Disney Day Six - Magic Kingdom Again

Nothing makes me happier than waking up to cuddles from Christian and a whispered "I love you" in my ear. It is the best way to start the day.

Since we knew we'd be at the park late tonight I took the boys to the pool before breakfast while James made lunch and got ready for the day. We were hoping to use the water slides since they are not open at night but alas they were closed this morning as well. Still we had a great time playing tag and Marco Polo. And Christian swam on his back all the way across the pool! He was so proud and happy.

Christian

Enjoying the hot tub

Jon loves to be warm

Will and Christian swimming

Wet boys in front of the lake

Baby ducks!

 After our quick swim it was time to head to the park. We tried to take the ferry over but the wait was interminable so we ended up on the monorail again. Once inside the gates we took the train over to Frontierland where Noel and the kids were waiting for us at Splash Mountain. After the river ride yesterday Will wasn't sure he wanted to go on another water ride but we finally convinced him to join us. Diana and I rode together in the back and spent the whole time laughing, talking, and making silly faces. This was James' first time on the ride and he loved it! Will did too, especially since he didn't get wet.

Mackenzie

Aunty Diana and Christian

After Splash Mountain we had a little time to kill so we went to the Country Bear Jamboree which I think could be a very effective horror attraction with just a little work. The show let out at a restaurant which was convenient since it was lunch time. After lunch it was time for another fast pass and we were off to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This coaster is probably the most enjoyable of all the rides in the Magic Kingdom. It doesn't have huge drops but it is a long, fast ride with lots of little drops and nice smooth curves. We always love it. 

James put on the ears and is amused

They made me put on the ears too... grrr

From there we were off to the Haunted Mansion which the boys and I had never been on. The second we walked into the building Jon asked to leave. The line was too scary for him and I didn't want to make him stay. But we were offered the option of skipping the entryway and moving right to the actual ride and after a little deliberation Jon decided to do that. We met up with the rest of our party at the ride and were all able to go on together. The ride was fine and Jon wasn't scared a bit. I was really proud of him for saying that he wanted to leave and also for coming on the ride. Will and Christian weren't scared at all and Christian was so excited about seeing all the ghosts and monsters.

Christian gets some love from Aunty Diana

Mackenzie hams it up

Jon found a gecko

I loved the way we did the park today. We had our fast passes organized so that we did all the rides we wanted in one section of the park before moving on to another. It cut down our walking tremendously and allowed us to go on a lot more rides. Doing the park this way made a huge difference I think to our enjoyment and energy levels.

Getting splashed

Cooling off

After the mansion we went over to Adventureland where we ate ice cream while watching a pirate show and then went on Pirates of the Caribbean and the Jungle Cruise. The Jungle Cruise is basically a ten minute stand up routine comprised of terrible puns but it was a good time and he had us laughing a lot at the end.

Diana gives Riley bunny ears

On Pirates of the Caribbean 

Will is not amused by the Jungle Cruise puns

Next came Fantasyland where we saw the Philharmonic show and went on the Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh rides. We used fast passes for both but the Winnie the Pooh line, the regular one, is so good that the kids stopped to play in the line for a few minutes before we moved on. Both of these rides were decent kid rides and Nemo and the Little Mermaid could learn a lot from their design. James loved the Peter Pan ride and said that it reminded him of the E.T. ride at Universal.

Getting on the Winnie the Pooh ride

In Pooh's house

Eating all the honey

 I know I'm listing a lot of rides today but really, we did a lot! We still had a couple hours before our dinner reservations and James wanted to check out Space Mountain so we were off to Tomorrowland which is rather in need of an update. Only Noel had been on Space Mountain before and the rest of us didn't know what exactly to expect. Christian was beyond thrilled though to see that he had his very own seat and could ride by himself. Most of the ride was done in complete blackness so even though it wasn't super fast you couldn't prepare yourself for any turns or drops so we felt a little jerked around. It was better than I expected though and the kids really enjoyed it. Christian especially loved it and said that it was his favorite ride. Always the ham he yelled as we came into the exit, "Let me off! I'm not going to die on this ride!"

The kids in front of the castle

Unfortunately, because of all the sudden twists, Noel sprained her ankle on Space Mountain. We found some ice and went on Carousel of Progress so she could rest and ice her leg. It was almost time for dinner after that but Christian really wanted to go on the people mover so James took all the kids on that. I think it was a bit of a disappointment to end on that particular ride but we'd all had a great and fun filled day so we were happy to leave the park.

For dinner we ate at Chef Mickey's which was slightly more expensive than the other character dinners but did have some fantastic steak. Christian and I ate nine pieces between us and I had to send James up for more because I was too embarrassed to ask for a third plate full of steak... But the food was all delicious. We also got to meet Mickey, Goofy, Donald, and Minnie. Christian gave them all huge hugs. I think that five might be the perfect age for Disney.

Goofy and the kids

Donald steals some of our meal

Donald and the kids

Donald steals Riley's hat

Jon fights Donald for the hat

While the kids were hugging Mickey, James knocked over his glass with a huge crash. We all jumped and I think Mickey was rather startled. He came over and patted James on the head and signaled that I needed to keep a closer eye on him. Then the waiter came over with a new glass of coke with a cover on it. It was hilarious and we all laughed and laughed.

James and Mickey share a laugh

Mickey and the kids

Minnie and Jon

Minnie and Mackenzie

Minnie and the kids

We had a great dinner but soon it was time to say goodbye. It was wonderful to spend this time with Noel and the kids and while this was our last day in the parks they still have two more days left. We gave them all hugs and our love and headed off to our hotel. We didn't go swimming though because we have an early checkout time and a surprise for the boys tomorrow. I'm off to pack now. Goodnight!