Our Disney Day...

And when I say "Our Disney Day," I mean the ENTIRE day!

Since Ross and I both got in for free using our vouchers from the food drive we hosted, all we had to pay for was Reid. That, in and of itself, is awesome. Three people into Disney for $72 bucks - sweet! We decided to do only Magic Kingdom and do as much as we could.

And we did.

We got there around 10:30 am and did not leave until after 11pm. It was so fun to see how much can change in just one year. Since we did the whole Disney she-bang last year, I was interested to see how Reid's response to it all would differ. He still loved it, and since he grew over 5 inches in one year (!!!) there were a few rides that were brand spanking new to him. The 100% favorite this year: Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Thunder Mountain was great on a few levels: 1) it's a roller coaster (which I love!) and is good enough to keep both adults and kids happy, without being scary, and, 2) The cars fit three people, so all three of us could ride together and experience it together every single time. And lines moved quickly enough that - between the fast passes and good strategy - we rode it at least 10-12 times during the day. Woohoo! By the end of the day, Reid was riding with his hands in the air. He loved it.

Other favorites this year: the race cars, the Buzz Lightyear ride (where you shoot things), and Goofy's Barnstormer (kiddie) coaster. I am happy and amazed to report that we did not ride a single thing in Fantasyland. Wow! (No It's a Small World, no Winnie the Pooh, no Pirates of the Caribbean, no Dumbo... and we didn't even miss them.) Not to mention that we got to see Woody and Jessie, and meet Buzz Lightyear up close and personal... perfect timing since our Toy Story 3 obsession was in full swing.

We watched the afternoon parade in Frontierland. That time sitting and waiting in the stroller nearly did Reid in. He was looking pretty weary... but nothing a little caffeine and ice cream can't fix! After more riding, we grabbed some dinner and then watched the fireworks at the castle from afar. I'm sure it would have been even better up close but we weren't interested in battling the throngs of little girls in princess dresses (and their parents) who wanted to see Tinkerbell float down from the top of the castle. Plus, we saw her from all the way across the park anyway! And that gave us time to ride Thunder Mountain a few more times before closing time.

We were there on a night when the Spectromagic light parade was to happen. It begins after the rides are closed down, so everyone and their brother can watch it. So we made our way to Main Street USA to snag a spot. We found a really good spot that measured about three square feet and Ross guarded it with his life while we kept Reid entertained. And then, of course, the parade did not begin on time. Right about the time that Reid was wondering "why" we are sitting with a million other people on a sidewalk in the dark, the parade finally started...

And by the fourth float he was sound asleep. And when I say "sound," I mean dead weight, no response, 100% unconscious sleep. And he is sitting on top of me, and I am sitting flat on the sidewalk with zero space to maneuver a way to stand up. And Ross is about 10 feet away (because there is no room for him on our "spot").

After about five minutes of rearranging and shooting dirty looks at our neighbors to move over and make room, I finally whispered a mild threat in Reid's unconscious ear to cooperate or else. Even a dead-to-the-world four-year-old's brain knows to perk up when mommy means business.

We finally made it to Ross and the stroller, and here's what Reid looked like all the way to the car:

It was a great day, though! Perfect weather. No rushing around. Just enjoying each other and having fun. Can't ask for much more than that. :)