Disneyworld Adventure

Last Thanksgiving, we decided to skip the traditional Turkey dinner and drove 700 miles down to Orlando, Florida so that Julianna can fulfill her dream of seeing Cinderella's castle in person. Crazy, huh? It was a bit of a nutty drive down to Florida, I think next time we are definitely flying. My sister Kathy and her husband Alex, my bestfriends Loraine, Monica and husband Dave and their little tot Yigo, and my mom and dad shared this wonderful adventure with us. Unfortunately, since we planned this trip around Julianna's Thanksgiving break, we could only visit two of the four theme parks at Disneyworld.

Magic Kingdom:

This was my favorite theme park! I was so excited I almost cried when I saw how happy Julianna was to see Cinderella's castle! Despite some rainshowers, we had a wonderful time. We enjoyed "It's a small world", Tom Sawyer's Island and the Jungle Cruise. Julianna didn't like the Tiki Room at all but loved almost all the other attractions. I think Thanksgiving break was a great time to visit Disneyworld. It is crowded around the holidays, but the Christmas decorations around Main Street USA are a must-see. The lights on Cinderella's castle at night are truly breathtaking.
Main Street USA


Loraine and Cinderella's Castle at night


Be prepared to bring lots of spending money though, there are lots of one of a kind souvenirs through the park. Food is also pricey but the turkey drumstick we had was delicious! It truly was a place where dreams came true!




Short clip from the "It's a Small World" attraction

Julianna with new-found friends at "Pooh's Thoughtful Spot"

Jeff and Julianna on board the raft to Tom Sawyer's Island

Animal Kingdom:

The Tree of Life

This park was a great one for Julianna to visit. It is the largest Disney theme park in the world, covering more than 500 acres of land! They had animals roaming everywhere and some really interesting exhibits. The Kilimanjaro Safari is definitely the best attraction in this park. It's as close to a real African safari as we are ever going to get without leaving the US. We enjoyed it a lot. Julianna thought we really saved a baby elephant! The Tree of Life is the centerpiece for this park (which is not a zoo, it is really a jungle out there...) This man-made tree is 145 ft. tall with 325 animals (and a hidden Mickey) carved on its exterior. Other must-see attractions include: Expedition Everest, Dinoland USA and It's tough to be a bug!....

My parents enjoying the Kilimanjaro Safari

We also visited Downtown Disney while we were there. We did a lot of shopping at downtown Disney especially since we went there on the weekend after Thanksgiving. Mickey's Mart is definitely a place for bargain hunters like me. I got some really good deals from this store.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience for my family. We surely will visit Disneyworld again soon!

Julianna at the Pin Traders (Downtown Disney)

Julianna outside the Once Upon A Toy at Downtown Disney