We just returned Wed. afternoon. Getting my bearings still (and doing loads and loads of laundry!) I just wanted to share with you all how Disney still knows how to bring Magic to their guests!
I have to first tell you how this is the year that both my girls were on fire to get autographs and photos with the characters. Last visit in '03 my youngest was too shy and timid, but this year she became a pro! But...like a good Dis'er, I told them how we would do rides first and characters later. So many mornings we would bypass some of the characters (not all...I'm not that commando) in order to get the most popular rides completed before it got too crowded.
It was pretty hot this past week and often the characters would be out only a few minutes then have to take a 3 minute break, then return. So if the line for autograph's and photos was too long, we often would pass and wait for later. Mickey, however was quite elusive to us all week. Monday, my husband and I split up - he went to Epcot on his own and the kids and I went back to MK to finish up what we didn't accomplish last Thursday and also to look for characters. Well, the whole day went by. My kids were great and we did so much that day including lunch in the castle, which impressed them in a big way. We got quite a few photos and sign's, but still no Mickey. We finally decided to call it a day. As we were walking out the other side of the train bridge they were bemoaning the fact that we didn't see Mickey and now we won't be able to. I told them we still had Tuesday at Epcot (our last day) and Mickey is also there. I don't think they believed me. They were wiped out from the day, the walking and the heat. But as we walked to the other side, there HE is, along with Minnie and Goofy and Pluto. My girls almost jumped out of their skins with excitement. It didn't matter that we had been baking in the sun already for hours - they would bake as long as necessary to get Mickey's autograph. Well, of course, after they got in line, M went for his break, but returned about 5 minutes later. Finally, they got what they had been waiting 6 days for!!! They were walking on air after that. As far as they were concerned, we could fly home then and there - Mission Accomplished!
The next morning it was raining, but we put on our ponchos (classic yellow!) and sloshed our way to Epcot. No character sightings all morning while it rained. As we finished in Future World, we made our way to World Showcase. We browsed a few moments in one of the giftshops that flank the plaza showcase area. After we walked out, the Character Bus was coming 'round the corner. We couldn't have timed that any better. Now my girls could have access to more characters at one time than they've seen all week! My youngest runs in line (she knows the drill by now) and I tell my son to stay with her while I try to dig out my other daughters book from my bag. UH-OH - can't find it!! I dig and dig. Nothing. Oh, no. She's lost it!! But where?? Must have been sometime after the Figment ride (JIYI??) Which by the way is now her favorite character. Go figure.
Meanwhile, my husband is holding her place in line for Donald with the video recorder. My daughter is heartbroken. All her weeks work - including her final entry, Mickey - gone. I tried to talk her into at least getting a picture. Nope. I said I would go buy her another book. No. She was shutting down fast. My husband is moving up in line closer and closer to Donald. My 8 year old is just standing back so pitiful and sad. My heart was breaking for her as her younger sister is happily holding out her book and pen for the other characters. I'm hugging my 8 year old who is bawling by now. She knows her book was her responsibility and she is feeling so hurt and angry with herself. But when she shuts down that's it.
Well, Lee, the woman who is managing the line for Donald notices how upset she is and asks why she doesn't want to come get a picture. I tell her she's lost her book and it's our last day, so she's pretty upset. Lee hands me a slip of paper from her pocket and tells me to give my name and address and if it turns up, they will mail it to us. Wonderful. I thank her and write down our information.
I go back to holding my daughter while we wait for her sister. Then Peter, who appears to be in charge of the whole meet and greet event comes to console her and tells us that they characters will be back at 4:15. He also asks the particulars of where we think we may have lost the book and where lost and found is located so we can check on our way out. Thanks, Peter, we'll check. Then a few minutes later he returns back to us with a brand new book still in a wrapper. He tells us to be sure to return for the next greeting. Thank you, Peter. That's so sweet! Meanwhile as the characters are wrapping up their greetings, Peter talks to my husband and tells him to be sure to wait by the rope after the characters return back to the bus and we'll get a photo opp. So sure enough, they rope off the area and he motions for us to pass through. Lee helps us through and on the other side of the bus (facing the water) all the characters are still dancing and encourage my kids to dance with them. We gather around with all of them while my husband takes photos. Then one of the CM's tells my husband to get in the photo and she takes our picture.
WOW!!! Way to go, Peter. This is our 7th trip and we've never experienced anything like this. My daughter was overwhelmed and so happy!!
But as if that wasn't enough.....
Peter then takes my daughters book and tells us to return at the 4:15 greet. Meanwhile, he'll go around the park and get all the characters to sign her book and have it completed by the next greeting!!!!!!!!! Peter, are you sure you're not Walt re-incarnated???
I was already teary when he came back with a new book for her. But this pushed me over the edge and I couldn't hold back the tears. My daughter thanked Peter and I gave him a hug. Thanks so much!! We will never forget this.
We return at 4:15 and just as Peter promised, my daughter had a book full of autographs that filled every page except maybe the last 2 or 3. We even got Clarisa? Clara? Clarisse?? Can't remember, but supposed to be Chip and Dale's girlfriend?? Many of the signatures were personalized with her name, or had little doodles on the page - like a storm cloud with rain drops over Eeyore's name.
Thanks to Peter and Lee, an unfortunate event turned into a massive dose of Magic and Pixie Dust.
We are the average family that works hard for the money to go to DW every few years. We know in our heads it's a business and we are more than happy to give Disney our vacation dollars because we get a safe, fun and amazing vacation for our money spent. Our expectations are reasonable and we've always had them met more or less. But my kids don't care that Disney is a gigantic conglomerate - they're amazed that rabbits and ducks greeted us on our way to the food court in the mornings, that a trashcan talked to them in future world on our way to the Buzz Lightyear ride, that they like the way Goofy's Barnstormer makes their 'tummy scary', and that inside the castle, the waiter called their mom 'my lady'. And that for a few brief moments, they had Mickey and all the gang all to themselves with a nice family photo to remember it by.
Thanks, Walt.
BTW - Know what my youngest's favorite attractions was - The Walt Disney tribute exhibition - One Man's Dream - in MGM along with the film. She was pretty impressed that all of Disney World was 'invented' by one man. Aren't we all, baby!
The Wonderful Peter:
Forget the teary eyes, I'm practically bawling here! I haven't been with my kids yet, but cannot wait to see the majic in their eyes! Your experience truly shows what disney is all about! 
