Sunday at Magic Kingdom

We were up bright and early for our first full day at Disney World.  One quick monorail trip and we were standing outside the Magic Kingdom gates waiting for Mickey to open the park.  The train arrived right on time carrying beloved characters who did a little song and dance.  Then, with fireworks and fanfare, the park officially opened and we made a break for the new Fantasyland.

Destination number one on our touring plan was Enchanted Tales with Belle.  A brand new attraction with limited space and no FastPass means get there early or wait forever.  Our hustling was rewarded as we were ushered in with practically no wait!

We started in Maurice's Cottage where we glimpsed the life Belle lived before her fairy tale began.  The cottage is full of her father's inventions and charming little touches like the portrait of Belle with her mother.  

Tessa measured herself against the marks on the wall and was delighted to discover that she is taller than Belle was at 6 ans (years).

Thanks to some very cool special effect, we walked through the Magic Mirror and ended up inside the Beast's Castle.  Belle herself would soon join us, but first we auditioned for parts to help tell her story.  Ryan was the first one cast, a knight in shining armor, naturally.  Several other parts were selected and then it was time for Wardrobe, the enchanted opera singer.  Previous parts had been awarded based on raised hands and good looks - as in Ryan's case.  But in order to get Wardrobe's part, you had to sing.  Without hesitation, my mom and I belted out opera in off-key stereo.  Our Disney cast member was quite amused and told us we could choose which one of us got the part.  My mom let me do it and I happily joined Ryan and the others.  Belle arrived and proceeded to tell her story with the help of all of us amateur actors.  At the end, we volunteers had an opportunity to meet and greet Belle.  She's not only beautiful but sweet too, she told me my singing was impressive which is such a nice way to phrase it.  Disney did an absolutely fantastic job with this attraction, we loved every minute.

After Belle we had a small moment of panic where my mom couldn't find her room key/park pass.  She and Ryan headed to the ever helpful customer service and Tessa and I went to meet Fairy Godmother.  While standing in line I chit-chatted with a family from Chicago.  I noticed their little girl's magic wand and commented that they must have been to eat with Cinderella.  The dad proceeds to give me a run-down of how hard it is to get a reservation and blah, blah, blah.  We all know I'm an obnoxious planner and self-proclaimed Disney aficionado so I congratulate myself on smiling and nodding politely.  Dude, if you could only see my spreadsheet with twelve reservations.  Fairy Godmother was super sweet with Tessa.  

Pretty soon we were meeting back up with my mom and Ryan on Main Street.  Tessa loves the movie The Aristocats and she had talked about meeting Marie almost as much as she talked about seeing the princesses.  Lucky for us, Marie had booted Daisy out of the photo-op spot and was available right there on Main Street.  Tessa was beside herself with excitement while we waited to meet her favorite feline friend.

Marie was purr-fect (haha) making over Tessa and the stuffed Marie cat that we were carting around the park.  I had cringed at the idea of touring with a white stuffed animal but Marie's reaction made me happy I had chosen to ignore the ick factor.

Back in Fantasyland we went on the new Under the Sea ride.  You are transported past cute Ariel animatronics in a nifty clam shell.  Poor Tessa saw hardly any of it because she was terrified that Ursula was going to pop out and get her.  Unlike at Hollywood Studios, this Ursula is not at all scary.  But I couldn't convince Tessa of this so she rode with her head buried in my shoulder.

After that fun, we went to tried and true rides Small World, Peter Pan, & Winnie the Pooh.  I love, love, love these classics.

 

Time to break for lunch.  The line for the Be Our Guest looked crazy long but everyone stuck with me and in just a few minutes we were entering the castle.  After traipsing past the knights in shining armor we ordered lunch on a touch screen using a magic rose.  Steak sandwich for me, Croque Monsieur for Ryan, tuna for my mom, pasta for Tessa - everything on the menu looked great.  We  toured the West Wing where we saw the Magical Rose from the movie.  Each time thunder clapped another petal would fall.  Then we seated ourselves in the beautiful ballroom.  Voila!  Our yummy food was quickly delivered to our table and we were rewarded with the absolute best value for our counter service credit.

After lunch Tessa requested more characters so off to the princesses we went.  I like that Disney puts three of their most popular girls all together in one line but, honestly, this is not my favorite meet and greet.  Compared to character meals, it feels very rushed and you don't get nearly as much time to actually talk to each princess.  Obviously, my own little princess thought it was great and if she's happy I'm happy.

 

Merida gets my vote for the best meet and great.  Her spot is around the side of the castle and the line gets very long.  But, she is totally worth it.  When her gates opened she stuck her head out to assess the crowd.  She appointed two little boys to stand guard at the entrance and then we were all allowed to enter.  Unfortunately, this is about when the castle fireworks went off right above our heads.  I thought I was going to lose Tessa because she really, really doesn't like fireworks.  I hadn't realized it was already time for the afternoon castle show or I would have warned her.  Gracie, Merida's handler, was amazing talking to Tessa and calming her down.  Soon after that drama, it was our turn with the princess.  Personally, I think Brave is a terrifying movie.  We have only seen the severely edited version so I'm not very familiar with Merida trivia.  But, I did get the joke though when Merida was talking to Tessa about Ryan's birthday.  She warned us not to get his cake from the woodcutter's cottage.  She and Tessa had tons to talk about like archery, Tessa's beautiful dress and waiting to get married.   They hugged like long lost friends.  Tessa loved all the attention and I got some really cute pictures.

We made our way over to the teacups, a family favorite.  First the girls went for a spin and then Ryan joined us on the next round.  Dizzy and giggling we went looking for more rides.   

After our Carowinds fiasco, Tessa has not wanted to commit to riding any roller coasters.  Every time we talked about Disney she would ask me which rides went fast and were they dark.  I kept assuring her that she would love Goofy's Barnstormer, but she remained skeptical.  Skeptical or not, she was riding it.  She didn't put up much of a fuss but I could tell she was nervous.  However, once we got going she LOVED it.  My happy little princess rode Goofy's Barnstormer many times during our trip.  

Whew!  It was time for dinner and we were all glad to have a chance to sit down.  We dined at the Crystal Palace which is a great Magic Kingdom restaurant.  It's an all you can eat buffet in a perfect location with characters.  Tessa couldn't wait to see Tigger.  While the rest of us may have been running low on energy, Tessa was practically jumping up and down in her seat.  And Tigger did not disappoint, when he came to our table they bounced and bounced and bounced together.  It's a wonder my pictures aren't just a pink and orange blur.  After our meal we had the traditional birthday cupcake plus Ryan got a character signed birthday card.            

You would think this would be enough for one day, right?  Not for us!  We were refreshed from dinner (and many Diet Cokes) and ready for more fun.  We went to find mermaid Ariel.  Depending on the day, she is Tessa's favorite princess.  Last time we visited Disney, Ariel had not been available to meet in her mermaid costume.  Thanks to popular demand, she is back in "fin form" and better than ever in her brand new grotto.  These two talked all about swimming and how much they both love the water.

We had time for one more character spot before the park closed.  Tiana and Naveen were scheduled to be in Liberty Square and we staked out a spot in line.  Those pesky fireworks started again so Tessa and I headed to the Christmas shop where the booms were muffled.  Then the happy couple waltzed into the gazebo and we practically had them to ourselves.  Prince Naveen flirted shamelessly with my younger, and I think prettier, Tiana.  Tessa was awestruck and just hugged and hugged on him.  Eventually she remembered to talk to Tiana about food.  I thought for sure they would discuss gumbo recipes.  Nope, it was all about beignets which are now available at Tomorrowland Terrace. 

After this very successful day, we called it a night and headed back to our hotel.

Disney World!

It was time for our much anticipated trip to Disney World!  Ryan miraculously packed all of our stuff in the car, including the princess wardrobe that consisted of no less than fifteen ball gowns, and we were on the road.  Even with terrible rain during the first part of the drive we made it to Orlando by early afternoon.  We like to be on the road before dawn so that we can check in, unpack and relax before dinner.  Just for fun, we took a trip on the monorail.  It's still so magical to see Cinderella's Castle.   

Several weeks before our trip we had received a letter notifying us of construction at our hotel. Disney is expanding The Grand Floridian to included timeshare vacation condos over by the Wedding Pavilion.  I was stressed out about our view so Ryan called one of the wonderful representatives.  Disney really has the best customer service.  He ended up getting a deal that upgraded our room and still saved us money.  Even better, Ariel sent us a postcard a few days later that saved us additional money.  So we checked in to a fantastic room with a perfect view of Cinderella's Castle.      

We headed downstairs for dinner at 1900 Park Fare.  Personally, one of my favorite Disney tips is to have a character meal the night you arrive.  There isn't really time to go to a park but you get all the joy of seeing characters on the very first day.  As soon as we sat down I realized I had forgotten an autograph book.  Never fear, The Mouse stands ready at every corner to take your money.  A quick trip to the gift shop and we were in business. 

 

At this restaurant we got to see Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia and Drizella.  Ryan gets such a kick out of the animated step-sisters and Tessa made me laugh with her wicked step-mother pose.  I love how each character took lots of time talking to my princess and everybody patiently let me take tons of photos.

At some point during the meal, Cinderella and Prince Charming come out and lead a waltz.  Then the prince came over to dance with my Mini Cindy who all of a sudden acted shy.  So, Momma and Tessa and Prince Charming all danced together until Tessa warmed up, then she happily continued dancing without me.    

Back to the room for bedtime so we can get an early start the next day.   

Snow

While I'm not a fan of snow or winter or really any temps below 60 degrees, even I have to admit that building a snow man is pretty cool - pun intended.

 

Tessa loves making snow angels.  This picture makes me shiver!

Valentine's Party

 My sweet little Valentine at her school party.  

Mardis Gras

For Mardis Gras I tried a new recipe for a muffaletta and it was delicious!

I considered making my own King Cake but, thankfully, one of the bakeries in town puts them out for the holiday so I didn't have to.  Tessa got the piece with Baby Jesus, couldn't have planned that better if I had tried.

I wouldn't want to be on Bourbon Street on this crazy night, being home with my family is all the party I need.  Laissez les bon temps rouler!

100th Day Party

On the 100th day of school, Tessa was to dress like she was 100 years old.  I dressed her in beige with plenty of jewelry and saggy pantyhose. Then I added some bright make-up and baby powdered her hair.  A purse, Kleenex and prune face completed the look.  She makes an absolutely adorable elderly person.

 

 

 

 

Winter Gathering

December is full of so much hustle and bustle that Ryan's department at work has chosen to put off their Christmas party until January.  It was planned for Friday night but, thanks to the winter storm, it was pushed back to Saturday night.  Tessa spent the night with my parents and we checked in to a hotel within walking distance of the party downtown.  I have previously been too practical to spring for a hotel in my own town but Ryan was able to get a room for free and we thought it would be fun.  It was so much fun.  We checked in early and walked to a nearby tapas restaurant The Lazy Goat.  Then we made our way down the street to Zen where the party was.  Ryan works with great people and it was fun to talk, laugh, dance, eat and drink with them.  After the party closed down we passed up offers to join the after-party.  We're not used to this much excitement in one night anymore!   

Puppy Pawty

For her half birthday, Tessa wanted a Puppy Pawty.  As luck would have it, our very own puppy's birthday is in the same month so I did a combined party for my girls.  We invited some of our best friends and everything had doggy flair but I drew the line at including any other real dogs.  For months Tessa had graciously been inviting every dog she met while on a walk, in a pet store, or just up and down our street.  But when the time came for real invitations the girls were asked to bring only stuffed dogs to the party.     

 January is such a dull month so I was excited to have a party to plan.  I set up this doggy ear station where the girls could glue spots on their ears.  Those ears were attached to headbands so the girls could wear the floppy ears.  There was also a craft where they could transform a paper bag into a puppy puppet.

I painted noses and freckles on people, moms too!  What a great group of moms to let me do this to them.

With the ears and the spots we had the most adorable litter of puppies.

The play dog house was a big hit and I love the pictures of my puppy sticking her head out for a pat.  

 

After playtime, it was chow time.  Snacks of the day included Pup-Corn (popcorn and kettle corn), Doggie Bones (cut-out peanut butter cookies), Puppy Chow (peanut butter and sugar coated Chex Mix), Kibbles and Bits (snack mix) and a Dog Bone Cake (white cake) decorated with Paw Prints (cut-out sugar cookies).  All the foods were dog friendly and Anabelle was happy to eat anything that hit the floor.  I even used dog bowls as serving dishes and plates. 

We lit the candles on the cake and  everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to Anabelle with the girls adding adorable barks and howls at the end of the song.  Precious.

We had time for more games after we ate.  The girls played Puppy Bingo, using dog bones as their card markers.

Both of my girls had a wonderful time at the Puppy Pawty!