Disney Top 5

Hello Blog Family,

It has been a while, and I have definitely missed writing and connecting with you. Things have been super busy at Martin Made Simple. All in the last 60 days we have moved 3 hours away, transitioned to smaller apartment life, ramped up our IGTV and YouTube presence, and last but not least went on a trip to Walt Disney World. If it wasn't hectic around here, it wouldn't be the Martins.

I have thought long and hard about the best way to wrap up our trip to Disney. It was honestly the best (and most magical) vacation we have ever had as a family. To do it best, I thought I would break it down into our top 5 favorite moments. If you would like to see the full trip, I have also liked our video of the week.

https://youtu.be/AWUJIjuseKE

1. Seeing Cinderella's Castle for the First Time

This was such a magical moment as a family! Cooper honestly did not know what to say, which does not happen often. He kept explaining how big it was and that we had to "save the gurls" (princesses). What family trip to Disney isn't complete without that magic photo in front of the castle. I had so many people tell me that we needed the photo pass. Maybe I am cheap, maybe we just didn't take advantage, but I honestly am glad that I did not purchase. It would have been a waste of money for our trip since we took so many photo's ourselves and the boys were too little to ride the bigger rides that you want the photos from.

2. Eli's Birthday Dinner at The Beast's Castle

Can you imagine turning one at Disney World?? Me either, but our sweet Eli did while we were there. To celebrate big on his birthday, we ate at the Beast's castle. To be honest, as a mom of toddlers I was a little nervous take the boys to the 3 course sit down dinner. They did so good, though! They loved the castle, the talking bodies of armor, and the food. The kids fruit and cheese tray was a definite hit! The Beast even came over to our table to introduce himself during dinner. To top off the Disney magic, the Beast gave Eli a signed birthday card for us to take home. That definitely is going in his scrapbook. I definitely recommend adding this spot to your Disney must do list. To do it, BOOK EARLY. Reservations fill up fast, so make sure you are booking it early through your My Walt Disney World app.

3. Dino Land U.S.A. in Animal Kingdom

This was by far one of Cooper's favorite parts of the trip. Both boys love dinosaurs, but Cooper has a small (or maybe large) obsession. From the Triceratop Spin to the fun dino themed carnival games with prizes, he was in Dino Dream Land. Cooper is two, so the main roller coaster in this area was a little much, but by the time we go back he will love it. We also took a little stroll through the dino walk way to see the large dino statues. Both boys loved getting to touch and see "real dinosaurs".

4. T-Rex Restaurant at Disney Springs

Continuing on the dinosaur theme, we had to take them to the coolest dinosaur themed restaurant. T-Rex at Disney springs was amazing. The whole family enjoyed the moving and roaring life size dinosaurs, the yummy food, good drinks, and "meteor shower". We ate in the ice cave section, and it was really cool to see the lights changing during the meteor show. They let you walk around the restaurant during your visit, so your little ones can get up close to the lifelike creatures. Once again, I highly recommend making your reservations in advance. Those without reservations were looking at a hour to two hour wait. With our reservations, we were able to walk right in at our reservation time. If you have a dinosaur lover in your life, this is a must to do.

5. Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom

This was the section of Magic Kingdom that we kept having to go back to. I think it is safe to say this was Blake and Cooper's favorite section of the park. Cooper loves Toy Story, so the Buzz Lightyear ride was a hit! He seriously rode it 4 times during our trip and fully believes he met Buzz. We were able to ride everything in Tomorrowland as a family (minus Space Mountain) so that was also a huge plus with two little ones. The Transit Authority People Mover and Autopia were also big favorites for the Martins. After all of those rides, we grabbed lunch at Cosmic Ray's. It has typical theme park food, but to my surprise had a great Greek salad. I was so happy to see that after devouring so much theme park food that week. If you have little boys who love outer space and to ride, be prepared to stay here for a while.

*Disney Tip: At the time of our trip, the Baby Center was located in Tomorrowland. Use this resource! It is a super clean, air conditioned section that you can change diapers and feed your infants. They also have first aid items if needed. Make sure to remember this when visiting the park with littles.

Of course, there were so many more magical moments and tips! For more moments make sure to watch our video linked above. I will also be putting together a what to pack in your theme park bag soon.

We are counting down the days until we can get back to the Disney magic!