Christmas and Disney World 2021

This Christmas was unlike any we've ever had!

It all started with the usual passing out neighbor gifts and getting presents wrapped. And it ended with a week in Florida with my family!

Although John and I were a little weary of the cost when my brother decided we should all do a reunion at Disney World, we decided to go. It was pretty fun, but we're already looking forward to a traditional Christmas again next year. Although we were in the Magic Kingdom, we definitely felt a little magic missing without a Christmas tree in the house and a nativity on the table. Aside from that, it was still a really fun trip!

We arrived in Tampa on Saturday night and after going to church, we stopped at Treasure Island! Which I will have to say was not actually an island... but still cool! The sand felt and looked like cornstarch and there were shells everywhere (along with some cool sandcastles)! After the beach, we checked in at the Airbnb my brother booked. 

On Monday, we went to the Magic Kingdom. It basically feels like half of Disneyland with some different rides. It was a little rainy, but not too bad. Aaron loved The Tomorrowland Speedway. He was laughing his head off every time the car jerked sideways because he wasn't driving straight. Brooke liked seeing Mickey and Minnie and surprisingly was our "roller coaster gill" [her way of saying girl]). She loved going on all of the big rides! David was happy that he can now say that he's been on splash mountain although now that we're home, he insists he didn't like it... And of course, we all loved the fireworks at the end of the night!

Tuesday was super rainy and we spent it in Hollywood Studios. We also didn't pack super great for the weather but we survived! The best things was Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway and of course, Star Wars Rise of the Resistance. Unfortunately, Rise of the Resistance was shut down for most of the day and when it opened again, the line stayed as a three hour wait for the rest of the day. We decided to wait in line anyway, but I will say, we definitely would've liked it more if the wait wasn't as long. An hour and a half or maybe even two would've been fine, but three hours wasn't super worth it...

The next day was a break for the kids, John, and my parents. They spent the day mostly swimming in the swimming pool. The rest of us went to Universal Studios to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Julia, Tami, and I got there a little later than everyone else and got in line for a show while we were looking at what else we could do. While in line, I looked over at the Escape from Gringotts ride and the time wait said "delay". And this is where we got super lucky! While I was looking at it, it blinked and got fuzzy and then changed to say 30 minute wait! We jumped out of line and rushed over! Even with the mad rush of people getting in the line, we basically walked right on to the ride! It was a great way to start the day! Other than that magic, we went on the other main rides as well as the Hogwarts Express. I have to say the Hogwarts castle looks much cooler and bigger in person and the Hagrid's Magical Creatures ride was by fay the best in the park! Later that night, Tami and I got dinner at The Leaky Cauldron. We ate Toad in the Hole and it was very... classic... as Tami put it. But the frozen butterbeer was so good! Definitely worth trying and maybe even diy-ing at home! 

Thursday was SeaWorld with most of the family. It was pretty chill. We did all of the Sesame Street rides at the start and watched the shows. The Sea Lions and Otter show was definitely the best with how funny it was! They even had a hilarious mime at the start while everyone was waiting for the show to start. One of the best things we bought was the refillable drink cup! It was free to refill that day so we refilled it probably six times! Definitely worth it! Later that night everyone watched the ice skating show while David and I got some food. Afterwards, they watched the Sesame Street Parade and then John, Julia, and Tami went on the three big roller coasters and loved them! We stayed for their fireworks show as well and then headed home.

Friday was Christmas Eve and we spent it swimming, icing sugar cookies, watching movies, and getting into a few small arguments with Tay since debating is a passion of his, lol. We also did our minute to win it challenge which has become a reunion tradition. This time, everyone ended up winning one game except for Tami, Julia, and Vale (Tay and Christina's au pair) who won two making them the champions this time around!

Saturday was a long day for us of driving two hours, having a mix up that left us waiting at the airport for an hour and a half when we landed, followed by one more hour of driving and finally getting home at 7 pm. We also stopped by Grandma Grimes' house before heading home which was really nice. It's always fun to visit with her! Thankfully, Santa left the presents that morning for us, so the kids were able to enjoy their toys as soon as we got home. David asked for laser tag, Brooke asked for a Doc McStuffins doll, and Aaron asked for "so many cars". Zack can't talk yet, but he got a few baby toys and snacks. Overall, it was a great Christmas.

And before I forget, we also made a homemade gingerbread house and went to a German Christmas market before heading off!

And now that it's over, I can say that I'm glad we did it, but I don't really want to have a Christmas that crazy for a long time... Except for the seeing family part. I'll always be up for that!