Paradise and Magic..All Rolled into One Vacation! UD3/28 A Top 10 Wrap Up

[KathyRN137]

Hi Missy! So glad to see you back!

(Loved your cruise, but this here is the REALLY good stuff!!)


Kathy

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Loved hearing Jeff's giggles and "whoas" - too funny!

Looks like a great morning so far! Pastries, smoothies, and root beer floats! Yum!!

Sara

Listening to him was the best part of that video!

If only every morning could be like that morning......**sigh**

Please tell Jeff that I said thanks for the ride on Space Mountain. I have never thought about taking a video while on the ride. I'm too busy holding on.

I'll tell him! I was a little concerned about losing the camera, but he had the strap around his wrist.

Great update!! It looks like you were having such a fun morning.

I know what you mean about running to the next ride with the boys. Being able to stop and smell the roses is the best part of being at Disney!

I really want eat at the bakery next time. Those pastries look so yummy!!!

Great picture in front of the castle!!

Definitely stop at the bakery....well worth it!

oohhh I can't wait to hear more...sounds like a wonderful day so far!!!!

J~

I'm sure there are enough rooms in my castle that we can share it!

Hi Missy! So glad to see you back!

(Loved your cruise, but this here is the REALLY good stuff!!)


Kathy

You got that right, Kathy! Reliving it now is reminding me what a great day it was....and makes me want to go back sooner than later!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Following our rollicking with Pirates and experiencing life in a treehouse with the Robinson family, it was time to say good-bye to Adventureland and set off in search of a certain Mouse and his friends. We had never really stopped to see the castle show and with plenty of time left in the day and half our must-do's already accomplished, we decided now was as good a time as any! (oh....before we left Adventureland, we did grab fastpasses for the Jungle Cruise. Can't miss the backside of water, now can we??)

It was just after 1:15 when we settled in to watch Mickey and his friends try to keep Maleficent from changing dreams into nightmares in the Dream Along with Mickey show. I'm so glad we took the time to stop and watch...the show is very cute. Dream along with me as I share my pictures of the show....

(Can you tell who my favorite Princess is?? LOL!)

BOOOO!!

If you have not seen this show, check it out. Watching the characters with the moving eyes and mouths is pretty cool!

After our dream, we made a quick side trip to Tomorrowland to catch a ride on Space Mountain with our fastpasses. Of course we grabbed another set on our way out! I think we rode that ride about 4-5 times during our day!

By 2:00 we were getting hot and a little hungry so we left the future and went back in time to Frontierland. We used our Fastpasses to cool off on good ol' Splash Mountain. Love this ride and it was exactly what we needed in the heat of the afternoon! Then we grabbed some drinks and a soft pretzel from a snack cart and scoped out a spot to watch the parade. The afternoon parade is one of my favorite things and we always make it a must-do. But....we also always watch it from Frontierland because my experience with parades on Main Street has been nothing but nightmarish! We found a great spot just in front of the arcade and sat down to enjoy our snack and wait for the start of the parade. It was early, but we were due for a little rest anyway!

As we waited, these guys passed to entertain us and help pass the time.

Before too long we were hearing the music and the first floats were coming down the street. I made sure to take a picture of this float as it was the one to honor all of the VoluntEars! That was us...YAY!!

Now just sit back, cue up the parade music that I KNOW is in your head, and enjoy the parade!

Jeff's Favorite!

My Favorite!

Awww....who doesn't love a parade??

Once the crowd cleared a bit, Jeff and I moseyed over to Pecos Bill's to have some lunch. Yes...it was a little late, but our breakfast was late as well, and this way we had no crowds! We love Pecos Bill's and both of us ordered the Angus Cheeseburger and loaded it up with fixin's from the bar. YUM! I didn't take pictures here, but we really enjoyed our late lunch. It hit the spot!

Our next order of business was with some presidents that we hadn't visited since our Honeymoon in 1992. We didn't see the Hall of Presidents with the boys on our first trip in 2007 because is just wasn't a must-do. In 2009 it was closed for refurb, so this was it...our opportunity!

I really enjoyed the show and will definitely make sure we take the boys on our next trip. I think they would like it as well. I hadn't remembered a lot of it, so it was like a whole new show to me!

I see in our pictures, that we went to the Jungle Cruise next. It feels like we jumped around a lot, but I don't remember it feeling that way at the time. It was just really nice to do what we wanted, when we wanted....no real agenda.

For those who don't remember, I LOVE THE JUNGLE CRUISE! I am a total sucker for the cheesy joke and I giggle out loud at every one! My kids think I'm a nut, but I don't care. The cheesier the humor the better as far as I'm concerned. And it doesn't get much cheesier than the Jungle Cruise! Let's GO!

I think he got the point...LOL!

I only took two pics this time, but I guarantee you it was because I was too busy giggling!

Strolling toward the bridge to exit Adventureland we found Lilo and Stitch! Isaiah LOVES Stitch and since there was no line, we decided to do our one and only meet and greet of the trip. This one's for you Isaiah!

Bye Adventureland....again....for now!

We have a date with a certain Carousel....which one, I wonder??

 

[mousescrapper]

looks like you are having a blast...so many rides, a show and the parade plus having a meet and greet too...you are getting your Disney fill for sure!!!!

 

[mom2mek]

Ahhh...couples trips...so relaxing and fun, aren't they?

The picture with Lilo and Stitch is fabulous! So cute!

Sara

 

[Angies1274]

Great update Missy!

Love all the pictures from Dream Along with Mickey. We still haven't made it to that show yet. It looks really cute...I'll have to try and fit it in next time.

Frontierland looks like a great spot to watch the parade. Main Street was nice but so crowded!

What a relaxing and fun day you are having!!! Hmm...I may have to look into a couple's trip for DH and I.

 

[longing2Batdisney]

fun update! you guys are just moving right along...
we missed the Presidents in '09 for the refurb and we passed it along last year...I am the only one who really enjoys it, I would like to see the update.
Great picture of the two of you!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

looks like you are having a blast...so many rides, a show and the parade plus having a meet and greet too...you are getting your Disney fill for sure!!!!

Definitely had a great Disney-packed day! One day is not nearly enough...but I had to work with what I was given!

Ahhh...couples trips...so relaxing and fun, aren't they?

The picture with Lilo and Stitch is fabulous! So cute!

Sara

Thanks Sara! And yes...I highly recommend a couples trip.

Great update Missy!

Love all the pictures from Dream Along with Mickey. We still haven't made it to that show yet. It looks really cute...I'll have to try and fit it in next time.

Frontierland looks like a great spot to watch the parade. Main Street was nice but so crowded!

What a relaxing and fun day you are having!!! Hmm...I may have to look into a couple's trip for DH and I.

I just can't stand the pushing, shoving and complaining of the crowds on Main street..I'll watch from Frontierland, thank you!

fun update! you guys are just moving right along...
we missed the Presidents in '09 for the refurb and we passed it along last year...I am the only one who really enjoys it, I would like to see the update.
Great picture of the two of you!

I think my boys, being older, would enjoy the Hall of Presidents. Jonah has a placemat with all the presidents and he loves to read the facts and quiz us on our knowledge! Dan loves history, so I think he'd like it too. Isaiah....he might just take a nap!

 

[mousescrapper]

Missy...

watching the parade on Main Street is a "must do" at least once...but you certaintly have to time it right.

we have done it twice. once by per chance in 05 as we were exiting we just found a spot for the twins in front of a garbage can for the afternoon parade.

but last yr we actually did the 2nd late parade of MSEP and it was pretty cool to be sitting there in the dark and look down at the beautiful castle all lit up.

but yes Frontierland/Liberty Square is our normal spot

 

[mommytothreeboys]

Missy...

watching the parade on Main Street is a "must do" at least once...but you certaintly have to time it right.

we have done it twice. once by per chance in 05 as we were exiting we just found a spot for the twins in front of a garbage can for the afternoon parade.

but last yr we actually did the 2nd late parade of MSEP and it was pretty cool to be sitting there in the dark and look down at the beautiful castle all lit up.

but yes Frontierland/Liberty Square is our normal spot

Oh I definitely agree Julie. We did watch Spectro from Main Street in 2007....but I was already in a bad mood because Dan got sick and had to go back to POR with Jeff and then Jonah dropped his ice cream just as we were getting ready to find a spot. By the time we got new ice cream and went back out, it was MOBBED! We may try again at some point because it is cool to watch the parade with the castle as a backdrop! But...Jeff really hates crowds so timing will definitely be the key!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

So.....I'm sure it's no surprise that the Carousel we were headed to was a family favorite and subject of my last TR......

We rode this with the boys in 2009 and were very surprised that they LOVED it! It's definitely a classic and now it's a must do for us. That song is so darned catchy...”there's a great big beautiful tomorrow......” LOL!

After our spin through the Carousel of Progress, it was time to hit another ride we had not done since our 1992 honeymoon. It didn't make the cut on our 2007 trip, it was closed in 2009....but we were determined to check it out on this trip. Any guesses?? Ok....it's the TTA! It was about 6:15 and our feet were tired from a long day of touring. The leisurely ride around Tomorrowland was just what the doctor ordered! Join me......

The break was really nice and I enjoyed the ride....it's fun to have a “behind the scenes” peek at rides like Buzz and Space Mountain! Speaking of Space Mountain...I'm pretty sure we tried to ride again at this point, but the ride was temporarily closed...STINK! We spent some time in the arcade/gift shop, grabbed a big bottle of water from a vendor and decided to say good-bye to Tomorrowland and stroll over to Toontown. Although we had no kids, we knew that Toontown was closing soon for the Fantasyland expansion and we wanted to be sure to have one last look! Plus, our plan was to ride the train from Toontown to Main Street and do some shopping, etc. At this point, we had done ALL of our must-do's and now we were just enjoying the evening until the sun set and we could ride the Jungle Cruise in the dark (one thing I had never done). Twilight at the Magic Kingdom is my absolute favorite time of day....it just feels more magical at sunset!

Oh.....I took a picture of this futuristic Palm tree on our way out of Tomorrowland. I don't think I'd ever noticed them before and I thought it was way cool!

We didn't spend a ton of time in Toontown, but we did take a short tour through Mickey's house. I wanted to see if, just maybe, the line to meet Mickey was reasonable. I didn't want to wait, but I did kind of want a picture with Mickey from this trip. Unfortunately, the wait was still almost an hour, so we settle for just strolling through the house and soaking it in....just in case it was the last time.

Good grief...they need a new contractor..this one is a MESS!

Bye about 6:50, we were ready to bid a final farewell to Mickey's Toontown and board the train for Main Street. I had to snap a picture of this balloon....although I won't pay the crazy price to have one of my own, Mickey balloons make me smile!!

And once we got to Main Street, I was grinning from ear to ear!!

That is...until I saw the Main Street crowds.....YIKES!

It was the perfect time to get off the street and do some shopping. I don't know if I mentioned it earlier, but I had a very cool anklet that I loved and had put on for the first time at the beginning of this vacation. Unfortunately, I forgot to take it off when I went snorkeling in the Bahamas and it is now somewhere at the bottom of the Caribbean. Sad. But.....that just means it was time to shop for a new one! And what better place than Main Street USA? I had been keeping my eyes open for one since I noticed the other one missing. Anklets are not as easy to find as bracelets and I knew what I was looking for....therefore a little particular. After browsing through many of the shops on Main Street, we came to Uptown Jewelers and I found exactly what I wanted! YAY! I quickly made my purchase and promptly put my new-found bling on my ankle. I'm a happy girl!

This picture doesn't really do it justice...it's very sparkly, especially in the sun. And it has Mickey!

Again, trying to avoid the crowds, we ducked into this little area to sit and chill for a bit. I don't remember exactly where it was, but NO ONE was back here!

Yikes...my hair needs help!

Once our feet were rested, we headed toward the castle to take some pictures of these cute little statues.

And, of course, my beautiful castle!

But...I was really on a mission to find Cinderella's Wishing Well. I had heard about it, but it was something we had never seen. SO....through the castle, take a left, and sure enough.....

I love that we had the time to just explore and find things we had only heard about! The boys would never have been interested in searching for the Wishing Well, but Jeff indulges me! I think I'll keep him!

It was almost 8:00 by this time and Spectro was showing twice this evening. Our plan was to take advantage of low crowds/short lines during the first parade, watch Wishes at 10 and then enjoy the second Spectro. So, with no need to hurry and find a spot for the parade, we decided to revisit some Ghost friends! I love riding the Haunted Mansion at night...it adds a little creepiness and mystery!

Oh look, the porch lights are on to draw us in!

We opted not to become the 1,000th happy haunt, and exited the mansion with our sights on Peter Pan's Flight. The lines had been crazy long all day so we had skipped it. Maybe with everyone getting ready to watch the parade, now would be our chance. No such luck...still crazy long. So....what's a girl to do when she can't go to Neverland? Visit with the children of IASW of course! I don't have pictures this time...I just wanted to sit and take it all in!

Like I said, there was only one more thing to do before we settled in for Wishes and Spectro.......oh wait, make that two. Adventureland, here we come! I mentioned wanting to ride Jungle Cruise in the dark...any guesses as to what else was calling us to Adventureland??

 

[longing2Batdisney]

What a wonderful afternoon! one day I will travel to WDW alone or with a friend and enjoy it that way. I would love to visit World Showcase in Epcot like that one day, too.
someday, I'll send Danny to Nascar at Daytona and just do it hmmmm......one day..... now you got me thinking.

Love the anklet! so dainty and sweet....nice choice!

 

[mom2mek]

What a lovely afternoon/evening! You both just look so relaxed and sun-kissed from your cruise too!

Love the anklet - very sweet!

Sara

 

[mickeystoontown]

I love the fact that you and Jeff are taking your time and enjoying the park. I try to make time to stop and see the little details too. Yay for finding the wishing well. Isn't it cute?!?!

I am loving the anklet. It's so pretty.

 

[DisMomAmy]

Hi Missy!! I saw your PM & that you had already gotten the answer... I'm glad to see a bunch of updates! I'm really enjoying tagging along on your leisurely day at MK. Looks like you were having a great time.

I know what you mean about post-Disney/winter blues... I'm trying to snap myself out of a bit of a funk too! Reading your TR for the past half hour has helped.

 

[Planning fanatic mom]

Great Update! Love the anklet! I want one.

I know you are not headed to The Tiki Room because I remember your dislike of birds.

Maybe Pirate?? Dole Whip??

 

[KathyRN137]

...Twilight at the Magic Kingdom is my absolute favorite time of day....it just feels more magical at sunset!


Oh, Yeah!!



But...I was really on a mission to find Cinderella's Wishing Well. I had heard about it, but it was something we had never seen. SO....through the castle, take a left, and sure enough.....

I love that we had the time to just explore and find things we had only heard about! The boys would never have been interested in searching for the Wishing Well, but Jeff indulges me! I think I'll keep him!


He's definitely a keeper!


I mentioned wanting to ride Jungle Cruise in the dark...any guesses as to what else was calling us to Adventureland??

Oh, I'm guessing Pirates!!


Kathy

 

[mousescrapper]

YAY you found the wishing well...hope your wish came true too

I love walking around MK at twilight too, just as some of the crowds are leaving and the lights are coming on. Glad you found a new anklet you adore

looking forward to more!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

What a wonderful afternoon! one day I will travel to WDW alone or with a friend and enjoy it that way. I would love to visit World Showcase in Epcot like that one day, too.
someday, I'll send Danny to Nascar at Daytona and just do it hmmmm......one day..... now you got me thinking.

Love the anklet! so dainty and sweet....nice choice!

Just keep dreaming Connie...who knows what might happen someday?!

What a lovely afternoon/evening! You both just look so relaxed and sun-kissed from your cruise too!

Love the anklet - very sweet!

Sara

Thanks Sara! I need a little sun-kissing right about now!

I love the fact that you and Jeff are taking your time and enjoying the park. I try to make time to stop and see the little details too. Yay for finding the wishing well. Isn't it cute?!?!

I am loving the anklet. It's so pretty.

Loved the wishing well...so cute! The boys would totally not have appreciated it!

Hi Missy!! I saw your PM & that you had already gotten the answer... I'm glad to see a bunch of updates! I'm really enjoying tagging along on your leisurely day at MK. Looks like you were having a great time.

I know what you mean about post-Disney/winter blues... I'm trying to snap myself out of a bit of a funk too! Reading your TR for the past half hour has helped.

Hi Amy! I remembered AFTER I sent the PM that you were in Florida. Glad you found all my updates! The winter blues stink...I woke up to snow AGAIN this morning. ENOUGH ALREADY!

Great Update! Love the anklet! I want one.

I know you are not headed to The Tiki Room because I remember your dislike of birds.

Maybe Pirate?? Dole Whip??

LOL.....nope...no Tiki Room for me...ICK! Stay tuned!

Oh, I'm guessing Pirates!!


Kathy

Good guess......

YAY you found the wishing well...hope your wish came true too

I love walking around MK at twilight too, just as some of the crowds are leaving and the lights are coming on. Glad you found a new anklet you adore

looking forward to more!

I think twilight at the MK is my very favorite thing at Disney. It's really hard to choose because I love everything, but there is a special magical feeling at sunset in the Magic Kingdom. It's like no bad thing can intrude!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

As much as I love the Jungle Cruise, it is a ride that I have never been on after dark. Fixing that situation was one of my goals on this trip, so we headed through Liberty Square and toward Adventureland. We could see the crowds lining up for the parade and it was nice not to be rushing to join them! Just before 9:00 pm, we were ready to board our boat for a cruise into the jungle. I love all the little humorous touches in the ride queue. This is the only picture I took before we were on our way!

Jungle Cruise in the dark...CHECK! I, once again, thoroughly enjoyed our cruise and all the cheesy humor that goes along with it! LOL! The dark adds an extra element of mystery and I'll definitely try to ride it at night with the boys on our next trip.

But....as I said earlier, my visit to the jungle was not all that was calling us to Adventureland. We had done Pirates at least once (maybe more than that, but memory escapes me), climbed the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse, cruised through the jungle.......what were we missing? Well, for those who know me, you know it was certainly NOT the Tiki Room. I barely tolerate those birds when we visit with the boys and I certainly wasn't going to set foot in there without them! So what was it, you ask......

DOLE WHIPS of course! This treat is one of our very favorites and a visit to the Magic Kingdom would not be complete without a Dole Whip Float. It was just after 9:00 and we could hear the music from Spectro in the background as we headed to Aloha Isle for our much needed treat!

The sights of the MK all lit up at night were just beautiful. I tried to take some pictures while we sat under a palm tree and enjoyed our Dole Whips. I don't take the best night-time photos, so bear with me.

This was taken while I leaned back and looked up at the palm tree....it was our last night in Florida and I knew it would be pictures like this that got me through a cold, snowy Rochester, NY winter!

Crystal Palace

Space Mountain in the distance with Spectro floats in the foreground.

And this is what our faces look like when all the Dole Whip is gone....

Sitting in the warm spring breeze, enjoying our pineapple-y treats and listening to the music of Spectro was amazing.....but by now it was just past 9:30 and we wanted to get a spot in front of the castle for Wishes. I knew this would be a tricky prospect considering there was an early parade and most people would just stay put, but although I am willing to watch a parade from Frontierland, I need to see Wishes from in front of the castle. One reason for that is that I want to see Tink's flight. I had told Jeff that we didn't need to be directly in FRONT of the castle, but I wanted to be somewhere close. If you remember from my last reports, Jeff does not do well with crowds. Especially the kind that bump and drag you along and allow you NO elbow room at all. Situations like this tend to make him very tense and irritable and I try to avoid them at all costs. I was hoping that by not being too picky about location and not requiring a ton of room, we would be able to settle in to a spot and enjoy the show. Add the crowds to a LONG day of touring and a LONG week of vacationing and you have a recipe for disaster. UGH! He actually did really well for the most part and we did enjoy the beauty and magic that is Wishes. (Stay tuned for the disaster part......) Here are some pretty shots of my castle and the show....again, not the greatest, but enjoy!

These strange things are Mickey balloons with lights inside....way COOL!

Our plan after Wishes was to head to Frontierland to find a spot to watch the second Spectromagic parade. Nothing could take the magic out of this fantastic day, right??