Caribbean Beach Bonding Break : Day 5 - Happy Birthday at MK

[Toffeewoffy]

We got up early today as we wanted to get to an ADR on time for once!

While Emma was getting dressed, I put all my birthday cards up. We didn't do the banners that Emma insisted on buying and bringing with in the end!

We got out to the bus stop and didn’t wait for too long – and then 3 MK buses came along at once! While our driver was installing my scooter, I turned and suggested to the other people waiting that they might be quicker getting on the bus behind. They did so, leaving Emma and I as the only passengers on our bus. I said to the driver she could go straight there now as we were the only passengers. She said she couldn’t do that! However, after pulling into the next stop behind the third bus (the second one having already gone right ahead), she didn’t stop again but did indeed drive straight out and to the park.

I got a few shots of an empty Hub and castle – but typically there was a crane up again.



We didn’t wait too long for the pager to go off, and we found we were on the left side this time, almost at the front, and I saw that we had confetti on the table this time.

Pooh was already just 2 tables away, and we were told that the two middle tables would be done first, and then we were next on the rota. Also, Eeyore and Tigger followed rapidly behind Pooh, so we were able to go off and get our breakfast without worrying we’d miss one. I had another bacon and cheddar omelette: I should have gone there first because while I was getting some bacon, 3 more people joined the queue so my bacon was cold by the time I got sat down. I also had a couple of Mickey waffles with strawberries and syrup on them (which I got at the same time as the other hot food, so it was cold by the time I got to it), and one of the puffed donut things.



This left me really full and once more we didn’t really get our money’s worth from the food. However, the service was great this time, the character interaction was faultless – they even started coming round again before we finished! I got my obligatory bad cupcake and sweet birthday card ‘signed’ by the four characters.


After breakfast we headed over to Tomorrowland where we played the FP+ and DAS card again. We got a return time for Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger and then went in on our FP. After this we did the TTA and then Carousel of Progress. It was at that point that Emma realised she didn’t have her ears. She ran back over to Carousel who told her to come back in 20 minutes, which was how long it would be before the ride came back round again. In the meantime, we went and rode Buzz Lightyear again on the other pass. Thankfully the ears were found, and we put them over the console of the scooter: they fitted that better than they fitted Emma’s head!!

We went over to Fantasyland, riding the teacups on the way. After this, we queued up to meet Alice and the White Rabbit. Needless to say, Alice went off for a break when we were halfway up the queue, and wasn’t due back out for another half hour!


So, we continued on our way and did Philharmagic again, sitting in the back wheelchair row this time. After that it was a case of getting a return time for Dumbo and then going over to the big top shop while Emma used the restrooms, and I got a couple of Mickey head crispy treats while I was waiting for her.




She reappeared in time to go on Dumbo – just as some REALLY rude people pushed right in front of us at the FP return queue. I’m clearly invisible in the scooter!

After this we decided it was just too busy and hot, so we returned to the resort for the afternoon. It was already 2pm by the time we got back, and I immediately moved our FP for Big Thunder Mountain set for 4pm back to 9pm so we didn’t have to rush back. We went over to the food hall where Emma got a toasted sandwich and I got a Caribbean salad – and a divine strawberry and chocolate cupcake with a chocolate fudge cone in the bottom.

 

[Toffeewoffy]

Getting back to the park by bus was a nightmare – again we waited more than 25 minutes for an MK bus – saw at least two of everything else (including 4 training buses). By the time we got into the park, we had to go straight to the Plaza. The park was still heaving, and people were already gathering on the pavements for the 9pm parade at 6.30pm; some people are bloody bonkers.

I had quite a good view of the castle from our table – if I leant to one side. I ordered a burger – the first of the holiday – and Emma ordered a club sandwich and then went to the restroom. Unfortunately, the Plaza doesn’t have its own – you have to go right outside and down to the ones by the Tomorrowland Terrace (which has a hugely long queue a lot of the time). Our meal came before Emma came back – just as well her sandwich wasn’t served hot.



The chef had come to the table to go through the menu with Emma, but as usual they were being over-protective and declared that she couldn’t have any of the desserts she wanted. She ended up with a special chocolate ice cream and fat-free cookies. As soon as we’d ordered, I went down to the restrooms myself, and the desserts were already on the table when I got back (getting cold, again). Emma’s dessert was ‘okay’ at best. She had really wanted the brownie dessert (which, despite being luke warm, was really nice). For myself, I found the burger absolutely tasteless, and it was therefore a disappointing meal all round!



Getting round the park after this was very difficult, as people were lining all of the routes for the electrical parade, then the fireworks and then projections against the castle. We did Big Thunder Mountain: we were really worried that we’d be frozen as it was so cold, but we didn’t really notice it on the ride. Riding it in the dark gave it a new dimension. We just loved it.

Coming out afterwards we found a convenient spot to watch the electrical parade from the end of the bridge. Pete, riding on his dragon, called down “Happy birthday, ma'am” to me as he went by.

We decided it was time to get back down to the hub to watch the fireworks, only to find that they don’t have a dedicated wheelchair spot for the fireworks. It was an absolute nightmare getting round in the dark with very narrow walkways, and I was sitting so low I felt very claustrophobic. We found a convenient corner to watch it from. After that, we went over to the restrooms by CP. Halfway back to Haunted Mansion for our final FP of the night, they turned the lights off to project on the castle again. Making our way back to HM in the dark was difficult – and when we got there we noticed that Emma’s Magic Band had fallen off the scooter. She retraced our steps, but couldn’t find it. People were already gathering where we’d come through for the next run of the electrical parade. We asked a couple of CMs, and were told to go to the desk at CS and they’d re-issue. We found a very convenient spot with a great view to watch the electrical parade come through again, and I managed to record all but the last couple of minutes – I’d forgotten to download the photos from previous days, plus the 16GB card was in the bridge camera. Would you believe it – Pete called down ‘Happy birthday, ma'am’ to me again – but I couldn't get it as I’d stopped a minute earlier!

At CS, she said that no-one had handed in the Band, but she’d re-issue and deactivate the lost one. She even managed to find a replacement red one – they only have grey ones in stock normally. Finally, she gave Emma a voucher so she could get a new set of ‘band its’ as obviously those were lost, too.

The last thing we did before going home was go and see Talking Mickey. He performed a really bad card trick on us and then we had photos taken on my iPhone. It was quite unnerving looking into those 'dead' eyes - he blinks, as well!!!


Incidentally, ignore how enormous I look - I was wearing a teeshirt with a loose dress over the top, my teal cardi and then a fleece on the top of that (and yes, I was still cold)!!

Emma got her replacement band its in the Mickey shop – and they had some jewel-bright red, blue and green ones, which Emma agreed went much nicer with the red band than the pink, lilac and clear had.

Typically the bus stop for Caribbean Beach was at the far end of the bus station. We had a bit of a wait for it, naturally. It was really full, too.

... and so to bed!