Disneyworld - part 1

OK, I'm slowly getting caught up on life at home again. It was SUCH a nice break to get away...I'll admit it's a bit of a shock getting back to our schedules again. We have cut down on so much, but school alone with three kids can be overwhelming. Between the 3 of them, the girls have six field trips in the next 2 weeks!

Anyway, a few things before I get into the pics.

• Why a trip? Well, there were a number of factors. Mebira was looking at our old family vacation pictures so much (we had been to Disneyworld two times already) and she was so interested in Disneyworld and all of the characters. She loves the princesses, and we thought it would be so fun to take her while she is still young enough to be awed my the "magic". After Arvid's dad passed away in the summer we realized how short life can be, and when we realized that we had enough aeroplan miles for 4 of us to fly free, and that Disneyworld was offering a free dining plan we thought we'd throw caution to the wind and just do it.
• Why Disneyworld over Disneyland? First of all, the weather is better. Also, Disneyland is great if you only have a few days, but if you want to make a big trip of it, Disneyworld is THE BEST! If you haven't yet tried Disneyworld I highly recommend it. With the dining plan, cheap on-site accommodations, included transportation, lush, tropical atmosphere...need I go on?
  
• Isn't it a bit soon? I had no plans of doing this in Mebira's first year home. For many newly adopted children it is way too stimulating of a place and is not recommended at all. Mebira, however, has adjusted to everything super well and just takes everything in stride...she just jumped right into Disneyworld, too and we don't regret it one bit.
  

OK, here are some pics which best describe our trip:
(Below) The disadvantage of going to Disneyworld is that it's so darn far from home. Thank goodness our trip was divided into two flights, and between the in-flight entertainment and ipods everyone was happy.

(Below) We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside - they actually have room for 5, and it was a beautiful place. It was so relaxing there and although it was a Disney hotel it wasn't overdone at all and was actually quite peaceful with lots of beautiful rivers, big trees (notice the leaves), and walking trails.
(Below) This was pretty much the way things were for 10 days. Dad walked by himself or sat by himself and the girls fought over who could sit by Mom or hold Mom's hands. At least this way it was easy to keep track of them. :-)
(Below) My beautiful GEMs. Notice the beautiful flowers - this was our first day at Hollywood Studios.
(Below) A huge highlight for the girls - Mickey Mouse shaped ice cream sandwiches and ice cream bars.
(Below) Another favourite for the girls - the Beauty and the Beast show.

(Below) With the free dining plan we had one table service, one counter service and one snack a day. The amount of food is crazy - and you get a dessert with every meal. Needless to say, I ate way too much but enjoyed every bite. This was one of my favourite restaurants - you eat in little cars in a "drive-in theatre" and it is nearly silent in there (a nice change)!(Below) The girls
(Below) A lot of people have asked how Mebira reacted to everything. This was basically her look - she just took it all in. She is generally quite expressive, but with new things (like the first trip to the grocery store or first time in church) she tends to just be quiet and look around and that's exactly how she was here.

(Below) First day at Magic Kingdom!
(Below) It's a Small World!

(Below) Epcot(Below) Back to Magic Kingdom - Buzz Lightyear, a favourite ride!
(Below) We enjoyed a Japanese feast at Epcot - they cooked right at our tabletop.

(Below) We did A LOT of walking and A LOT of waiting...here we are waiting for the bus. The girls were generally pretty good and we were amazed at their stamina.
OK, that's enough for today...more to come another time!