frostymojo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2015
Following along
Confessions of a Disney Convert: A March 2017 Trip
- Thread starter ChaseTheWind
- Start date
ChaseTheWind
You are valued.
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2017
Post 4: Afternoon at Magic Kingdom
Once we had our early lunch squared away, we were off on an adventure Under the Sea. Again the wait was about 15 minutes, but the theming of the line was so adorable we frequently had to prod R along as she stopped to investigate and wave at the little crabs.
Ursula proved a bit scary for R - more specifically, the appearance of Flotsam and Jetsam proved a bit scary for her. But she simply held on tighter and looked to us for reassurance, then was giggling soon enough at the fish spraying fountains out of their mouths. Throughout the whole trip, R developed a fascination with moving walkways: at the airport, on rides like this one. She thought they were amazing! I could have saved some money on this trip if we'd never left the airport and simply rode the moving walkways and the escalators around!
Our next FP was up: Enchanted Tales with Belle. If B's parents were less than enchanted with my FP picks for this trip - designed to maximize princess exposure - they never said a thing. There were times when they went off on their own to catch a ride on a more grownup experience, but they tagged along for Belle. R was cast as Chip; I had no idea that grownups were cast as well, but I was delighted when B was selected as a soldier. Here's my only blurry photo of the two:
The little curly-headed girl selected as the Beast was phenomenal! A great roar! B was quite disappointed that we did not snap more photos of him with Belle. I told him I'll carry and treasure that visual memory in my heart for a long time, but I don't think he believes me
.
Abruptly after Enchanted Tales, R hit her wall. We got into line to meet Chip and Dale, where she promptly passed out. My plan all along was to take this opportunity to head back to the Poly, to give her a nap, and then head back to the park for dinner and a few more rides. But the weather wasn't too terribly hot, she was clearly fast asleep - the sleep where her weight seems to nearly triple - so B and I pushed her around for a bit and found a quiet bench by the Sunshine Tree Terrace. I couldn't resist a citrus swirl, which B and I ate hilariously quickly lest R wake up and ask for a bite or seventy.
With her still asleep, we thought we'd knock out one of B's must-dos for the trip: the purchase of Mickey ears with R's name embroidered on them. We walked all the way back to the front in no particular hurry - did I mention my child never naps? We were soaking. this. up. - and just as B was attempting to quietly check the fit of a pink hat on our darling child's head, she woke up and snapped, "I don't LIKE that one!" Ever the doting parents, we smiled and said, "okay, which one do you like?" through gritted teeth. She proceeded, as she usually does with anything involving the purchase of clothes, to try on every single hat in the shop. Which hat did she end up with?
Why knock me over with a feather! She chose the very first one we tried on her. At least this time it was her choice. Satisfied with our hat choice and with it newly embroidered, we headed back to meet up with K and D, who had kindly scoped out a great spot on the Festival of Fantasy parade route not too far from the starting point.
And here we come to what I think will probably be one of the most lasting memories of this trip. I don't know if it was our position on the parade route or the wholehearted glee with which R greeted every passing character and float, but for some reason R got a ton of attention from characters in the parade. Belle, Rapunzel and Merida seemed to single her out for blown kisses and waves (or maybe that's just this self-centered parent's point of view!), and she was visited by Alice, the White Rabbit - who held out a gentle paw for the shocked R to touch in wonder, and Grumpy - who marched right up to her, stared her down, and nearly scared the pants off her! She knew she was safe in Daddy's lap (or behind him), so she continued to peek out with a wide smile even after that little fright. I had no idea there would be so much interaction between characters and my child, but it felt absolutely magical to watch her eyes light up as each character went by.
I got caught up in the excitement myself - hence the boatload of pictures coming up!
The parade begins:
The moment R's heart melted: Belle gives her a wave!
I am supremely jealous of how toned Ariel is!
They layers upon layers of eye makeup are astonishing!
Over and over again I was impressed with the commitment of the characters, dancers, and other performers. They created a true "world of pure imagination" for my daughter and for me!
When the parade ended, we made our way to Aladdin's magic carpets, then Pirates of the Caribbean. I grudgingly directed us toward this ride for B because I was sure the kid wouldn't like it. Before the trip we'd talked about "the ghost ride" and "the pirate ride" and she was adamantly against going on either one of them. I wasn't going to force it, and figured I'd just sit it out with R, but she got excited as we approached the line and we all got on together. This was one of the longer waits of the day: maybe 35 minutes? The skeleton pirates scared R pretty good - she slunk way down in her seat - but she absolutely loved the little drop. This was a good sign, because our last FP of the day was 7 Dwarfs.
Before we could head to that ride, we decided on dinner. B, R, and I ate at Pecos Bill's - I had a salad, the kid had corndogs, and B had a "burrito" that he insisted on photographing!
He ended up eating it with a fork!!! With full bellies it seemed only logical to head to a roller coaster, so off to 7 Dwarfs we walked, stopping to pick up D and K, who decided to go back to Columbia Harbor House for dinner.
If I can figure out how to upload the video of R on the Mine Train, I absolutely will - the sound of her laughter and repeated "Whoooooaaaa!"s were just too much for me! She rode with her father and I was just in front of her, turning around as much as I could to watch her love of thrills come to life.
Next we tried Winnie the Pooh, but after waiting 30 minutes - the play area is a lifesaver! - we were nearly at the front of the line when the ride broke down. We were given return FPs for anything but Peter Pan and 7 Dwarfs. After this failed ride the grandparents went off in search of a ride on Haunted Mansion, and we headed to Dumbo and the Barnstormer, which also broke down for a few minutes while we were in line, but it was up and running again fairly quickly.
We took a quick peek at the character lines at Pete's Silly Sideshow, but they were still up over 35 minutes and we'd made a fourth FP for Buzz, which would be our last ride of the night. After Buzz we parted ways with the grandparents with plans to meet at DHS by 11:00 the next day.
We'd walked a ton, not always in a logical direction, but we'd had the time of our lives. I contemplated encouraging us to stay for the fireworks, but when weighed against getting on the bus and into bed quickly, bus and bed won out. We pushed R to the furthest bus stop - 34 - and managed to get there just in time for a loading bus. We managed to get seats in the back. A woman with two children, age 5 and 3, wasn't so lucky, and her kids had clearly had it by this point. They both had the light up lightsabers with them, and when the bus driver turned out the lights as we got moving, I seriously wondered if these glowing sticks inches from my face might cause me to have a seizure! Mom eventually got them to turn them off, but that set off a string of wails from overtired kiddos. R, sitting crosslegged in her seat, looked on in wonder, and I thanked my lucky stars that the tantrum gods had smiled on me this time around. I pulled out my phone and offered the little boys a matching game to play, which got their attention and managed to quiet them as they took turns matching animals all the way home. Poor mom's phone had died, and I was only too happy to lend a hand.
I saw that a lot in the days we were in Disney - knowing parents trying their best to help each other out. A lot of times in my everyday life when my kid acts up I feel like it's a burden on the rest of society, like the people in the grocery store or at the library or the middle of a Target parking lot couldn't be more inconvenienced by the presence of tiny people. But in Disney, it felt like we were all in it together, doing what we could to help each other out. That was really wonderful.
Once off the bus, we took the short walk back to our room to find R's bunny and her bedtime book had had some company:
Soon enough we were under the covers and ready for sleep: I got to share the bed with R this time, which led to many feet in my face throughout the course of the night. Tomorrow: our day at DHS!
Once we had our early lunch squared away, we were off on an adventure Under the Sea. Again the wait was about 15 minutes, but the theming of the line was so adorable we frequently had to prod R along as she stopped to investigate and wave at the little crabs.
Ursula proved a bit scary for R - more specifically, the appearance of Flotsam and Jetsam proved a bit scary for her. But she simply held on tighter and looked to us for reassurance, then was giggling soon enough at the fish spraying fountains out of their mouths. Throughout the whole trip, R developed a fascination with moving walkways: at the airport, on rides like this one. She thought they were amazing! I could have saved some money on this trip if we'd never left the airport and simply rode the moving walkways and the escalators around!
Our next FP was up: Enchanted Tales with Belle. If B's parents were less than enchanted with my FP picks for this trip - designed to maximize princess exposure - they never said a thing. There were times when they went off on their own to catch a ride on a more grownup experience, but they tagged along for Belle. R was cast as Chip; I had no idea that grownups were cast as well, but I was delighted when B was selected as a soldier. Here's my only blurry photo of the two:
The little curly-headed girl selected as the Beast was phenomenal! A great roar! B was quite disappointed that we did not snap more photos of him with Belle. I told him I'll carry and treasure that visual memory in my heart for a long time, but I don't think he believes me
. Abruptly after Enchanted Tales, R hit her wall. We got into line to meet Chip and Dale, where she promptly passed out. My plan all along was to take this opportunity to head back to the Poly, to give her a nap, and then head back to the park for dinner and a few more rides. But the weather wasn't too terribly hot, she was clearly fast asleep - the sleep where her weight seems to nearly triple - so B and I pushed her around for a bit and found a quiet bench by the Sunshine Tree Terrace. I couldn't resist a citrus swirl, which B and I ate hilariously quickly lest R wake up and ask for a bite or seventy.
With her still asleep, we thought we'd knock out one of B's must-dos for the trip: the purchase of Mickey ears with R's name embroidered on them. We walked all the way back to the front in no particular hurry - did I mention my child never naps? We were soaking. this. up. - and just as B was attempting to quietly check the fit of a pink hat on our darling child's head, she woke up and snapped, "I don't LIKE that one!" Ever the doting parents, we smiled and said, "okay, which one do you like?" through gritted teeth. She proceeded, as she usually does with anything involving the purchase of clothes, to try on every single hat in the shop. Which hat did she end up with?
Why knock me over with a feather! She chose the very first one we tried on her. At least this time it was her choice. Satisfied with our hat choice and with it newly embroidered, we headed back to meet up with K and D, who had kindly scoped out a great spot on the Festival of Fantasy parade route not too far from the starting point.
And here we come to what I think will probably be one of the most lasting memories of this trip. I don't know if it was our position on the parade route or the wholehearted glee with which R greeted every passing character and float, but for some reason R got a ton of attention from characters in the parade. Belle, Rapunzel and Merida seemed to single her out for blown kisses and waves (or maybe that's just this self-centered parent's point of view!), and she was visited by Alice, the White Rabbit - who held out a gentle paw for the shocked R to touch in wonder, and Grumpy - who marched right up to her, stared her down, and nearly scared the pants off her! She knew she was safe in Daddy's lap (or behind him), so she continued to peek out with a wide smile even after that little fright. I had no idea there would be so much interaction between characters and my child, but it felt absolutely magical to watch her eyes light up as each character went by.
I got caught up in the excitement myself - hence the boatload of pictures coming up!
The parade begins:
The moment R's heart melted: Belle gives her a wave!
I am supremely jealous of how toned Ariel is!
They layers upon layers of eye makeup are astonishing!
Over and over again I was impressed with the commitment of the characters, dancers, and other performers. They created a true "world of pure imagination" for my daughter and for me!
When the parade ended, we made our way to Aladdin's magic carpets, then Pirates of the Caribbean. I grudgingly directed us toward this ride for B because I was sure the kid wouldn't like it. Before the trip we'd talked about "the ghost ride" and "the pirate ride" and she was adamantly against going on either one of them. I wasn't going to force it, and figured I'd just sit it out with R, but she got excited as we approached the line and we all got on together. This was one of the longer waits of the day: maybe 35 minutes? The skeleton pirates scared R pretty good - she slunk way down in her seat - but she absolutely loved the little drop. This was a good sign, because our last FP of the day was 7 Dwarfs.
Before we could head to that ride, we decided on dinner. B, R, and I ate at Pecos Bill's - I had a salad, the kid had corndogs, and B had a "burrito" that he insisted on photographing!
He ended up eating it with a fork!!! With full bellies it seemed only logical to head to a roller coaster, so off to 7 Dwarfs we walked, stopping to pick up D and K, who decided to go back to Columbia Harbor House for dinner.
If I can figure out how to upload the video of R on the Mine Train, I absolutely will - the sound of her laughter and repeated "Whoooooaaaa!"s were just too much for me! She rode with her father and I was just in front of her, turning around as much as I could to watch her love of thrills come to life.
Next we tried Winnie the Pooh, but after waiting 30 minutes - the play area is a lifesaver! - we were nearly at the front of the line when the ride broke down. We were given return FPs for anything but Peter Pan and 7 Dwarfs. After this failed ride the grandparents went off in search of a ride on Haunted Mansion, and we headed to Dumbo and the Barnstormer, which also broke down for a few minutes while we were in line, but it was up and running again fairly quickly.
We took a quick peek at the character lines at Pete's Silly Sideshow, but they were still up over 35 minutes and we'd made a fourth FP for Buzz, which would be our last ride of the night. After Buzz we parted ways with the grandparents with plans to meet at DHS by 11:00 the next day.
We'd walked a ton, not always in a logical direction, but we'd had the time of our lives. I contemplated encouraging us to stay for the fireworks, but when weighed against getting on the bus and into bed quickly, bus and bed won out. We pushed R to the furthest bus stop - 34 - and managed to get there just in time for a loading bus. We managed to get seats in the back. A woman with two children, age 5 and 3, wasn't so lucky, and her kids had clearly had it by this point. They both had the light up lightsabers with them, and when the bus driver turned out the lights as we got moving, I seriously wondered if these glowing sticks inches from my face might cause me to have a seizure! Mom eventually got them to turn them off, but that set off a string of wails from overtired kiddos. R, sitting crosslegged in her seat, looked on in wonder, and I thanked my lucky stars that the tantrum gods had smiled on me this time around. I pulled out my phone and offered the little boys a matching game to play, which got their attention and managed to quiet them as they took turns matching animals all the way home. Poor mom's phone had died, and I was only too happy to lend a hand.
I saw that a lot in the days we were in Disney - knowing parents trying their best to help each other out. A lot of times in my everyday life when my kid acts up I feel like it's a burden on the rest of society, like the people in the grocery store or at the library or the middle of a Target parking lot couldn't be more inconvenienced by the presence of tiny people. But in Disney, it felt like we were all in it together, doing what we could to help each other out. That was really wonderful.
Once off the bus, we took the short walk back to our room to find R's bunny and her bedtime book had had some company:
Soon enough we were under the covers and ready for sleep: I got to share the bed with R this time, which led to many feet in my face throughout the course of the night. Tomorrow: our day at DHS!
ChaseTheWind
You are valued.
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2017
Isn't it just the worst? I think I got it in my head somehow that if I plan for the worst, I'll never be disappointed. But in a weird way I'm just shifting the disappointment: I'm always "pre-disappointed," which isn't so fun either :/. I'm working on it for sure!
ChaseTheWind
You are valued.
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2017
Thanks for joining in!
ClendeninHouse
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- May 6, 2013
Hello from another Allison. I am loving your trip! Thanks for sharing.
dmea10
Dmea10
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2016
"Sharing our story way is of course a selfish way to prolong the trip for me, but I do hope that it's also one way of seeing through the eyes of someone who was prepared to be disappointed, to be let down, and who instead found joy at every turn of the trip. I hope that you find it interesting![/QUOTE]
Following along !
Following along !
rdkeim
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2006
Following along! Your parade story reminds me of my 5 yo great-niece - while in Florida they did a 1 day visit to MK and she had on a Tangled t shirt. During the parade Rapunzel looked right at her and mouthed - I have that shirt too! They said that one moment and the look on her face made the whole day worth it 
PrincePluto
Disneyholic
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2008
Subbing! Glad to be in relatively early on a trip report for once!
Your trip reporting style is very entertaining! I found myself chuckling a couple of times about your descriptions. (I liked the term "threenager".)
So glad she got such a great parade experience.
Your trip reporting style is very entertaining! I found myself chuckling a couple of times about your descriptions. (I liked the term "threenager".)
So glad she got such a great parade experience.
Last edited:
nenglim
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2011
Following along... i am reliving my daughter's DPOV phase in your TR. She is now 6 going on 7. i am slowly seeing the signs of recovery and as a lifelong DPOV person, it is making me sad. We have been to WDW at least once a yr since she was born and every trip we bring at least 1 gown! This year when we went in Feb she said no gowns....
. It was a terribly sad day. She still is into the movies and songs. Not so much the clothes. Though i am highly encouraged she is turning into a quite a yoda and SW fan. All is right in the world.
elaine amj
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
Loving your TR - especially since I am taking my 3yr old niece for her first trip in August! Absolutely loving how you are sharing her reactions and experiences (and yours too!) While I wasn't a sceptic, I really did think our trip to WDW would be a 1-2x in a lifetime type trip. We've been back every year since!
BTW, is that the Minnie dress from Target? I just bought one for my niece! It looks so comfy and I am loving how it looks in all your photos.
BTW, is that the Minnie dress from Target? I just bought one for my niece! It looks so comfy and I am loving how it looks in all your photos.
ChaseTheWind
You are valued.
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2017
Following along ![/QUOTE]
Thank you all for reading along! I'm glad you're here!
ChaseTheWind
You are valued.
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2017
I have been dreaming of those lobster rolls for months! Coming from Boston I had them often. Now living in Tennessee I have to travel to WDW to get one
I would never have thought the Magic Kingdom would be in my top 5 list of lobster roll locations, but here we are! Happy happy eating!
ChaseTheWind
You are valued.
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2017
Thanks for being here! I definitely didn't invent the term, but it is so, so accurate some days.
ChaseTheWind
You are valued.
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2017
Following along... i am reliving my daughter's DPOV phase in your TR. She is now 6 going on 7. i am slowly seeing the signs of recovery and as a lifelong DPOV person, it is making me sad. We have been to WDW at least once a yr since she was born and every trip we bring at least 1 gown! This year when we went in Feb she said no gowns....
Wow, how quickly things can change! I have definitely found that letting my girl be her own person is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I'm committed to it, because I want her to figure out who she wants to be, but it's still hard, and she's only three! It's great that you're listening to your girl even if it's making you sad. And I should mention I saw a girl in full on Princess Leia attire our last day at MK, so maybe that's in your daughter's future!
Yes, the Minnie dress is from Target! Actually, all of the dresses she ended up wearing were from Target. They were my concession to the princess gown thing, because I was worried that she'd be uncomfortable in the full poofiness all day long. I turned out to be mostly wrong on that, as on the day she wore her Belle gown, she rocked it well into the afternoon. In any case, they were super comfy for her.
I hope you have the best time with your niece!
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