Darth Macho's 2012 Dream Trip: Day 7 of 14

[darthmacho]

Darth Macho’s Dream Trip, Day 7
An Gluttonous Amount of Cheese

The Cast:
DM: Darth Macho (41yo)
DW: Darth Wife (41yo)
DD1: Darth Daughter 1 (11yo)
DD2: Darth Daughter 2 (8yo)

The Stage:
Magic Kingdom, Frontierland and Adventureland
The Monorail
The Polynesian Resort

The Report:

We were up for another 7AM wake-up call, and as usual, I brought breakfast from Everything Pop while the girls got ready, and soon we were off for our second big day at the Magic Kingdom. The plan was to cover Frontierland and Adventureland until late afternoon, jump on the monorail to the TTC, pick up the pins at Lost and Found, before going to Ohana for dinner, and then back to the Magic Kingdom for the Main Street Electrical Parade.

Early crowds looked good as we got to Frontierland, so we rode Splash Mountain twice and Big Thunder Mountain three times before the lines got long enough to make getting back on not worth it. I think we used a FP or two in there, but we really didn’t need it. After getting in repeats of two of our favorite rides, we headed over to Adventureland for two more gems, Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean, both of which had short lines, and we had two more classics under our belt. It was a great ride morning, as it worked exactly according to plan, and it was early enough for us to beat the crowds for lunch.

It was just after 11, and I’ve wanted to try Tortuga Tavern (or El Pirata) since our very first trip without success, and we were perusing the menu when I realized that my kids just didn’t seem to like their options here, so we took the cool little secret passage into another old favorite, Pecos Bill Café. Our 2010 visit to Pecos Bill’s was somewhat of a disaster because a rainstorm and the later hour had turned the place into a madhouse, so I was wary of returning there. This visit was a huge success, since we got there early, it was cool and quiet inside, and everything was really comfortable. The food was good too, and the kids and I put an embarrassing amount of melted cheese on everything from our fries to our burgers. DD2 even sampled some on her chocolate chip cookie. It was not one of our finest moments, and truly gluttonous.

After lunch we rode Pirates again, and saw the new (old) Tiki Room. I liked this version just fine, but I have to say, I kind of missed Iago. I thought that version was a little more entertaining, but I’m just glad the show is still here. Next we rode the Magic Carpets, and for the first time ever, we walked up the Swiss Family Tree House. It was interesting, and provided some good views of the park. I’m glad I finally got to cross that off the list. One thing we never got around to was going over to Tom Sawyer’s Island. Those crowded rafts make me cringe.

I wanted to meet Tinkerbelle and her Fairy Friends (yes, I said I wanted to meet them, not the kids) but I didn’t want to wait 45 minutes, so it was back to Frontierland where Thunder had a short wait, so we decided to go on again. Before that, we got two FPs for Splash, so I could ride with DD1, and two more FPs for both of the girls for BTR. That worked out because DD1 and I wanted to ride Splash, but DD2 said she didn’t want to get wet, both girls wanted to ride Thunder for a fifth time, and DW didn’t care either way. It’s nice when things work out.

We needed to get moving toward the entrance because we had to pick up DD2’s pins at Lost in Found before heading to the Poly for dinner at Ohana. This would be our only day to ride the monorail, and we took a few extra loops around just for the fun of it. While it was an unwanted diversion, getting the pins was easy, and before we knew it we were at the Poly. We didn’t explore the resort too much. We just hung out in the lobby, peeked in one of the stores, and then checked in for dinner. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience, and I thought the food and setting were fabulous, but it didn’t outshine Artist Point or Mama Melrose. I’m very happy we got to have this dinner for the first time.

After dinner, it was back for the parade, and we hopped on the train right on Main Street, did the full loop, plus one to Frontierland, and got off to go find our secret spot for the parade. Let me tell you that we got there just in time, because as soon as we sat down, people caught on and started plopping down around us. Things were okay for a bit, and the kids got some new light up toys, but right before the parade started DD1 dropped her IPod and it shattered. No amount of consoling could cheer her up, and she lost her seat on the ground next to her sister to a little girl. Normally I’d speak up, but it was a mom and a kindergarten aged girl dressed up as a princess, so I didn’t have the heart to shoo them away. Even DD1, who was upset by all this, nodded when I explained that she was just a little girl and that I’d hope that others would show her the same kindness in the same situation. Nevertheless both of these incidents cast a pall over an event that has been the highlight of almost every trip we’ve been on. Nothing I said seemed to console her. I didn’t videotape any of the parade as I had planned, and I felt so sorry for DD1 that I just couldn’t enjoy it. On the bright side, though she seemed downcast throughout, I overheard her discussing the parade with her sister, so I know she enjoyed it anyway. She’s a good kid, so I’m glad she found the good in a bad situation for her, and I truly believe she understood why I let the little girl have what was probably in her mind, her spot, even though she wasn’t using it. After the parade, it was a long hike back to Pop with the crowds, but we made it, despite the setbacks, it turned out to be a pretty nice day at the Magic Kingdom.

[mydisneygirls]

Oh no....I feel bad for your daughter about her IPod....between that and the pins!!!! It sounds like you had a great day anyway though.

[darthmacho]

Oh no....I feel bad for your daughter about her IPod....between that and the pins!!!! It sounds like you had a great day anyway though.

Thanks, it was still a magical day, and I felt better when I realized DD still enjoyed the parade and understood the situation. She really is a good kid.

[Dopey's Girl]

I'm not at all embarassed to say that I too have enjoyed more than my fair share of that cheese in PB's. I'm also a sauteed mushroom hog though...Yum!

Aside from the broken iPod () sounds like another great day! So happy you got your pins back!

[amorillo]

wow. lots of rides today! and cheese on a chocolate chip cookie?!?

your poor daughter... that really stinks about her iPod. but it's always nice to see that the kindness that we are trying to instill in our children really shines through!

[faline]

Too bad about the I-pod - such a disappointment for your daughter! Most of the day sounded wonderful.

[SBETigg]

Bummer about the iPod, and the taken spot, but good for your daughter to not let it get to her too much. I love that you got to do so much at the MK.

[DisneyorBust]

What an ending to what had been such a great day. It's a shame when things go awry, I feel bad for your daughter.

[January-2007]

Thanks for reporting.

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

So sorry about the ipod incident of 2012. It's never a good time when you break something that you really use.

So, back to the real important question... where's this secret parade spot???? I must know for my trip in 14 days.

[darthmacho]

So, back to the real important question... where's this secret parade spot???? I must know for my trip in 14 days.

I'll never tell!

(Check your PMs.)

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Thanks for the report...I'm a cheese lover too but not so sure about the cookie

[princessgirls]

Darth, you guys did have a great day in the Magic Kingdom, and your precious daughter...losing her I POD, and her spot at the parade. She is a trooper. Glad she managed to have fun in spite of it all. It's hard at the end of a busy park day. The kids get tired.

All in all I'd say it was a great day!

Julie

[pdrlkr]

Thanks for the Report!

[MrPeetrie]

Darthmacho, I am reading your nicely detailed reports and my impression is you are two good parents doing a very fine job raising two sweet little girls. Good going.

Sorry about the iPod. That seemed to cast a dark cloud on an otherwise perfect day. Looking forward to reading more.