Let The Memories Continue! – Day 4
Today is our second Magic Kingdom day. We had an early FP+ to catch and thus did not stop for breakfast.
Upon arrival at the park, Ashley was getting really hungry so we stopped at Main Street Bakery to grab a Mickey Cake Pop for her using our snack credit. We then made our way to Fantasyland to ride Peter Pan’s Flight. This attraction has one of the longest wait time in Fantasyland since there is no height restriction. We scanned our Magic Bands and off we go and embarked on a high flying adventure aboard a magical pirate ship to Never Land. We sailed through the nighttime sky over London and passed many unforgettable scenes made famous in the film, Peter Pan. After the ride, we made our way back to the Main Street as it was our turn to get our coffee fix. Jarod had been craving for the Starbucks Frappuccino while I needed my Latte (ZA : Starbucks is included in the Dinning Plan as a Snack Credit. And since we get the Dining Plan for free ….. ah this is the life…). Ashley had wanted an ice cream from the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor but it was not opened yet. I suggested that ZA cross over to Casey’s Corner to get Corn Dog Nuggets for her instead. It was a wise suggestion as it turned out that the Corn Dog Nuggets were delicious and Ashley said it was the best she had.
Our FP+ window opened for the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad as we crossed over to Frontierland. We hopped aboard the runaway mine train as we streaked through a haunted gold mining town. Even though we have riden this several times, we still enjoyed this tremendously.
I scored a FP+ for lunch at Be Our Guest, as requested by Jarod. He simply loves the Potato Leek Soup here. I immediately noticed that there is no standby line at all, This confirms the rumours that Disney is having another test and we were glad that we were able to put the service to the test once again at Be Our Guest. We placed our order, both Jarod and Ashley ordered the Croque Monsieur, ZA ordered the Carved Turkey Sandwich while I decided to order the Tuna Nicoise Salad for a change. We also ordered the Potato Leek Soup. For the desserts, Ashley had The Masters Cupcake, which is The Grey Stuff, Jarod had the Triple Chocolate Cupcake, ZA ordered the Lemon Meringue Cupcake and I ordered the new item on the menu – Éclair à l’Orange. After ordering, we stepped inside Beast’s castle which is a restaurant themed to Beauty and The Beast. We were still amazed at how incredible the details and theming were even though this was not the first time we dined here.
We picked a table at the gallery that is complete with artwork that celebrates Belle, Beast and their extended enchanted family, including Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Chip and Maurice.The centerpiece of the room is a lovely seven-foot-tall music box (including the base) of Belle and Beast that swirls about and plays actual music box music that was carved by Maurice to celebrate the couple’s love. The food appeared magically once again at our table. I really enjoyed my Tuna Nicoise Salad which came with warm seared tuna steak with chilled green beans, potatoes, olives, roasted bell peppers, tomatoes, and a poached egg. The salad is fresh and even a non salad person like me found it an excellent choice. The Eclair was also good filled with refreshing orange custard.
(ZA : The level of details included the soft drinks dispenser made in the ‘style’ of medieval era – if they have dispenser at that time)
After a hearty lunch, we went on to complete two missions in Magic Kingdom – Meet and Greet with Merida and Ariel at her Grotto. Ashley had come to like Merida just before this trip and this is a must do. The line was not very long but soon it turned cloudy. We were really hoping that the weather holds out for us. Ashley had fun meeting with Merida.The Character Meet and Greet were really good in Walt Disney World as they really take time to interact with the kids, and sometimes danced and almost most certainly, will end with a hug.
As the sky turned grey, we headed to Ariel’s Grotto. The line was long as most people headed indoor in anticipation of the impending shower. The grotto is decorated with many ‘Under The Sea’ artifacts including coral, sea-shells and starfish. Ariel was decked out in her mermaid costume and was friendly. Although she remains seated on the clam shell, she moves her flipper every now and then.
As we stepped out of Ariel’s Grotto, it began to rain. We rushed over to Big Top Souvenirs to take shelter.
We had thought of queuing for Space Mountain but the wait times for all indoor rides were incredibly long due to the weather. We stayed there till our FP+ return window for The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train opened. This is a brand new ride that opened on 28 May 2014 and on 1 November 2014, an ember from the nightly fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom caused a small fire on the Mine Train ride. It was quickly extinguished, nobody was hurt, and the attraction reopened later that evening. We read about the news back in Singapore and were worried that we may not be able to get on this ride but this was soon going to happen finally. This is a steel roller coaster ride which races through the diamond mine from Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs. We made our way across the rolling stone bridges and through a forest where you’ll find the Dwarfs’ cottage and all the stars from the film: Sleepy, Doc, Grumpy, Bashful, Sneezy, Happy, Dopey and, of course, Snow White herself whistling to cheery ‘Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho’. We were swinging up and down large lifts, cruising across sharp banks and swaying around exhilarating hairpin turns into the mine ‘where a million diamonds shine’. This is truly a delightful ride albeit a short one.
We decided to head back to the hotel for a rest since the park stays open till late today as the rain did not seem to clear. On our way back, Ashley was hungry and so we stopped at Pepper Market for a quick bite. The food court here is definitely better in terms of food quality as compared to the one at Port Orleans Riverside where we stayed last year. Ashley ordered the Baked Penne in Marinara, Jarod had Beef Tacos while ZA and I shared the Baked Pasta with Broccoli in Alfredo Sauce. For desserts, we had a Red Velvet Cake, Carrot Cake and a Cookie to go.
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We had a short rest in the room and I took the opportunity to catch up with the writing. Ashley had fun splashing in the bath tub. As evening approached, we made our way back to Magic Kingdom. It was then that we realised that we had left Ashley’s jacket and raincoat in Pepper Market. So, our first stop was The Emporium to find her a new jacket. Then we headed to Tomorrowland for the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin before proceeding to the highlight of our day.
We had reservations for Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party. This is our favourite place to watch Wishes, the nightly fireworks. When we we arrived, ZA found his name at the top of the list, we were the first party to make a reservation. What could be more relaxing than having desserts with coffee or tea while watching the fireworks with a good view. The venue faces Cinderella’s castle directly with totally unobstructed dazzling views. The Main Street was packed with people staking out for a spot one hour even before Wishes start. we are definitely not a fan of crowds. Here, the dessert tables were brimming with pastries, cookies, chocolate-covered strawberries and more mouthwatering desserts—as well as a variety of refreshing hot and cold beverages. We watched the Castle Light Show and the mesmerizing Wishes Nighttime Spectacular which is the biggest and brightest fireworks extravaganza in Magic Kingdom. We waved to Tinker Bell as she flew right above us.
Next, we caught The Main Street Electrical Parade. A cast member had kindly directed us to a spot with front row viewing. This is a nighttime parade of glowing, spinning, gliding floats filled with beloved Disney characters and dancers. Fun loving and feisty Tinker Bell lead the way with a wave of her wand. Half a million shimmering lights are carefully synchronized to a memorable soundtrack to create this moving musical spectacle which lasts over 20 electrifying minutes. The parade featured characters like Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Pinocchio. By now, Ashley was struggling to keep herself awake. We called it a day after the parade ended although the park will only close at 2am for resort guests. There is almost no wait time at all for most rides. Although the weather was kind of a dampener, we were happy that we spent quality time together.
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