animal kingdom with a one year old

{wearing: calypso skirt // nordstrom rack chambray – similar //  scarf is stylemint but sold-out //  necklace // sweater is old as the hills – similar // cap // bag is old topshop I got while in  london- similar – similarsimilar}
{on tuck: shirt // his ONE shoe… more on that later // joe fresh for JCPenney pants }

around 2pm last week Thursday JB asked if I’d want to come with him up to Orlando while he visited some clients.  Immediately my wheels started turning and I asked if Disney was a possibility.  Yes was the answer… and can we leave around 6 tonight?  I was ecstatic.  But unprepared and that made me a little nervous.  Plus, since Tuck has been such a champion sleeper for a while I haven’t wanted to rock the boat … crib, rather.  But in the name of Disney, we packed up, and hoped for the best.

We booked the hyatt regency in orlando, formerly the peabody… which I’ve stayed in with my family for the last fifteen years.  Still a great hotel, but I miss the ducks!  I miss the southern hospitality… but I probably just miss all of those fun family times we had there.  And it was quite special being in a hot tub with my husband AND baby … one that I used to sit in as a teenager and wonder if I’d eveerrrrrr get a boyfriend.  or if i’d eveeerrrrr get married.  i did!  indeed.  (:

JB dropped us off at Animal Kingdom right at 9am and headed to his appointments.  Thanks to y’alls amazing tips  we booked it to the safari.  Tuck was so precious I could barely stand it!  I loved listening to him squeal in amazement.  Then we went to Tuskers for a breakfast with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, & Goofy.  We booked the breakfast the night before on the Disney App.  Tuck was SO excited when they came to our table.  and then SO INCREDIBLY DEVASTATED when they would go to the next table.  times 4// each character.  But you know, life with a toddler.  speaking of toddlers … this is how it went ::

^^ sometimes it is all smiles.

^^ and sometimes your child tries to eat daisey’s beak // and pull goofies whiskers clear off.

I used my ergo instead of bringing or renting a stroller.  Tuck will nap in that thing FOREVER.  Strollers, not so much.  So after breakfast we walked around and Tuck went down for a long nap.
Packed pretty much what I usually do in my diaper bag – just more snacks than normal.  Once he woke up again I was hungry so we picked up some lunch.  A lamb of an italian man saw me wobblying with my tray and helped us to our seat.  Kind strangers are angels.  I am convinced.

We rode the train to Rafiki’s Place.  He really loved the train!  We went to Affection Section (yes, a real place!) and Tuck fell in love with a goat named HeMan.  We got back on the train- a real highlight for the Tucknado.

We walked around Dinoland and rode triSARAHtops (; Then picked out his very own Mickey, and then sat down and had some snacks at Pizzafari.  JB was on his way to pick us back up and we headed to the front.  We stopped off at guest services because… we lost not one, but two different pairs of shoes.  We lost the first one within ten minutes of being at the park.  Then purchased a second one.  Then one from the second pair got lost in the shuffle.  Ha!  I kid you not.  Tuck walked around for much of the day with one moccassin and one disney shoe.  So we took one of each pair to guest services to see if they had been returned.  They hadn’t.  But Tuck shmoozed everyone at guest services, and the kind guy in charge actually gave us a gift certificate for … guess what… more shoes!  Disney, y’all are the best.  We have been more responsible with our new shoes from Disney.

And thanks to everyone who chimed in on instagram.  I wouldn’t have known what to do!  so thanks for a successful day at Animal Kingdom with my toddler.  ps: here’s some clips from our day!

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