I miss you too!! 
We definitely need to catch up one of these days! How are things going in the new life? Hey btw - you need to change your location - you are no longer in Florida!! 
NOTE: Since this is the very last full day of our trip, I intend to drag it out a bit! I will probably do at least 3 if not 4 chapters on this last VERY magical day! Please bear with me!! Here we go....ENJOY!!!
Chapter 13 : A most Magical Morning with Mary (Poppins, that is!)
My title would have been "There is something about Mary...Poppins"
This last day of our vacation dawned cool and bittersweet. This was our very last day in WDW for quite possibly a VERY long time AND the weather was NOT very nice!As we were preparing to leave, we had turned on the weather network. The weather gurus were saying that yet another cold snap was on its to central Florida!
Keep in mind that the temperature differential runs between 25 to 35 degrees centigrade from home to Disney.
We were ready and out the door by about 7am, I think. My memory is getting a bit fuzzy and the time stamp on our camera is off by a bit. We arrived at the bus stop to a crowd of people heading to the MK. There were many little girls dressed in princess outfits who I suppose were going to either the BBB or to eat breakfast with Cinderella!
I am yet to see a Mom in a princess outfit, or a Dad in a prince costume. Interesting that it is socially acceptable to dress up as Obi Wan Kenobi or Princess Leia, but not Ariel or Prince Eric.
This was the ONLY morning we waited more than a few minutes for a bus! I seem to remember that there were quite a few ECV's as well. Our plan was to head to the MK and then catch the monorail around to the Grand Floridian for our breakfast at 1900 Park Fare.
My plans always include the use of the monorail. Always.
When we were climbing aboard the bus, the driver jokingly scolded us for being up so early in the morning while on vacation and then asked us where we were going. I told him to the GF and he said that after dropping the others off at MK, he would drive us right to the GF!!! AWESOME!!! Ken was only slightly disappointed that he would not have a ride aboard the monorail!
Slightly? I contemplated ditching the lot of you to ride the rail.
We enjoyed the bus ride to the MK and then the ride to the GF. It was actually nice to just be able to stay on the bus and not have to rush to try and get to the monorail! We did arrive quite early to our ADR though! I believe it was for 8:00am and were at the GF by just after 7:30!
Walking into the GF for the very first time was absolutely breath taking! I don't think I have ever been in a more lovely space in my life! It is absolutely exquisite! If you have not yet had the pleasure of visiting the GF here is a little taste of what it looks like! The picture by no means does any justice to the actual room!
As nice as the Grand Floridian is (and it IS nice), it seems almost ostentatious. I felt more at home in the Wilderness Lodge, or at Port Orleans. Those resorts I had few inhibitions about sitting in the chairs, or taking a closer look at things. At the Grand Floridian I was afraid to sit in the chairs lest they be a display rather than a rest spot.
We walked around the main atrium and also went up to the second floor to have a peek at the yet to be opened shops.
It is a very well themed resort! Lovely to be sure but I felt a little bit out of place there! Almost as if I didn't belong. Not sure that I would ever want to stay there! Just not my style I guess!
I would like to stay there, but I would want formalwear. Meandering around that place in flip flops and wearing a flower print shirt is as natural as swimming with your clothes on. You CAN do it, but it feels all wrong.
We went down to check in and were greeted by a wonderful surprise! Emily and Natalie were the given the most distinguished honour and privilege of being the “opening princesses” for the day!!! They would get to say the magic words which would open 1900 Park Fare for the day! Do you know what the magic word was???
"NOW!" "SESAME!" SEZ-A-MEE!" "Glock!" "Police!"
??????????????????????????????????????????????
That's right!!! SUPERCALAFRAGALISTICEXPIALADOSHUS!!!
Oh, yeah. That's what she said.
I think that CM was new because she was a bit rigid in her mannerisms. The staff do make so much of the experience there, and she was polite and considerate, just a bit tense about the opening and operating the pictures by the door.
As soon as they said that great big magical word the doors to the restaurant flung open and who should be standing there but none other than Miss Mary Poppins herself!!! You should have seen Emily's eyes pop open!!! I believe she might have even squealed with absolute pleasure!!!
I love the look Emily gets at those moments. Beaming is the right word for it. She seems to hesitate as if it may not be right to have things go your way that well.
Mary led us to our table and then proceeded to pull out the girls seats for them! She welcomed us very warmly to 1900 Park Fare and then quickly disappeared! Our server was there right away to explain the buffet to us and to let us know which characters would be by to say hello!
I enjoy goofing around with the characters. It is more fun for me (and hopefully my family), and as an entertainer I know it is MUCH easier if people are playing along. That said I was a bit tongue tied with Miss Mary Poppins. I have my reasons, not the least of which being Julie Andrews. I know this person
WASN'T Madam Andrews, but yet I could not be a smart-acre if I wanted.
I'm glad we lost slavery, open bigotry, prevalent sexism and rampant worker abuses in the past century. I am unhappy we lost the hats. Those hats look so fun and sophisticated, nothing like a Yankees ballcap. SIGH.
We had been seated literally right next to the beginning of the buffet line so we didn't waste any time in getting up to go get some food! We were all pretty hungry by that point! The food smells wafting over to our table smelled pretty yummy! The choices at the buffet were pretty overwhelming! I generally tend to feel overwhelmed if I am given more than a few choices so I was definitely feeling a bit spun as I made my way around the buffet!
I seem to remember Lobster Newman. I clearly remember it was "Numnumnumnum".
We were greeted by a pretty adorable yellow bear in a red shirt as soon as we sat down at our table! The girls were very happy to see their beloved Pooh and greeted him with smiles and hugs!
Hey Mr Bear, I know Eeyore's name is an onomatopeia, I hope yours is not!
Here is a small sampling of what we consumed for breakfast that morning! The menu for 1900 Park Fare can be found
HERE
!!!
I think it's the one in the top right above the ham.
Not too long after we started eating we were pounced upon a very stripey bouncey friend of ours! Tigger was particularly pouncey that morning!
"Hobbes, is that you? Oh, sorry tigger, I had you confused with another friend there..."
Things were quiet for a while so we were able to finish our food in a relatively relaxed manner but almost as soon as we put down our forks we were greeted quite properly by Emily's favourite Nanny – Miss Mary Poppins!!!
I felt so underdressed I think I tried to hide by slouching in my chair...
She didn't come empty handed either! She brought not one, but 2 giant cupcakes!!! One for Emily because it was her birthday after all. She had also brought one for Natalie because it was her UN birthday!!! Natalie was so excited to have a cupcake all of her own!!
Cupcakes, because syrup and juice and pastries make for an insufficiently sweet
breakfast...
The girls were also given special place mats that could bring home that had been signed by ALL the characters at 1900 Park Fare! Including Cinderella and Price Charming! They are very special treasures that get used quite often!!!
Alice came out next followed quite quickly by the Madd Hatter! Alice scolded me because I was drinking coffee and not tea and the hatter gave me trouble because I did not have a hat that morning! The girl were absolutely thrilled to pieces to see these beloved characters and laughed at the Hatters antics with full on belly laughs!!! It was a
VERY fun breakfast!
The hatter was right on. Quick to the wit and his voice impression was stellar. A fun
character to portray, but a stressful one too. As "Feste" says in "Twelfth Night": “He must observe their mood on whom he jests, The quality of persons, and the time, And, like the haggard, cheque at every feather That comes before his eye.” Effectively "make everyone happy and don't put your foot in it."
We settled the bill, used the washrooms and then headed up the Grand staircase to find our way to the Monorail
platform! We were off to the most magical of Kingdoms!!!
You keep reading and he will keep writing!!! Only 3 more chapters to go!!! 
CHAPTER 14: Some Magic, some Melancholy and some Much needed Rest!!
We arrived at the Magic Kingdom by Monorail not too long after 9am and were greeted by some pretty crazy crowds!!! I was a little worried that the lines would be long!
The only long lines I have seen at park entrances are first thing in the morning. I dont remember things being too nutty, just busier than our EMH or breakfast reservations.
We made our way through the bag check and went through the turnstiles and strolled down Main St USA with quite a few other people who were just arriving! It was a PM EMH day and I bet lots of people (like us ) were taking advantage of it!!
Bag check is an interesting phenomenon. It is not paranoid like airline security checks and the walkway around it is open, not roped off. If someone went dashing on by they could get past that checkpoint (albeit most likely stopped at the turnstiles. The guards are cordial and sometimes courteous, and the checks are not intrusive. I pray that their positions will always be an unnecessary but appreciated role.
We had a very specific goal on this chilly cloudy morning! Natalie had been waiting ALL WEEK to ride the Tomorrowland Speedway and TODAY was the day!!! She was Soooo excited!!!
That speedway. WHY do they NOT have fastpass for it? The lineups are NUTS, often worse than Dumbo. The ride looks fun, let the kid drive, why not!? We have not ridden it yet simply because waiting in line 40 minutes to drive a restrained go-kart is not worth our while.
We headed in the direction of Tomorrowland and on our way there we found an unoccupied Photopass photographer just standing around looking bored!!! We stepped up to give him something to do and took some pretty great shots!! See for your self!
I believe our sentiment was lets use photopass for all its worth. We tried. It also helped that on this last day in the parks we were more relaxed, having achieved most of our conquests and goals. This day was more leisurely in pace, and nicer for it.
KIM! Youre not posing! I on the other hand am making up the difference. That is my best hello camera, how are YOU today look.
Ill keep my day job
In the next frame I am OVER the fence on my head
After all those photos where the kids couldnt smile, I lose it myself
You can tell its a set up picture because if I were truly being hoisted aloft by excessive mouse-headed balloons my children would stand back and take photos.
When we finally arrived in Tommorowland we headed right to the Speedway and immediately got in line to drive some cars! Emily and Ken drove together and Natalie and I shared a car! We only waited MAYBE 10 minutes and had a GREAT time!!! Ken had the camera so this is the only picture we have of that ride not even one of my Nat having such a good time!!! No, I dont remember it being such a good time in our car. Emily could reach the pedals, she was being lazy. I wanted her to have the joy of driving. So she shouted at me that she couldnt reach and I grumbled at her that she could and then groused when I had to put my foot on the accelerator to prevent a traffic jam on the speedway.
In a few years I get to do this for real. I am not looking forward to the crying, screaming and pouting that comes from the peril of a teenager learning to drive with their parents.
At least this time I wont be the one crying, screaming or pouting.
This picture was before we started moving, that is why she is smiling.
After we had our spin on the speedway, we went and picked up some Fps for Em and Ken to have a ride on Space Mountain later in the day! Natalie decided she wanted to try Astro Orbiter and she picked Daddy to go with her so while they did that, Emily and I went and had a Spin with Buzz and friends. She chose me from a field of one. You see I had that market cornered when Kim said NO WAY IN SIX FLAGS. My dear wife is not a lover of heights and spinning and cold. Thankfully Im short and exothermic and relatively free of centripetal motion.
Since I am steering this rocket I thought Id remind you about all those quips about Stitch eating me or you abandoning me for the Monorail. Its payback time DAD. Dont bother fastening your seatbelt, it wont help.
It was coldcolccoldcold in the orbiter. Note the hoodie on the passenger ahead of us. And the height was a bit dizzying. Kind of fun really, especially for the view of MK, worth it if you can stand it.
Just go on a warm day.
It was about this time that I noticed my tummy was NOT feeling so good. Bummer. I thought at first that it was just from eating too much at breakfast. Not so much. It just didn't get any better. It. GOT. WORSE! I soldiered on for the sake of my family. I wasn't about to ruin a great morning at the most magical place in the owrld just because of a tummy ache. She just walked slower and went on fewer rides. To be honest the last day was better for her to feel this way than the first. It was not our only day at MK so no pressure there, and we had all seen what we really wanted to already so less of a loss.
We took in the Monsters Inc show again then Nat and I went off to explore the shops of Tomorrowland while Ken and Emily had their ride on Space. By then it was starting to get particularly nasty out and threatening to rain. It actually didn't rain though. It just stayed cold and windy. ALL DAY. POUT, I never get picked to be the butt of Eds jokes. SIGH. At least the kids got MORE of the jokes this year, which is nice.
I still managed to compress my spine to ¼ its height so I could end the ride of space mountain sitting at 32. And I kept my arms in. What a ride, a terrifying mystery of Im sure this girder is gonna get me ride.
After they were done on Space, we decided to walk the pathway from Tomorrowland to Toontown. That is such a great little quiet spot in MK. I truly believe that only WDW veterans and DISers know about that pathway because every time we have used it, it is completely empty!!! It is a nice, quiet garden path that Kim lead us down
We arrived in Toontown and proceeded to explore Minnie and Mickeys houses!!! By this time it was getting close to 11:30 and I was starting to feel pretty horrible. I really just wanted to go back to POFQ and lie down. You still looked great dear. Just green.
We were at this spot in Minnies house for a while as Emily was pouring over the cruel puns in the flower book. While I watched person after person go by I noticed a familiar face. I couldnt place the name though, but I was certain I knew them. The context would have been a few years ago though
Then I saw the person behind them. I recognized her as well and her name sprang back.
TAMARA!?
She turned around, as did her sister. They were two of a family of 6 who had gone to the same Church as we do until they moved away about 4 years ago. They were on a quick weekend visit, just the two sisters.
What is really neat is we also knew of another family that attended our Church (and knew these girls quite well) were also at WDW at the same time.
The girls had a great time exploring the mice homes and I distracted myself by having a good look at the gardening book in Minnie's living room!! It is really fun!! I am so sad that those cute little houses will be torn down! I hope very much that they will be moved or rebuilt elsewhere in the park! Emily and I took our time in the house, looking at things several times. I wanted to solidify in memory each room, each item. Emily kept getting lost I think. Whatever the cause, I was mildly upset YET again by the behaviour of other children who showed little consideration for her as she tried to appreciate the house. These kids would shove, push and grab at things that she was already looking at.
I believe Kim was buying a present for our neighbours son at this time, if I recall. We did take a walk through the store and I drooled over the Monorail set. Someday I hope, Someday.
Since we were planning on returning later that afternoon/evening for PM EMH we decided that it was time to head back to POFQ for some lunch and a rest. We hopped on board the train for a ride back to Main St and then headed out of the park to catch a bus back to our resort. We arrived at the bus stop just in time to watch our bus leaving the bus stop. GROAN. I love taking the train around the park. So relaxing, and easy on the feet.
We quickly turned our frowns upside down as a POR bus pulled in!!! We hopped aboard and enjoyed a lovely ride through our sister resort and then hopped off at the Main building and walked along the river to our building at POFQ. This was our first chance to see POR in the daylight so we could take in the neat colours of the buildings
As we were nearing the Main building at POFQ I realized that my tummy was hurting a lot less and that I was actually kind of hungry!! So Weird!! The girls were also hungry so we decided to hit the Food court and grab some lunch before heading to our room.
How they could be hungry so soon after a breakfast like that, Ill never know.
Emily had chicken nuggets and fries and Nat had a grilled cheese sandwich with applesauce and a cookie. I scoured the menu and finally settled on a chicken quesadilla. It came with re fried beans and rice ! I also got a rice krispie mickey AND a fuze drink!!
I can't believe I ate the whole thing!!! Especially with a sore tummy! CRAZY!!! It was VERY yummy! You didnt have all of it. You left me about 2 oz of the drink.
Ken had gone back to the room because he wasn't that hungry but soon returned claiming he was starving! MEN!!! He got something but for the life of me I can't remember what! It was probably a burger! Probably. I finally had an appetite, I needed those extra 15 minutes. But pot, why dost thou callest this humble kettle black? You couldnt bear to eat, never mind be AT the magic kingdom less than an hour before
Oh, I almost forgot! While I was up getting my food some CMs in the food court were handing out cookie decorating kits to the kids who were there! Emily and Natalie were each given a plate with a huge cookie, some icing and a cup full of mickey head sprinkles TOO FUN!!! Cupcakes for breakfast, monster cookies for lunch. Is there no end to the sweets!?
When we had all finished eating we decided it was time for a nap!!! We all setlled down and in no time at all, Ken and the girls were all fast asleep!! Me, not so much! I am not a good napper at the best of times and being in WDW is definitely not my ideal napping spot!
Conversely I am a practicing Narcoleptic. Ill crash when I want to and have a great 15 minutes of unconscious, dream free, droolful rest.
Instead of napping, I took some picture of my family napping!! That's the same right?? HA!!! I also took some artistic shots of the hidden Mickey's in the bedspread!! SO COOL!!! Then I did a bit of tidying and packing (BOO!!) and then picked up my camera and headed out for a stroll around the grounds!
ZZzzzZZZzzz.
All 3 of us curled up all fetal like. Great, looking at that just made me sleepy
The pillow is to provide something other than her sister for Natalie to poke. You just get those cravings I guess
CENTER]
Well, I surely hope that somebody comes back to read the LAST CHAPTER!!!!! 
It was time to go home! On one hand I was quite sad to be leaving my most happiest of happy places but on the other hand I was also a little anxious to get home! (My Nana was in the hospital!)
Thanks for sharing! I am already sad thinking about mine and I haven't even got there yet. It's just the most awful feeling knowing that it's all over. Until next time anyway! I'm sorry Nat got sick on the bus. Poor little thing. At least it was just a one time thing and not a stomach flu that continued. 
I'm looking forward to your announcement about 2011!
and soooo sorry about your Nana !
Aww, Kind of a sad last day (except for when you got to see me!!).
I always have mixed emotions on our last days too. It depends how long our trip was. If it was short (which so many of them are) I am sad and mad. Not ready to go yet.
Longer trips, I tend to be ready to get home, even though it's hard to get back into the routines of every day life.
I'm so glad you made it home to see your Nana. I think that is important.
And, OOOOH future trip plans???? Please tell!!!
Love the summer pics.
Departure day really stinks.
I'm sorry for the loss of your Nana.
Can't wait to hear what 2011 will bring for your family at WDW!!
What a lovely trip report! So sad it's come to an end
I'm so sorry about your nana.
Hi! Thanks for sharing your trip with us! I was reading another trippie and saw your post, and decided to swing over! BTW, your links made it for a super fast read! Sounds like you have had wonderful experiences. PORFQ looks awesome! Gorgeous family pics, and absolutely gotta love those B/W one's. Can't wait to hear your plans for 2011
I am sad to see that your trip has ended, but I can't wait to hear about 2011! I'm glad you made it back to see your Nana.
