ICE! and SNOW! and Yo Ho Ho

We just got home today and I can't wait to show off the photos from the weekend. It was really lots of fun. I know how much "fun" it is to look at other people's vacation photos, but the great thing about the blog is, if you get bored you can just scroll right past them.

So, we drove down on Thanksgiving {right after Ben ran in the Turkey Trot 10K...I should mention he finished in 50 minutes....pretty darn good}. Once we finally FOUND our hotel {with 3 GPS devices you'd think it wouldn't be that hard} we got checked in, settled and started dinner. Besides the stress of getting to the hotel, it was actually the most stress-free Thanksgiving ever. Thinking about doing it like that every year.

Friday morning, we went to the Gaylord Palms for ICE! {Two-million pounds of hand-carved ice monuments tell the classic story of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.}


It was really impressive. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so you'll have to take my word for it. The photo above was taken at the event and it's the only one we have of the whole experience - it was actually shot in front of a green screen and superimposed the image behind the photo. You get the idea of what the exhibit looked like, though. The ice carvers from Harbin, China spend 30 days carving the larger-than-life sculptures. Each scene is colored, to really bring the story to life. I wish I could have stood in the 9 degree exhibition hall longer to take it all in, but it was really cold {even with the huge parkas that they give to everyone}. And since I was freezing, I was worried about the kids freezing, too. After ICE!, we went to SNOW! {you can buy combo tickets to both events}. I would advise to save your money and skip SNOW! and just buy the ICE! tickets, though. Later that afternoon, we went back to the hotel for swimming in the Pirate's Plunge pool. Talk about a crazy, mixed-up day - 9 degrees to 90 degrees. That night we ate and walked around at Downtown Disney.

Saturday we spent eight full hours at the Magic Kingdom. When we got there {at about 9:15} we hopped on the first 3 or 4 rides in no time. Aladdin's Magic Carpets, Pirates of the Carribean, and a little show with Jack Sparrow, then Splash Mountain {Jack's least favorite because of the big tummy tickle at the end} and a quick shooting game with instruction from Poppy.






We stopped for an early lunch {hoping to beat the rush} and few photos at the castle.




Next, we headed off to Jack's appointment at the Pirate's League. The atmosphere and whole experience truly was the most memorable event. Worth every penny! Jack was so in to it and he truly bonded with Sarah the pirate girl who did his make-up.





The first thing he did was get his new pirate name, Benjamin Sharkstench. Then Sarah gave him the pirate tattoo.



Jack chose to have his face painted like the Cursed Pirate {remember in the Curse of the Black Pearl the pirates turned to skeletons}.





After she was done with his face, she gave him a pirate scarf, earring and teeth {note the pirate Mickey shirt that Nana made for Jack}.



She swore him in with the pirate oath.




She sent him on his way and next he was given his pirate sash and cutlass. He took his photo in the secret pirate chambers and got a piece of gold from Jack's Sparrows treasure.




He has played with and worn the costume ever since. We had quite a time getting the black paint from around his eyes, so he wore eyeliner like Jack Sparrow all day today.



We all agreed that he will remember that experience for the rest of his life!

After the Pirate's League, we headed to Tomorrowland to the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. Both Poppy and Jack were featured on the screen for the entire audience at the show. Poppy played Sully {the scariest, but lovable monster} and they made a joke about Jack not eating his breakfast that morning...he was all skin and bones {ha ha, get it}. The joke went totally over Jack's head, he kept telling me that he DID eat his breakfast that morning.

Jack also drove the race cars while Paigey took a picture on Dumbo the Flying Elephant and played in the Winnie-the-Pooh Hundred Acre Woods.




Check out the adorable Minnie-inspired dress made by my mom.




Mom and Paige watching the gophers jump out of the holes and go back down.






Paige trying to charm her way into the Winnie-the-Pooh ride line {which unfortunately didn't work}.



Paige rode on Daddy's shoulders a lot. And despite only taking about a 30-45 minute nap all day, she was a perfect angel.



The crowds were really getting thick and lines were getting to be ridiculously long, so we finished off with the Buzz Lightyear Spin and It's a Small World and called it a {full} day. I think we hit most everything that we wanted to do this time around anyways.





Bye for now Walt Disney! We will be back when we can really do it up right and stay in an on-property hotel {soon, but not too soon}. ;-)