For as long as we can remember, Aaron and I have talked about going to Disney.

Prior to moving to Canada, it never seemed like much of an actual possibility. But if there’s anything moving abroad teaches you, it’s that travel - especially to a place as grand as Disney World - is not nearly as farfetched as it may seem. The added advantage of living where we do now is that it makes international travel a much easier thing to do. It’s far more affordable and the travel time is significantly reduced.

So when our Permanent Residency came through in early 2018, we started to map out some serious travel plans. We spent much of last year setting up our home and getting stuck into work, and wrapped up the year with our family Vegas trip. And amongst it all, we decided to make this Disney idea a reality. We took 2-3 months to plan out the details of the vacation. May 11-17. 6 nights. Port Orleans French Quarter. Park hopper tickets with water park access. Making Fast Pass selections. Restaurant bookings. Food research. There’s a lot to consider!

We’ve only been back for 2 days now but we had such a great time that I was keen to share the memories asap. I’ve left this holiday feeling relaxed and happy - and for reasons that what I wasn’t expecting. The experience itself is so polished and immersive. There really is something for everyone. I didn’t think I’d be sucked into the Disney vortex so easily.. but I am and I’m okay with it :)

Saturday 11 May:
Arrival

Our flight left Vancouver at 9am and went direct to MCO. In peak seasons, we’re blessed with a direct flight! As we left YVR, we were able to see the gorgeous mountain ranges that appear to go on forever. We really live in a beautiful part of the world. So easy to forget this is all hidden behind North Van! After a six hour flight, we arrived in Orlando and headed over to the Disney Magical Express pick up. This complimentary service took us to our resort. From the start, Disney were making this experience as effortless and considered as possible. As two people who lead very busy lives, it was nice to not have to worry about getting from A to B!

Upon arrival, we collected our Magic Bands from reception and made our way over to our room. We had an easy dinner at the resort eatery, listened to some live music, then turned in for the night.

above: dinner & drink at the resort after a day of travel.
below: our resort the following morning, on our way to the bus station.

Sunday 12 May:
Magic Kingdom

The quintessential Disney experience is Magic Kingdom, so of course this was the first park on the agenda! We took the free bus shuttle from the resort, made our way through security, bag check and entry, and entered the park.

WOW. It’s certainly a different experience viewing Magic Kingdom through adult eyes, but seeing Cinderella’s castle for the first time was a really magical moment. We weaved through all sections of the Kingdom to get our bearings and take in the sights. Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Liberty Square, Frontierland, and Adventureland. We used our Fast Passes to skip queues at Pirates of the Carribean, Thunder Mountain and Monsters Inc.

A storm rolled through around 2pm which caused momentary havoc (picture hundreds of people trying to squeeze into a small eatery!). This was the first time we realised that weather may cause some problems with our plans.. more on this in the next post! The majority of the park is exposed with next to no footpath coverage and many rides outdoors. Fortunately, the storm cleared as quickly as it arrived, and we were able to continue our with our day.

Just as important to us as the park itself was experiencing some of Disney World’s iconic foods. We researched food ahead of time and knew to hunt down the Dole Whip float - a pineapple drink with pineapple icecream.

After a memorable first day, we headed back to the resort and enjoyed a relaxing evening by the water.