BrerSchultzy
11-30-2013, 08:36 AM
We start our day with the same routine. Kids wake us up. We turn on the Classic Disney Cartoons channel. I head down to the food court to get coffee.
Today is our first full day in the Magic Kingdom. You'll recall that Day 2 was supposed to be Magic Kingdom, but we switched when we saw the bus lines. As it so happens, we guessed right again. There was no line for the MK bus this morning, but a HUGE line for both Studios and Epcot. We are in the MK and through bag check in time for a few pictures, and the Opening Show, which is a family favorite...and the “new” Mickey Mouse, with blinking eyes and a mouth that moves really added an extra bit of magic to the show that had my kids (and my wife) talking all day.
Well, this is our first trip since most of New Fantasyland opened. And our FP+, which finally got worked out at around midnight, are for Peter Pan, Cinderella Meet N Greet, and Enchanted Tales with Belle...all after 5:30 PM. So we head straight to Under the Sea. My entire family enjoyed this ride. I love that it's a classic dark ride with a more current movie. And the whole experience is so well done, that I realize...I'm okay with Disney taking 4 years to finish New Fantasyland, while other parks build stuff in one year...if this is the finished product. The 7 Dwarves coaster actually seems to fit in the park, and that's quite a feat. My wife commented that all of New Fantasyland looks like it has been there all along, but they only recently decided to let us in.
Anyway, we the head straight to meet Ariel. The second we walk in, Ariel looks at our little girl and says “Now you just come right up here little guppy”, and picks up our daughter and plops her down right next to her. And Zetta pretty much treated her the same way she would treat all the princesses this trip...as if they were sitting down to a cup of tea. Ariel was great, and I'm very impressed with the whole experience.
Then, we power our way through all of Fantasyland. IASW. Peter Pan (which only had a 10 minute line at this point). Carousel (or Caroussel, depending on which guidebook/website you look at). Philharmagic (quick little side story...as we were filing in to our seats, the hostess actually said “Please move all the way in...the best seats are at the far right of the theatre”. I'd never heard them use this to get people to move all the way down before...clever, even if it is a little bit of a white lie). All of this, before 10:15. At this point, I'd like to thank everyone that still doesn't think it's important to get to the park when it first opens.
Now, it is time for Be Our Guest. We had gotten the invitation to their FP+ website, and I had made the reservation for Monday, when we thought we were going to be in MK. I decided, at midnight, that I would not worry about trying to make another FP+ reservation...we'd just wait in line.
We got in line around 10:45, and we were at our table waiting for our food by 11. I could spend several posts talking about how beautiful this restaruant is. Another several posts on how helpful and friendly the CMs are. And an entire website on how good that Tuna Nicoise salad is. And the gluten-free Lemon Raspberry cream puff. DW thinks the same about her roast beef sandwich and lemon meringue cupcake. Sam and Zetta split the “Mrs. Potts Platter”, but I don't think they would have cared what they were eating, as they were both staring at everything there is to see.
Well, after lunch Sam wants to ride Buzz. So I take him while Erin takes Zetta to the baby care center for some baby care. After Buzz, we head over to Mickey's Star Traders, because I noticed while we were on Buzz that Sam had gotten his shirt dirty during lunch. He decided that the Donald Duck Angry Birds shirt was the greatest thing ever, so we did what all reasonable parents would do...we got on the People Mover and changed him there. While we were on the PeopleMover we looked around the park...and realized that it was practically empty. We had guessed right again today!
So, we walk on to Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, where my streak of making it on the screen was extended to four...though I have still never been “that guy”. I was the guy who was going to buy everyone churros this time.
Well, by this time both kids have fallen asleep, so DW and I decide to see how long the Space Mountain line is...so one of us could ride while the other waited with the kids. There was no line. It was a complete walk on. I was floored. We took turns riding. Afterwards DW and I remember the days when we could ride roller-coasters together.
Well, the kids wake up, and they are both being very cute, so we take this time to get our picture taken in front of the castle. It is probably our first pic where not one of us is making a funny face. I'm very proud of my family.
And now it is time to meet one of our very best friends, Nicholas. He is a friend of Goofy, and is also a part of the Fantasmic show, and the Move It, Shake It parade. Today, he is playing with Goofy in front of the Castle. During his break, he is going to meet us for a Dole Whip. Mmmm...Dole Whip. I'm pretty sure that if Dole Whip were available world-wide, there would be no war. Ever. Why fight when you could just have another Dole Whip?
Well, Nicholas is running late, so Erin and Sam head over to the Jingle Cruise, which they both deem a success. Apparently only Trader Sam on the ride has had any changes, but the script and queue have a number of holiday touches, and Sam and Erin had a great time.
When we meet up with Nicholas, we spend time catching up, then we ride The Flying Carpets with him, and head over to Haunted Mansion. Sadly he has to head back to work before he can ride, but Erin and Zetta get on (Sam still refuses to ride Haunted Mansion). Then, it's time for a Turkey Leg, Country Bear Jamboree, and another ride on IASW before dinner, which, of course, is at Columbia Harbour House. Upstairs. Fish & Chips in our own private dining room. Again, I'd like to thank everyone who doesn't read these websites before they go. There really is nothing better than the upstairs rooms at Columbia Harbour House.
Okay, so it's FP+ time. We head over to meet Cinderella. Snow White used to be my wife's favorite ride, so it's a testament to how much she loves our daughter that she would go to the Fairytale Hall. But she admits that it is quite beautiful, and it really is a better show to have the princesses in Fantasyland than on Main St. And the inside is gorgeous. So many little touches and nods to the classic movies. We get to meet Cinderella and Aurora almost immediately. And we notice that with this new format, things seem to be so much calmer and more enjoyable than they were in Toontown Fair or Main St. Sam was determined not to meet the princesses...but as soon as he saw Cinderella, he changed his mind...and talked her ear off. “I tried to hug my sister Zetta this morning, but she would not let me and tried to push me off the bed, but I am bigger than her so she could not...”...and so on. And Zetta, our almost 2 year old, does this thing...when she is wearing a dress, she'll hold it out until you tell her how pretty the dress is. Then she'll point to her shoes. Then her hair. It's precious. Unless Cinderella doesn't know the routine. In which case, Zetta will stand there holding her Minnie Mouse dress out until Erin can inform Cinderella of the proper procedure. Well, we had a great time with the princesses, and we seemed to have more time with them than usual, and the room was beautiful. I took almost as many pictures of the room as I did of the kids...almost. I have to say, they really did a great job with this, and I take back any bad things I ever said about removing the ride for this meet and greet. This was a very special moment for our kids, and one that they talked about the entire ride home.
Okay, so one more trip on Buzz, then over to Belle's Enchanted Tales. My wife, for those that haven't met her...is Belle. She was the girl in a small town who loved to read, and lots of people thought she was odd...and in the end, this amazingly beautiful girl fell in love with a man with a lot of facial hair. Well, this entire experience won her approval. From the queue, to the house, to the mirror....holy cats, the mirror. YouTube videos do not do it justice. Sam did not want to take part in the story, but as they started marching around the room, Zetta jumped out of her seat and grabbed Belle's hand, and went off with her. Afterward, we got some cute pictures. I don't see this as a must-do for every trip, but we really enjoyed ourselves.
Then, we staked out our favorite spot in Frontierland for MSEP...which did not disappoint. But around this time, Sam started to get cranky. We had staked out a good spot for Wishes, but Sam seemed to be more determined than usual to get back to the hotel. Well, just before Wishes, Erin pulled him aside and asked him why he was misbehaving. Then it happened. His bottom lip stuck out. A single tear formed in his eye. And he said he was afraid of the part where you could hear the villains talking but you couldn't see them.
So we booked it. Fast. We had to get to the bus before Wishes started, or we would have ruined our son's life. And run we did. We got to the bus just in time...and within minutes, both kids were asleep. When we got back to the room, instead of dealing with FP+, we watched a video of Wishes on YouTube. After DW is fast asleep, I get online to get FP+ for Animal Kingdom...we get Finding Nemo and Safaris...(but it takes me another hour to do all this...they REALLY have to upgrade the wifi at the resorts). Today was one of the best days in the Magic Kingdom anyone could ever have!
Today is our first full day in the Magic Kingdom. You'll recall that Day 2 was supposed to be Magic Kingdom, but we switched when we saw the bus lines. As it so happens, we guessed right again. There was no line for the MK bus this morning, but a HUGE line for both Studios and Epcot. We are in the MK and through bag check in time for a few pictures, and the Opening Show, which is a family favorite...and the “new” Mickey Mouse, with blinking eyes and a mouth that moves really added an extra bit of magic to the show that had my kids (and my wife) talking all day.
Well, this is our first trip since most of New Fantasyland opened. And our FP+, which finally got worked out at around midnight, are for Peter Pan, Cinderella Meet N Greet, and Enchanted Tales with Belle...all after 5:30 PM. So we head straight to Under the Sea. My entire family enjoyed this ride. I love that it's a classic dark ride with a more current movie. And the whole experience is so well done, that I realize...I'm okay with Disney taking 4 years to finish New Fantasyland, while other parks build stuff in one year...if this is the finished product. The 7 Dwarves coaster actually seems to fit in the park, and that's quite a feat. My wife commented that all of New Fantasyland looks like it has been there all along, but they only recently decided to let us in.
Anyway, we the head straight to meet Ariel. The second we walk in, Ariel looks at our little girl and says “Now you just come right up here little guppy”, and picks up our daughter and plops her down right next to her. And Zetta pretty much treated her the same way she would treat all the princesses this trip...as if they were sitting down to a cup of tea. Ariel was great, and I'm very impressed with the whole experience.
Then, we power our way through all of Fantasyland. IASW. Peter Pan (which only had a 10 minute line at this point). Carousel (or Caroussel, depending on which guidebook/website you look at). Philharmagic (quick little side story...as we were filing in to our seats, the hostess actually said “Please move all the way in...the best seats are at the far right of the theatre”. I'd never heard them use this to get people to move all the way down before...clever, even if it is a little bit of a white lie). All of this, before 10:15. At this point, I'd like to thank everyone that still doesn't think it's important to get to the park when it first opens.
Now, it is time for Be Our Guest. We had gotten the invitation to their FP+ website, and I had made the reservation for Monday, when we thought we were going to be in MK. I decided, at midnight, that I would not worry about trying to make another FP+ reservation...we'd just wait in line.
We got in line around 10:45, and we were at our table waiting for our food by 11. I could spend several posts talking about how beautiful this restaruant is. Another several posts on how helpful and friendly the CMs are. And an entire website on how good that Tuna Nicoise salad is. And the gluten-free Lemon Raspberry cream puff. DW thinks the same about her roast beef sandwich and lemon meringue cupcake. Sam and Zetta split the “Mrs. Potts Platter”, but I don't think they would have cared what they were eating, as they were both staring at everything there is to see.
Well, after lunch Sam wants to ride Buzz. So I take him while Erin takes Zetta to the baby care center for some baby care. After Buzz, we head over to Mickey's Star Traders, because I noticed while we were on Buzz that Sam had gotten his shirt dirty during lunch. He decided that the Donald Duck Angry Birds shirt was the greatest thing ever, so we did what all reasonable parents would do...we got on the People Mover and changed him there. While we were on the PeopleMover we looked around the park...and realized that it was practically empty. We had guessed right again today!
So, we walk on to Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, where my streak of making it on the screen was extended to four...though I have still never been “that guy”. I was the guy who was going to buy everyone churros this time.
Well, by this time both kids have fallen asleep, so DW and I decide to see how long the Space Mountain line is...so one of us could ride while the other waited with the kids. There was no line. It was a complete walk on. I was floored. We took turns riding. Afterwards DW and I remember the days when we could ride roller-coasters together.
Well, the kids wake up, and they are both being very cute, so we take this time to get our picture taken in front of the castle. It is probably our first pic where not one of us is making a funny face. I'm very proud of my family.
And now it is time to meet one of our very best friends, Nicholas. He is a friend of Goofy, and is also a part of the Fantasmic show, and the Move It, Shake It parade. Today, he is playing with Goofy in front of the Castle. During his break, he is going to meet us for a Dole Whip. Mmmm...Dole Whip. I'm pretty sure that if Dole Whip were available world-wide, there would be no war. Ever. Why fight when you could just have another Dole Whip?
Well, Nicholas is running late, so Erin and Sam head over to the Jingle Cruise, which they both deem a success. Apparently only Trader Sam on the ride has had any changes, but the script and queue have a number of holiday touches, and Sam and Erin had a great time.
When we meet up with Nicholas, we spend time catching up, then we ride The Flying Carpets with him, and head over to Haunted Mansion. Sadly he has to head back to work before he can ride, but Erin and Zetta get on (Sam still refuses to ride Haunted Mansion). Then, it's time for a Turkey Leg, Country Bear Jamboree, and another ride on IASW before dinner, which, of course, is at Columbia Harbour House. Upstairs. Fish & Chips in our own private dining room. Again, I'd like to thank everyone who doesn't read these websites before they go. There really is nothing better than the upstairs rooms at Columbia Harbour House.
Okay, so it's FP+ time. We head over to meet Cinderella. Snow White used to be my wife's favorite ride, so it's a testament to how much she loves our daughter that she would go to the Fairytale Hall. But she admits that it is quite beautiful, and it really is a better show to have the princesses in Fantasyland than on Main St. And the inside is gorgeous. So many little touches and nods to the classic movies. We get to meet Cinderella and Aurora almost immediately. And we notice that with this new format, things seem to be so much calmer and more enjoyable than they were in Toontown Fair or Main St. Sam was determined not to meet the princesses...but as soon as he saw Cinderella, he changed his mind...and talked her ear off. “I tried to hug my sister Zetta this morning, but she would not let me and tried to push me off the bed, but I am bigger than her so she could not...”...and so on. And Zetta, our almost 2 year old, does this thing...when she is wearing a dress, she'll hold it out until you tell her how pretty the dress is. Then she'll point to her shoes. Then her hair. It's precious. Unless Cinderella doesn't know the routine. In which case, Zetta will stand there holding her Minnie Mouse dress out until Erin can inform Cinderella of the proper procedure. Well, we had a great time with the princesses, and we seemed to have more time with them than usual, and the room was beautiful. I took almost as many pictures of the room as I did of the kids...almost. I have to say, they really did a great job with this, and I take back any bad things I ever said about removing the ride for this meet and greet. This was a very special moment for our kids, and one that they talked about the entire ride home.
Okay, so one more trip on Buzz, then over to Belle's Enchanted Tales. My wife, for those that haven't met her...is Belle. She was the girl in a small town who loved to read, and lots of people thought she was odd...and in the end, this amazingly beautiful girl fell in love with a man with a lot of facial hair. Well, this entire experience won her approval. From the queue, to the house, to the mirror....holy cats, the mirror. YouTube videos do not do it justice. Sam did not want to take part in the story, but as they started marching around the room, Zetta jumped out of her seat and grabbed Belle's hand, and went off with her. Afterward, we got some cute pictures. I don't see this as a must-do for every trip, but we really enjoyed ourselves.
Then, we staked out our favorite spot in Frontierland for MSEP...which did not disappoint. But around this time, Sam started to get cranky. We had staked out a good spot for Wishes, but Sam seemed to be more determined than usual to get back to the hotel. Well, just before Wishes, Erin pulled him aside and asked him why he was misbehaving. Then it happened. His bottom lip stuck out. A single tear formed in his eye. And he said he was afraid of the part where you could hear the villains talking but you couldn't see them.
So we booked it. Fast. We had to get to the bus before Wishes started, or we would have ruined our son's life. And run we did. We got to the bus just in time...and within minutes, both kids were asleep. When we got back to the room, instead of dealing with FP+, we watched a video of Wishes on YouTube. After DW is fast asleep, I get online to get FP+ for Animal Kingdom...we get Finding Nemo and Safaris...(but it takes me another hour to do all this...they REALLY have to upgrade the wifi at the resorts). Today was one of the best days in the Magic Kingdom anyone could ever have!