Florida Vacation: Arrival and Day 1

Family Vacation 2016 to Florida was a complete success.  

Were there some meltdowns?  Yes, typically only when someone was HANGRY!  (Adults and kids alike) ;)  Oh and maybe at the traffic or other people who were inconsiderate.  Was it perfect?  No, is anything?  But as we learned in California a couple of years ago, our kids are at such a fun age to travel with right now.  They still like and want to hang out with us!  :)   Plus they no longer need naps, strollers, can handle marathon days, can adapt to change, food choices aren't as limited and their excitement is contagious!  

 

We flew out of Minnesota and so we headed up to the Twin Cities the day before we flew to Florida.  Before we left, Kaylee & I needed to have the perfect nails.  Thank-you Jamberry for recently releasing Disney wraps. 

A little fun at the airport! 

The kids were pretty excited to see our name at the rental car location in Florida.

We got to Florida in the early evening, got checked into our hotel, and then walked to a delicious BBQ restaurant for a late supper.  

 

Our first full day was spent at Hollywood Studios!

Ready to leave the hotel and get this vacation started!!

A disclaimer...Kaylee is NOT a fan of roller coasters or "scary" rides.  Matt & I differ in our thought process of how to handle this.  He wants to push a little out of her comfort zone and knows she can handle it.   I am on the other end and don't want to force her to do anything she isn't comfortable.  There were times all vacation that we both won..Kaylee got out of some rides and was asked to go on other rides she wasn't so sure.  

Our first ride at Hollywood Studios was the Rockin' Rollercoaster featuring music from Aerosmith.  We used fast pass and arrived a little early so we got to sit and wait.  Not always the best for a girl who is nervous at a ride.   I knew that this ride was going to push her comfort level but I also knew that most rides at any of the Disney parks are a bit more tame.  As we were entering, I read the sign giving the health & ride warnings and I was a bit shocked to see the ride went upside down.   Matt & I saw it but Kaylee did not...while I was a bit tempted to leave, we kept going.  Kaylee & I were going to sit together and Matt & Maxwell in the next seats.  We were assigned to the FRONT ROW of seats and promptly switched with Matt & Maxwell.  There were announcements as we waited about how fast the ride starts and we could see that as it gets closer.  Kaylee was getting nervous and I know she wanted to leave.  Matt told her to scream during the ride.  He would scream, Mom would scream, we would all scream.  She giggled at the idea of Daddy screaming during a ride.  :)   We got in our seats and she immediately took my hand.  We blasted off and she squeezed my hand SO HARD had the ride went on too long she may have broken it.  There were hand rails by our head and she pulled our hands up there and my hand was pinned between the metal bar and her hand.   I couldn't hear her from all the noise but I feel the squeezing as we raced through the dark ride, went upside down and shot back and forth.  It was fast but intense.   We got off the ride and within seconds she started crying, hysterical crying.  I thought, crap we've been on 1 ride and we are done.  She won't go on another.  :(   Daddy worked his magic and got her to calm down.   She survived and for the rest of the vacation, if she got nervous we reminded her that she rocked the Rockin' Rollercoaster and this ride would be nothing compared to that!   :)

Waiting for our fastpass window to go on the ride

They survived!  Maxwell LOVED it!

The majority of the day at Hollywood Studios involved many hours of Star Wars related rides, shows, stores, and pictures.  SO MUCH Star Wars for my Star Wars loving family!   Even Kaylee, who sometimes denies her enjoyment of Star Wars, had a lot of fun looking at the props from the movies and watching the Imperial March of the First Order.

Up close with the First Order.  So cool!

These kids can find video games anywhere!

Stare down with a trooper! 

We did do lots of fun non-Star Wars related things too!   Matt & Maxwell went on the Tower and Terror while Kaylee and I enjoyed a much calmer and relaxing Little Mermaid show.   Such a great day and perfect start to our vacation.

Indiana Jones stunt show

Muppets Fountain

Waiting for the Little Mermaid show

Always need silly family pics

   

Our night ended watching Fantasmic and the Star Wars themed fireworks.   Fantasmic was on Kaylee's MUST watch list.  The show was AMAZING!!  The pictures do not do it justice at all and it is definitely worth the wait, the crowds, and the late night. (The Star Wars themed fireworks were after Fantasmic and while we didn't get a seat we had no problems getting to the area and enjoying fireworks to end our day).

After our marathon day at Hollywood Studios they were still full of smiles!  

Waiting for the crowds to pass before boarding the monorail back to the parking lot.