Disney World

Have I even mentioned that one of my goals is to get Jadon and Kalina to all 50 states?  We were able to cross another one off our list last month when we took a trip to Disney World (just for the record, it is state 16 for Jadon and 12 for Kalina)!  Yes, we know Disney Land is a lot closer but we really wanted Jadon and Kalian to have a great Disney experience.   Disney World has a lot more to offer so we decided to go all the way to Florida.

We had a pretty uneventful flight there.  It was long but both Jadon and Kalina were great. 

We spent the next 3 days exploring Epcot, Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom.  We took a break from Disney parks for the weekend.  On Saturday, we got to visit with some dear friends, the Klostreichs, who moved to Florida almost 5 years ago.  They were some of our first friends in Washington.  They live about an hour and a half from Orlando but happened to be in town for a conference.  We had a great time catching up with them.   Sunday morning Jadon and Andy went to Universal Studios to see the Harry Potter part of that park.  Jadon loved it and even tried some butter beer.  They returned with a wand, some Every Flavor Beans and a Chocolate Frog (true Harry Potter fans). 

We returned to the parks on Monday and went to Hollywood Studios.  Two of the highlights of the trip for Jadon were going on the Star Tours ride and participating in the Jedi Training Academy.   Kalina liked the Jedi Training, too. 

We returned to Magic Kingdom on Tuesday and finished our visit with a little more Hollywood Studios on Wednesday (including 2 more rides on Star Tours for Jadon) before heading home Wednesday evening.

You would not know from most of our pictures, but both Jadon and Kalian got sick on our trip.  Kalina got sick first.  We thought at first it was allergies since the tree pollen count was very high.  Then she developed a persistent cough.  We ended up contacting our pediatrician and getting a prescription for steroids.  They usually do the trick – it helps alleviate any swelling and irritation in the airway caused by the coughing.  Her worst day was Friday so we did not spend long at Animal Kingdom. 

Jadon started feeling bad just when Kalina was improving.  We got steroids for him but they didn’t help as much.  His worst day was Monday so our first trip to Hollywood Studios was short.  I noticed he was breathing very fast so I checked his oxygen levels in our room.  He was lower than usual so we put him on oxygen until lunch on Tuesday.  He was bad enough that I called Seattle Children’s Monday evening looking for advice on where to take him if he didn’t improve.  Dr. Carter, their awesome pulmonary doctor (until March 1 when he left for Arizona – we sure are going to miss him) called me Tuesday morning and gave me lots of good information and advice.  Luckily, Jadon was on the rebound by then so we didn’t need to find a Florida doctor or hospital.  He was much better by Wednesday and we had no issues flying home (we were wondering if he would be well enough to fly Monday evening). 

We enjoyed many nice meals.  Jadon and Kalina really enjoyed Chef Mickey, where Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto visit each table.  They were not fans of the Polynesian food but that was no surprise.  Jadon decided he really didn’t like Disney World pizza (and pizza is the main staple in his diet).  He managed to survive and with him not feeling well he didn’t feel like eating much.  To make sure they would always have their favorite breakfast, we packed Tillamook Vanilla Bean yogurt with us. 

Like I mentioned, Jadon really likes the Star Tours ride and Jedi Training Academy.  He really is a Star Wars fan.  He also liked the Toy Story Mania ride at Hollywood Studios and Animal Safari at Animal Kingdom.  The accessible entry and loading for Toy Story Mania was the best of any ride.  He also liked the pin trading.

If you ask Kalina what she liked, you are likely to get a different answer each time.  I guess that is good – she liked everything!  Some of her favorites included Dumbo, Toy Story Mania, Flying Carpets, and the Animal Safari.  I would have to say what made her smile the most was meeting the princesses and characters.  I didn’t think she would enjoy it as much as she did.  Jadon, who was not so interested in princesses, was a great big brother and helped us figure out where and when to see many of them.  She got lots of autographs and pictures with the princesses and characters.  She also got into the pin trading.

One thing that was more challenging than I was expecting was scooter driving at the parks.  Jadon and Kalina are good drivers but even on their scooters, they sit lower than most people’s line of sight.  I realized people at Disney World are very focused on where they are going.  They have their destination in sight and they go there as fast as they can.   Or, they are looking at a map or phone for directions or ride wait times.  What does all that mean?  Jadon and Kalina had to be very careful while driving.  I thought I was going to have a heart attack.  So many people walked right in front of them or cut them off.  Jadon, the more experienced and little more aggressive driver, managed the crowds better than Kalina.  She is still a little more tentative and a polite driver.  She would stop for anyone.  I was not as concerned about the adults at the park.  I have been run into or over by their scooters plenty of times.  I was concerned about the little kids running all over and in front of them.  I am happy to report that no children were hit.  J  A few adults were but it really was their fault for not paying attention and for walking right in front of my kids.  I talked to a friend once we returned and she suggested getting flags or the like for their scooters next time. 

All in all, we had a great time.  I am glad we were able to take Jadon and Kalina and have them experience something totally new.  I am thankful Jadon and Kalina were sick at different times and that they were not sick the entire trip.  I am thankful we were able to go long enough to enjoy our time there without feeling rushed.  Even with Jadon and Kalina being sick and some of our days being short, we managed to do and see everything we really want to do and see.  I am thankful for the prayers for Jadon’s and Kalina’s health and for our safe travel.  I am thankful for the kind, helpful people at Disney that helped make our trip even more enjoyable and special.  I am thankful for the kind words and smiles from strangers that outweighed the less friendly stares from others. 

Here are some pictures from our adventures.  Enjoy!