April 2012: Magic Kingdom Part 1

To start our walk down Magic Kingdom Memory Lane, I give you my single favorite photo from the entire vacation. 

Papa with his Mickey hand, Lovie in her Minnie dress and wedding mouse ears. 

Could there be a cuter pairing?

My dad had purchased the wedding mouse ears for me to wear on my birthday. A few folks asked when the wedding was and, while it was kind of fun to explain that it was nearly nine years earlier, things did get a little simpler in that regard when Emma took ownership of the Minnie ears. Papa bought the prettiest ones in the store, and they sure looked lovely on this little lady. 

Also important for the sake of showcasing captured memories are our Mad Tea Party groupings. Our numbers worked out nicely so that there were three to a cup. 

Papa, Grammy, and Aunt Celeste

"The Girls' Cup" - Trina, Emma, and Sarah

"The Boys' Cup" (known to spin fast and furiously) - Spencer, Uncle Dan, and Uncle Joel

Marie, John (aka Snickerdoodle) and Adam

Of course, we made time for the most iconic Magic Kingdom rides. Here, Spencer and I are about to take flight on Dumbo.

And get a load of this cuteness. I ask you, does this boy belong on a Disney commercial, or what?

Our group on The Jungle Cruise. 

Celeste, Adam, Joel, Trina, and Sarah are the visible members of the party.

Adam was "pathing" up a storm from Disney World. This is one of the artistic photos he composed and then shared with the extended family via that clever little app.

Remember our trick to keeping the children happy? Lots and lots of snacks and water. Here, Emma and John are waiting outside Space Mountain and enjoying a little string cheese and some sandwiches. 

While the menfolk braved the long lines to retrieve the famous Dole Whips, the rest of us sought some seating and snippets of shade. You can see Lovie in full retreat within the shadow of the stroller. 

The heat was pretty intense during our Magic Kingdom day and, as expected, the crowds were thickest here. The kids and I took a little mid-day respite from the park along with most of the Cummings fam. We came back to the park after naps and dinner. Aunt Celeste was kind enough to stay back with John, who was SO good during the entire trip but deserved a night of normal sleep. He went to bed at a good hour while the rest of us returned for more fun and fireworks. 

Adam's coworker shared this secret with us: Nutella waffles topped with fruit. Delish! They can be found in a little shop near the castle. We had a lovely time eating (devouring) them just before the fireworks. It was a perfect evening treat. 

The firework show was truly spectacular. The castle turned all sorts of colors during the program, and there were even pictures of the days' visitors projected onto its surface. We snagged a spectacular spot by waiting near our waffle shop to watch the Electrical Parade and then closing in on the available street space near the castle as soon as the parade had ended. I led the charge for best viewing position, and Mom said I reminded her of Grandma Bezzant.  

Post-fireworks turned out to be a fantastic time to catch a few late-night rides. We basically walked on Small World, which had been swamped earlier in the day. Emma loved it, of course. We got a few other rides in and savored a late night in the park with some pretty fun kiddos. (Missed you, John-John). 

While we were not up for closing down the park, which was open until 1AM, we did manage to sneak a lot of fun into one very full day.

Rides and Attractions We Enjoyed:

*Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin - We started the day here. Adam achieved some crazy number of points...120,000, I think? Spencer and I thought we were pretty sharp shooters until we saw that. 

*Space Mountain - My favorite coaster in Magic Kingdom. This one never disappoints. Emma had a last-minute opt out when she saw that we couldn't sit right next to each other. Spencer rode it, but we discovered that he likes to know where he's going.

*Splash Mountain - Emma was pretty nervous about this one because from her view, she saw lots of people going into thorns. It wasn't the drop that made her nervous, it was the briar patch. When I told her (many times over) that we went UNDER the briar patch, she finally thought it sounded like fun. Spencer and Emma LOVED this ride. I can't remember now if they rode it 3 or 4 times. 

**Sadly, Thunder Mountain was under renovation during our trip. 

*Mad Tea Party - A classic! 

*Pirates of the Caribbean - John was a bit nervous when we sailed between the battling ships, but he just watched wide-eyed and snuggled up.

*Bear Country Jamboree - This is where John caught his little nap for the day. I may or may not have dozed off during one or two of the numbers as well. It was SO nice and cool. 

*Dumbo - So fun to fly with the elephants! I love that they hand you a "feather" to count out how many groups they can accommodate. 

*Jungle Cruise - A classic. We went twice. 

*Carousel of Progress - How have I missed this gem on earlier visits? "It's a great big, beautiful tomorrow..."

*Main Street Electrical Parade - Hasn't changed in years, methinks.  

*"Wishes" Firework Spectacular - Truly extraordinary. Emma loved watching for Tinkerbell, although her flight is more impressive at Disneyland, where she goes back and forth above the castle. 

*Winnie the Pooh - Super cute! Another Disney first.

*It's a Small World - Top of the list for Emma.