Disney World!! (finally!)

So I haven't updated since our Disney World trip (I think it's just been too overwhelming!) or the start of the new school year (I've been too busy!).  Now that we've had a three day weekend, I feel like I finally have the time and energy to update and put up some pictures!  I warn you now though, reader... this is going to be a LONG post... I'll try to consolidate as much as possible, but come on!  It's DISNEY WORLD!!  There's so much so say about it, and so many pictures (although not really, because I was too busy having fun and forgot to take pictures for most of the trip - oops.)... it is just going to take awhile!  So bear with me.  Or don't and just look at the pictures.  :)  

This has to tie with our honeymoon for our best vacation ever.  Even though it was hot and humid, busy, and rainy - we had SO much fun!!  Not even halfway through, we were already talking about "when we come back next time."  We loved staying at Port Orleans - it was beautiful, relaxing, and very quaint.  I'm glad we paid a little extra to stay on property and to stay at one of their "moderate" resorts.  It was great!  We didn't have any issues with riding the Disney buses either - in fact, it was great to get on an air-conditioned bus after a long day at a park, rather than into a hot car!

We went to the Magic Kingdom on our first evening in Florida - we got in early and they were staying open 'til 2am... seemed like the perfect place to start our vacation!  It was definitely one of my favorite parks.  I loved the "Disney" feel that it had - it really did feel magical, and their "Wishes Nighttime Spectacular/The Magic, the Memories, and You" (and it really was a complete show - not just a fireworks display) was incredible!!  We loved Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Mickey's PhilharMagic, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, and the Haunted Mansion.  I think more than anything, I just loved the atmosphere at the Magic Kingdom.  It is quintessential DISNEY!

Next up was Animal Kingdom.  I loved this park too - more than I thought I would.  It had some fantastic shows and one of our favorite rides (or maybe the favorite?) out of all the parks - Expedition Everest!  A.K. is where we saw the Lion King show (loved it!!) and the Finding Nemo show (truly unique and beautifully done) - two of my favorite things that we did the whole week!  And for dinner we ate at the Yak and Yeti - oh.  my.  gosh.  It was so good!!  I think it was the best food we had all week, and our server was awesome - amazing how they can make or break your experience at a restaurant!  Ok, now that I'm reliving it, I might actually have to say that Animal Kingdom was my favorite... it was awesome!  And even though it rained off and on all day, somehow it totally fit the atmosphere of the park, and it just made it seem even more "jungle-y."  Disney must be awesome to have this self-proclaimed hydro-phobe (I just really hate being WET if I'm not in the shower/lake/pool/etc) saying that even the rain was nice!  haha  :)

The next park we went to was Hollywood Studios, and I've gotta say - other than the Tower of Terror and the Rockin' Rollercoaster, this was probably my least favorite park.  That being said, we loved this one too!  haha :)  I think part of the problem was that rain I mentioned previously?  Well it wasn't a nice jungle drizzle here and there - it pretty much poured all day.  By the end of the day I was getting pretty tired of soggy feet and managing our $.99 "parkas."  We made the best of it though (and I'm glad we were prepared!) - my favorite parts were the aforementioned rides and the Beauty and the Beast show - Tim's favorite part (other than the rides) was the nighttime show, Fantasmic!

And last but definitely not least, we went to Epcot.  We had dinner at the Coral Reef restaurant for our anniversary - where we got to sit right next to the aquarium wall (the entire side of the restaurant sat up against a huge aquarium - complete with sting rays, sea turtles, and sharks!).  Other than the part where I spilled my red wine all over the table and broke the glass... it was a really nice dinner!  :)  My favorite rides at Epcot were Soarin' (which is one of my favorites out of all the parks) Mission Space (the Orange Mission!), and Spaceship Earth... the last one probably only because we were a little tipsy when we rode it, and at the end they take your picture (I made a ridiculous face - hideous actually) and then they put it on a little cartoon body and show "you" preparing for your trip to space and taking off... and it was hilarious... like, couldn't-stop-laughing hilarious.  I highly recommend a few glasses of wine beforehand to get the full effect.  :)

This last one is of us on a riverboat ride from Port Orleans over to the French Quarter for some yummy beignets and coffee - amazing!!  Then we rode the riverboat down to Downtown Disney for some shopping and Irish fare at Raglan Road (an Irish pub complete with riverdancers!).

So there you have it!  Ahhhhh - I feel so much better now that I've finally blogged about our MAGICAL Disney World trip!!  It really is the happiest place on Earth, and I would go back in a heartbeat.  I love, love, LOVED it!  Can't wait to go again when the weather is a little better, and then again when we have some little mini-Proffitts to enjoy it with us, and then again with some friends... :)  They even made a Disney World lover out of Tim, and I really didn't expect him to love it as much as I did.  So yay!  Go to Disney World!  You will love it!

...and take me with you!!