MVMCP!!!!! continued...
After the parade, it was nearly time for Christmas Wishes, which we watched from the steps that are kind of in front of Tomorrowland Noodle Terrace and behind the little area with the yellow umbrella tables. There were a couple trees in the way, but it was a great spot to watch without people in your personal space. I think in general I prefer being right up next to the castle near the hub for fireworks, but we had pretty much had enough of sitting and waiting in the crowd and needed a little breathing room! I don't have any pics of the fireworks, but here are a few of the lit-up castle from our spot...
The fireworks were as lovely as regular Wishes, but I don't remember them being extra-super spectacular compared to the regular ones. Maybe it's because I'm just finishing this trip report 3 months after the fact! But I think Wishes is almost just as good.
Soooo, now that we had done the 2 biggies of the party, it was time to hit some rides and such. We headed into Tomorrowland.
Now, my journal from this night is pretty much illegible. I mean I must have been writing and sleeping at the same time, because I can barely make it out, it looks like chicken scratch! But it would seem some of the gang went back into Monster's Inc Laugh Floor. Which surprises me since Andy didn't even get the jokes when we went the day before!
So that may, or may not, have happened. I don't think I would have taken this pic if not...
I do know that Andy wanted to try Stitch's Great Escape, and since I don't DO that one
laughing
, Andy, Janie, my mom, and Billy did that...
Lily and I went on Buzz twice (no wait, of course!)...
I don't think anyone was raving about Stitch when they got off. I think I remember Janie saying she had forgotten how gross the chili dog burp was?
Yeah, sickening!
Next, Andy and I had to head over to Space Mountain to see if it was open. This was during the refurb, but it was scheduled to open the following week and I had heard from the DIS that they had been doing a soft opening. Sure enough, it was open, and was a walk on! So Andy and I headed in!!!
Okay, first of all, having never ridden this without a decent-sized wait, I didn't realize how up-hill and long that queue is! I was huffing it by the time we practically ran on to the ride! And a lot of the refurb apparently was putting in the interactive games into the queue, which weren't even on because there WAS no queue. So I can't comment there. Also, I don't really get what they did to the ride?? It's still the bumpiest roller coaster ever, really not my cup of tea. I'm glad I don't really care for it, though, because not having to worry about it makes MK strategy a lot easier!
Whatever, I'm glad we got to go on it, especially so I could see what changes were made during the refurb (even though I'm still not sure what they were!). And of course Andy loved it, that roller coaster maniac!
Naturally, no one else in our group wanted to go on Space, so Janie, my mom, and Billy took Lily over to Cosmic Rays for one of the dance parties. Of course I have no pics of that, but I think Lily got to dance with Dale and Pluto for a little bit. Maybe Janie can chime in and clarify if Lily enjoyed that, I think she did...
When Andy and I caught up with the gang at Cosmic Ray's, we headed out of Tomorrowland, and everyone but me rode the teacups again. We all sorta split up, and Lil and I rode Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan's Flight (all walk on, of course). As was the norm for this trip, we
just missed a couple cool character meets, including Belle and the Beast in their Christmas finery. THAT one really bummed me and Lily out!!!!! I think me, especially. I HAVE to meet the Beast!!!!!!!
We mosey'd over to Liberty Square, and they were actually running the Presidents, which we had missed the day before. There was going to be a midnight showing, but no one felt like waiting for it, so we just slowly made our way to the front of the park, taking time for all of us to take a million pictures of the castle from the Liberty Square bridge...
And we also made time for Lily to get her first-ever Itsakadoozie!
When we left the park, there was a POFQ bus waiting for us, with plenty of seats on it. I wrote in my notes that it was a very relaxing bus ride!
I think we all really enjoyed the Christmas party, but I'm not sure it's a must-do every time we go that time of year. If the parks had been more crowded during normal hours, it would have probably been a bonus that there were no wait times. Also, the parade was fantastic, but I am just as happy with the traditional Wishes. So while it was great to see it all and scope out the situation, I don't think we'll go again this year. Unless Lily completely insists, which is a distinct possibility. If we DO go again, I think we'll make meeting some of the rarer characters more of a priority, and maybe even skip the parade and Wishes (gasp!) to do more of that. We shall see!
Oh no!! Only 1 half day left of our trip!!!!!
)
