip.
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