I ran into a friend today who asked about Legoland, and I realized I had not even blogged our trip! When our dear friends invited us to Disney, we decided to fly in first and go to Legoland. We had talked about/tried to go to Legoland several times before when at Disney, and once we got to Disney, we just couldn’t leave. We wanted to spend every second with Mickey, Buzz, and the crew so leaving just sounded not so much fun. When planning this trip, we knew would have to go there first because we wouldn’t want to leave Disney if we had a choice once we got there. Owen had been asking for weeks, months? maybe a year? to go to Legoland, and this was our chance, so we decided to make it happen. We woke up at 4 am for our flight, dressed the boys in Lego shirts, and headed to RDU. Owen had no idea about this trip beforehand and no idea where in the world we were going the day of. (I don’t know if I can ever keep a trip a secret again. I was WAYYYYY tooo excited!) Oh, and Owen was 5, and Harrison was around 20 months when we went. When we landed in Orlando, we somehow kept Owen from seeing the gigantic Walt Disney World signs and Mickey and Minnies everywhere. He’s a big reader so we were like no way he’s not going to notice.We rented a car and headed to Legoland, which is about an hour drive.
Most of the time I’ve spent at an amusement park with my kids has been at Disney. Legoland is very different so it’s good to do your research before you go and see what rides your kids can ride. I really think five was a great age for Owen to go. Some of the differences are that at Disney, Harrison could ride almost every single ride that Owen could. (and we just did baby swap for the few like Mine Rain that he couldn’t ride) Legoland is a lot of rollercoasters and single person (different than Disney…are there any single person rides at Disney?) rides. Legoland was definitely not the place for Harrison. He also fell asleep as soon as we got there, so he spent most of Legoland asleep in the stroller, which was probably good, since there wasn’t much he could do. (or that they could both do, so we’d be pulled in different directions) Also, at 20 months, he wasn’t screaming/asking to ride things and was pretty content anyway.
I think we ended up staying until 5, and we probably didn’t ride every ride in the park, but we saw most of it. During the less crowded months, you could probably do both the park and the water park in one day. The first ride we rode was the Duplo Tractor, which Harrison loved. (And then immediately fell asleep) The Quest for Chi was fun – you definitely get a little wet on that ride, but it was sooooo hot in Florida (you can see in these photos just how sweaty Owen is. I’m not sure how many water bottles we all drank that day. It was HOT!) in September, we did not even care. People on the sidelines can also squirt you with water, too. Owen’s favorite ride was the Royal Joust because he got to ride the Lego horse all by himself. It also made horse noises and was super cute. The Coastersaurus was also a big hit! Because of all the commercials in the lego movie, the driving school was also on his list. They also have a section with tons and tons of lego cities and all kinds of things they’ve built like Star Wars that were so super cool. That was Michael’s favorite part of Legoland, and we definitely spent a lot of time there. We didn’t stay at the Lego Hotel because we were going to hit the ground running at Disney the next morning, so we drove back to Orlando. It did look super cute, and was right at the entrance of the park. There are some super cool Lego gift shops there and all kinds of things to buy and build. We did get the boys a super cool lego picture frame that they could build when they got home and put a picture from their trip. Owen loooooved Legoland, and is already asking to go back!
P.S. We are huge fans of the Lego Movie .We watched it 3000 times last summer, and may have sang, “Everything is Awesome,” the entire day at Legoland.
Legoland Family Photography | Rebecca Keller Photography
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Rebecca Keller is a Raleigh Lifestyle and Commercial Photographer featured in People Magazine and on several blogs including Let the Kids Dress Themselves. Contact Rebecca Keller Photography for more information about Legoland Family Photography.
Oh, I just love this location, and it was so much fun to photograph this sweet family again! I first met them for their maternity portraits when they were waiting on baby sister to arrive. Graham is the sweetest big brother, and it was so cute to see the two of them together. Gorgeous fall evening for a photoshoot – it was still a little bit warm but got cooler as the session went on. I miss those days! I feel like the forecast is just freezing and freezing. (Wasn’t it just in the 70s?!? I think someone mentioned snow being in the forecast in the next few weeks!?!?! I will have to break out my umbrella hat)
Oh, and I love the photo at the end, Everyone needs a photo with their blankie and their pacifier….and maybe their favorite snack,too. Love, love, love.
According to Mom…
Why did you choose this session location, and what was the weather like the day of your session? We loved the idea of the white fence and it was a setting we had not used before. It was chilly that day but comfortable fall weather. By the time we ended and the sun was going down, our kids were definitely ready to be bundled up!
Who are the members of your family and a quick fact about each one! Aaron is a high school math teacher and Jennifer works as a nonprofit fundraiser. They moved to Raleigh two years ago and Becky was one of the first people we met because we called her to do our maternity session!
Graham recently turned 5. He is really tall for his age and seems to grow almost overnight. He also has a really good memory – which can be good and bad. He has a teddy bear named Crunchy that he has had since he was a toddler. Crunchy is critical to a good night’s sleep. If Graham wakes up and can’t find Crunchy he will come into our room and have us go on a search and rescue in the middle of the night! This year Graham even put up a Christmas stocking for Crunchy.
Cora turned 2 two and a half weeks after our photo shoot. Her family and friends call her Coco and she refers to herself in the third person. “Coco clap….Coco milk….Coco mine”!
What was your favorite part of the session? We always love our sessions because you make us all laugh! This session was a bit of a challenge because Cora was so fussy and generally not happy to be photographed. We found out a few days later that she had an ear infection! I was sure we didn’t get any good photos of her but my favorites from the session are of her!
Tell me about the outfits you wore to the session. We worked with Ericka from Little Apple Styles. Aaron and Graham had their outfits already so we worked around those. My dress was from Nordstrom and Cora’s was from Old Navy. Ericka went out of her way to find a dress for Cora and even went to to the store and put it on hold for me! She is amazing.
Styled by Little Apple Styles
Wake Forest Family Photography | Rebecca Keller Photography
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Rebecca Keller is a newborn and family photographer in Raleigh NC featured in People Magazine. Contact Rebecca Keller Photography for more information about Wake Forest Family Photography, travel sessions, and newborn photography in Raleigh and Wake Forest, NC.
Our Disney Adventure…
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Disney World Family Photographer | Rebecca Keller Photography
It’s kind of fun to do the impossible
– Walt Disney
You may have heard my name popping up in Becky’s posts lately. My name is Ericka, and I am the person behind Little Apple Styles. When Becky asked me to guest blog on her page, I was so super excited, then scared, but VERY excited none the less.
Becky had a major problem. Like all major problems, she went to the emergency hotline that is Facebook Messenger! Owen needed Glasshouse Mickey Mouse balloons (Technical name for Mickey Mouse ears balloons enclosed in clear ones) for his birthday photoshoot. We could not find them locally or as deflated contraband from Mickey Mouse Land. Apparently these balloons are park exclusives, and you can see we were in serious trouble! I asked friends, posted in facebook groups, I searched the internet…nada. My next message to Becky was “I can’t find them. What about we go to Disney?” I was obviously half way joking. Five minutes later I was jumping up and down when she said, “SURE, Let’s do it!” I was also day dreaming the perfect picture of Eva and her dad in front of the castle. All the angels in heaven just started singing “Alleluia” when they heard my most favorite photographer and my family were going to be in the same castle – at the same time. Eeeeeek! With faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust, I started our reservations and outfits planning. This time not only for the kids, but also for the adult – the one that did not know he was going to dress up like Prince Charming in the middle of Main Street. Now that I think about it, my poor husband did not find out until the morning of – he is such a trooper! I managed to find an outfit two or three sizes too big that fit perfectly in my luggage.
I was still in charge of those silly balloons. Based on our schedule, the ideal time to get them was soon as we arrived at Disney. Like any other responsible adult, I managed to be too busy getting settled to go to Magic Kingdom – and sent my husband instead. Our conversation may have gone something like this: Sure Honey, I will help you out and pick up the balloons for you. How many do you need? TWELVE? TEN WOULD BE OK? You will be lucky if you I can bring two! Two hours later he was back with three balloons – mostly because it was impossible for him to fit more inside the bus by himself (scene: grown man walking with balloons by himself in Disney, awkward).
Since our vision included more balloons: Becky, two strollers, 4 kids and I walked, your read it right, WALKED to Magic Kingdom to get 7 more balloons. Surprisingly, walking ended up being faster than waiting for the monorail. I have to add the looks that we got when trying to fit into the elevator were priceless! haha
The next day four adults and four kids managed to wake up at the crack of dawn and get ready in record time. It may have been because of the promised Mickey Waffles. We were sleepy, sweaty and full of blisters.. but we did it! Pixie Dust and many prayers for sure! Those balloons were the perfect addition for Becky’s little ones who were dress up in 1920s outfits. Hubby also managed to change clothes and look exactly like Princess Charming. He was actually stopped by a cast member that thought he was the real deal and got concerned his jacket pins were showing! LOL I can still hear us cracking up about that! His little princess was patiently waiting for him – They danced and giggled in front of their castle. It was picture perfect…literally! *insert tears*
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My bucket list also included a Belle/Gaston picture. I found out where and when to find him and brought Miss Eva dress up like Belle – in her provincial dress of course! As soon as we walked by Gaston’s Tavern we saw him. Gaston was giving his autograph to a group of young ladies and showing off his muscles. As soon as he saw Eva, he stopped what he was doing and screamed at the top of his lungs: “Belle, they mean nothing to me. I love you!” Eva got scared and started crying! CRYING… in the HAPPIEST place on earth! She did not want to be nearby (or within the same zipcode) as Gaston. My dreams of the perfect Belle picture were shattered. Many promises of unlimited Mickey Mouse Ice Cream later she agreed to stand by him. Becky managed to get an ah-mazing picture. They were not happily hugging each other like I had originally imagined. It was better, my Belle was ignoring Gaston, who was looking at her in awe. How fitting!
P I N this to pinterest Becky is not only the best Seven Dwarfs Mine Train companion, but also the best Disney photographer. As I look through my pictures, I see so many emotions, so many details, so many memories. LOVE them all!
IF WE CAN DREAM IT, WE CAN DO IT! – Walt Disney
Thanks for reading my blog post. I hope I still have your attention and you did not give up on me already. As a token of appreciation, I leave you with my Top Five Tips from this Disney trip.
1. If people are not staring at you – you are doing it wrong! Have fun …adults are only kids grown up anyways ( I love Walt Disney quotes!)
2. Balloons bring smiles – one or ten of them , from kids to adults. If you buy one, be sure to keep your receipt . If you lose a balloon in the Park, just bring the receipt to any vendor and they will give you a new one.
3. If you have problems finding your stroller, tie several balloons to it. You will be able to quickly spot it in the sea of strollers! Worth the investment. Make sure you do not tie ten though, or you will look like Carl from Up.
4. If your little one is scared of characters – warm them up by bringing them to see princesses first. My 3 year old little playa’ loves him some princesses… and got used to the whole autograph/picture scenario in record time. By the end of the trip was high fiving Mickey and Co. phew!
5. Do not give up on those restaurants reservations. People make reservation changes all the time. I set up a reminder in my phone and checked for reservations wanted at the same time every day until got the ones I was hoping for.
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Ericka Jimmerson is a busy mom of two who runs Little Apple Styles, photography + event styling. Contact her at littleapplestyles@gmail.com if you need help making your event picture perfect!
Rebecca Keller is a Disney World Family Photographer featured in People Magazine who spends her time sipping iced coffee, chasing after her two little ones, reading, running, and editing.
Thanksgiving evening, we were out of town but decided to return back to Raleigh that evening. (We should have just stayed in town because….) Early the next morning, I got a text, which isn’t rare because all my mama friends are up, and I’m usually up, too. I was soooo excited to see that my dear friend had just had her baby, and so within an hour, I got the kids (who got to spend the morning with their Mimi) and headed out to photograph the siblings meeting. Probably my favorite ever is Owen meeting his baby brother so I was so excited! And, I lovvvved the images of these two sweet boys, and baby brother even smiled for one. How cute is he?!? One thing they did, which was just so adorable, is that they brought cupcakes and sang Happy Birthday to baby brother. Just so sweet! There may have been several tears in the room. So glad it worked out, and I was able to make the drive to see these two brothers meet and photograph their sweet family of FOUR. I’ll be sharing their family newborn portraits on the blog soon!
Raleigh Hospital Newborn Photographer | Rebecca Keller Photography
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Rebecca Keller is a Raleigh Hospital Photographer featured in People Magazine and is often found chasing her two boys, sipping iced coffee, running or reading a good book. Contact Rebecca Keller Photography for more information about family and newborn photography, maternity photography, and travel sessions.
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