McKinstry Moments: Orlando Vacation 2016: Day 6

If I had to pick my favorite day of the trip, it would have to the first one we spent at Magic Kingdom. It was nice weatherwise, we got to enjoy both lunch and dinner at Disney that day, and we were able to experience so much in the time we were there thanks to their Magic hours. Plus, we didn't have to be as rushed as at the other parks since we'd planned to spend two days at this particular one.

From the moment we arrived we were soaking it all in:

Of course, after the ferry ride over to the park, the first thing that captured everyone's attention was Cinderella's castle.

We stopped to get some classic family shots right in front of it just like everyone else. You can't come home from Disney without one of these pics, right?

While the boys weren't too enthused about picture taking, Miss Hadley Jayne sure was!

Our first FastPass was "Big Thunder Mountain," so we headed that direction but didn't have much time to get there after having our bags checked, waiting in line to scan our cards, and taking some pics. While Reid was too small to participate in this one, I am so glad we opted to do it. It's unusual to find a roller coaster that is great for kids and adults, but all of us thought this one was good. It didn't jerk us around too much but gave us the thrill we were seeking.

Dave waited with Reid while we went first, but thanks to Rider Switch, he got to go back with the bigger two cuties and let them ride again. They were happy to get another go at it, so it was a win-win for everyone.

I had hoped to get in more rides before lunch but we were a little slow moving that morning, so after the roller coaster we had to scurry back across the park for the reservations we had at "Be Our Guest" Restaurant. When I registered, the only time slot left was 10:50, so it was an early lunch for us, but I think everyone was ready!

I'd highly recommend this dining experience to anyone who is visiting. You are in Belle's castle and have the choice of three rooms. We sat in the main ball room where you can see snow flakes falling in the windows behind you. Unlike the character meals, this restaurant was much more inexpensive as well and had amazing food. The dinner prices were much higher, so I'd recommend definitely trying to get in at the lunch hour. The waitstaff was great and several even volunteered to take pictures for us. We didn't feel rushed or crowded, just able to enjoy ourselves and take in the scenery.

There were cherubs painted above us and Hadley said, "There's heaven on the ceiling."

Outside of Belle's castle, we spotted a Little Mermaid ride. Riding in clam shells, it took you through elaborate displays showing different scenes from the movie as they played the appropriate under the sea sing-a-longs at each section. Definitely entertaining! Reid even cried to go again - and we did!

A hop, skip, and a jump away, we found Dumbo - one of the most classic rides at the park. While I stayed back to take pictures, Mom and Dave rode with the kids. They said that the line winds through the building where there is a play area for kids to crawl through until they call you for your turn at an elephant flight. It was a unique way to keep the kids entertained, but Dave said it was also chaos and made him a little nervous, especially about keeping up with Reid.

Up, up, and away!

The next ride we hit was a bit faster - the Barnstormer. We had a fair wait, but it was made a lot better when I caught these sweeties hugging on each other. Melts my heart!

This was a big step up from the Shamu roller coaster a few days ago, but as expected, Reid loved it!

Nearby Barnstomer was the Fantasyland station. This train ride took us for a long trip around the park. The breeze was nice and so was getting a few minutes to sit down...shew!

We had just enough time once we got back to stop at Pete's sideshow to meet Daisy and Minnie.

Donald and Goofy were there too but the kids weren't too interested in them that day and we needed to get moving.

Dave and Caleb had a FastPass for "Space Mountain" after that, and thankfully we got to do a Rider Switch so I could ride with my big boy too. I was so nervous to let him on a "real" roller coaster though that I kept praying the whole time the boys went and kept trying to reach into the front seat to make sure he was still there when I was riding with him since the whole experience is in the dark and you can't see. Dave thought I was a nut...

"Splash Mountain" was next on the intinerary! I specifically planned this right before dinner knowing we might get soaked and my kids are just like me, wet clothes ruin the day. I figured we'd get a quick change afterwards and head to supper. Surprisingly though, we barely even got damp this time expect our hair.

I remember bits and pieces from our trips to Disney when I was a kid and a teenager, but one thing I do is this particular ride. My mom used to read me the Brer Rabbit stories, and as a result I loved this ride despite the fact that it got me wet, which is saying a lot. It was nostalgic.

For dinner we made reservations at Chef Mickey's per Jen's list of suggestions, and we were definitely not disappointed. This restaurant was at a resort outside of the park though, so we had to catch the monorail to head over.

While you eat, Chef Mickey, Chef Minnie, Chef Pluto, Chef Goofy, and Chef Donald all make their way over to your table to greet the kids throughout the meal. My younger two loved it, and I have to say I think the adults got as big of kick out of it as the kids. The best part was watching their faces light up in anticipation.

Our first character meeting was with Minnie - Hadley's favorite, of course!

Hadley had to show Minnie her new purse NaNa bought her earlier in the day.

Hadley was pretty happy when Donald showed up too. Reid, on the other hand, had gotten a hold of a butter knife and was so excited that we let him use it to cut his food that he didn't care too much about the characters at that point. Crazy kid!

But...then Pluto showed up! "Hi, Poo-toe, I Reid! Hi, Poo-toe, I Reid!" he kept saying over and over as our little fella anxiously watched Pluto stop at a few tables before ours.

Love these faces!

While we were waiting on the others, the kids got to make a little trip to the desserts. Yum!

To our surprise, Minnie showed up again and spent a little extra time with Hadley girl.

Then came Goofy, who really got the party started as he demonstrated for all the kids how to twirl their cloth napkins in the air over their heads. No need to worry about table manners here.

It was getting about time for us to head back, but Mickey hadn't shown up yet! We were getting a little worried. Finally though, here that mouse came. Everyone was excited!

Reid has a new habit of putting his hand on his hip. LOL!

A few more of Hadley with her purse just because she's so cute!

As far as this meal went, we loved it, but it would be hard to decide if we would do it again next time. The meals were very expensive if you didn't have a meal plan (which only resort guests can purchase), and in all honesty, there are plenty of opportunities to meet the characters in the park and snag pics with them. It also took up a good chunk of time when we could have been doing more in the park. On the other hand, it was nice to have a place to sit and enjoy ourselves while the characters came to us. I also felt like they were more interactive and playful with the kids than just at the meet and greets. It would be such a tough choice!

Enough about dinner though. After the meal we took the monorail back and arrived right in time for the evening parade. The problem was that we couldn't find a spot along the streets to park and watch.

Finally, we found a side street, but it was still extremely crowded. Once we settled in our spots though, we were able to see everything well. (FYI - They sell lots of light up toys at night at the parks, so if you want to save a few bucks but still have something for the kids, stop by the Dollar Tree or Target. My kids were completely satisfied with what I brought.)

After the parade, we had to catch a FastPass at "Peter Pan's Flight," which was one of my favorite rides in the park. In a pirate ship, you float high above the city on your way to Neverland where you encounter the Lost Boys, pirates, Captain Hook, etc. along the way. It was adorable.

After that, we saw that "It's a Small World" had little to no line, so we tried that as well. Though I know this is one of their older attractions, it was one of my least favorites. Our timing was bad too, because we accidentally missed the fireworks while we were doing it.

Once we were done with that, we found the carousel line was very reasonable as well. We rode it once all together, and then the boys kept riding while the girls went to meet a few princesses.

Since Frozen is still the most recent big hit film for Disney, the Anna and Elsa meet and greet were completely booked up. My cousin Stacey had warned me that when they went, her and Anabella had to wait in line for two hours. I knew Hadley really wanted to meet the princesses, but this mommy was not up for a two hour wait so I wasn't quite sure what to do. Thankfully, since we stayed late, past when our kids should have been in bed, the line was much more reasonable - 30 minutes or so. I knew we'd better do it then or never.

A little snapshot with Cinderella's glass slipper before going in.

These ladies did a great job of staying in character. Elsa came to greet us and walk Hadley in.

A staff member kept teasing Hadley that her dress had snowballs all over it, and Hadley kept arguing with giggles that they were polka-dots. The woman acted like she had never heard of such a thing and both princesses played into the game. Anna, especially did great, jabbering away something about Sven and Olaf and their snowball fights I think. She was so much in character that I caught myself being caught up in the make believe.

I wondered where we'd find the boys when we came out. Surprisingly, they were still on those hoppy horses. And, per Hadley's request, we all took another round before visiting a couple more princesses.

Look at this wild woman!

I had FastPasses to see Rapunzel and Cinderella on our second day to Magic Kingdom, but since the lines were low, we decided to go ahead and see them so I could switch that around and use it for something else later. It worked out perfectly!

Because they were having what Disney calls Magic Hours that night, the park didn't close until midnight, and we were determined to make the most of it. With a little more time before we all turned into pumpkins and the park closed, we tried the Peter Pan ride again.

One thing I will say about using FastPasses is that by bypassing the lines, you miss all the cool displays they have set up for those who have to wait. I was glad we got to go through the line for this particular ride the second time because they took us through the kids' nursery. I love this kind of stuff!