After a magical morning at the Magic Kingdom and a quick dip in the pool, we decided to clean up and venture to Animal Kingdom for the evening. None of us had been to that park before so we didn’t know what to expect and we were looking forward to it.
Animal Kingdom Tree of Life
The most recognizable landmark at Animal Kingdom is the Tree of Life. It is huge and beautiful. No matter what angle or time of day, there is so much to see and experience. The girls were fascinated with the tree when we first got into the park but really loved the animation in showed at night.
Meeting Mickey and Minnie
It wasn’t until we were in Animal Kingdom that we realized the girls hadn’t met Mickey or Minnie yet. We’d seen them perform but we wanted the girls to get a little more one on one time with the OGs. When we saw their meet & greet at the Animal Kingdom we made sure to hop in line.
At first glance of Mickey, the girls’ eyes lit up and they both got the biggest smile on their faces. As soon as it was our turn, Bailey all but dove into Mickey’s arms. The pure joy was everything a parent could hope for. We also got to spend quite a bit of time with them. When we were done they couldn’t wait to run out and tell Pop Pop all about it!
Evening Safari
Since we didn’t get to the park until the evening, we had to decide the best ride/experience for everyone. The Avatar rides are supposed to be the coolest, but the lines were so long and not everyone could ride them. We decided to head back and get in line for the Kilimanjaro Safari. The line was longest we waited the entire trip but since we were one of the last buses out, it was definitely worth the wait!
We saw alligators, hippos, hyenas and more but our favorites were the giraffes and the lions. Since it was so dark we couldn’t get a lot of good pictures but the view was incredible. We never realized how fast giraffes were until we saw them sprinting in front of us. Watching the lions wake up and start their night was exciting for all of us.
Festival of Lights
There was so much more to see and do at Animal Kingdom, I wish we would have had a little more time. But I am so glad we decided to go and look forward to our return.
It was late after we got done with the safari but perfect timing to catch a seat for the Rivers of Light show. The weather was perfect and show was fantastic. The girls were in awe with the all the lights and sounds.
We closed down the park and the girls almost made it to the bus before crashing. It was a packed bus ride home and we were sure the girls would wake by the time we got back to the hotel. But thanks to the sleepy dust in both our Tulas, this is how the rest of our night looked.
A Little More Pop
The next morning we woke with plenty of time before brunch. The girls were in a great mood so we went to explore our resort. The girls loved looking at all the characters and enjoyed the fragrant gardenia trees all over the resort. We even found the playground on site and made a few friends before we had to leave.
We would definitely stay at Pop Century again…the pools were great, it was an easy walk over to the Art of Animation and the beds were super comfy!
O’hana Means Family
It seemed the perfect ending to the Disney leg of our trip, brunch at O’hana. We drove over to the Polynesian and headed up to O’hana where Pluto was waiting to greet us! Sienna wasn’t the biggest fan so she stayed with Daddy while Bailey and Gigi hugged and played with Pluto.
Our table was ready and no sooner than we sat down were we greeted by Stitch! The girls thought he was hilarious and loved making silly faces with him!
The pineapple bread they served when we sat down was delicious and then they brought out the family style brunch. Sienna’s eyes popped when she was all the ham, bacon, eggs and sausage on the platter. Bailey loved the Mickey and Stitch waffles!
We were about midway through breakfast when another visitor stopped by the table…Lilo! Bailey loved her dress and that she had a lei just like they did.
Sienna wasn’t as interested in Lilo but she did grab Dad and did a little dance for everyone in the restaurant. After filling up on brunch, she was in full sass mode. And that was before they brought out the cupcakes for their birthdays!
We were just about to leave when the girls got one more big surprise…Mickey! Dressed in his finest Hawaiian shirt, he definitely sent us out the door with big smiles on our faces.
I can’t believe the our Disney vacation has already come to an end. It took a lot of planning on the front end, but it was worth every bit. I am so happy we were able to spend this time together as a family with my parents. Disney was every bit of a whirlwind but one I will cherish for a long time. Watching the girls meet their heroes and seeing the magic through their eyes will be memories forever etched in my heart. I want to thank my parents again for putting up with us and for helping us make our girl’s dreams come true. We love you!
We made one quick stop at the Disney Outlet store before hitting the road to Clearwater Beach for the next leg of our vacation. Beach house here we come!
