Disney Magic

Shortly after school got out for the summer, we were lucky enough to spend a little time in one of my most favorite places…Disney World!  We have been fortunate to travel there often as the boys were growing and it became a family tradition to go every couple years, many times with my parents joining in on the fun!  Our trips there have left me with wonderful memories…capturing forever the visions of the childlike excitement in the happiest place on earth!  And even as the boys have grown, there were always new and different experiences that were perfect for their ages…and let’s face it, if you’re a Disney fan you’re most likely to love the experience whether you’re 5 or 75!  For me, it’s a place full of sweetness and imagination, where you can dream and dare, and just feel like a kid again for a moment or two!  It really is a magical location filled with laughter and whimsy…but also lots of time to relax, unwind, and enjoy the views!  Let me share another side of Disney…

magical kick-off to summer!

our summers are often consumed with lots of baseball…and this year was no different with the exception that bonus, we got to add college orientations & preparations into the mix!  so needless to say, Disney was a very welcomed trip to me…even if it meant that this time due to other obligations, the entire family could not attend.  so this trip included my youngest, myself and my adventurous parents…keeping up with my son does take some tenacity especially in the summer heat!  as the boys have gotten older, we began staying near Epcot…there’s so much to do there and you can literally walk into the park from the hotel!  and you can’t beat the views…

you can also grab a boat at the lighthouse to pop you over to Hollywood Studios!

we happen to love the Yacht and Beach Club and one of the driving factors to keep coming back here?…the pool!

who wouldn’t love a sandy bottom area where you can build sandcastles, a lazy river that winds throughout, multiple waterfalls…

AND a huge pirate ship water slide that you actually board outside the pool area and slip & slide your way back in…SPLASH!

but sometimes you may need to take a quieter, quick dip in the smaller pools just to cool off…

Epcot is only a short stroll away from the pools so it was really easy to take some leisurely walks and explore…

it’s so fun meandering the World Showcase for a quick “trip” around the world!

fun in Paris…

a little Moroccan inspiration…

how cute are the grass covered roofs in Norway?  and within this little village was the new Frozen ride…and yes, we went–and yes, it was really cute & fun!

a peek at Mount Everest from the comfort of Animal Kingdom…

and speaking of Animal Kingdom, the main reason we went to Disney this time was to see the new Pandora World of Avatar exhibit…and i have to say it was pretty amazing!  if you’re familiar with the movie, you really feel as though you’re on set but if you don’t know the film, no matter…it’s so visually awesome it really doesn’t make a difference if you’ve seen the movie or not!

you really could imagine that you were in a new world!

and another treat?  when the sun goes down everything glows…just like the foliage here on the N’avi River Journey ride!

and since we had never been in Animal Kingdom at night before, we got to see the famed Tree of Life all lit up!  like the castle in Magic Kingdom, animation is projected onto the tree for a magical, musical show!

but it wouldn’t be Disney if we didn’t spend some time in Magic Kingdom…and a little stroll down Main Street USA is a great place to start!

i don’t know about you, but this place just makes me happy!

and the sweet shops are a perfect place for getting some party-time inspiration!

i mean, how fun is churro pop corn??

and cotton candy is always a festive favorite!

monster-sized Mickey ears!!

this shop is one of my favorite places for candy dreaming…

and the desserts in the restaurants are equally inspiring!  check out this fancy presentation…

but my personal favorite…the little honey cream pot with the candy bee!

and guess who was one of the hosts in the restaurant that sweet dessert was served in?  i’ll give you a guess…

some extra snuggles from Eyeore was a real treat!

but having time to spend with my parents and some one-on-one moments with my youngest guy…priceless!

for me, Disney is simply magical!

where dreams come true!

hope your summer is filled with magic!