Before Autumn passed, she made me promise I would take the kids to Disney World soon, before Finley and Atticus grew too old. They hadn’t been since they were four and two, and the thought of making lasting memories was something Autumn wanted to be sure we didn’t miss. Fast forward a couple of weeks ago, and I got the chance to fulfill that promise. Our long-awaited family vacation to Walt Disney World was finally here.
I surprised the kids with the news at Christmas, and ever since then, June 3rd had been marked on their calendars. The excitement was palpable, and it felt like the perfect time for an unforgettable trip.
Our adventure kicked off with an early flight from KCI. It was still dark when we left home, but nothing could dim the excitement. The flight was smooth, and soon enough, we were on our way to the Grand Floridian Resort. We arrived by 10 AM, though, as expected, our room wasn’t ready yet. No worries—we took that time to explore the resort, drop off our luggage, and stretch our legs.
Our first stop: Typhoon Lagoon. If you stay at a Disney Deluxe Resort, you get free admission to the water parks on your check-in day. The kids were ecstatic to hit the slides, but Atticus was a bit hesitant at first. After some encouragement, though, he conquered his fears and joined in the fun. Finley, ever the planner, had already scoped out all the slides on YouTube and knew exactly where we needed to go. Their favorites were the Crush ‘n’ Gusher and Gangplank Falls, and they loved the massive waves in the wave pool.
Unfortunately, after all the excitement, Atticus developed a migraine, and rain showers started rolling in. So, we decided to head back to the resort. Fortunately, we got the notification that our room was ready. It was stunning—recently remodeled with a perfect view of the Magic Kingdom. Watching the fireworks from our balcony was an unforgettable moment. After a delicious dinner at the Grand Floridian Café, we ended the day with a swim, a front-row seat to the fireworks, and an early night’s rest.
Our first full day was spent at the iconic Magic Kingdom. We decided to walk from the hotel to the park, hoping to avoid the crowded monorail. We thought we were getting there early enough to catch the early magic hour, but... rookie mistake. A quick photo op and a stop for coffee and breakfast on Main Street slowed us down. By the time we arrived at our first ride, the wait time was already 35 minutes—longer than the 5 minutes we had planned for.
Still, we made the most of our morning, knocking out some classic rides like Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Haunted Mansion. We also took the opportunity to use our Lightning Lane passes on Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear. By midday, we were all ready for a break, so we headed back to the hotel for a couple of hours of rest and relaxation.
That evening, we dined with Winnie the Pooh at the Crystal Palace, then hit some of the big rides—Tron (a family favorite), Mine Train (Atticus’ favorite), and Tianna’s Bayou Adventure (Briley’s favorite). We capped off the night by watching the fireworks and making our way back to the hotel, exhausted but full of happy memories.
The next morning, we set out early for Animal Kingdom, knowing we wouldn’t need a full day here. Our plan was to hit the major attractions and then head back for some downtime. The kids loved Dinosaur, even though it's one of the older rides in the park. We made our way to Pandora to experience Na'Vi River Journey and Kali River Rapids, followed by the Kilimanjaro Safari. After a quick lunch, we returned to Pandora for the highlight of the day—Flight of Passage—another family favorite.
Then came Expedition Everest, Atticus’ greatest fear. But, with a little bravery and encouragement, he conquered it! We finished up with another ride on Na'Vi River Journey before heading back to the hotel for some much-needed R&R.
For dinner, we had a truly memorable experience at Ohana at the Polynesian Resort. The bread pudding was beyond amazing—everyone agreed it was the best meal of the trip.
Next on our list was Epcot, and we knew it was going to be our longest day yet. We got to the park early enough for Soarin’, one of the kids' favorites, and made our way through the World Showcase. We also hit up Ratatouille in France and Frozen Ever After. Our Lightning Lane pass for Guardians of the Galaxy was a bit of a wild ride. The ride broke down while we were in line, but the staff gave us a return pass to ride later. When it opened again, we raced over, and were able to cruise through the standby line and save our fast pass for later. Wow—Guardians of the Galaxy was every bit as incredible as we had heard.
Dinner was at Space 220, a restaurant that felt like dining in outer space. The gourmet food and impressive presentation made it one of the highlights of our trip. We wrapped up the evening by using our Guardians lighting lane and then watching the fireworks before heading back to the resort.
Hollywood Studios was our next stop, and we kicked things off with Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, which had a delayed opening. Atticus was a little nervous, but he ended up being fine but was not pleased with going upside down...or loopty loops as he calls them. We moved on to Galaxy’s Edge in Star Wars Land, which was incredible, and then braved Tower of Terror, a ride Finley had been dreading but ended up riding twice. We also had lunch at Woody's Lunch Box, followed by Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the new ride that was a big hit with everyone.
That evening, we dined at Beaches & Cream at the Beach Club, where the kids indulged in enormous desserts. Afterward, we walked along the boardwalk, took a bus to the Magic Kingdom, and then walked from there back to the resort for some pool time and relaxation.
The last couple of days at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios were filled with repeat rides, favorites, and some new experiences like the Villains show at Hollywood Studios, which was fantastic. We finished up with a beautiful dinner at Be Our Guest (where we were seated in the Ballroom, to Briley’s delight) and Sci-Fi Drive-In at Hollywood Studios (Atticus’ favorite).
By the end of the trip, we were all Disney’d out—exhausted, but happy. We spent our last evening packing up, buying souvenirs, and soaking in one last swim at the pool.
This trip was the first one with just the five of us, and it meant more than I could have imagined. We honored Autumn by continuing her legacy of making memories and living life to its fullest. From overcoming fears to creating lifelong memories, this adventure will stay with us forever. So many moments that still bring us joy and laughter, and so many stories that we’ll tell for years to come.
