"Peaks" of Orlando

Something my college roommates and I used to do that I continue to do now with my boyfriend and family are "peak" and "pits" The "peak" is the best part of your day, weekend, vacation, etc. and the "pit" is obviously the worst. So, I decided to put together a list of "peaks" of our amazing family vacation to Orlando for this year.

Peak 1: Sanaa's Indian Style Bread Service

Our flight was supposed to leave at 7:10 in the morning. We boarded around 6:30am and didn't take off until about three hours later. Needless to say, it was a long day. When we finally arrived, we stopped in Disney Springs for lunch, checked in at our hotel, relaxed for a bit, and headed to our first Disney dinner at Animal Kingdom. We went to an African-inspired restaurant, called Sanaa, where we ordered a bread service to split as an appetizer. It came with various types of naan bread and nine different "sauces", ranging from mango chutney to garlic pickle. It was AMAZING. We were lucky to have gotten the opportunity to try such unique food. 

Ryan and I after dinner.

Peak 2: Poolside Pina Coladas

Our first two days in Orlando were pretty relaxing (the long days at the park started later in the week). We went with a total of 17 people. Some days, we were all together; other days, we were split up doing our own thing. On Monday and Tuesday. Ryan golfed in the morning and then we went to the pool for the afternoon. We enjoyed tasty summer drinks, went jet skiing, and relaxed in the pool.

Peak 3: Hollywood Studios with Mom & the Cousins

Since my cousins live in Colorado and California, it's rare that we're all together. So, I was very thankful to have this trip to spend some time together with them. We all got to Hollywood Studios before it opened so we could make the most of the day. We headed to Toy Story Mania first. The other big hits of the day was the Rock n' Roller Coaster and the Tower of Terror, of course. I especially like this picture of the Tower of Terror of us. 

Ryan was a bit nervous...

Peak 4: Our Big Italian Dinner

On Wednesday night, 19 of us enjoyed dinner in a private room. As I've said, it's so rare that my whole family is together. This 19 makes up my mom's whole side of the family. It was a great night with AMAZING food. (And it was the first time I sat at the "adult table"...ahhh.) After dinner, we took advantage of the fact that we were all together and took pictures together. I'd say it's safe to say that this is a favorite of everyone. 

Peak 5: Magic Kingdom Wishes Firework Dessert Party

Thursday was a long day at Magic Kingdom. Knowing we would be staying until almost midnight, we arrived around 10am, when it instantly started pouring. After the rain, we enjoyed all of the big rides and shows of the day along with a great lunch at Be Our Guest. After a light dinner, we headed to the Wishes Firework Dessert Party, which was INCREDIBLE. We entered an outdoor venue and were greeted with glasses of "champagne" (aka cider) and proceeded to our table. The black table clothes with pretty lights was perfect, especially right next to Cinderella's Castle. The dessert party included a cookie bar, an ice cream bar, and an entire Viennese table of desserts. After indulging in the desserts, it was time for the front row seats to the fireworks. It was a great night. We're so thankful our parents included us in this! Thanks, Mom and Dad!

Peak 6: The Kilimanjaro Safari at Animal Kingdom

On Friday, we headed to Animal Kingdom. When we arrived, we headed to the Festival of the Lion King Show, then to Expedition Everest. The rest of the day was spent walking looking at animals like gorillas and tigers, riding the Kali River Rapids, enjoying an African-inspired character buffet, and a Jungle Book Night Show. My absolute favorite part of the day, though, was the safari ride we took at dusk. (Shout out to my mom for knowing to go at dusk because the animals are more active!!!) We saw giraffes RUNNING, lions walking around, hippos, alligators, and more. It was awesome. 

Peak 7: EPCOT

We've been to EPCOT before, but I've never appreciated it as much as I did on this trip. We started out the day by riding Soarin' and the Nemo ride. Then, we headed to the countries to taste the food and have some drinks. Ryan and I did our fair share of taste testing throughout the day.

Germany: Shared a bratwurst. Both got a beer.
Japan: Split sushi.
Morocco: Split small plates with family. (Lamb sausage, brie fondue, and garlic shrimp).
France: Macarons.
England: Beers.
​Mexico: Dinner with the family at San Angel Inn Restaurante 

Peak 8: Chef Mickey's

One of my absolutely favorite things to do in Disney is Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort. We were lucky enough to get a reservation for all of us before our flight back home on Sunday. Chef Mickey's is a character buffet with excellent food. Knowing it was our last time to fully indulge on vacation, we all filled our plates with breakfast, lunch, and dessert. 

Peak 9: Coming home to Amber!

It is a miracle I made it through the week without losing my mind because of how much I missed my dog daughter. If I didn't have her to come home to, it would have definitely made the trip home more devastating. Thankfully, I couldn't wait to see her again. We're reunited!