We always love a good adventure, and for Arrington’s 8th birthday, we decided to pull off the ultimate surprise: a trip to Orlando, FL!
Originally, we planned to leave on Thursday, but with Hurricane Helene threatening to hit, we moved our trip up to Wednesday. Yes, we were flying into the path of a storm! While Wednesday night and Thursday morning were wet and rainy, the weather cleared up and turned out to be nice—certainly better than some of our previous trips with the extreme cold in 2017 and unbearable heat in my teenage years.
We spent Thursday at WonderWorks, a quirky museum that’s hard to miss because the building is literally upside down! Fun fact: it’s designed that way to look like it landed on its roof after being torn from its foundation in the Bermuda Triangle.
Other fun moments included the bed of nails, illusion art, and the indoor obstacle course. Arrington, fearless as ever, tackled the 36-foot-high suspension bridges like a pro, while I struggled internally more with my fear of falling than the height itself. I kept my composure and made it through; I just had to get my bearings.
By Friday, the weather was near perfect. The kids still hadn’t figured out we were headed to Disney, so their faces were priceless when they started seeing Mickey everywhere. We hit Magic Kingdom and Epcot—and got lucky with relatively low crowds. We only waited about 15 minutes for most rides, with Space Mountain being a big favorite for both the kids and myself. Aliah, despite a little fear, is now a roller-coaster enthusiast!
The unexpected showers during the day gave us a chance to rest, recharge, and snack before continuing our park adventures. Our first ride at Epcot, Spaceship Earth, kept getting delayed—seven times to be exact—but we finally made it out. Then, on Mission: Space, Arrington and Aliah insisted on the orange mission, which was intense! While they handled it like champs, I was grateful for the barf bag. After all, I finally settled my stomach just a couple of days prior.
After a fun day, we ended it with Epcot’s magical firework show before heading back to our hotel. We stayed at Rosen Shingle Creek, a beautiful hotel overlooking a golf course. While not super kid-friendly, it had plenty of space, pools, and even an arcade.
On Saturday, we enjoyed some pool time. I watched as the kids danced in a pop up downpour before heading to the airport. The rain ended as quickly as it began, making for a quick and smooth flight back home.
Happy 8th Birthday, Arrington! Here’s to many more adventures.
BTW: The kids are already asking when our next surprise adventure will be—guess I’ve set the bar pretty high!
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2 Comments. Leave new
You always have given the children wonderful birthday celebrations. What a blessing to be able to give them priceless memories.
I am so blessed and I am blessed to have them!