Walt Disney World
Magic Kingdom
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Linda and I made use of the previous evening's leftovers from Sanaa, and fixed breakfast for ourselves. I made mine into a Naan Tandoori sandwich and wrapped it up for later. It was still cold outside, so we bundled up and waited for the shuttle bus to the Magic Kingdom. The bus was quite crowded due to the Magic Morning for the hotels, and I'm pretty sure that I almost fell asleep during the ride. I may have been standing at the time, too.
We made it there in time to see the big production number as they opened the gates and welcomed us. I was still kinda sleepy, so I wasn't as excited as I should have been, but that changed once we got inside. Even though we'd both been to MK before, we're so used to The Original that this park just overwhelms us. Everything is just so darn big! We took lots of pictures of the castle and the Partners Statue, and I just stared at the castle for awhile because it is really big. Yeah, that's the theme of the day. Hence the title of this post, if you hadn't already noticed.
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| HUGE Cinderella Castle |
Of course, the goal for the day was to see the new Fantasyland. Wow. They have fast passes for everything! They even have sandwich boards showing you where to get the fast passes, at least for The Little Mermaid. So we decided to take advantage of our Magic Hour and go to that first since, to us, a need for Fast Pass means that the line gets very long during normal hours, so we wanted to avoid that.
On the way to my ride, we passed Belle's village, and I giggled at Gaston's plaque in front of his statue. (It's a gift from him to the village. He's so sweet. To himself).
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| Gaston's Fountain and Plaque |
The village is nicely done, and I like seeing the Beast's castle up on the hill. The Little Mermaid attraction was nearby, and I immediately did a pouty face because WOW. Their queue is amazing! I believe my words were, "That is NOT FAIR!" I mean, it's gorgeous. And they have a ship with Ariel on it. And a plaque. And a whole meet and greet dedicated to her. And I'm jealous. I made sure to get a Disney photographer to take my picture, and he made it a "magic" one. See how happy I am in all of my jealousy?
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| Sebastian and Sher |
So back to the queue. One of the great things about Florida is that they have so much space to use that they can really do cool stuff with the theme of their queues. For this one, you go through caverns, and there is interactive stuff. In different places of the queue, you can watch a crab choose different types of treasure, and you tell the crab if it's OK to keep or if he should discard it. The crab reacts to your movements. Also, Scuttle is there to talk about stuff. When you get to the loading area, the caverns around you make it seem like you're underground, which is another cool effect. The ride itself is the same as the one at Disney California Adventure, except that on one wall, there is a mural/painting of Triton's castle. Also, Florida does not have The Incredible Mr. Limpet. The mural in the loading area is also different. Also, their moving walkway has mantas on it, whereas ours (I'll be using "us vs them" lingo) has seashells.
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| Crab with trumpet (he actually has 2 eyes, not 4) |
After disembarking the ride, you can go to the entrance of Ariel's Grotto. While we were in line, some kid showed his folks that the CM had given him a card, and said that he was supposed to give it to the next people in line, which happened to be us. I read the card and told him that I didn't think we were supposed to pass it down, as he was instructing us. So the kid went back to the CM at the entrance and was told that yes, he was supposed to keep it until he got to the front of the line. The card was a tool for the CMs to measure the length of the line. So if we all passed it down, it would make the wait time, like, 24 hours or whatever. Maybe 12 hours. I don't know, everything's too big there for proper math. Anyway, I brushed my hair with my Ariel brush and got all excited about meeting Ariel, like I was 6 years old again, which doesn't make sense because Ariel was not Ariel until I was way past 6 years old. I watched as the family in front of us took pictures, and it was really nice that she took the time to talk to them a little bit. I didn't know if she'd give me the same amount of time being that I'm my age, but she did! I said hi to her, and she pointed to my shirt, saying, "That's ME!" I told her that I got it at the ride in California, and told her a little bit about it. I'm pretty sure that I told her to come over and visit. I also told her that she's my favorite princess because she sings the best, and she said, "We won't tell the other princesses." In order to get people to smile for the camera, she says, "GUPPIES!" So cute.
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| GUPPIES! |
So I was happy and ready to go home. Oh, yeah, there's the whole rest of the park to see. We returned to Belle's village, and the shop had some really cool Beauty and The Beast stuff that I haven't seen anywhere else. I purchased a set of ceramic coasters that had very simple icons on them. One of them is a fleur-de-lis, of course, and another one is a rose. I also bought something cool for Bro, but can't type it here in case he reads this before I give it to him. Since his gift was a bit large and heavy for my luggage, I opted to ship it home and included my coasters with the package.
We were hungry, so we sat down at some tables and ate the breakfast that we had prepared. Afterward, we went to Philharmagic, which neither one of us had ever experienced before. But oh, goodness, it was right up our alley! There were a lot of musical symbols in the details, and we just loved it! I took way too many pictures of fixtures, especially in the gift shop. I basically just want the gift shop shelves to be in my house. Not the merchandise, just all of the cool decor. I also really liked the show, which incorporated Ariel and Aladdin/Jasmine, as well as The Lion King, among others.
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| Want. |
We walked to the Haunted Mansion, which is BIG. We opted for the longer queue so that we could look at the graveyard. I'm really glad that we did that because I loved the tribute to Thurl Ravenscroft and yes, there was more musical stuff. Also, Francis Xavier had a tombstone there. So did Leota, and when I look at the pictures that I took, they kind of freak me out. The way that the light hits, one of the pictures of her makes it look like her eyes are open, and in the other one, her eyes are closed. I don't think that this was on purpose, or I just got lucky because I wanted to make sure to get a good shot of the headstone. I'm still partial to our HM because of the elevator. Also, ours kicks major ass during the Halloween/Christmas holiday season. :)
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| Interactive Tomb |
If you don't already know by now, I was really happy when Barack Obama was elected to be the President of the United States. So I was excited to see his likeness in the Hall of Presidents, as was Linda. We waited for the next show, and I saw a porch with a rocking chair and couldn't resist sitting on it. Then we went in and I was annoyed by the dude that didn't want to go into the show because he realized that Obama was added. Did you think that they would just skip him because you don't like him? I think that this attraction is quite reverent of all of our nation's leaders, and I was happy to hear the current president's speech. (Not a surprise, right?). I looked at all of the presidents and thought of the Disney exhibit at the Reagan Library, where they had the different maquettes of the presidents' heads. These were moving, though, and talking. I don't think I would have been happy if the heads had been talking at the library, because it would creep me out that they didn't have bodies.
Chip & Dale look really cute in their Western outifts. I love their vests!
One of the things of which I'm most envious about the Florida version of our park is the fact that they still have the Country Bear Jamboree. Have I told you that I can't stand the bear that replaced them in Disneyland? I was happy to see all of the bears! I've really missed seeing them. I still don't remember all of their names, though.
Then it was lunch time. We had planned on having lunch at Be Our Guest because we couldn't get dinner reservations. They run out of those as soon as they're available 6 months ahead of time, so if you want to have dinner there, plan early! I would love to go there for dinner someday. The line was quite long, and I heard CMs telling people different wait times for the exact same place in line. So no, they really have no idea how long you're going to wait for the new stuff. Everything about the building is themed quite well, from the different beast sculptures to the tapestries and even the place where you order your food (in the library -- with books!). For each order, you are given a rose to place at your table, so that they can find you when your order is ready. So I guess there's some kind of GPS device in it.
Our servers were Andrew and Kathryn. I asked Andrew if I could get ice from the beverage station to go with the milk he brought me. He jokingly said that I could only get ice WITH water. Kathryn told him that she looks like Belle and therefore outranks him, and yes, I could just get a cup of ice. The beverages are self-service, and when I went to the drink station, a bunch of cups just started dispensing themselves on to the floor. The dude behind me said that perhaps they were Magic Cups and did whatever they wanted. I advised a CM nearby that it was happening, and also asked if that was part of the Disney Magic. I mean, we were in an enchanted castle. How did I know that the cups weren't supposed to dispense themselves....20 at a time...onto the floor? Perhaps they were rebelling against their master. I ordered the Vegetable quiche with mixed greens salad, and a lemon meringue cupcake. Linda ordered the Tuna Nicoise Salad and a Raspberry Lemon Cream Puff. The food was quite good. We enjoyed the atmosphere, as the dining room looks like the ballroom from the movie. I hope that I get to have dinner there some day, because I'm sure that it's incredible with the added stuff.
As we were leaving, I wanted to get a picture with the stained glass window of Belle and Prince Adam. She had gone out ahead of me because I was taking pictures in the restroom (of the decor!), and so I went out to get her. So she left her stuff where she had been sitting in order to come inside. I yelled at her for leaving her stuff out there unattended. She told me that a CM was there. The CM was watching the crowd control, not her belongings. Just because it's Disney property doesn't mean that people won't steal stuff! Yeah, I was Mom for a few minutes.
We went to look at the Double Dumbo action, and Linda went crazy taking pictures of all of the circus themed stuff while I continued my quest for highlighter pens. I didn't know that she liked circuses so much until that day. My favorite picture that she took during that time was, yes, of a hippo. No, no pens.
Then it was time to go to Tomorrowland. We rode the Peoplemover. I had forgotten that it changes speed throughout the ride. Nice and relaxing.
At the Carousel of Progress, I noticed that they fixed Future Dad's hand since the last time that I was there. Well, it's been 11 years, so I guess they had plenty of time.
We went to the Monsters, Inc Laugh Factory. My favorite portion was during Sam N Ella's time on stage. They asked someone's name. He said, "Kitty". They asked for his wife's name. He said, "She's Kitty, too." So Ella said, "Okayyyy, Kitty Kitty". I don't know what was up with that guy and his name, but we were all laughing hysterically.
Next up was Stitch's Great Escape (the former Alien Encounter). Eeeewww, chili dog breath. Then Stitch, whispered, "Did you miss me?" I swear, Stitch was modeled after Ferdie.
We were hungry, and I had a snack credit from our dining plan, so I got some yummy cinnamon covered almonds to enjoy before getting in line for The Magic Carpets of Aladdin. It's Dumbo, but with carpets. I just wanted to get on the ride and sing "A Whole New World", and really wished that Rudy had been there to do that with me. The song they play is different with every group of riders, so I didn't hear that song, but I sang it anyway.
We wanted to see Magic Kingdom's version of Flag Retreat. Linda noticed that even the Dapper Dans are bigger in Florida than in California. I mean, dude was tall! The ceremony, though, was short. And lame, at least compared to ours. This was when we actually noticed the hugeness of the WDW Railroad station. There was a lot to see downstairs. We rode the train around, but they don't have Primeval World, so we really didn't care about it much, even though they had cool things to look at it between the stops.
We shopped on Main Street for a while, and I bought a sweatshirt of Walt and Mickey. We then watched the Celebrate A Dream Come True parade before watching the Electrical Parade. I tried not to get upset, but you know how I am. They didn't have as many floats as I remembered, so that was weird for me.
There was some time before fireworks, and we saw that the wait to meet Mickey was only 5 minutes long. So we decided to meet him. Linda was excited about the magic stuff. I was excited about all of the detail about the Band Concert. We were both excited to take a picture with Mickey!
There was a nighttime show that focused on the castle, called "Celebrate the Magic". I really liked the Wreck-It Ralph segment, because it looked like the castle was made out of the bricks. Then a woman in front of me placed her kid on her shoulder, totally blocking my view. So I made my way and stood in front of the woman. I pissed her off, but I could no longer see the show, and she never looked around to see that everyone in back of her child was in the same boat as me. I was just frustrated enough to do something about it. I paid to be here too, you know! BTW, her child was not an infant. She was at least 6 years old. So imagine the height of the being that was in front of me all of a sudden. I think that Linda left me at that point, or she went to sit down earlier than that, I don't know. Or maybe she didn't want to be seen with me in case a brawl started. So anyway, all of you parents out there that place your child on your shoulders so that they can see whatever, please be aware of the other people there. I get that you want your child to be able to see the show, but you and your family are not the only people on Earth.
I stayed in my place to watch "Wishes". I've decided that fireworks are better when Tinkerbell flies by the castle. She did not do so at this show.
Then it was time for me to calm down and enjoy dinner at Tony's, where I found Linda. I love all of the Lady and the Tramp decor! Our server was Daniel. We both had the mushroom ravioli, which we liked. I had a decaf cappuccino to warm me up, because we were sitting outside on the porch. It came with a chocolate biscotti. I was happy. My dessert was a pistachio creme brulee with strawberries and candied pistachios. Yum! Linda had the tiramisu.
We watched the Electrical Parade again from our vantage point outside the restaurant, and this time, Alice and her entourage were all there. Still no Blue Fairy, though. Two sub-pars does not equal par.
There was a long line for the buses, as usual, and my package express had not yet arrived at our room. Dangit. Now our plans to go to Epcot tomorrow may go away. I'm hoping for the best, though.
WDW Line of the Day: "It's like home, but big." -- Sherry, many times throughout the park
Chip & Dale look really cute in their Western outifts. I love their vests!
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| Western Dale and Chip |
One of the things of which I'm most envious about the Florida version of our park is the fact that they still have the Country Bear Jamboree. Have I told you that I can't stand the bear that replaced them in Disneyland? I was happy to see all of the bears! I've really missed seeing them. I still don't remember all of their names, though.
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| I heart them muchly |
Then it was lunch time. We had planned on having lunch at Be Our Guest because we couldn't get dinner reservations. They run out of those as soon as they're available 6 months ahead of time, so if you want to have dinner there, plan early! I would love to go there for dinner someday. The line was quite long, and I heard CMs telling people different wait times for the exact same place in line. So no, they really have no idea how long you're going to wait for the new stuff. Everything about the building is themed quite well, from the different beast sculptures to the tapestries and even the place where you order your food (in the library -- with books!). For each order, you are given a rose to place at your table, so that they can find you when your order is ready. So I guess there's some kind of GPS device in it.
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| One of several different Beast details |
Our servers were Andrew and Kathryn. I asked Andrew if I could get ice from the beverage station to go with the milk he brought me. He jokingly said that I could only get ice WITH water. Kathryn told him that she looks like Belle and therefore outranks him, and yes, I could just get a cup of ice. The beverages are self-service, and when I went to the drink station, a bunch of cups just started dispensing themselves on to the floor. The dude behind me said that perhaps they were Magic Cups and did whatever they wanted. I advised a CM nearby that it was happening, and also asked if that was part of the Disney Magic. I mean, we were in an enchanted castle. How did I know that the cups weren't supposed to dispense themselves....20 at a time...onto the floor? Perhaps they were rebelling against their master. I ordered the Vegetable quiche with mixed greens salad, and a lemon meringue cupcake. Linda ordered the Tuna Nicoise Salad and a Raspberry Lemon Cream Puff. The food was quite good. We enjoyed the atmosphere, as the dining room looks like the ballroom from the movie. I hope that I get to have dinner there some day, because I'm sure that it's incredible with the added stuff.
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| Just like in the movie! |
As we were leaving, I wanted to get a picture with the stained glass window of Belle and Prince Adam. She had gone out ahead of me because I was taking pictures in the restroom (of the decor!), and so I went out to get her. So she left her stuff where she had been sitting in order to come inside. I yelled at her for leaving her stuff out there unattended. She told me that a CM was there. The CM was watching the crowd control, not her belongings. Just because it's Disney property doesn't mean that people won't steal stuff! Yeah, I was Mom for a few minutes.
We went to look at the Double Dumbo action, and Linda went crazy taking pictures of all of the circus themed stuff while I continued my quest for highlighter pens. I didn't know that she liked circuses so much until that day. My favorite picture that she took during that time was, yes, of a hippo. No, no pens.
Then it was time to go to Tomorrowland. We rode the Peoplemover. I had forgotten that it changes speed throughout the ride. Nice and relaxing.
At the Carousel of Progress, I noticed that they fixed Future Dad's hand since the last time that I was there. Well, it's been 11 years, so I guess they had plenty of time.
We went to the Monsters, Inc Laugh Factory. My favorite portion was during Sam N Ella's time on stage. They asked someone's name. He said, "Kitty". They asked for his wife's name. He said, "She's Kitty, too." So Ella said, "Okayyyy, Kitty Kitty". I don't know what was up with that guy and his name, but we were all laughing hysterically.
Next up was Stitch's Great Escape (the former Alien Encounter). Eeeewww, chili dog breath. Then Stitch, whispered, "Did you miss me?" I swear, Stitch was modeled after Ferdie.
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| On A Magic Carpet Ride |
We were hungry, and I had a snack credit from our dining plan, so I got some yummy cinnamon covered almonds to enjoy before getting in line for The Magic Carpets of Aladdin. It's Dumbo, but with carpets. I just wanted to get on the ride and sing "A Whole New World", and really wished that Rudy had been there to do that with me. The song they play is different with every group of riders, so I didn't hear that song, but I sang it anyway.
We wanted to see Magic Kingdom's version of Flag Retreat. Linda noticed that even the Dapper Dans are bigger in Florida than in California. I mean, dude was tall! The ceremony, though, was short. And lame, at least compared to ours. This was when we actually noticed the hugeness of the WDW Railroad station. There was a lot to see downstairs. We rode the train around, but they don't have Primeval World, so we really didn't care about it much, even though they had cool things to look at it between the stops.
We shopped on Main Street for a while, and I bought a sweatshirt of Walt and Mickey. We then watched the Celebrate A Dream Come True parade before watching the Electrical Parade. I tried not to get upset, but you know how I am. They didn't have as many floats as I remembered, so that was weird for me.
There was some time before fireworks, and we saw that the wait to meet Mickey was only 5 minutes long. So we decided to meet him. Linda was excited about the magic stuff. I was excited about all of the detail about the Band Concert. We were both excited to take a picture with Mickey!
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| Arm in Arm with Dapper Mickey |
There was a nighttime show that focused on the castle, called "Celebrate the Magic". I really liked the Wreck-It Ralph segment, because it looked like the castle was made out of the bricks. Then a woman in front of me placed her kid on her shoulder, totally blocking my view. So I made my way and stood in front of the woman. I pissed her off, but I could no longer see the show, and she never looked around to see that everyone in back of her child was in the same boat as me. I was just frustrated enough to do something about it. I paid to be here too, you know! BTW, her child was not an infant. She was at least 6 years old. So imagine the height of the being that was in front of me all of a sudden. I think that Linda left me at that point, or she went to sit down earlier than that, I don't know. Or maybe she didn't want to be seen with me in case a brawl started. So anyway, all of you parents out there that place your child on your shoulders so that they can see whatever, please be aware of the other people there. I get that you want your child to be able to see the show, but you and your family are not the only people on Earth.
I stayed in my place to watch "Wishes". I've decided that fireworks are better when Tinkerbell flies by the castle. She did not do so at this show.
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| Mushroom Ravioli |
We watched the Electrical Parade again from our vantage point outside the restaurant, and this time, Alice and her entourage were all there. Still no Blue Fairy, though. Two sub-pars does not equal par.
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| Pete and Elliot, full steam ahead |
There was a long line for the buses, as usual, and my package express had not yet arrived at our room. Dangit. Now our plans to go to Epcot tomorrow may go away. I'm hoping for the best, though.
WDW Line of the Day: "It's like home, but big." -- Sherry, many times throughout the park
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