Pirates Of The Caribbean Ride

I was able to ride a lot of rides at Disney World, but not all of them. I will put my reason for the ones I did not and will have a guest blogger for those or will post information about them. 

Now for Pirates Of The Caribbean... 

We hurried to the ride (we got in early with Extra Magic Hours), the line was pretty short. We walked through a set of arches into a hallway with lanterns. I started seeing pirate things like a sail and a crow's nest. Next the hallway got darker and I saw a cannon!! I kept following the hallway and got to the area where the boats are. We got on our boat and we were on our way. It was dark and I saw 4 lights and lightning. I saw a waterfall with a pirate's face in it and it was talking. It was spooky and we went right through it! I saw a pirate with a torch. I saw a cave with pirate skeletons in it and another area with big crabs! I saw a skeleton holding a  sword and I heard a pirate voice that said "Dead Men Tell No Tales". I saw a pirate ship and a lot of different pirates, including Captain Jack Sparrow. There was a pirate town and we went under a bridge that had a pirate sitting on it. The dog with jail keys was there, just like in the movie. The pirates even sing "Yo Ho, Yo Ho A Pirate's Life For Me". note: there is a small drop during this ride, it's not scary but my parents who were in the front got a little water on them. 

When you exit the ride you go through a Pirate store.There are pirate accessories such as swords, eye patches, hooks, even Jake and the Neverland Pirate's stuffed dolls. 

My brother went to the Pirate's League. He got a cool pirate makeover. He took a pirate's oath and everything. He looked so awesome! 

Afterwards we got to see Captain Jack Sparrow!!!

**Note From Mom: This ride is a dark ride, it is not too loud, but the voices may scare some. If your child is sensitive, maybe just bring along a pair of headphones to lessen the sound. The drop is unexpected, but subtle, we rode in the very front and got a small splash. Disney has been working to fix that, not sure what they have done, but even if the boat takes on a little bit of water, it is not very much. We took our 13 month old on this ride and had no problems. 

The Pirates League is awesome! I recommend it for makeovers. Please book in advance. We booked 6 months in advance to guarantee his spot. We didn't pay anything at the time of booking, just know that you have a specific time to cancel by or they will charge you a small fee. My son had a great time! They have pirate and mermaid makeovers. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/magic-kingdom/pirates-league/**

  

Magic Kingdom (the fun place)

We woke up between 6 am and 7 am. I felt very excited, because we were going to the MAGIC KINGDOM!! We all got dressed, it was a little bit chilly outside. We walked to the bus stop and waited for the Magic Kingdom bus. I felt like there were butterflies in my tummy when the bus got there. We got on and we were on our way. When we got to there, we got off the bus and I wanted to start running to the entrance. We walked in and I saw a beautiful train station. 

Magic Kingdom train station at night.

We walked through and then we were on Main Street, USA.

Then I spotted it, Cinderella Castle. It looked so real! It was magical! It was more beautiful than I expected.

As soon as we were inside, I just had to get an autograph book because I left mine at home. I also got Mickey sorcerer ears and autograph pen. We went to guest relations at city hall and got my Disability Access Service card. They took my picture and gave me a little book. (This helped me because it is hard for me to stand in line for a long time with so many people around, I get scared. Noise is bad for me also, I get headaches and my ears start to hurt. I took my card to a ride entrance and they wrote in a time for me to come back so I wouldn't have to wait. It's like a Fast Pass. We used our Fast Passes first, though.) We passed by the Main Street Theater. 

We passed the bakery that smelled like fresh chocolate chip cookies. We wanted to stop, but we were in a hurry to get to our first ride, Pirates of the Caribbean. We went to Adventureland and found the Pirates ride. My next blog will be about Pirates of the Caribbean and how cool my brother's pirate makeover was. See ya next time.

**note from mom: Be sure before your trip to download the My Disney Experience app. You can use it to make Fastpass+ reservations, check wait times, view dining information, show your reservations, use PhotoPass to find photographers or link photos, view park hours and buy tickets. It is an amazing wealth of information and comes in very handy in the parks. 

The Disability Service Access Card is great for kiddos with Autism, it cuts down the line wait by allowing you to return at a later time. You enter through the FastPass line, so there can be a short wait, but it is reduced. This way, you can keep your kiddos active and interested by visiting other areas in the meantime. As a mom with 2 children on the Autism spectrum I implore everyone not abuse this system. Previously Disney had a different disability policy and the system was abused by those who did not have disabilities. This system was designed to give people with a cognitive disability the most magical experience possible. Let's keep it that way.**

Ride on the Monorail

We found the Monorail inside the Contemporary Resort. It looks like a rocket ship train that is up high. We got into the last car. There was lots of places to sit inside. We went out of the hotel station and it felt like we were speeding. When I looked out the window I saw that we were up in the air and we could see other resorts and a lake. All of a sudden, we slowed down. Then we stopped and we waited a long time. There was speakers in the car and the man said that we needed to wait a little bit longer because they had to move another monorail. We were stopped behind one of the hotels. The fireworks from the Magic Kingdom were popping, we could hear them, but we couldn't see them. After a while we were on our way. The monorail pilot gave us stickers! It might have taken a long time but we had fun!! Then we drove back to our hotel and went to sleep. The next day was a big day, we were going to Magic Kingdom!!! 

My next blog will be about Magic Kingdom!! It's about time! 

**Note from Mom: The monorail is a great way to move about the Disney World Resort. It is usually a quick and fun experience. You get to see some great resort views and it really does have a futuristic feel.**

Chef Mickey's

The drive to the Contemporary Resort wasn't very long. We parked the car and went inside. It was still cold outside and we were still in our princess and prince outfits. People kept saying we looked pretty and handsome. We went in an elevator to Chef Mickey's. We stood in line and waited for my Nan, Aunt Robin, her kids and Roman. 

We got three tables, they weren't together. My Nan and two sisters were at one table. My mom, me, my dad, my brother and baby sister were at another. Aunt Robin and her family were at the last one. We got to eat macaroni and cheese, beef, mashed potatoes, veggies, chicken, sushi, chicken nuggets, and many yummy deserts. 

The very best part of eating at Chef Mickey's is getting to meet Chef Mickey, Donald, Minnie, Pluto and Goofy. A song plays and we dance and twirl our napkins. It is so much fun!!! If you go to Disney World, you should go to Chef Mickey's. 

We had a lot of fun! Coming up in the next blog... the Monorail ride.

**Note From Mom about the Contemporary Resort...If you are looking for a modern Disney Resort hotel, we suggest the Contemporary Resort. This deluxe resort has two pools on Bay Lake, monorail service directly from INSIDE this hotel. They also offer complimentary bus service and is conveniently within walking distance to Magic Kingdom!! There is a variety of dining options at this hotel, character dining, fine dining, themed dining, quick service dining and in room dining. The resort also offers four lounges. Recreation includes water sports including parasailing for an additional fee. There are also jogging trails, tennis and beach volleyball. Roast marshmallows and make s'mores by the campfire, watch a Disney movie under the stars on varying nights or visit the arcade. The Contemporary Resort is fun for all ages.** 

Downtown Disney (now Disney Springs) First Visit

We were on they ferry boat and it got cold. We didn't pack any jackets because we thought we didn't need them. When we got to Downtown Disney we got off the ferry boat and saw a bunch of shops. We had to hurry because it was almost time for our makeovers. We walked past a carousel. I wanted to ride, but we didn't have time. We walked by a chocolate shop that had a really long line. We finally got to the World of Disney store. The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique was inside of there. A fairy godmother in training came to get me and took me to a chair. I sat down. I chose Tiana hair, glitter nail polish, and jewels for my face. It hurt a little bit when they put in the ponytail, but it was pretty. I felt like a princess. The fairy godmother was very nice. When we were done my brother looked like a prince and my sister looked like a princess.

After that, we had to get ready to go to Chef Mickey's. It was so cold outside, so we had to buy sweaters. The World of Disney store was cool! We finally found Minnie sweaters and bought them. Then we took a bus to our resort, the bus was nice, so was the driver. When we got back we got into our car to drive to the Contemporary Resort, where Chef Mickey's is. Did you know the Contemporary Resort has a monorail that goes through it? It does. It is awesome!

**Note from Mom: The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique provides a great experience for your daughters or sons. There are different packages for you to choose from for your princesses and for your boys there is a knight makeover. We bought our girls dresses and accessories from the Disney Store in advance so they got the crown package. It is worth it, my kiddos felt like royalty! You need to book early. We booked 6 months in advance to guarantee their spot. We didn't pay anything at the time of booking, but do know that you must cancel by a certain date to avoid paying a small cancellation fee.**

(My Hotel) Port Orleans Riverside

Our hotel was called Port Orleans Riverside. When we got there we saw a security guard. We told him we were going to stay there for 7 days. We took a little while to find our door. We were on the second floor and it was kind of far from our car.

When we got there we opened the door with our wristband!! We didn't have to check in at the desk, my mom did it on her phone. When we got in, there were two beds, and a little one in the wall under the t.v. There was a table, two chairs, a coffee maker and a fridge. There was a bathroom with a big counter, mirror, two sinks, a safe and a curtain between the bathroom and bedroom. There was hangers on a bar for our clothes and an iron board. There was even a blow dryer for our hair. The smaller room that had the potty and the big bathtub that had another curtain and an area where you could put your bath stuff. There was a lot of Mickey soap already there for us to use. 

Disney Soaps

We didn't have much time to relax in the room, because we had to get to our princess makeovers. My sister and I got dressed in our princess outfits, but I was itchy. My brother got dressed in his clothes for his prince makeover. My baby sister wore her Snow White dress, but she was too little have a makeover. We walked to the boat area and took a boat to Downtown Disney. 

My dad, my baby sister and me.

My big sister and my brother.

My little sister.

A little more information on the hotel...
There is a food court that has a lot of different kinds of food for breakfast, even Mickey waffles! They have pizza, pasta, meats, a grill, a bakery, and ice cream for lunch and dinner. There is a sit down restaurant in the main building. There is a store and a lounge there too. They have a big pool with a big slide, it was so fast, it was...AWESOME!! They have a bar by the pool for grown ups too. There are lifeguards and they have life vests for kids to use to swim. Riverside has five other pools that are quiet. One was close by our room. There are ferry boats that take you to Downtown Disney, but it's not Downtown Disney anymore, it's now Disney Springs. They also have buses that take you to Magic Kingdom, Disney Springs, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. There are a lot of buses that come during the day and at night. If you stay at Disney hotel, you can stay in some parks late on some days. You can also go to some parks early on some days.

The Long Car Trip

When we were in the car, we past the city and drove on a long road. There was not a lot there. We listened to music and played a license plate game, car bingo, I spy, restaurant bingo and tic-tac-toe. We also watched movies. One of them didn't work :(. When we were in Houston we had a lot of traffic. It took forever. I had my blanket so I was not cold or hot. I also had my Mike from Monster's Inc, doll. Sometimes i felt squished by my brother and sister. At night we got hungry and stopped at McDonalds in Louisiana. We went through the drive-thru and there was a car in front of us. He bought our food! When my mom went to buy the food, it was already paid for. That man was nice. He also paid for another car's food. We didn't get to say thank you because he already left and we didn't know him. We ate and went to sleep. But my mom and dad kept driving. We stopped and went to the bathroom a couple of times and it was cold outside. 

In the morning we woke up in Florida and ate donuts at Krispy Kreme. It was good! I also had chocolate milk. Next door was a Whataburger and my mom thought they were only in Texas, but she guessed wrong. 

Baby Sister and me

Baby Sister

Me!!

Brother

Little sister

Me telling jokes to my big sister

Then we drove for a little longer to find a place to change the baby's diaper.We went to a store and it was stinky in there. We seemed to drive forever, then a little later we found our hotel! We were so excited. I couldn't wait to see Princess Tiana!

Getting Ready For Disney World

When I got ready to go to Disney, I did a lot of things. I packed a lot of clothes and two toys. I packed my Tiana dress, because I was going to get a princess makeover. I had a tiara and shoes to match. I packed a small first aid kit that had Bandaids, Neosporin, hand sanitizer and little patches for my feet so I wouldn't get blisters. My mom said it rains all the time in Florida, so we packed a poncho. We were going in March, so we didn't think it was going to be cold, but we packed a long sleeve shirt and pants just in case. I packed my stuff in my pink and white luggage, that I got from my mom's sister. I also brought a green tote full of games and activities. I took dvd's also. We all took blankets and bunch of drinks and snacks.

My dad went and rented a new minivan, but it was gross and smelly. We got a different one and filled it with our stuff, but when we went to leave, we found out one the seat belts didn't work. After another hour, we finally got a different van that worked and didn't have a broken seat belt. We could finally leave!! We got gas and went on the road.