The time has come. My daughter informed me, as gently as she could, that she didn't think the characters at Disney World are real. She said, "Mom, I'm not sure about Mickey and Minnie yet, but think about Pluto. He stands up all the time and his tongue isn't wet. Real dogs aren't like that."

Okay, so she has a point, but I asked her if we could just pretend, and she readily agreed. I hate that this day has arrived, but I am thankful she believed the magic for so long, and I know we will continue to enjoy Disney just as much!

If you remember, my husband gave the kids and me annual passes to Disney World this year. He either knows how to make us happy, or he's trying to get us out of the house. In May, I took the kids for six nights at the end of school, and we had a wonderful time. Since Disney provides all transportation from the moment you step off the plane, and since my kids both meet all height requirements at the parks, it really isn't a difficult trip to make. Because we are together 24/7, the kids do have issues at times, but overall, I love these special days with them.

Our first stop was Typhoon Lagoon. We spent our first morning and early afternoon enjoying the slides and wave pool. Since we had a very cool May in Tennessee, we were excited to spend time in the Florida sun. After a fun day, we headed to Animal Kingdom for the evening.

First, we ate dinner at Pizzafari (I am so thankful we were eating at Disney--they made it much easier to stick with my diet--their special diets department is fantastic!), and then we walked over to the character greeting trails. We were excited to meet Thumper for the first time, and Goofy and my Best Girl compared smiles. They are both missing their upper middle teeth. :) Donald spent some time with us as well.

Next, we headed to Expedition Everest, one of my kids' favorite attractions, and managed to ride it twice. I called it quits after that because I'm getting too old. My head and stomach can't handle those rides like they used to.

We also rode the Kali River Rapids, and the kids were disappointed that they didn't get very wet. They solved that problem at a fountain near the ride's exit.

Before leaving the park, we headed over to the Boneyard, which is a very cool playground. On the way, we stopped to visit with Tigger, Pooh, and Eeyore. How can you not love this cuddly bear?

We turned in for the evening, and woke up the next morning ready for a day at Epcot. As usual, we enjoyed Soarin', Test Track, Mission:Space, Nemo, Spaceship Earth and Journey Into Imagination.

We also spent time in the World Showcase trading pins, exploring, and completing a Kim Possible Adventure (you get to fight bad guys using a cell phone in the different Epcot countries).

Before leaving Epcot, I talked the kids into trying the Living with the Land attraction. They thought it would be boring, but they liked it, especially the greenhouse portion.

We ended our day by stopping in for a visit with Mickey and his buddy Pluto. Notice that Pluto is standing up and his tongue isn't wet. It's possible he's not a real dog.

I realize my blog is turning into a Disney travelogue this year, but I am so glad to be able to document our fun. We never tire of these adventures!