Chalk up another win for Emily in the idea and theming department with today’s festivities! With the recent release of The Good Dinosaur, Emily decided it would be a fun idea to have a Dinosaur Day with the boys. If you have been following along with Hayesvision then you probably know that raptor calls and T-Rex growls have become commonplace in the Hayes household after recently seeing Jurassic World. If they aren’t sleeping, eating, or at school, there is a 98% probability that they are either Owen, Barry, Blue, or the Indominus Rex while making their way around the house. So what better way to spend the day then hanging around their new found brethren.
Earlier in the week we had grand plans of starting at Dinosaur World somewhere between here and Tampa (which we have not been to yet), but based on the fact that Thanksgiving was yesterday, we decided that we would ease into the day with some breakfast at home before heading to Disney Springs for late lunch. I whipped together some pancakes, bacon, and eggs for the gang, which wasn’t my greatest culinary endeavor to date, but it was edible. After filling our bellies and getting dressed, we hopped into the car and set our sights on the ever evolving Disney Springs.
The first objective of the day was to meet up with Mr. Claus so the boys could provide their concise 200 item wish lists to the man so he could feverishly take notes. Because Santa was still traveling from the North Pole when we arrived, the boys decided a train ride would be in order while we waited. They grabbed their spots on the caboose and enjoyed some brotherly bonding time. We captured a photo of their escape below.
Just as the train was reaching the station, our Santa Fastpass buzzer went off letting us know it was our turn to get into the shortened line to meet the big guy. We had a few minutes while we were waiting in line to snap a photo of our little Christmas elves. Emily of course was smart enough to bring green shirts to put over their dinosaur shirts to keep with her standard photo theming protocol. If it were left up to me, you would be receiving Christmas cards of the boys in their pajamas and uncombed hair.
The boys enjoyed sitting on Santa’s lap and telling him what they want for Christmas. Sawyer is such a huge fan of his big brother that he pretty much wants exactly what Hunter wants. It turns out they both want a Jurassic Park Lego set (shocking I know).
Santa was kind enough to let us all get in a photo with him. I really enjoyed the experience at Disney Springs, as the wait was perfect and they are really good about taking photos with your own camera (unlike the hustlers that work at the mall that charge you each time you say the word Santa).
After we finished up with Santa it was time for our lunch reservation at T-Rex. We ate here for Hunter’s birthday in March when he brought his buddy Austin to share his birthday with him. We walked in with very little wait and were seated at quite possibly the loudest table in the restaurant (not that it is a quiet place to begin with). There was a dinosaur literally right next to our table that decided he needed to belch/groan about once every 31 1/2 seconds.
We had some good food and good laughs at the table as we wrapped up our lunch. It wouldn’t be a trip (anywhere really) without a stop in the gift shop. We captured our crazy dino-faces below.
One more photo opportunity presented itself as we were walking out of the restaurant that we just couldn’t pass up. Emily provided some Instagram magic below.
The next movie was playing at 3:30 so we made our way to the West side of Disney Springs and got in line for our movie tickets, only to find out that the 3:30 showing was sold out. We snapped up four tickets for the next non-3D show at 4:30 and went and did a little more sightseeing (if gift shops count as sight seeing). Thanks to Emily remembering some movie passes, we only ended up paying for two kid tickets. We even had popcorn and drink vouchers (saving us the equivalent of one year in-state tuition). The movie was good as all Pixar movies are. I do have to say that going to the movies isn’t quite what it used to be, or maybe it is the fact that it is a kids’ movie, but people are bringing their crying babies to these movies which takes away from the experience. It could also be the fact that the theater is on Disney property, but I digress.
The boys seemed to really like the movie and it capped off a really fun day at Disney Springs.
The best ending to the day was when we arrived home and saw a box on the porch from Grandma Jean. A box at this time of year could mean only one thing… Pfeffernusse cookies! This has been a Christmas tradition for as long as I can remember, and Hunter has gotten into it as well. We have had some pretty funny stories and comments about these cookies from the family over the years (I’m talking to you, Nikki Boesch), but it is a tradition that truly means Christmas. Below is a photo of a happy Hunter ready to tear into his favorite Christmas snack.
All-in-all a pretty awesome day, start to finish.