Let's Watch the Hallucination Show on the Castle- A May '14 TR *12/3 PTR Link to Real Life News

[IheartDDuck]

Whenever I see updates on this TR I can't believe how much Landon has grown already! Since I see you on FB and I see him, but man. He looks like such a peanut here!

Small World is like baby crack. I'm telling you, take them in there and they're all quiet and paying attention. LOL. Every time I've taken one of the younger kids, it's the same thing.

It's all a hallucination! OMG, my world is shattered.

Hahaha, oh dear. I know that Alex probably didn't feel that way at the moment, but that locking out story is pretty funny.

 

[MEK]

Just read about your Ohana meal and it sounds lovely. That used to be a "go to" restaurant for me, but then it just started taking too long to get through the meal. Plus I always fill up on everything before we even get to the meats. and the shrimp is my favorite and that comes last.

Loved the view of the boat dock. Pretty.

It sounds like you evening of just talking and waiting for Wishes O'clock was perfect, but who would have guessed Landon would wake up and not be able to go back to sleep. Poor Alex. But seriously, how were you supposed to stay up all that time? I completely understand why you feel asleep. I would be out too. Babies can really cut into your quality sleep and that is one of the things that makes vacationing tough.

Loved your updates! And pictures!

 

[afwdwfan]

Before I begin, I want to apologize for all my short replies to comments. For some reason, every time I type the DIS lags and half the letter keys I press don’t show up. It gets pretty irritating, because I end up pecking at the keys one at a time. It takes me five minutes to write one sentence, and I just get exasperated with it after awhile. I think in the future I’ll have to type up my replies in a word doc and paste them into the box. Bleck…

I've had this happen to me too. Not consistently, but it happens sometimes after I make a few posts. I just close the browser, open it back up and it usually works again. Not perfect, but worth a try.

Normally one for dancing, Alex put Landon down to see if he’d get in to the music.

But he saw a curb and was good with that…

I love the picture of a parade float like 6 feet away and he's more interested in climbing the curb!

He was in the Magic Kingdom, gosh darn it. If running around the lands was what made him happy, then that’s what we, as parents, were going to let him do.

Doesn't running around the lands in Magic Kingdom make everybody happy????

Unlike on other rides, where he would get antsy near the end, Landon stayed stock still in my lap. Even after we were walking out the exit he was pretty motionless. I do believe his little brain was trying to process what he’d seen and heard long after the show was over.

It has that effect on the little ones! Always seems to be a go-to for us when we need to keep them entertained.

Our choices were to forget Wishes and head back to AKL for an early night.

Take turns riding some coasters until Wishes o’clock.

Or just stay where we were and wait the two hours for the fireworks to start.

I'd go for the second option.

That turned out to be my favorite part of the entire vacation.


It kind of ended up being a date for us. We just sat on Main Street and talked and people watched.

But I guess the third option was the best. I'm glad you had such a nice relaxing evening. I mean if you're going to sit somewhere for 2 hours just chatting and doing nothing...

Alex and I just sat on Main Street and soaked up the Magic Kingdom for a few hours.

There are tons of worse ways to spend an evening.

Exactly!

Wishes was spectacular, as always. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing the show or hearing the soundtrack. Hands down, it’s my absolute favorite nighttime show in Disney.

My favorite as well. I just got goosebumps sitting here playing the soundtrack in my head.

“Hey! Guys! If we go out on Main St in ten minutes we can catch the hallucination show on the castle! Yeah, it’s a hallucination show!”


Uh, what?


Alex turned to me and whispered, “Did you hear that?”

I nodded, cracking up.

I wasn’t aware the projection show was a hallucination, but if that’s the case, then I don’t want anyone to fix my mind. I’ll hallucinate Disney every day of the week.

Well... depending on what "medication" someone is on, they might not be referring to the same show?

Right after THAT happened, an unfortunate sound started emanating from the stroller below.

Landon had woken up.


Nooooo!

“It’s okay. He’ll get up now, and then be ready to fall back asleep once we get back to the room.”

Sounded logical.

Yeah... the late night wake up after a few hours of sleep. Never a good thing.

We got back to Animal Kingdom Lodge at about midnight (after talking to a nice family staying at Shades of Green) and Landon was still up and moving. The car ride back didn’t knock him out, which really surprised Alex and me.
In the room, we began pulling out all our bag of tricks to get the little man to crash, but absolutely nothing was working! No amount of cuddling in our bed, listening to lullabies, or being rocked around the room was closing those tiny eyes.

Midnight turned into 1am, and we were becoming desperate. How the heck was this kid still awake?!?

Been there, done that. I remember our first trip with our Landon, we had a lot of that. I think he just got overstimulated in the parks and then just absolutely didn't want to wind back down in the room.

Getting locked out of my room at 2 o’clock in the morning with my 13 month old son…





For what it was worth, I did feel really bad about what happened. I promised to deal with Landon if he woke up again. Since, you know, I’d already gotten an hour long power nap.

I feel your pain. Both of you. I don't blame you a bit for crashing when he left. I mean it was finally quiet and you were tired. What else are you going to do? No point in neither one of you getting to sleep.

But I definitely feel his frustration too. I'd have probably been kicking the door a little harder... and hoping to avoid waking him.

 

[amazingact21]

There you go! Parenting is a dictatorship not a democracy after all!


This so would never in a million years fly with Little MIss. SHe wouldn't even go for the pjs.


I think the quiet and still moments always end up being some of the most memorable.


For future reference... in situations like these our method is to turn on something just barely interesting to get their attention but not enough to keep them awake and turn the volume down to almost unable to hear levels. Super Why works well Disney Junior works in a pinch. It gets them still enough to stop fighting the sleepyness and eventually they will fall asleep. In the mean time you get to dose off next to them.


Well at least you can laugh about it.

Yeah, that method of having him sleep in the parks has expired. Now he just stays up super late. Which, isn't a bad thing because he crashes right away at the resort. Perhaps your DD will be the same on your upcoming trip.

Those quiet moments really are the best. Part of vacation is getting to reconnect with your family and sometimes that's hard to do with a busy touring style like Disney's tend to be.


At that age, Landon didn't get any screen time, so I'm not sure he would've fallen asleep if the tv was on. He would have been like, "what is this magical contraption that plays Mickey Mouse!" Now, though, there has been a night when he won't go to sleep, and we just pay him in bed with us while we watch a 30 minute comedy.

Don't feel bad Alicia. If I didn't have notepad, I'd be screwed. Copy and paste always for me.

Ugh Move It Shake It. This was kind of "earth shattering with its spectacularness" to me. The new one... not so much.



Yeah, that sounds about right. No way that would ever in a million years happen to me.

It does sound like Landon enjoyed Small World though. Either that or the dolls possessed him. One of those.

Wishes o’clock

Your decision sounds amazing Alicia. Sitting on Main Street together, enjoying the atmosphere, this is something too few have experienced.

"hallucination show!" I'm so glad she said it more than once and that you both heard it.

Everyone always swears they'll never willingly go on small World...until someone special asks them to. Then, their proclamation kind of disappear.


The hallucination show comment was priceless. I knew immediately that was what I was going to call my trip report. You can't make that kind of stuff up. And now, I always think of that saying when I watch the Celebrate the Magic show. Some fantastic hallucinations....

 

[Elleshoodat]

Finally! I'm all caught up. Sooo much to comment on.

- First and foremost, I got tears in my eyes when I read about Alex coming home. I can't thank him (or you!) enough for what he does for our country, and I got really emotional when reading about your reunion.

- Animal Kingdom Lodge...!!! I'm SO glad y'all got to stay there. It's our favorite resort, and I get positively giddy when I hear someone else has fallen in love with it.

- I loved the "surprise" trip to MCMCP with your mom (it made me wish my parents live closer and love Disney like I do!) and your visit to SeaWorld. I LOVED Landon's little face on the train. Pure joy.

- Also happy to hear y'all enjoyed 'Ohana. We're eating there in September, and I can't wait! Oh, and I totally have a dessert stomach.

- Lastly, you are a genius. Matthew loves bananas, but I never want to take them with us when we're out and about because they get bruised or broken. But I've tried your trick with putting them into a Puffs container ... genius, I tell you!

 

[teekathepony]

Well that sounds like a great evening at Magic Kingdom!! I love that Landon was soooo into iasw, that's adorable.
Your time spent together waiting for Wishes sounds pretty magical. And you got to watch the hallucination show! Bonus!
Oh dear, poor Alex! Hahaha that is a good story though, one of those memories you'll tell Landon when he's 20.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I love the plants and pools out front of the Poly. Once we got there early for our dinner ADR so we could see the torch lighting ceremony which was pretty cool with the fire juggling, etc. - though, to be honest, not sure if they still do it after the renovations.

Glad you enjoyed your 'Ohana meal so much. It is always nice when something you were looking forward to meets or exceeds already high expectations.

I agree with you that the bread at Kona is better. I also like the wings better there. I think if you could combine the menus you would have an amazing meal

 

[amazingact21]

Those people in the background look like they're enjoying watching Landon run!

They were! And some of them were extra relieved it was Alex having to play the chase after a toddler game and not them.

Glad that he did indeed like it! I agree that it just overwhelms their little brains when they see all the dolls everywhere.

I love it, though, because I know it's a guarantee win whenever I'm in the MK. No matter what, Landon's always up for a ride on Small World.

Oops. But, you know, mommies need naps too.

Haha, right?! I can't help it I was exhausted. We didn't get our typical afternoon nap so it's understandable.

So glad to hear the latest trip was a success and the last part about your statement really is wonderful and I am sure just made things a bit easier and lightened the spirits a bit

****************

Sorry to hear about all of the issues with the rain but it is definitely funny how things turn out sometimes as if it wasn't for that rain you probably wouldn't have met up with Dan and that sounds like such a nice time. Gotta love unexpected pixie dust

It was a whole different mindset going into this last trip. Plus, we got to enjoy the extra deployment money and were able to splurge on a ton of stuff we normally would not have. It was one of those instances where we might never get the opportunity to do that again, so we really cherished every second.

Whenever I see updates on this TR I can't believe how much Landon has grown already! Since I see you on FB and I see him, but man. He looks like such a peanut here!

Small World is like baby crack. I'm telling you, take them in there and they're all quiet and paying attention. LOL. Every time I've taken one of the younger kids, it's the same thing.

It's all a hallucination! OMG, my world is shattered.

Hahaha, oh dear. I know that Alex probably didn't feel that way at the moment, but that locking out story is pretty funny.

He really is a different kid now. It's been almost a year, and back in May he was still a baby. Now, he's all kid. It's been fun going through the pictures and seeing him with no hair and, like, 3 teeth.

I was trying so hard not to laugh loud enough for those people to hear me when they called the show a hallucination. It was priceless. One of those moments that made me wonder where the heck people got their ideas and assumptions from. Like, I'd love to have followed that lady's train of thought.


I can't talk about the locking out incident without bursting into laughter. Even now it cracks me up. Alex, however, still doesn't find it funny. Maybe in another year or two...

 

[amazingact21]

Just read about your Ohana meal and it sounds lovely. That used to be a "go to" restaurant for me, but then it just started taking too long to get through the meal. Plus I always fill up on everything before we even get to the meats. and the shrimp is my favorite and that comes last.

Loved the view of the boat dock. Pretty.

It sounds like you evening of just talking and waiting for Wishes O'clock was perfect, but who would have guessed Landon would wake up and not be able to go back to sleep. Poor Alex. But seriously, how were you supposed to stay up all that time? I completely understand why you feel asleep. I would be out too. Babies can really cut into your quality sleep and that is one of the things that makes vacationing tough.

Loved your updates! And pictures!

I agree that Ohana takes a long time. I usually plan it on a day when we're not doing anything, because it eats up precious park time.
And last time we were there, they didn't even bring out the shrimp. Someone at the table next to us had to ask for it.


I'm terrible about falling asleep now that I have a kid. When Alex and I watch tv at night, I'm always fast asleep within 15 minutes. It's gotten to the point where we just put something on the ipad in bed so that I can stay asleep. So, in my defense, Alex should have suspected I'd fall asleep.

I've had this happen to me too. Not consistently, but it happens sometimes after I make a few posts. I just close the browser, open it back up and it usually works again. Not perfect, but worth a try.

I've just gotten in the habit of writing replies on the ipad. It takes longer, and if can't do more than a couple replies at a time, but it saves me the frustration. Plus, portability...

I love the picture of a parade float like 6 feet away and he's more interested in climbing the curb!

Sadly, I don't know if much would be different now. He's such an outdoorsy kid that he'd much rather hunt down the ducks or acorns or fallen leaves then pay attention to parade floats. But hey, at least I don't have to buy too many toys. Small favors.

It has that effect on the little ones! Always seems to be a go-to for us when we need to keep them entertained.

I wish there was a babysitting service offered where we could drop the kids off with a certified CM and let the. Take them on the ride over and over again so we don't have to. I love Small World, but there's only so much of it I can take. Landon wants me to play the soundtrack at home and I might have "accidentelly" deleted it off my phone. Oops...

Well... depending on what "medication" someone is on, they might not be referring to the same show?

That is true...Although, I'd kind of love to see that show. Talk about a trip.

Been there, done that. I remember our first trip with our Landon, we had a lot of that. I think he just got overstimulated in the parks and then just absolutely didn't want to wind back down in the room.


I feel your pain. Both of you. I don't blame you a bit for crashing when he left. I mean it was finally quiet and you were tired. What else are you going to do? No point in neither one of you getting to sleep.

But I definitely feel his frustration too. I'd have probably been kicking the door a little harder... and hoping to avoid waking him.

Seems to be a common problem with toddlers and Disney. You would think that it would have the opposite effect. And I think a lot depends on age. The last few times Landon has been in that golden stage where he will stay up late and we'll get him back to the room by 10 and he will crash all night. But I'm afraid when he gets a little bit older he will have a tougher time winding down back in the room.


I can't believe Alex didn't just assume I'd fall asleep. And yeah, he still gets an irritated look when I bring the incident up. I don't think I'll ever get him to put the baby to sleep at a resort again.

 

[KatMark]

I think yours is one of the last TR's I have to catch up on after two weeks with little to no DIS time (and I hear you on the typing and not picking up all the letters...I thought it as just me).

I'd be going back to MK if it was still open after a meal too.

Yay for Landon just running around to the lands...he needed to get some exercise too. And I'm so glad he enjoyed It's a Small World (I was nice and didn't say what I normally call the ride). You can tell how into it he is.

I love that you and DH had two hours of "us" time just talking or enjoying being with each other and that Landon slep through the castle show and the fireworks.

But boy...that must have been his power nap too that it took so long for DH to get him to sleep. Am I a bad person because I was that they got locked out of the room.

 

[amazingact21]

Finally! I'm all caught up. Sooo much to comment on.
- First and foremost, I got tears in my eyes when I read about Alex coming home. I can't thank him (or you!) enough for what he does for our country, and I got really emotional when reading about your reunion.

Thank you. Life has been so much easier since he came home. I still get so excited when Alex takes Landon out for a morning and I get some time to myself.

- Animal Kingdom Lodge...!!! I'm SO glad y'all got to stay there. It's our favorite resort, and I get positively giddy when I hear someone else has fallen in love with it.

I love Animal Kingdom Lodge! It was such a beautiful resort. I loved how unique the theme was and how you almost forgot you were minutes away from a theme park when you were walking around the resort. I already can’t wait to stay there again one day.

- I loved the "surprise" trip to MCMCP with your mom (it made me wish my parents live closer and love Disney like I do!) and your visit to SeaWorld. I LOVED Landon's little face on the train. Pure joy.

That trip was so great just because it was so spontaneous. I really liked not having an itinerary to follow or even a camera to lug around. SeaWorld being completely empty helped a lot, too!

- Lastly, you are a genius. Matthew loves bananas, but I never want to take them with us when we're out and about because they get bruised or broken. But I've tried your trick with putting them into a Puffs container ... genius, I tell you!

Haha, thanks. I felt ridiculously proud when I thought of it. Because, you’re right, bananas are a kid’s go-to food, but they are near impossible to carry around. That Puffs container makes life a whole lot easier. (And when you’re in Disney it saves significant money. I hate buying a 2.50 banana when you can get a half dozen organic ones for that price.)

Well that sounds like a great evening at Magic Kingdom!! I love that Landon was soooo into iasw, that's adorable.
Your time spent together waiting for Wishes sounds pretty magical. And you got to watch the hallucination show! Bonus!
Oh dear, poor Alex! Hahaha that is a good story though, one of those memories you'll tell Landon when he's 20.

The Hallucination show was definitely worth a second viewing, especially since Landon was awake for it.
I still laugh so hard when I bring up the being locked out incident. Alex, though, hasn’t quite reached the point where he can find the humor in it. Maybe in another year or two…

I love the plants and pools out front of the Poly. Once we got there early for our dinner ADR so we could see the torch lighting ceremony which was pretty cool with the fire juggling, etc. - though, to be honest, not sure if they still do it after the renovations.
Glad you enjoyed your 'Ohana meal so much. It is always nice when something you were looking forward to meets or exceeds already high expectations.
I agree with you that the bread at Kona is better. I also like the wings better there. I think if you could combine the menus you would have an amazing meal

I’m not sure if they still do the torch lighting, either. A lot of things have changed or been put on hold since construction began. At this point, I’m kind of just waiting for it all to finish then get a general idea of what the resort will hold.
I don’t think I’ve ever tried the wings at Kona before. Hmm. Maybe I’ll have to give them a try in the future. You’re absolutely right, though, those two restaurants combined would be amazing. I’d eat there multiple times a trip.

I think yours is one of the last TR's I have to catch up on after two weeks with little to no DIS time (and I hear you on the typing and not picking up all the letters...I thought it as just me).
I'd be going back to MK if it was still open after a meal too.
Yay for Landon just running around to the lands...he needed to get some exercise too. And I'm so glad he enjoyed It's a Small World (I was nice and didn't say what I normally call the ride). You can tell how into it he is.
I love that you and DH had two hours of "us" time just talking or enjoying being with each other and that Landon slep through the castle show and the fireworks.
But boy...that must have been his power nap too that it took so long for DH to get him to sleep. Am I a bad person because I was that they got locked out of the room.

I’m pretty sure Landon’s favorite part of a Disney vacation is getting so much space to run around. Whether it be at the resort or in the parks, Landon’s happiest when he can stretch his legs out and roam around.
And don’t feel bad, I probably laugh the hardest when I retell the story to people. It was one of those unfortunate situations you can’t help but chuckle at.

 

[Wendy5055]

I Love reading your trip report and all the pics of your adorable baby boy!!!!

 

[lilmape]

Have never tried O'hana but it looks so good! Landon is so stinkin cute! I love how in his pictures you can tell he's taking it all in.

 

[amazingact21]

I Love reading your trip report and all the pics of your adorable baby boy!!!!

Thank you!
This trip happened almost a year ago now, and I love going through all the photos and seeing how little he was. Almost makes me miss the sleepless nights.

Have never tried O'hana but it looks so good! Landon is so stinkin cute! I love how in his pictures you can tell he's taking it all in.

Thanks! It's amazing how different he looks now. I can't wait to write about our February trip and compare how much he's changed and grown.
O'hana is hit or miss with people, but I enjoy it. Well worth visiting every once in awhile.

 

[amazingact21]

Thursday, May 15, 2014:


Originally on this day, Alex and I were going to wake up early enough to catch the Welcome Show at the Magic Kingdom. However, with Landon not going back to sleep until 2 am, we threw those plans out the window and opted to sleep in instead.

A much wiser plan, if I do say so myself.


The three of us took our time getting motivated. Landon and I sat out on the balcony and watched some zebras graze around while Alex ran down to the food court and bought some breakfast.

f1 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

Only in Disney would I even come close to considering this a breakfast…



Despite skipping park opening, Alex and I were still pretty tired and we both agreed that this day would be deemed an easygoing park day. We had no desire to rush to any particular attraction or see any one show. The day was all about taking our time and perhaps giving some of the less popular rides a shot.


We were just in the MK the night before, but Alex and I still picked that park to visit that morning. Ever since having Landon, the two of us found that particular park to be the one we want to go into the most. There’s no comparing the sheer number of attractions we can experience with a toddler in any other place.


Besides…it’s Magic Kingdom.

Do we need a reason to visit it every day of our trip?


Once inside the park, there was an important beverage I needed to order before going any farther.

f2 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

Hello, iced Vanilla Macchiato. You are desperately needed this morning.


It wasn’t Starbucks specifically that I had to have, just the coffee.

In case you were wandering, parenthood is three parts patience and love and understanding and one part caffeine.




In keeping with our relaxed plans, Alex suggested we hop on the PeopleMover for a bit. It would get us out of the sun and heat, and who doesn’t love going inside Space Mountain and Buzz?






“You sure this’ll be fun, Mom?”

“Don’t worry, kid, it’s yet another mode of transportation where you’re not required to be strapped into your carseat.”

“Ah, Disney’s the best.”


Maybe not Landon’s exact thoughts on the matter, but that’s what I inferred based on his contentment to sit and watch his surroundings zoom by.
When we came to the end of the track where everyone unloads, I noticed there weren’t a lot of people waiting in line so we asked the Cast Member working if we could stay on for another trip.

And she said yes!

So away we went again. That was the first time Alex and I had ever gotten to stay on a vehicle for a second ride through.

It was kind of fun.



To emphasis just how tired the two of us were, Alex made Landon sit in his stroller after we got off the attraction.



Not a common sight for us, but we were just too tired to chase after him that day.

Keep us all night, we revoke your walking privileges.

Such cruel parents…



The next few hours were spent with Alex doing some shopping:

f3 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr



Me doing some poor photography:

f4 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr



And all of us eating a small quick service lunch.

In the early afternoon, I had some character Meet and Greet Fastpasses reserved, and the first one available was for Princess Ariel.


Last visit, Ariel was Landon’s absolute favorite. He fell head over heels in love with the redhead, and we thought for sure that adoration would continue this time around.

Because it was the busiest time of the day for the park, there was a little bit of wait near the FP readers.

Landon was unsure what to make of the little light up shells at first.



Hesitation quickly turned into fascination.



Past the second reader we were led right into Ariel’s grotto, where Landon reunited with his mermaid gal.




We might not have been capable of taking a decent picture, but at least the meet went well. Landon smiled and listened intently to Ariel as she told him how he’d swam pretty far to get to her. He soaked up her every word, and while his attitude has chilled slightly since their last meeting, he still enjoyed her company enough to make the meet and greet a success.

Maybe he was playing hard to get this time around…



We didn’t have a Fastpass for it, but Winnie the Pooh only had a 20 minute standby wait, and it was an attraction none of us had ever experienced before. I figured with the interactive queue Landon would stay entertained enough to handle the wait, and Alex and I could cross it off our To-Do list.

We hopped in line and helped Landon move the honey around on the walls and pointed out the honey pots to him. It was a really cute queue; I’d love to take him back there now that he’s older to see how he does with everything.


The three of us made it to the front of the line and were about four groups back from boarding a honey pot when we saw something fall onto the track. It looked like a cup or a piece of paper, something small and white. The two Cast Members working the ride entrance walked over and looked down into the space where it fell. One tried to stick their foot down below to see if they could reach it. They conferred back and forth for a few seconds. One went back to the control desk and moved a honey pot forward.


It slid over the spot where the debris was with no problem.

The two Cast Members kind of shared a, “What do you wanna do?” look with each other.
And I kid you not, they just shrugged their shoulders.


Alex and I had been exchanging glances throughout the incident, both of us wondering if we’d be making it on the ride at all.

The shrug didn’t exude confidence that the item on the track wouldn’t cause issues, but the Cast Members started boarding guests regardless.

Okie dokie.


We hopped on and tried to forget the weird silent conversation between the Cast Members.




Landon seemed to be paying serious attention to the ride. I think he might have recognized the characters as the same ones from breakfast a few days ago. It was seeming to be a really cute and enjoyable attraction, but we didn’t make it past Tigger’s bouncing when the ride came to a stop.

Hmm.


We sat and waited.

And sat and waited.


Then the lights came on and the soundtrack stopped and we knew we wouldn’t be making it any farther on the attraction.


We had to sit in our pot for a good long while, because apparently some Cast Members went to the end of the ride and began unloading passengers starting from the back. Since we were near the front we were one of the last few cars to be unloaded.



Once out of our vehicle, we followed everyone else to the front.




I took this photo then promptly got scolded by a Cast Member.

“No pictures, please!”

Oops.


As we exited what was normally the entrance line, a CM gave everyone a free FP good for a handful of other attractions.

So...

While Alex and I did not get to experience a new ride that afternoon, we did get escorted off of one, and I got reprimanded by a CM.


So, some new stuff happened.

Gotta look on the positive side.

And now we still have a ride that’ll be new to us.



By that point the clouds were starting get really dark and were building up for what looked like another afternoon shower. Alex and I figured it was the perfect time to use our second Fastpass.
A Meet and Greet appointment with Rapunzel and Cinderella.


In front of us in line were a mom and a daughter of about 3 years old. Alex and I had the pleasure of talking to the mom throughout our wait and it turned out to be such a great conversation. The mom noticed Landon’s glasses immediately and commented on them, saying something like, “Oh, look at those cool glasses.” She then said, “My daughter has some sunglasses like those, but she hates wearing them so we left them at home today.”

Alex explained that Landon’s glasses were actually real prescription lenses, because we encounter a lot of people who don’t realize they are real, and the mom replied saying so were her daughter’s.
She then went on to tell us how her daughter had been in glasses for about as long as Landon and she had received a call that very morning from her optometrist saying that her daughter needed corrective surgery.
As any mom who discovers their kid has to undergo a medical procedure, she became sad and didn’t really feel like going to work that day. They lived in Daytona and were Annual Passholders, and I guess the mom decided spur of the moment to pick her daughter up from preschool and head to Disney for the day.


She said she just needed something happy after that news.

Sometimes, a little Disney magic can go a long way to improving one’s spirit.
Alex and I were so happy to get to talk with her, and we both loved her attitude to her real life problems. Occasionally, you’ve got to do something healing for the soul. Even if it’s something as simple as going to the movies or spending the day doing nothing, everyone needs that reboot and that time to prepare for something tough coming up.

For me, I tend to take a morning and go to a local beach, but if I was like that mom and lived close enough to Disney World, I’m sure that would be my solution.



Before we knew it, it was time to meet Rapunzel!



This was a fantastic Rapunzel who really knew her stuff.

And thank the Lord she didn’t shove her hair in Landon’s face like last time.

I think she redeemed herself in his eyes. Like, maybe this chick with the crazy long hair isn’t so bad after all. Rapunzel was warning Landon not be mischievous like Eugene.



I told her it was a little late for that, and she then warned Landon that she might have to send Maximus to us to put him back in line.

It was adorable.



Cinderella was next and while not as entertaining as Rapunzel, Landon didn’t seem to mind her.




Cinderella was trying to get Landon to look at the camera for a picture, but clearly my son didn’t want to tear his eyes away from such pretty royalty.

What am I gonna do with him…




When the meets were over, the three of us left Princess Fairytale Hall and were greeted with a monsoon going on outside. A huge crowd of people were already gathered under the overhang where we were, and we decided to stay there for a few minutes and figure out what to do next.

It was almost three o’clock by that point, and we’d kind of had our fill of the MK. We had a dinner reservation at 5 o’clock in Epcot, and we were weren’t worried about getting wet, so Alex and I agreed we should head to the exit and make our way over to Epcot.

But first…

We were standing next to the mom and daughter from the line, and so Alex pulled out our 3 (because Landon got a free one, too) Fastpasses from Winnie the Pooh and offered them to the mom. She was so surprised by the gesture and kept thanking us; then she read the list of attractions they were good for and almost came out of her skin when she saw Peter Pan’s Flight listed.

“Oh my goodness, we were just going to have to skip that ride because the wait’s always so long for it.”
Her sheer joy at getting multiple turns on a ride she otherwise couldn’t have gone on made our day.

Made our trip, really.


Alex and I couldn’t have imagined she would've been that happy with the passes, and while yes, it would have been fun to use them ourselves, making someone else’s day was a thousand times better.

We walked away from her (and into the rain) hoping that what started out as a depressing day turned into something happy and joyful for her.

It kind of gave us a glimpse into what Cast Member must feel like sometimes, making people’s trips extra magical. And if that’s the case, I can see why so many people love their jobs, because that gave us the best feeling in the world.

Yeah, it was about a million degrees out.

Yeah, we were running to our stroller in the rain.

Yeah, Landon felt about ten pounds heavier due to us being so tired.

Yeah, it was almost the end of our vacation.

But man, that mom’s smile. She had the Disney magic, and we felt great about our decision.

Life was good.




Up Next…Baby Won’t Sleep so Daddy Needs a Beer

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Landon and I sat out on the balcony and watched some zebras graze around while Alex ran down to the food court and bought some breakfast.

... yeah, I guess I suppose that isn't a terrible way to start the morning

Gotta love the people mover - though I didn't remember the dark part being so dark or so long and it kinda freaked the kids out a little bit

I love the look on Landon's face. Kinda like: Yeah, my gal is pretty hot, huh?

“Oh my goodness, we were just going to have to skip that ride because the wait’s always so long for it.”
Her sheer joy at getting multiple turns on a ride she otherwise couldn’t have gone on made our day.

Made our trip, really.

I was finding your story of talking to the mom to be really nice and a bit emotional thinking about what the mom was thinking and feeling knowing her child needed surgery .... and then it got so much better and how nice of you to offer up your bonus FP to her. Like you said, definitely seemed to mean more to her than it would have to you to use it. Always love stories like that and get what you are saying about how nice it much be to be a CM that gets to do that often .... unlike the CMs that see something on the tracks and just shrug their shoulders and keep things going. Though, if that didn't happen you wouldn't have had those bonus FP to give away - sometimes things definitely do happen for a reason

 

[Gracefulskinny]

Originally on this day, Alex and I were going to wake up early enough to catch the Welcome Show at the Magic Kingdom. However, with Landon not going back to sleep until 2 am, we threw those plans out the window and opted to sleep in instead.

A much wiser plan, if I do say so myself.

Absolutely!

We were just in the MK the night before, but Alex and I still picked that park to visit that morning. Ever since having Landon, the two of us found that particular park to be the one we want to go into the most. There’s just no comparing the sheer number of attractions we can experience with a toddler in any other place.

I have always felt love for MK but in planning this upcoming trip I have to say I agree 100%

Do we need a reason to visit it every day of our trip?

Not in my book! If you look at my plans you will notice that we have plans to visit MK 5 out of 6 of our park days.

Once inside the park, there was an important beverage I needed to order before going any farther.

After the night you had you bet your britches! Thats not just a cup of coffee at that point, its parental survival juice!

In case you were wandering, parenthood is two parts patience and love and understanding and one part caffeine.

“You sure this’ll be fun, Mom?”

“Don’t worry, kid, it’s yet another mode of transportation where you’re not required to be strapped into your carseat.”

“Ah, Disney’s the best.”

Not a common sight for us, but we were just too tired to chase after him that day.

Keep us all night, we revoke your walking privileges.

Such cruel parents…

Not cruel, just Facts of life!

I took this photo then promptly got scolded by a Cast Member.


“No pictures, please!”

They didn't give you the Cameras and phones away speech before letting you out of the vehicle? Last trip when we were evacuated off TSM they said that to every vehicle before letting them out and kept repeating it until off of the floor.

So, some new stuff happened.

Alex explained that Landon’s glasses were actually real prescription lenses, because we encounter a lot of people who don’t realize they are real, and the mom replied saying so were her daughter’s.
She then went on to tell us how her daughter had been in glasses for about as long as Landon and she had received a call that very morning from her optometrist saying that her daughter needed corrective surgery.
As any mom who discovers their kid has to undergo a medical procedure, she became sad and didn’t really feel like going to work that day. They lived in Daytona and were Annual Passholders, and I guess the mom decided spur of the moment to pick her daughter up from preschool and head to Disney for the day.

Hard news but how special that they can do that.

Sometimes, a little Disney magic can go a long way to improving one’s spirit.

Absolutely!

But first…

We were standing next to the mom and daughter from the line, and so Alex pulled out our 3 (because Landon got a free one, too) Fastpasses from Winnie the Pooh and offered them to the mom. She was so surprised by the gesture and kept thanking us; then she read the list of attractions they were good for and almost came out of her skin when she saw Peter Pan’s Flight listed.

“Oh my goodness, we were just going to have to skip that ride because the wait’s always so long for it.”
Her sheer joy at getting multiple turns on a ride she otherwise couldn’t have gone on made our day.

How wonderful!!!! I love when this type of thing can happen.

Up Next…Baby Won’t Sleep so Daddy Needs a Beer

Isn't that the story of life!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Alicia... That is absolutely a breakfast!

Ever since having Landon, the two of us found that particular park to be the one we want to go into the most.

This also applies to me sans toddler just for the record.


I have to admit, the only thing better than a ride on the Peoplemover is back to back rides on the Peoplemover.

You just keep on playing hard to get with Ariel there Landon. Give the rest of us a chance at least.

While not exactly on my bucket list, I will say that I have never been evacuated from a ride before. So you definitely have one on me there.

AWWWW I love love love the gesture of passing along your FP's. We don't get to do that much anymore, so reading this just makes me happy. Most of all I adore what you took away from the experience. Sometimes it's up to us to make magic happen.

 

[Dugette]

In case you were wandering, parenthood is two parts patience and love and understanding and one part caffeine.

Hahaha, so true!

When we came to the end of the track where everyone unloads, I noticed there weren’t a lot of people waiting in line so we asked the Cast Member working if we could stay on for another trip.

And she said yes!

Love doing that! I think the Peoplemover is the only place we've done that, but it's such a treat. I do remember being offered a second ride on Peter Pan without getting off once - it was shortly before closing on a very late EMH night, but we declined, since we wanted to get in another ride.

Then the lights came on and the soundtrack stopped and we knew we wouldn’t be making it any farther on the attraction.

That's familiar! We had that happen once - I think it was our first ride of our first trip together, actually. I think we made it a bit further along, though.

I took this photo then promptly got scolded by a Cast Member.


“No pictures, please!”


Oops.

Oh no! We actually have photos from our behind-the-scenes exit there, but nobody was scolding us. Maybe we are the reason for the current scolding, since I know I posted pics from it.

As any mom who discovers their kid has to undergo a medical procedure, she became sad and didn’t really feel like going to work that day. They lived in Daytona and were Annual Passholders, and I guess the mom decided spur of the moment to pick her daughter up from preschool and head to Disney for the day.

How perfect that you ended up next to that mom and daughter in line! I love that attitude of making good memories on a day with hard news. So neat that she lives close enough to have that ability. I'd love to just pick up and enjoy some magic on down days.

Alex and I couldn’t have imagined she would've been that happy with the passes, and while yes, it would have been fun to use them ourselves, making someone else’s day was a thousand times better.

Great job making the day extra magical! I'm sure she and her daughter have wonderful memories of their spontaneous day now.

 

[MEK]

Awwww - that is a great story about the mom and her daughter coming to visit from Daytona because she received bad news. And how nice of you to give her your FP's. You are right - making someone else's day IS 1000X better than using a FP.

Sorry you didn't get to finish the Pooh ride, but having something to look forward to is special too.

I am so glad Rapunzel didn't put her hair in Landon's face. That would just be so wrong. He really DOES look fascinated with Cindy.

Love your update. Sorry you guys were going on minimal sleep, but you certainly made the best of it.