Flowers, 5Ks, and Fiancées-A May 2011 TR *Updated 4/30 The Last Update*

[amazingact21]

Great Epcot update! I know I keep saying this, but I can't wait to be there during the Flower and Garden festival!

I LOVE Maelstrom! And YES it's too short! And so is Toy Story Mania! Seriously though, Maelstrom is not just one of my favorite Epcot rides, it's one of my favorite Disney rides, it's just SO good! And so unappreciated!

The Gran Fiesta Tour is one of my favorites too! I'm pretty paranoid about things, but I don't think those boats can flip over, it's Disney World, I think they're pretty safe!

Maelstorm really is unappreciated! But I'm okay with that, because that means the ride usually has short wait times.

Ah - the last day blues. I know the feeling. If you don't let that feeling creep in on you then it comes crashing down. But if you do let it creep in on you than it nags at you when you try to forget it.

Glad you liked the Grand Fiesta tour. I have always enjoyed the beginning of that tour.

Score on getting the troll on Malestrom. I need to get that picture!

It can get pretty hot in May. No wonder that lady wanted a margarita!

It's a hard thing, dealing with the last day at WDW. I've only ever been for 4 or 5 days, and I am already worried about how sad I'm going to get when I am there for a week in a few weeks.

Helllooooo! I can't believe I've never read your TR! But I just read the whole thing, and am looking forward to the rest. I will also be bopping over to your May PTR soon. C'mon, MAY!

Bizarrely, my DH and I also have the super annoying habit of dressing alike unintentionally. His family were the first ones to point it out to us, and it has become quite embarrassing- no one believes that it's an accident. We've actually had to start doing a 'twinsie check' before leaving the house!

And.... even more funny is that we had an engagement ring catastrophe of our own- the DAY after I got the ring... and ours really was lost- in the ocean in St. Lucia. So I can 100% relate to the drama of your ring episode. *shudder*

The dressing like habit gets old. I can't even count the number of times I've stepped out of the bathroom, seen Alex's shirt, and just yelled, "C'mon!" Or have Alex come into the room and ask me, "I feel like wearing this, I haven't put it on in awhile." and it completely matches my current outfit.

Oh my goodness, I can't imagine losing my ring in the ocean. Talk about putting a damper on vacation! So stressful!

 

[TanzUnited99]

Loving your photos of World Showcase...they look great

Haha am the same with some rides...think they should last longer lol.

 

[amazingact21]

I was looking back on my December trip report, and I’m in a little bit of shock. I finished that report in just over 5 months. I'm working on 11 months for this one! What the heck? Maybe Im' having a little bit of separation anxiety. I don't want to say goodbye to this trip.


It was one of the better ones. After all, it's the only one where we will ever celebrate our engagement, which had that air of shock and excitement to it. You know, that taste of, I don't know what's going to happen in the upcoming months, but let's just enjoy the fact that we're here and we get to wear an awesome button.


But I mean honestly, enough is enough. I'm about to go on another May trip and I need this one to be done! I've got to buckle down and focus!


So with that, I bring you...


May 10th Mid Afternoon:

Alex and I had walked out of the Mexico pavilion and entered the center of the sun.

Or at least that what it felt like. It brought vivid memories of my summers in North Louisiana back to me, where the air's so thick with humidity that you can practically see the droplets of water in the air. I didn't know what had happened in the span of 30 minutes that we were inside but whatever it was had raised the temperature about 10 degrees.

Alex reminded me that we still had FIVE snack credits left and approximately six hours to use them.


Five!


How in the world does one let five snack credits slip through their fingers?

I was still really full from our Teppan Edo lunch, but I knew I had to take one for the team and wolf down some more food.

Oh, the horror of it...


I'd mentioned to Alex as we were passing by Germany that I'd heard great things about the Karmell Kuche store. I'd mention how I'd read about the caramel chewy bars on a TR, but do I really need to? We all know about them and we all know WHO's trip reports made them famous...

With all that in mind, the two of us set out towards the Germany pavilion.

I felt like I had been walking for days.

In the desert.

With no water.


"Alex, I can't do it-you're going to have to go on without me."

Germany was like a mirage, shimmering through the heat waves, and I was the poor soul crawling on the ground, placing one scrabbling hand out in front of the other.

"It's too much, Alex!"

"Here, take my card, use it wisely!"


Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it sure felt that brutal out, and I did eventually tell Alex I needed to sit down and drink some water. Well, it was more like whined about the heat and how sweaty I was getting and how the world was unfair, etc etc until Alex spotted an empty table near some shade and offered to stop there.

I couldn't take another step, so I quickly obliged and gulped down an entire bottle of water. When I started to feel a little better, I looked up ahead and saw the caramel store right in front of us.

"Seriously, we're right here and we stopped?!"

Alex gave me a no-nonsense look. "You were the one who couldn't take another step. Remember, you were 'going to pass out' if we didn't stop immediately."

"You could've told me we were practically there."

Ah well, everyone has to feel like an idiot once in awhile- keeps them grounded.



We walked inside the shop and were blown away by how much caramel there was. Caramel to our left, caramel to our right, caramel everywhere!

We took in all the displays:








Sadly, there was no infamous Caramel Chewy Bar so we both had to settle for something else:



I got the dark chocolate with caramel and Alex got the milk chocolate.



Now, remember, I was still full to bursting from lunch. I took a few bites of my snack, realized how rich it was, and had to throw most of it away.

I threw away chocolate!



That's a crime in our house, but I just could not eat another bite. The chocolate was so, so rich and the caramel was sitting like a brick in my stomach with the heat. I felt really bad about it, but I probably shouldn't have ordered it in the first place.


The only good thing that came out of it was that I showed my mother the pictures from the store and, being a huge caramel fan, she wants to visit there next month. Made my job of "finding a good snack for her" easier.



With that little not so successful incident behind us, Alex and I decided we'd had enough of Epcot for this trip. Well, not really. Can you have enough Epcot?
It was more like if I didn't get out of the park soon, I'd turn into a blubbery mess, digging my heels into the ground and screaming like a child, "I don't wanna go! I don't wanna!"


More to the point, I wanted some more Magic Kingdom time before we had to call it a night.



So, we strolled out of World Showcase.


I kind of have a soft spot for this walkway, because on our Disneymoon, Alex and I stopped here to rest and watch the monorail go by. While we were sitting this elderly couple and a CM came up to us and talked about how they were celebrating their 50th Anniversary and gave us some tips. The CM overheard and we all talked for a bit. It was super sweet, and I'll never forget how nice they were and how happy they were to be celebrating their 50th.



We got a quick PP photo, which I laugh at because I think it clearly shows that this was our last Disney day. We look worn out!





Getting back on track...as the two of us were nearing Spaceship Earth, I decided to stop at the pin trading booth that right in front of the water fountain and Innovations. And it was there that I did my first ever pin trade!



I was really excited about it and happy that I did it- without Alex and the English CM giving me a hard time.


I ended up trading this Mickey Mouse pin (which I was NOT a fan of) for a Test Track FP pin:



I still have that pin, it's on my lanyard which is hanging right in front of my computer, and I always catch myself smiling when I remember trading it. I kind of want to trade it on my upcoming trip, but then I think about how it was my first and all and think about how I couldn't possibly get rid of it.

Hmm, we'll see...

Participating in the trade made me so happy, that I thought about it the whole time we left Epcot. It distracted me from the fact that I wasn't going to see Epcot again for months and months, and it made me not think about all the fun we had inside Future World and World Showcase.
It was a good defense mechanism, and I might have to do it again on my next trip.



Up Next: We'll Sit on it and Come Back

 

[amazingact21]

May 10th Evening:

Ahhhh, the beginning of the end. Only two more updates left after this. Luckily, this one had one of the more memorable moments of the trip, so I have been enjoying thinking it over and remembering it while I write this.

The afternoon had somehow escaped us, and before either of us realized it, Alex and I were boarding the Tron monorail, heading towards Magic Kingdom.


The Tron cover was nice, but I won't lie, I'm pretty excited to see the Avengers one next month. I love superheroes and can totally see why they'd be fitting on a highway in the sky.


The ride was uneventful, as was the bag check and ticket turnstile. All the areas were blissfully empty, and it was nice to be able to enjoy the Magic Kingdom entrance without worrying about blocking someone's way or accidentally stepping into a stranger's picture.


We even stopped to get a few PP pictures, which we don't normally do, but unfortunately, Alex and I look really goofy in them. I don't know what was going on with us, but we were not on the ball! (It was probably due to walking around in the heat in Epcot.)


The two of us made our way inside and caught this beautiful view:


I have only recently come to appreciate this area, but now that I have, I think it's great. It's usually calm and quiet, and there's so many places to duck inside when the heat gets bad or when a large crowd starts to pour forth from the entrance.

It was at this spot last October that Alex and I were given Fastpasses for any ride of our choice by a very generous guest, who's only request was that we, "pay the magic forward."

I would've loved to have stayed there and soaked in the wonders of the park, but a certain store was calling my name.

The Emporium!

This was my first time doing some serious shopping in the store. I'd browsed before but never with the intention of buying. But this evening both Alex and myself were on the lookout for some new shirts.

We spent thirty minutes looking around. I left Alex for a good chunk of time to check out the jewelry and bags, then we found each other near a huge Pirates display. I came across some Mickey ears and tried them on as I was scouring Pirates gear, and Alex snapped a quick pic:



I couldn't pay him back, because he was smart enough to dodge the hat-wearing experience. If he wasn't so much taller than me, I could've sneaked one on his head, but as it is my arms only reach to about his forehead.


I searched around for a bit and discovered a Pirates of the Caribbean shirt that I liked. It was black with the ride logo written in gold on the front. I loved the simplicity of it, and I thought it'd be cool to have a keepsake from my favorite ride.
But I just wasn't sure I loved it enough to pay Disney's price for it.


I stood there for about five minutes contemplating my decision. If I bought the shirt, I wouldn't have any extra shopping money left, and what if I found something I liked better? But could I pass up a shirt I really enjoyed?

I stood there, completely torn, until Alex made a very wise suggestion.

"Why don't you think on it for a bit, then come back?"


And I know, I know...trust me, the cardinal rule of "If you like it, buy it, because you might not find it again" was running through my head, but in this case there was a whole rack of shirts and I just wasn't committed yet. So I broke the big Disney tip and left the Emporium without the purchase.



Without giving it much thought, Alex and I swung left on Main Street and instinctively found ourselves gravitating towards Thunder Mtn.

My feet knew where to go without me even having to tell them...

Of course, I don't know what I'm going to tell my feet in a few weeks when they walk to Frontierland and are greeted with a blocked-off queue. It'll be sad, but I'll just keep in mind how great the Star Tours refurb was once it was completed.



The two of us walked through a practically empty line and were ushered into a corral on our left, where I watched the opening with baited breathe.



Come on, mine train, I need one last go on my favorite ride!


Ahh! There you are:


As usual, Thunder was perfection, and I was strong and left the ride after only one turn on it.


Since we were on an "Alicia's favorites" kick, the two of us figured we'd hit Pirates one last time, as well.



A quick, relaxing tour through the Caribbean shouldn't be bad.


Like Thunder, the wait for Pirates was non-existent, and we were seated in row 6. Alex and I always like sitting in the back, it feels like we're by ourselves, and we never have to worry about a camera flashing right behind us.


The ride was going great. We saw Davy Jones and looked on at my favorite scene, the two ships battling each other. We glided under a bunch of Pirate feet and listened to the inmates whistling to the dog.

I felt like I had taken a tour of an old hometown. It was just the thing I needed on my last Disney night.

We floated past Captain Jack singing, glanced at the exit area right in front of us and then...

We stopped.


Ah, well...those things happen. Sometimes rides stop working, it kind of goes with the territory.


Alex and I sat back and waited, continuing to listen to Sparrow sing and enjoy his rum.


After about the fifth round of Yo Ho the CMs were nice enough to turn the music off.


Can you tell we were sick of being reminded that Sparrow had chosen a pirates life for himself?



The family sitting in front of us began to panic. From what we could make out, they had a dinner reservation at one of the resorts and were pushing it. I guess they really didn't have any time to ride Pirates, but they wanted one last turn before they left.

The mom kept trying to call the restaurant and let them know the situation, but there was no signal inside the ride.

I felt bad, but what could you do in a situation like that?


In total, we were stuck on the ride for about 30 to 45 minutes. It was a long wait and the boat was starting to feel very uncomfortable. In the boat directly behind us there was a baby that was not a fan of the delay, and I couldn't blame him.


Alex and I never became angry or frustrated, it was more that we were bored. We wished the ride would've stopped back by the fight scene or in the village, somewhere where we could've had a more interesting view, one where we weren't being taunted.


Taunted?


What made the whole things eye-rolling worthy was the fact that we were the first boat near the exit. The ride stopped so close to the end that row 1 was actually next to Row 6's normal exit corral.


Alex tried to take some pictures to put it into perspective:





All the people in row 1 could've gotten out if they felt like breaking the rules, and everyone in our boat could've climbed over the seats and exited. (No one did, I'm just trying to explain how close we were.)

WE WERE RIGHT THERE!!!


It was brutal. To be that close and not be able to do anything about it. You couldn't help but constantly think, "If this had just happened 2 seconds later, we could've been off and gone."


After what felt like hours, the ride started up again and we moved the whole 4 feet to the exit. Alex and I were grateful to finally get out of the boat and stretch our legs.
As we were exiting the gift shop, we both agreed that I kind of had to buy that Pirates shirt now. I mean, what better way to commemorate the trip than with a shirt that reminded us of our interesting experience on the ride?


I took the ride breaking down as a sure sign that I should buy the shirt, so we both headed back to the Emporium. I grabbed the item and Alex discovered a shirt he really liked. They didn't have one in his size on the rack, but he tracked down a CM and he went into the back and found the last one of that size left.

Score!

We went to check out and the friendly CM behind the desk congratulated us on our engagement and wanted to hear how Alex proposed. He seemed genuinely interested and asked if we'd picked a date or had any plans yet. It was really sweet of him, and I was reminded of why Disney is such a fantastic place.

There was a deal going on during that time that gave a half off discount on beach bags if you spent a certain amount of money, and since I live on the beach and use bags, I thought it'd be a good investment so I bought one.

And I'm so happy I did. The bag is fantastic. Extremely durable and fits a ton of items in it. I use it all the time now.

While the friendly CM was bagging my purchases, he asked if I collected keepsakes, and I said yes, so he threw in a couple of the plastic Disney bags in with my purchase. His response was, "These make for excellent scrapbooking pages, and they are so easy to get."

This CM was wonderful....


I couldn't thank him enough for all his help, and I left the store happy.



Up Next...Is That Your Final Answer?

 

[UGAFan0829]

Yay for MK!!

Gosh, I can't believe how close to the exit you were on Pirates...that would really have stunk.

I agree that you HAD to get the shirt after that incident! See, if you'd bought it in the first place you probably wouldn't have gotten stuck! Just teasing! I'd love to see a picture of it though, and the beach bag!

Like you, I'm sad that Big Thunder Mountain will be closed next month. I stinks that we won't get to take Mark & Jaden on all 3 mountains!

Can't wait to hear what's next!

 

[Aussiesalad]

“Alex, I can’t do it…you’re going to have to go on without me…”

Your description of Epcot on a hot day is PERFECT! I have literally crumpled onto the ground and convinced myself I was going to die while wandering through world showcase in the summer!

We always look exhausted in the last day pictures too. It's always funny to compare them to the first day when you arrive.

I threw away chocolate!

What??? I can't even...

That is so insane about pirates. I mean rides get stuck, that's theme park life BUT being that close to the exit would have driven me crazy! Of course the song would be stuck in your head for a few years after that, good work for turning that off CMs. A souvenir shirt was definitely in order

 

[MEK]

Not fully caught up yet, but boo for having to throw away chocolate. OMG, that must have hurt to do that.

Being stuck on pirates for 30 mins right near the exit.

So funny how you had the last day look in your pictures. I think you both look great, but I know that feeling all too well!

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

Wow, your trip report is ending and I just found it. I did read through the whole report (took me two days).

Congratulations on your engagement, the wedding (beautiful pictures) and you'll be back to Disney next month. Maybe I'll find that trip report from the beginning.

EPCOT's Flower and Garden Festival is my absolute favorite time of the year to be there. It's just so beautiful. We are going next June and I'll just miss it. Maybe they will still have some leftover flowers around.

 

[amazingact21]

Yay for MK!!

Gosh, I can't believe how close to the exit you were on Pirates...that would really have stunk.

I agree that you HAD to get the shirt after that incident! See, if you'd bought it in the first place you probably wouldn't have gotten stuck! Just teasing! I'd love to see a picture of it though, and the beach bag!

Like you, I'm sad that Big Thunder Mountain will be closed next month. I stinks that we won't get to take Mark & Jaden on all 3 mountains!

Can't wait to hear what's next!

I did contemplate if I'd gotten myself into the Pirates situation by not buying the dang shirt in the first place.


There was a time that I skipped Big Thunder on my trips...now I can't imagine what my vacation will be like without it....

I know for a fact I have pictures of both the shirt and the bag from my cruise and Disneymoon, because I brought both along. I'll have to browse through them and find some. When I do, I'll post 'em!

Your description of Epcot on a hot day is PERFECT! I have literally crumpled onto the ground and convinced myself I was going to die while wandering through world showcase in the summer!

We always look exhausted in the last day pictures too. It's always funny to compare them to the first day when you arrive.


What??? I can't even...

That is so insane about pirates. I mean rides get stuck, that's theme park life BUT being that close to the exit would have driven me crazy! Of course the song would be stuck in your head for a few years after that, good work for turning that off CMs. A souvenir shirt was definitely in order

I know everyone says AK is the hottest of the all parks, and I agree, because it just gets really muggy there. But, in my opinion, World Showcase in Epcot is the worst! Give me AK any day. With WS, it's just sidewalks and kiosks with no shade whatsoever.

I think I would've gone crazy if they hadn't turned off the music. It came on a few times while we waited, but then stopped after a few seonds.

Not fully caught up yet, but boo for having to throw away chocolate. OMG, that must have hurt to do that.

Being stuck on pirates for 30 mins right near the exit.

So funny how you had the last day look in your pictures. I think you both look great, but I know that feeling all too well!

It did hurt to throw away chocolate...I would've saved it if I could, but it was just so hot, it would've melted immediately.

That last day look in pictures can be pretty amusing. I can't wait to see what my mom and I are going to look like after a week of fun in the sun. Probably resemble something from the Haunted Mansion characters in the Boo to You Parade.

Wow, your trip report is ending and I just found it. I did read through the whole report (took me two days).

Congratulations on your engagement, the wedding (beautiful pictures) and you'll be back to Disney next month. Maybe I'll find that trip report from the beginning.

EPCOT's Flower and Garden Festival is my absolute favorite time of the year to be there. It's just so beautiful. We are going next June and I'll just miss it. Maybe they will still have some leftover flowers around.

Thanks for reading! I have that same habit of coming across a TR after it's over halfway done. But I sort of like when that happens, because then I don't have to wait for updates.

The Flower and Garden Festival is beautiful; I'm really happy we are going to catch it again this year. You never know about the leftovers. I know they kept some of the topararies out on display, so you might get lucky.

 

[TanzUnited99]

Mmm all these pics of Karamelle Kuche is making me want chocolate!

A shame that you didn't get your hands on the infamous Caramel Chewy Bar but wait one min...you threw chocolate away!!!!!!

I had to read the sentence again to make sure I was reading right!

Oh no on POTC stopping but yay on going back for the shirt!

 

[Shannon84]

Aww its a shame you had to throw away your caramel and chocolate! I have tried a few things there and had to throw half of it out, because they are so rich, but sooo yummy

Oh my gosh I think I would have had a panic attack on Pirates waiting that long and being so close

 

[amazingact21]

Mmm all these pics of Karamelle Kuche is making me want chocolate!

A shame that you didn't get your hands on the infamous Caramel Chewy Bar but wait one min...you threw chocolate away!!!!!!

I had to read the sentence again to make sure I was reading right!

Oh no on POTC stopping but yay on going back for the shirt!

I know, I know....it was really hard to throw that chocolate out! I won't make that mistake again!

Aww its a shame you had to throw away your caramel and chocolate! I have tried a few things there and had to throw half of it out, because they are so rich, but sooo yummy

Oh my gosh I think I would have had a panic attack on Pirates waiting that long and being so close

That caramel and chocolate is really rich! Glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks it's a bit much, at times. Maybe I need to work on increasing my chocolate tolerance.

The Pirates situation was brutal for us, but we felt worse for the family missing their dinner reservation. I think if I was in their situation and could see the exit, I would have cried.

 

[amazingact21]

The Night of May 10th:

I ended up my last update with Alex and I back inside the Emporium buying my Pirates of the Caribbean shirt and his Park Hopper tee. It was about 7 o'clock when we walked back out on Main Street and both of us knew we still had 5 snack credits to burn.

I'm still in shock at how terrible we were about buying snacks. I promise I won't be making the same mistake on this next trip.

Neither of us were very hungry, but I felt like I could use a nice cold drink, so Alex suggested we buy ourselves an ice cream float.

Great.


While ordering 2 coke Floats, the CM behind the register noticed our race wristbands and went into this long conversation about the EE5K. It was cool to hear how much her and her teammate enjoyed the event and what they placed in, but she was holding up a very long line and guests behind us were sending us dirty looks.

I was in such a rush to get out of there that when I picked up my ice cream float, I shoved a straw down in the drink and caused a volcano eruption all over the counter and my hands.

Whoops. Apparently, you're supposed to use a spoon in the drink until some of the ice cream is gone.


With that disaster going on, Alex and I walked back out onto Main Street and found our usual sidewalk spot next to the Tomorrowland entrance. I gave DH guard duty over my drink while I ran to the restroom to wash my hands.




Returning to Alex and our hangout, I checked the wait time for Space Mountain. So far we had only gone on the ride once, and I really wanted to one last spin before the end of our trip. The time was posted at 60 minutes, which put me in a serious predicament. If we went to Space Mountain, there'd be virtually no chance that we'd be able to see The Magic, the Memories, and You and would have a poor view of Wishes.

But...if we stayed and waited for the nighttime shows, then the park would be closed and there'd be no last ride on Space.

The time had arrived to make a difficult decision. I asked Alex what he would rather do, and like a smart fiancée he said he'd be happy with whatever I picked.

"Okay, let's just go on Space Mtn and leave."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Then why haven't you gotten up?"

"Because I'm letting the float settle and I'm tired and sitting feels nice after walking all day."

"Then why don't we just watch the fireworks?"

"Okay."

"You sure?"


I frowned.
"No."


After a good five minutes of mentally making a pros and cons list for each choice, Alex interrupted my thoughts with, "Look, it's a beautiful night, we're already sitting in a great spot, and yeah, sure, space Mountain is fun, but I think we'll enjoy seeing Wishes just as much."

Smart man.

"Okay, let's stay here."

"Is that your final answer?"


It was.
Alex, I believe, was happy with the decision:




We leaned back and watched the castle change colors as it got darker and darker.








I'm so, so happy Alex convinced me to stay where I was, because sitting on the sidewalk, watching our surroundings, chatting with each other, messing around on the camera, ended up being one of my favorite parts of the trip. It was relaxing and I had plenty of time to look around and appreciate the fact that I was in Disney World and was celebrating my last night there with fantastic weather (it had cooled down about 10 degrees since we left Epcot).


And seeing The Magic, The Memories, and You for the first time followed by the beautiful Wishes was absolutely magical.















The camera battery died halfway through Wishes which was sort of nice, because the two of us were able to give our full undivided attention to the show, something neither of us do.

When the fireworks were over, we waited around a bit, letting the majority of the crowd exit the park ahead of us. We knew it meant there'd be a backup on the monorail and ferries, but we were in no rush to leave the Magic Kingdom.

Like a boulder hitting me on the chest, I was hit with the realization that we were done.

No more parks left to visit.

No more chances to see Cindy's Castle.

No more ride queue music to listen to.

It was extremely depressing.


Normally, I'm a chatterbox, my mouth moving a mile a minute, thinking that if I don't get everything I want to say out as quickly as possible, I'll miss the opportunity and my listeners won't ever get to hear all the important news I'm trying to convey.

I know it's annoying as anything to my DH, but I also know he tunes me out and lets me go about my ramblings...

But that night, I was surprisingly silent.

What could I say?
I was leaving Disney World the following morning. A long conversation wasn't going to change that fact.


Wanting to rip the band-aid off quickly, I turned away from the castle and walked down the middle of Main Street, the lights on the shops seeming a little duller than usual, the displays not quite as enticing as they were three hours ago.

Normally, I love the way Main Street looks at night, bright and shiny, but that night it was just another reminder of what I wouldn't be seeing after tomorrow morning.

It was then and there that I decided I am never ending a trip in Magic Kingdom. Any ending to a WDW vacation is sad, but leaving the MK on the last night is just wreaks havoc on the emotions. There's only so much a Disney nut can take before they crack!



Thinking our night was over, Alex and I got in the insanely long line for the monorail. There were a bunch of people ahead of us who were cutting and pushing kids and trying to herd us closer together. That was not a fun experience, and Alex and I agreed that we'd rather wait for another monorail to arrive then push and shove other guests.

When we were finally able to pack into one, we were headed to the Contemporary when one of us (I think it was Alex) who realized something terrible.

Before I continue, let me take you back to several months ago, when I wrote an update title, "Searching for the Batmobile." If you'll scrape your brain for a second, you might remember that on the night of the Expedition Everest 5K, Alex and I, being overzealous, forgot to write down what parking lot we were in and ended up looking for our car for about 15 minutes.

It was a horrible mistake, and we swore we would never ever make that mistake again. Beginning the following morning we were adamant about taking pictures of our parking lot before we got to the tram area.

And that system worked great.

Until our camera battery died during Wishes.

Noooooooooooo!!!!!!!

We couldn't help it...Alex and I burst out laughing on the monorail. How could we let that happen?!?!

But wait! As we were waiting for a tram at the TTC, I remembered that I had my camera in my bag.

We could just put the memory card in my camera and be able to view the pictures.

Duh! We quickly made the switch, turned on my camera, then realized why that wasn't going to work. The pictures on the memory card were taken with a professional camera, and the format and size prevented them from being viewed on my little point and shoot.

Dang.

So, as we traveled on the tram towards the parking, we (once again) took our best guess at where our car was parked.
And this time, we remembered correctly. We were about 3 rows wrong, but we got the lot right, at least.

Whoo!

Hopping in our car, we drove to ASSp to get ready for the inevitable departure day.



Up Next: But What'll We Do with these Snack Credits?!

 

[Aussiesalad]

Haha yes! When in doubt always make a pros and cons list
Sounds like a wise decision though, I love those moments you can just stop and enjoy being in Disney!
Ughhhh but I hate when that feeling finally hits.
Sooooo sad to know you are leaving the next morning!
The only answer is NEVER leave! Haha I wish!
That is so funny about the parking!
We spend at least a couple of hours per trip hunting out the carparks,
Trying to remember!! Doesn't help when you get a rental car and keep forgetting what it looks like!

 

[MEK]

I'm so glad you stayed in the park and enjoyed the beautiful colors of the castle and the fireworks. Those pictures are so lovely. The last night is always so hard, isn't it?

So glad you were able to find your car!

 

[amazingact21]

Haha yes! When in doubt always make a pros and cons list
Sounds like a wise decision though, I love those moments you can just stop and enjoy being in Disney!
Ughhhh but I hate when that feeling finally hits.
Sooooo sad to know you are leaving the next morning!
The only answer is NEVER leave! Haha I wish!
That is so funny about the parking!
We spend at least a couple of hours per trip hunting out the carparks,
Trying to remember!! Doesn't help when you get a rental car and keep forgetting what it looks like!

Oh man, I didn't even think about what it must be like to search out a rental car! I would never be able to remember what kind of car I had or what color it was or anything. That would be an adventure, I'm sure...

I'm so glad you stayed in the park and enjoyed the beautiful colors of the castle and the fireworks. Those pictures are so lovely. The last night is always so hard, isn't it?

So glad you were able to find your car!

I'm really happy we decided to stay where we were and relax. Sometimes, after several days running around in the various parks, you just need to take a step back and slow your pace down.

The last night is such a toughie. Time seems to fly when you're in WDW, and it feels like you've just arrived when it's already time to leave again.

 

[PirateKate]

Staying where you were to watch Wishes and the Magic, Memories, and You show sounds like it was the perfect way to end the night. It's always a hard decision between riding rides and watching fireworks, but on the last night, I'd go with the fireworks.

 

[Nermel9]

That's tough, deciding between one last ride on Space and watching Wishes, but I think you guys made the best choice! You had such a great spot and sometimes it's nice just sitting, chatting, and watching Disney go by!

Glad you were able to find your car!

 

[amazingact21]

Staying where you were to watch Wishes and the Magic, Memories, and You show sounds like it was the perfect way to end the night. It's always a hard decision between riding rides and watching fireworks, but on the last night, I'd go with the fireworks.

I agree, it was a good choice. Riding rides like Space Mtn is fun, but I think taking the last night slow was even better.

That's tough, deciding between one last ride on Space and watching Wishes, but I think you guys made the best choice! You had such a great spot and sometimes it's nice just sitting, chatting, and watching Disney go by!

Glad you were able to find your car!

Alex and I are so busy when we're at home that sometimes it's hard to get a long, easy-going conversation in. Being in WDW gives us ample oppurtunity to do this very thing, and to be able to look at the castle and watch Wishes while we spend quality time together is an excellent bonus!

 

[amazingact21]

May 11th:

Well, here it is, the dreaded final update.

The end of my trip...

It's hard to think back on it (two weeks shy of a year ago) and remember how sad I was gathering all my belongings and closing our room door for the final time. It felt like it was just a day ago that I'd slid my KTTW card into the lock and entered my temporary home for the first time. All I could think about as I closed up my suitcase was how unbelievably excited I was to be staying at a Disney resort and how shocked I was by our room location.


I had to put all that in the past, though. It was another family's turn to stay in the room and make magical memories at Disney.


Depressingly, I made the last trip to the car:


Notice how much junk I'm toting? I see a pillow, a park bag, a backpack, and a camera bag- I suppose it can never be said that I pack light.



Alex drove the car around to the check-in parking lot while I walked to the food court.
The pool looked so inviting, as if it was were yelling at me, "Hey! Jump on in! The water's great!"


The day really was gorgeous.
The sort of day that would've made for a perfect park day.

*Sigh*


All right, all right, I'm done with the self pity. All loyal Disney fans know this feeling and are forced to experience it with their trips, so I can just suck it up and get on with the conclusion.



Alex met me in the food court and we walked by the different food stations and the seating area.
f1 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


The original plan was to use our last quick service credits on breakfast, but we weren't in the mood for waffles and bacon. We threw that idea to the side and went to the beverage station to get one last precious cup of coffee.


My last serving of Disney coffee!!! It was a solemn moment.

While I was filling up my cup, Alex came up with a brilliant idea. Why not put off the inevitable for just a little while longer?



All we were doing was driving back to his parent's house, and that only took an hour. We didn't want to spend money on another park ticket, but there was Downtown Disney, and that didn't even have a parking fee attached to it.

Plus, there was Earl of Sandwich, a restaurant we'd been wanting to try for awhile now.

Great!

Let's go!!


We left All Star Sports through the lobby, smiling at the guests who were just arriving. They had that Disney look all over their faces. You know, that expression that screams happiness, excitement, and more than a hint of impatience to get to the parks and get the magic rolling.

I envied them a tad, but didn't dwell on it for long. After all, Alex and I had just given ourselves a few more Disney hours.


As we were leaving the resort, we saw a man making balloon flowers and placing them in the pots that were right in front of the entrance doors. Such a cute idea.
f2 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr



We drove over to Downtown Disney and amazingly found an empty parking spot without circling fifty thousand times. It was meant to be!

Soon, we were seeing the familiar sights and shops that make up the shopping area.
f3 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


Not even wasting time pretending that we were interested in any other shops, Alex and I headed straight to Disney's Pin Traders. We'd already blown our souvenir budget quite a bit, and by that point we didn't really care. We just wanted to make a few more Disney purchases and soak up the atmosphere.

We both had been collecting the Heroes vs. Villains mystery pin sets that week, and I'd gotten 1 of the 2 that I wanted (Scar). Alex was still trying to get one from one of his favorite Disney movies, Hercules. They had a Hades and a Hercules one that he couldn't seem to get a hold of.

Each mystery pack contained 1 hero and 1 villain, and we felt like luck was on our side when we made our purchase. We took the bags to a concrete bench, and Alex opened up his. The villain he got was the Queen of Hearts, which he said would become an immediate trade the first chance he got. (And it was-in our October trip, he traded it for a Cinderella pin for me.)

The second bag he opened had"

Simba!!!

The very pin that I'd been on the lookout for. When I discovered the mystery set, I bought it solely for the Simba pin. He's my favorite character from my favorite movie, and I think he's severely lacking the way of pins. There's not enough Lion King pins, in my opinion!

Without even needing to say anything, Alex handed me over Simba, and I danced in my seat. I felt pretty darn lucky to have gotten both Scar and Simba. Yet another sign that we were meant to go to DTD.

I opened up my first pin, and it Mowgli, from The Jungle Book. (I'd gotten Shere Khan a few days beforehand.) The Jungle Book is not a beloved film of mine, so I knew Mowgli would eventually end up in the trade pile. (I traded him for Jafar last October).

I opened up my second pin bag, and what do you know? It was Hades! Both Alex and I had gotten the pins we were looking for!

It was a great pin collecting day for us.





Putting the souvenirs on our lanyards, we tried to figure out our next move. We still had 3 snack credits to use up, and we figured the best place to do that was at Goofy's Candy Shop. (A new store for us.)

We walked inside and ohmygosh...

Talk about chocolate overload!

I thought I'd died and gone to heaven! There was so many sweets!

Fudge and caramel apples and peanut butter cups and rice krispie treats and cupcakes and bagged candies.

Alex snapped photo after photo, amazed at the selection and size of each serving.







I can't even go in this store again on my next trip unless I want to spend all my snack credits at once.

It took us forever to choose. Alex really wanted to try one of the peanut butter cups, but he decided to skip it this go round and we bought 3 pieces of fudge. I remember one was peanut butter, but I can't remember the rest.

We ended up leaving some with parent's, and some with my family when we got back home. Then, for a few days after we returned to our home, we'd cut off a chunk and eat a bit.

It was unbelievable. The one piece lasted us probably 4 servings, and it was still good after several days in the fridge. It was the best peanut butter fudge I'd ever had.


Having FINALLY spent all our snack credit allotment, Alex and I began to make our way to Earl of Sandwich.

I posed for a quick picture with some Winnie the Pooh statues along the way.



Then we made it to an uncrowded EoS. There were a good number of people eating at tables and waiting to order, but nothing worse than you'd see at a local hot spot back at home. I'd read horror stories of the lines here, and was apprehensive we'd be waiting a long time.

Definitely not the case, though. It was our final taste of low crowds at WDW. (I became so spoiled with this that I'm almost afraid if next week's trip is busy, I'll be upset that we missed our chance at empty parks.)

I ordered the Original with chips and a soft drink, and Alex ordered...I don't know.


Normally, I am so good when it comes to remembering food orders, but with this meal I am completely clueless. (And I don't think he remembers what he ate, either.)

The two of us filled up our drinks and sat at a table to wait. We admired our new pins, and realized with a dawning sadness that this was it.


It was time.


When our order came up, we took the bags and headed to the car. We agreed that we should eat the food while on the road, because it was already 11:30, and Alex's family was expecting us about an hour ago.




It was all right, though. We had gotten an extra two hours at Disney that we hadn't planned on, and we ended up with so much extra stuff, that it was hard to feel too glum.

I think I'd run out of sadness the night before when I had to walk by Cinderella's Castle and the Emporium and the Train Station. I'd accepted that this Disney trip was over.

Besides, once I got back home, I knew I could start planning my wedding and a potential Disneymoon. That would excite any newly engaged girl, and I was no exception. I briefly closed my eyes and imagined the future. The next time I would be in Disney, I'd probably be recently married and be wearing Bride ears and wearing a "Happily Ever After" button.

It was more than enough to brush away any potential tears that threatened to surface, and made me happy to see what next amazing Disney trip I could plan.

And with me relaying that thought to Alex, we drove out of Downtown Disney and away from the World.