Our friend Dave gave us notice, quite some time ago, that he was getting married and that we were invited to the wedding. How exciting, since we had rarely seen or heard from Dave after his move to California a number of years ago. Multiplying the excitement: His wedding would be in Florida at Walt Disney World!

We stayed at the "All-Star Movies Resort", a basic on-site hotel. There are three "All-Star" resorts situated together and each is a set of three storey, motel-style buildings decorated in Disney themes. Our room was in the Mighty Ducks section.

Day 1
We arrived and settled in. The Disney Magical Express took us and our luggage from the airport. Bogusia was on a different flight so Daddy and the kids checked in and waited the few hours for her to arrive. Then we headed to the excellent pool to start taking advantage of the Disney experience.

The on-site gastronomy consisted of a food court. Bleh. Cafeteria food for dinner. Afterwards we took a walk around the area. We found a few playgrounds, lots of Disney theming, and a McDonald's for a milkshake.

Day 2 - Animal Kingdom
Our Internet advice was to get an early start. Get to the parks just as they open. This is good advice. We got to the Animal Kingdom before the gates opened. There is a store at the gate where you can get last minute essentials. $30 gets you sunscreen and 4 batteries at this bargain-hunters paradise.

The first ride was the 3D Bug's Life movie, which scared Jakub and Robert witless. We immediately went to the African Safari afterwards, which was a great success. The day consisted of the Dinosaur Bones Digging Park, The Dinosaur Ride, White Water ride, The Yeti Rollercoaster, Petting Zoo, Train Ride, Excellent Thai Restaurant. Highlight: Alex got a picture with Pocahontas. We had a great time here and were able to get on many rides with hardly any waiting. The kids loved the late afternoon parade.

When we came back to the hotel, we didn't even have a chance to go to the pool, since the kids were over tired and fell asleep instantly. The Animal Kingdom is awesome for little children.

Day 3 - Magic Kingdom
Arrived early again. This time a greater volume of the horde arrived with us. You must ride Dumbo first if you want to ride it at all. Even making a beeline we still had to wait 20 minutes. Jakub had a bit of malhumour and had to sit out. When he was cured we hit Winnie the Pooh, Teacups, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, and Stitch.

The rest of the day was a bit of an ordeal. Lots of lines, many rides that our kids could not ride, heat, and crowds. We eventually gave up on the rides and stuck to exploring the park on the trains and boats.

We wanted to go to somewhere nice for lunch, perhaps the Crystal Palace. Apparently you have to reserve four months in advance. We were lucky enough to just show up and wait 30 minutes for a place. It was worth it because Winnie the Pooh and his friends were hanging out in there.

Sunset brought the Spectro-Magic Parade in which all the floats and characters are lit up in the darkness. Immediately following that were the famous fireworks overtop the castle. By the time these were finished so were we. The kids didn't even make it home before passing out.

Day 4 - The Beach

We rented a car and GPS and got out of Disney. We started off to Atlantic and stopped for breakfast just outside of Disney in the real world. The waitress told us that the Atlantic had rip currents so perhaps we should go to the Gulf. Since both were the same distance we took her advice.

Clearwater Beach was EXCELLENT! The kids and adults loved it. White sand, warm water, not too many people. The weather threatened but never followed through. Dinner was at some seafood place, not that great, and then we headed home at night.

Day 5 - The Wedding
Dave's Wedding was like none I'd been to. The ceremony itself was in a chapel overlooking a lake with the stage backed by a window framing the Magic Kingdom Castle. We passed under the Disney monorail to get there, and upon entering we received Mickey shaped fans printed with a guest list.

The procession began with the priest laying down the rules, followed shortly by the handsome groom. I've never even seen Dave in a tie before so he looked very top drawer in his tuxedo. Dave's wife-to-be followed. The priest said all the things that priests say at weddings and the two were quickly married. Then there were pictures, executed with Disney precision and speed. It took at most 30 minutes to snap every possible combination before transportation beckoned. We blew bubbles over the bride and groom on the way out before hopping on a bus to the reception.

Passing through a back-door VIP entrance we ended up in a room with one wall that was a giant aquarium. The newlyweds entered to much fanfare, included a scuba diving Mickey Mouse. The food was great and, although there was no alcohol, the DJ got us all dancing. He was so good that Mickey and Minnie joined the party. By 4pm it was over and we were let loose.

One of the wedding guests was a long-lost friend named Juraj, who came with his girlfriend. We spent the afternoon and evening at the pool and in "downtown" Disney looking at Lego stores and taking free rides on the water taxi.

Day 6 - The Return
Uneventful at Disney. We got the bill; it was huge. We boarded the Magic Express bus and off to the airport. Bogusia took one an hour earlier for her flight whilst the kids and I played at the playground one last time. The flights left on time, but unfortunately they did not arrive on time. Mine was diverted to Toronto due to "weather" over Washington, making us about 2 hrs late. Bogusia's was diverted to Philadelphia and she was perhaps 7 hours late.