So....it's time for me to stop dragging my feet and finally put this Trip Report to bed. SO sad.
I'll say good-bye with a little wrap-up of our trip and closing thoughts.
First....
the Dates. We went during our kids' Spring Break from school, April 19-28. Thankfully, it was a few weeks after most of the country was on break so the crowds were fine. I had worried that we would see some crazy crowds the first weekend of our trip, but that never happened. The weather was PERFECT!
We had only one day with any rain and it was only for an hour or so in the afternoon...completely manageable. My favorite part about going to WDW in April is being able to enjoy the Flower and Garden Festival. I love all the special little touches throughout the parks.
Second...
the Resort. We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside mainly because we are a family of five and our affordable choices are very limited. The down-side to staying at POR is that we all share a room.
This trip it worked our perfectly, but with the boys getting bigger and our next trip nowhere in sight, we may have to re-think this when and if there is a next time. We LOVE the quiet pools at POR and the boys enjoy the water slide at the main pool. Jeff and I also love to take advantage of the hot tub!
We love that POFQ is a short walk away and enjoyed beignets there one morning for breakfast. Our room was always clean and well stocked...and we had towel animals and little surprises throughout our stay. The grounds of POR are gorgeous and I love to stroll the crooked paths! Despite reports of bus issues at POR, in our two stays there as a family we have had nothing but FANTASTIC bus service. I have stayed both on-site and off-site and will always choose to stay on-site if possible. There's nothing like being immersed in Disney magic 24/7!
Next...
the Quick Service Dining Plan. I have mixed feelings about this overall. It was definitely the most affordable choice for our family for this trip. Taking the gratuity out of the standard Dining Plan really swayed our decision to choose QSDP. If you plan accordingly and do your research, it is possible to get a wide variety of foods on the QSDP...not just burgers and fries. The great thing about it is that you are not tied to ADR's and that if a family member is not happy with the restaurant choice, he/she can easily choose a different one. For example, one night Jeff and I got dinner from Tangierine Cafe in Morocco and the boys ate fish and chips in the UK. We all sat together at an outside table and could enjoy our meals together. I loved all the snacks that are included in this plan and, honestly, we had a hard time using all of our credits! The negatives? I missed being able to do more character meals. We did pay for one OOP, but I would have liked to do others. It's definitely more relaxing to be able to sit and order your meal from a waiter and be served....I missed that as well. Next time? I guess we'll just have to see when that is and what is available at that time. Having three boys who like to eat makes a meal plan of some kind a must-do for us.
Finally...
The Parks!
Animal Kingdom- We love this park!
I think that AK is immaculately themed and I love to wander through and try to take in all the little touches the imagineers have put in. EE is a family favorite and I love that we can all ride and enjoy it together! FOTLK is also a must-do. My favorite AK memory from this trip is getting soaked on Kali after complaining that I didn't get wet enough on our last trip. Be careful what you wish for!
Epcot- This is by far our favorite park. Although you cannot match the feeling of wonder and magic at MK, Epcot is the park in which we choose to spend most of our time. WS is my very favorite and we were able to really slow down and experience each country on this trip. We saw some of the street performers and got to eat at some different restaurants. We also love Soarin' and my boys (Jeff included) can't get enough of Club Cool. Springing Beverly on unsuspecting first-timers never gets old!
My favorite memory from Epcot this trip was Isaiah saying he was exhausted because he just walked all the way from Mexico to Germany. That boy can make me giggle!
Magic Kingdom- Ahh....what can I say? Main Street and the castle, balloon vendors, characters, the music and smells....I love it all!
I especially enjoyed staying at the park until the wee hours of the morning for EMH one night. Seeing Wishes from high atop Splash Mountain was awesome! Haunted Mansion continues to be one of our faves and seeing it after dark added to the experience. My favorite memory was watching all the attention and interaction Jonah got from both cast members and characters when he had his pirate face paint.
His interaction with Tink was especially cute!
Hollywood Studios- This was the one park where crowds were the biggest issue. Despite that, we were able to enjoy our day. The highlight was riding TOT with ALL 5 of us! Yay! Everyone was tall enough for RnRC this trip as well so it was fun to enjoy all the rides as a family. We did get to see Fantasmic...from the standing-room-only section, but we did see it! We also got to meet Mr and Mrs Incredible..a first...and enjoyed the block party parade. It was so fun to see Jonah dancing in the street!
I know that those short summaries can't even begin to explain what an awesome trip we had, but it gives you a taste! WDW is truly a magical place for our family and our vacations there will be treasured lifelong memories. There is something about WDW that brings us together and gives us the freedom to enjoy life and each other's company like no other place I've been. For that reason, we will continue to go back....just WHEN???? That is the question!
Thank you so much for reading along with me and getting to know my beautiful family. I'm sure I'll see you around the boards!
I LOVED your report! Thanks for sharing your trip, your family, and your memories with us! It was great getting to know you and your lovely crew through this report and I am utterly sad that it is over. 
Connie
