It has been a whirlwind of fun, anxiety, and joy since March 12 until now. We just got back from an AMAZING vacation at Walt Disney World where we visited all four Disney Parks and stayed at a Walt Disney World Resort, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge! If it sounds incredible, that’s because it was! It was Max’s first time at Disney and our first time as a family of three, and also our first time back since the pandemic, which was so stressful! Max was obsessed (and still is) with Mickey Mouse, especially getting to meet the Mouse and his wife himself! He kept saying to me, leaning in really close to my face, “Mama, I meet Mickey Mouse!” which was so cute. The animals came right up to our balcony as we had a savanna view room, and included zebra, giraffes, wildebeasts, and wild birds. Nothing like coming back to that after a long day at parks!
We took full advantage of the Lightning Lane Multipass system and were able to do about 3 attractions per afternoon (due to naps, our days would start at lunchtime). He loved Prince Charming’s Carousel, Dumbo’s Flying Circus, and the Avatar dark ride in Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park. He also enjoyed The Journey of Water with Moana (EPCOT—it was so cool, you could control the movement of the water!), the Sea adventure with Nemo, Kilimanjaro Safaris (we saw so many animals and Max really enjoyed this), and the Little Mermaid dark ride, just to name some. Sometimes he would take a stroller nap or nurse in between rides, which was really nice, because you can do that all over the park NOT just at the designated Baby Care Centers!
We also took full advantage of Photo Pass while we were there which was a little bit steep but made it easy to get photos of all three of us without relying on the random generosity of strangers (there were a few of those!). This was all-encompassing and covered our meet and greets with Disney Characters and some fun shots like a neat video from Galaxy’s Edge and some AI inspired shots that were Moana and Ratatouille themed.
We saw LOTS of characters this time around, which was great for Max. We saw Toy Soldiers, Woody, Pooh and Tigger, Belle, Rapunzel, Peter Pan and Hook, Mickey and Minnie, Donald, Maleficent’s dragon, Buzz Lightyear, and more!
Dining was one of the best aspects of our trip, from Boma to Tony’s Town Square to Oga’s Cantina to Be Our Guest with a wonderful Prix Fixe menu (and a sizeable mousse cake for Max!)
Once we got back from our very comfortable stay, it was up and at ‘em all over again as we had to get geared up for Max’s birthday party at the Little Gym! It was phenomenal and I cannot say enough about their staff and how easy they made everything from entertainment to cake cutting to setting up every last decoration! We had family and friends there and it was really a positive experience for all of us.
A few days prior Max had his first gymnastics class and it was quite an experience for him. He just wanted to run around and play and while it was a little hard to get his focus, the following week he definitely started listening and following commands more easily. I really love the sense of community that I find there and it is good to be back in the gym after 26 (😵) years!
Spring really is the most active and ebullient time for us, fitting that Max is a spring baby in keeping with that theme. Everything is buzzing and blooming and our days are spent in a kind of dream state between sleeping and waking with lots of play, both indoor and out.
Lots of love,
Erika
The Sweet Life with The Zuckeros 