April 30, 2016
Right on time, the limousine arrived at her birthday party to take us to the airport. We left the party right around 3:00, and before we knew it we were at IND.
Right on time, the limousine arrived at her birthday party to take us to the airport. We left the party right around 3:00, and before we knew it we were at IND.
After a quick jaunt through a non-existent security line, we got the traditional pre-trip photo of a race car outside of SkyClub, and then we had lunch at Harry and Izzy's, just as we'd done before our Europe trip last September.
We boarded our flight. Since Daddy was flying down to Disney on a different flight reservation than us, he got upgraded, so it was just my girl and I having a great time back in coach!
On our short flight up to Detroit, we talked about our Disney plans, and I taught her how to play the Dots game, which we then ended up playing throughout the next two weeks (even once playing it in the sand on the beach!)
We had a short layover at DTW, then boarded our flight for Orlando. She and I had some fun with the blue in-cabin lighting.
We had a short layover at DTW, then boarded our flight for Orlando. She and I had some fun with the blue in-cabin lighting.
She spent most of this flight watching Uncle Grandpa on the in-flight entertainment unit, while I passed the time watching our location map update.
We landed, collected our bags, and our driver was there pretty quickly. After a very long day, of course, she fell asleep in the car on the way to the hotel. However, once we arrived at the hotel (and I'd carried her quite a ways), she awoke happy and excited to be checking in, and ready for our Disney adventures to begin!
We landed, collected our bags, and our driver was there pretty quickly. After a very long day, of course, she fell asleep in the car on the way to the hotel. However, once we arrived at the hotel (and I'd carried her quite a ways), she awoke happy and excited to be checking in, and ready for our Disney adventures to begin!
May 1, 2016
We began our day with breakfast downstairs at the resort. She couldn't decide between eggs, bacon, and waffles, so she got all 3, and ate a huge amount. We went back upstairs to collect Daddy, and then headed down to catch the boat to Epcot.
We began our day with breakfast downstairs at the resort. She couldn't decide between eggs, bacon, and waffles, so she got all 3, and ate a huge amount. We went back upstairs to collect Daddy, and then headed down to catch the boat to Epcot.
We began our Epcot day, arriving at 9:30, and headed over to Journey to Imagination with Figment, which is the same ride we began our trip with last time.
As we were heading into the ride, Daddy found $20 laying on the ground. We proceeded to ride Figment, which she always loves, and she got a Figment magnet in the gift shop afterwards.
After, we headed over to meet Mickey, Goofy, and Minnie. Goofy thought it was hilarious that Lizzy and I were dressed like Minnie, and of course Minnie loved our outfits
After, we headed over to meet Mickey, Goofy, and Minnie. Goofy thought it was hilarious that Lizzy and I were dressed like Minnie, and of course Minnie loved our outfits
Afterwards we visited with our favorite personal healthcare companion. Lizzy even got a first bump from Baymax
Next up was Finding Nemo, then Spaceship Earth, followed by a little interactive energy game that Lizzy and Daddy played together.
We were feeling a bit hungry, so we grabbed lunch at Sunshine Seasons, courtesy of the $20 we'd found on the ground earlier in the day.
Afterwards, we had a Test Track Fast Pass. Lizzy liked designing her own (very crazy!) car, which we then "tested." Her car was the fastest in our ride vehicle! She liked the indoor part of the ride okay, but she didn't like the outdoor part where it goes fast. At least she tried it!
Afterwards, we had a Test Track Fast Pass. Lizzy liked designing her own (very crazy!) car, which we then "tested." Her car was the fastest in our ride vehicle! She liked the indoor part of the ride okay, but she didn't like the outdoor part where it goes fast. At least she tried it!
After Test Track, we went and got some frozen slushies. While in line, Lizzy and another little girl played together on a cold mister vent. Her little legs, shoes, and underpants were soaked, but she didn't care a bit.
Next up was World Showcase! We began our journey in Mexico, where Daddy began his drinking around the world adventure, while Lizzy and I started her Kitcot day. She purchased a passport and decorated a bear, so at each stop the ambassadors of that nation would stamp her passport and bear, and write a little message for her. She thoroughly enjoyed this part of the day!
In Mexico, we rode the Three Caballeros ride (twice) and bought some blown glass figurines. Afterwards was a brief stop in Norway, which is mostly closed as they repurpose it into a mini Frozen-land, but we did the requisite passport and bear stamp and drink for Daddy.
Next we headed to China, where Daddy drank another drink while we got her passport and bear stamped. This time she got a sweet little Panda drawing!
Next we headed to China, where Daddy drank another drink while we got her passport and bear stamped. This time she got a sweet little Panda drawing!
For the next several hours, we hit every single country (we skipped Japan on the circuit, since that was our last stop for the night due to our dinner reservation.) There was also a Lion Face Painting that happened. So fierce!
While we were at the Germany pavilion, she enjoyed talking to the German ambassadors about her trip to Munich, telling them about her favorite German words (Mietwagen and Taschentucher), which they all thought was hilarious. They even wrote it in her passport for her!
We had procured a pretzel to enjoy, so we sat on a bench to eat. As we were sitting there, an Epcot janitor noticed her happy birthday button. He got down on his knee, and serenaded her with the most beautiful baritone rendition of Happy Birthday. People often ask me why we go to Disney every few years - that's why. Moments like that. It was beautiful
Another good passport stop was Morocco. They wrote her name, and "Happy Birthday" in Arabic. How pretty is this?
Eventually, we headed back around to Japan to end our night. We got her final Kidcot stamps, and did some shopping. She chose a set of colorful chopsticks, and also wanted some lucky owls and cats. There was also a Kimono fitting.
We had dinner at Toyko Dining, which was wonderful. Her meal came served on a monorail! As usual, she ate every drop of her miso soup, and rather than eating her chicken tempura, ate about half of her Dad's steak.
As we were concluding our dinner and paying, Illuminations started. We stepped out onto the balcony outside the restaurant and had a great view of the fireworks.
We took our time exiting Epcot after close, spending some time by the France fountains and topiaries.
We ended our first Disney day by walking back to our hotel though the Beach Club beach (where we viewed the Hollywood Studios fireworks) and got some well-deserved rest (over 12 hours at Epcot will do that to you!)
May 2, 2016
After breakfast, we boarded the boat to Hollywood Studios, sitting in the front row, right behind the crew. The skipper saw Lizzy's happy birthday button, and invited the entire boat (maybe 80 people?) to sing Happy Birthday to Lizzy. Not a bad way to start our day!
We arrived at Hollywood Studios right at 9:00, and proceeded right to Star Tours. She really liked seeing 3PO and R2 in the line for the ride. She did okay on the ride, but she didn't want to ride it again after one time. I went back on it again while Daddy and Lizzy built another droid to add to her collection.
After breakfast, we boarded the boat to Hollywood Studios, sitting in the front row, right behind the crew. The skipper saw Lizzy's happy birthday button, and invited the entire boat (maybe 80 people?) to sing Happy Birthday to Lizzy. Not a bad way to start our day!
We arrived at Hollywood Studios right at 9:00, and proceeded right to Star Tours. She really liked seeing 3PO and R2 in the line for the ride. She did okay on the ride, but she didn't want to ride it again after one time. I went back on it again while Daddy and Lizzy built another droid to add to her collection.
After, we got some Speeder pictures (she was pretending to be a Bulldog, hence the face), then went to meet Pluto (always her favorite), Chip, and Dale.
As we were heading over to Star Wars Launch Bay, we noticed Captain Phasma and some Storm Troopers marching around, so we followed them to a brief show.
Next we headed to the Launch Bay to meet big baby Kylo Ren (that's what Lizzy calls him.). When we met him, she told him "You'll never be as strong as Darth Vader!" To which he replied "Silence!"
After Crylo Ren (her other nickname for him), we met our favorite Wookiee.
Next, we rode Toy Story with our Fast Pass, bypassing the otherwise-80 minute wait. She loved this one!
After Toy Story, we ate lunch at at the 50s Prime Time cafe, which was so much fun! They made Lizzy set the table, and we enjoyed some yummy milkshakes and food.
After Toy Story, we ate lunch at at the 50s Prime Time cafe, which was so much fun! They made Lizzy set the table, and we enjoyed some yummy milkshakes and food.
Next, we went back to the Launch Bay to view a short film about Star Wars, and look at some of the memorabilia. We also found some Jawas!
We finally found a stuffed Fuli! She was so happy to buy this.
At this point, she was requesting to go back to the room to swim, so Daddy went ahead and used his Tower of Terror fast pass, while she and I caught the boat back to the room. After a little bit of rest time, Daddy returned from his ride, and we all got dressed for the pool.
We played Lion Guard in the pool together for a bit, and then Daddy lounged while Lizzy and I went to the smaller pool to play. Lizzy threw coins to the bottom, while I retrieved them. Then we played on the beach and playground for a bit, and finally in the fun seal fountain.
Alas, it was time for Daddy to start his conference, so Lizzy and I took a nap for a few hours. We awoke, dressed, and walked over to the Boardwalk for a lovely Italian dinner together. Our meal was delightful and the server, who thought Lizzy was a wonderfully sweet girl, gave her a little light-up Tinkerbell for her birthday.
We played Lion Guard in the pool together for a bit, and then Daddy lounged while Lizzy and I went to the smaller pool to play. Lizzy threw coins to the bottom, while I retrieved them. Then we played on the beach and playground for a bit, and finally in the fun seal fountain.
Alas, it was time for Daddy to start his conference, so Lizzy and I took a nap for a few hours. We awoke, dressed, and walked over to the Boardwalk for a lovely Italian dinner together. Our meal was delightful and the server, who thought Lizzy was a wonderfully sweet girl, gave her a little light-up Tinkerbell for her birthday.
As we were there, a huge thunderstorm moved through, which abated just as we were departing the restaurant. So, on the walk back, we had fun splashing in the puddles.
May 3, 2016
We had breakfast downstairs, and then headed to rope drop at Magic Kingdom.
May 3, 2016
We had breakfast downstairs, and then headed to rope drop at Magic Kingdom.
We arrived in time to see the Welcome Show, and then headed in to begin our day. We started off with Anna and Elsa, for which we waited 30 minutes. This ended up being our only wait during the entire trip, so that was totally reasonable!
She was so excited to meet Elsa. For probably a year and a half, she has loved calling Ed, Elsa. So, I had made a sign for Elsa to hold, for Ed. Lizzy thought it was HILARIOUS. We also got each of them to autograph her Anna and Elsa ballcap.
She was so excited to meet Elsa. For probably a year and a half, she has loved calling Ed, Elsa. So, I had made a sign for Elsa to hold, for Ed. Lizzy thought it was HILARIOUS. We also got each of them to autograph her Anna and Elsa ballcap.
Next, we did it's a small world (we walked right on, due to our perfectly timed Fast Passes), since that is her and my favorite ride at Disney.
As we were heading out through the last room on the ride, we saw this nice sign:
We then hit a remarkable series of rides, going through all of our initial 3 Fast Passes, so we ended up riding tons of rides with virtually no wait, as we either hit walk on rides, or timed fast passes so that we would be walking off of one ride an on to the next one. I think our longest wait was, literally, 5 minutes. At one point, we were on its a small world, having just used a Fast Pass to get in line, when I hopped on my phone to get a Peter Pan fast pass for immediately afterwards. We walked off of small world, across the walkway to board Peter Pan, bypassing a 90 minute wait. Needless to say, we had a fantastic day!
We rode so many of our favorites multiple times, it was amazing. Our highlights were getting stuck for about 10 minutes on Haunted Mansion, seeing the Hitchhiking Ghosts say "Heading to Indiana" on our doom buggy, and the Tomorrowland People Mover (which we both really loved!) We also got stuck on Buzz Lightyear, which we both found wildly amusing, and we had a wonderful time at Philharmagic. We also did Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Dumbo, and re-rode small world, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Buzz again, and just kept repeating our favorites for literally hours.
We rode so many of our favorites multiple times, it was amazing. Our highlights were getting stuck for about 10 minutes on Haunted Mansion, seeing the Hitchhiking Ghosts say "Heading to Indiana" on our doom buggy, and the Tomorrowland People Mover (which we both really loved!) We also got stuck on Buzz Lightyear, which we both found wildly amusing, and we had a wonderful time at Philharmagic. We also did Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Dumbo, and re-rode small world, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Buzz again, and just kept repeating our favorites for literally hours.
Our lunch was a Pinocchio Village Haus, where we both had really surprisingly yummy flatbread pizzas.
We also met Goofy, Donald, Minnie, Daisy, and Tinkerbell during our afternoon adventures. We hopped into the character tent to do something to dry off after she had soaked herself in the splash area just outside. Daisy told her fortune in the crystal ball, predicting that Lizzy would eat lots of cake on her birthday.
We also rode the train from the Fantasyland stop to the Main Street stop, when we went to meet Tinkerbell, rather than walking. We had so much fun!
We also met Goofy, Donald, Minnie, Daisy, and Tinkerbell during our afternoon adventures. We hopped into the character tent to do something to dry off after she had soaked herself in the splash area just outside. Daisy told her fortune in the crystal ball, predicting that Lizzy would eat lots of cake on her birthday.
We also rode the train from the Fantasyland stop to the Main Street stop, when we went to meet Tinkerbell, rather than walking. We had so much fun!
There were also treats during the afternoon.
And an attempt to be crowned rightful ruler of England.
Around 7:00, it was dinner time, so I hopped on the My Disney Experience app, and grabbed a dinner reservation over at Wilderness Lodge. We took the boat over, walked around the lobby for a bit, and then had our dinner at Whispering Canyon Cafe. It was so much fun! We laughed each time anyone asked for ketchup and they would end up with an entire table full of ketchup. We also enjoyed doing the Hokey Pokey with the entire restaurant, and Lizzy rode a pony around the restaurant. And, in true Disney fashion, there was a happy birthday sing-a-long and cupcake for the birthday girl.
After diner, we went back to find an emptying Magic Kingdom, as most people were heading out following the Main Street Electrical Parade at 9:00.
So, with the park mostly to ourselves, we rode and rode and rode rides until park close at 11:00! We love Magic Kingdom at night, especially Dumbo all lit up and Haunted Mansion. We did more small world, Philharmagic, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, etc. Everything was a walk-on. We even ended up watching the second half of Wishes fireworks from the Peoplemover, which was super fun.
So, with the park mostly to ourselves, we rode and rode and rode rides until park close at 11:00! We love Magic Kingdom at night, especially Dumbo all lit up and Haunted Mansion. We did more small world, Philharmagic, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, etc. Everything was a walk-on. We even ended up watching the second half of Wishes fireworks from the Peoplemover, which was super fun.
We had really made the most of this Magic Kingdom day, lasting from rope drop until park close. We knew there was a lot of rain heading in the following day, so we intended on sleeping in the following day, and returning to the park the next evening after the rain moved out. This was such a great day!
May 4, 2016
We woke up around 8:00, had breakfast, then came back up to the room to nap from 10:00 to 2:30! Feeling fully refreshed, we went to have a fun lunch together at the Dolphin (which, of course, featured a birthday treat), and then we went to catch the bus to Magic Kingdom. Our plan was to explore the 3 monorail resorts while the rain moved out.
May 4, 2016
We woke up around 8:00, had breakfast, then came back up to the room to nap from 10:00 to 2:30! Feeling fully refreshed, we went to have a fun lunch together at the Dolphin (which, of course, featured a birthday treat), and then we went to catch the bus to Magic Kingdom. Our plan was to explore the 3 monorail resorts while the rain moved out.
We started our tour at the Polynesian, where we poked around a bit and then shared a Dole Whip in the lobby.
Next we visited the Grand Floridian, which was absolutely breathtaking. She and I each picked a fun soap from the shops there, and listened to a bit of the band before re-boarding the Monorail. The Grand Floridian was our favorite of the 4 resorts we visited (the three today, plus Wilderness Lodge yesterday.) It was so beautiful - we'd love to stay there on our next visit to Disney World.
We checked the weather, and saw about 45 minutes left until the rain moved out. So, we boarded the monorail to go visit the last resort on the loop, the Contemporary. We were both pretty underwhelmed by that one (after the Grand Floridian, anything would be underwhelming), so after walking through the gift shop and smashing a few pennies, we hopped back on the monorail to re-do the loop back to Magic Kingdom.
We arrived at Magic Kingdom about 10 minutes before the rain had completely moved out, so we donned our disposable ponchos and entered the park. Imagine our delight to find a nearly-empty park, as the heavy rains all day long had kept most guests away. So, here we were, arriving a little after 8:00 pm to find Magic Kingdom at maybe 5% capacity, and on an Extra Magic Hour night where it was open to us until 1:00 am. GAME ON!
We took full advantage of this situation. We rode our favorites multiple times, again.
We also had the amazing experience of meeting Talking Mickey, who wished Lizzy a happy birthday. It was so, so special.
We also met Anna and Elsa, again (with no wait, as opposed to the 30 minutes the morning prior). We did the Tea Cups (she giggled throughout the entire ride.) More Dumbo, more Haunted Mansion, more of everything wonderful and magical. To ourselves, it felt like. We also realized we were sitting on the floor, in the exact same spot, wearing our 3D glasses, waiting for Philharmagic to start, exactly 25 hours (to the minute) after we'd previously been there, doing the exact same thing.
We arrived at Magic Kingdom about 10 minutes before the rain had completely moved out, so we donned our disposable ponchos and entered the park. Imagine our delight to find a nearly-empty park, as the heavy rains all day long had kept most guests away. So, here we were, arriving a little after 8:00 pm to find Magic Kingdom at maybe 5% capacity, and on an Extra Magic Hour night where it was open to us until 1:00 am. GAME ON!
We took full advantage of this situation. We rode our favorites multiple times, again.
We also had the amazing experience of meeting Talking Mickey, who wished Lizzy a happy birthday. It was so, so special.
We also met Anna and Elsa, again (with no wait, as opposed to the 30 minutes the morning prior). We did the Tea Cups (she giggled throughout the entire ride.) More Dumbo, more Haunted Mansion, more of everything wonderful and magical. To ourselves, it felt like. We also realized we were sitting on the floor, in the exact same spot, wearing our 3D glasses, waiting for Philharmagic to start, exactly 25 hours (to the minute) after we'd previously been there, doing the exact same thing.
We got another personalized goodbye on small world, and on Haunted Mansion the hitchhiking ghosts replaced our bodies with gravestones with our names on them!
At 12:45, we figured we had time for one more ride on Pooh, followed by one more ride on Peter Pan, before park closing at 1:00 am.
We boarded Pooh and, on the second room, the ride broke down! Not just briefly stuck like we were on Buzz and Haunted Mansion the day prior, but full on, non-operational, lights came on, broken! We were laughing and laughing about it. We got pushed about 10 feet forward by some cast members in our ride vehicle, got helped out of our seats, and walked our way out of the ride. It cost us one final ride on Peter Pan, but she and I have a great story to tell!
We finally got off of Pooh right at 1:00 am, so we slowly meandered out of the nearly empty park, stopping along the way to soak in the beautiful ambiance of an empty Magic Kingdom at night. She and I had the most terrific two days together here! Over the course of this day and a half at Magic Kingdom, I think we did more attractions and character meetings than we had over our two prior trips combined. Everything was so perfect.
At 12:45, we figured we had time for one more ride on Pooh, followed by one more ride on Peter Pan, before park closing at 1:00 am.
We boarded Pooh and, on the second room, the ride broke down! Not just briefly stuck like we were on Buzz and Haunted Mansion the day prior, but full on, non-operational, lights came on, broken! We were laughing and laughing about it. We got pushed about 10 feet forward by some cast members in our ride vehicle, got helped out of our seats, and walked our way out of the ride. It cost us one final ride on Peter Pan, but she and I have a great story to tell!
We finally got off of Pooh right at 1:00 am, so we slowly meandered out of the nearly empty park, stopping along the way to soak in the beautiful ambiance of an empty Magic Kingdom at night. She and I had the most terrific two days together here! Over the course of this day and a half at Magic Kingdom, I think we did more attractions and character meetings than we had over our two prior trips combined. Everything was so perfect.
May 5, 2016
Our last day in Disney started with a girl who slept until 10:15 am after the late night before, which was perfect. Rather than having breakfast downstairs, we timed our Epcot arrival for right at 11:00 am so we could have a lovely France patisserie breakfast just as World Showcase opened. I let her choose what we ate from all the beautiful display cases, so that's where there are so many croissants and macaroons. It was all quite yummy!
Our last day in Disney started with a girl who slept until 10:15 am after the late night before, which was perfect. Rather than having breakfast downstairs, we timed our Epcot arrival for right at 11:00 am so we could have a lovely France patisserie breakfast just as World Showcase opened. I let her choose what we ate from all the beautiful display cases, so that's where there are so many croissants and macaroons. It was all quite yummy!
We walked around to Morocco next and the shop keeper invited Lizzy in to try on some Moroccan goods and dance around. She thoroughly enjoyed this!
Where there are sunflowers, there are Zombies.
Lizzy had chosen to wear her qi pao today in hopes of meeting Mulan, which we did!
We then walked over to Future World to Journey to Imagination with Figment, followed by a wonderful experience at the Pixar Short Films 4D festival. We then spent some time playing with the jumping fountains.
We headed over to Club Cool in hopes of getting some more of her favorite drink, Melon Frosty. Unfortunately, they had just discontinued it (I'm glad we were able to get some on our first Epcot day, on Sunday, as she had remembered it from her trip 2 years ago). When we asked about it, the lady noticed how disappointed Lizzy looked, so she gave her a souvenir Frozen cup and frozen drink of Lizzy's choice, for free.
Next up, we rode Spaceship Earth, and then met Pluto. As always, she has the best interactions with Pluto!
After meeting our favorite Disney dog, we headed over for lunch at Coral Reef restaurant. She had no idea what to expect inside. Well, she was in for a real treat, as we managed (luckily) to snag one of the few, highly desirable, tables right next to the aquarium! The lunch was truly magical, with the famous stingray, Luna, coming to hang out by our table on exactly 5 occasions, for about 10 minutes each time. We were so lucky!
What was so amazing was that, after Luna's 4th visit, as we were getting ready to pay our bill, Lizzy said "I wish Luna would come back and say goodbye to us before we leave." About a minute later, she did!
What was so amazing was that, after Luna's 4th visit, as we were getting ready to pay our bill, Lizzy said "I wish Luna would come back and say goodbye to us before we leave." About a minute later, she did!
After lunch, we rode the Nemo ride twice in a row (with two back-to-back Fast Passes - we don't do lines at this point), and then went to finish up the last page on Lizzy's autograph book with a meeting with Alice in the United Kingdom pavilion.
After Alice, we watched an Irish band play on the sidewalk, during which Lizzy demanded I dance with her. So, there we were, dancing like crazies on the cobbled streets of the U.K. pavilion in Epcot! (Pretty sure Daddy was glad he was at a conference, and not watching us dancing in the streets!)
Next we headed over to Italy to watch the street performer we had seen the other day, once again. This time, Lizzy got chosen to participate a bit in his show, throwing the tiniest ball into the net, and being the little one that he referenced throughout the show when teasing other guests. We loved Sergio!
At this point, it was 7:00 and she was a little tired, so we headed back to take the boat to our hotel to grab dinner and call it a night. We finished getting packed, Skyped with Gay while we ate, and fell asleep around 9:00, amid protests from Lizzy that "I'm not prepared to go to Jamaica!"
May 6, 2016
Jamaica day had arrived! After getting dressed and breakfast, we checked out of our hotel, and waited for our driver. He arrived around 8:00 am to take us to the airport.
At this point, it was 7:00 and she was a little tired, so we headed back to take the boat to our hotel to grab dinner and call it a night. We finished getting packed, Skyped with Gay while we ate, and fell asleep around 9:00, amid protests from Lizzy that "I'm not prepared to go to Jamaica!"
May 6, 2016
Jamaica day had arrived! After getting dressed and breakfast, we checked out of our hotel, and waited for our driver. He arrived around 8:00 am to take us to the airport.
We arrived at the airport, proceeded as usual through all the lines, had a brief snack whilst waiting to board, and then boarded our flight to Jamaica. After a slightly delayed landing due to circling to wait for some weather to pass, we arrived.
We got the shuttle bus to our resort, and arrived to get checked in. We were greeted with refrigerated clothes and cold tropical drinks. Not bad!
We got the shuttle bus to our resort, and arrived to get checked in. We were greeted with refrigerated clothes and cold tropical drinks. Not bad!
We got upgraded to a beautiful, full ocean view patio room. It was magnificent!
After lunch al fresco, I went to reserve our cabana for the following day, while Daddy and Lizzy hit the beach.
We ended our travel day and bit of beach time with dinner outdoors, and then turned in for her big fifth birthday day the next day!
May 7, 2016
What a perfect day to celebrate the five amazing years of Lizzy's beautiful life.
We ended our travel day and bit of beach time with dinner outdoors, and then turned in for her big fifth birthday day the next day!
May 7, 2016
What a perfect day to celebrate the five amazing years of Lizzy's beautiful life.
She woke up pretty early, excited it was her birthday. So, she and I got dressed and walked out our back patio to the beach.
After, we ordered room service to be delivered to our patio. Daddy woke up just as it was delivered, so perfect timing!
Next, we got changed and headed to the East Beach at our resort for our cabana day! We thoroughly enjoyed our cabana and the wonderful service, which included a tray of birthday desserts and a song from our cabana concierge team!
After 7 hours of beach time, we went back to the room to rest for a bit and change for dinner. The housekeeping staff had made a little surprise "cake" for Lizzy, which was appreciated. We had checked out Clue, so we had a few fun rounds of that, then we played some giant chess (Team Lizzy and Daddy beat Team Mama). Then we walked out on the pier a bit.
After walking out the pier, we had dinner at the main restaurant, which involved yet another tray of dessert and a big song from lots of the servers.
During dinner, I took her to potty. As we were walking back, she burst into "One Love" by Bob Marley. I told her that was a Bob Marley song. She said "Yeah, I know. My favorite Bob Marley song is Buffalo Soldier."
Afterwards, we went back to sit on our patio, listen to Bob Marley songs, and play Mad Libs (all Lizzy's requests). It was a pretty fantastic 5th birthday!
May 8, 2016
Lizzy and I awoke early, so we decided to walk to the lobby to see some of the photographs that had been taken by staff the day before. While we were walking around, she asked if we could get a cup of tea from the restaurant to take back to our patio to drink.
After a bit, we all got dressed to go to breakfast, and then we headed to the pool for several hours. We did the lazy river and had lunch, before heading to our room to get out of the hot sun and give our skin a break.
Afterwards, we went back to sit on our patio, listen to Bob Marley songs, and play Mad Libs (all Lizzy's requests). It was a pretty fantastic 5th birthday!
May 8, 2016
Lizzy and I awoke early, so we decided to walk to the lobby to see some of the photographs that had been taken by staff the day before. While we were walking around, she asked if we could get a cup of tea from the restaurant to take back to our patio to drink.
After a bit, we all got dressed to go to breakfast, and then we headed to the pool for several hours. We did the lazy river and had lunch, before heading to our room to get out of the hot sun and give our skin a break.
cvDaddy took Lizzy to go get a new swimsuit (we had brought two, and they were both wet at this point), then we all went to the main pool for a bit before dinner. We came back to the room to rest and get changed before dinner. After, we walked the beach in the dark, then went to sit down to view what we thought was to be a magic show.
It turned out that we got selected to participate in a game of "Which Parent Knows Their Child Best?" against 7 other parent/child pairs. I had to go wait in another part of the resort while she, and the other children, answered a series of questions. Once I was brought back out, I had to provide the same answer.
We ended up being the winners! Some of her answers were what she wants to be when she grows up (a Chemist), her favorite color (purple), and what does she like to do when I'm not around (play).
It turned out that we got selected to participate in a game of "Which Parent Knows Their Child Best?" against 7 other parent/child pairs. I had to go wait in another part of the resort while she, and the other children, answered a series of questions. Once I was brought back out, I had to provide the same answer.
We ended up being the winners! Some of her answers were what she wants to be when she grows up (a Chemist), her favorite color (purple), and what does she like to do when I'm not around (play).
We got to choose our prizes from some Jamaica handicrafts, so she chose a carved crocodile and I chose a carved turtle. I'm so proud that I know her well enough to be the winners!
Afterwards, we played giant chess again (she really enjoys it!) and then ran around on the beach volleyball court right outside our patio until 10:00 pm. What a great Mother's Day!
Afterwards, we played giant chess again (she really enjoys it!) and then ran around on the beach volleyball court right outside our patio until 10:00 pm. What a great Mother's Day!
May 9, 2016
After breakfast, we grabbed 3 lounge chairs under an umbrella, and spent the morning on the beach, playing in the big, fun waves. She loves riding the waves in her life vest!
After breakfast, we grabbed 3 lounge chairs under an umbrella, and spent the morning on the beach, playing in the big, fun waves. She loves riding the waves in her life vest!
We enjoyed another outdoor lunch, and then she and I came back for an early afternoon nap while Daddy walked around and exercised.
Once we awoke, we had a room service snack and then walked around the resort for a bit. We played chess again, collected rocks, had dinner by the beach, then Daddy and Lizzy got ice cream while I found seats for she and I to watch a fun magic show while Daddy called it a night. Such a beautiful, relaxing day.
May 10, 2016
After we awoke and had breakfast, we headed straight for the pool, and we were in the water by 9:00 am. We stayed in the lazy river until noon, dried off, had lunch, and then got showered and changed to go shopping at the nearby Rose Hall Shoppes.
After we awoke and had breakfast, we headed straight for the pool, and we were in the water by 9:00 am. We stayed in the lazy river until noon, dried off, had lunch, and then got showered and changed to go shopping at the nearby Rose Hall Shoppes.
We had about 30 minutes before the shuttle arrived, so we waited at the bar.
We did some shopping, and stopped to visit a donkey named Pepsi. Lizzy chose a few souvenirs for herself, and as we were waiting for our hotel shuttle to pick us up, a huge rainstorm moved through. While we had a perfectly dry covered area in which to wait, Lizzy insisted on playing in the rain. We couldn't think of a single reason to deny her request.
On the way back, there was a spectacular rainbow, that literally went from the mountains on one end, clear across the sky, and ended on our hotel on the other end.
We came back to the room for some rest time, then had a wonderful BBQ dinner. As we were leaving the room to head to dinner, we spotted yet another beautiful rainbow!
During dinner, she needed to potty so we came back to our room. En route, we noticed 3 wonderful geckos all together, the Oasis of the Seas on the horizon, and Buffalo Soldier (her favorite Bob Marley song) was playing. Such a cool moment that really tickled her.
After dinner, we came back to the room to walk out on the stretch of beach that was just outside our patio in the dark. We played in the waves for a bit, and then got ready for bed.
May 11, 2016
After breakfast, we headed out to grab one of the Bali beds on the beach. By 9:30, we were in the waves, having another perfect day. We took a sailboat ride, and then played and played and played, until we finally called it a day around 4:30.
May 11, 2016
After breakfast, we headed out to grab one of the Bali beds on the beach. By 9:30, we were in the waves, having another perfect day. We took a sailboat ride, and then played and played and played, until we finally called it a day around 4:30.
We came in, showered, played some iPad games, and then got ready for dinner. While we were outside playing while Daddy showered, we saw another cruise ship departing from Falmouth, and ran into the resort photographer.
After dinner (during which she ate two plates of broccoli and salad), we took our seats front-and-center during the live performances, to prepare for the Hermit Crab Races. She bet $1 on two different races, picking her own color each time. She was so nervous before each race! She didn't win, but had a lot of fun cheering for her color crab to win.
May 12, 2016
Our last full day in Jamaica began with breakfast and a glass bottom boat ride. We saw lots of great coral, and several sea urchins (which she loved), puffer fish, and lots of little schools.
Our last full day in Jamaica began with breakfast and a glass bottom boat ride. We saw lots of great coral, and several sea urchins (which she loved), puffer fish, and lots of little schools.
After our boat experience, we grabbed another Bali bed and spent several hours in the waves until noon, when we switched locations to spend the afternoon at the pool after lunch.
Our pool time was spent mainly in the lazy river, until (after a week of trying) we finally talked her into trying the series of 3 water slides. Of course, she ended up loving them, and so we rode those several times the rest of the afternoon.
Alas, we finally had to call it a day around 4:00, to get out of the sun after 7 hours. We got cleaned up, checked in for our flights, packed, and dressed for dinner.
After dinner, we returned to the room for a good night of rest before our journey home.
May 13, 2016
In her sleep, Lizzy said "The waves are coming." She was dreaming of the ocean.
Once we got dressed, we spent a bit of time on the hammock, said goodbye to the beach, had breakfast, and then hung out in our room until it was time to check out. We even found a little hermit crab right outside our patio.
Alas, we finally had to call it a day around 4:00, to get out of the sun after 7 hours. We got cleaned up, checked in for our flights, packed, and dressed for dinner.
After dinner, we returned to the room for a good night of rest before our journey home.
May 13, 2016
In her sleep, Lizzy said "The waves are coming." She was dreaming of the ocean.
Once we got dressed, we spent a bit of time on the hammock, said goodbye to the beach, had breakfast, and then hung out in our room until it was time to check out. We even found a little hermit crab right outside our patio.
Eventually it was time to head to the lobby to check out and wait for our airport shuttle.
We took the bus to the airport, quickly got through check-in and security and then hung out in the airport VIP lounge until it was time to board.
Soon, we boarded and were on our way to Atlanta. We could see our hotel shortly after takeoff!
After arriving at Atlanta and clearing customs and immigration, we had dinner at Friday's and had a short wait before boarding our flight home. She got "all comfy cozy" once settled on the last flight, and fell asleep on the Atlanta to Indianapolis flight, and slept the entire car ride home. What an absolutely perfect two weeks it was!