A Salute To All Princesses, But Mostly Merida
(No, not a return of, “What color of the spectrum is that?”)
The reason is, instead of thinking “The trip is half over.” I can think, “We have completed our first Disney World vacation, and now it is time for the second one.” YAAY!
“We have been here forever.”
And
“We have only been here a minute.”
The logical conclusion of this feeling is returning home to experience the conflicting:
“Did we actually go at all?”
And
“Why am I smiling when everything hurts?”
Parenthood,
the gift that keeps on giving.
Rosa
went to fill their water bottles and get herself a Sprite. This is because the
mugs now fit in the Park backpack. Dad always said, “The smaller the kid, the
greater amount of stuff you have to carry.” Now that our child was an adult by
almost every definition, we had mobile storage space.
I
stayed with Anabelle to take her morning Dewey photo. He was actually “Dew-ey”
as in covered with moisture. Anabelle’s assessment- “California would freak.”
This
was the only day of the trip the temperatures could be classified as “not
completely insane.” Granted it was still stupidly hot, but at least it wasn’t
clawing its way towards one hundred.
There
was a double length bus, assuring room for the trip to the Magic Kingdom.
Starting “The Second Disney Vacation,” I continued to get the bus stop wrong
every morning. Sitting across from us was a family that we eventually figured
out the theme of. The little boy was dressed as Peter Pan, Dad had on a Captain
Hook costume t-shirt, and Mom had either Tinker Bell or a Wendy bow ears.
Please do not bring this up at family gatherings, as our disagreement went back
and forth for much of the day.
(Foreshadowing- Anabelle and Rosa went to the New York Disney Store, where Anabelle insisted on taking a photo of the ears that family’s Mom was wearing to prove that the ears were clearly Tinker Belle, and that I was a fool. Normally that can be ascertained without documentation.)
The reason we figured out the theme was when the Pan lad started referencing his infant sibling wearing a striped onesie and red hat as “BABY SMEE.”
We
got through security quickly, angled around the new way through Tomorrowland
after a tad of confusion (clomp clomp… huh? clomp) and were scanned for the
Extra Magic Hour Half Hour. YAAAAAAAY!
We
passed “Mystery Pooh” (the wait was not listed) on the way to the half hour long
line for Peter Pan. As we entered Fantasyland, Rosa Summoned her Boys. How does
she do that?! There were hugs and dancing with the Chipmunks as they enthused
over Rosa’s jewelry after appearing in a puff of smoke for her. YAAAAAAAY!
Tiana
was there wandering Fantasyland with the rarely viewed Prince Naveen. It was a
festive atmosphere with Anabelle especially being excited over the use of a
Disney Channel 2000 musical playlist being piped in. YAAAAAAAY!
As
we got nearer to our destination, Stinky danced by. WHERE’S BABY SMEE?!?!
The
early morning roaming characters were much like I remembered when I was tiny in
Disney World, as opposed to the “you have to be rude to interact with them”
California method.
Pan’s
line was still posted at thirty minutes but wasn’t nearly the full length. A small
kid near us was dancing on line the whole time. That is the correct attitude.
We got an enthusiastic smile after reading their button and wishing them happy
birthday.
(Foreshadowing- Anabelle and Rosa went to the New York Disney Store, where Anabelle insisted on taking a photo of the ears that family’s Mom was wearing to prove that the ears were clearly Tinker Belle, and that I was a fool. Normally that can be ascertained without documentation.)
The reason we figured out the theme was when the Pan lad started referencing his infant sibling wearing a striped onesie and red hat as “BABY SMEE.”
(Foreshadowing- I am not pointing out the child’s pronouns. But the only note I have
is “dancing kid” and I forget things sometimes. Anabelle and Rosa could not
fill in the information as they spent the entire line making faces back and
forth with a cute baby girl someone nearby was carrying.)
Looking
down made me sad, and I commented on this, referencing having not worn boring
footwear to Disney World since my initial visit at two years old. Anabelle
pointed out my need to wear, “Long Victorian Boy Socks” added some jazz.
They
were announcing that the ships could fit three people. We knew that would be
tight, plus this has been a “Daddy and me” ride for two generations in our
family. Rosa planned to pretend she didn’t know us. (Something I feel she does
on her own in the Parks regularly.) “Yes,” Anabelle said, “it is a coincidence you
are matching shirts with this man.” Anabelle prepared herself to enter “the
inferior Peter Pan ride.” As we passed the Darling children’s portraits, she
said she liked John.
My response- “You are John.”
Anabelle- “I did not come here to be violated.”
In
the ship the Cast Member added a jazzy snap to the end of her Pixie Dust
sprinkle to lower the bar… likely to match my Long Victorian Boy Socks. Do they
spread pixie dust on the bar in California? No, they do not, he said, defending
his home Park’s Pan.
The
line went way up while we rode, leading me to rant (yes, again) about how the
App lets everyone there know about a short wait time, ultimately taking them
away much faster.
The
small world was a walk on first thing in the morning, as it always is.
Therefore, we walked on. YAAAY!
Our
next targets were in New Fantasyland. (Don’t care.) Rosa and I stopped for
PhotoPass in front of the Beast’s castle in our “The Beast” and “I’m with the
Beast” shirts. YAY! The guests before us were complaining about the heat. When
they left, the PhotoPass person told us, “It’s only Nine AM, you can’t complain
about the heat yet. I’ll be here all day.”
The
Ariel ride was another early morning walk on… because we know what we’re doing.
The ride is always fun, though sprinting through the long and windy (if empty)
line was a little rough on The Robocop. (clomp clomp clomp) The Ariel
animatronic was frozen in the “Under the Sea” number, just staaaaring at us.
Not creepy at all.
Next
door was our triumphant return to Ariel’s grotto. The line looked long before
they opened the inside waiting part at Ten. However,
A) Lines always look long out in the open like that.
And
B) A full third of the line left when the Cast Member announced it wasn’t the ride.
Philistines.
Once it opened, the wait was posted at forty-five minutes. However, we were nowhere near the end of the initial line and waited far less. YAAY!
When
we entered the Grotto, the twins who were ahead of us on line for the entire
wait were not meeting Ariel before us. Anabelle figured out that they must have
added an extra Mermaid meeting area when they reopened after the pandemic.
“Like they do for Mickey and Minnie in Animal Kingdom.” A chunk of my inner childhood
innocence shattered as I had never considered that either this morning, or the
many times we had met the Mice over in Animal Kingdom. Alas.
Ariel’s
voice was on point, but she was extra calm. She looked through the autographs and asked, “What is a book?” throwing Anabelle off somewhat and
leading to forgetting to hug Ariel. This was another location with the
Automatic PhotoPass, which tries to make up for quality with quantity. It did
not. Or as Anabelle put it, “They suck.”
Character
focus continued as we went deeper into New Fantasyland (still don’t care) for
the Silly Sideshow. They had the Auto Photos as well. Alas. Also, those
characters had to pee a lot, constantly taking breaks which built up the line a
bit. However, it did provide time for a baby on the other side of the room to
crawl for the first time. YAAAY!!! While waiting we planned out the “Three and
One” photographs. For gigantic Goofy, Anabelle informed me, “You’re the
one.”
Anabelle
noted Mami was “stealing” a PhotoPass card because it was pretty, even
though we didn’t need one. I said, “I wouldn’t talk,” referencing her missions.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied.
The
crowds declined on our side to almost nobody after us. Goofy wandered out to
the middle of the room. ‘Cause he’s Goofy, I guess.
We
met Donald who went through an extended mime. At first, I thought it had to do
with Tiny Donald, which Anabelle kept on her pack. But she put that down. She
informed me that he had noticed her Cinderella ears and was making sure she had
both shoes on. She finished with the helpful, “Keep up, Dad.”
My response- “You are John.”
Anabelle- “I did not come here to be violated.”
A) Lines always look long out in the open like that.
And
B) A full third of the line left when the Cast Member announced it wasn’t the ride.
Philistines.
Once it opened, the wait was posted at forty-five minutes. However, we were nowhere near the end of the initial line and waited far less. YAAY!
Parenthood, the
gift that keeps on giving.
Between
the two sets of Silly Sideshow meetings, Anabelle ran out to the rest room, and
detoured back through the Splash and Soak station, because even the “cool” day
was a scorcher. During that time, while the posted time stayed the same, the
line nosed dived. Take that you App vultures!
Back
with us, Anabelle was looking at her custom pink and blue, hearted Converse
shoes and said, “Imagine meeting Aurora in these?” I started lamenting my
boring shoes again, and she put things in perspective.
“Are you home?
…
Then shut up.”
By
this point in the trip, I had gone well past not knowing what day it was. I
didn’t have any idea if we’d eaten lunch yet or not.
For
the other Silly Sideshow Side (show… and repeat), Fortune Teller Daisy was
first. A baby tried to eat her before we got there, and she was checking her
fingers. YAY! 
Anabelle’s height came up again, in an opposite way from meeting
the Queen. She towered over Daisy. She asked for - and got to take - a very
cool shot posing over the crystal ball. YAAY!
We
had planned a “Three One One” for Minnie, providing each of the ladies with a
solo picture. Minnie took charge and set the order on her own. She fawned over
their Minnie ears a great deal. Then she made sure to say good bye to each of
us individually. Because she’s Minnie! YAAAY!
Anabelle
shopped in the giant (yet not overwhelming) and awesome Big Top store. Rosa and
I did too, after our own Splash and Soak detoured runs to the rest rooms. I
always go for indirect splashing by soaking my hat. This was more important
this time for The Robocop related reasons. (clomp clomp clomp)
Back
in the store, Anabelle bought thank you magnets for us, (Belle for Mami, Four Parks
ones she thinks are ugly, “yet you” for me, - Parenthood, the gift that keeps
on giving- and an Ariel one for herself) and we got some souvenirs. (Mostly
negating the need to go to Disney Springs at all, said the overwhelmed old
man.)
I
got what I believe will be my last giant Mickey cookie. The flavor has gone
down hill a chunk, and there was far too much chocolate coating on it for
Florida sweltering weather. What a mess. Oh well, I guess some part of me had
to mature. The taste buds will be the least noticeable to outsiders.
(Foreshadowing- WAY after the fact, I remembered the really good cookie I had was a limited time peanut butter cookie, not chocolate chip. It may not be the last after all.)
(More foreshadowing- Checking to confirm this, I learned the limited time peanut butter cookie’s limited time was over when we went, and therefore I did have this same cookie. Mickey Pretzels and Ice Cream Sandwiches it is!)
The cookie did get me noticed by the Mad Hatter as he went with Alice towards the tea cups and yelled, “I want that!!” Anabelle decided she’d rather get Alice’s signature on her book closer to the end of the trip when she would be easily findable in EPCOT, and we continued around the castle (clomp clomp clomp) for our original plan.
(Foreshadowing- “Easily findable.” BWA HA HA HA HA!)
Tigger
bounced out of nowhere giving us all a jump scare as we continued to the
Cavalcade watching spot when he and Pooh made their way to be near their ride,
which we still hadn’t been on. They should have made those cars bigger.
In
front of the Castle, the Castle Show was on. (Imagine that?!) We caught Elsa’s
song, and the big finale number. (Anabelle- “Elsa’s song? You mean “Let It Go”?
Like, what else would it be?) We’ve seen it a zillion times, but it’s always
sweet. (And roastingly hot there.)
I
waved my Magic Band Plus at the Goofy and Pluto statues, and they went, “Gawrsh.
Woof.” Excellent use of technology there, Disney.
When
the show crowd dispersed, we found a short PhotoPass line for the obligatory
Castle photos. (Insert “tiny Disneyland castle joke” here.) We were told to
pose waving our arms and legs out yelling, “Hey!!!” Sadly, my “hey” was broken.
For the entire trip there were two problems with my sunglasses. The first was the lens kept popping out of the frame. This would resolve in two days.
(Foreshadowing- Spectacularly badly.)
The other was a bit of dirt I referred to as a “booger” on the top of the left lens that I was unable to remove. That issue resolved while waiting for the Cavalcade when Anabelle asked, “Why is there a little man on your sunglasses?” I had been attempting to remove the “Ironman” logo.
We
picked out a spot by the Plaza Restaurant and waited for the Cavalcade.
Anabelle and I positioned ourselves clear of the “splash zone” of Rosa’s waves.
I volunteered to stand behind them to photograph any interactions but was told
“no.” Anabelle convinced Rosa to be completely “in the moment” for this mini
parade and there would be no pictures. We did have a magical time, getting many reactions and acknowledgments.
Judy
Hopps waved to all of us, prompting Anabelle, once more, to say, “California
sucks.”
Panchito blew them a kiss, Bruno said, “Hi!” and Elena also waved.
Marie sadly failed to notice herself on Anabelle’s shirt, after the three of us waved, called and pointed like loons… truly in the moment.
Raya was atop a float, and for completion of Anabelle’s “Every Princess Quest” this was her only location in the Parks. She was facing and waving the other way, but turned to look down at us just as they were passing. Since Anabelle and I are both huge fans of her movie we immediately held up our hands in the “Way to Eden” “We Reach” circle she used in the film and nodded our heads. Raya looked stunned at first, taking a half step back, then returned the gesture with a bow. Anabelle proclaimed it “The greatest day in her life.” (She does have a lot of those in these Parks, doesn’t she? DISNEY MAGIC! YAAAY!)
As we finished being in the moment and the Cavalcade moved on, we did some Main Street shopping. We talked about how stunned Raya looked. Anabelle decided she’s not used to seeing:
“Raya Enthusiasts- Population, Us.”
Anabelle
used Grandma’s Graduation money in the jewelry store. Being a fan of silver and
not gold, (much like Grandma, hence the appropriateness of this use) the best
set for her was the Snow White ring with the red bow, and the Cinderella earrings
with the coach. (The other ones of each were gold, and the Ariel shells were:
quote- butt ugly – unquote.)
Note to whoever writes software for autocorrect in the “notes” App: When all the surrounding words are Disney based, “Snow Whore” is not the best guess.
We
all shopped a bit, but Anabelle and I both have the patience of a gnat on acid
and separately went out to watch the Dapper Dans. It’s rare that we are on Main
Street midafternoon. Usually, we only run into this entertaining group on
arrival the first day, when standing still in the street instead of getting our
sleep deprived family onto a ride as quickly as possible is a bad idea.
Anabelle was lured out when she noticed they were wearing tap shoes and did a
little dance. They caught my attention telling a “discord- This chord” joke
that was terrible. We cheered when they ended with
“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” playing those nifty chime things. Anabelle
and I found each other and went in for a picture with them. They complimented
her Marie shirt, and my pirate belt buckle. We agreed, “I can die happy now.”
YAAAAY!
Rosa found a few more souvenirs, and then we all found each other in time for lunch at the Castle. YAAAAAY!
A
meal there is always one of the high points of any Disney trip. The food is
excellent, the service is top notch, and the characters are filled with great
interactions. Haters of this experience have no soul. So there. (Anabelle-
“Real.”)
“Are you home?
…
Then shut up.”
(Foreshadowing- WAY after the fact, I remembered the really good cookie I had was a limited time peanut butter cookie, not chocolate chip. It may not be the last after all.)
(More foreshadowing- Checking to confirm this, I learned the limited time peanut butter cookie’s limited time was over when we went, and therefore I did have this same cookie. Mickey Pretzels and Ice Cream Sandwiches it is!)
The cookie did get me noticed by the Mad Hatter as he went with Alice towards the tea cups and yelled, “I want that!!” Anabelle decided she’d rather get Alice’s signature on her book closer to the end of the trip when she would be easily findable in EPCOT, and we continued around the castle (clomp clomp clomp) for our original plan.
(Foreshadowing- “Easily findable.” BWA HA HA HA HA!)
For the entire trip there were two problems with my sunglasses. The first was the lens kept popping out of the frame. This would resolve in two days.
(Foreshadowing- Spectacularly badly.)
The other was a bit of dirt I referred to as a “booger” on the top of the left lens that I was unable to remove. That issue resolved while waiting for the Cavalcade when Anabelle asked, “Why is there a little man on your sunglasses?” I had been attempting to remove the “Ironman” logo.
Panchito blew them a kiss, Bruno said, “Hi!” and Elena also waved.
Marie sadly failed to notice herself on Anabelle’s shirt, after the three of us waved, called and pointed like loons… truly in the moment.
Raya was atop a float, and for completion of Anabelle’s “Every Princess Quest” this was her only location in the Parks. She was facing and waving the other way, but turned to look down at us just as they were passing. Since Anabelle and I are both huge fans of her movie we immediately held up our hands in the “Way to Eden” “We Reach” circle she used in the film and nodded our heads. Raya looked stunned at first, taking a half step back, then returned the gesture with a bow. Anabelle proclaimed it “The greatest day in her life.” (She does have a lot of those in these Parks, doesn’t she? DISNEY MAGIC! YAAAY!)
As we finished being in the moment and the Cavalcade moved on, we did some Main Street shopping. We talked about how stunned Raya looked. Anabelle decided she’s not used to seeing:
“Raya Enthusiasts- Population, Us.”
Note to whoever writes software for autocorrect in the “notes” App: When all the surrounding words are Disney based, “Snow Whore” is not the best guess.
Rosa found a few more souvenirs, and then we all found each other in time for lunch at the Castle. YAAAAAY!
This was the one place we convinced Anabelle to wear her Graduation button openly, and she had a good enough time that she left it on the rest of the day. Disney Magic! YAAY!
We
were greeted at the door by Morgan, the sister of one of Anabelle’s friends
from college who knew we were coming and promised to take care of us. Thanx
Morgan! YAAAAAY!
Once we were in, it was straight to the Cinderella line, which moved quickly. The Princess appreciated Anabelle’s ears with her design, calling her, “My fan.” When Anabelle took her “one” photo, she pointed out her new coach earrings, and Cinderella called them, “Just the finishing touch.” YAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!
(As I get older, I really need to up my note taking game.)
Rosa did get her cranberry juice here. (YAAY!)
I had my planned glass of Rose’ to go with the fish.
(Foreshadowing- “What fish?”)
Anabelle selected the salad and the lamb chops which she thought would be too many, until she tasted the “heavenly” entrée.
(Foreshadowing- My obsession and love of Disney food (and drink) has caused me to reach an Ian Fleming level of description for meals, I fear. Don’t worry, as far as clothing goes, I remain an uncultured boor.)
While starting on our excellent meals, we also began a “Princess Pool” to guess who would appear. As they came out with flourishes and fanfares, we kept score.
I got the first point when Aurora emerged.
Anabelle and Rosa each scored one as Ariel was second.
The third princess announced put Rosa comfortably in first place. It was Jasmine.
It Worked! YAAAAY!
That tied Rosa and Anabelle in first place. But Anabelle did not care. “All that counts is that Dad lost… because he is a stinking liar.”
This is a huge problem with being the “Where Will We Go Next Guy” and keeper of Disney knowledge. They change things often and to a large extent.
My filet was also excellent, and the outside seasoning was outstanding. The mashed potatoes and asparagus were also excellent. Anabelle had some problems with the green beans, but Rosa liked them.
Rosa’s filet was also very much to her liking, but had a couple pink spots in the middle, so I was forced to eat them for her. WHAT A BURDEN!
(No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to dine.)
She congratulated Anabelle as well, and said she must know as much about humans as Scuttle! YAAAY! Again!
As part of the ceremony, our awesome waitress Keir came by.
(Foreshadowing- Hey Jeff, maybe read ALL your notes before you start writing, doofus. And maybe learn what "foreshadowing" means.)
She brought Anabelle a cupcake WITH A CANDLE! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!
Anabelle survived the ceremony without catching fire. DISNEY MAGIC!!!! YAAAY!
Instead of having alcohol as her Meal Plan Specialty drink, like her inebriated spouse, Rosa got a Capuchino.
Merida’s crazy excited state continued when she reached us.
She heaped congratulations on Anabelle. Then she went to sign the autograph book but interrupted herself three times to talk about something else with passion and speed.
For the photo, she asked Anabelle to teach her to stand straight and proper.
YAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!
Anabelle was a bit overwhelmed when she left, “I’M GONNA THROW UP!”
Normal people would use catching the Parade in this early location to jump onto a ride that usually has a lengthy wait time.
Once more on a classic attraction, we
had first timers with us. They were in back of us, screaming with joy and
yelling, “This is cool!” regularly. YAAY! Meanwhile, in front of us, was an
absolute asshat with his phone light on to video. Anabelle returned to sitting
on the left this time. She still insisted I sit in the middle to protect my
ankle. Although this was about the point in the trip when she stopped being
constantly worried about my recovery and realized I was doing well, meaning she
could make fun of me for being slow.
Parenthood the gift that keeps on giving.
She
got minimal water on the drop. We made it through (what she thought was) the
entire battle without a cannonball going off next to her. In triumph she
yelled, “I’m free!” Then well past that whole sea battle, a cannonball went off
right near her and she got soaked. She screamed… but did stay awake for the
whole ride this time. (Barely. It was close at the end.)
Remaining in Adventureland, we didn’t go on the Jungle Cruise, because Rosa hates getting
bit by bugs (which do hang out on the boats) and Anabelle hates… the Jungle
Cruise. Alas. We did go to the Tiki Room! YAAAY!! There was a little kid next
to us getting really excited as her Dad showed her each part of the room coming
to life. Memories…
It
was time for the Mine Train FastPass, meaning Rosa went to see Filmore’s Magic.
Anabelle and I shot through the line, (clompclompclomp) the extended stand by wait having no effect on us. It took a grand total of nine minutes from when we scanned in until we exited the ride. Anabelle said she enjoyed the trip, but didn’t care enough to wait on the full line. It was therefore and excellent “Bargain FastPass.”
I
had regularly postulated that since Rosa used to go on the Barnstormer and the
Sesame Place Grover coaster with Anabelle, she could handle this smoother ride,
because of the sway built into the cars. Dong so would allow her to see the
pretty stuff. She and Anabelle disagreed with my assessment. As we whipped
around the first turn and it rattled my back while I fought to lock three limbs
and hold my boot off the ground, I yelled, “Mami would hate this!” Anabelle threw
her hands up and before whooping with joy yelled, “I know!” YAY!
A
quick left took us into Tomorrowland for the first time. Why do we always go
there last? I think it’s because of our ingrained need to go left first in
Disney to avoid crowds. We checked the wait times there… then ignored them
because we wanted to see the Carousel of Progress. YAAY! We crossed
Tomorrowland (clomp clomp clomp) and they reached the door well before I
did.
“Sorry, we forgot you can’t do ramps.” My loving family, folks.
It
was, as always, an informative journey. Anabelle, illustrating how long she has
been living in dormitories, asked a question when Jean Shepherd joked about
this type of now common self-cleaning appliance.
“Do ovens clean themselves?”
Me- “Yes, ours does. It gets superheated and burns everything out.”
Anabelle- “That’s crazy.”
Anabelle also explained to Rosa that one of the daughters disappeared after the first scene. When Rosa asked where she went, I helpfully suggested, “Polio.”
As always, we enhanced the ride for everyone else long before the requested sing along.
“There’s a great big beautiful, tomorrow…”
The
line for Buzz Lightyear had a rare drop in time. While waiting, and listening
to the rest of the line inhabitants, Anabelle posed a question that had been on
her mind for much of the trip. “Why is the entire country of Scotland here?”
I
have had a system I use to get on rides for a long time. If I have the
backpack, I hold it and my hat as I reach the end of the line, get on the ride,
put the pack on the floor, and then slide the hat under my leg, ensuring no
chance of losing it. (If I don’t have the backpack, the hat still goes in the
same place.) Rosa was concerned about me more than the considerable usual
amount on this trip, for obvious reasons. (She is sweet and “clomp clomp clomp.”)
She offered extra help in many cases. Most of the time it was a benefit.
Unfortunately, my ride entering system had been unspoken all this time. She
took the backpack to help me as I got in the car and didn’t realize the brand
new Pirate cap that Anabelle found for my birthday was with it. Before the
front of the car with the guns locked into place, my hat slid into the gap and
onto the track. AAAAAAH!!!!
We yelled to the Cast Member what had happened, and then had a fairly depressing ride.
Meanwhile-
Anabelle was in front of us and unaware of this tragedy. She was completely
locked in spinning, shooting, and racking up her high score of 139,400 points.
She did mention each time her car would spin to face us she’d think, “Why do
they look sad?” and then keep firing.
I
told the Cast Member at the end what happened, and she checked the Lost and
Found drawer. I then explained further that it had just now fell on boarding,
and she told me I had to fill out a lost item form online, and they would
likely find it at the end of the day track walk. I started filling that out on
my phone. Unknown to me, they ran out of the store and Rosa jumped back on the
line. By the time she let me know, I had filled out the form and went out to
find Anabelle.
We
waited for Rosa around Tomorrowland.
(Foreshadowing- To return from the ride with my hat. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!)
Anabelle
did some pin trading in stores. The wait time for the Tomorrowland Speedway was
negligible and she felt like it was, “My time to try it.” She assumed that I had
been exaggerating when discussing the slowness of the cars and the stench of
being surrounded by nearly a hundred-and-fifty lawn mower engines. We got
within twenty yards of the entrance, Anabelle took a strong whiff and
concluded, “You were not exaggerating,” before turning around. She played with
the big, wet, black sphere instead. (“It was fun!” – Anabelle) YAAY!
Parenthood the gift that keeps on giving.
Anabelle and I shot through the line, (clompclompclomp) the extended stand by wait having no effect on us. It took a grand total of nine minutes from when we scanned in until we exited the ride. Anabelle said she enjoyed the trip, but didn’t care enough to wait on the full line. It was therefore and excellent “Bargain FastPass.”
Anabelle
did some pin trading while we waited for Rosa in the Filmore Store. That was a
frequent enough occurrence that I’m sure I missed some. When we were all
together again, we walked through the Castle. Because we could! YAAY! With the
number of performances and parades, there were limited times that was possible.
On the other side we met Miss Chelsea from Danceworks in the perfect spot for she
and Anabelle to take a picture together. YAAY! Miss Chelsea apparently lives in
Disney World. Lucky her.
“Sorry, we forgot you can’t do ramps.” My loving family, folks.
“Do ovens clean themselves?”
Me- “Yes, ours does. It gets superheated and burns everything out.”
Anabelle- “That’s crazy.”
Anabelle also explained to Rosa that one of the daughters disappeared after the first scene. When Rosa asked where she went, I helpfully suggested, “Polio.”
As always, we enhanced the ride for everyone else long before the requested sing along.
“There’s a great big beautiful, tomorrow…”
We yelled to the Cast Member what had happened, and then had a fairly depressing ride.
(Foreshadowing- To return from the ride with my hat. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!)
Back on the ground we saw the App listing the “Cinderella” line as very short. The sign outside confused us as it listed “A Visiting Princess” twice. Anabelle wanted to show Snow White her ring, and Rosa and I were in our “Belle Meeting Shirts”, therefore we gave it a shot. The wait was short but not as short as listed. This is because that building is another “Timeless Zone” and one of the only places where Disney consistently lies about underestimating wait times. Alas.
YAAAAAAAAY!!!
She was straight out of the movie! YAAAAAAY!
She referenced being French, she talked about books, she saw Rosa’s Chip and Dale earrings and asked if she listened to her little animal friends whispering. Because we had the shirts, (which Belle was excited about) and the meeting went so well, Anabelle told her directly that we named her “Ana BELLE” after the Princess. Belle was thrilled and said, “Thank you.”
All righty then.
The Magic Band lit up and vibrated in a heartbeat on the Doom Buggy line and again when exiting the vehicle. I didn’t notice that on past rides because I was paying attention TO THE HAUNTED MANSION!
A reminder that we all hilarious, and often on theme.
A reminder that Anabelle can be hazardously hilarious.
(Foreshadowing- One of the little girls was Anabelle.)
(“Shoo shoo.”)
Parenthood, the gift that keeps on giving.
A Mother and child were in the back car of the kiddie coaster when Anabelle reached it, and remained in the seat for what Anabelle believed was the seventh time. The Mom did not look too thrilled with the experience. I’ve been there, lady. Respect.
“I don’t know if you guys saw me dramatically twirl to out there, (I’m assuming “to enter”? Good old autocorrect. Making communication stupid for thirty-two years.), but the Cast Member outside the barnstormer sure did!”
And right before her return:
“My ears are actually dying but it was worth it because the barnstormer is fun.”
YAAAY!!
As evidence that this was a leisurely Disney trip, instead of an end of the night sprinting arc around the back of the entire Magic Kingdom where we leap on one last line just before 10PM, we only covered a leisurely partial arc around half of the back of the Magic Kingdom, (clomp clomp clomp) riding the small world and entering the “White Room” at 10PM.
Anabelle did take pictures of Rosa in front of “Her Boys” and the Castle when I lit them up, however. YAAY!
(Foreshadowing- HA!)
In spite of my less than sentient condition, I did manage to look at Tinker Bell in our hands. Rosa didn’t. However, she did smile instead of having a soulless stare.
But then, it sailed over in front of the Grand Floridian and started again contrary to the (clearly incorrect) third party schedule I had. YAAAY! With sound! YAAAAAAAAY!!!
There were a million people waiting for only the All Star Sports bus… again.
Three busses came at once, we got on the third one, had to stand for the ride home, and people were still waiting. What did our resort do to offend The Disney Transportation gods?
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