So with a full heart and a quiet promise to myself to be that better person, we headed for the castle. This is not our habitual way in, but it was Friday morning and Fantasyland was open for the little ones. We typically make the right at Walt and Mickey and head over to Tomorrowland, but this morning it was through the castle.
It was a perfect morning by a non-native South Carolinians standards. (We moved south to get away from the cold and have adjusted to our climate quite well. I am one of those bizarre people that enjoy the heat and embrace the humidity as an opportunity to have a new hair style each day all summer.) It was warm, but not yet hot, and the humidity was settling in like a blanket wrapped around the world. The cloudless sky gave a false sense of perfect weather, but it was, after all, Central Florida in September, so the chances of afternoon rain were almost certain. But we had our gear, and the day was just beginning, so we walked through that same place I had been as a child and entered Fantasyland.
It was like entering a collection of Disney stories. Peter Pan and Wendy were playing ball with some children. Snow White and Dopey were posing for pictures. Stitch was taking a boy by the hand to get on Dumbo. Pooh and Piglet were on there way to their playful spot to play hide and seek. And then little bite 3 saw them
.Chip and Dale.
This child is so in love with Chip and Dale that when we went to the National Zoo in Washington, DC recently, he was so enthralled with the chipmunks running around the zoo that he didnt even notice the giraffe. Pandas? Who cares! Komodo Dragon? So what! He sat on a bench and watched the chipmunks. He even pointed them out to some fellow pre-schoolers
Look, its Chip! And when another one scurried by
And theres Dale! We traveled 511 miles to see chipmunks at the National Zoo. Needless to say, when he saw Chip and Dale riding the carousel, he was in line before I knew what was happening.
I dont ride the carousel. In fact, you will learn if you continue along with me (and I do hope you will!) that I am a bit of a ride wimp. But it is not without good reason. I have left my mark, shall we say, in every theme park/amusement park I ever went to as a kid. The only park I have spared is WDW and I intend to keep it that way. Im not good at spinning. And Im really, REALLY not so good at spinning while going up and down. So my little bites and DH rode with Chip and Dale. Little Bite 3 was only two horses away from Dale, which made him very happy, but made for interesting pictures. They all involve him pointing and yelling. Youd never know it just by looking at the pictures, but it was pure bliss.
Then we went over to Peter Pans Flight. I dont understand this ride. Dont get me wrong, I like it a lot, but I dont understand why the wait time is always so incredibly long! We were there one weekend in July when EMH were at Magic Kingdom. The park was staying open until 1 oclock in the morning. We walked passed Peter Pans Flight around 5:30 and the fast pass return time was already 12:45 AM. I just dont get that. Its a good ride. But Im not sure why people think its SO good. It must have one heck of a whisper campaign.
So we rode it. Twice. Both times we were able to walk right on. Neither time did we get to ride with Peter or Wendy.
We didnt get to ride with Stitch on Dumbo, either.
We didnt get to ride with Pooh, Tigger or Piglet.
Or Snow White.
But Ill tell you, I think what they did for the kids all summer in Fantasyland was really amazing. It was somehow a more personal experience. It gave the littlest bites a chance to play with characters they consider friends. If they are still doing it, I would highly recommend to anyone that they haul their tired selves out of bed an hour early and go play.
Once nine oclock rolled around, we went to Tomorrowland where my DH broke his zapper on Buzz and I hit my ceiling of Planetary Pilot. I love that Little Bite 2 thinks a number in the thousands is awesome and that Bite 3s mission is to try and make his mother as dizzy as possible by NEVER letting go of the stick.
There was no need for fast passes at all that day. The crowds were low all day and we were able to walk up to everything. Including (and I know youre shocked) Its a Small World. Now, I try very hard to be understanding and not too critical of those around me, but the guy behind us in the boat was too much! When he wasnt singing at the top of his lungs, he was giving a geography lesson to his family. I did my best to block it all out and enjoy the incessant singing of the little wooden people, but when we entered the last room and he said Now were in Alaska it was all I could do to keep myself from turning around and commenting on the fact that it is, after all, called Its a Small WORLD, but just as I was craning my neck, we crashed into the boat in front of us. I figured it was payback for the time I was 10 and in Riverside Park in Massachusetts.( I was overheated and had a bad hamburger for lunch.) We were floating along at a VERY slow pace (do you pace when you float?) and I was searching for hidden Mickeys in an attempt to keep from hearing the guy behind me, when I saw it. Something was in the water. I wasnt sure what I was looking at, but I instinctively knew it wasnt supposed to be there. I nudged DH, who looked at it and shrugged. As we got closer I was able to start to make it out. It was hairy. It was bloated. Closer still. It had a tail. A boat in motion stays in motion and we wound up next to the critter. It was hairy, bloated, and had a tail. What it was missing was a head.
I understand things live places. And I understand that Disney does a FABULOUS job of keeping the meat and potatoes of business away from our vacationing eyes. But a decapitated rat bobbing along with the boats was kind of gross. We told the CM as we left, who claimed to already know about the rodent. I can only hope someone but their waders on and when in with a big net.
So glad to have you aboard.
People up North just look at me funny when I explain that I have to check the humidity levels each morning before deciding on a hair style for the day! Under 75% = blow-out. 75-90% = curls. Over 90% = pulled back in a bun.
