Bippity-Boppity Boutique

Many months before we left for our vacation, we called and made reservations for Maggie at the Bippity-Boppity Boutique (Lucy was too little- or she would have gone, too!) Even calling months ahead of time, there were VERY limited openings. We took what we could get (10 am-ish at the Downtown Disney location... groan!) and were told to call back the week of our vacation to see if there were any cancellations. Smart planning on Gramma's part- because she remembered to bring the phone number and we called during our LOOOOONG drive down and we able to get an 8am appointment- at the Magic Kingdom location. Jackpot!

Because we were travelling in late October, I was able to score a Cinderella dress on sale at Target for about $15. We made sure to pack that, along with shoes and other accessories to avoid having to buy all that stuff at the actual park for nothing shy of millions of dollars.... Anyway, on the day of the big "appointment," we all got up EXTRA early and headed to the park. The best part of an 8 am appointment? You get in BEFORE the park opens and get AWESOME photo opps without all the crowds.... Too bad the girls were "pre-boutique" for these pictures!

Once we got to the Boutique, we checked in and Maggie was seated right away with her very own "Fairy Godmother" to help her choose her hairstyle, etc....

...and then the magical transformation began to take place!

 Oh, and there was a SECOND Fairy Godmother who did Maggie's makeup and nails!

Sprinkling some "pixie dust" on the finished princess... 

Ta-da! 

And here she is... right by Cinderella's Fountain!

Disney Vacation: Day 1

For our first "full" day in Florida, we decided to head straight to the heart of it all... Magic Kingdom. I mean, we really couldn't make the girls wait to see that amazing castle, could we? So.... off we went!

For those of you not familiar with Disney World, the parking lot is a completely separate part from the park. Once you park your car, you have the option of taking the monorail or the ferry into the actual park. For the first day, we opted for the ferry. Maybe it was pregnancy hormones. Maybe it was me being a freak. Or maybe it was just me being a crazy mom, but as we got closer and closer to the park, I begin to tear up more and more. Watching my 2 little girls, so filled with excitement and anticipation and awe... it absolutely melted my heart. When they say Disney World is a magical place, they aren't kidding. It's magical whether you are 3... or 33... or 63. 

 Riding the tram through the parking lot!

On the ferry... Lucy was a little excited!

So.... once we stepped inside the park, we tried to gather up our thoughts and make a game plan. We also decided (as adults) that we were not going to make a big deal and point out every character signing we saw- hoping to avoid spending hours and hours waiting in line for signatures and photos. Of course, we'd stop for the "big names" like Mickey, etc....but were really hoping to "miss" some of the lesser names. Plus, we weren't quite sure how Lucy was going to react to some of the characters. She was a bit skittish around Santa AND the Easter Bunny the past year- so we were hesitant to wait in line for so long just to have her "freak out" when it was meet and greet time. HOWEVER, just inside the gate, who did we see? DAISY DUCK. Lucy's absolute favorite. Who could resist? So, we got in line.....

 ...and both girls did amazing! 

 We spent a better part of the day at the Magic Kingdom. We rode the Haunted Mansion ride (Maggie's favorite!) and the Teacups (OK, mom sat out of THAT one!) Then, we had a BIG SURPRISE for the girls. We headed over to Epcot, where we had some very special dinner reservations.... with the Princesses! SO MUCH FUN! (HIGHLY recommended to any princess fan- well worth the $$!) 

As we waited to be seated, we got to chat with Belle....

(LOVE the look on the girls faces here!) 

 Then, while we ate dinner, each of the princesses walked around, visited with each table, and posed for photos. It was great to have some one-on-one time with the princesses! Here are the girls with Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)....

 ...and Cinderella....

 ...and Snow White....

...and Maggie's favorite, Ariel (Little Mermaid) 

  

After dinner, all the guests were invited to join in a "Princess Parade." Maggie was the only one from our group who had enough energy to join in!

Just to show just how "magical" everything really is in Disney World- Lucy's ravioli were even Mickey shaped! :)

 Since we were already in "Norway" in Epcot, we HAD to head over to ride the Viking ship ride. Maggie thought this ride was pretty cool! She still refers to it as the "eyeball" ride (because there was a big eyeball on the front of our Viking ship) 

 Then Dad had to pose with his little "Vikings!" 

 Ant Jood and Gary pose in front of an amazing sunset at Epcot....

 We all had these light-up Mickey ears. As ridiculous as they were, they were SUPER helpful in finding one another in the dark parks each night! 

Finally- we stuck around in Epcot long enough to watch the amazing fireworks display at the end of the night. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. 

Perfect ending to a perfect day.