Journey to the Knot: Disney World & Universal Studios 2023!

The summer after 5th grade, my mom, a single mother of three, took us to Disney World. It was a big deal that she made that happen and managed on her own. That was in the early 90's, and things were very different then, but the memories are still pretty strong. When Mom turned 70, Brock, Kira, and I wanted to do something different and meaningful for her. After many ideas were thrown around, we decided the most special thing would be for us to take her to Disney World - to have her there with her three kids and their children and spouses. So, the planning began, and we worked out how we would manage to get 18 people to Disney. With COVID, dates and times of year were altered a few times, but we finally settled on January 2023. At the time we chose the dates, we had no idea that by the time the trip rolled around, we'd actually be taking 19 people. (Zavier turned 4 months the day before we left for Florida.)

I was most excited about telling my kids, but I wanted it to be a last-minute surprise. In 2020, we had plans to go to Disneyland in June. When it closed in March 2020, we were so disappointed, but we were relieved that the kids didn't know about our plan... if they had known, there would have been mass devastation. We knew it wasn't wise to tell them early for fear of cancellation and of their probable excitement that would have them asking "How much longer until we go? How much longer!!?" every night. But holding a secret in for such a long time was driving me crazy. I wanted to tell them so badly, so when it was actually time to reveal our big trip, I was beyond excited while also being quite anxious that my plan would actually work the right way. I designed a treasure hunt with clues around the house. Each clue had a word on the back of it that eventually made a sentence: Tomorrow we are going to Disney World! (We told them before dinner but after I made them go get haircuts on a Friday afternoon, which they knew was really weird, but they didn't seem to question it much after complaining that I was being weird for making them get a haircut on a Friday afternoon with no apparent plans the whole weekend.) I was so relieved when the time actually got here and I didn't have to wait to reveal!! And the reveal worked perfectly. Here's the video link to that! :)

But the surprises weren't over! We didn't tell the kids that the rest of my family would be joining us, and we just let them figure that out at the airport. (See the video here!) Their faces were awesome. Knox was the first to see Grandma, but he was a little uncertain about what was going on or if that was really her. He saw her then hid in front of me, saying, "Mom. Mom. Look," while pointing that direction. I said, "What? Who do you see?" Then, Quinn's face showed such surprise. They looked beyond Grandma to see Papa, Aunt Kira, Uncle Erick, Levi, Damon, and Zavier. The kids were all smiles to see each other - still in a bit of shock. What seemed like forever later, Uncle Brock, Aunt Mischelle, Caden, Mara, Brycen, Nami, and Hayla appeared, and they were all so happy to see each other! (See that part here!) I felt relieved that the whole surprise was revealed and that it went according to plan. (Making sure the boys didn't call, text, or game with their cousins after we told them the night before was rough! They were so excited about the trip, they wanted to tell their family where they were going, but then they would have figured it all out. I had told them not to call them so they "wouldn't make their cousins jealous.")

The plane ride there was great, too. We were able to sit together on our Southwest flight. Once we arrived, we made our way to the house we had rented. This house slept 22 people: 9 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, a pool, a crib, a washer/dryer, a garage turned into a game room, and was advertised to be 10 minutes from Disney. The last part wasn't true at all. It was at least a 30-45 minute drive every time we went to a park, and with traffic at the end of the day, it was usually an hour. That part was quite annoying, but the fun we had together at the house would have been missed if we stayed on property. The kitchen was also poorly stocked, there was no extra toilet paper or detergent or anything, and there were no light fixtures in most of the bedrooms (just lamps). The hospitality was quite lacking, but we weren't at the house all that much anyway with early mornings and late nights at the parks.

Our first night, we assigned bedrooms and unpacked, then went grocery shopping and stocked up the kitchen. Aunt Mischelle made a delicious chicken stir-fry, and then we had a family meeting about the schedule for the week and the rules of the house and when at the parks. Each grandchild was given an envelope of coupons to use for a "sweet" and a "salty" snack at each park. This worked really well to make sure they weren't always asking for more snacks. The kids stayed up a little later than usual but knew it would be an early morning and easily fell asleep in their rooms. Banner, Quinn, and Knox each had a double bed in a Harry Potter themed room. Levi had a double bed, and Damon had a twin bed in a Star Wars room. Brycen and Nami had double beds in their Lego Batman room. Mara and Hayla shared a bunk bed in the Frozen room. Caden had a room to himself, and then each of the couples had a room (plus Zavier had a crib in his parents' room).

ANIMAL KINGDOM

Our first park to visit was Animal Kingdom. It was an easy one to start with. Brock did a great job navigating and guiding us through the rides, and having a DAS (Disability Access Service) pass was THE way to go! It gave us Lightning Lane access without extra cost and allowed us to plan out our schedule a little faster. Here are my thoughts about what we did at Animal Kingdom:

Na'vi River Journey - calm and easy way to start our day
Avatar Flight of Passage was probably all of our favorite ride
Kilimanjaro Safari - pretty neat, tour guide spoke very fast and gave a lot of information. One funny thing that has stuck with us is the way the tour guide said "water." She pronounced it "Wuter." Brycen pronounced it that way for the rest of the day, and even now, nearly two weeks later, Quinn asked me for some "wuter" this morning. Ha!
Dinosaur - I hated this ride. Too jerky and I had a headache so it was even worse.
Expedition Everest - NOT for me, but the boys loved it. I felt pretty queasy on it, and didn't help my headache at all! :)
Winged Encounters - I'm not a fan of birds or bird shows, but this one was impressive with the massive birds they had flying across the arena. I also loved the parrot who sang songs at the end - pretty entertaining.
Finding Nemo: The Big Blue... and Beyond! - I LOVED this show. May have been my favorite thing we did at Animal Kingdom. The creativity and the huge puppets were very impressive.
It's Tough to Be a Bug show - I enjoyed it. Quinn was a little creeped out by the big spiders that dangle from the ceiling and the bugs that "run under your bottom" right before the show ends. He yelled out a little bit; that bumpy feeling under your butt is quite unexpected, but I thought it was funny!
TriceraTop Spin - I don't do spinning rides, but the kids enjoyed these with their cousins.
Mickey and Minnie at Adventures Outpost - our first character meet and greet. Quinn, Knox, and Damon got signature on their matte picture frames.
Tree of Life - very impressive; loved the carvings of all the animals
Kali River Rapids - we got to do this one twice and didn't get super wet since we wore ponchos and changed into flip flops before the ride

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

Our second day was at Hollywood Studios. We all really enjoyed this park. We were lucky that they let us in early (with the on-property guests), and we headed straight for the Toy Story area. Our first ride was Toy Story Mania, and even before we got on the ride, I was super-impressed with the build of the waiting area. I adored the beautiful setting full of color and nostalgic decor around us. I loved the Scrabble and Chutes & Ladders ceiling, the game pieces and cards we saw throughout... and then we entered the ride area, and WE were TOYS! We were in Andy's room as his toys. The creativity and brilliance of the room was really phenomenal. Then, Brock and I were competitors on the ride, and unsurprisingly, he schooled me when it came to our shooting points. But, it was fun regardless. Everyone seemed to really love that. My other thoughts on the attractions:

Slinky Dog Dash - Mom and I rode this together and had a great time. We're not thrill seekers, and we don't do well with big drops or spinning rides, but this one we braved together and loved it.
Alien Swirling Saucers - I enjoyed watching the kids on it; I don't do spinning rides, although I think I could have handled this one.
Star Tours - this video ride was cute but nothing special, in my opinion. The best was when they showed Nami's photo in front of everyone and when we got to sing Happy Birthday to Brycen with everyone else on our ship.
Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run - all the Star Wars rides run together a bit for me, but I think this is the one that Sam and I piloted together with Quinn and Knox behind us shooting and Grandma and Papa engineering behind them. It was fun but not a favorite.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance - we all loved this one; a very cool experience and entertaining ride
50s Primetime Cafe - the 5 of us made reservations here to enjoy a nostalgic meal; we had eaten here when Mom took us in the 90s. Knox was asked to set the table, and he was worried he'd get in trouble for having his elbows on the table when our waitress came in. Lucky for them, she was sweet, but I kind of wish we had a stricter waitress to get the experience.
Muppet*Vision 3D - we did this after lunch and it was cute. Kira remembered it from our trip with Mom when we were kids, but I didn't.
Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway - very cute, I was super-impressed with the animation of the characters; I loved when the introductory video ended with a sudden crash through the wall. I also really enjoyed the hand and footprints outside the waiting area at the Chinese Theater.
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular - a little underwhelming, but Knox sat on my lap for a good portion of it, and it was fun to see him so into it. We learned that, even though we had a DAS pass for one of the showtimes, if you show up within 15 minutes of the start time, the DAS doesn't help. Therefore, the show we wanted was at capacity, so we had to wait until a later time to see this. This kind of screwed up our day because Kira's crew and ours had different reservations to create droids. We got separated at this time and our plan kind of fell apart.
Vacation Fun- An Original Animated Short with Mickey & Minnie - cute show, easy to just chill for a minute. Gave us something to do while we waited for the Indiana Jones show.
Droid Depot - we had an evening reservation for the boys to each make their own droids. This was so fun for everyone and a chance to take home the coolest souvenirs. They got to select and build their droids and then play with them for a bit outside the shop.

This is the extent of what Sam, Knox, and I did. The other kids rode Rockin' Roller Coaster and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - and those were favorites for them. They also got to see the Disney Movie Magic show, but Sam, Knox, and I were too far to make it. We missed the Walt Disney Presents show I wanted to see (got there too late at night), and we got separated from everyone else for quite a bit when they went back to Toy Story to ride rides again with Levi and Damon who had arrived later in the morning. We were bummed to miss Beauty and the Beast and the Frozen sing-along (closed) and Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy. We all reunited at Fantasmic! - my absolute favorite show we saw all week. It was so well done, and even though it was delayed because a guest in the crowd needed medical attention, it was so worth the wait. The music, the water show, the presentation, the floats across the moat, the projection, it was all so amazing. I sat next to Quinn with Knox cuddling on my lap and Banner right behind me (who was video-ing the whole show). I was in heaven!

OFF-DAY

Our third day was an "off" day. Sam, the boys, and I woke up a bit early to go to Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club Resort for a character breakfast. We met Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy while enjoying a delicious meal. Then, we just kind of strolled outside and the boys played in the sand behind the resort. After that, we chilled at the house for a bit - the boys swam, I showered, we rested. Then, around 2:00 or so, we made our way to Disney Springs. We shopped, laughed at people being "spit" on by Stitch outside the World of Disney store, waited in line for the humongous but delicious cookies at Gideon's Bakehouse, bought some souvenirs and snacks, and then headed home for dinner.

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

Our fourth day was at Universal Studios. We did 2 parks in one day and tried to take in what we could. We started at Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. It was really cute, easy, and a fun way to start our day. After that, the thrill seekers (Banner from my crew) did Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit while those of us who don't enjoy those rides or were too short to get on did a little shopping. Other things we did this day:

Fast & Furious Supercharged - very jerky, not a fan really
Race Through New York with Jimmy Fallon - LOVED this one! Reminded me of our NYC trip, and I liked the creativity of the whole ride.
Transformers 3D Ride - fun, but very jolty
ET Adventure - this was a favorite. It smelled funky in there, but other than that, it was peaceful and nostalgic.
Men in Black Alien Attack
The Simpsons Ride - I hated this one
Kang & Kodos' Twirl & Hurl - I don't do merry-go-round type rides, but the boys liked this one.
Diagon Alley - I loved everything about this place and could have spent way more time here. Banner had been to Universal in July 2022, so we brought the wand he got from that trip. Quinn and Knox got to pick out their interactive wands, too. Knox had a hard time deciding, but eventually his wand picked him. :)
Harry Potter & the Escape from Gringotts - another favorite, I really liked this one
Hogwarts Express - a definite favorite.

Upon leaving the train, we entered Hogmeade's Station and explored more Harry Potter adventures. I loved all things Harry Potter. This place was so magical to be in, and I wish we had enjoyed more time here, especially because the boys didn't really have time to even use the wands we had just purchased. We all got Butterbeer (which I thought was so delicious), then we rode several rides:

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Flight of the Hippogriff
I didn't ride anything in Jurassic Park area, but the boys did. Banner's favorite was VelociCoaster.
I also didn't do the splash rides, but Quinn and Banner got soaked on Dudley Doo-Right's Ripsaw Falls and Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges. While we were exploring this area and everyone else was getting soaked on the water rides, Knox tasted his first churro - a big deal for a kid who won't ever try new foods - and he loved it!
We all did The Amazing Adventures of SpiderMan which I liked, but I think I liked the waiting area better than the ride. We walked through the Daily Bugle.
Toon Lagoon Area - I loved this area and wished we had more time to explore. The cute comic strips that lined the buildings were so fun to look at. Again, everything was so creatively designed. !
While Banner went off with Uncle Brock and his crew to ride more roller coasters, Sam, Grandma, and I took Levi, Damon, Hayla, Quinn, and Knox to Seuss Landing.
The Cat in the Hat - my absolute favorite memory was riding this with just Quinn. When the other kids went to ride the Caro-Seuss-el, he and I snuck off to ride what we thought would be the "babyish" ride ever. For Book Character Parade last year, he was Cat in the Hat, so we thought it would be appropriate for us to go. And I'm so glad we did. Watching Quinn observe all the details and his face lighting up was so perfect. When the others finished their ride, I told Sam where we were, and they came to ride Cat in the Hat. Quinn and I decided to ride it a second time because it was just so cute and creative.
The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride - after Cat in the Hat, we had time for just one more ride before the park closed. This was a fun, relaxing ride that our little group enjoyed together as the sun set.

There was a lot of frustration leaving the park that night. Uncle Erick had already left with Damon and Levi, so Hayla, Grandma, Papa, Quinn, Knox, Sam, and I drove home together. However, Papa had Uncle Brock's car keys (they had accidentally been switched when he was holding them during the water ride and then returned the wrong ones to Uncle Brock), and we didn't know it until we finally got to the car after a long walk there. We waited for a while and then eventually drove Uncle Brock's car home. We had all the wet ponchos and strollers and still hadn't eaten as it got late pretty fast. We stopped for dinner on the way home: Subway, which ended up being Quinn's favorite meal.

EPCOT

Our fifth day was at EPCOT, which, by the way, we have learned means Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. We started off with Test Track and got to design our own model cars. This was a fun one that Mara, Sam, and I got to do together. After that, we did Mission: Space. The first round, we chose the trip to Earth (the green mission). This was fun, so we went on a second round, this time the orange mission to Mars. This was the worst ride I have ever been on. We should have picked up on this when Uncle Brock and Mara both sat this one out. But, how bad could it be, right? Bad. It could be really bad. I rode in the spaceship with Banner, Brycen, and Nami. After they were done arguing about who would have which job (navigator, pilot, engineer, or commander), we were ready for take-off, or so we thought. The boys immediately started complaining that they couldn't move their bodies. The G-force was so strong that they felt paralyzed. Banner started saying, "Mom, I can't move, I can't move." I felt like I was going to pass out, so I just reminded him (and myself) to "just breathe, just breathe." I thought if the ride was going to make its way back to Earth once we got to Mars I would certainly pass out. Luckily, the ride ends when you get to Mars. I kept thinking about Sam in the spaceship next to us with Knox, Quinn, and Levi. I wondered how they were doing, a little worried Knox might puke. After we settled down, it was time for Guardians of the Galaxy. I was not a fan of this ride - again because I don't like spinning rides. It was a bit jerky and spin-y, so I had to close my eyes. I only opened them for a moment when we slowed down and I could see the moon in front of me. All the boys LOVED it; Knox even said it was one of his favorite rides. I will sit it out if we ever go back - along with Mission: Space, Orange Mission. Other things we did:

We ate lunch at Connections Eatery.
We went to Club Cool after lunch to sample Coca-Cola products from around the world. This was a free thing the kids really liked. Knox and Quinn's favorite sample was Royal (Watermelon Coke) from Philippines, and Sam and I both liked Country Club from Dominican Republic. Of course, we had heard no one will like Beverly, which is exceptionally bitter, and that indeed was the case! Ick!
Spaceship Earth - the ride in the iconic Epcot "geodesic sphere" (another new term we learned!). I rode with Quinn and Sam, and I loved that Quinn was taking it all in and learning. There was one part where they talked about Jewish scholars, and Quinn lit up saying, "Mom! Jewish!" Haha! It was cute. When I got off the ride, Aunt Mischelle asked if I enjoyed my nap. I thought maybe she meant I looked like I had slept, and of course, I said, "No, I really enjoyed that!" She said she thought it was super boring and falls asleep during that ride. Bummer! I liked it so much!
We lost Knox and then Quinn for just a few minutes before heading over to Soarin'. My DAS pass didn't work for Soarin, so while the rest of the family went there, my crew did Living With the Land ride. It was pretty boring, but the kids learned a lot and it gave me time to settle after an argument with Uncle Brock.
THEN we did Soarin' which I thought was really cool. The boys all loved this one, too.
The Seas with Nemo & Friends - pretty basic ride, I loved that it ended with a real aquarium we could explore after.
Turtle Talk with Crush - Sam and the boys went to this with the rest of the family while I took a restroom break, so I missed getting in to it which was a bummer because everyone thought it was really cool to ask Crush questions.
Journey Into Imagination with Figment - oh, this one was a favorite when I came here with Mom as a kid, so I was excited to do this one and all the activities after the ride. That song got stuck in our heads... "Imagination, Imagination..." After this ride, I met Joy from Inside Out and got to take a selfie with her! :)
After this, we broke off from the big group to go off to the countries on our own. We started in Canada seeing the film Far and Wide in CircleVision 360. When I was a kid, I used to play the "Canada" song (NOT "Oh, Canada") in my room on repeat because I thought it was such a beautiful song. I was so excited to hear it again, slightly updated but the same song! I think my kids were really happy for me! :)
Next we went quickly through United Kingdom and into France. We bought some chocolate croissants at Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie then made our way to Remy's Ratatouille Adventure. This was an adorable ride that we thought was way too short. I loved the aromas we could smell from the kitchen scenes, especially the bread!
We walked quickly through Morocco and Japan before running into Grandma, Papa, Mara, Caden, Brycen, Nami, and Hayla in America. Then we dashed through Italy, Germany, and China to get to Frozen Ever After in Norway. I didn't expect to get as wet as I did in this ride that splashed water up and into our boat, but it was a gorgeous ride. Sam and I were amazed at how the characters seemed to come to life - from Olaf to Anna & Elsa - even Sven. Very cool ride - no pun intended. :)
Finally, we checked in to La Hacienda de San Angel where the five of us had a reservation for dinner. While we waited, we went to the Mexico Folk Art Gallery.
After a delicious dinner, we made our way to quickly find a seat for Harmonious. Once again, I was in awe of the music, the fireworks, the presentation. I was just so excited to be in the moment with the family and with my kids seeing this great show, hearing the amazing music, celebrating the world we live in.

OFF-DAY

Finally, we got a day to sleep in a bit! Our sixth day was full of rest and swim at the house until about 2:00. Aunt Stacy came in from Tallahassee to stay with us for the last two nights. Shortly after she arrived, my crew took Caden and Mara with us to Pioneer Hall at the Campsites at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort to see the long-running show, Hoop Dee Doo Revue - a show I had seen on my first trip with Mom, Brock, and Kira. Before the show started, we went to the stables down the road, and Knox got to ride a pony named Bandit. Quinn was bummed he was too tall to ride, but we explained that Knox had missed out on lots of rides because he wasn't as tall as Quinn. Hoop Dee Doo was fun, funny, silly, delicious, and definitely memorable. I loved having some special time with just Caden and Mara, two of my favorite people. With Caden already at college and Mara soon to be, we savor our time with them so much. We had some great laughs and awesome chats. As we left, the wind had brought in a cold front, and that would mean our last day at Disney would be way different than the previous days at the parks! When we got home, the kids worked Disney puzzles and played How Well Do You Know Your Family with most everyone. It was a highlight for sure and time we know we wouldn't have had if we had stayed on property. Aunt Stacy also gave the kids a copy of a book that Cody illustrated!

MAGIC KINGDOM

Our last full day was spent at Magic Kingdom, and the high was 50-something degrees. When we arrived, it was in the 30s, and it was so cold the kids were complaining. I'm grateful we had our gloves and jackets, and I'm also glad we had our CityMini stroller to help hold everything. Once we took the monorail over from the parking lot to the Magic Kingdom entry, we gathered for a quick family photo in front of Mickey. Then, we headed down Main Street to the castle, and what a gorgeous view it was! I loved looking at the buildings on Main Street and taking it all in! Once in Fantasyland, the kids were drawn to Excalibur, trying to remove the sword from the stone. Our first ride was It's A Small World - a gorgeous ride that I remember from both Disneyland and Disney World when I was younger. From there we did the following rides/attractions:

Mickey's PhilharMagic - so cute!
Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid - cute but too short! :)
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train - I loved seeing Snow White dance with the dwarfs at the end. Fun ride, but definitely needed the DAS pass for this popular ride.
Peter Pan's Flight - fun to fly over the city below
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh - loved the waiting area! So interactive and helped pass the time in line (we did not use our DAS pass for this one, but the 20 minutes standby line turned out to be only 10 minutes)
Mad Tea Party - I don't do spinning, but Banner and I took a moment to go get some Mickey pretzels while we waited for everyone else who wanted to ride
Dumbo the Flying Elephant - again, I don't do spinning, but the kids enjoyed it. Banner and Brycen's elephant got "stuck" and wouldn't move up and down. Quinn was annoyed because his elephant didn't move up and down until the end.

Then we headed to Tomorrowland. We started with Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, and I worried I'd get motion-sick from the spinning, but Knox and I rode together and I really enjoyed this ride. Knox got upset because he couldn't figure out how I was getting so many more points than him, but I think he just didn't really know where his laser pointer was or what is was targeting. Next was Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor and then lunch at CosmicRay's Starlight Cafe. We also did:

Space Mountain - I didn't ride, but I wish I had. The boys loved it and said I would have also.
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover - definitely a dud of a ride. Glad I did it to know, but it was not worth the wait
Astro Orbiter - Sam took the boys and went with everyone else while Kira, Zavier, Mom, Stacy, and I hung back
Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress - Sam took a nap during this show, but I enjoyed it. I thought it was creative, even though the song "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" got stuck in all of our heads.
Tomorrowland Speedway - I rode with Knox. He got to steer, but I did the pedals. Towards the end, Knox figured out how to not jerk the car back and forth and learned that a small motion on the steering wheel is all you need. Quinn was JUST barely tall enough to drive his own car. Halfway around, he stalled and cried because he couldn't reach the pedals AND steer at the same time. He was very frustrated, even though he was doing a great job. I also think he wanted to go faster than the car allowed, and he thought he was doing something wrong. Caden and Banner rode together, and I believe they were teasing Quinn which only pissed Quinn off more. There were tears but apologies were made, and then we could move on to taking our family photos in front of Cinderella's castle.

Next was Liberty Square where we did the Haunted Mansion - Knox's most anticipated ride of the entire trip. I was excited to ride with him. He loved it, and afterward, we found the graveyard with Mr. Toad - the one thing Knox really wanted to find after learning about the history. He shared this story with the whole family after the ride, and I fact-checked it... he's absolutely right: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh replaced Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, which closed in 1998. A statue of Mr. Toad is in the pet cemetery at Haunted Mansion to pay tribute to the ride. Fun facts by Knox!

After a snack break and saying goodbye to Aunt Kira, Uncle Erick, Zavier, Damon, and Mara who went home after Haunted Mansion, we saw a quick parade on the way to Jungle Cruise in Adventureland. Our "Skipper Xavier" was hilarious and kept us laughing with his quick wit and silly stories. Next came Pirates of the Caribbean, a much anticipated ride for Sam. Then, a few of the kids rode The Magic Carpets of Aladdin before we headed over to Frontierland to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This was my favorite ride! I sat with Banner, a roller coaster riding pro, who rode the entire time with his hands up. I did the same and screamed the whole way - but in an excited way that kept Banner laughing. It was a great memory for sure!

We booked it back to Hall of Presidents, one of the shows I most wanted to see. It was during our wait for this show that I learned that Magic Kingdom stopped doing their night time parade in 2016. I had no idea and was so disappointed. I figured my kids would LOVE the night parade, and I remember it being one of my favorite things about our first trip to Disney. I was quite bummed, but that gave us a little more time to see Hall of Presidents before the fireworks at 8:15. I LOVED the Hall of Presidents. It wasn't what it was when I was younger, but it's still so neat to see all the presidents up on stage looking around and nodding their heads to us as they were introduced. (Obligatory political rant: Trump ruins the whole prestige and respect the office of the presidency represents. I loathed seeing him up there, but his scowl and idiotic look gave at least some reprieve. They also didn't give him the satisfaction of a "J" in the middle of his name, which made his name seem less distinguished. It's the small things that make a big difference, and for me, this was a small slap in his face which delighted me. I abhor that human being.)

Then, we ran to find Aunt Mischelle who was saving us our funnel cakes and a space for the fireworks. What she didn't know was that where she was sitting would not be a great place to view the fireworks. We could not see above the trees very well, even though we could easily see the castle- gorgeous and all lit up. We raced to find another spot, but it was crowded at this time, and we didn't have time to get back to Main Street like the cast members were recommending. We "pulled over" to see the fireworks perfectly once they started - BUT we couldn't see a lot of the castle due to trees in the way. So, we missed a lot of the animation and projection happening there. We did see Tinkerbell fly from the top of the castle out into the big sky - a very cool zipline act!

Once the fireworks ended, our group kind of fell apart from here. Grandma, Papa, Levi, and Aunt Stacy went to get a bite to eat; Uncle Brock and his group + Banner went home. It was cold and getting colder, but Quinn was determined to ride Splash Mountain before we left. We thought he was crazy, but we were willing to take him. So, Sam and I - and a very tired Knox cozy in the stroller - walked back to Splash Mountain, got Quinn in a poncho, and set him on his way. When he got off the ride and made his way to us, Sam told Quinn, "You're the bravest kid I know." As crazy as we thought Quinn was, he did it. Not only that, but he did it in the dark, in the cold, and alone. Not just alone without family, but like completely alone. He sat at the back of the boat without another person on board with him. And, he did it without getting a drop of water on him. (Three days after we got home, we learned Splash Mountain was closing only a week or so later! Quinn was upset to hear that, but he was also really glad he took advantage of the opportunity to do the ride despite everyone else bailing.) On the way out, Knox and Quinn shared left-over chicken strips from Grandma/Levi/Papa/Stacy. Then, Knox passed out and slept in his stroller all the way back to the car and then on my lap once in the car all the way home. (I was in heaven with my baby sleeping on me; he never does this!)

We make it to a few attractions I really wanted to see: Swiss Family Robinson (was closed when we were there), Country Bear Jamboree, Walt Disney World Railroad, Tiki Room, and Tom Sawyer Island. If we ever get a chance to go back, I would love to start here so we could be sure to do something we didn't do this trip. I'd also like to spend more time on Main Street at the entrance or let the kids meet more characters.

We got home late on this evening, but we were able to play a couple rounds of How Well Do You Know Your Family before we went to bed.

The next morning, we got up to pack and clean the house. Saying goodbye was very difficult for all of us. Before I was even out of bed, Knox came in our room and laid on top of me with a very sad face. I just held him and said, "I know." He didn't want to leave, and I reminded him that he felt the same way when we left the cruise last year. I told him that's a sign that he had fun and that, even though it's hard, we have to appreciate that we had a good time and are so grateful we got to do this trip. He nodded into me, but nothing I could say was going to make leaving any easier. (Except maybe that we would get to see Tova when we got home! We missed her so very much, and I was constantly worried about her while we were away.) Brycen had the idea to have everyone sign the matte frames we had brought for character signatures (which only Damon, Quinn, and Knox took advantage of). So, the whole family signed all the frames for whomever wanted them, which was a really great idea.

Then, it was time for my group to go. Because Grandma, Papa, and the Figs were on our flight, we only had to say goodbye to Uncle Brock's crew. As I hugged him, I told Caden how much fun I had with him and how special it was to hang out. He was a helpful tour guide and gave his opinions about whether or not a ride would be good for those of us who don't like spinning or big drops. He was always upbeat. He's affectionate and kind and such a good guy. I hugged Mara and told her I enjoyed our chats and that I'm always here for her if she ever needs anything. We may have had tears in our eyes. I savored this time with her before she graduates and heads off to college. Each of our nieces and nephews is so very special to us, and we so enjoyed our time with them. Brycen gave me a few hugs and said how this was the best trip he's ever been on.

On the way to the airport, I interviewed the kids. Here's the information I got from them at that time (it may very well have changed after a few days of more reflection and hindsight):

Favorite Ride: B - VelociCoaster, Q - Tower of Terror, Splash Mountain, Rockin' Roller Coaster, K- Big Thunder Mountain, Guardians of the Galaxy.
Least Favorite: Everyone said PeopleMover, and mine was Mission Space (Mars)
Ride you learned on: B - Carousel of Progress; Q - Journey to Imagination with Figment, K - Canada "Far and Wide"
Can't wait to go back to: B & Q- Hollywood Studios, K - Universal
Least Favorite Park: B - Magic Kingdom, Q - Epcot or Universal, K - Magic Kingdom, but Sam and I say Animal Kingdom. This was a really hard question- because they were all great!
Favorite Thing Eaten: B - La Hacienda dinner at Epcot; Q - cornbread at Hoop Dee Doo; K - Wetzel Pretzel Lemonade
Favorite Memory at the House: B & Q - swimming with cousins; K - playing How Well Do you Know Your Family and watching "try not to laugh" videos on YouTube with cousins
I Learned: B: "Disney World makes your feet sore." Q: "What EPCOT stands for." K: "That Jimmy Fallon is a real person." (And I added that I learned the history behind Mr. Toad at the Haunted Mansion graveyard.)
Complaint: B - Tron wasn't ready. Q - feet hurt. K - Guardians of the Galaxy was way too short.
Favorite Souvenir: B - Droid, the lightsaber he bought himself at Disney Springs, the memories. Q - signatures from characters and family members. K - Rocket Racoon from Guardians of the Galaxy store (he renamed it Rage)
Favorite Memory: B - Big Thunder Mountain with Mom and VelociCoaster with Aunt Mischelle; Q - Cat in the Hat with Mom; K - riding the pony before Hoop Dee Doo
The Thing I Want to Remember: B: "I went on the fastest roller coaster in Florida!" Q: "I went on a hundred and fifty foot dropper!" K: "I technically got to see the whole United States during Soarin' and that I'm an Avatar."

Our flight was great. Zavier did fantastic, and I could see Kira's stress level was significantly lower on this flight than the first. I enjoyed our chats throughout the flight, and then once we got our luggage and said our final goodbyes, it hit us all that it was officially over. We're lucky that we all live in the same city and can see each other often, but going our separate ways to our own cars and our own homes was hard after so much fun.

The family text chain lit up throughout the night with everyone saying how much fun they had had, how they'll miss each other, and how sad we are that it's over. There were thank yous and praise for Brock for guiding us. There were feelings of joy and gratitude. There were photos shared and plenty of inside jokes.

Traveling with 19 other people is not easy. My friends have asked me how everything was, and I tell them it was a great trip. Chaotic, busy, stressful - but so fun. In hindsight, there are always going to be things we wish we had known ahead of time or done differently, but big picture - it was an amazing trip. Since arriving home, my kids and I have been listening to Disney World songs in the car, we've watched documentaries about Disney and shows featuring behind the scenes/attractions, and we've created a list of Disney (and Universal) movies we want to watch.

For future reference: I'm glad we had the stroller for our 6-year-old, but more importantly, I'm glad we had it to carry and hold all the things! I'm glad we had gloves and brought layers. Buy the popcorn holder on the first day and then refill it for cheap! Get the DAS pass and know how to use it ahead of time! Bring a pop-up hamper. Stay on property if you can afford it. Take time to look at all the creativity and design that Disney offers. Don't ride Mission Space (at least the Mars part!), but do ride Space Mountain! Bring allergy meds. Bring Advil. Wrap your toes in Silipos pads if you think you might get a blister on any of them! Be comfortable. Wear the ears. Bring the wands back to Universal and have time to play with them! Take the photo. Make sure your lighting is good at the castle (I had aimed for 10-12, but that didn't happen.) Get cheap lanyards to hold the cards - no need for MagicBands. Bring a back-up charger for your phone. Withdraw the kids from school - no absences and no make-up work. "Don't let school get in the way of a good education." What kids learn traveling and being in the real world is worth it. (I could write an entire article about this!) You're teaching them that family, that the world, that their mental health, that fun, that love is far greater than what happens in a four-walled room. These moments are fleeting and time is flying fast. Take every advantage of being together and making the most of this fast life.