We were up bright and early for a full day of delights at Disneyworld's Magic Kingdom. Just in time to have breakfast with the princesses at Cinderella's castle! Something we hadn't done before and we were all pleasantly surprised at how elegant it was. The food was exceptional, just about everywhere we dined that was the case. We opted not to do the meal plan with our package. There wasn't any way on earth we could eat that much dough ($$$)!! Our daily routine was simple: eat a healthy, hearty breakfast; have ice cream for lunch (yay!); and then a well balanced, delicious dinner, also drinking plenty of water throughout the day to keep us hydrated! It worked great for us!
Full disclosure - I am not being paid by Disney for these posts. These are for my own enjoyment, and that of my friends & family who happen to stop by and spend any amount of time here. If, however, Disney decides to pay me, I'll keep you informed. ;)
The music playing through the park inspired the girls to dance! Notice their matching berets they had chosen the night before from Epcot's France.
At breakfast with the Disney Princesses...
All of the princesses were very warm and personable, however, these two exceptional ladies made an extra special impression on us. Thank you, Princesses Snow White and Jasmine!
There was a small window of time before we were off to our first Fast Pass entry. The parks were packed and we were extremely thankful to have scheduled up to 3 Fast Passes per day. The carousel is always a favorite and not much of a wait - bonus!!
I have made it a point to ride this particular colorful, cheery ride each time I've visited the Magic Kingdom. I was about 9 the first time I experienced "It's a Small World" and I can tell you it hasn't changed much, if at all, over the past many decades since then! It is the happiest cruise that ever sailed!
We had time after It's a Small World before our next scheduled Fast Pass, so we decided to try out Peter Pan's Flight. We waited for an hour inching along in line. The waiting area is designed to delight young and old alike, and we enjoyed all the magical treats along the way, including making friends with the young family behind us, chasing shadows, having pixie dust sprinkled on our heads and Emilia's loose tooth that managed to come free!! (yes, the tooth fairy found us on our vacation - isn't she something else?!) However, the ride itself was a bit of a disappointment. I suppose if we hadn't waited so long for it, we wouldn't have built up such high expectations. As the girls disembarked from the ride, they turned and said to us, "That was it?!" Sorry, this ride fell flat for us.
A ride that is a complete treat and hasn't ever fallen flat for us was the Jungle Cruise! A guide with a quirky sense of humor lead us through the exotic and exciting rivers across Asia, Africa and South America. So many of her jokes warranted a punch line drum sound effect to exclaim "Okay, laugh people!" Ha!! :) It was great fun and our guide was a good sport!
We found some muppets putting on a show from the windows of the Hall of Presidents! All hail the Muppets!!
"Partners. We believe in our idea: a family park where parents and children could have fun - together." -- Walt Disney
This quartet with whistles were quite talented! They kept me and a small crowd happily entertained while Kurt took the girls into Mickey's Firehouse on Main Street to pick up their Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom spell cards. A quest game and a scavenger hunt that the girls played after dinner. We took an afternoon hiatus and went back to our hotel to rest before then heading back for our dinner reservations at Be Our Guest. Yay!!
The girls, riding the Disney bus from the hotel back to the Magic Kingdom, using their lanyards (thanks Aunt Jeri!) to hold their magic spell cards. And Emilia with her Minnie ears that her fabulously talented second-grade teacher made for her!! Thanks so much, Mrs. Herbine! Ears to YOU!! :)
We were worried we might miss the Beast while dining in his castle, but ... we didn't worry for long! After our amazing, scrumptious, lick-the-plate-clean (okay, no, I didn't actually do that, but the meal was that good that I may have if dared!) dinner, we walked around the different rooms to view all the intricate details and I could post 10 more photos right here, but I don't want anyone falling asleep through this blog post!! You'll just have to go visit this amazing restaurant for yourself (but be sure to get your reservations in early because they were booked solid).
We met the Beast after dinner! He was l o n n n g g g on charm and grace for such an overbearing one!! Emilia felt no need for hesitation and gave him Big, Big hugs!! Alanna ... was more shy with introductions. Their reactions were priceless...
After dinner, the girls were on a magical mission! A quest to defeat the evil Hades using their spell cards and magical powers! This was a neat, interactive scavenger hunt and we were all caught up in the fun quickly!
It was another successful day full of laughter, surprises, magic and amazement!! The Magic Kingdom is timeless for me, a place where time seems to stand still - a magical portal to childhood. Our girls had a thrilling, happy day and Kurt and I did too! Disneyworld is the happiest place on earth! The staff at Disney, even the lifeguard at our hotel pool who gave us tips and advice, are all top notch folks that seemingly feel honored to be a part of the Disney experience. Every single person (every one!) we met on our travels were all wonderful, ready-to-please, ready-to-help, on-the-ball and on their game!! Truly, the rides are fun, captivating, but the people behind the gates, the costumes, the masks, at each turn, employed by Disney are what make Disneyworld even more meaningful and special. Thanks, Disney for another spectacular day!!! We loved making memories with you!!
