The Magic Kingdom and More...

For those of you procrastinating doing something productive on this cloudy Monday afternoon, how about a trip down memory lane with some photos from my recent excursions to Orlando's theme parks!

I hadn't been to Disney or Universal since I was 12 so it was a total blast from the past for me to relive the fun and festivities with my sisters and mom. I was especially excited to return to the Magic Kingdom because the last time I had been in the late 1990's, I had the flu so I had to spend most of the time inside the Grand Floridian with a thermometer in my mouth.

We arrived at Magic Kingdom at dusk on a Saturday evening but the park was still super busy! (some parents really win the 'worst parenting of the year' awards here, aka kids wearing no jackets when we were bundled up in hats and scarves,  and unconscious 4 year olds being carried on speedy rides by their parents at 11:30 pm- yikes!)

We tried to pull off an excited  jumping shot at the entrance but apparently I don't spring from my squats like I used to...oops!

 

We went on all the classic rides, including the always thrilling space mountain and the usual suspects, including Snow White, Peter Pan, the tea cups, Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion!

 

We of course had to take a snapshot wearing some ears!

And my sister Whitney reunited with her favourite Minnie Mouse dress which she barely removed for 4 years of her childhood.

After dark, all the rides  lit up and it was extra magical!

There was a  booming fireworks  show set to music.

And a spectacular parade with all the characters and floats lit up with hundreds of dazzling lights!

Besides Magic Kingdom, we also hit the other Disney parks to ride the scarier rides, such as the Aerosmith roller coaster, which was awesome (shout out to emo pepito who kept us entertained in line)

Shrieking on the Tower of Terror was worth the wait

And stuffing our faces with loads of overpriced sugary treats was a no-brainer

The first major ride we  ran to at Universal was the Hulk roller coaster - we couldn't resist riding three times and taking funny photos each time!

Next was a visit to Seuss Landing, where we caught up with the Grinch and Thing 1 and Thing 2.

 

Also at Universal is the new rock-it rollercoaster which was INSANE!

You choose your own soundtrack to listen to for the ride and can watch a music video of yourself afterwards- so fun!

I'd be remiss to not mention that the Harry Potter park at Universal is coming along quite nicely.

As I watched Hogwarts go up, it pained me to realize that my visit timing was off by only a couple months until it opens, but I guess it's just another reason to return one day...