Our First Park, Magic Kingdom

We just got home Thursday evening after spending 3 nights in Orlando. We stayed at Comfort Suites Maingate Resort which is just about 4 miles from Disneyworld. It was our first time in this resort and we liked it a lot. It was very clean and the service is very good. Breakfast was included and we of course took advantage of it, eating there every morning before going to the theme park. Whenever I book for any accommodation, I always read the customer reviews and we were not disappointed as in the past when I didn't really checked the reviews first. Next time we go there, we will definitely be staying in that hotel/resort unless I can get a good deal from a Disney Resort and I can book earlier.

Tuesday, we left the hotel early and went straight to Magic Kingdom. We reached the main entrance to Main Street USA at exactly 9am after the tram ride, monorail ride to the gate and bag inspection. As usual, some prerequisite photos were taken in front of the park and in front of Cinderella's castle among others. Then we went to Tomorrowland first for the Buzz Lightyear ride and Stitch's Great Escape. We didn't go to Space Mountain anymore since it will be too scary for the kids but were were able to ride the kiddie coaster inside Toontown. Later in the evening Ophine and Missy rode the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad which is another roller coaster, albeit much faster and bigger that the kiddie coaster. We also had the opportunity to have a family photo with Mickey inside his domain in Toontown. Among the favorites of the kids where we went to were the Indy Speedway, Mickey's PhilarMagic (3-D movie), The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. This last one has the likeness of Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow already included.

It was just a soggy day since it rained almost non-stop from noon to evening, thus the parade was canceled and the picture taking opportunities were kind of limited. We left the park around 7:30 pm and went back to the hotel to rest and 'fight' for another day. Epcot was beckoning. Here are some photos from Magic Kingdom.

A Day in Epcot

Still tired from all the walking the previous day, we managed to leave the hotel early for Epcot. When we got there, there were not so many people yet. We went first to Spaceship Earth since there was practically no line. After that we went to Test Track. Missy was kind of apprehensive because she can see how fast the 'car' was moving on the track. I told her, this is nothing compared to the roller coaster she rode the previous day. It was a cool ride as David had said. The next stop was Mission Space. They now have two choices in terms of intensity. We chose the 'no spinning' option and we all liked it. It was a simulation of a trip to Mars from launch to landing. Of course it was a very short one. David said it was 'cooler' than the Test Track ride. We also went to 'The Seas with Nemo and Friends' which was a renovation from the older 'Living Seas'. We were kind of hoping we can finish the new 'Soaring-A California Adventure' ride before moving to the World Showcase but the kids were already hungry.

We already planned that we are going to eat at the Akershus Restaurant in the Norway pavilion but it was fully booked. We have always eaten there before and there Scandinavian buffet is really good but unfortunately we can't be accommodated. I was wary of making a reservation because of the unpredictability of knowing what time we can reach it. I guess it was not meant to be, they have increased their lunch buffet price to $25 per head for adults. If I'm the only one eating, I'm sure I can make it worth the price but with the two kids, maybe not. Anyway, we ended eating at the Japan pavilion. It was good but you can eat Japanese food anytime and anywhere.

We have always liked going through the different World Showcase Pavilions but we missed going to France, Canada and UK for lack of time. We were also able to visit Italy, Germany, China, the US and see their 'American Adventure' show and Norway and take the Viking boat ride. After that it was again raining hard, we went back to the 'Soaring' ride but the waiting time was 90 minutes. We still went to the line but after 30 minutes, the kids were kind of restless so we decided to go back to the hotel without seeing 'Illuminations' show (fireworks) besides we were quite sure it was going to be cancelled because of the rain and we were already tired. The day was hot and muggy and the late rain made it a little worse. Here are some photos. I'll try to post some more and some videos too soon.





























































Missy was so enchanted with the dolls inside the Germany pavilion. This dollmaker makes the dolls with your choice of clothes, hair and head. At an average of about $150 a doll, Missy can only drool but at her age she already knows if something is too expensive.

Finally, a picture with Mulan and Mushu.