May the Porg Be With You! A 13 day November adventure! *COMPLETED 2/23!*

[paradesintherain]

Day 6 - November 5th - Pandora, part 1


After an early night at the Kingdom my goal was for us to be up and out the door by 8:30 to rope drop Pandora. I'd been lucky enough to get FPs for Flight of Passage, but knew we needed to get to Navi River Journey early.

I was up and ready on time, my brother was dragging a little. I ate a blueberry muffin and watched giraffes off our balcony while I waited. In the end we only left about 10 minutes late, and luckily a bus was at the stop. We got a Thor: Ragnarok bus!

The journey to Animal Kingdom was short. Bag check lines were pretty long, and Aaron had to go through the metal detector AND get wanded.

It started off as a pretty grey day. It seems like we had a lot of grey days while we were there.

We joined the hoards of people heading toward Pandora and soon enough the floating mountains were in view. Kinda disappointed with my pictures because of the sky, but that's ok.

It seemed like most people were heading toward FoP but our destination was Navi River Journey.

The queue was pretty interesting, though probably not as interesting as the FoP queue. Even though we got in line after 9 am we only ended up waiting about 30 minutes. Good thing too, cause I wouldn't want to wait any more for this ride.

And then we were on the ride! I thought the boats were really cute. Loved how tiny they were, though I'm sure that decreases riders per hour. The ride was very peaceful, and pretty, but nothing exceptional or that I wanted to do again immediately.

The animatronic is, of course, incredible, but can one animatronic carry a ride? I did love the music at the end.

Our FP wasn't until 9:50 so we looked through the dump shop, and then explored Pandora some more. There's a lot of detail in this land.

We found a PP with no wait, but the boys weren't feeling it. My hair is quite fluffy. #thanksObama

I really loved the water features in Pandora, the water movement made it seem more like a living, breathing land.

I'll continue in the next post, Pandora made me take too many pictures!​

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 6 - November 5th - Pandora, part 2



At this point it was time for our Flight of Passage FP. I didn't note how long the standby line was, but I do remember it was LONG. We basically walked all the way through the FP queue without stopping until we reached the point where they place you in the different rooms. Aaron was bummed about missing the standby line again. It was a bummer to miss the queue features, but I sure wasn't upset about saving 3 hours.

We were on a lower level, but I don't think that really matters for ride experience like it might on Soarin'. The preshows were kind of interesting (the first time). Guests really seemed to like the interactive cameras. OH MY GOODNESS, this ride blew us away. The sensation of flight is so realistic and everything in the film is beautiful. I noticed new things every time I rode. The little buffalo-like animals scared me every time! We decided the cave room that starts glowing with the pink stuff smells like Froot Loops. Man I love that room. Suffice it to say, this ride exceeded our expectations. I was never really a fan of Avatar, but Pandora and FoP make it seem much more interesting.


After FoP we were by Pongu Pongu, and the drinks looked really intriguing. There was the one alcohol free drink but it just didn't sound good... so at 10:30 in the morning we peer pressured each other into getting drinks. You know, I'll get one if you do! Shebl and I got the Mo'ara Margarita, Allie got the Hawkes' Grog Ale, and Aaron got the Mo'Ara High Country Ale.

Mo'ara Margarita - Sauza conmemorativa anejo tequila with strawberry and blood orange flavors topped with strawberry boba balls

I know it was 10:30 am and it's not exactly prime drinking time, but if you can't drink an alcoholic beverage for breakfast on vacation at Disney World, when can you?! Regardless, we were very happy with our decisions. Dad was in the bathroom while we bought our drinks; we thought about buying him one but figured it was too early for him. But when he came out and saw us all holding drinks he had to get himself one too. After taking a sip he looked at the time and was like, "What, it's only 10:30?! What did you guys make me do???" It was very funny. We had a photoshoot with our beverages because they were very photogenic.

While we sipped our drinks we explored Pandora a little more, and then headed out of Pandora via the Africa pathway, which I found very peaceful and beautiful. We had a safari awaiting us!

To be continued with an African safari!
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[paradesintherain]

Real Life Update

I gave my credit card a workout tonight, and I'm excited so I'll go ahead and share! First, I bought tickets to see Taylor Swift in September. I thought about buying $140 tickets but I was worried about spending that much and the view still not being great so I went with $65 tickets, and I'll go in with the expectation that the view will be horrible, but I'll still be able to enjoy the atmosphere and music. And if the view is decent it'll be an unexpected bonus.

Second, I bought plane tickets to New Orleans in January! New Orleans is one of my all-time favorite cities, and it's a tradition for me and my friend to visit Louisiana together. Even better, I only had to pay for a one-way flight (and it wasn't bad at all) because I had enough points! Yesssss.

Third, I don't think I ever mentioned here that I actually have another Disney World trip in the works for June! Dad found a great deal on hotels because there's a conference he'll be attending there and so we're going again! More details are over at my PTR here if you're into that sort of thing!
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[paradesintherain]

Day 6 - November 5th - Animal Kingdom


After Pandora we made our way to Africa.

It was still a bit too early for our safari FP so we went through the Pangani Forest Trail.
This toad looked really happy.

Pretty fishes!

I really love the aviaries. It's fun trying to spot the birds and being so close to them.

The gorillas were really close to the glass so we stayed and watched for a while. There were a couple cuddling while they slept, and then some youngsters being rambunctious.

Photo credit to Allie for this impressive yawn.

When we left the trail we noticed these amusing signs. Or maybe they're only amusing to people with their minds in the gutter?

Moving on! It was now time for Kilimanjaro Safaris! I was really excited for Shelby to ride this, it's always great for first-timers. Or hundredth-timers, really.

This sign is my favorite, I think I take a picture of it every time.

It was a slower day so they seated 3 of us in one row, and 2 in another. Worked out great because everyone got great views!

This was my first time seeing the painted dogs. They were so cute in their little cuddle pile.

Ugh elephants are just the best. They have so much intelligence and emotion in their faces. I'll never understand how anyone could hunt them. The driver said this was a young male elephant that liked to be off on his own.

The other elephants were across the road a distance from the male elephant.

The driver really acted up the dilapidated bridge part, and when it started shaking Shebl's eyes got so huge and she looked petrified. She later said that when the driver said to lean to one direction she was panicking about leaning the right way .

We saw the cheetahs from a distance. I think I've only ever seen them clearly, and awake once.

There were no female lions to be seen, but the male was sleeping in the sun. That's pretty much all they do too, it seems. No matter, I always enjoy seeing my favorite animal!

To be continued because the Dis yelled at me and said there were too many pictures....​

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 6 - November 5th - Animal Kingdom, part 2


2 weeks were over in the blink of an eye! After the safari we made our way to the front of the park and decided to watch It's Tough To Be A Bug. I think this show is great and I love how terrified people get during it. A lot of the effects weren't working great, like the fog didn't really cover the theater like I'm used to, and Hopper didn't come out at all. How long has he been broken? Hopper wasn't working at Disneyland, either, when I was there in March. It's a cool animatronic, I hope they fix it. Shebl was leaning forward so she missed the stinger! That was a bummer for me, I love watching people react.

We had a Rivers of Light package at 1:15 at Tiffins but we were all getting hungry so we decided to try to get seated early. We got to Tiffins around 12:30 and checked in.

There was a drink at Nomad Lounge I had on my list of things to try and now was the perfect time.

Hightower Rocks - Casa Dragones Blanco Tequila, Watermelon, Sweet-and-Sour, and Lime Juice

The drink was pretty good. Not quite as exciting as I was hoping it would be but I'd probably order it again because it was fairly refreshing. Immediately after I got my drink our table was ready. We were seated in the Grand Gallery (I think) beneath this.

For my appetizer I ordered the tomato salad (Allie got this too). I was craving something lighter and healthier and this really hit the spot. So flavorful, light, and fresh.

Heirloom Tomatoes and House-made Mozzarella - Toy Box Tomatoes, Smoked Olive Oil, Fig Vincotta​

Aaron got the charcuterie. He let me try some and I was surprised at how much I liked most of it.

Chef's House-made Charcuterie Board - Wagyu Bologna, Ethiopian Coffee-Pork Terrine, Duck Pastrami, Speck

I know Shebl got the octopus appetizer, and Dad got the bread service. Shebl gave me a bite of the octopus and it was fantastic! This was my first time trying octopus but I'd definitely order that next time. The bread service didn't sound appealing to me so I didn't try any of that, and I doubt it was anywhere as good as Sanaa's!

Dad and I decided to split two entrees because we couldn't decide which we wanted.

Wagyu Striploin and House-smoked Brisket - Rainbow Carrots, Peruvian Purple Potatoes, Citrus-Ramp Butter, Guava Demi-glace

Yeah, the picture isn't great. I don't know what I did, and I guess I didn't realize it was blurry until it was far too late! But oh my gosh, this was delicious! I especially liked the wagyu striploin - so tender and amazing flavor. The brisket was also surprisingly good.

The real winner, though, was the whole-fried fish. It looks a little scary, but I got past that easily. The fish is nice and mild, and the skin was crispy. I can't even describe the sauce that was under it but I was obsessed with it. Mmm such a great meal, next time I won't be sharing!

Whole-fried Sustainable Fish - Fermented Black Bean Sauce, Som Tam, Peanuts

Shebl ordered the ramen, Aaron ordered the beef dish, and Allie ordered the market curry. Everyone loved their meals, though I think Aaron wished he had ordered the ramen too. We were stuffed, but the Rivers of Light package still included desserts. For me, dessert was the weak part of the meal.

I ordered the chocolate dessert. It was good; nice creamy chocolate and the caramelized bananas were a nice touch, but it wasn't exactly memorable.

South American Chocolate Ganache - Caramelized Banana, Cocoa Nib Tuile

Aaron ordered the cheese plate at my suggestion. It was enjoyable, I really liked a couple of them. The menu has changed a bit so I have no idea what cheeses were there. Either way, I still think cheese is a weird dessert item.

The food at Tiffins was outstanding, and our server, Allen, was as equally outstanding. I think he was the best server of the trip. If you end up in his section you're very lucky! All in all a spectacular experience and I highly recommend trying it.

I took a few pictures of the restaurant before leaving.

Up next, more animals, more trees!​

 

[shannie102]

Had the Jen's Tattoo at the Lounge, loved it, you should try it next time (maybe during your march or june trip!) Question: With the ROL package were you able to get the charcuterie board for just the appetizer or did that count for 2 peoples app? Its a huge portion! (My hubby loves that, we had it at the lounge in October and he will be thrilled if he can have that without an extra cost at our next visit!)

 

[missangelalexis]

Great Pandora pics! FoP really is so incredible! Drinking alcoholic beverages for breakfast is TOTALLY acceptable on vacation!

Your meal at Tiffins looks/sounds delicious!

 

[paradesintherain]

Had the Jen's Tattoo at the Lounge, loved it, you should try it next time (maybe during your march or june trip!) Question: With the ROL package were you able to get the charcuterie board for just the appetizer or did that count for 2 peoples app? Its a huge portion! (My hubby loves that, we had it at the lounge in October and he will be thrilled if he can have that without an extra cost at our next visit!)

Ohhh thanks for the Nomad Lounge recommendation, I'll have to remember that. Even if we don't eat at Tiffins I bet we visit the lounge!

The charcuterie board is counted as an appetizer! The ROL package seemed to be a really great value if you order that and one of the more expensive entrees. I do know Mama Melrose Fantasmic package won't include appetizers in January, not sure if any other packages are changing though. Worth looking into!

Great Pandora pics! FoP really is so incredible! Drinking alcoholic beverages for breakfast is TOTALLY acceptable on vacation!

Your meal at Tiffins looks/sounds delicious!

Thank you! I can't believe how much I loved FoP, I can't wait to ride it again.

I was pretty surprised that many other people were actually drinking the margaritas at that time too. Guess everyone had the same idea as us!

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 6 - November 5th - Animal Kingdom, part 3


Edited to add: whoops these photos are sized differently, but oh well not changing it now! haha

After lunch we had some time to kill before our final FP so we explored the trails around the Tree of Life. The trails are beautiful, and there's so much to see, and I'm pretty sure this is the first time in a LONG time they've actually been open for me.

We saw some otters in a cuddle pile. It's a real thing! We watched them for a long time because they're too precious.

A new to me vantage point.

I really love any shot with flowers in the foreground.

I got this great candid shot of Allie. I'm obsessed with it!

We saw some precious lemurs. Just look how fuzzy!

And then it was time for our final FP, which I was not looking forward to at all. I only booked it because Dad said I never ride it. There's a reason! Along the way I noticed these lamps. Are they always like this or was it remnants of Halloween decorations? I didn't think any park other than MK usually decorated for Halloween.

If you guessed that our final FP was for Kali River Rapids you would be correct.

We put all our stuff in lockers so I have no photographic proof, which is a bummer because the queue is probably the best part of the ride. I was really dreading getting wet, but luckily someone coming off the ride offered up 2 ponchos and I quickly snatched one up. This protected me well on the 2 second ride. Seriously, this ride is so short and lacks any sort of thrill, and then there's the risk you'll get wet. NOPE. Can happily avoid riding this for another 10 years.

We needed a good ride so we headed in the direction of Expedition Everest. At least I think this picture was on the way, the lack of pictures at Kali River Rapids confuses me and I'm not on my computer so I can't check my itinerary. We passed these boats at some point though!

And at some point we ran across this PP by the cool tree at Yak & Yeti. I'd never seen PP there before and Aaron loves this tree so we had to stop. The PP wanted us to look up and be surprised by Kaa but the sun was too bright. Still, this photo is hilarious.

Forward march to Everest! This picture is bad, but I was on a mission!

We did single rider (I think Dad sat out) and the line moved pretty quickly, maybe about 15 minutes or less. I booked a Dinosaur FP for 5:15 while in line. This is one of my favorite rides to take pictures on!

For my ride photo I decided to look bored. But it maybe came off more as RBF.

Shebl's genuine reaction is priceless! It's great that the picture is on an actual thrilling part of the ride, unlike Space Mountain.

Another real reaction. Allie was having a grand time! I don't seem to have Aaron's picture, but he's the red shirt behind Allie. Look how much fun he's having!

OH wait, I checked the app and it was still there so here's Aaron! And he does seem to be having fun.

When we were looking at our pictures after the ride I asked Shebl if she had tapped her MagicBand and she walked back over to the screen and started tapping the band itself with her hand, though she looked highly skeptical about it. I died laughing - just a miscommunication but it was hilarious!

To be continued with DRINKS!
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[missangelalexis]

Aww the otters! So cute!

I still haven't been on Kali...no desire to get soaked hahaha

Fun EE pics!!

 

[rmw1313]

I'm a little bit late, but all caught up! What camera do you use? Your pictures are amazing!

 

[Shrfleen]

Wow, your photos are so amazing! I'm finally caught up. I'm with rmw1313, what camera did you use?

 

[paradesintherain]

Aww the otters! So cute!

I still haven't been on Kali...no desire to get soaked hahaha

Fun EE pics!!

Wear a poncho if you ever decide to ride! Though it really isn't worth it; if you ride it wanting to get wet you probably won't because it's like 2 seconds long, and if you don't want to get wet you probably will - and the ride won't even be fun to make up for that. But I would totally recommend riding Grizzly River Run in DCA.

EE is so much fun!

I'm a little bit late, but all caught up! What camera do you use? Your pictures are amazing!

Wow, your photos are so amazing! I'm finally caught up. I'm with rmw1313, what camera did you use?

Thanks! I use a Canon SX730 - it's really just a point and shoot, but I'm pleasantly surprised with it, and it doesn't have a bad price tag either! I also use my iPhone quite a bit

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 6 - November 5th - Animal Kingdom, part 4


After Expedition Everest we decided it was time for a drink so we went to the nearby Thirsty River Bar. I got a mixed drink WITH the light-up lotus blossom. I'm a suck for light up glow cubes, I already own the regular cube, a Millennium Falcon, Death Star, and diamond from Disneyland's 60th. So yeah, definitely a weakness.

Himalayan Ghost - Snow Leopard Vodka, Guava and odwalla® Lemonade

My drink was pretty basic, but a portion of it did go to benefit snow leopards! I think we were doing bathroom breaks and whatnot, so we stuck around Expedition Everest for a while. And then it started raining on us so we took cover in the dump shop until it let up.

The rain let up pretty quickly. While in the EE shop I had changed our FP to Primeval Whirl because the Dinosaur queue is far more tolerable than the Primeval Whirl.

I think the standby line was about 20 minutes for Dinosaur.

I pointed out that these pipes are the chemical equations for ketchup, mustard, and mayo - one of my favorite funny details. Aaron was curious WHY they'd be that so he asked a CM who said that Dinosaur used to be sponsored by McDonalds. Either I forgot that, or never knew, but I found it super interesting!

Love how scared Shebl looks! Allie and I decided to yeti at the dinosaur.

Then it was time for Primeval Whirl! I really think the Dinorama area is cute! I know that's an unpopular opinion and people think it was a cheap and easy way to fill some space, and maybe it was, but it feels nice to me! Plus it looks so inviting at night.

Even with a FP the line for Primeval Whirl was too long. It isn't a favorite of mine because it's so painful, and the queue is loud, hot, and boring. When Allie and I were boarding our car we somehow bumped heads SUPER hard. It was an instant headache. Maybe because we hurt our heads right before riding and couldn't focus on any other pain, but somehow the ride didn't seem as terrible and painful. And maybe it was even a little fun?!?

I tried to get a picture of everyone else on the ride, and got this.

The view from the ride exit was lovely.

It ended up being a good thing that I had taken that bad picture of them on the ride because Shebl accidentally left her ears behind. Since I had a picture of the car number it was easy for the CMs to reunite her with her ears!


On our way out of Dinoland we stopped for a photo op. Shebl and Aaron really nailed it, I think!

Up next, Animal Kingdom at night!
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[paradesintherain]

Day 6 - November 5th - DAK at night


After the rain died down and we had finished our drinks we found our seats for Rivers of Light, which was at 6:30.

There was a PP photographer with a Rivers of Light sign. I think I mentioned before that I love these signs, so I waved her over.

The little flower thingies started heading out a bit before 6. And then the show started. My camera wasn't super cooperative for this show.

I WANTED to like Rivers of Light... but I didn't. It was very underwhelming, and a little "what just happened?". There were pretty elements, but nothing ever really came together for me. I don't think anyone in my party was very impressed, but I was glad we watched it.


Since it was now nice and dark we made our way to Pandora. Animal Kingdom at night is perfection.

It was neat to see all the glowing elements at Pandora, but I almost liked it better during the daytime. It's just SO dark at night.

(one of these might be Allie's but I can't remember!)

We played around on the glowing drums a bit. Aaron takes any opportunity to play musical instruments.

After getting our fill of Pandora we headed out of the park. Originally we had an ADR for Boma this evening, but Aaron wasn't feeling well and the rest of us weren't so sure we were up for a buffet, so we canceled and ate at the Mara, where we all got flatbreads.

I got the pepperoni. It was adequate for a pizza craving.

Allie and Shebl got the Mixed Tomato Flatbread. Allie liked hers, but I don't think Shebl was a fan at all and it made The Mara a restaurant she didn't like too much.

Mixed Tomato Flatbread - Vine-ripened, Tomatoes, Roasted Garlic, Fresh Herb Ricotta, Artichoke and Red Peppers

Dad got the chicken flatbread. Shebl liked this flatbread better. It was still pretty early in the evening after dinner so I explored the resort a little. Allie went back to the room to relax and Shebl was going to go to the hot tub/pool to meet up with Aaron. Dad might have gone to the hot tub as well.

I went to the savanna outside the lobby, as I hadn't visited that yet. And it's lucky I did because I found Shebl there wandering around trying to find the pool! AKL can be super confusing, but I was able to point her in the right direction.

After exploring for a bit I headed back upstairs to call it an early night!

Up next: Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios! ​

 

[paradesintherain]

Day 7 - November 6th - Magic Kingdom Morning


Even though we had an early night, we still had a slow start and wouldn't make our Peter Pan FP, so I switched it to Mad Tea Party before we ran out of time. We arrived at the Magic Kingdom and people promptly went to the bathroom.

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It was kind of a busier day so the Main Street vehicles were just parked so I made Allie take my picture.

It seemed like we were waiting forever so I texted Dad, and I guess they couldn't find us after they left the bathrooms so they went ahead to the Tea Party, assuming we were there. Face palm. So off down Main Street we went. These pictures are weird because only the castle is in shadow.

We went around the Tomorrowland side of the castle and I noticed a dead fish in the water. Disney details are the best!

We met up with the rest of the family at Mad Tea Party, and boarded our tea cups! Aaron and Shebl rode together, and Dad, Allie, and I rode together. Oh, and the Porg!

When the ride ended I went to Aaron and Shebl to take a picture of them, and some other guest came up and was like "are you getting out?" Yeah, lady, give them a second! Plus there were plenty of other teacups nearby. So basically, I didn't get a great picture.

The next FP we had was for Space Mountain but Aaron wasn't feeling great still, and we all couldn't decide what we wanted to to do. So we hung out in Tomorrowland for a bit debating.

In the end Aaron decided to go back to the room and rest, and Space Mountain was down so I switched our FP to Pirates, so we trekked to Adventureland.

I love this ride!

We made it to Pirates, and good thing cause it was getting hot out.

I love that Allie and Shebl were both hanging on to their headbands, and I'm loving on the Porg.

I wrote that we got wet on Pirates in my notes, but I don't really recall that. Guess I'll trust past me. Dad was getting too hot now so he decided to go to Disney Springs to track down some shorts. The forecast had looked MUCH colder before we arrived, so he hadn't thought to bring any shorts.

The day was already planned to be a sort of girl's day, so it worked out nicely for us. We wandered around a bit checking out the sights, and got some PP pics in front of the castle since we had dressed up for tea later in the afternoon.

I don't think we had eaten anything much this morning and we were all ready for a snack. Shebl really wanted a churro and I had a snack in mind in Fantasyland!

Cheshire cat tail!

My snack was really good - sort of a chocolate croissant type thing with frosting. Allie and Shebl both got drinks. No CMs seemed to know where churros were, and the app was no help either, so we just kind of wandered around Fantasyland assuming we'd find a cart eventually.

We found Shebl's churro near the entrance to Storybook Circus, and we sat down to enjoy our snacks as the marching band came by! A churro was on Shebl's must-do list, and I think she was pretty happy with it.

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There was still some time to kill before our last FP so we hit up Philharmagic!

I love Philharmagic, but it needs some updating! We all had a hard time getting our eyes to focus at first, and the film feels really dark. But at least it's nice and air conditioned!

Our last FP was for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, predictably. They sent us to rows 1 and 2, and I grabbed row 1 because they literally always place me in the back cars. Turns out, it's better in the back, but it was a neat experience anyway.

Nailed that princess pose! Shebl was licking her lips haha!

I took a couple photos on the ride. I usually don't bother, but since I was in the front I gave it a shot.

So gooood

It was then time to head out of the Magic Kingdom. We had a very important ADR for tea at the Grand Floridian! ​

 

[evre13]

It looks like y’all had so much fun in AK. When i was there this summer, it was out last day and we were beat, so we didn’t make it to being there after dark. I think we will make it next week, and I’m so excited to see it all after the sun sets.

Wasn’t FoP amazing?

 

[richmo]

Saw a photo of Satu'li Canteen, but I guess you didn't get a chance to eat there. If you're looking for a quick service sometime at AK, give it a try...amazing!

 

[missangelalexis]

Your evening at AK sounds nice! Pandora is so pretty at night but I agree that it's SO dark!

Fun morning at MK! You and the girls look so cute in your dresses!

 

[paradesintherain]

It looks like y’all had so much fun in AK. When i was there this summer, it was out last day and we were beat, so we didn’t make it to being there after dark. I think we will make it next week, and I’m so excited to see it all after the sun sets.

Wasn’t FoP amazing?

Animal Kingdom is such a fun park! The rest of AK is gorgeous after dark and Pandora is worth seeing, but it didn't blow me away. Hope you have a good time!

Saw a photo of Satu'li Canteen, but I guess you didn't get a chance to eat there. If you're looking for a quick service sometime at AK, give it a try...amazing!

We didn't try it.... this day! It's possible we made it there on another day

Your evening at AK sounds nice! Pandora is so pretty at night but I agree that it's SO dark!

Fun morning at MK! You and the girls look so cute in your dresses!

Yeah I wish Pandora was just a little more glow-y!

Thank you! It was nice to have a girl's day and dress up a bit