TRAVEL DAY: Day 1

TRAVEL DAY

Feb 29th, 2016: Our flight was only at 5:00pm this time so we skipped all that crazy early morning routine that we usually undergo when leaving for Florida. I had packed all our clothes a week ahead of time but still had to pack up our toiletries and medication. I have to say it is so much more pleasant flying in the evening, especially with kids. We felt a lot less rushed. I had an appointment at the hairdressers that morning and still had time to come home, make lunch, and finish packing. 

There was a snow/ice storm that morning when we woke up so we were a little concerned that our flight might be canceled but luckily it stopped and the weather clear-up around noon. We got a ride to the airport with a friend of ours and got there 3 hours ahead of time. Usually we arrive 2 hours ahead of time but since it was spring break we figured there would be long lines at security and at the U.S. customs. We pass customs in Canada when flying to the U.S.  Well, we actually got through fairly quickly. We had two hours to kill before our flight. We did a little shopping at the duty free and then headed to the first class lounge. (I get access to the lounge for me and my family because of my flight status.) 

My boys and I in the first class lounge.

Thankfully I had bought tons of great activity books for the kids before leaving which kept them busy. I love the "Melissa and Doug" activity books. They keep the kid's interest for hours. We found a quiet table in the corner of the lounge and the kids decided they would play with the "Make-a-face" book.

One of the activity books I brought for the kids


Making faces..literally and figuratively!

Wow, this creation is an abomination! Good job, kid!

We played for a little bit and then sampled some of the food offered in the lounge. We then headed to our gate and boarded our plane. It was our first trip without a stroller and I have to say, it is so much easier to travel with older kids, so much less stuff. We just brought a backpack and a small carry-on with some extra clothes for the kids incase of an emergency, our PJs, toothbrushes and medication. I also had put all the activity books in there with a small collapsible lunch box with snacks for the flight. Our passports and documentation along with the iPads/earbuds were in my backpack for easy access.

Once on the plane I gave the boys an iPad with headphones and that kept them busy almost the whole flight. I had downloaded "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" because they had never seen it and we were going to try the Seven Dwarves Mine Train roller coster and I thought it might be fun for them to know the story. Both boys really enjoyed the movie, despite my husband's scepticism. Haha! As for us, we had another i-pad that my mom had lent me, so my husband and I got to watch an adult movie. Yay!

My five year old did need a little more entertaining on the flight so I pulled out another Melissa and Doug activity book called "Color Blast". It comes with a magic marker to colour the pages and reveal hidden object. It is kind of like a colouring book mixed with a find-it book. It was more geared for my five year old but my 9 year old found it very appealing too, so we let him have a few turns with it.

"Color Blast" colouring book


We arrived at the Orlando airport around 9:00 pm. We headed for the Magic Express and were lucky enough to board our bus right away. The kids were so excited and really enjoyed the little video that played during our bus ride. As for me, I took a quick nap ;)

We arrived at Port Orleans French Quarter with big smiles on our faces. You could feel the excitement of just being on Disney property again! It felt good, like coming back home from a long trip! While the kids watched cartoons in the lobby, we check-in and got our customized Magic Bands. Even though I had requested building 3, top floor, we were given building two, second floor which turned out fine since it was close to the pool, boat dock and the main building.  I also made sure that we were getting connecting rooms with my parents who were arriving tomorrow. It was all taken care of. I also inquired about the grocery that I had ordered from Garden Grocer. It had arrived and was being stored in a refrigerated area. 

"We're here! So when can we go to the park, mom?"
My husband went to get our groceries while the boys and I brought our stuff to our room. After that, we decided that we would go grab a small bite to eat at the food court. We were all hungry since we did not really have supper. I shared a shrimp pho-boy with my husband and my kids shared a kids meal of chicken nuggets. My oldest son has a severe nut allergy, but they had a nut free menu so there was no problem ordering for him. I was surprised by how good the food was. The boys' chicken nuggets were big and juicy and that pho-boy, WOW. But who wouldn't like big, juicy, fried shrimp stuffed in sub with lettuce and tomato and smothered with a tangy sauce, right? Sorry guys, I forgot to take pics, way too hungry. LOL

We also bought a refillable mug for $18 so that we could get drinks anytime of day. The cashier told me it would still be good at the Polynesian so for a 10 day stay, it was definitely worth the cost. Just with this meal we had an iced tea using the mug and then re-filled it with decaf coffee. 

After filling our bellies, we were all pooped. We headed back to the room to hit the sack. I knew our luggage was not going to arrive for another hour or so, that is why I had planned ahead by bringing our PJs and toothbrushes in our carry-on. I called the front desk to tell them that we would retrieve our luggage in the morning to make sure they would not be knocking on our door at midnight. It was a long day and it felt good to finally be in bed.

Our trip was off to a great start! 

Up next, Part 3: Grand-parents surprise the kids and we're off to Magic Kingdom!

Check out the rest of my trip:




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