Thursday, while the Cummings fam passed the day having a Hogwarts adventure, we headed back for some more fun at the Magic Kingdom. We opted for a very leisurely pace, taking time for lots of pictures with characters. Goofy was waiting for us at the town square on Main Street.
Emma is quick to spot any and every Minnie and asked for a photo to be taken with this lovely specimen.
We made time to meet the real Mickey and Minnie too. (Hurrah for fast passes!) As we approached, John was a bit nervous; Spencer was pretty chill; Emma was all excitement. She loved that Minnie pantomimed to show that they were wearing the same type of dress. Mickey and Minnie really took their time with our little group, making each of the kids feel really special. They loved getting the autographs, and John even warmed up enough to give Mickey a high five at the end.
We had explained to the kids that our trip to Disney World was the birthday gift to our entire family this year. That also meant that Spencer and Emma got to pick out souvenirs to be opened on their birthday. (Don't worry...John had other gifts). Emma opted for matching Minnie and Mickey dolls. Spencer chose to make his own light saber at Hollywood Studios. Kicking myself that I didn't have my phone with me to take pictures. It was pretty awesome. He ended up with a double-sided purple light saber.
No leisurely day in the Magic Kingdom would be complete without visiting some Disney princesses and procuring their fancy signatures. There is a lovely little studio set up where Cinderella, Belle, and Aurora greet their waiting guests. Each has pleasant points of conversation. Cinderella asked Emma if she could hear better with her mouse ears on because Jacque and Gus tell her that they can hear really well with their mouse ears.
Here's a family photo with Belle.
John charmed a smooch from Princess Aurora, the outline of which he wore proudly on his cheek until his face got wiped down after lunch.
*Magical Disney moment: There was a sweet little girl with some severe handicaps in line ahead of us. Her leg was in a cast of sorts with pins protruding out of it. Her sweet little face had some irregularities, but when she approached the first princess with the help of her mom, her face lit up into a HUGE smile. I was tearing up watching the scene unfold.
For lunch we met up with Harley Wentzel, who served in Adam's same mission. Adam and Harley were never companions, but they shared an apartment and had a great time together. Harley now works for Disney (under the carousel, actually), so he popped up to pass an hour with us on his lunch break.
The rest of the day, we spent exploring the low-key aspects of the park. Here are a few photos of the Swiss Family Robinson tree house. We had the kids watch the movie on the way down so they could be properly impressed.
Adam and the kiddos.
Climbing up the treehouse...with pizzazz, if you're Emma.
We also watched the afternoon stage show that is performed in front of the castle. I jerry-rigged some shade for our group by putting a tarp between our two strollers so the heat was bearable, and the kids really enjoyed the show. Afterwards, we snapped this classic family photo.
Emma on the Carousel.
Try as they might, Spencer and Emma just couldn't get that sword in the stone to budge.
Spencer gave it all he had, since Adam told him whoever gets the sword out becomes king of Disney World. Strong incentive!
Other Rides we Enjoyed During our Day of Leisure:
Jungle Cruise - again, this time with an awake John.
Boat Driving - this little game is found right by Jungle Cruise. S and E both loved to drive the boats, hard to remember to take turns, though.
Goofy's Barnstormer - cute roller coaster; S and E rode it twice, once with each parent.
Frontierland Arcade - Adam is sure never to miss the Frontierland Arcade, and the kids love it too!
Prince Charming Regal Carousel - John surprised me by loving the up and down of being on a carousel horse...once he got over the actual process of getting on the horse, which was a little unnerving.
Swiss Family Treehouse - A classic favorite.
Walt Disney Railroad - A fun way to get across the park, and a throwback to Disney's love of railroads.
Murals under Cinderella's Castle - I didn't know these existed, but we had fun looking at them when we explored the underside of Cinderella's Castle. Emma kept asking where the other princesses sleep at night. She was especially worried about Sleeping Beauty whose castle is in Disneyland. Hopefully, Cinderella is nice enough to put all those princesses up for the evening during their stay at Disney World.
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