Getting Started

We got up VERY early Christmas morning and drove out to the airport to begin our trip. The flight was quite uneventful and we arrived in Orlando, picked up our rental car, and headed to the condo. We unloaded the car, jumped back in and headed towards Downtown Disney to have lunch and do a little shopping. What a blast! One of the first stores we actually went in was a Build Your Own Ride store - it is basically a Build a Bear for boys! We weren't going to stop at first ~ that is until we saw the Carbon Fiber Lightning McQueen...leave no doubt that Peyton is a HUGE fan! We all went in and helped him pick out all kinds of special things to add to his new remote controlled Lightning car. He was so proud of it!

Peyton practicing with his controller.

We then started REALLY window shopping. I wasn't really ready to do much REAL shopping ~ saving up my money for Disney World...all four sections!

I loved this figurine of Mickey and Minnie.

A little sad to see they had already re-set the calendar for Christmas 2011.

There is so much to see, both inside and outside the shops at Downtown Disney...here is a small sampling of some of the things we saw.

Lego Nessie ~ actually in the water!

Lego family outside the store.

The brooms from the Sorcerer's Apprentice.

Carolers

Cinderella's Castle Model.

Santa Genie as a Photographer.

The Disney Train rolling along overhead tracks.

Part of one of the wreaths that decorated nearly all the stores.

The Christmas Tree in the courtyard.

And finally a close-up of the tree decorations.

We found several hidden Mickey's on our very first day! This was a quest we set for ourselves because in my Disney Christmas package along with my Passport, Pressed Penny packages, and Disney sling backpack I also recieved the Hidden Mickey scavenger hunt guide. We didn't do the hunt, but we did try to find some of the Hidden Mickeys.

This was at the Build Your Ride store where Peyton built his Lightning McQueen car.

Mickey in the package next to the Carolers.

Mickey in the Dalmation in the Lego Family.

Mickey in an over the door sign inside one of the stores.

and along the border on the side of the door.

Mickey on top of the clothing poles in one of the stores,

and along the sides of the pole in another.

And finally Mickey on the back of the benches next to the interactive Mickey fountains.

Next time ~ dinner at T-Rex...what an experience!