When I was younger, I used to be a Pop Warner cheerleader. The town that I lived in was very competitive and we went to the National Championship in Disney pretty much every single year. Having gone to Disney for about seven or eight years in a row, I would have considered myself somewhat of an expert. Not that I knew where every "hidden Mickey" was, but I knew all the best rides to go on, which parks to go to at which times, the best snacks to get, and many more little tips that come with experience.

After a five year break from Disney, my family and I decided to take a trip down there for a long weekend. I was super excited to experience the magic of Disney all over again but was kind of nervous that it wouldn't feel the same since I was older and (kinda) more mature.

Due to some less-than-ideal weather conditions, my plane's takeoff time was delayed, and not just like delayed while sitting in the airport charging your phone, I mean delayed while sitting on the uncomfortable seats for an hour and a half waiting for the plane to even join the line to take off. It was a disaster and I was not happy. After we finally got in the air, I was even more excited to just land and be there already. Once we did land, it was too late to go to the parks, but I was eager to get to our hotel and get in bed after an unnecessarily long day of traveling.

I'm not sure if any of you have ever stayed at a Disney resort, but it is so worth it. The Magical Express is at the airport waiting to drive you to your hotel whenever you land. The bus is air-conditioned and comfortable. There is even a bathroom! I have taken the Magical Express before, but I'm not sure I ever appreciated it as much as I did at the moment. Before I knew it, we were at the hotel and getting ready for the next day.

We woke up early and planned to go to Epcot first. Again, staying at a Disney resort is awesome because you get shuttles to, from, and between all the different parks pretty much every 15 minutes. Epcot is amazing. It has one of the most incredible rides ever (Soarin') and 11 diverse countries represented in their own unique way. After going on Soarin' and walking through all the countries, I was taken back by all the effort and detail that went into EVERYTHING. Each country was special and different than the next. The park was super clean and there were always happy workers willing to help you in any way you may need. For example, if you happened to buy perfume from any of the countries, they can have it in your hotel room before you get back so you don't have to carry it around all day.

We took another shuttle later in the day to Hollywood Studios. Here, we went on two really fun rides, Tower of Terror and Rockin' Rollercoaster. We also went on a Toy Story ride where you compete against your partner to shoot at as many targets as you can. My family and I decided to eat at The Brown Derby, an apparently famous restaurant also located in the real Hollywood. It was super expensive but really good! After a long day of 29,000 steps or 11.7 miles, according to my Fitbit, we were exhausted and took the next shuttle back to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Another early start to the day led us right to Animal Kingdom. I guess when I was younger I never realized how HUGE this park is. What amazed me now was that even though it was huge, there was still so much detail. It was actually insane to think about how much time and effort went into every single inch of the park. We went on the safari ride where we actually got to see a lot of different animals relatively close up. My cousin has mentioned that we should go on the new Avatar ride so we did, not really knowing what it was. IT WAS AMAZING. I would honestly recommend going to Disney solely for this ride. It was so creative and unique. It was programmed to make you feel as if you were flying on the back of this bird-like animal around Pandora, the land of the Avatars. The visuals were incredible and breathtaking. I honestly wish Pandora was a real place because I would definitely visit.

After Animal Kingdom, we went to Magic Kingdom, the staple of Disney. Cinderella's Castle was as beautiful as I had remembered it. We didn't get to really go on any of the rides but we walked around and got dinner. My mother and brother were tired and went back to the hotel, but my cousin and I stayed to watch the fireworks. Once the castle lights up and the fireworks show begins, the whole park stops. It is so beautiful, creative, and well planned. I couldn't help but think about was how much money Disney must spend each day! Another day, done, and I still felt the magic as I went to bed.

Before our flight, we stopped by Downtown Disney, which is now called Disney Springs. The stores are so unique and cool, it was the perfect way to end our trip. The Magical Express picked us up from the hotel and we had to say goodbye to Disney, once again.

Honestly, my feelings on Disney have changed a lot. To me, Disney used to just be so much fun and something I would dream about. Now, I was even more impressed by it. It represents evolution and beauty and fun for everyone. Walt Disney had truly thought of everything, and now his growing team continues to evolve and make Disney into what it is today. Although it is extremely expensive, it really is worth it when you think of all the time and effort that goes into everything in Disney. Even though the parks have changed since I was last there, the magical feeling that comes with it definitely didn't.