About a year ago, I mentioned to Greg and my parents that I wanted to take Jack to Disney World for his golden birthday, so long as covid wasn't too bad. Thankfully, life has returned to mostly normal since the pandemic and we planned an amazing birthday weekend for our boy. The day we spent at Magic Kingdom is easily in the Top 5 of my favorite days, ever!
My parents brought their RV to Disney's Fort Wilderness and we all stayed there for 3 nights. The campground itself was amazing with so much to do: multiple playgrounds, a pool with a water slide, shops and restaurants, games and activities, an arcade room, nighttime campfires and movies on a jumbo projector, and a lake with boats, kayaks, etc.
We rented a golf cart, which Jack referred to as the "golfie," and I think he had more fun on that than any of the rides at Disney lol! Many of the other campers decorated for Christmas with lights and inflatable characters, and we drove around in the golf cart at night to see the displays while listening to holiday music. We saw wildlife such as turkeys and deer within the campground too.
On Sunday morning, Jack's 4th Birthday, we took the ferry over from Fort Wilderness to Magic Kingdom bright and early to get into the park before 8am. We decided on Magic Kingdom since it has the most rides for kids his height. Since the wait times were short, we did every single one of them he was eligible to ride - some twice!
We stopped at Cinderella's castle to take some family photos before the crowds came later. Jack's first ride was the carousel, and his smile speaks for itself! He also loved "The Barnstormer," which has some small drops and is as close to a rollercoaster as we'll get at this age. As soon as we got off, he wanted to get back in line to ride it again! Jack got a special birthday pin, and all the characters and crew members wished him "Happy Birthday" all day, including Buzz Lightyear.
Our lunch consisted of theme park comfort food: chicken fingers, burgers & fries at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe. Later in the afternoon when Greg and I snuck away for the one-and-only adult ride we wanted to jump on (Space Mountain), Nana & Poppy treated Jack to a popsicle and popcorn, which he devoured. As we made our way through the castle from Fantasyland to Adventureland, the parade was just about to start. A sweet older couple, gave Jack and I their spot in front to enjoy the spectacle of floats, characters and music.
I ordered all of us custom shirts with the silhouette of Cinderella's Castle and Mickey Mouse, each in a different color with the names Jack calls us: Mommy, Daddy, Nana and Poppy. They were super comfy, perfect for layering when the temps were low in the morning, and make for a great keepsake to wear again and remember our trip.
We were glad to have the stroller so Jack didn't have to walk the entire time, and we could keep our backpack full of essentials (snacks, sweaters, etc) and hold all 5 of our stainless steel cups filled with water, without having to carry them around. The stroller parking was a breeze - we'd find a central spot to park, then go on all of the surrounding rides.
Jack was a trooper with no meltdowns in the 9 hours total we spent at the park! We made a pit-stop into Starbucks on the way back to the boat to grab some much-needed coffee for the adults and a cakepop for the birthday boy. Jack somehow stayed awake the entire time and was delightful until his head hit the pillow in his camper bunk bed that night. Not only was the weather absolutely perfect and the park was magically decorated for Christmas, but Jack is at such a great age to enjoy the rides, and actually remember most of the trip to Fort Wilderness and Magic Kingdom. I know his parents and grandparents always will☺
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