Soooooo all that is to say that things are finally getting back to normal around here and I can pick up where I left off which was, having the guys and PJ finally join us for some fun in the Magic Kingdom.
Jon made it with PJ and I was trying to get a cute shot of him with his girls, but PJ was having none of it..
Here Boogie even gave up, soooooo
I thought maybe the professional photographer might have better luck.
Almost but not quite, oh well we tried. Maybe in a couple of years we'll have better results.
These photos were taken by the photopass photographer, so again it is definitely worth the price to use the service. The photographers are more then happy to take photos with your camera for you, which is great. Its especially nice if you are normally the person taking all the shots.
We next headed back towards the train depot to get a snack I think and saw Snow White hidden over to the side of the Emporium. There was a small line, but definitely worth the wait, she was fantastic, and Boogie just loved her.
She really took a lot of time with Boogie, which is probably one of the most memorable things for little kids. These are their hero's, their fairy tales in real life, so to get to meet them and hug them and talk to them, has to simply blow their minds.
While Boogie went to get a cold treat, PJ and I waited to see this guy.
PJ wasn't quite sure what to think of him, and kept trying to grab his nose, but she also wasn't scared of him. I was worried that she might be but thought an open area might be a good place to test it out. At least then we could make a quick getaway if we needed to.
We didn't need to though, and PJ got to meet her very first Disney character.
On our way back up Main street towards the castle we were lucky enough to catch this little show. If you happen upon the trolley definitely stop and watch, its a cute show and they do one of my favorite songs Clang Clang Clang Went the Trolley from Meet me in St. Louis, great musical, and here a great performance.
Our next stop was Adventureland and as you can tell we have covered a lot of territory, so here is a big, big, big tip; bring your stroller. The ones that you can rent are perfectly fine, but if your kiddos are comfy in their own stroller then find a way to get it there as they will more then likely spend a good deal of time in it. PJ even took naps in ours which let us extend our day in the park a bit. Be courteous of course, but we found that there was plenty of room for everyone and plenty of stroller parking. We also never had any issues with stuff coming up missing, but never left anything that we would really miss if it was gone. So repeat after me, BRING A STROLLER! Trust me it will improve the quality of your time in the parks.
Once we got into Adventureland we headed for Aladdin's Magic Carpets, we did have to wait a bit as it was getting a little more crowded but honestly we waited in line longer for lunch then anything else. Please note that PJ is also in line for these rides, most rides unless a height restriction is posted are fine for little ones. Depending on their temperament of course, but PJ rode this, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin without any issues at all. So don't shy away from some of the calmer rides just because you have a smaller person in tow, they should be fine.
We really have to work on PJ's posing skills Boogie has it down pat.
We were all smiles once we were strapped into our carpet. Unlike Dumbo that only holds two people per car, the carpets hold four, and there are controls not only in the back but also the front, so fun for all no matter where you sit.
Once we got a bite to eat at Pecos Bills, which sadly I can not recommend as the wait was horrible and the food was very very greasy. We headed over to Pirates of the Caribbean, one of my favorites. Boogie swears that her Papa is a pirate and has a pirate boat, so I knew she was going to love this ride, which she did. They have updated it a bit and there were a few more thrilling parts that I forgot about, so if you have a child that is a little timid or scared of the dark, this may not be the ride for them. Also I have no problem with giving a small child a little flashlight to get through a ride, however please be engaged enough to know when they are shining it in the eyes of the people directly behind them. Being blinded by beams of light kinda takes away from the rides a bit. LOL!!
Boogie just loved meeting Pirate Goofie too. Again all the characters were just great, and many of the bigger ones get right down on the child's level which I think makes the experience all the more special.
Boogies big request was that she wanted to ride the roller coasters. Yep my 4 year old LOVES roller coasters and to say that she loved Splash Mountain doesn't even begin to describe the experience. Boogie is a bit petite (unlike PJ) and so we were very worried that she was not going to make the height requirement of 40 inches for either Splash Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, but she just squeezed by.( I think the bun helped a bit)
You will also note that we have a wardrobe change at this point. The Cinderella dress simply got to itchy and so a clothing change was in order. I just packed another cute Disney themed dress and when she was ready we changed. This is another thing that I would stress along with the stroller. If you have to you can buy a change of clothing, but unless you have planned that into your budget I would simply pack something for all small children, adults are on their own.
We then headed over to The Haunted Mansion, and as you can see, no wait what so ever. We literally walked up and walked in. Here is where I reiterate that if you can visit Disney between say Mid September and Mid November you will be more then pleasantly surprised at the crowd levels. Only on Saturday did we have issues with the crowds and then if there was something that we wanted to ride we easily got a fast pass and were in. The weather was simply gorgeous each day, and the cast members were fully focused on entertaining the guests that were there. Lots and lots of personal attention. I am glad to know that our school system has a Fall break right around this time each, year and I can tell you where we will be. :D
Once we finished up with the Haunted Mansion which was one of the only rides that Boogie didn't care for, we decided to head back to the cabin. However on the way out we got side tracked and boy was it a good one.
This show in front of the castle is great. Lots of characters, dancing, singing, fireworks. What more cold you ask for, we were lucky we arrived when we did and got a front row seat. Boogie and PJ were both mesmerized, and I have to say I really enjoyed not only watching them, but the show itself.
Cue the grand finale!!
Once the show was over we once again headed toward the gates, only to stop again. The parade was starting in 10 minutes, so we grabbed some shade and a couple of snacks and waited. Please note that we also brought a towel, sometimes Splash Mountain can get you a little wet, we didn't need it this time, but it made a great place to sit in the shade.
First they send out a band, we sat right at the corner by the fire station and that is where the parade starts, so we got to see everything first and then we got to turn and head on out. The band was a tease though, as the parade didn't start for another 5 minutes or so, and that is a long time to a 4 year old.
Jon and PJ however just hung out and enjoyed the shade, waiting patiently.
Finally the parade came out and who did we run into but this cute guy...
Can you name this chipmunk? Its Chip of course, you can tell because his nose looks like a chocolate chip.
I was so happy to see Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, Boogie wanted to meet them so badly. I have a picture of me at her age with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum and she wanted one too, but alas this is the best I could do.
Still it was enough to make Boogie happy so I was happy.
Our very favorite wicked step family. Who we happened to see again that night at dinner. You will notice that all the characters are exactly the same from this bunch in picture after picture. I have to give Disney Kudos for this, some kids would notice if the Step Mother that they saw in the park was not the one they saw at dinner, so I appreciate the attention to detail here.
Prince Eric and Princess Ariel, who is appearing as her human self while her grotto is being completed. You can find her on the porch to the right just as you enter under the Adventureland sign near the castle. There was no line when we were there, but Boogie didn't not want to meet her so no pictures this time.
Finally once the last float had made its way around and the music began to die away, it really was time to head back to the cabin. I looked at my girls in there carriage and noticed that PJ was up to something.
She was trying to scavenge popcorn. She kept checking out the box to make sure that Boogie hadn't eaten it all, not that she ever got any.
Instead she got a bit of this delicious treat, a frozen lemonade, which seemed to be just as good.
We easily got onto a boat back to the Cabin and headed off for a little rest before our day ended with a very special dinner.
You can see it was smiles all around so I think our first day in the Magic Kingdom was a hit.
I will say that we arrived early and we left fairly early. Mickey's not So Scary Halloween Party was going on that night so we had to be out by 6pm at the latest, but we finally got back to the cabin about 3:30 and that was a perfect amount of time for us. We did not get to do or see everything, but we did accomplish a lot, and everyone was still in good spirits so I would say it was very successful. So my recommendation here is not to push the day to hard especially if you have time to come back. We left when everyone was happy, no one was grumpy and that made the rest of the day just perfect. It wasn't the original plan, but it was the plan that worked best for us.
Tomorrow the end to our day...Boogie's special Birthday Princess Dinner with Cinderella and family. Stay tuned.
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