Day 203- Easter Parade at Magic Kingdom

Happy Sunday Morning! Happy Easter Sunday Morning! It is a beautiful, sunshiny day. They sky is blue and the clouds are plenty. This is going to be a very fun day to get to go to Magic Kingdom. The Citizens of Main Street are dressed in their Easter finery, and there are butterfly ladies and living flowers to meet in the hub.

We arrive at the Magic Kingdom parking lot. It is semi-busy as we park and walk to the Monorail. When the Monorail approaches the Contemporary Resort, I hear a little one gasp as we go right through the Grand Canyon Station, inside of the Contemporary. She is amazed that we can drive through the building, where she can see Chef Mickey’s restaurant. Then, she sees the mosaic tower, and next, the little shops. It is so fun to hear her “ooh” and “ahh” as the Monorail makes its way through the Contemporary and out the other side.

We disembark at Magic Kingdom, where we get our bags checked, and MagicBands scanned. I love hearing the Disney music as we arrive. As we step onto Main Street USA, the buildings look beautiful. They are glistening in the bright sun and contrasted by the darker clouds gathering in the sky.

So many people are dressed in their Easter clothes; they look so pretty and so nice! It is a slower moving afternoon, so we take our time as we walk down Main Street. We stop at the Main Street Bakery for some Starbucks tea and coffee. It is not very busy at the moment, so we don’t have a very long wait. We have our coffees and teas, so we are off to find a place to sit or stand for the Easter Parade taking place before the Festival of Fantasy Parade today.

I love the new hub! It is so open and makes the foot traffic flow so much better. We find a great place to stand and wait, just behind the line of people sitting on the curb. Soon, the family in front of us has hamburgers delivered by the men in their family. It smells so good! The guys head back to the new hub and find a ledge to sit on while they finish their lunch. I love all of the seating that the hub expansion has added.

After about 30 minutes, we hear that there is going to be a high school marching band coming down Main Street before the parade starts. We see them getting close, and they look so cool! All of them have on Mickey ear hats and they are so fun to watch. You can tell which families have kids in the band as they sit on the sidewalks cheering and clapping for their kids! I love it.

After about 15 more minutes the Easter Parade begins. The music is so cheery for this beautiful day! There are the official banner carriers, dressed in their fun Easter clothing, flower ladies, walking butterflies, dancing pink hippos and ostriches, and even flower petals floating in the air!

The Easter Bunnies ride down Main Street in a lovely car!

There are young ladies in a sea of beautiful pastel Easter bonnets and ruffled dresses; they look so lovely with their pastel parasols as they glide down the street gracefully.

Even Thumper, Ms. Bunny, the White Rabbit, and Rabbit appear in a gazebo!

Soon, we see chicken ladies go dancing by in front of the barn of none other than Clara Cluck herself! What a treat!

It was so beautiful and fun getting to see the Easter Parade at Magic Kingdom!

We sit for a minute on the hub and talk about what to do next. I have not seen the Easter Egg Display at the Grand Floridian yet, and it’s the last official day for it to be out. That is a must on my list for this season. So, we decide to head that way.

As we exit to go to the Resort Monorail, there are so many people coming into Magic Kingdom. We walk up to the Monorail, wait a short time for one to arrive, and board. We make a stop at the Contemporary, the Transportation and Ticket Center, the Polynesian, and finally, the Grand Floridian.

We disembark and go through the doors into this most grand hotel. It is so beautiful in its coastal Victorian style. We take the elevator to the ground floor, and as we look out of the elevator, we can see the exquisite backs of some of the Easter eggs being displayed. They are just beautiful. We look at all of the ornately decorated, giant Easter Eggs. We study them and fill out a voting slip. These are amazing. Oh! I do see a couple of ladies I have met in these past few months. I say my hellos and we exchange, “Happy Easter Sunday!” greetings. It is good to see them.

After taking all the time we wanted to see the detail of these beautiful eggs, we are off to the Monorail. As we are leaving the Grand Floridian, I see the sky has filled up with what looks like rain clouds. So far, it isn’t raining. Once we board, we stop at Magic Kingdom, the Contemporary, and our final destination, the Transportation and Ticket Center.

Well, it has been a beautiful day, filled with so many smiles, pretty pastel colors, and lovely Easter eggs. It was a Happy Easter Sunday, indeed!

Day 190- Magic Kingdom

Today it is lightly rainy. It has rained all night, so the flowers are especially beautiful and everything looks refreshed. We decide to wait until this afternoon to go to Disney We grab our rain jackets and head for Magic Kingdom. It isn’t misting any more and the weather feels great. It was cool this morning, and now the sky is full of clouds; looks like it could rain again.

As we get to the Transportation and Ticket Center, we are surprised that we are parking so close. As we enter the parking area, it pretty empty, which normally means that it is not going to be very crowded at Magic Kingdom. We park, walk to the Monorail, and board. When get to Magic Kingdom, there are plenty of open tables to get our bags checked, so we each pick a table. Then, we scan our MagicBands and enter into Magic Kingdom.

Pluto is meeting guests near the Main Street Confectionary. He is usually out by the flagpole, but he’s under the covering today since it was rainy. Everyone is so happy to get to meet him!

Going down Main Street USA, the kids check for pins to trade. Twinkie finds one right away and trades for a fun pin. Today is going to be a good day for pin trading.

As we make our way down Main Street, the family behind me is talking about how something must be getting ready to happen, since there are so many people lining up on the sidewalks. They’re right! The Festival of Fantasy parade will begin in just a little while, as long as the rain stays away. If it rains again, they will have the Rainy Day Motorcade instead.

The sky is beginning to clear just a little bit. It will warm up quickly! It is fun to hear people talk about how hot it is right now, in the mid 70s, especially with so many families coming from snowy areas! It’s a nice day today, and it is only going to be near 81 as the high.

We got our hot drinks at the Main Street Bakery, then sat and drank our drinks at the parade was going by. The parade is beautiful! We talked to the family near us, the little girl was so cute. After our drinks, Tooti and I grabbed a gluten free beef and bleu salad at Tomorrowland Terrace, and Twinkie went to Casey’s Corner and got a gluten free, corn free hot dog with apple slices.

The wildlife was busy today. A pigeon sat near us, ducks flew overhead, and the dad behind us pointed out a baby duckling swimming near the Loch Ness Monster shrubs; the duckling was so tiny and looked so alone. I guess he was catching up to his family. It’s so fun to see the little ducklings swim together.

We made our way back to Main Street USA, walked across the street, and as we were going past the doors of Main Street Clothiers, we saw the new spring line of Minnie Mouse clothing. Everything is so very cute! We had to check these new styles out.

As we got near to the front gates, Twinkie was asked to do a survey, so she followed to cast member into the Chamber of Commerce building, where she filled out the computer survey. Toot and I waited, and I saw that the Easter Bunnies are here to take pictures with. Oh, I will have to do that before Easter arrives!

We sat and we talked to a lady who was waiting on her husband to finish a survey. She was very nice. Soon, her husband and young son joined her. Twinkie joined us just shortly after that, and we were off to the Monorail.

It has been fun, and now it is time to head home! See you soon, Magic Kingdom!

Day 188- Birthday Fun at Magic Kingdom

Today is a spectacular day! It is a very chilly 67 degrees on this this early morning. We are going to Magic Kingdom and know it will be a hot 89 degrees by this afternoon. The skies are so blue and there are fluffy white clouds in the sky.

We get to the heroes parking lot and can hear they just called for, “No more boarding…” on the tram. The safety message begins as we decide walk to the Transportation and Ticket Center. It is about a 5-minute, fast walk, and not bad at all. If you have little ones, you might want to put them in their stroller and save their excitement for the parks! They can use up a lot of energy dancing all the way to the Monorail. Once they get to the park, 8-10 hours can be a long day for little ones.

The kids have planned a special day for me and gave me a “Happy Birthday!” pin to wear for the day. So, first things first! We arrive at Magic Kingdom and head for our lunch reservation at Be Our Guest. We check in and have pre-ordered our meal, so we are seated in a timely fashion. We sit by the windows in the ballroom and I can watch the snow falling as we wait for our server to hand deliver our special allergy friendly order.

Be Our Guest is a beautiful place to celebrate everything. If it is your first time to Disney, an anniversary, wedding, engagement, birthday, or have any other reason to celebrate, this is one of my favorite places. As you walk across the bridge to the Beast’s castle, it is fabulous! Notice all of the details of the lamps as you cross the bridge, and the lion-creatures that guard the front doors. It is incredibly beautiful. As the doors open, there are wonderful archways before you enter the ballroom.

We are so excited that they have a gluten free roasted beef sandwich with French fries; we also have a gluten/corn free sandwich served with green beans, and order French onion soup as well. The food here is delicious!

After lunch, our next stop is the Main Street Bakery for our Starbucks drinks. They are setting up for the Festival of Fantasy parade as we enter. As we are leaving, the parade is coming down Main Street USA. I love seeing all of the floats, the beautiful dancers, and all of the Disney characters.

We stop for a moment in the shade and wait for Twinkie’s tea to brew. We meet a couple from Pennsylvania and they are talking about how difficult it is to make the weather change from very cold to this 89-degree day with 82% humidity. I sympathized and listened. Then, I remember that I need to get my cooling towels out since it is getting hot enough to need them.

Now, my favorite ride is next. So, we head toward Fantasyland. The kids went to look at Sir Mickey’s and I went to see if Gaston was out greeting his loyal fans. He was not, so I walked back up to go to Peter Pan’s Flight. In the meantime, Twinkie met some of the Royal Majesty Makers and was having quite a fun chat with them. As I approached Peter Pan’s Flight, I saw the kids chatting and quickly Twinkie introduced me as, “The Queen” and I asked if I could get a picture with the Royal Majesty Makers! They are such a delight; do take the time to chat with them if you happen to see them out!

Our FastPass+ time is here, so we are off to ride Peter Pan. I love this ride.

Now, the kids and I walk down to see Gaston and watch the girls swoon over him. It is so fun to see him interact and talk with the ladies. He looks across the way, to where buff guy was standing. Gaston left the girls and told the guy that he would “help him” with his sleeves and rolled the buff guy’s t-shirt sleeves back down to cover his arms. The crowd laughs and Gaston picks on him once again. It is just fun watching all of the interactions and pictures.

Next, we have the Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid ride. I love this one too! I cannot wait, they have added some more fishes and it is so fun to feel like you are in the movie. The kids loved this movie when they were little, so we saw it many times. I take in a moment of dreamy fishes enjoying the music, then listen to “Under the Sea.” I love this large cave full of so many fish.

We decide to grab another iced drink at Starbucks. It is so hot today and staying hydrated is very important. We drink so much water during the day. I love having a glass to refill in between rides. When we get to Starbucks, they are preparing for the second Festival of Fantasy parade of the day. There seem to be several High School Bands passing as we are waiting for our drinks to be crafted. They are really fun to hear and to see passing by the windows of Starbucks.

As we are walking to a ride or from a ride, there are characters everywhere, or a play, or a parade – there is something always going on when you are at Magic Kingdom.

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is our next ride and we get checked in with the FastPass+ on our MagicBands. The cast member greets me with, “Happy 21st Birthday! Oh, and I see that your brought your younger sisters!” He totally caught me off guard, and all I could do was to laugh and thank him! The line is fairly long, but soon we were on the ride. There is a score that I have not attained yet. That score is 999,999 also known as Galactic Hero. My kids have gotten it a few times, but I’m still working on it! Me? My highest score was today: 339,800!!! Oh, yes! I am happy with this new high score! We stop and get the Galactic Hero celebration pin for the kids!

Well, I have had a blast. It has been a lot of fun celebrating my birthday with my kids at Magic Kingdom. I have had tons of, “Happy Birthday!” greetings all day long! I think I am done for the day! We walk back through Tomorrowland to the new hub where there is a parade in process, so we take our time as we are heading for the front entrance. It gets crowded with people stopping to take pictures. The cast members encourage those taking pictures to go under the rope into the safe zones for those who want to stand and watch the parades. It makes it easier for the people coming up and down the sidewalks and aids in traffic flow. I like days that people are kind and thoughtful toward those around them.

As we are exiting, the cast member waving good-bye says, “Happy Birthday!” The cast member at the monorail hollers, “Happy Birthday!” As I am exiting the Monorail another cast member says, “Happy Birthday!” These are some of the wonderful things that happen all day long when you are celebrating! Be sure to get your special pin! It was a very happy birthday!

Day 181- Dapper Day at Magic Kingdom

Today is Dapper Day at Disney World! I am beyond excited! This is a fun day and there will be so many beautiful Dapper Day visitors, and they will be dressed to the nines. The day is sunny and it says it will be 88 degrees today, but it ends up reaching a very hot 90 degrees in the late afternoon. Even though it’s hot today, there are a few clouds and a good breeze.

We arrive and they are just beginning to park in the Villains parking lot, so the traffic is at a standstill as they are getting the traffic redirected. It doesn’t take very long to get traffic moving again and they are filling up both the left and right sides of the Villains lots now. There are a ton of people arriving – I mean a ton! Soon, we are parked and walk to the Transportation and Ticket Center. There are people going to the ferryboat and the Monorail. After a short wait in line for the Monorail, we are on our way to Magic Kingdom. 

We disembark and head for bag check, where every table is open. There are so many strollers and bags being checked. Today there are so many people. Soon, we are heading to scan our MagicBands and enter onto Main Street USA. When it is busy, I enjoy seeing all of the families taking pictures, so happy to be here! You can hear all of the “oohs” and “ahhs” as they see Cinderella’s Castle for the first time. As you can see, the crane is now gone and the path to the right of the castle is open again!

I am looking to get a picture for Dapper Day! So, we are heading for Cinderella’s Castle… I want our picture to have Mickey and Walt Disney’s statue in it. “I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing — that it all started with a mouse.” 

Now, we are off to find the citizens of Main Street USA. Oh, we see Ms. Trumpetto! She is looking beautiful (as always!). She is a lovely, happy lady. You must meet her the next time you visit; she is very fun and so spunky! As we are fixing to take a picture, she says that she needs something more, something fancy. “Oh, you want my furry critters?”  “Sure, that is wonderful!” Then, she is so cute and gives one of the weasels, as we affectionately call them, a sweet kiss! So very funny! As we cross the street, there are seagulls flying past us, trying to get to the crackers a little family spilt! It is surprising how quickly they swoop down, in and out of the traffic flow. Then, we turn and see the most dapper family and ask if we can take their picture! 

Ms. Trumpetto lets us know that Ms. Beatrice Starr is here. Soon, we find Ms. Starr and say, “Hello!” She is so vivacious. She noticed my fur collar and said, “I missed you, Henry.” She said that he was her ferret and oh, how she had missed him!  I said, “Oh, I call them weasels, ‘cause a weasel gave them to me!” She started laughing and said that a weasel is just a flat ferret! We all laughed and then tried to get a picture! As we are blowing a kiss, Ms. Starr begins to laugh and laugh and laugh! She is adorable.

Next, we met Constance Purchase. She was dressed in a beautiful purple dress and had a parasol! We had not met her before today, and she was a delight to meet.

The Dapper Day group is having a meet up at the PeopleMover at noon, well, that is right now. We know it will be very busy getting everyone on the PeopleMover. I think we will skip this meet up.

We have not had any hot beverages yes, so we are going to the Main Street Bakery to grab some tea and coffee. Twinkie gets her drink and goes to find a table while our drinks are being made. We join her and sit in the shade of a yellow umbrella. Everyone seems to be facing the same way since the sun is already bright and it is getting hot. I saw a nice family sitting at the table next to us, so I asked if I could get the son to take a picture for us, and the older sister jumped up and took one for us and it turned out great. Her brother was so disappointed. So, I asked the dad if we could get the son to take a picture of us with the castle, she did a great job, but I would like for him to be our hero and help us out. Every guy needs to be a hero. The dad nodded and the mom looked surprised, but the dad loved that we understood that dudes, young and old, like to be heroes!

Soon, this area is full. I see a dad waiting for a table, so we offer ours to him since we thought about moving to a cooler area of the park. As we step into the walkway, a couple stops us for a picture. 

We move to another area, and soon another Dapper Day couple sits down at a table next to us, so they begin chatting with us. We just met them earlier; they brought their 2 nieces and a nephew. Their nephew wanted to come for Dapper Day, so he asked them if they would drive! Too neat that he asked his aunt and uncle to come to Dapper Day with him! They’ve just come from the PeopleMover and tell us how busy it was, the line zigzagged and it wrapped all the way back to Space Mountain. The funniest thing was that they took a video on their phone that they showed us, and it lasted a few minutes, she was surprised that it had taken them that long to walk that far. 

Twinkie takes a picture of them in their dapper finery and we have a fun time visiting. Soon, a man walks up and tells us that we, my kids and I, should have a picture of us sitting there. We say OK and he takes one for us, as his family sits across the way watching and smiling. He asks if we would mind taking a picture of him and his family in front of the castle. Not at all! So, Twinkie hops up and snaps a couple of pictures for them.

I love days like today, where we meet tons of people and they take pictures of us and with us. We get to explain Dapper Day to a lot of people who ask us about it, and it is so fun! I love talking to and meeting so many happy people.

We have lunch at the Plaza Restaurant. The kids have wanted me to try the gluten free cheesesteak sandwich. They went with some friends and said that it was over the top delicious. So, here we are. I love the ornate woodwork and detail! It is so art nouveau in all of its décor, absolutely fabulous.

As we are leaving, we can hear and see part of the parade. We see Rapunzel, Ulf, and Flynn, and we see Maleficent’s fire breathing dragon, and some of the other floats as we walk toward Tom Sawyer Island. This is where the next Dapper Day meet up is today. We stop to get a picture with the Liberty Belle riverboat and walk on around to the launching of the boats to cross over to the island. It is so very hot, and we meet a nice family as we are crossing. They are from Texas and close to where we lived. The mom says that the kids are having a little trouble with the heat since Texas has been so cold this winter. I totally understand the difficulty of the transition from cold to hot, especially on a humid day like this. I do let them know there is a rope bridge and barrels to cross if they have time to find them.

Once we arrive on the island, we turn to the left and find the rope bridge that leads to Fort Langhorn. This fort is so much fun! Escape tunnel? We just had to go through to find out where it lead, and we popped out at the back of the fort. Now we go back around and explore the rest of the fort. Oh, look, Dapper Day people! As we get down the spiral staircase, we find that the wind has died down. It is hot on this island. I think we need to find something cold to drink. It is suggested that frozen apple juice is at Gaston’s Tavern, better known as LeFou’s Brew. Sounds wonderful to me, so we make our way over to Fantasyland, where Gaston’s Tavern is just past his statue on the water fountain.

As soon as we have our LeFou’s Brew, we head outside to see Gaston talking with the guests who have come to meet him. It is so very fun to watch, and today there are so many Dapper Day people watching since the line to meet him is now closed. As we watch, the cutest Dapper Day Baymax with his dapper bowtie, Mickey Mouse ears, and his suspendered pants pops up as he’s being carried by a dapper lady! Too cute! With our Brew in hand, we go to find a place to sit and finish our frozen apple juices. As we are sitting, I get a picture of the sparkly fireworks from the Dream Along with Mickey stage show. We stop for a beanstalk picture at Sir Mickey’s, pictures in front of doors at Cinderella’s Castle, and since the crane is gone we can go to the wishing well for pictures.

Today has been fun, hot, and so enjoyable! I love interacting with so many people and I enjoy Dapper Day with so many dapper people! It has been a very good day. With the hot weather, I think we constantly were drinking water and other yummy beverages. Please keep yourselves hydrated, and make sure your kids are drinking enough and you will have a great day at Disney World!

Day 155- Magic Kingdom

Today we are enjoying this blue sky full of fluffy, white clouds, and the warm weather. It is 73 degrees and feels like 76. It is just so beautiful. I think we will head for Magic Kingdom for a fun afternoon!

We get to the gates to enter the parking lot and there are many cars still coming into the Transportation and Ticket Center. We follow the cars around to the parking lot and it is so very full. We park and go to catch the Monorail. Today is Presidents’ Day and you can definitely see that people came to enjoy the holiday at Disney World.

The walk up to the Monorail is lightly busy, and it is just pulling away. The waiting area begins to fill up and the little girl beside us starts yelling, “Look! There it is, there it is!!” She was so excited to see the Monorail and she sang quietly during the entire ride to Magic Kingdom! She was so precious and so very excited!

We get our bags checked, scan our MagicBands, and enter into Main Street USA. It is busy, and there are so many people coming and going. We start down Main Street USA and by the time we got close to the Main Street Bakery, I lost sight of the kids. So, thinking we were close to the Main Street Bakery, I stepped in and was greeted with, “May I help you find something?” “Oh, I am looking for my kids!” The cast member smiled.

I stepped back out and saw them. They laughed because they knew I would step into the Main Street Bakery to find them. It is always good to have a meeting place set in case you get separated. If your children are young, make sure they know to go to the cast members to ask for help if their parents get lost. The cast members are so fast helping parents and children reunite!

Anyway, on to Adventureland! We pass by Peter Pan; he is so fun to meet, I am glad we’ve been able to meet him before! Today, we are going to get to meet Aladdin and Jasmine. The line is pretty long, and they are going to be taking a break in just a few minutes. We get in line and soon, they return. It is so fun to watch families meet Aladdin and Jasmine. When moms and dads get their turns for pictures, you can actually see them get so happy and smile even bigger than the kids do! I love seeing the kid in them have so much fun!

There is a nice couple and their two little ones waiting in front of us. As the group of teenage girls in front of them are finishing up, we are asked to wait just a moment. As we do, we see a Make a Wish child come in from the exit. She is so excited to meet Aladdin and Jasmine. My heart is touched as they greet her. Aladdin and Jasmine are so loving and attentive to her, her mom, and little brother. We watch and say a little prayer for her and her family. What a sweet moment to get to experience.

Now, it is our turn! I cannot wait, Twinkie goes first, and then, we get to join her! It is so fun to get to be with them! As I hug Aladdin, I tell him that how he treats the children means a lot to me, and as I hug Jasmine, I thank her too for how wonderfully she treats the little ones she meets. She seemed touched. I am grateful.

Now, we go toward Frontierland. I am going to sit for a minute since we were standing in line for about an hour. It is beautiful as the Mark Twain Riverboat passes by. The area is very busy and bustling with people. We pass by the Hall of Presidents as we make out way toward the Cinderella’s Castle.

The sun is setting and we decide to make our way to the front entrance. It is so busy that there are not many FastPasses available today. We noticed that even the Swiss Family Treehouse had a line today.

Main Street USA is so pretty when the sun goes down and the lights are bright. We get a coffee and find a bench to sit on as we take our first few sips. Then, we are off and walk to the entrance. There are so many people leaving and so many coming in at 7pm. What a wonderful day at Magic Kingdom

Day 150- Magic Kingdom & SpaceX

Today is a beautiful day! We see so many ibis and turkeys walking along the road near Magic Kingdom. I love the wildlife! Sometimes we can see deer blending into the landscape. It is absolutely beautiful day! As we leave the house, it says it is 65 degrees and feels like 71; that is going to be perfect.

We arrive at the Transportation and Ticket Center, park, and catch the tram to the Monorail. There are several fun people on the tram. We reach the drop off point and walk to the Monorail. It is fairly busy and the Monorail is full as we take off to Magic Kingdom. We do have one stop at the Contemporary Resort on the way today.

As we walk to the entrance, I hear a family talking about the Flag Retreat Ceremony and how Disney honors our veterans every day. The Flag Retreat Ceremony is incredible. I love being able to watch it!

We get our bags checked, MagicBands scanned, and enter into Magic Kingdom. The sun is so beautiful as it shines down onto the Victorian-styled buildings. It is so beautiful! I can see Cinderella’s Castle as we head down Main Street USA. We stop into the lightly busy Main Street Bakery for a cup of coffee. It is fun seeing every getting sandwiches and bakery items to go with their coffee!

After we got our coffees, I had to go back in for a minute, and as I came out, I could not see my kids anywhere! I scanned faces across the street. Then, I turned and scanned up the street and down the street, but no sign of my kids. So, I stopped, pulled out my phone and texted them. Almost instantly, I hear Tooti’s voice. They had found the cutest little spot to sit and drink coffee. I had to laugh since I thought it was down a ways from here. Plus, they were laughing so hard that I had to think it was funny!

Since there are 3 of us, we walked to find a table where we could sit and have our coffee. As we walk, we pass the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor; it is fun seeing all of the beautiful ice cream creations—some of them even have Mickey ears on them! I pass by a grandma enjoying a milkshake, I had to stop and tell her how cute she is sitting there enjoying her milkshake! She started laughing and got the cutest twinkling eyes. I love seeing the kid come out in everyone here at Disney!

We find a table and take a moment to enjoy our coffee. We talk about our day and what we are up to. As we are talking, I see a young dad bringing 2 of the cute Mickey Ice Cream Cones for his little ones. The little princesses are surprised and begin eating their perfect little treats.

The breeze has a chill to it, but it is nice as we are finishing up. We head back to Main Street USA and see the new Minnie purses through the doorway at the Emporium. Detour! We must see these cute purses, backpacks, and shirts that are now in the Emporium.  I love Minnie Mouse clothes and accessories!

We make our way through the Emporium until we are back on Main Street USA. As we enter into Town Square, I notice a line of people. As we start past them, I hear one of the cast members telling a joke, so I stop and see that there is an empty spot in the line. I step into that spot and ask the young teen if they are in trouble or something. He looked at me, started laughing, and said, “Yes! And my Mom is in this line too!” His mom saw us laughing and he let her in on the joke! She thought that was great. Then, my kids stepped closer and we all had a grand time. Twinkie was giving us some trivia about the cast member’s blue nametag. So, I asked Twinkie to take my spot and ask the cast member about his blue nametag so we could all hear about how he got it and celebrate with him. So, she asked and the cast member had a blast telling us about the story behind his blue nametag (long story short, it means that the cast member is super awesome!). What fun!

Then, I could hear the dance party parade, well, it is called Move it! Shake it! Dance it! Play it! The line of people became the front row and got to see the parade enter into Town Square. Everyone was dancing and having fun, from the little kids to the grandparents!

We checked a few more pins for trading on the way to the Monorail. We had so much fun today enjoying the park and the wonderful people who come to Disney! I love seeing so many folks smiling and I am so glad to help them get family pictures.

Once we arrive at the Transportation and Ticket Center, we begin to walk out to our car, when we glance up to see a rocket and a trail of smoke! We stop for pictures, as we realize that this is the NASA SpaceX launch! A young couple stopped beside me to watch with us, and said that there was a launch today. I thought they both had high voices, until the young man lowered his voice and explained that they had been talking in character voices all day. He wished he could do the voice of Mickey Mouse! We all laughed as he demonstrated his Mickey Mouse voice, and his girlfriend spoke in her best Minnie voice. They were too much fun!

What a fun day at Disney!

Day 90- Magic Kingdom

Today is beautiful! It is hot in the sun and chilly in the shade. The breezes are perfect and the sun is shining! We are going to Magic Kingdom and it is so busy. We park near the end of a row and walk to the tram. It is absolutely packed! Just as that one tram loads and takes off, the next one is already pulling up. I hear the tram attendant say, “Stay behind the safety poles and behind the yellow line.” Soon, we are all boarded and waiting for the last stroller to be folded. We hear the safety message and see the next tram ready to pull in behind us. Now we are off to the Ticket and Transportation Center.

The walk up to the Monorail is not so crowded and we are soon heading for Magic Kingdom! It is so fun to see the kids looking for Cinderella’s Castle in the distance, and hearing their happy voices when they spot it. It is crowded, but soon we are in, and can hear the Festival of Fantasy Parade as we enter Main Street USA. People are stopped watching the parade all up and down the street. I think I will grab a coffee at Main Street Bakery and find a place to sit until the parade has passed. After we get our coffees, we find some sunshine and a table. The kids and I have so much fun talking and visiting as we watch the Dream Along with Mickey show.

Now, we are going to make our way to Fantasyland. We stop over to see Gaston as talks to the ladies. There is a grandma meeting him and it is her birthday, so Gaston says, “People, this lady is 29 today!” We all cheer! She is grinning from ear to ear!

As we head for Peter Pan’s Flight, we see the fireworks from the Dream Along with Mickey show; they are so pretty and glittery.

My favorite ride is Peter Pan’s Flight, and we have a FastPass+! We scan our MagicBands and are soon on the ride. When you get in your ship, the cast member sprinkles Pixie Dust on the safety bar to lower it, and soon you are lifting off to be transported to old England. It is so fun to look down on the streets of London. Then, you can see the moon with Peter Pan, Wendy, John, and Michael’s silhouettes passing as shadows on its surface. This is a must-ride for me; it is a shorter ride, but the story and details are beautiful.

Cinderella’s Castle is so beautiful to walk through. The mosaic artwork is breathtaking as it sparkles and glitters.

The Move It! Shake It! Dance It! Play It! Street Party is setting up, and it traffic slows down from here, all the way down Main Street USA. But, it makes it nice for pin trading since we are moving at a slower pace. Twinkie finds a really great Mickey and Minnie pin to trade for.

I see that there are 12 more days until Christmas on the countdown calendar. I need to get a picture with Santa this year!

Until tomorrow! Goodnight!

(Pics coming soon!)

Day 87- Magic Kingdom and Meeting Scoop Sanderson

Today we were going to have a quick trip to Disney’s Magic Kingdom. But, we were having so much fun that it turned into a much longer trip. The sun is shining and the wind is blowing. We park, ride the tram to the Ticket and Transportation Center, get to the Monorail and it is packed! After two Monorails come, fill up, and leave, we get to board and head to Magic Kingdom. It is beautiful today!

We arrive and there are so many people! We see that the ferryboat has arrived, just as our Monorail is unloading. Happily, there are so many security guards to check bags, that the lines only have about five people in each line. Really, it doesn’t take too long. We wait a bit to scan our Magic Bands, but the lines here move quickly too, and it isn’t bad at all.

As we step through the gates, we are near the Mickey Mouse in the front garden, in front of the Train Station. I get a picture of Tooti with the poinsettia Mickey and the train, just as it pulls into the station! As we enter Main Street USA, we see Hildegard Olivia Harding, one of the fabulous Citizens of Main Street! We are instantly translated to this era as she says, “We are so close, ladies, we are so close! Soon we’ll win the right to vote!” Oh my, I had forgotten that it hasn’t been that long since we women didn’t have the right to VOTE! It is the coolest feeling to see her fighting for our right to VOTE! Women, we need to appreciate those who have fought for our rights.

We run into the Uptown Jewelers shop to see if they have seen Scoop Sanderson. No, but they told us to look for (boy, do I feel like a kid right now!) the Dapper Dans, and Scoop should be near them. However, do be sure to give the Dapper Dans a proper greeting so they won’t be too let down that we are looking for Scoop and not for them. OK! We step back out to Main Street USA and search for Scoop Sanderson. Twinkie is the funniest thing when she is on a mission. She gets focused, waves, and hop-skips when she sees him! Oh, look! She finds him. He is very entertaining to get to meet and to visit with! We were laughing so much.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOOP! What a character he is. We have a nice chat with Scoop who graciously lets us trade pins with him. Scoop is so nice! He’s one of the most fun characters to meet in Magic Kingdom, do be sure to look for him on your next visit!

Now, we are going for our coffee at Starbucks. It is very nice and not so busy right at this moment! We see another Citizen of Main Street! She is at the Main Street Bakery and browsing the pastries in the case. She is adorable to watch as we listen to her vintage speaking patterns. What a treat to get to see a Citizen in the Main Street Bakery! We get our coffees and are having lunch for breakfast. 😀 As we head back down Main Street USA, we get in front of Tony’s and The Chapeau. I take a moment to look at the green building on the end. As I do, I see the early 1900s Main Street USA, and off in the distance I see Space Mountain. It is like the past is right beside me, and in the distance is the futuristic Space Mountain. Walt Disney grew up in this era that Main Street USA is set in, and he dreamed about the future that we live in. Amazing.

We have reservations for Tony’s Town Square Restaurant. The dining room is so very cozy and beautiful to sit in. They have the best gluten free spaghetti and meatballs! We are seated quickly and our waiter is very nice. We have our drinks, and soon the Chef comes out to let us know what is gluten free, they can even do gluten free turkey meatballs! We will have two of the spaghetti and meatballs, and one chicken Caesar salad. We were totally surprised that our food came out so fast! Our waiter added the grated cheese, and we were ready to taste our first bite.

It was the most awesome spaghetti and meatballs that I have had in months! I could not believe how wonderfully awesome the flavors are. Our table got really quiet as we were savoring each bite. We are smiling and our faces say it all; it is so good! Definitely, this will be on our “best places to eat” list! The service was great.

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is our next stop for a FastPass+. As we made out way to Tomorrowland, I noticed that I had never realized that the supports for the PeopleMover are shaped like spaceship legs that look like they could telescope up if the “spaceship” ever needed to take off. COOLEST thing ever!

The FastPass+ line for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is very, very long. When we finally entered the building, the little girl in front of us was crying a little bit, and her parents were trying to cheer her up. She was about 10. I smiled at her mom and I asked the little girl, “Hey, do you want to beat your Dad’s points?” She said a soft, “What?” Her mom was listening, and she said that I asked if she would like to beat her dad. The girl gave a little smile and said, “Yes.” I looked at Twinkie as I said, “There are some targets that have high points.” Twinkie filled in the details. The girl was so happy and cheered up! I also said that she should hug her dad after she beats his score! She laughed and her mom was also laughing. Tooti got Galactic Hero and claimed her badge.

We walk around, through Tomorrowland and towards Fantasyland. We see the Fairy Godmother as we turn towards Prince Charming’s Regal Carrousel. We step into Sir Mickey’s gift shop to check pins. Now, we make our way around Cinderella’s Castle. When the shows are going on in front of the castle, they close off the path through the castle. Never fear! There are paths on wither side of the castle that will take you around. It takes a little longer, but on our way down (facing the back of the castle, we went to the right) we could see Peter Pan running onto the stage. Smee and Captain Hook are hiding out on the bridge from the castle to the stage and Smee is waving at all of us as we pass down the path to the front of the castle. It is so cool!

We enjoy browsing the shops as we head back to the front entrance. I love seeing the Christmas decorations within each shop! I love Christmas at Disney! Well, time to go home for the day. It is a very sunny day, and it was a very pleasant day at Disney!

Day 85- Magic Kingdom & Roaring Forks at Wilderness Lodge

It is a pretty day and we are off to Magic Kingdom. It is really chilly, so we grab our hats and our heavier jackets before we board the tram. It has been really busy the closer we get to Christmas, and the tram is very full even now, later in the day.  The monorail is pretty busy, too!

We enter Magic Kingdom and it is lit with all of its beautiful Christmas lights and festive Christmas decorations. We walk down Main Street USA to enjoy all of the beautiful buildings and lights. Magic Kingdom is bustling with so many people. There are plans in the works to rework the “hub” to make it easier to go down Main Street USA, and I am looking forward to the new changes.

First, we are going to Adventureland to ride Pirates of the Caribbean. I love Pirates of the Caribbean; from the moment you walk up to the building, it is like you are stepping into an era that only the pirates know. As you scan your band and enter into the line, the arches on the stone structure set the stage. When you enter the building, there are chains that would hold the bridge. There are prisons where the skeletons of prisoners long ago once lived. If you like pirates and want to see how they rummaged towns back then, you will love this ride. Captain Jack Sparrow is hiding in various places as you travel through the waterways in your ship. There is even a fun waterfall drop that may get you lightly wet!

As we exit, we follow the walkway around through Frontierland to Fantasyland. A Frozen Holiday Wish is just about to begin as we come around Cinderella’s Castle. We knew there would be so many people in front of the castle, so we thought that we might watch it from the side if there were any benches still open. We walked down the path to the side of the castle and were able to sit as the lighting of Cinderella’s Castle began.

It is spectacular to see A Frozen Holiday Wish from a new angle. I love the lighting of the castle! It is so beautiful.

It is getting late and we decide that it is time for dinner. Wilderness Lodge is not far away, so we stop in to Roaring Forks quick service restaurant for roast beef sandwiches. We have experienced their amazing gluten free sandwiches. They are always amazing and delicious! The bread is perfectly toasted and the roast beef is wonderful. Yes, we have kept this on our favorite list!

It has been a wonderful day, and we must say goodbye to the fun… until tomorrow!