We stayed at the Contemporary Hotel which is a hop, skip and jump from the Magic Kingdom.  We ended up upgrading to a Tower room with a view of the Magic Kingdom.  There is no better way to cure what ails you than the ability to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from your balcony.

We spent the afternoon at the Magic Kingdom and then came back to the hotel for dinner.  We had priority seating arrangements at Chef Mickey’s.  Olivia took a special liking to Minnie Mouse and ended up kissing her on the nose which you can see in the second picture.
  
A great way to start our magical trip!

We spent the afternoon at Epcot where both girls took a nice long nap.  It was wonderful and allowed Arnie and I the opportunity to enjoy the Flower and Garden Festival and view all the countries in the World Showcase.  Olivia woke up a while before Maddie so we parked the strollers along a quiet walkway.  Olivia played on the bench and we just enjoyed spending time together.

We spent a quiet evening back at the resort where we swam and had a nice quick dinner.

We all had dinner together at the Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Wilderness Lodge. We HIGHLY  recommend it if you have little ones. It’s a lot of fun for everyone. Our only suggestions are to be sure the kids ask for ketchup (trust me) AND to participate.

Here’s a picture of Samantha and Maddie holding the knife that was given to them after they dropped theirs:

And here’s a picture of Arnie and Olivia that I just LOVED:

Maddie with the Incredibles:

The girls with Jasmine and Aladdin:

Olivia got her first taste of a Mickey bar - she was impressed to say the least:

Maddie has found her calling in life - to work at Mickey’s House selling balloons. Hopefully she grows so she doesn’t blow away!

We had dinner at the Concourse Steakhouse at the Contemporary Resort. It was delicious and we highly recommend the Penne Pasta dish!

For dinner we met up with Gina & her family and Kim & her family at Ohana’s at the Polynesian - which means “family”.  Pretty appropriate if you ask me!

Some pictures:
Maddie probably telling Morgan and Samantha some grand story!

Coconut races - Maddie LOVED this game since it was like Hockey

My mom dancing with Olivia

Summer 2000 Moms and babes: Peyton, Gina, Morgan, Kim (baby Danny in her belly), Samantha, Maddie, Tricia and Olivia

The morning was spent at Epcot. We highly recommend Turtle Talk with Crush.

For the afternoon we headed back to Magic Kingdom.  And Olivia got her first haircut! Now, before everyone freaks, yes, she didn’t need a haircut. However, when Maddie went to Disney for her first time she got a haircut in Disney. And I had to be sure Olivia had hers done as well.
Here’s a picture of Olivia with Michael (the same man who did Maddie’s first haircut):

Maddie had hers trimmed and Heather added some pixie dust for good measure:

The rest of the day was spent in the pool!

we meet the mouse!

And give that Minnie Mouse some more Lovin’

And our mouseketeers say “See you real soon!”

Final comments: We had an amazing time.  It was exactly what we needed to feel “normal” again.  And we’re counting the days until we can return.  If anyone is planning on going to Disney - drop me a line. I know of an excellent Disney travel specialist who can make your trip magical!