Hollywood Studios & Animal Kingdom~

So on Saturday, we had extra magic hours at Hollywood Studios. Which meant that we could enter the park before it opened to the public because we were staying in a Disney Resort Hotel. Well, seeing as we didn't even leave the Magic Kingdom until midnight the night before and we had to bathe three children before bed...it was going on 1:30 before I hit the hay. I was laying in bed listening to Jase sleep but watching him wince in pain with his stone off and on all night. At 3:30, I was still wide awake. Almost too tired to sleep. So there would be nothing magical about waking up at 7 to be in Hollywood Studios by 8.

Add to that, I was very nauseated. Not sure if it was exhaustion, sleep deprivation, something I ate, or the fact that it was my 35th birthday. My siblings were so nice to point out that my life was pretty much half over already! Thanks, guys. Either way, I felt terrible. My siblings and their significant others went on ahead early to get fastpasses to the Toy Story ride. We made it in around 9. I did get in free for my bday! I also got in free the day before {Kev was given special access since he's a Cast Member and three of us got in with him at no charge! Su-weet!} The rest of the fam went straight to the Tower of Terror {one of only two rides at Disney I absolutely refuse to ride...the other being the Teacups at Magic Kingdom. I hate to fall or spin. Anything else goes!} Kennedy wasn't up for it yet {she did go back and ride a little later} and she and I walked around with Joel. At one point, I had to sit down on a bench/wall thing because I was so sick. Rough start to my birthday...and Jase was still struggling back at the hotel. Blast those kidney stones.

As the day wore on, I did feel better. We had lunch and Joel got to meet Buzz Lightyear and Woody. He was so excited. The pictures don't really do it justice. I'm hoping the ones that the photopass people took are better. He was just in awe. When we left the little room they were in, he pressed his face on the glass and waved bye to Buzz. So sweet. Then we headed over to the Toy Story ride. This is by far the most sought after attraction at Hollywood Studios right now. We couldn't ride it last year....line was four hours long and fastpasses were depleted by like 10am. But we did have a go at it this time and peeps, it is just the best ride. Soooo fun. If you go to Hollywood Studios, go straight there and ride it before it gets crazy.

We did have a scare with Syd before we rode it...she was left outside. We got all the way in to the attendant who takes the fastpasses from you just before you get on the ride and realized that we didn't have her. I fell apart. Jase wasn't there. Mom and Kevin took off through the line and found her outside...right where mom had seen her last. At this point in our lives, with three kids and one being fearless {hence the harness Joel wore every. single. minute.}, we couldn't do Disney by ourselves. Too hard. But with a huge group of 14 like we had, it was almost harder. Because you all think that someone else has them. It was terrifying. Kev says it happens like every hour there and that really, kids don't disappear from Disney. They all manage to get found and that everyone who works there has extensive training in dealing with lost kids. Still, all I could do is sob and hold her for a while. Whew.

We didn't take too many pics on this day for some reason. Maybe we were just in such a hurry to get things done. But here are some from Hollywood Studios.

We left the studios and headed to Disney's Animal Kingdom. To be honest, this is my least favorite park of the four. But we had a two fold mission :: To ride Everest! And to take a Kilimanjaro Safarai tour with the whole family. And that's just what we did. Jase was feeling a bit better and met us there. Joel was really excited to see his dad and pretty stoked too about his sisters caramel apple! Then, exhausted, he fell asleep while Mattie held him...for what seemed like a mile! Bless her, Lord. And he woke up on the safari. He was quiet but sat and stared at all of the animals. It was hard for me to imagine my littlest brother, Kevin, driving one of these huge vehicles and saying this same dialogue! In a perfect world, we'd have had him as our driver!

After the safari, we hit Everest {we had fastpassed it before the safari}. The fastpasses weren't available for like 15 minutes or so and since someone had to stay with Joel, Keith and I hopped in the no wait/single rider line and low and behold...got to ride together! It was awesome! My first time on Everest. What a coaster. Totally worth hopping over there for that one! While we were on it, the others waited and snapped a few pics of the kiddies. After we got off, I sat with Joel while everyone else rode! Syd and Kennedy loved it! Jase even went back a second time and rode with Syd since we had mine and Joel's fastpasses too...here are a few pics from that beast of a ride! LOVED it!

The girls and I did hop back over to the Magic Kingdom around 7:30 that night to ride Space Mountain one more time. There must have bee a million people there. Really hard to do by myself. Jase was still not doing well with his stone but stayed back with Joel at the hotel. We got in line for Space Mountain and about 30 minutes into the hour long wait, it broke down. They gave us a fastpass to any other attraction as consolation. So we scurried over Big Thunder Mountain instead and then got the heck out of dodge. Crazy busy!

The ride home was surprisingly pleasant for the most part. No crying or anything. We were happy to be home and had a fast and magical few days! Thanks mom and dad!