On Tuesday, we spent our first day in the Disney parks. Since it was spring break, the crowd levels were expected to be very high. From all my research, I learned it's best to arrive early when the park opens. We got everyone up at 6:15am!!! Here are the bleary eyed kids watching some cartoons while Dave and I finished packing breakfast and lunch. We left the hotel at 6:50 and parked the car by 7:10am. We were on the ferry to MK by 7:45am and in the park at 8am! By 10am, I felt like it was 3pm. The advantage was that it was cool and not crowded until about 11am. We were on our way back to the hotel by 2pm (later than expected but we didn't go back that evening)
Charlotte and AJ on the race car speedway - our first ride of the day.
Best picture of everyone in front of the castle. Sadly, we did not get a family picture with the castle. Oh well.
Meeting Mary Poppins. AJ was pretty shy in front of the "princess" like characters.
Meeting Minnie and Mickey Mouse! They have a separate building now to meet Mickey & Minnie and you get time with them in a private room. They will take pictures for you and it's really special. You can even get a Fastpass for this. We did the same thing with the princesses on day 2.
Meeting Pinocchio on the way out. AJ loved him! My kids haven't seen hardly any of the Disney movies, but they knew almost all the characters and stories from books. We have a bunch of the Disney Classic picture books which are great.
Charlotte meets Tianna from The Princess and the Frog. Usually there are long lines for all the princesses but we passed by Tianna at just the right time when she had just arrived. Charlotte walked right up to her and started chatting. Tianna told Charlotte that Charlotte was her favorite name because her best friend goes by "Lottie" which is short for Charlotte. She was thrilled and tells everyone that story!
Meeting Ariel (The Little Mermaid) was a really big deal for Charlotte. I had heard from a friend that Ariel would likely not be at MK because she had been moved to Epcot. So I prepared Charlotte in advance that she might not get to meet her FAVORITE princess. Tianna told Charlotte to go see Ariel and Charlotte was beside herself with excitement. We only had to wait 25 minutes to see her (which is short for Disney) while AJ and Zachary took naps. It was priceless to see the smile on Charlotte's face.
Prince Eric, Ariel and Charlotte. She got their autographs in her little book. This made the trip all worth it!
Me waving from Aladdin's Magic Carpet ride. AJ and Charlotte are next to me but you can't see them. This ride is similar to Dumbo but much shorter lines. We never did make it to Dumbo but that's okay. I think that was the only ride we missed with the exception of Splash Mountain and Space Mountain. Those are the two rides in MK with height restrictions that Charlotte and AJ don't meet.
Last event of day 1 - we happened to walk by the castle steps just as a show was starting. They loved it because it included all the major characters and princesses. It even featured from fireworks. We left after this and it was VERY crowded and hot. We spent the rest of the day by the hotel pool.
Start of day 2 - Charlotte met the princesses first thing when we arrived again at the park by 8am! Holy early morning two days in the row. It was totally worth it to get there early though and beat the crowds. We met Sleeping Beauty, Belle and Cinderella. Each one took the time to have a conversation with Charlotte, mention something personal or ask a question, sign her book, and take pictures. Truly magical and enchanting for a 5 year old girl!
Mad Hatter Tea Party!
Meeting Frontierland Donald Duck. AJ was smitten with Donald and snuggled right up to him. He didn't want to leave his side. It was really sweet and several passersby were making kind comments about him.
Group hug!
AJ wants one last hug!
Bye bye, Magic Kingdom. Maybe we'll see you again in a few years when at least one child no longer requires a stroller! Also, we'll never visit you during peak crowds again. We had no choice this time because Dave was off for two weeks as he switches jobs. Great memories but it may take us a while to recover from the sheer exhaustion.
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