Florida 2015 - Day 1

Vacation!  One of my all-time favorite words!  This year, we headed to Florida again but with a little twist.  We spend a few days in Disney, then headed west to the Gulf coast.  We flew out on my birthday, and while airport and flying aren't much of a treat, Disney World on your birthday is definitely a treat.  We stayed at the Walt Disney World Dolphin this year.  We got to Orlando, spent a very brief time checking out the hotel, and then walked over to Hollywood Studios.  And here's the crazy thing:  I didn't even take my camera!  In fact, I didn't get my camera out the whole time were are at Disney.  So here's a bunch of iPhone pictures:

Airport selfie!  We are ready to go.

 Happy Birthday to me!  Sullivan made a card before we left and packed it in her suitcase.

A room with a view.  It turn out we could see the Epcot fireworks from our room.

Our room is the circle window in the middle.

The long, hot walk to Hollywood Studios.

First order of business:  Star Tours!  I was sure I'd get picked to be the rebel spy since I was wearing my "It's my birthday" pin, but I didn't.

A few of our favorite things to do at Hollywood Studios:

The Great Movie Ride

The Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Pretending we're Singing in the Rain (actually a little rain would have been nice - it was hot!)

Then it was off to dinner at Mama Melrose's.  Besides a great dinner, I got a "spaghetti and meatballs" cupcake.  It was cute and yummy.

After dinner, it was time for Fantasmic - one of my favorite shows at Disney.

Hollywood Studios at night as the crowd pours out of Fantasmic.

After Fantasmic we ran (literally) back to Star Tours to try to fit in one more ride before the park closed.  There was no line, so we were able to fit in two.

Guess who finally got picked as the Rebel Spy!

 One last picture as we left the park - and look who flew in to our picture!  They used to have a huge Sorcerer Mickey hat at the end of this street that made a great backdrop.  Now they just have a big stage with really bright lights which really isn't so great for nighttime photos.

After a fun-filled but long day, the walk back to the Dolphin seemed extra long (we really should have just taken the boat).  By the time we got there I had three new blisters, but we were rewarded with these great views of the hotel.  The walkway leading up to the main entrance is lined with palm trees and they had a light show going that was timed to the music that was playing.

What a great first day of vacation and a fantastic birthday!