Disney Day 4: The Electrical Parade

We cleaned up in our Mickey Mouse finest after a relaxing quick service meal at the resort this last day. Since we redeemed 2 table service meals for our fancy night in Cinderella's castle, we decided to hit up the pool and Roaring Fork restaurant at our resort for dinner before our evening jaunt back to the Magic Kingdom.

Swoon-Here's my handsome dude on the dock trying to be the first one to spot our boat on Bay Lake. He watched every move that our captain made navigating us through the calm waters. He was surely trying out for the job of skipper noticing all of the bells and whistles on the boat.

I must say that he felt too cool for school pulling up to the gates in a boat. Really, any new mode of transportation sends his heart into hummingbird fast speed. 

We secured our real estate on Main Street as crowds always start to gather early on the parade route. I learned a little trick and played around with our Fast Passes in the afternoon. Since, EK and I didn't redeem Splash Mountain, we rearranged them for night rides. Landon was able to redeem Space Mountain solo while we secured our spots on Main Street. Then, he jaunted off with Miller while Eliza Kate paraded herself around Main Street "cart shopping" her souvenir.

Daddy Worebucks did finally come back and grant her, her wish:) We don't overindulge in Disney sway during the week. In my opinion, it just wastes space once you return from vacation. We do allow the littles to purchase light up sussies on parade night. It's become our little tradition. Notice Landon giving me nonverbal cues looking for approval over the kid's choices. Gosh, I love that man who tries to make everyone happy:)

Here's a High 4 from Mickey Mouse:) Eliza Kate chose a spinning light up Aurora stick to keep her busy.

Main Street is gorgeous all lit up at night. It takes on a whole new look as the buildings are trimmed with sparkling lights.

This is the night that we like to cash in any other accumulated snack points on our account that weren't redeemed. The saying is true--you use it or lose it! We all enjoyed ice cream and bottled waters while waiting for lights out on Main Street for the parade.

Our patience paid off! Tinker belle kicked off the parade zip lining high in the night sky. The all too familiar "Baroque Hoedown" musical march music filled the air. And, Eliza Kate's mouth was agape admiring all of the beautiful floats and characters at night. Prince Charming even waved to our girl leaving her star struck;) We loved seeing Cinderella's carriage illuminating the dark. Even her skirt was all lit up.

We always walk to the park exit to admire the Wishes Nighttime Spectacular fireworks show and picture display on the castle. That way, we're not surfing the crowds waiting to exit.  It's so nice to  leave and hop on the first boat out of the docks. As you can see. our tired girly watched the show in her stroller with the comfort of her thumb:)

A first for us this trip, was getting to watch the Electrical Water Pageant on Bay Lake. We actually got a very up close and personal vantage point from our boat. Illuminated floating parade barges with music entertained us in the water.  Of course, Eliza Kate was zonked out on Landon's shoulder for most of the action.  Our last night was the perfect, grand finale to one unforgettable family adventure.   See ya real soon!

Disney Day 4: Our last day at MK!

Our trip flew by in a whirlwind. While the men used their magic bands to redeem fast passes to Splash Mountain, the girls enjoyed meeting our favorite chipmunks near their ride. Stepping back and watching the friendly waves and EK's warm fuzzies was just over the top precious. Miller never really got into waiting in line for these greetings, but this was totally a memory for our girly and worth the wait in her autograph book:) Fortunately, the character meals replace many of these character stops along the way. We just can't stop at every one with a jam packed itinerary. 

Peter Pan's Magic Flight is a FP must. It almost always has an hour plus wait especially in the afternoon. I think because it is a ride that the whole family can ride together.  I went online and snagged a last minute cancellation right before admission. We walked right on the ride-whew! 

 Peter Pan selfies! I love a good WDW theme park selfie. Even though the quality isn't grand, it's a fun outlook on the whole experience. If you decide to purchase the Memory Maker Photo package, you can now link all the ride photos to your account by scanning your magic band after each ride. They didn't have this option in April, but this just might have swayed me to purchase the photo plan. There's always a next time. Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger spin was another booked fast pass of the morning. Of course, Eliza Kate exclaimed , "Hi, Buzz" with an enthusiastic wave in line to the frozen statue of Buzz. Oh my! The line between fantasy and reality is blurred a little at Disney.

As you can see, the Galactic Hero and Star Cadet were in it to win it:) I wish we had our silly poses in order for some of these impromptu ride pictures. There's no telling when the camera is set to snap away during these adventures. I managed a poor quality iPhone pic from the preview kiosk at the end of the ride.

We stopped and watched an afternoon parade on Main Street.  With the new way of booking rides in the park, you have to create opportunities to "stop and smell the roses" without getting too caught up in your virtual itinerary. Leave room in your day for a little flexibility. Otherwise, it can become a frenzy of to-dos to check off your list. I must admit that you can squeeze so much more in your day with a little planning than you ever could before because of wait times.

M-I-C-K-E-Y---mouse~! We packed up our ears from last time for a few last day photos.

We cruised back to the resort for an afternoon nap on this day in anticipation for the Electrical Parade and fireworks closing show which makes for a very close to midnight cruise home. Disney has a way of creating such a magical experiences that you're itching to plan your next trip before your current trip is over.  And to think, It ALL began with a mouse!

Disney Day 3: Epcot Adventures

Day 3 landed us at a new Disney park for Miller. I wasn't able to book fast passes for Test Track in the morning window of our day. At park opening we booked it to the back of the park to avoid a longer wait time. Stand by time was 30 minutes at park opening which wasn't too terribly bad. Eliza Kate and I found a comfy spot to relax while the men enjoyed this ride. They came off the ride with wild tales of the car they designed and tester. Miller even weaseled his way into a miniature chrome test car souvenir. 

Our next few rides were fast pass bookings back to back in the same section of the park--SCORE! The Seas with Nemo & Friends was over the top cute and enjoyable for everyone. We boarded up on a clamobile and sunk below the waves to help Marlin and Dory find Nemo. We all felt like we were on an aquarium tour with the brightly colored coral reefs and tropical fish. We managed to dodge Bruce the shark hiding out in the sunken ship near the end of the ride.

We hit up Turtle Talk with Crush right next door and laughed our way through the entire interactive experience. We left inserting the "dude" and "totally" into all of our conversations the rest of the day.

It was the  International Flower & Garden Festival during the month of April. We couldn't have picked a prettier time to tour Epcot. Eliza Kate so admired the butterfly shrubbery as we walked strolled through the park.

We redeemed our snack credits with popsicles to cool off. The littles' legs wore out so we created a double stacked stroller from time to time.  We were dazzled by the topiary displays around Epcot featuring our very favorite Disney characters. It was truly impressive.

We strolled leisurely throughout all of the nations stopping from time to time while Landon pointed out various landmarks to Miller. Miller spotted the Eiffel Tower in the distance. We ate a quick service lunch in Morocco before jaunting off to Soarin. Eliza Kate followed us blindly through the turn styles unto the ride. I coached her a little bit about what to expect. I held her hand as we climbed about 40 feet in front of the IMAX screen that we'd be hang gliding high in the sky. The ride really does give you the illusion of flying through different Californa scenes. The wind whips through your hair and Miller loved the orange grove smell pumping into the adventure. We skimmed rolling waves and over the Golden Gate bridge. I was so proud of Eliza Kate for participating with us! She loved it as evidenced by her "whees"!

Before naps, we hit up the air conditioned symbol of Epcot, Spaceship Earth. It's a snoozer ride, but perfect for tired legs seeking rest.

Belle welcomed us to our second princess dinner in Norway at Askerhus banquet hall. Eliza Kate was thrilled about the prospect of dinner with all of her favorites again.

Miller even posed with Snow White--a success!

We didn't have to whip out our autograph book a second time during these greetings. It was definitely more relaxing on me to just enjoy Eliza Kate's conversations with the princesses. Snow White came back to our table to invite EK to participate in a Princess Promenade parade around the restaurant. Landon captured it all on video. Eliza Kate held a basket of flowers following all of the little girls in a congo line of sorts:) My favorite memory at the end of the promenade is her impromptu curtsy while saying thank you to Snow White. Oh my!!

Sunset over the water in Norway! We left dinner just in time to enjoy Epcot at dusk.  Notice Eliza Kate's display hand. She perfected her presentation hand in pictures on this trip. 

We said goodbye to Epcot with happy memories and very tired children!

Disney Day 2: A Royal Dinner

Cinderella ( also known as Auntie T) left a special message for Eliza Kate inviting her to her birthday dinner in the castle. What a surprise for Cinderella to welcome us into the grand foyer of her castle to attend dinner at the Royal Table. We were able to secure a 4:15 p.m. dinner reservation 90 days out for this evening.  I'm sure a better time would have been available with more advanced planning, but we snatched up the earlier time spot with thankfulness. Miller finally assuaged and put on his best smile for a family photo. The best memory from this family shot is that Landon thought he grabbed my arm during the photo, but he was actually holding hands with Cinderella (ha!) I'm sure that was not planned at all:) We waited to be seated and ascended the winding, red carpeted steps to the top of the castle with great anticipation.

Part of the package included an 8 by 10 photo with the hostess:) Eliza Kate has a crooked smile here, but during her formal opportunity, she sported her most beautiful a princess faces;) We found our table next to the stained glass window overlooking the park. The dining room was cozy and a lot smaller than I anticipated. All the finest of tapestries and decorations gave it a very royal feeling.

Here is the princess line up of favorites that stopped by our table for autographs, hugs, and quick conversations in between our meal service.

Princess Aurora

Princess Ariel

Princess Jasmine.

Eliza Kate said--ooh, her tummy is showing;)

Snow White was stunningly beautiful and was the warmest of princesses on this evening. She was oozing with sweetness. Snow White played the part with precision from her expressions, laugh and hand motions. We were in awe:) Not to mention, Eliza Kate could be her daughter:)

After our delicious 3 course dinner, the littles were delighted with these mini ice cream cones for dessert. The music was all cued up and the princesses passed out wishing stars, wands, and swords for the gentleman while they performed an interactive song. Eliza Kate received a special birthday placemat and lit cupcake in honor of turning 4. After dinner, we managed to squeeze in a few rides in Tomorrowland before catching the boat back to bed:)

It was an unforgettable evening! A dream come true for mommy and Eliza Kate:)

Disney Day 2: The Magic Kingdom

 One of the biggest changes that we adjusted to on this trip was the virtual My Disney itinerary online. Each day's schedule, FAST passes and booked meals were all linked to an online schedule. Our Magic Band wristbands gave us access to our park tickets. With the swipe of our wrists, we also were admitted into the fast lane of our scheduled rides--crazy! It really was so convenient to line up the mickeys on our wrist bands to get into our room. No more keys to carry around. Our meal credits were also linked to our wristbands. We lined up the mickeys to cash in our meal points. If you truly wanted to be cashless on the trip, you could charge everything additional back to your account.

Our first fast pass of the day was Enchanted Tales with Belle. Honestly, we probably didn't need a FP for this interactive experience first thing in the morning. It's hard to know which rides will be the most popular when booking them from the comforts of your couch 30 days in advance:)We probably saved a 20 minute wait in line. We entered Maurice's cottage where the littles saw moments from Belle's childhood including her growth chart on the wall:) We finally focused on the mirror on the wall and it started to sparkle and turned into a doorway to enter into the wardrobe room where the candlestick came alive on the mantel.
  Eliza Kate and Miller both were a little slow to volunteer for any of the performance roles in the wardrobe room on this experience. Belle's grand debut couldn't have been any more magical for this momma in the library. If I remember correctly, Eliza Kate's mouth dropped open:) As you can see, the lighting was terrible. Guests have the opportunity to take individual pictures with Belle at the end for the photo pass option or you can also use your own camera. Miller obviously protested:( The kids left with Belle bookmark momentos.

We had just enough time for a bathroom break in between fast pass bookings. Gaston was hanging around his tavern and we got to shake hands and say hello with the most cocky confident man in the park:) Under the Sea with Ariel was next on our agenda. We boarded up on a spinning clamshell to enjoy an oceanic tour of the movie. We entered Eric's castle through an underground tavern. Scenes from the movie came alive especially with fish forming a congo line during the song Under the Sea.

 My favorite memory is Eliza Kate waving and exclaiming "Ariel" to every single sighting of her very favorite Disney princess. Miller was a sport on our first two girly rides. He survived the Kiss the Girl song at the end of the ride where Eric is trying to steal a kiss on the water. Eliza Kate noticed Ariel's blue bow that matched her own--precious! Miller knew his attraction was coming & I just love how he celebrated his sister enjoying her birthday trip. Sibling miracles do happen.

 We concentrated on touring the newer Fantasyland section of the park in the morning. Reservations at the Belle's castle are pretty hard to score for dinner, so I was so thrilled when we only waited 30 minutes to eat here for our quick service lunch. As we waited in line, we were entertained by talking statues of knights cracking jokes.

When it was our turn, we used a computer screen to make our lunch selections and carried our tray out to Belle's ballroom. I'm still scratching my head as to how the server knew where we found a seat to deliver our order. We're thinking it has to do with our magic bands:) Lunch was delicious--French cuisine! Eating underneath the glittering chandeliers in Belle's ballroom was the icing on the cake. Notice Eliza Kate's formal curtsy.

After lunch, Eliza Kate and I made a character stop in the Storybook circus tent while the boys rode the Barnstormer mini -coaster. Miller loves stealing time away with Landon at every opportunity. Character sightings are purely magical at four years old. She loved Minnie Mouse all decked out in her favorite color. Eliza Kate's precious hugs and waves are forever etched in my mind from this trip.

 The pink Dumbo ride is always a must. We toured the newer circus themed playscape in a little AC as we waited in line. We quickly figured out that we actually stepped out of line to play. You live & learn:) The new Fantasyland has two sets of rotating Dumbo rides. The carnival music really set the circus tone and fun was had by everyone jolting up and down with the hand controls.

The highlight of the morning for Miller was Tomorrowland Speedway. Our girl's only car was a little ahead of the boys --"ladies first". Man, this is a jerky ride to navigate.

After the teacups we headed home for an afternoon nap while Miller squeezed in some swim time at the resort. Using our fast passes, and getting up and at em' early allowed us to conquer quite a few rides on our first day.