Today was checkout day.
Woke up at 5:30am (thank you time change!). My son woke around 6:45. I had already packed up most of our stuff the night before so we go dressed, had a bite to eat in the room and called the bell desk to grab our stuff so we could head over to extra magic hours (or whatever it's called) at DL. HAD to stop for a huge coffee at Starbucks (thank you time change) so we walked into the park about 8:05. This was my first early morning ever at DL and I was so looking forward to it. Well.... it was a total bust! So insanely crowded that we couldn't even get on Dumbo, which was a 20-minute wait already at 8:15. Soooooooo bummed. It was truly a madhouse. I know early mornings can sometimes be low crowds (I've experienced it my myself a number of times, once even on a magic morning day that was just dead when I arrived at rope drop) but there was nothing magical about this morning unfortunately!
Wandered around a while trying to find something to ride but the lines were all so long already so we just left Fantasyland without riding anything. Grabbed a buzz light year fast pass (with a return 30 minutes later) and rode the Astro Orbitors, which my little guy likes almost as much as Dumbo (I do not but this is all about him).
By this time it was actually 9:00am. Watched them drop the rope and witnessed people running like they were running with the bulls in Pamplona. Wow. Is this really what people do? DL was super packed today. I was surprised it was so busy especially considering the holidays don't start until Friday (although quite honestly no one got that memo because it looks like nearly everything is up including the tree and they were even playing Christmas music on main street and in Toontown too, and even sleighbells on one of the horses on Main Street).
Anyhoo, we went to New Orleans, pirates and HM we crazy with the aforementioned rope drop runners so we kept going to Winnie the Pooh, which I think we were the first riders of the day and rode it twice. Leisurely walked back the way we came and HM had gotten under control so we jumped into the line that was now a walk on.
Went back to Tomorrowland and used our Buzz FP, then hit Toontown for Roger Rabbit. At this point my parents showed up so I took their tickets, ran and grabbed HM FPs for us all and then we rode the train, which we picked up in Tomorrowland and had no wait at all even though there were already long waits at all the other stations. You would seriously not be able to find the Tomorrowland station if you weren't specifically looking for it... you don't just happen upon it. I wonder if this is why the waits are always shorter here.
After the train we had lunch at Rancho Del Zocalo, where we had cheese enchiladas, carne asada and shrimp tacos. The enchiladas and shrimp tacos were very spicy! We like it but I'm kind fon surprised at how much heat there is for a theme park. Anyway, we very much enjoyed our meals and it was pleasant to sit in the shade and watch BTMRR going by.
After lunch we used our HM fastpasses, then visited the wishing well over by Snow White's grotto. I was so disappointed that the well didn't sing when I threw pennies in because I thought my son would get a kick out of that. Does anyone know, doesn't the well no longer sing or is it broken?
After this we rode the sailimg ship Columbia, which neither I nor my son had never been on. Very fun and I like all the things on the ship for kids to play with and explore. By this time it was about 2:30 and we wanted ice cream so we all got waffle cones at the ice cream parlor on Main Street and my son got scoop of thin mint. We sat on the benches over near first aid (by the corn dog cart) and it was so nice and quiet over there in the shade.
We left the park and went back to the DLH where I had picked up a pool key when we left that morning. Changed into our bathing suits and went swimming one last time before getting our bags and heading home. We left the hotel around 4:45 and it was not easy. I was so tempted to stay for one more meal at Trader Sam's and maybe a Dole whip rum float, but common sense took over and I brought my little one home so he could go to bed early.
We has the most wonderful stay at the DLH. I'll never forget it! I hope to come back in a few years for another stay!