It was on this day that I had a minor meltdown - about the sweat and the rain
and the fighting and the neglecting of the third child on his first trip. I was
thankful the trip was long, but sad knowing it wouldn't be as easy to pull the
girls out of school going forward, and really just struggling a bit, despite a
relatively good vacation. But since we're focusing on the good around here,
we'll move on ;)
After a late night, we were taking the morning much more
slowly. The girls played in bubble baths, we got breakfast at the resort,
greeted the cast members who were wiping dry the benches and handrails, watched
some Resort TV and generally lazed around - until about 9-something, anyway,
which is pretty late for us early-risers!
The kids looked particularly
cute in their matching surf shirts, so we attempted a picture - which was nearly
an epic failure. We entertained a few passersby, though, so that was
fun.
It was a Magic Kingdom morning, and we were starting out in Fantasyland. We got
fastpasses for Peter Pan's Flight and Mickey's Philharmagic, and took another
ride on our still-favorite "it's a small world". The girls were hilariously
concerned about Ryder going overboard on bridges, boats, etc the whole trip -
they are so silly!
We actually waited in line for Winnie the Pooh for the
first time in ages (instead of using a Fastpass), so we finally got to see all
of the interactive queue that has been finished for several trips now. It's
very cute, and we had fun while waiting.
Emmersyn, Hartley and I went to Peter Pan and Mickey's Philharmagic while Zach took
Ryder to Pinocchio Village Haus to grab a nap and a table for lunch. The girls
were very impressed with our table that overlooked "it's a small world", so we
ended up with a lot of extra food ;)
Next, Ryder and I checked out Big Top Souvenirs (a new favorite - what a great
shop!), while Zach took the girls on the Barnstormer. Oh, by the way, it was
raining a lot. Shocking, I know. Worked out well to clear lines, though! When
they were finished, a few of us rode the teacups, resigned to the fact that
Ryder's naps would never line up with him riding much of anything, and then made
our way to Tomorrowland.
In the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, Emmersyn was chosen to be Boo - and then the
audience heard the monster say, "and look, she has a stunt double!". So, so
cute! Their joke was read again (first, out of a very full audience), so it was
a fun day in Monstropolis for the Carter girls.
Zach took them on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin next, while Ryder and I went to our spot for the 3:00 parade. We all enjoyed a Citrus Swirl (less than a Dole Whip, though!) and a Sweet Cream pretzel while waiting.... but it wouldn't be enough, since the parade was delayed more than half an hour due to rain. For the first time, Ryder was going to be awake and playful during a parade, too, squealing with delight at everything in sight. *sigh* Instead, he was really crabby and has yet to really experience much of a Disney parade. I guess we'll have to go back? :) The girls were adorable, talking to all the characters - and hiding, literally scared, from the Queen of Hearts!
We went to the Enchanted Tiki Room next, because pretty much everything else was
packed. The crowds were really picking up for Columbus Day, earlier than I had
expected. Pirates wasn't a bad line though, so we went on that next. The girls
love that ride, which still confuses me to no end. :)
Our last stop at
the MK was at the Chapeau, where we learned that a previous Epcot cast member
was ignorant - it's absolutely still possible to get the traditional font on
Mickey ears in white. So finally, nearing the end of our trip, we remembered to
get Ryder his first ears. That's all I'll say about that. That, and that he's
super cute!
Dinner was a monorail ride away at the Kona Cafe, and I have to say I was quite
disappointed. People we know always rave about it, but we found it very
mediocre, at least that night. The girls were well-behaved so the experience
was a good one - but we'll stick with our beloved Ohana from now on when we want
to eat at the Poly!
Back at the hotel, Zach and the girls swam at the
feature pool while Ryder and I did laundry again. Don't worry, he'd get to swim
eventually!