Magic Kingdom with Friends

Looking back on spending a day at the Magic Kingdom two weeks ago with two dear friends fills me with incredible gratitude. It was a magical day filled with tons of laughter, constant talking about life, hilarious moments, and the precious gift of spending time with those whom I am honored to call "friend".

The day started bright and early where our original plan had been to meet up for breakfast before heading to the park. Unfortunately not knowing Florida remotely well (*smiles*) and a GPS that didn't want to cooperate led us to meeting at the park. Kori was exceptionally gracious with the change of plans as we attempted to connect. We finally and happily connected at the park!

The park actually ended up opening a few minutes early and we were so excited to be there after dreaming about the day for a few months!

The first thing that we did was find a place to eat breakfast and as we were eating Kori shared about how to use the MyDisneyExperienceApp which was awesome! We chose our fastpasses and prepared to head out for the day. Ironically the very first ride that we did of the day was the Haunted Mansion which I am still giggling about as I write this. I don't think that I had ever been on it but we giggled all the way through. I am not sure if it is always like this or not but it was so dark that we could hardly see anything which made us laugh harder. 

We then headed over to one of my favorite lands, Fantasyland where we rode the Little Mermaid. Y'all it was adorable. 

Growing up I have to admit that while I loved the music from the Little Mermaid, it was never one of my favorite movies. It's funny how at different times in our lives we can relate differently to different things. As Ariel sang her infamous song about wanting to be up where the people are I literally got tears on the ride. I relate so much as a young woman who is fighting for her health with wanting more. Wanting to be with people, wanting to be in a different season, wanting more. 

And perhaps... just perhaps... that is the beautiful thing about visiting Disney. It removes you from your life for a time- no matter how brief (in this case one day) and gives you a bit of magic and laughter to take back. It gives a reminder that dream can come true. All beautiful things that my little heart needed... and experiencing it was gracious and kind friends who never rushed me, took extra time to rest again and again throughout the day, and continuously surrounded me with love was the most beautiful gift of all. And perhaps... that is the greatest take away from the day... that love and grace are the biggest miracles... reminding us to constantly dream.

Hahaha and we even looked a bit scared and serious on some rides!

After spending the morning riding rides we went to grab food at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe. Kori had mentioned it and it was so fun to go and try. Y'all it was yummy and we all agreed that the toppings from the sides bar were the best. For my gluten free friends you could make the most delicious salad and using the toppings (including guacomole- yum!) made a delicious meal! My favorite part of the meal though was the opportunity to just sit and talk with these amazing ladies. We had a lovely time just sitting and catching up on life and all that God is doing in our lives.

After lunch Ali and Kori went to go ride Splash Mountain!

We so enjoyed the day, spending time even meeting some princesses!

During our Princess meet and greet we even had some "serious" conversations. I was asked by Cinderella if I had met my Prince Charming and I said I was still searching. She said she understood.  *smiles*

And of course there was tons of laughter and giggles.

I truly couldn't have asked for a more perfect day at the Magic Kingdom with these dear friends. Thank you Kori and Ali for such a beautiful and perfect day that was so precious and one that I will treasure for a lifetime. Thank you for the gift of laughter, the hilarious moments and jokes including lost nails and all of the rides that stopped (hahaha!) and getting soaked in the rain as we said goodbye (hahahaha!!), for precious gifts and for grace and kindness that permeated the day when I had to take things slow and rest. It was truly a magical day.

** Some of the beautiful photos taken in this post were taken by both of these talented friends who are both photographers. You can find out more about Ali's photography business HERE, and Kori's blog and contact info HERE.**