When Dallas asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I told him all I wanted was for us to take a trip up to Disney World for a few days as a family. I loved visiting Disneyland during the holiday season when we lived in California so when we moved to South Florida it seemed only logical to spend some time at Disney World as well. Plus I couldn't think of anywhere better than Disney to help get us into the holiday spirit!
We left on a Wednesday afternoon (the second week of December) so Dallas could put in a few hours of work in that morning. He also used the 3 hour drive to Orlando to finish some things up as well, since we would be at the parks the rest of the week. Disney has incredible deals for Florida residents, so we ended up buying season passes. The only downside is there are block out dates, we wanted to make sure we timed our trip right (plus you do NOT want to fight crowds the closer you get to winter break!) Another thing I am loving are the insane hotel deals in Orlando lately. We were able to book a super nice suite for three nights at 60% off!
After having checked into our hotel, we headed to Downtown Disney for dinner, shopping, and to meet Santa. I openly admit that I'm a total Disney nerd, but I love their attention to detail. No matter where you go Disney affiliated (theme park, cruise line, store, even their own island) it's like stepping into magic. I know it's totally cheesy, but I love the excitement and joy it helps to bring out of me...and now my little boy.
Since it was getting late, we decided to eat first. While we waited for our food, Daxton and I had some fun playing in the outside fountains. It's always so much fun watching Daxton interact with water. He LOVES it! Whether it be a sprinkler, pool, bathtub, fountain, or the ocean, he would spend all day in water if he could. It's also especially nice here, that in December, at night, it's still in the low 80s so you don't have to worry about the wet clothes giving him a cold!
Daxton had so much fun playing in and out of the spouts. A teenage girls volleyball team was also playing in the water, which he thought was hilarious. He was quite the flirt and would chase the girls around and cling to their legs. They were sweethearts about it all and didn't mind all the hugs and snuggles from a random toddler.
He was covered from head to toe on several occasions and came out laughing hysterically each time.
When daddy showed up with our food, he was a bit shocked that our once dry little man, was now soaking wet!
After we ate dinner and were about to leave, we let Daxton do one last run around the fountain. He was so cute and kept saying goodbye as we left.
One of the main reasons I wanted to check out Downtown Disney was that I wanted to get Daxton's pictures with Santa. He was so funny with Santa last year and I thought he'd be fine this year. That was so NOT the case. I think he's used to clean shaven, bald grandpa's, because he was NOT impressed with Santa and didn't want anything to do with him. We ended up taking a super awkward family picture together, since we had waited so long in the line. You can tell how pleased Daxton was with the situation! He did, however, love everything else at Downtown Disney. He wanted to touch all the lights, trees, and different Christmas decorations. He also loved sitting in his stroller while we pushed him through all the stores. There was so much to look at and so many people to smile at...he was in heaven.
Daxton loved the Lego Store and all the different characters that were masterfully built.
By far the highlight of our night was the dance party. Right in the middle of Downtown Disney there was an outdoor amphitheater where a DJ was playing fun music and leading dance competitions. Daxton immediately ran down to the front (in the middle of several kids) and began dancing his little heart out. I need to figure out how to post video on the blog again in order to show how amazing he was. He had no fear and would maneuver his way to the front of the stage. He didn't stop dancing for over 30 minutes! The other kids around him were so nice and didn't mind if they received random hugs at their knees. I wish I could put into words how fun it was to see our little man so happy and having such a good time.
Not to mention, he's got some serious dancing skills!
By the time we dragged Daxton away from the dance floor it was close to 10pm, almost 2 hours after his usual bedtime! He was asleep before we made it back to the hotel and slept soundly through the night. It was a perfect way to kick off our Christmas celebration at Disney!
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