WDW: December 7, 2011

It was a long night, but I guess not historically so for a night at Walt Disney World. We left at about 7:30 for the Magic Kingdom, and ended up third in line for the Rapunzel meet and greet! *sigh* And then some ridiculous snafu happened, and she showed up over an hour late anyway. Seriously, I HATE this meet and greet. You know that. Disney execs know that. Apparently nobody cares (despite the fact that I'm one of dozens of people - that I know - who have offered (constructive!) criticism on the attraction, and despite the fact that every other character experience is getting better with time).

The girls were angels in line despite the absurdity, and I might have ticked a few parents off... but that's a story for another time. :) Eventually we made it in to say hello, and somehow it was almost worth it. They told her about their dresses and shoes, about their coloring pages, and talked about how long Rapunzel's hair was when she was three.

Next we conquered Fantasyland, smoothie in hand.  Hartley adored the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, the carousel was a hit still, and - both girls decided that "it's a small world" is still their very favorite ride. We also saw Mickey's Philharmagic (the girls are getting much better at "skipping" parts of attractions they don't love) and rode Peter Pan's Flight, all before lunch at Columbia Harbour House.

Here it was, the first example of the ridiculous amounts of food we have now that our children (who mostly eat like birds) are on the dining plan. Yes, of course I ran the numbers and it was still a phenomenal deal. And actually, it turned out great. We were able to pack away some from each lunch for breakfast the next day, the girls got to choose whatever they wanted instead of always having to agree... it was quite fun! And filling. For eight days straight.

We headed back to the hotel for a break, which was (still) a terrible idea.  Hartley had a hellacious meltdown which resulted in Zach giving up his break to drive her around town like a colicky newborn, while Emmersyn and I caught about an 8-minute nap - and we left later for our evening than we had intended.

Back at the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, we rode the Carousel of Progress and checked into The Plaza, catching "Dream Along with Mickey" while waiting

Dinner was fine, but I didn't regret that it had taken so long to eat there. The kids appetizers were a source of amusement (the only two offered being a salad and tomato soup, so perfect for my two!), and the Mickeylodeon desserts were cute. The rest was fine.

We got a parade spot ridiculously early, but it was no problem. We took turns sitting bundled under a blanket waiting and checking out some nearby parts of the party. The girls and I watched Country Bear Jamboree and then they were so excited to say hello to Prince Ali and Abu - who were quick to see us, as the Princesses and Queen of Ohio :). We tried to go dance with Woody and Jessie, but the girls were overwhelmed (it was late)... so instead we headed back to our spot with hot chocolate and cookies. {Love this party!} After a little snack, Zach and Hartley went to ride the Magic Carpets - but Emmersyn wanted to stay and play with her light toy.

The parade at this party makes our entire trip worthwhile each time, and I can think of no other place I'd rather be than watching their little faces light up. We love WDW - did you know that?

On our way to our firework spot we caught Tinker Bell and Rosetta with a really short wait. I grabbed more hot chocolate - and apple slices, which we'd been looking for all night! - and we all really enjoyed Holiday Wishes.

It was a fantastic night, and the girls were sleepy but awake and well-behaved on the monorail - even at 10pm. I was praying for a better night's sleep, but couldn't complain about the evening we'd just had! :)

WDW: December 8, 2011