Day 14 - Where the magic happens
Somehow it seemed fitting to visit the Disney Magic Kingdom on a Sunday as that was the night that Disney used to always be on television. It was also the first time that we felt that we were actually in Disney World as the first thing you see when you walk into the park is the famous Disney Magical Castle. It actually sends a tingle up the spine (even in your forties) to see in person what you have seen for years and years on television – it was genuinely exciting and we could not stop smiling.
We made our way straight to the rides in Frontierland (a replica of the Wild West) however we were distracted on the way when we (well I) spotted Donald Duck dressed up in Frontier gear so there was no way that I was missing a photo opportunity with my favourite Disney character. After attempting to act really cool (although I am sure I failed dismally) we then finally hit the rides. The first was a log boat ride that travelled through the wild west prior to the mandatory falling off the edge of a cliff into the waters below whilst the other ride was a train ride through the mountains which was also pretty cool.
The other 2 characters that we had a chance to meet with were Woody and Jessie. I could not help myself and gave Jessie a big hug (that’s for you Oscar!!!!). Jessie then became extremely excited and I was thinking: Man, what a great hugger I must be, when I realised that she had spotted the colour of Talia’s hair and was excited to meet another red head. There was a lot of celebration taking place and Talia was tickled pink that Jessie was making such a fuss.
We spent the remainder of the morning going on varying rides (some good and some actually really poor) and seeing some shows. In the afternoon we finally had a chance to meet who most would consider to be the stars of the show (although I still favour Donald myself) Mickey and Minnie. Again, after watching years and years of Disney on TV, this was actually a really cool moment to be in the same room and get a chance to have a hug from both of them.
In the afternoon we took a chance to take some racing cars for a spin. This would have been great fun except for the rain storm that came through the minute we set off from the start line and it was a typical tropical rain storm where the drops of rain were the size of basketballs and with each drop you became drenched. By the time we finished (about 5 minutes later) the rain subsided and we were drowned. This is where the great thing about staying at a Disney resort and the parks staying open late (Magical Kingdom was open until 2.00am) we then headed home for some dry clothes, a bite for dinner and then returned to the park to continue the fun.
When we returned the fun ramped up due to 2 reasons: The Monsters Inc Laugh Floor show and a ride called Space Mountain. The Monsters Inc Laugh Floor was fantastic. It used all the characters from the show Monsters Inc who performed stand up routines. The brilliant thing was the interaction with the audience. Each of the characters was able to have a direct dialogue with audience members as if they were real. The lip sync was spot on and I have no idea how they did it however it was extremely funny and we were glad we went. As for Space Mountain, well this is the best roller coaster ride in the world. We though the Aerosmith roller coaster was the best however this beats it hands down. Most of it is in the dark and you have no idea which direction you are going and the whole way you are either screaming or laughing and sometimes a mixture of both. We could not get enough of this ride and kept going back and back and back. Now here is a tip: if you are not particular about riding the same ride at the same time with the family then go in the single ride entry lanes. It is 10 times quicker than the other queues and sure you need to share with strangers however who cares – the ride is still cool.
In between taking rides we made our way across to a music show that was taking place and the kids found themselves dancing with the likes of Pluto and Chip (from Chip n Dale – the chipmunks).
Even though we had seen the Magical Castle, Zac made a comment that it still did not seem right because Tinkerbell had not touched the top of the castle with her wand and sprinkled magic fairy dust across the top. Well this was all about to change as the Magic Kingdom Summer Spectacular fireworks display took place. This was everything that you would expect from a Disney fireworks display and it took place directly over the top of the magical castle. The crowning moment and one that made Zac very happy was when Tinkerbell flew from the top of the castle through the sky and sprinkled her magic fairy dust (in the form of well crafted fireworks). Now it felt like we were in Disney World. We finished the night (at 1.45am) with an ice cream, a bus trip home and some fantastic memories that will never be forgotten.
We made our way straight to the rides in Frontierland (a replica of the Wild West) however we were distracted on the way when we (well I) spotted Donald Duck dressed up in Frontier gear so there was no way that I was missing a photo opportunity with my favourite Disney character. After attempting to act really cool (although I am sure I failed dismally) we then finally hit the rides. The first was a log boat ride that travelled through the wild west prior to the mandatory falling off the edge of a cliff into the waters below whilst the other ride was a train ride through the mountains which was also pretty cool.
The other 2 characters that we had a chance to meet with were Woody and Jessie. I could not help myself and gave Jessie a big hug (that’s for you Oscar!!!!). Jessie then became extremely excited and I was thinking: Man, what a great hugger I must be, when I realised that she had spotted the colour of Talia’s hair and was excited to meet another red head. There was a lot of celebration taking place and Talia was tickled pink that Jessie was making such a fuss.
We spent the remainder of the morning going on varying rides (some good and some actually really poor) and seeing some shows. In the afternoon we finally had a chance to meet who most would consider to be the stars of the show (although I still favour Donald myself) Mickey and Minnie. Again, after watching years and years of Disney on TV, this was actually a really cool moment to be in the same room and get a chance to have a hug from both of them.
In the afternoon we took a chance to take some racing cars for a spin. This would have been great fun except for the rain storm that came through the minute we set off from the start line and it was a typical tropical rain storm where the drops of rain were the size of basketballs and with each drop you became drenched. By the time we finished (about 5 minutes later) the rain subsided and we were drowned. This is where the great thing about staying at a Disney resort and the parks staying open late (Magical Kingdom was open until 2.00am) we then headed home for some dry clothes, a bite for dinner and then returned to the park to continue the fun.
When we returned the fun ramped up due to 2 reasons: The Monsters Inc Laugh Floor show and a ride called Space Mountain. The Monsters Inc Laugh Floor was fantastic. It used all the characters from the show Monsters Inc who performed stand up routines. The brilliant thing was the interaction with the audience. Each of the characters was able to have a direct dialogue with audience members as if they were real. The lip sync was spot on and I have no idea how they did it however it was extremely funny and we were glad we went. As for Space Mountain, well this is the best roller coaster ride in the world. We though the Aerosmith roller coaster was the best however this beats it hands down. Most of it is in the dark and you have no idea which direction you are going and the whole way you are either screaming or laughing and sometimes a mixture of both. We could not get enough of this ride and kept going back and back and back. Now here is a tip: if you are not particular about riding the same ride at the same time with the family then go in the single ride entry lanes. It is 10 times quicker than the other queues and sure you need to share with strangers however who cares – the ride is still cool.
In between taking rides we made our way across to a music show that was taking place and the kids found themselves dancing with the likes of Pluto and Chip (from Chip n Dale – the chipmunks).
Even though we had seen the Magical Castle, Zac made a comment that it still did not seem right because Tinkerbell had not touched the top of the castle with her wand and sprinkled magic fairy dust across the top. Well this was all about to change as the Magic Kingdom Summer Spectacular fireworks display took place. This was everything that you would expect from a Disney fireworks display and it took place directly over the top of the magical castle. The crowning moment and one that made Zac very happy was when Tinkerbell flew from the top of the castle through the sky and sprinkled her magic fairy dust (in the form of well crafted fireworks). Now it felt like we were in Disney World. We finished the night (at 1.45am) with an ice cream, a bus trip home and some fantastic memories that will never be forgotten.
