We had 8:15 breakfast reservations at The Crystal Palace. We ate dinner there last time, but we really enjoyed it and wanted to try breakfast this trip. Well when we got to the monorail at our resort, it wasn't running yet, so we had to decide between a bus to MK or the boat. I voted for bus; John voted for boat, not knowing when the next bus would be coming. So we walked alllll the way back to the boat launch. We got there just in time to catch the boat, but we didn't realize it stopped at the Polynesian first, and we were already running late by this point. And the girls were whining that we weren't seeing the welcome show that day. Ugh. Well we ended up catching a snippet of the show on our way in anyway, and we got to see the characters exit as they were coming down from the show, so the girls loved that! We didn't get to the restaurant until close to 9am. Thankfully they didn't say a word about us being late, and we didn't have to wait more than a couple of minutes for our table.
We didn't have a chance to take any family pictures on Sunday, and I was disappointed that we didn't get one good one on Tuesday. SC wasn't smiling or paying attention in most of them, and some of them were even blurry. Oh well.
After how Sallie had acted about meeting characters on Sunday, I didn't know how she would be, but she was so excited to see the Winnie the Pooh gang! Last time she wouldn't pose with Eeyore, but she was excited to see him this time.
Eeyore was up first- look at C's face. Love it! She thinks it's so funny when the characters have to hold the autograph books up on their nose. :)
Nice view of the castle at breakfast.
They were excited to see Winnie!
SC is OBSESSED with Peppa Pig right now, so really that has become an obsession with all pigs. So she was very excited to see Piglet.
We enjoyed breakfast, and they even brought me a surprise cupcake and sang to me! Started my day off right. All because of the birthday button I was proudly sporting. :)
SC enjoyed my cupcake. :)
When we were ready to go, we headed to see Tigger. For some reason they had him greeting guests near the entrance of the restaurant instead of coming around to all the tables.
SC was literally bouncing up and down when it was our turn, so Tigger started bouncing too! The photo pass photographer got a cute shot of it, but none of those are in our account for some reason??? :(
We noticed as we were finishing up breakfast that people were walking by outside with umbrellas. I didn't even bring our ponchos that day because I didn't think it was supposed to rain. It drizzled on us most of the day, but it was totally bearable. We did pull out the stroller rain cover to keep the girls and the stroller dry.
The Partners statue and the surrounding area were all in boxes under construction when we were there in Feb, so it was nice to see all the finished projects.
After a few pictures, we went to Adventureland. We didn't spend much time there on our last trip, so I had planned for this day to all be spent there and in Frontierland and Tomorrowland. We went straight to the Magic Carpets because we never rode that last time. The girls had fun, and SC thought it was hilarious when I got spit on by the camel. I didn't know it did that, so it took me by complete surprise. We had planned to hang out around there, but I checked my Disney app, and the wait times in Tomorrowland were basically nonexistent and they had already started to build where we were, and we had some time before our Fast Passes started. So we headed to ride Buzz Lightyear
and the People Mover {one of SC's faves},
and then we saw people lined up to meet Buzz, so since the line was short, we hopped in it. I wasn't sure SC would really take a picture with him, but she was excited!
They thought it was neat that instead of signing his name, Buzz used a stamp.
We started to wait in the line for Astro Orbiter, or "Miles from Tomorrowland" as Sallie calls it, but the line was moving slowly, and we didn't feel like waiting 20 minutes because so many other things had little to no wait, so we headed to Fantasy Land.
We rode Dumbo {above} and the Little Mermaid. Then SC really wanted to play in the Dumbo play area where you wait when the lines are long {which they never were- we walked straight onto the ride every single time- so different from our Feb trip!}, so John took her back there and to ride the tea cups, while I took Curran to our first Fast Pass at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
We didn't ride Thunder Mtn on the last trip, so C was a tad nervous, but she LOVED it!
Afterwards, we met John and SC for lunch at Columbia Harbor House, and then we headed to our next Fast Pass at Jungle Cruise, which we also didn't get to ride in Feb. We all thought it was cute and fun! We then saw the Country Bears Jamboree, which John thought was silly of course, and it is, but it's original to Disney World so I felt like we had to do it. Out of all the souvenirs I could have chosen on our trip when I was a child, I chose a stuffed animal of one of the Country Bears. And I still have it in my closet at home. :)
I wanted to do Tom Sawyer's Island but we never had time. We went to our last Fast Pass at Tomorrowland Speedway, and I swear I could not control that car for the life of me. I was jerking that car all over the place and Sallie thought it was the best thing ever. I don't think she's ever laughed that hard. :)
We grabbed some pics leaving Tomorrowland.
SC has this new thing where she'll only cooperate for a picture if we do "one sweet and one silly."
We rode Dumbo {above} and the Little Mermaid. Then SC really wanted to play in the Dumbo play area where you wait when the lines are long {which they never were- we walked straight onto the ride every single time- so different from our Feb trip!}, so John took her back there and to ride the tea cups, while I took Curran to our first Fast Pass at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
This girl loves to spin fast on the tea cups!
On the way to Thunder Mountain, Curran and I stopped for a photo with Rapunzel's Tower.
And she couldn't wait to see what image they inserted! :)
We didn't ride Thunder Mtn on the last trip, so C was a tad nervous, but she LOVED it!
All buckled in and ready to go! I think she rode it a total of 7 times over the week!
Afterwards, we met John and SC for lunch at Columbia Harbor House, and then we headed to our next Fast Pass at Jungle Cruise, which we also didn't get to ride in Feb. We all thought it was cute and fun! We then saw the Country Bears Jamboree, which John thought was silly of course, and it is, but it's original to Disney World so I felt like we had to do it. Out of all the souvenirs I could have chosen on our trip when I was a child, I chose a stuffed animal of one of the Country Bears. And I still have it in my closet at home. :)
I wanted to do Tom Sawyer's Island but we never had time. We went to our last Fast Pass at Tomorrowland Speedway, and I swear I could not control that car for the life of me. I was jerking that car all over the place and Sallie thought it was the best thing ever. I don't think she's ever laughed that hard. :)
After that, we headed back to the hotel for naps because we were coming back for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party that evening. It also started to rain pretty heavily at that point, so it was a good time to take a break. I strolled SC around the resort and up and down the walkway connecting the Grand Floridian and the Polynesian while she napped, and John stayed with Curran in the room so she could do school work and then nap. Although the nap part didn't happen b/c it wasn't really attempted. :/ I also did some laundry while we were there.
Chris, mom, and the girls left Animal Kingdom maybe around 2:00, and my dad, Craig, and Walter stayed until close to park closing and got to enjoy the roller coasters and saw Lion King again {well it was Walt's first time because he didn't get to AK until after lunch}.
Chris, mom, and the girls left Animal Kingdom maybe around 2:00, and my dad, Craig, and Walter stayed until close to park closing and got to enjoy the roller coasters and saw Lion King again {well it was Walt's first time because he didn't get to AK until after lunch}.
The Halloween party starts at 7:00pm and goes until midnight, and as I mentioned before, you have to have a separate ticket for that event. You can get in as early as 4:00pm, just fyi. We headed over to the park sometime between 5:00 and 6:00 {we all arrived at different times}.
I came up with the idea for our costumes pretty soon after we started planning the trip. We already had the Tinkerbell outfit- it just needed some major repair work, so after I sewed it back together, I hid it for several months so it wouldn't get torn up again. C got the Wendy outfit for her birthday, and John and I got our shirts from Happily Ever After tees on Etsy. I knew John wouldn't want a full out costume, and I figured my shirt would be something I could wear again. I ordered a large knowing it was going over tights, but I made the mistake of never trying it on. Well it was tiny!! I really wish I had brought some shorts!! Ugh- I made do. At the very last minute I decided to make my Peter Pan hat and order John's hat from Amazon {like two days before we left}.
I really wanted us to have a picture with Tinkerbell since we were in our costumes, so we headed there first.
I thought this pic of B and S was so cute! They got some cute photos when they arrived for the Halloween party.
I came up with the idea for our costumes pretty soon after we started planning the trip. We already had the Tinkerbell outfit- it just needed some major repair work, so after I sewed it back together, I hid it for several months so it wouldn't get torn up again. C got the Wendy outfit for her birthday, and John and I got our shirts from Happily Ever After tees on Etsy. I knew John wouldn't want a full out costume, and I figured my shirt would be something I could wear again. I ordered a large knowing it was going over tights, but I made the mistake of never trying it on. Well it was tiny!! I really wish I had brought some shorts!! Ugh- I made do. At the very last minute I decided to make my Peter Pan hat and order John's hat from Amazon {like two days before we left}.
I really wanted us to have a picture with Tinkerbell since we were in our costumes, so we headed there first.
Tink wasn't so sure about that Captain Hook, but Wendy told her he was a nice captain. :)
I also really wanted a picture with Mickey in the Town Square Theater because he was supposed to be in his Halloween outfit, so we hopped in that line next. I was very disappointed that he was in his regular clothes {I have no idea why b/c I have seen other pictures from this year where he was dressed up??}, but the girls love seeing him, so it was fun.
We walked towards Fantasyland because I wanted to see if Peter Pan was taking pictures that night, but unfortunately he wasn't. They had a trick or treat station at his spot, so the girls did that. Curran really wanted to ride Thunder Mountain again, so we headed that way. She and John rode it twice back to back while SC and I hit up another trick or treating station. We called the Heys to see where they were and decided to meet in Tomorrowland to trick or treat and ride some rides. Well the trick or treat line was super long, and I was not about to wait in it. The Heys decided to go somewhere else {can't remember- maybe to meet Merida?}, and the parade route was already getting super crowded, so my parents headed to Frontierland to get a spot for all of us. We rode Astro Orbiter with my brother since we were right there and then headed to meet my parents for the parade because they were already dealing with rude people trying to take their spot. Someone literally said to my dad, "Well we have more people than you, so can you just move and give us your spot?" My dad was not happy. We had some yummy snacks while we waited for the parade to start {popcorn for C, a Mickey Bar for SC of course, and a waffle from Sleepy Hollow Tavern for John and me}.
After the parade, we had to walk back through Fantasyland because of the parade route, so we rode the Carousel. I would have loved for the girls to meet the Seven Dwarfs but the line was super long. After the carousel, we went towards the front of the castle to find a spot for the fireworks. At this point, SC was starting to melt despite her good nap. She said she wanted to go home, so John took her back to the hotel. C fell asleep in the stroller, and I tried to wake her up for Celebrate the Magic and HalloWishes because she had been SO excited to see them, but she did not want to wake up. The show was wonderful, and the best part was seeing Sinclair and Becket love every minute of it. Sinclair was acting like she was directing the fireworks, and it was hilarious. She was so into it. Christopher and I took the girls back to the hotel while Craig and Walter stayed to ride rides and stayed until they closed. I really wanted to stay because the wait times for all the rides were like 5 minutes. But I had to be a mother and take my child back home. ha!
I have to include this photo of Walt and Craig from Photo Pass.
We walked towards Fantasyland because I wanted to see if Peter Pan was taking pictures that night, but unfortunately he wasn't. They had a trick or treat station at his spot, so the girls did that. Curran really wanted to ride Thunder Mountain again, so we headed that way. She and John rode it twice back to back while SC and I hit up another trick or treating station. We called the Heys to see where they were and decided to meet in Tomorrowland to trick or treat and ride some rides. Well the trick or treat line was super long, and I was not about to wait in it. The Heys decided to go somewhere else {can't remember- maybe to meet Merida?}, and the parade route was already getting super crowded, so my parents headed to Frontierland to get a spot for all of us. We rode Astro Orbiter with my brother since we were right there and then headed to meet my parents for the parade because they were already dealing with rude people trying to take their spot. Someone literally said to my dad, "Well we have more people than you, so can you just move and give us your spot?" My dad was not happy. We had some yummy snacks while we waited for the parade to start {popcorn for C, a Mickey Bar for SC of course, and a waffle from Sleepy Hollow Tavern for John and me}.
We LOVED the Boo to You Parade!!! I was disappointed that because of the rain, the headless horseman couldn't start the parade. There were definitely some scary moments for the kids, but it was great! Curran was so excited when she spotted Peter Pan and Wendy coming {from a mile away} and stood up in the stroller so Wendy could spot her. :) John put on his Captain Hook hat, and Peter Pan gave him a bunch of "negative" attention, and then Captain Hook saluted him and bowed to him. The girls {and us too, who are we kidding!} were thrilled! I was so mad John didn't hand me my Peter Pan hat like I asked him to. Hahahaha! {not even kidding though :) } Becket was in her Snow White dress, so Snow White came over and grabbed her hand and talked to all the girls. I wish we had a picture of B's face! Her eyes got huge and she had the shiest smile on her face. She was giddy afterwards. :)
I did not take one picture of the parade because SC was sitting in my lap, so all of the images below are from Google.
All the characters looked so cute in their Halloween costumes.
The girls love the skeleton band! C thought it was hilarious that they sang "it's good to be bad" {they were in the parade with the villains}, and she wrote about it in one of her school assignments. We have watched the parade on YouTube multiple times since we got home.
After the parade, we had to walk back through Fantasyland because of the parade route, so we rode the Carousel. I would have loved for the girls to meet the Seven Dwarfs but the line was super long. After the carousel, we went towards the front of the castle to find a spot for the fireworks. At this point, SC was starting to melt despite her good nap. She said she wanted to go home, so John took her back to the hotel. C fell asleep in the stroller, and I tried to wake her up for Celebrate the Magic and HalloWishes because she had been SO excited to see them, but she did not want to wake up. The show was wonderful, and the best part was seeing Sinclair and Becket love every minute of it. Sinclair was acting like she was directing the fireworks, and it was hilarious. She was so into it. Christopher and I took the girls back to the hotel while Craig and Walter stayed to ride rides and stayed until they closed. I really wanted to stay because the wait times for all the rides were like 5 minutes. But I had to be a mother and take my child back home. ha!
Wendy out cold
And the only picture I have with my twinkie on our birthday.
Hilarious!
It was SUCH a fun day! Having that time for most of the day with just the four of us was awesome. The girls were so well behaved, and we just had the best time! My parents and brother and sister all had a great time at AK too! A good day was had by all! It was definitely the best birthday I've had as an adult!
Notes for next time: "Minnie" brought the girls some trick or treat bags for their hotel room present that morning, but next time I would NOT make a big deal to the girls about trick or treating. {I knew they gave you little plastic bags when you get to the party, but I found some cute ones in the Target dollar bin.} We hit up a total of 2 stations, and the girls were kinda disappointed. If I have never brought up the trick or treating or talked about it so much, they wouldn't have cared at all or known what they were missing. Some lines looked like they were moving fairly quickly, but others were not, and I was not willing to wait in line for a few pieces of candy.
Also, I would get a list of every special character who was meeting that night. I saw the list of villains {which we didn't care to see- except Maleficent- my girls had talked about wanting to meet her, but she wasn't there this year} and knew the Seven Dwarfs were there, but I didn't know who else or where other characters were meeting {like prince/princess couples, etc}.
Also, I would get a list of every special character who was meeting that night. I saw the list of villains {which we didn't care to see- except Maleficent- my girls had talked about wanting to meet her, but she wasn't there this year} and knew the Seven Dwarfs were there, but I didn't know who else or where other characters were meeting {like prince/princess couples, etc}.
Next up, Epcot!
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