Disney's a Delight!

Day 3 of our vacation did not give us much rest, as we saddled up in the car at 9am and headed out to Disney's Animal Kingdom.  

I had given this decision much thought.  First off, I have always been the woman who said I would NEVER take my babies to Disney.  Too much heat, too many diapers, too many criers, too difficult with the stroller, too much money... and for what if they were not going to remember it at all?!  But that was all while I lived within easy driving distance to the parks... now, I'm a hypocrite.  We saw the opportunity to take our kiddos to Disney (diapers, change of clothes, double stroller, sippy cups and all) and seized it!  Then my dear friend Christina, who is a singer with Voices of Liberty, offered to get us in to the park for FREE.  Yes, we were definitely going!  (Thanks, Christina!) 

We decided to go to Animal Kingdom instead of Magic Kingdom because it is a less busy park, very shaded and has tons of animals, which Marco would love.  It was a perfect choice!  We were accompanied by Adele, Tavie, Amie (check out her blog here) and Veronica.  

The first thing we did was head over to meet the characters.  We had a little time to kill before the Lion King show and made good use of it.  I remember taking my brother to Disney when he was Marco's age, and he was TERRIFIED of Mickey and all the other characters.  I was afraid that Marco would have a similar reaction.  But, I should know better... my fearless child walked up to the raccoon from Pocahontas and gave him a high-five and a hug.  

Then he got to meet the main man himself... Mickey! 

We were then ready to go into the theatre to watch the Festival of the Lion King show.  We got awesome seats, thanks to my butt being in a wheel chair, and Mauricio was chosen to be a demonstrator of the hand jive! Ha!  We were in the mighty Lion section and had to ROAR ferociously at the other sections.  Once the show started and the performers came out singing and dancing, Marco became entranced.  He was hypnotized by the acrobatics, the stilt walkers and dancers.  It truly is a beautiful show!  Jonas decided this was a great time for a quick snooze, so he curled up to me and enjoyed the dark, air conditioned room.  When it was time to leave, Marco grabbed hold of the bench and told us "Noooo".  He wanted to stay and watch the show again!  But we assured him there was much more to see, so he declawed himself and reluctantly went with us. 

We headed to Africa and enjoyed lunch under a pavilion.  The African drummers came out and proceded to perform right in front of us.  Marco grabbed hold of my hand and lead us out to the courtyard to dance.  He has no shame! 

Once our bellies were full and Marco was tired from dancing, we went over to the Safari.  This ride is awesome because it actually takes you through a reserve.  Animals are roaming free, for the most part, and we got a chance to see them in their semi-normal habitats.  This is unlike any zoo... there's no glass or cages.  We rode in a truck, "Marco's Truck", and drove through the reserve, spotting antelope just a few feet away, a girafe munching on a tree right next to the truck, and a baby elephant bathing in a nearby pond.  It was spectacular!  Even if Marco thought every animal was a "VACA!" (cow).  

Then, the best thing ever happened... Marco fell asleep in the stroller!  We took advantage, left the kiddos with Vero, and went to ride the only Animal Kingdom roller coaster- Everest.  It.Was.Awesome!  

Once Marco woke up, about an hour later, we headed over to watch the Finding Nemo show.  This show is absolutely beautiful.  The costumes are amazing, the music is beautiful and the theatre is sweetly airconditioned.  Jonas again chose this time to take his nap!  Marco sat with Adele and Tavie, and did not budge for the full 25 minutes.  He kept pointing and saying "Looooook" at the different colorful costumes.  Later when we asked him if he liked the show, his eyes grew wide and he nodded his head very seriously.  I think that was a big "yes".  

Our day at Disney was over.  We were hot, sweaty and tired, but oh so happy.  This Disney trip was truly delightful.  Even with the diapers.