Final day at Disneyworld

We had hoped the rain was just one of those southern afternoon showers but unfortunately the rain continued through the night and into the next day.  We continued on with our plans and ponchos and headed to the Animal Kingdom.

There was a slight drizzle for most of the day, but we were ok with that even though just about everything at the Animal Kingdom is outdoors.  We get lots of "zoo" in NY with our regular trips to the Central Park Zoo and the Bronx Zoo so we skipped lots of the animal stuff with the exception of the Flights of Wonder, an educational talk about birds.  It may have been a little slow for the boys but we got to see the scientists handle several birds including a bald eagle.  Freddie's quite impressed by bald eagles these days.

At Flights of Wonder

Both boys loved the TriceraTop Spin ride which is a lot like the Dumbo ride.

Freddie didn't like the Dinosaur ride though.  Seems as though each day there was one ride that was just too scary.

Front row!

We all really enjoyed the Festival of the Lion King show.  The costumes reminded me a lot of the costumes in the Broadway play.  The singing was great and the acrobats were impressive.  Freddie was really wowed by the acrobats although when I asked if he'd like to be an acrobat he said. "Nope.  I'm going to be a dada when I grow up."  Not many pictures here because of the rain.

We cancelled our dining for the day with Donald Duck so that we could spend some downtime at the hotel before going back to the Magic Kingdom later that evening.

We're all for wearing costumes!

That evening we headed to Mickey's Not so Scary Halloween Party....in the rain.

At a parade on Main Street

Because the admission to the party is separate from the general park admission it meant even lighter crowds.

The rain helped as well I'm sure.

Freddie and Hans both called out to Captain Hook.

The party has a special parade with all the villains and a special fireworks display.

Best advance purchase ever!

We caught the parade and fireworks and were able to do some of our favorite rides again.

One more time on Dumbo...

Another great day even if we were soaked.

Disney planning notes:

• We didn't pay extra for the "Park Hopper Pass" which allows you to visit more than one park each day with your ticket.  One park a day was more than enough.  Just make sure to plan which park to visit on which days by considering shows or parades that only happen on certain days.  We did the Animal Kingdom and the Magic Kingdom both in one day because we had tickets to the Halloween party.  It was nice, but I don't think it is necessary with young children.
• We put in some long days and late nights.  Overall the boys handled it well, but Hans could have used more down time.  Down time wouldn't have hurt Freddie either.
• We were there for 4 full days and it was PLENTY!  Having an extra day or two to just spend at the pool would have been nice but I don't think I could have taken any more time at the parks.
• The light up toys were my best purchase!  As soon as the sun sets they are everywhere.  

See you in a few years!

More Magic

I am so glad we planned for two days in the Magic Kingdom.  It was nice to go back the second day and know what to expect and have a general idea where things were.

We were able to go to rides early before the crowd whose lines were too long the day before.

This was in the morning but the kids look tired already!  It was in It's a Small World which we all loved.

We were also able to catch one of the parades on Main Street.

It was surprising to me how much the boys loved this.  It is something about those costumed characters.  

Freddie had me scooping up Mickey shaped confetti afterwards.  He was more excited about this than any other souvenir.

For lunch we met Pooh and his gang at the Crystal Palace.

Again it took a while for Hans to warm up.

I don't think he likes his meals interrupted either

After lunch the rain began so we headed back to the hotel.  Since we couldn't do much else we visited the pool.  A little downtime was just what we all needed.

The rain lasted all afternoon and evening so we headed into Downtown Disney for dinner rather than trying to go back to one of the parks.  Rain was a little disappointing but it was nice to have a break.


Disney planning notes:

• The character meals are usually at breakfast and lunch times.  The food isn't great.  Freddie loved the mac and cheese at the Crystal Palace though.  Again, totally worth it if you have the dining plan because Freddie loved getting his autograph book filled and we didn't have to stand in line.
• I bought all of the souvenirs ahead of time.  Yep, all of them.  The ears, the t-shirts, autograph books.  When the Disney Store had a big sale with free shipping I bought a surprise for the boys for each day.  Freddie still had the "wants" but I told him he could pick one thing to buy on the last day, so to keep his eyes open and choose wisely.  
• The food in Downtown Disney is better than in the parks and the restaurants are included in the dining plan, so check it out on a day where you take a break from the parks.  We ate at T-Rex.  Great fun for Freddie and a little scary for Hans with all of the model dinosaurs everywhere moving and growling.  
• I'm disappointed we missed the Main Street Electrical parade.  We caught a glimpse of it Sunday night but planned on seeing it Monday night.  Because of the rain we didn't go back.  Next time. But consider fireworks and parades when planning which parks to visit on which days because they aren't every night.

The Magic Kingdom

 We got an early start the next morning with a 7am breakfast with Mickey and his gang.  It was still dark when we got on the bus to head to the restaurant.

Although having meals with the characters was distracting and expensive it is a good thing we scheduled a few, otherwise we would have been standing in line in the parks waiting to meet everyone.  This way everyone came by our table, signed autographs, gave high fives, and posed for pictures.

Hans ignoring Goofy

And there were Mickey waffles...

Hans started warming up a bit when Minnie came around...

And Pluto finally got him smiling.

Although it was very early, it turned out to be perfect timing because we finished up just as the Magic Kingdom was opening.

Everything was decorated for fall.

We had several rides on the itinerary for the day and managed to go on so many because there were no lines at all and the few things that did get short lines we managed to get "fast passes," which allow you to bypass the line.

The Magic Kingdom is perfect for the boys.

Although Freddie would have rather skipped Splash Mountain.  Can you see him next to Dada holding on for dear life?

I think we could have just visited this one park and everyone would have been content.

There are so many rides for preschool aged kids.

Freddie loved, and I mean LOVED, the Dumbo ride.

Pink cheeks!  We were hot!!

Mama was excited to ride the teacups.

And that Hansie loves anything with cars.

We managed to stay for the fireworks.  It was the boys' first time seeing fireworks.  They were wide eyed even though they were exhausted.

The Magic Kingdom was definitely a hit.  And we get to do it all over again tomorrow.


Disney planning notes:

• Make dining reservations up to 180 days in advance.  Even if you just *think* you may go, make the reservations.  The character meals fill up quickly.
• The character meals are worth it.  They are especially worth it if you have the dining plan.  And the are really, really worth it if you got the dining plan for free like we did.  The dining plan is often a freebie during low season.  Without the dining plan the character means run about $30 per adult and $15 per child.  They are buffet style.
• Download the Undercover Tourist Disneyworld App to see approximate wait times for rides.  This app loaded faster than the official WDW app and was easier to check for wait times.  The WDW app was great to keep up with our itinerary including dinner reservations.