Disney - Day One (Magic Kingdom)

Steve and I said we would never consider a trip to Disney until our youngest was at least six. And yet we went. And Luke is three. Turns out Luke being three really wasn't a problem at all. He did well. Both boys did, really. We probably couldn't have done it without all the extra help from the grandparents, but all in all it turned out to be a great winter getaway. As a parent you don't go to Disney for yourself. Or at least I wouldn't. But rather to see your children so utterly overjoyed at the spectacle that is Disney. You have visions of laughter, excitement, hugs from Mickey, huge smiles, etc. We had all of that. We also had tears. And moments of disappointing indifference. And two evenings where we readily took up offers from the grandparents to watch the kids while we went and had drinks. Alcoholic ones. My two biggest tips after surviving the pilgrimage would be 1) go between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day and 2) stay at the Contemporary. They say it was one of the least crowded weeks at Disney and Steve and I both agreed that if that was one of the least crowded we don't want to see the place in the summer. The crowds were manageable and the weather could not have been more perfect. We chose the Contemporary because of the monorail service. As long as I have small kids, I will not consider staying anywhere not serviced by the monorail. It was so very easy to hop on the monorail right there in your hotel. No lines to speak of. No waiting for a bus. No parking, etc. Heavenly. And as an added bonus, the monorail turned out to be the boys' favorite ride. The boys loved the idea of Disney, though before getting there they really had no idea what "Disney" really was. After we got there, I think they were a little overwhelmed. Was Magic Kingdom the "happiest place on Earth?" Probably not, especially for Grayson. But we did have a great time and came back with lots of good memories, some of which I hope both Luke and Grayson will hold for years to come.

The ride to Disney went remarkably well. The stopover at Dana's on Sullivan's Island was a Godsend. I can't say the entire trip looked just like this, but I couldn't resist snapping a picture of this anyway...

The Contemporary Resort was a great choice. I was a little concerned because I knew it was old. Heck, I remember taking the monorail through the thing when I was a little kid. But it was very well maintained and definitely up to Disney expectations in terms of comfort and hospitality. The pool, though we didn't use it, was completely operational in December. The grounds were still beautiful. And the monorail runs right through it. Added bonus - Chef Mickey's is on-site so if you do the meal with Mickey and friends you don't have to leave your hotel.

Here's a look at two of our favorite things from the trip - the hotel and the monorail.

Probably frowned upon, but boys did the boys have fun on the monorail!

This was a gingerbread tree in our hotel.

Our arrival through the front gates. The boys' first glimpse of Magic Kingdom!

The boys noticed Pluto right away so we waited in line to have pictures made with Pluto. Luke has been acting like a puppy for quite some time now so Luke thought it would be appropriate to crawl like a dog to Pluto and bark at him. I'm not sure this Pluto knew what to make of Luke. But in the end Luke and Grayson both enjoyed a hug from Pluto!

Grayson really liked meeting the characters. Luke was underwhelmed and opted out of this photo op.

Turns out Grayson did not like rides or shows. We were a little surprised because he rode everything he could at Busch Gardens this past summer. But alas, he had no interest in Mickey and Friends, the teacups, It's a Small World, etc. Nothing. Finally I decided to force him on a ride because I was SURE he would love it after he did it.

And here we are in line for It's A Small World. And no, it wasn't as bad as it looks. It was worse. Far worse. And it lasted the ENTIRE time we were in line. I'm sure I was getting evil looks from other Moms.

And here we are on the ride. All better now.

But then at the end of the ride he calmly informed me that he still didn't want to ride anything else or see any other shows. OK, kiddo. You win.

So we found other things to do. He loved Tom Sawyer's Island. Especially shooting the guns, under Nana's tutelage.

And the Merry-Go-Round wasn't a total bust.

And he loved driving the race cars.

Luke liked all of the rides and shows. Here's Luke with Steve and his Mimi and Nana on the teacups.

Later that night we braved a few light showers to head back to the park. Luke thought the Magic Carpets looked fun. I only wish I would have sat in front of him to get a better picture of his expression. He loved it!

And, of course, it wouldn't be a trip to Magic Kingdom without the Electrical Parade.

Despite Grayson's adversity to shows and rides, we still had a good day. I think Luke would have been happy to spend another day at Magic Kingdom, but we decided to try out a different park the next day.