The artist was phenomenal, it was quiet and funny, and air conditioned and just so much fun!
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Is this the one right near the entrance to TSL? That one is stupid slow and I will never go there again.
See? I’m getting mad just remembering it.
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Yes, yes you do. Scary situation, though.
Mine, too!
LOL, yep, much better, although I got the blue version with rum.
That’s disgusting. Sorry it happened.
Excellent expression!
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Yes! By the time we realized how bad it was, it didn’t seem worth it to leave so he stuck it out. But never again!
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Thanks! I found several Etsy sellers with them and thought they were pretty dang cute too!
Interesting. Will you be reporting on that part of the trip as well?
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Where is this, please?
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FRIDAY April 1st
Magic Kingdom (TP Crowds: 6/10)
7:45am - 3:30pm / 7:00pm - 10:15pm
Morning: Peter Pan (RD), Carousel (SB walk-on), Teacups (SB 5 minute wait), Dumbo (SB 15 minute wait), PotC (LL booked @ 7), Sleepy Hollow (breakfast), Haunted Mansion (LL booked @ Potc ap)
Afternoon: Splash (LL booked at HM tap), Be Our Guest (lunch), Festival of Fantasy
Break
Evening, 7DMT (ILL$ booked @ 7), After fireworks dessert party
We arrived at the park, sans my stepdad, who was having a lot of back pain, by about 7:45 and made our way to the Fantasyland rope. We were toward the back of the pack, but as I’d bought ILLs for 7:00 for 7DMT for that evening and secured 10:00 Pirates, we were in good shape. The rope dropped at about 8:27 and we zagged to PPF as everyone else zigged toward 7DMT and were off by 8:45. I ignored all TP advice today, used the “next available” G+ strategy, and just let my kids and mom pave the way.
We had such high hopes for her
They rode the carousel, the teacups, and Dumbo (a ride that has a lot of sentimental meaning for my mom), took pictures with Belle, and tried their darndest to get the sword out of the stone.
My mom watched the Opening Day Report for Disneyland as a kid and dreamed of Dumbo, but her family couldn’t afford a trip. The year my dad died, when I was 7, extended family took us to Disneyland and she finally rode it with my brother and I. 30-odd years later, she rode it with her 7 year old granddaughter. This one gets me right in the feels.
At 10:15 we tapped into PoTC and I grabbed 11:00 LL’s for Haunted Mansion and mobile ordered more waffles at Sleepy Hollow. Jack Sparrow was outside Pirates and we spent a few minutes taking pictures before finding a table at Sleepy Hollow and then heading to Haunted Mansion. HM (my all time favorite ride) got stuck for about 20 minutes just as we were entering the graveyard, but everyone took it in stride (and I kind of hoped we’d have to be evacuated with the lights on, maybe next time!). I’d nabbed a 12:00 Splash after we tapped in, so we rode that next before meeting my step-dad.
My parents first time at Magic Kingdom (the Florida version, anyway)
We explored the park a bit more before checking-in for our 1:00 at Be Our Guest. To be honest, I didn’t have high expectations, I’d read so much bad online. We’d eaten in the West Wing before (quick service breakfast in the before-times), but were seated in the Rose Gallery this time. Although it noisy, we all really enjoyed the food and the experience. The Beast came around three times during the meal, and had lots of interactions with each table - he complimented my husband on his beard (much to my chagrin). For apps - the Disney adults sampled the octopus salad, lobster bisque, and meat and cheese plates while both kids had the fruit and cheese. For mains - two of us got the scallops (the risotto was al dente perfection), two had the filet mignon, and DD11 had the pork. Both kids had the tenderloin (the one meal I insisted DD7 not get $42 mac and cheese). We were all too full to really enjoy the desserts, so we had a few nibbles before boxing the rest up.
The Beast came around at least 3 times. DH got the most interaction, which was kind of adorable.
We waddled our way to Liberty Square and waited until just before the parade when the CMs put up the rope to block off the crosswalk, and had a front row view of the 3:00 Festival of Fantasy. It worked like a charm and we followed the parade to the exit and back to POR for a break.
Front row parade viewing
No tired like Disney tired
We were back in MK by 6:45ish, determined where we needed to check-in for our after dessert party reservation, and used our ILL at 7DMT at about 7:30. We picked up our wristbands just before 8:00 and grabbed a spot at the back of the dessert party viewing area on the rail, and did a little people-watching while we waited for the fireworks. We probably could haven’t gotten a few more rides in before it filled up, but we were content to stop moving for a bit. I knew it would be crowded, but was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t as bad as I’d feared it might be. Several families around us never even stood up and watched from the astroturf. The only blight on the festivities was the fact that a very tall guest (I’d estimate at least 6’5) positioned himself and his girlfriend or wife about 10 feet in front of us and several other families with children and blocked our view and spent most of the show committing decidedly un-Disneylike PDA. My parents, who were not entirely sure they wanted to come back for the fireworks, were so glad they did.
The After-Dessert Party exceeded our expectations
Requisite castle pic. I think I liked Happily Ever After better, but this was still amazing.
We had no trouble braving the short walk to Tomorrowland Terrace for desserts. And while I wish there had been more savory options, after our gigantic lunch at BOG, this was a perfect ending to a very perfect day. We were amongst the last to leave the after party, but still well before park closing, so we walked right on to our bus and back to our room.
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“Approving noises” and DH’s expression are my highlights from this instalment 
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Just as you’re exiting the Falcon.
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Ha! Not much to report. I slept in, laid by the pool, laid by the ocean and recovered from a week at Disney. 
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this is new! (or new since the pandemic)
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I just felt so bad for the CMs. The poor girl who checked us in was almost in tears as obviously things were going very wrong, and then some crazy person is outside yelling at people. I’m glad they finally just decided to cut off walk-ins, even though I’m sure there were lots of disappointed kids.
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SATURDAY, April 2
EPCOT (TP Crowds 4/10, presumably because of the afternoon monsoon)
8:15am - 4:30pm
Morning: Soarin (RD), Test Track (SB 20 min), Mission Space Orange (LL booked @ 10), Elsa and Anna, Three Caballeros
Afternoon: Extended lunching at the outdoor kitchens, Frozen Ever After (LL booked @ 7 / turned into any time), Remy (ILL$ booked @ 7), Journey into the Imagination, Living with the Land, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Aquarium
Room packed up and bags dropped at the resort, we said goodbye to my parents for a few hours, and hopped a bus to Epcot. At 7:00, I booked a 2:30 LL for FEA and a 3:00 LL$ for Remy, so our first stop was Test Track, which ended up being down as we entered the park in the latter half of EE. Instead, we headed to Soarin’ which had a 15 minute wait. By the time we were off Soarin’, TT was back up, so we hoofed it back to the front of the park. Posted wait was 45 minutes, but we were off within 30. We spent the next hour or so, sipping coffee and wandering World Showcase, checking out the Flower and Garden topiaries, and character spotting.
At 10, I grabbed a LL for Mission Space: Orange for DH and DD11 (it makes me and DD9 sick, and DD7 wasn’t interested), so they dropped us at Elsa and Anna in Norway (walk-on). We also had time to ride Three Caballeros (walk-on) before meeting them in Mexico and beginning our outdoor kitchen tour of the world around 12:30. We ate in Mexico, Germany, Japan, and at several other booths around the park. The Food and Wine app was so helpful planning out what we wanted to try and making a plan. Favorite bites were the pretzel bread ham and cheese in Germany, the taco vampiro in Mexico, tuna tataki at Citrus Blossom, frushi in Japan, Avocado Toast at Sunshine Griddle, and the goat cheese creamsicle at Early Bloom.
DH’s second favorite Disney shirt
FEA had been down all morning, and somewhere in the midst of our second (third?) lap around World Showcase, we got an any time LL. Our feast around the world took nearly two hours, and as we headed back to Germany for a second beer, the skies started to look ominous and a storm was closing in on the radar. The temperature dropped precipitously and it started sprinkling - which was a welcome change as it has been 90 just a bit earlier. As we polished off our beers, FEA came back online so we ducked in as the rain got a little heavier. We put on our ponchos, and headed to Remy, and tapped in a few minutes early for our 3:00 ILL$. This was the most underwhelming of the ILLs for me, personally. It was cute, but I won’t pay for it again.
I thought Remy was underwhelming for a ILL$, but was still cute
By the time we were off Remy it was clearly about to really start storming, so we headed to Journey into the Imagination. Post-ride, the gift shop and exit area were packed - it was basically pouring sideways outside and there were maybe two inches of standing water directly outside the door. My kids entertained themselves with the post-ride exhibits and two of three cashed in their Disney gift cards on a stuffed Figment and Sully. The storm eased up enough for us to make a dash to the land pavilion and take a relatively dry ride through the greenhouses.
The only bad weather we had all trip!
A few minutes later, the rental car company said they were headed our way to pick-up DH and take him to the Car Care Center, so he headed off while the girls and I walked on The Seas and then spent some time in the aquarium. There were two scuba divers in the tank interacting with guests, and we spent more time here than I’d anticipated. We considered riding Spaceship Earth, but though it had a short standby wait, a good part of the line was outside and the wind was intense, so we skipped it and ducked into the new Creations store so DD7 could use her gift card. She chose a Porg plush and DD11 bought herself a shoulder porg, which had been sold out at Galaxy’s Edge. DH texted to say he was at the Car Care Center, so we braved sideways wind and rain to the bus stop - only to find a massive line for our resort and our resort only. We waited for a good 10 minutes with no bus in sight when DH called to say they needed me at the rental car counter since the credit card was in my name and were sending a van to come pick us up. Mass confusion ensued as none of the CMs in the area knew where the rental car shuttle/taxi stand were, but though we were soaking wet by this point, we eventually found it. We ended up getting an upgraded rental for our troubles, swung back to POR to change into dry clothes and grab our bags, and started our three hour drive to meet my parents at Fort Myers Beach. It was a nearly perfect trip, and now I’ve got to figure out when we can go back.
So once again, a huge thank you to this group of amazing, data-driven Disney fans, who helped make a nearly threes-in-the-making year trip a reality.
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Whatever floats their boat I can see why Dumbo means so much
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I just wish they could have floated their boat about six feet to the left.
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I was talking about your parents!!
Thanks for sharing your trip with us, I have really enjoyed it!
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It must be! Everything I’d read were complaints about him basically sprinting through the dining room. But he came back twice. And complimented my husband on his beard, which DH has decided means he should never shave again. 
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Haha! I’m glad they came back for the fireworks and party too. I think they’d assumed it would be a county fair style event and were impressed when it was much more.
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Same! 
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