I don’t want to brag, but I sort of killed the whole first-birthday-together-as-newlyweds thing!
My husband turned 28 on July 26th last year and I did not take this event lightly. My job as his wife is to make him happy, no matter how much I may stress both of us out in the process! So to kick things off was his birthday party!
It was a taco themed party of course, because that’s his favorite food to eat…and make. Yes, Jared did the cooking for his own birthday party. So maybe I didn’t slay the birthday game as much as I thought…but he insisted! Family and friends were all invited to our home for this feast of pork tacos, chicken tacos, and a vegan option of meatless imitation ground beef tacos for one of our good friends.
Needless to say, it was delicious.
Up next was THE CAKE!
Y’all. I don’t know how to express in words just how much of a nervous wreck I was about this cake. I stayed up until midnight the night before perfecting it, but I still wasn’t entirely sure it came out the way it was supposed to. See, this was a more intricate recipe than I was used to, and I had never attempted a layer cake before. In fact, I practiced the recipe two weeks prior and it was an absolute disaster.
We all gathered ’round the table and sang Jared happy birthday and the moment came for him to cut the cake. He could see me practically shaking next to him. He made the cut and it came out….
Perfect! I was beyond relieved and so happy that it all held together and tasted as delicious as it looked. My mother in law cut the rest of the cake at my request because I was too afraid to mess up the pieces! Try the recipe here!
All in all, it was a blast. Jared was happy, so I was over the moon.
The next morning we packed-at the last possible minute because we like to keep things exciting. Then we set out on a 6 hour drive to….Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I know this post is promised to be about a weekend in Walt Disney World, but don’t worry-we’ll get there!
You see, my father has been wanting to take a big family trip to the mountains for as long as I could remember. It just so happened that the family I nanny for was taking their own family vacation that week. So, I had a week off and the stars aligned so that the whole family (minus two of my brothers) were able to make the trip to Gatlinburg.
We spent 4 days in a spacious chalet overlooking the Smoky Mountains. It was as breathtaking as it was nerve-racking. We were up so high! Bears and bobcats roamed the property…but luckily kept their distance. It was like another world.
It was a great time filled with laughter, a few silly family arguments, and a whole lot of fun.
Jared and I left Wednesday morning before the sun was up and set off for…Coco Beach, Florida. *Cue I’ve been Everywhere Man by Johnny Cash*.
One of my brothers, Kevin, who couldn’t make the Gatlinburg trip lives in Coco Beach. It’s about a 45 minute drive from Disney World. He and his roommates were kind enough to let us stay at their house for a couple nights before we checked into our Disney World hotel. It was great catching up with Kevin. We used to fight relentlessly when we were kids, but I truly consider him not just a brother now, but an actual friend. Life is so funny that way.
Now! For the part you’ve been reading for…
We checked in online to our hotel at Art of Animation on Friday. We stayed in the Little Mermaid suite and it was just about the most adorable thing ever. One thing I love about the Disney Resort Hotels is that when you first walk into your room, the tv is on with a guide to everything the parks has going on that day. Instrumental Disney music is playing in the background. Instant excitement as if to say, “You’re here! Welcome!”
Now, some may prefer one of the deluxe resorts or moderate resorts to AOA. I have stayed at the Polynesian and the Grand Floridian but I must say that I love Art of Animation just as much. Yes, you read that right. Maybe it’s partly due to nostalgia. I stayed there in the Finding Nemo section on my very first visit to Disney on a trip with my sister and her family. This was right after Jared and I first met and I was thrown right into my very own fairy tale!
Obviously there are certain perks and extras that come along with staying in one of those Deluxe hotels. But there is something about Art of Animation I find so sweet and charming. I challenge you to look around at all of the immersive Disney decor in each section and not feel the magic!
After checking in, we headed straight to Hollywood Studios. This was the day that I rode tower of terror for the first time. My husband has been trying to persuade me to go on that ride for years. I dug my feet in each time. I am petrified of heights and elevators-but I am also a HUGE twilight zone fan. After persistent begging from Jared, I finally decided I could not disappoint my husband on his birthday and make him ride alone.
It was TERRIFYING but amazing and I am so glad I faced my fears! The effects and attention to detail were incredible. I’m not eager to do it again any time soon, but it was a blast for sure! As a reward for my bravery, Jared bought me a pair of Minnie Mouse earrings.
A gift from my husband on his birthday. Is he the sweetest or what?! From there we went to see The Voyage of the Little Mermaid, a cute half hour musical show with special effects. It’s great to pop in, sit down, and cool off for a bit! Especially after all that walking in the July heat!
After that, we decided to do a vacation club tour which was super informative. We got to see a couple of models for new rooms that they were working on! Plus: free ice cream and a 50 dollar gift card each. I can’t say we turned any of that down!
After some relaxing pool time back at Art of Animation, it was time for dinner at ‘Ohana in the Polynesian Village Resort! You have probably heard people rave about the character breakfast at ‘Ohana but I am here to argue that dinner is even better (apart from the lack of characters, of course!) It’s a big family style meal of shrimp, chicken, steak, and the best noodles you’ve ever tasted. And the dessert? To die for. If you can save room for it!
After dinner, and after we could breathe and walk again, we headed back to Hollywood Studios. Jared rode the rock n roller coaster. I was not quite ready for that adventure, especially on a full stomach. After getting off of the ride, Jared told me he lied to the innocent girl next to him when she asked if it went “really fast”. Always the prankster!
To top off the night, we made the trip to Disney Springs to pick up Jared’s other birthday cake from Amorette’s Patisserie. It was a Mickey character cake, and probably one of the best cakes we’ve ever tasted. They have to be ordered a few days in advance, so plan ahead!
Saturday was even more fun! We got up early and rope dropped the Magic Kingdom.
The crowds were low and the heat was actually very mild! There was no line for Pirates of the Caribbean, one of our favorite rides in the Park. From there, we had a 5 minute wait for Splash Mountain! We were also able to get on the Haunted Mansion with very little wait-my personal favorite attraction of all the Parks! Our final ride for the morning was the Seven Dwarves Mine Train, which we did have a fast pass for. If you want to ride that one, and you totally should, you’ll need to book a fastpass in advance unless you get really lucky!
After all that, we just barely made our reservation to Beaches and Cream. There isn’t much to say about this except OH MY GOD.
After some more pool time, we went back to the Magic Kingdom. We got to do Pirates and the Haunted Mansion again! We also did the Winnie the Pooh ride for the first time; it was super cute! Then it was time to watch the Happily Ever After fireworks show. I don’t know how the imagineers could ever top this!
Sunday was Epcot day for us!
We weren’t as lucky weather-wise, it was almost unbearably hot! We did Living with the Land, a nice sit down ride that takes you through an informative journey on the care of the plants and food in Walt Disney World.
After that we did the Finding Nemo ride, which was slow and sweet. And then of course, our favorite at Epcot-Frozen Ever After! So much fun and a nice way to cool off when you desperately need to! Grab a fast pass for it if you can! Once we got off that ride, we retreated back to our hotel for some more rest and relaxation pool side!
We went back to Epcot that night to see Illuminations. It was Jared’s favorite fireworks show since childhood and I wanted to make sure he saw it one last time before it was replaced with a different show. We found a great spot on the bridge between the Canada pavilion and the UK. We waited in an intense downpour before the rain finally let up. Better late than never, it was a beautiful show!
The next morning it was time to say goodbye to our little room and to Disney World.
That part is never fun. But we were excited because we had one final shopping trip to make at the Disney Character Warehouse at the Orlando Premium Outlets. If you haven’t been, I really recommend you check it out! Word has gotten out so the lines are pretty long, but they have great deals there on merchandise that didn’t quite sell out at the parks. We found some Haunted Mansion coasters, Mickey and Minnie ornaments, a Halloween candy bowl, and a Cinderella candle holder!
Our magical weekend officially came to an end, and before we knew it we were back on the road and heading home. But, we had a 7 and a half hour car ride to start planning our next trip…turns out we didn’t have to wait long!