One thing we love to do in our family is start up traditions. Everyone has them, and going to Disney World is no different, as we tend to start off our trip doing the same thing each time; going to Chef Mickeys at the Contemporary Resort!!!!

Chef Mickey's is a full buffet where you get to meet Mickey Mouse, Minnie and the rest of the gang! Very high energy and really good food! Being that it is located right next to the Magic Kingdom, its a fun way to start off the trip and get the Disney magic flowing!! One thing we did on this trip was be sure to include in our reservations that we were celebrating Paige's birthday....wow did they celebrate! I think every restaurant included some sort of birthday surprise, whether it was a signed card, cupcake, singing or a little of everything! When you get to your resort, grab a Celebration pin, like the birthday one, if you are celebrating ANYTHING and wear it all week to the parks...you are guaranteed to get some pixie dust!!

So after eating at Chef Mickey's, we always head to the Magic Kingdom! Something about seeing Cinderella's Castle is the perfect way to start off the trip. Its like when you enter the gates and start walking into the castle, all your worries disappear, and the trip officially starts!!!

We always try to hit up our favorites at the Magic Kingdom, most importantly Space Mountain...its definitely our favorite!! At the Magic Kingdom we also love Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and The Haunted Mansion! We hit them all though!!!

So while we always start the trip by hitting up Magic Kingdom, we also start the next morning there too, because typically we aren't able to hit up everything that first night. We also have a tradition of booking an appointment for Paige at the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique for before the park opens, where she gets a complete makeover into a princess. Then we head up into the castle for Breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table! Perfect start!!!

Cinderella's Royal Table is one of our favorites as it starts by meeting and getting a photo op with Cinderella! After that it is a delicious hot and cold breakfast you get to enjoy while having ALL the princesses come to your table!!! Whats nice of our timing with the two is we then are done eating right before rope drop so we can line up to hit up Space Mountain right away...then grab Fast Passes to ride it again!!
Ahh...we love Fast Passes! This program allows you go grab tickets for a popular ride for a later time, so you can skip the sometimes long lines and ride your favorites more than just once! If a ride offers a Fast Pass option, you will see machines set up in front of the ride entrance. Brian is the Fast pass king and would time things out to perfection so we can maximize our Fast Pass usage!!! Plus they are completely free!

One time we didn't really need the Fast Passes is during Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, which we had to buy separate tickets for, but was well worth it!!! The park closes for anyone without the ticket, and you literally feel like you have the park to yourself!! There are candy stations set up all over the park, a special Halloween parade and fireworks, dance parties literally with the characters and more!!! The park is open extra late and it is just a blast and really gets you in the Halloween spirit!!! We were able to ride our favorite Space Mountain countless times WITHOUT the fast passes because there was no ride!!!

This character in the parade got right in Paige's face...luckily she laughed!!!

Very cool parade!!!

Many characters were out you don't normally see!

We can't wait to hit up the Magic Kingdom again someday, as the park is undergoing a HUGE Fantasyland update with new rides, restaurants and character meets and greets. I have heard some pretty fantastic things...and can't wait to hopefully see it in person some time!!

Next post I will share about my favorite of all the parks...Epcot!!!! Lots to talk about!!!