Disney!

We had such a great time at Disney. We spent most of our time at the Magic Kingdom, since it caters to the little guys the most. We stayed at the Caribbean Beach resort, which was really nice. They had an awesome pool with a kiddie area built like a giant pirate ship. We did the breakfast with the characters at the Polynesian, and that was awesome. Drew really took to Lilo and every time she came close to our table, Drew chased after her for a hug. Definitely do that if you plan on going. Nathan did his first big roller coaster, Thunder Mountain, and was so proud of himself. I took him on it since Drew was too small to ride, and Nate teased Joe about him being 'too scared' to ride on it like him. Joe went along with it and probably will for the rest of his life, cause Nate thought it was awesome that he was braver than Daddy.

Sadly, I suspect Nathan knows the characters are costumes. Drew didn't put it together, but I could tell Nate got it. Aren't 4 year old's supposed to believe in this still? I will say the moment that made the trip for me was during the parade on the last night we were there. 'Cinderella' was in the parade, (not a big furry costume) and Nate's face lit up when he saw her. He pointed and said, "Mom! That's the real Cinderella!" It was so magical for him, and I was ecstatic he still had something to believe. Jasmine blew Drew a kiss, and he was in love (again).

My only regret is that we just didn't have enough time. You would think 4 days is enough, but it just isn't. Especially with small children. They need to be able to take a break mid-day and chill out at the hotel or spend some time at the pool. Otherwise, they get tired and cranky around 4, and the day is done. The last day we did take a break, and were able to go back to the park refreshed. We will definitely be going again, soon. (FYI military: if you go in 2009, you get a free park hopper pass for everyone in your party. Worth it!)