Happy happy Tuesday, friends!
Well, as you probably already know, last week was my big Walt Disney World trip with Ashby and Madeley, and today…I have a lot of pics and details to share 🙂 .
We woke up super early on Wednesday morning (my alarm went off at 3:45!) to head to the airport to catch our flight to Orlando…
…these two had no problem hopping out of bed early for Disney!
We were so excited and ready to board the flight…but you know how travel can go…one minute you’re standing there literally about to board and the next, you have a 4.5 hour delay because of weather. No worries! We snacked, had coffee, I worked and were just thrilled our flight wasn’t cancelled.
Here we are many hours later and now, we’re about to board!
…yippee!!!!
Woohoo! We landed, grabbed our suitcase and headed to our resort.
We had to shift our day around because of the weather. This arrival day had TERRIBLE wind and rain, so we adjusted the plans, put on their ponchos and walked right over to Epcot because we had reservations for two of our most favorite rides along with a dinner reservation.
It might have been raining, but we were smiling 🙂 .
Epcot was ESPECIALLY gorgeous with the flowers this spring. They were spectacular!
First stop, Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind which is my VERY favorite ride ever. Ashby was super, super pumped and Mades, as you can see, was a tad apprehensive, but guess what? She loved it! You hear a different song each time the ride begins (there are six options), and for the rest of the trip, she was singing September by Earth, Wind and Fire 😉 .
After our ride, we made our way over to…
…Germany for dinner! It was delish! We enjoyed dinner and their festive show. It was the perfect way to dry off.
After dinner…
…we had reservations to ride Frozen which, as you can imagine, is always a favorite with the three of us.
I love this sweet pic! Here we are about to board the Frozen ride.
After this ride, we were soaking wet, exhausted and oh so excited to head back to our resort…
…where we showered, put on our Minnie pajamas, watched some Bluey and headed to bed (you can see THEIR PJS and MY PJS here!).
The next morning, I let the girls sleep in while I worked a bit and then we got up, got ready, ate breakfast at our resort’s marketplace and set out for the day…
…we stayed at Disney’s Beach Club Resort which is really pretty much my favorite resort at Disney. I love them all and, as you know, have stayed at so many, but the location of this one (and The Yacht Club) are just so perfect. You can easily take the buses or boat or Skyliner or walk to so many spots around Walt Disney World…plus, their resort pool is EPIC. This was our third time to stay at either the Beach Club Resort or Yacht Club Resort (they’re attached to each other and share the same amazing waterpark), and I just can’t rave about them enough.
The weather the day before might have been really crummy, but this day and the next were the BEST weather days I’ve ever experienced at Walt Disney World. Period. In my mind, this is what Heaven will be like…72 degrees, sunny and with a cool breeze. I must have said “this weather is amazing” to my girls at least 100 times. We went for a little walk around the property to explore that morning before boarding the bus (since the day before had been so wet, they wanted to see it in the sunshine).
This is out the back of The Beach Club Resort…
…so pretty!
Our first stop on this day was…
…Magic Kingdom, of course!
Off we went to enjoy some rides…
…Mades in particular was super pumped about It’s a Small World…
…we, of course, also rode on the teacups!
Such sass!
A personal favorite of ours is always this one…the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train 🙂 .
So many smiles! Side note: Like my new fancy sunglasses? They even have the Mickey emblem on the side. What happened to the Ray Bans I had on that day? I had them hanging on my shirt (like a fool) and knocked them off into oblivion on Buzz Lightyear’s ride. I was so bummed!
We had burgers and fries for lunch at the park and packed in as much as they wanted to until around 2:00 and then…
…we headed back to the resort to hang out at the waterpark/pool there. We had originally planned on doing this the day we landed (we were supposed to have landed at 10:30 AM and spent the day at the resort pool), but since that didn’t happen because of the weather, they wanted to do it on this day.
Um, yes please! When we weren’t in the water playing, I was doing this and LOVING every minute of it. Gorgeous weather, the sun and a book? Heaven for me!
They had so much fun in the sun too!
We didn’t have dinner reservations until 7:00 that night, so we grabbed snacks poolside to tide us over.
Around 5:30, we put our clothes on again really quickly and walked…
…to Epcot for another yummy dinner.
On the way to dinner, we stopped in France so that Mades could get a souvenir 🙂 .
Dinner on this night was in the UK…
…the flowers were GORGEOUS all around the United Kingdom of Epcot…
A yummy dinner at Rose & Crown for the win!
Even Remy loved it!
Ashby LOVES to drink tea, so we stopped here to get her some to bring back to McKinney.
And because we were trying to be SUPER FUN…
…we ended the night back at our resort with one giant ice cream sundae and three spoons 🙂 .
The next morning, we were up and…
…off to Epcot to enter early (if you’re staying at a Disney property, you can enter the parks early) so that we could get in line to ride…
…of course! We had to ride the Ratatouille ride!
Another pro to staying at a resort near the parks…
…we were able to easily walk back and grab a fresh t-shirt after a nosebleed. You know, sweet Ashby has one just about every day, but this one was particularly aggressive, so we were super pumped to be close to our room. After she swapped shirts, we walked to the Skyliner to catch a ride…
…to Hollywood Studios!
Our first stop was…
…an early lunch. We had a 10:45 lunch reservation here because Erika told me it was not only so delicious but SO CUTE, and YES, YES, YES!
This was my favorite meal of the trip!! Not only is it set in the most adorable part of Hollywood Studios…
…but it was equally as adorable on the inside. The food was SO DELICIOUS!!!
After we ate, we headed over to ride…
…a Star Wars ride. Do the three of us know anything about Star Wars? Nope. Did we all thoroughly enjoy the ride? YUP!
What do we know about?
We know about…
…Mickey and Minnie, so the Runaway Railway was a must on our list!
Awwww! Here we are about to depart on the ride. So much fun!
We sang our heart out at the Frozen sing a long too that day 🙂 .
Around 2:30, we decided it was time to…
…take that Skyliner back to Epcot and spend the day exploring that park.
First stop…
…they were hungry again, so we stopped for fish and chips.
Mades wanted to pop in as we made our way through the UK. Next up…
…we visited Canada…
…and then we exited “the world showcase” and took the most gorgeous walk (those flowers)…
…to ride Soarin’!
After that, we headed back to “finish the world”…
Hola from Mexico!
The ride in Mexico is such a cheesy, fun, quintessential Epcot ride, and we clearly adored it.
When we made our way through China…
…the girls each wanted a fan. Brace yourself, I really think Madeley James just wanted a “prop”…
…exhibit A.
Bahahaha!
Seriously, I hope when she wins her Emmy for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, she thanks me. Here we are in Japan…
…where we had 7:00 PM dinner reservations…
…for hibachi! It was delish!
After dinner, we finished off the world…
…finishing the night in France…
…where we wrapped up the trip with crepes 🙂 .
You guys, this trip was just so special. I know that I am very fortunate to be able to travel as frequently as I do with my kids (and that it gets to be a part of my job!), but it’s not the trip I will remember as much as it is the one on one time. They’re all four growing up so quickly, and I just really wish time would stand still. My mom always talks about “silent blessings”. These are those moments when you look around and think “Wow, my heart is just really full right now”. You don’t really acknowledge them out loud, you just acknowledge them to yourself and silently give thanks to the Lord for the moment. I had so many silent blessings on this trip…there were so many little moments with these two I was grateful to have last week. On Saturday morning when we were in the van heading back to the airport, they both were quiet and looking out the window. It was early and the sun was just coming up, and I said a prayer for each of their birth mamas. I feel incredibly blessed to have shared these days with them but also sad for the two women who did not. Life is complicated sometimes.
Whew okay, I’m tearing up just typing now. I better take that as a cue to sign off for the day. You guys, the Disney team here at Mix and Match Travel Agency is PHENOMENAL! We cover every little detail without any fees or extra service charges. From ground transportation to stroller rentals, dining reservations, Genie+ help and SO MUCH MORE, why would you book by yourself if you can get individual concierge service for the exact same price? We would LOVE to help you get to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios in Florida, Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii or on a Disney Cruise. Please contact us today!
I hope you all have a blessed Tuesday! I’ll see you tomorrow. xx
Kelly says
What a sweet trip! I love the name silent blessings! Can you link you belt bag?
Mix and Match Mama says
I don’t think it’s in stock anymore. It was from Lulu, but I bought it in December.
Erika Slaughter says
YAYYYY!!!! Loved seeing all the pics of this girly Disney World vacation! Madeley and her prop were ON POINT!
Elspeth says
Looks so fun! What great memories too! Thanks for sharing!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Beth Knecht says
Did you all use the meat plan of buy food individually?
Mix and Match Mama says
We did! I am so happy it’s back!!
Beth Knecht says
Wow! My autocorrect worked horribly against me this morning. So sorry for not revising!!
Bev says
So sweet! I kept thinking throughout this post, as I always do when it comes to A&M, how different their lives are because God saw fit to make them Shulls. If their birth moms only knew how deeply loved and cared for they both are, it would give them silent blessings each day. Yes, it’s complicated but beautiful, too. 💖
Jamie says
Love this magical post! How cute is Madeley with that fan:) Did you guys decide to skip the Animal Kingdom this trip?
Mix and Match Mama says
We did. They picked resort pool time over Animal Kingdom this go around.
Sheaffer says
WOW! What an incredible trip, and what special time spent with your girls! Love Madeley with the fan (and her sass), and Ashby is looking so old (and gorgeous) it makes me want to bawl!
CindyG says
We love going to the Beach Club Ice Cream Restaurant and we love to watch when someone orders the Kitchen Sink – that amount of ice cream and the toppings is just, WOW!
Mix and Match Mama says
That is what we ordered! For two tiny girls, they sure can eat! 😉
Emilee says
Awww…silent blessings. I love that!!
Mary says
What a special trip! “Silent blessings”….I love that. That little phrase will forever stick with me now. Thanks for sharing!
Erin says
I know you get very motion sick – does Soarin’ and Guardians not make you want to throw up?! I can’t do either!
Mix and Match Mama says
No but when I went with Kensington in 2022, I threw up after riding the millennium falcon. Needless to say, we skipped that one. agh!
Erika says
We were at magic kingdom the same day as you! Courtesy of mix and match travel! We had a great time. Jane is the best!
Mix and Match Mama says
I wish I would have run into you!! Thank YOU for allowing us to be a part of your magical vacation! xx
Kristin Lyngaas says
What a fun trip ❤️🖤 Your girls will never forget this time with you and each other. Life just rolls on. Epcot is so fabulous and I can’t wait to go back! Hope you have a beautiful and blessed day 🩷🙏
Kacey says
Such sweet memories you’re making with your littles!
Jennifer Smith says
I would definitely reach out to Disney Lost and Found about your sunglasses. Be as specific as you can on what they look like and where they flew off. They definitely find them and return them to the owners!!
Mix and Match Mama says
I sent in a request that day after I got off the ride. It was my stupid fault. I should have known better than to clip it on my shirt. Uggg, I was so mad at myself!
K.K. says
I love this!! But I still don’t understand how you rode those teacups?!?! 😉
Mix and Match Mama says
True love. True. Love. 😉
K.K. says
🙂 🙂 🙂
Joanne says
That sounds like such an amazing trip!
Erin H says
I can’t get over how grown both of these girls are looking! And I’m super impressed you can handle guardians. I had to sit by a garbage can for about 20 mins after. Granted, I rode it twice bc of child swap and that was the WRONG decision. Ha. Never again. But it’s my 5 year old’s favorite story. hahaha.
sandi says
My husband had a conference in Orlando in February so we were able to pick up some twilight passes for Disney. We only had a few hours in the park and poured over the map so we would make the best use of our short time there. The weather was freezing but we had such a fun time sprinting from ride to ride.
Many Christmases ago, I asked the grandparents about having more experienced based Christmas gifts. The next few years instead of gifts they would outgrow, they would buy theater tickets when the broadway plays came through our town. Brunch and dressing up for a play and attending with the grandparents are fond memories now. Mary Poppins, Cinderella and several others were among the plays seen. Our son has been to the ACC men’s basketball tournament games or several NCAA basketball tournament games and pro soccer games in DC. So many sweet memories for the kids rather than having a toy they stop playing with. Glad you were able to have that time with your girls!
PS: It’s a shame Madeley has zero personality 🙂 and Ashby is growing into a beautiful young lady.
Mix and Match Mama says
Oh I bet you did have fun during those twilight hours. What a special memory?!
Susan says
What a fun trip! Disney is just a magical place, no matter what the weather is! Jane and Erika are amazing. We just booked our next trip for October and can’t wait to be back.
Mix and Match Mama says
Thank YOU for letting us be a part of your vacation! We are so blessed by it! They are ROCK STARS!!
S says
This looks like such a special and fun trip! Completely unrelated- I bought the Wekapo Beach Blanket you rave about and took it on our beach trip last week. We absolutely love it! Thanks for the rec. Did you have any problems with it after washing it? Do you just wash it on gentle cycle, then hang to dry? Thanks for any tips!
Mix and Match Mama says
YAY!!!!! I’m so happy you bought it too! We just hose ours off and let it air dry in the sun. I’ve never put mine in the actual washing machine before.
Alison says
What a special trip with your two little ladies!! Your awesome team planned my Disney trip two years ago. While it wasn’t my first time, it was my kids’ and they still talk about how it was their favorite vacation to date and they can’t wait to return. Which is saying a lot considering my oldest is almost 19! 😉
Mix and Match Mama says
YAY!!! Thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of your vacation! We are always so honored!!
MelanieL says
Madeley and the fan, oh my word!! I’d probably only put it away for crepes too…:) Looks like so much fun, thank you for sharing!
Susie Harrold says
That trip was adorable! I am so glad you were able to go. Do ya’ll ever go to Animal Kingdom? I don’t remember you referencing it.
Mix and Match Mama says
We did not on this trip. If we would have had our resort day the first day (instead of the rain and flight delays), we probably would have been able to go one of the other two days.
KP says
What a fun trip. I would love to hear more about how you actually did Christmas since you gifted experiences this past year instead. Did you do ANY gifts, stockings etc? How did you manage this with Santa for the littles? And did you discuss with the kids ahead of time?
I think experiences are a great idea, but getting my husband on board is another story. Also wondering how the kids would handle Christmas morning with nothing!
Mix and Match Mama says
All great questions. I hate to say this, but we’re kind of phasing out of Santa (insert me sobbing right here). Mades still believes (or at least she pretends which I’m fine with because I can’t stand the thought of none of us believing!), but the three bigs do not. Leading up to Christmas, we told them we were going to do something different this year, so don’t be alarmed by the lack of gifts under the tree. We also told the bigs that Santa would still be leaving a few things (so that Mades had the experience that next morning), but that they would be small things. On Christmas morning, Santa left things they needed to go skiing later that week (new toothbrushes, stocking caps, cozy socks), we propped up Smith’s snowboard that had just been freshly waxed, Kensington had a Taylor Swift album (things like that) and then Madeley had a stuffed animal, some markers and coloring books. So, Santa still brought them a few little things (we just stick gum and candy in stockings on a normal year, so that was easy), and then Andrew and I gave them their “experience” gifts.
Cheryl says
Hi Shay!
This is unrelated to WDW, but just a quick question about your hair. Which version of Nutrafol do you use and have you tried more than one?
Thanks!
Mix and Match Mama says
I use the vegan. I can’t tolerate fish oil (which is odd because I certainly can actual fish), so I always use the vegan one. I LOVE IT!
Cheryl says
Great, thank you for the info!
P.S. My eyes welled up while reading your last part of this post. So so beautiful that God knew you guys needed your girls as much they needed you 💗
Devan says
I just sent a request to your travel agency for help booking our WDW vacation 🙂 A quick question for you since you just stayed at the Beach Club–did you have breakfast there? If you did, did they have quality food (pancakes, omelets, etc)? Like I mentioned in the message to Mix & Match Travel, when we last took our kids to WDW, we stayed at Art of Animation and our kids did not like the low quality, mass produced Mickey waffles etc. Thanks so much!
Mix and Match Mama says
Oh you would LOVE staying at The Beach Club Resort! We did eat breakfast there each morning. Ashby always had the Mickey Waffles and bacon while Madeley had the breakfast sandwich every day. My team can give you all the hot tips on where to eat breakfast should you decide not to eat at your specific resort each morning too.
Traci M says
Such a special special trip!! Love this!
Do you happen to have a link for your black shorts?!🥰
Mix and Match Mama says
I bought them last year, but they still have them and right now, they’re on sale! https://shopstyle.it/l/b9917
TRaci M says
yay! thank you!
E3mom says
We were there last week and I agree. The weather Thursday and Friday was gorgeous!
Paige Sullivan says
Bloody noses have been an issue in our home… But all in the past now! Someone I worked with once told me… a little dab of Vaseline in the nostril every night before you go to sleep. And now they are gone!!
Good luck! They are tricky, but I swear by this and love to share the fix!
Mix and Match Mama says
Thank you SO MUCH for this tip!! That is one we haven’t ever tried, but we will! Thank you, thank you!
Lynn T says
I love how you chronicle your trips to share. It is great to follow along. Its so sweet too, to hear how much you enjoy spending time with your kids….beleive it or not, not all parents make the time to create special memories. What a special mama you are. My kids are all out of college, but I enjoyed our time when they were little and never wanted summer break and all of the holidays to end either. Thanks for sharing. I love reading your posts in the evenings.
Kayla King says
I was at Disney last week too. It was my first trip back since 2009 and I also thought the weather was amazing! I’m a teacher and haven’t wanted to go in the summer because of the heat. My spring break ended up being the perfect time to go.
Kacy M says
Love how Madeley is posing with her hand on hip in every photo hahahaha