Anniversary Trip to Disney World 2008!

We went to the Magic Kingdom on Thursday (our anniversary). It was the perfect day to go because it was overcast and there was a nice breeze. And, best of all, it wasn't very crowded. We loosely followed one of the touring plans listed in "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World", but were able to veer from it since the lines weren't long anyway. I enjoyed this visit so much more than when I was there last - and this time, I was even with someone who was hating every minute of it! I'd forgotten how magical it really is for little kids! Now, I'm looking forward to taking Tanek back again soon. Can't go to Disney without taking a picture of Cinderella's Castle!

Likewise, if we went to Disney and didn't take Tanek for a ride on Dumbo the Flying Elephant, we would be bad parents! There are certain things that are simply a requirement for parents of small children - Dumbo is one of them!

A sneak peek at Tigger and Pooh -

Here is Tanek giving his Daddy his signature wink. Can you tell he was loving Cinderella's Golden Carrousel? He loves to ride the "horsies", and he was excited because he is big enough to ride by himself now. Such a big boy!

Another of Tanek's favorite rides - the Mad Tea Party!

When it was all said and done, we had done pretty much everything in FantasyLand - Dumbo, Peter Pan's Flight, It's A Small World, the Carrousel, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Pooh's Playful Spot, the Mad Tea Party, etc. We had a quick lunch at Pinocchio Village Haus since it was nearby. We didn't go see Mickey's PhilharMagic because Tanek refuses to wear the 3-D glasses - we already tried that at Hollywood Studios with the Muppet 3-D show there! After lunch, we rode the Liberty Square Riverboat. This was about the time that Ricky and Tanek both reached/exceeded their limit, so we went back to the room after the riverboat ride.

We also went to Epcot very briefly on Thursday night. I took Tanek on The Seas with Nemo and Friends - he really enjoyed that, it was actually a pretty neat little ride. I think he would have also liked Turtle Talk with Crush, but the next show didn't start soon enough. We were hoping to eat at the Coral Reef Restaurant, but they were booked full. By this time, none of us were getting along, Tanek was whiny, and we couldn't agree on a place to eat. So, we left and skipped dinner altogether. Let's just say we didn't have a very pleasant evening!

Animal Kingdom

We visited Animal Kingdom on Friday, but we didn't see as much as I would have liked to because it was raining. We did go on the Kilimanjaro Safari where we saw lots of animals, and did the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and Maharajah Jungle Trek, which are both walking tours. We also went to the character trails at Camp Minnie-Mickey, but we didn't get to Rafiki's Planet Watch or to DinoLand U.S.A. which had attractions that Tanek might have enjoyed. It wasn't all a waste of time, though (depending on which one of us you ask)... Tanek did get to visit with Minnie and Mickey... and Goofy and Donald. He even talked to them and had hugs for them!

This is the Tree of Life located in the center of the park. It is huge and looks very real.

The trunk has various animals carved into it. Pretty cool, huh?

We were able to see a group of meerkats on the Pangani Forest Trail. This one was acting as a sentry for the group. Below is one of several gorillas we saw on the trail.

Here are the characters enjoying a little fishing.

We had lunch at the Yak & Yeti Restaurant. This was probably the best meal we had during our trip! Even Ricky was impressed, so you know it had to be good! Tanek was even learning how to pick up his goldfish with chopsticks! He really did this by himself.

Hollywood Studios

We went to Hollywood Studios on Wednesday and Tanek found his favorite characters - "Mine and Towie"! He was excited to get to meet them in person and have his picture taken with them.

Seeing "Playhouse Disney - Live!" was probably a tie for number one as Tanek's favorite at the studios! I would take him here again just for this one show! He loved it! It was so fun to watch him clapping and dancing along with all the other kids!

Many of the Disney shows he likes to watch were part of the show.... Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny, Little Einsteins, and Tigger & Pooh. Well, he really mostly just watches Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Tigger & Pooh, but he's seen the others enough to know the characters and have fun with them.

Of course, the bubbles were a big hit with all of the kids!

The first thing we did when we arrived at the park was grab a quick bite to eat at the Backlot Express. Then we went through the Streets of America, Pixar Place, and the Animation Courtyard. The other rides we enjoyed were Muppet Vision 3-D (even though Tanek wouldn't wear the glasses), the Studio Backlot Tour and the Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Tanek fell asleep during the Voyage of the Little Mermaid, so we left for the hotel after that to finish getting checked in.

Another Haircut!

Today we took Tanek to Walmart and had his hair cut while we were there (Dimple needed a break, I think). As usual, it was a traumatic event for him... he screamed and cried almost the entire time, and his face turned beet red! But, the stylist was very patient with him and was able to get it cut. We did have to turn him upside down again, which was a first for her. I'm sure the entire store heard him screaming, and surprisingly, nobody came to see if we were torturing him! All things considered, I think his hair turned out quite well!

There was another man getting his hair cut at the same time as Tanek who gave him a gold dollar to try to distract him from the scissors. It didn't work, but he let him keep the dollar - said he deserved it after that haircut. Anyone that has to be turned upside down while screaming just to get their hair cut deserves something! He also got a new diecast "bugmouth Mine" car and a couple of books for his trouble!

A Boy and His Doggy!

Here is Tanek with his favorite doggy at Nana's house. It is one of my stuffed animals that I had growing up, so it is now called "Mommy's Doggy". I think it's held up pretty well over the years!

"Reflections"

Tanek loves to look at himself in the mirror. He is so funny to watch because he just starts laughing at himself and he lets us know how cute he thinks he is! I love it when he gives himself a kiss in the mirror!

Tanek's First Fish

We finally bought Tanek his very own fish today! It is a blueish/lavendar multicolored Betta fish which Tanek has named "MoMo". Every time we go to Walmart or Ace Hardware, we always have to go look at the fish, so now he has his own to look at whenever he wants. Now we just have to see how long we can keep him alive!

Sprinklers Are So Much FUN!

Ricky let Tanek run throught the sprinklers one afternoon, and he had such a good time! He was soaked from head to toe by the time he came inside, but it was worth it because he had so much fun. The only problem was getting him back out of the sprinklers - I think he would have played in the water until it was dark outside!

Tanek's "Mine" Chair and Couch

Here is Tanek's Lightening McQueen (aka "Mine") chair that he loves to sit in and climb on. He actually got it for his birthday, but it goes perfectly in his room, now. And, this is his "Cars" couch that we got him to complete his new room. He gets a kick out of unfolding it and folding it, over and over again. He also thinks it is very special that he has his own "couch"!