Disney, Part II

After our long day at the Magic Kingdom the day before, we decided to lay low the next day before having a late night out at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. We went into Downtown Disney where I lost the kids no less than four times in the huge World of Disney store. I believe I read somewhere that this store was a merchandising metropolis and that was definitely not an exaggeration. Every conceivable toy from every singe Disney store was contained in that one building. It took a promise of a lunch with dinosaurs to drag them out of there.

After exploring all the stores, we headed to lunch at the T-Rex Cafe. This was another over stimulation of the senses (with a simulated meteor shower every 20 minutes), but the kids loved it and the food was pretty good. Once everyone was assured that the dinosaurs weren't real and that they wouldn't get bitten, we were good to go.

We headed back that afternoon to rest up with naps before the Halloween party. The kids were excited to don their costumes for the first time this year and get a head start on trick or treating. The night was lots of fun as we got to ride some rides, trick or treat, see the Halloween Parade, and finish it off with the Halloween fireworks. What a fun night!

The next day we headed to Hollywood Studios. I wasn't sure if this park was too old for the kids, but I was wrong. They loved it!

There were several shows to see, which was a nice break from all rides all the time. We got to see Ariel, Beauty and the Beast, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates all in one morning. The girls begged to go on the Tower of Terror (I didn't even think about going on this until I was about 12), which they were barely tall enough to ride. They made it through unscathed and were very brave, but opted out of going on it another time. Maybe next time.

Sam FINALLY got to experience the STAR Tours ride, something he has been talking about for weeks. It did not disappoint. They all screamed and laughed through the entire thing and we went on it twice just for good measure.

Sam also got to participate in the Jedi Training Academy where he learned how to be a Jedi and actually fought against Darth Vader!

The next morning was our last day and we decided to hit up the Magic Kingdom one more time (we'll save EPCOT and Animal Kingdom for another visit). The weather was great this day and we got to ride all our favorites one more time while also seeing a few new attractions. We rode the Haunted Mansion ride and finally got to experience Splash Mountain! They take a picture of you on the way down and Matt snapped a picture of our boat with his phone ...

I think this is the best picture of the trip purely because of the look on Peyton's face. She looks absolutely terrified but the reality of it was that she was laughing and asking to go again once we hit the bottom. Maybe it's just her dramatic side rearing it's head.

After a full day at the park, we bid a sad goodbye to Walt Disney and his friends. We can't wait to go back and make even more memories in future years. See you soon Mickey!