Nala and pride "Here we go again!" Final thoughts and COMPLETE! Updated 7/30 About This Page:

[DrDolphin]

Just caught up on your last few installments Nala -- Great updates!!

[luvnwdwgal]

Did your wish come true? Looking forward to finding out! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Nala]

Friday morning came early, thanks to Kiara’s internal alarm clock perpetually set to wake her, and us, at an obscenely early hour. This morning, I didn’t mind so much as it had been an early night for us the previous evening. One thought did cross my mind as she asked Grumpy the question that we now expect from her every morning at WDW, “Hey, Dad, go swim?”. Will this kid ever discover the joy of sleeping in? Now I’m not talking until noon or anything crazy, but until seven or even eight? Unfortunately, after a quick check of the weather channel, we had to inform her it was too cold to swim. I let Grumpy break that news to her as she takes such things much better from her father, who is her knight in shinning armor, than her mother, who is chopped liver compared to him. Grumpy told her she could not go for a swim, but instead could go to the MK. His charm over her worked like magic and she was happy to make the sacrifice. We then had to explain that the MK would not be open for another three hours.

And what do you do to entertain a water loving child dying to go swimming or to the MK while you wait for it to open? Put them in the bathtub. Had it not been for the opportunity of riding the Magic Carpets, Kiara would have been happy to spend the entire day in the tub. We finally pulled her out so Grumpy and I could get ready for the day and we headed down to the boat dock for our day at MK.

We arrived at the gates shortly after opening and did our usual routine. Grumpy took Kiara through the gates while I took the bag through security check. But this time the line was short enough and I was able to catch up with them before they were able to enter the park. Seems the family in front of him had a problem with their tickets and it took what seemed to be forever to get through. We finally got in, grabbed a stroller and headed down Main Street. This day was all about the rides Kiara wanted to do. Little did I know it would be all about so few.

The first stop was the Magic Carpets. Several times. As we passed POTC I didn’t even bother to ask as I knew the answer I would get. “No! Pirates scare me!“ From there we made our way to Frontierland where Kiara also put her foot down for BTMRR. Slash was down for rehab until the next day, so that was out of the question. We made our way into LS and like POTC, I didn’t ever ask about HM. While Kiara had no desire to ride the HM, she did agree to pose for a picture in front of it.


By the time we hit LS, Grumpy was already starting to talk about lunch. We checked out Columbia Harbor House’s menu, and while it seemed like a great option, it was a bit too early to eat. So we moved into the most favorite land in all of WDW for Kiara. Fantasyland! The line for Peter Pan was pretty short so we decided to ride it. Kiara was a tad bit apprehensive but we were able to get her to agree to a ride. I was able to show Grumpy the hidden Mickey on the painted tree in the queue that I had found last January when I had spent the evening at MK with Kiara and my nephew. After revealing that find, we were on our pirate ship and sailing across the London sky. What a great, classic ride. And while Kiara enjoyed it, Grumpy and I were both on the look out for more hidden Mickeys. We didn’t find any, but we all enjoyed our trip through Neverland.

While we were standing in line for PP, Kiara spotted IASW and insisted we ride it next. It was her day and I was prepared to do whatever she wanted even if it meant I would have that song stuck in my head for the rest of the day. And I knew I would not get back to the one attraction that would make it go away. My only defense to riding IASW is to ride POTC directly after so that song over rides and is stuck in my brain for the rest of the day. This would not be a day of “Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a pirates life for me” but a day of “It’s a small world, after all, it’s a small world…..”

Great, now guess what I am singing in my head?

So after IASW, which had an almost walk on line, we headed to PVH for lunch. (It’s a small world, after all”) I swear as I type this, those words just wont go away. This was a new CS for us and where Grumpy and I made a deal to try every table service place in the world and then start on the CS until we have eaten at every place on property. Cool! Sounds like he is up for future trips. Many of them!!! We enjoyed our meal of sandwiches and while it was nothing spectacular, it was a nice change from burgers. After we finished eating, it was clear Kiara had plans for the rest of Fantasyland. A few rides on Cinderella’s Golden Carousel were in order. And while she wanted a ride on Dumbo, the line was prohibitive. That was pacified by several rides on the Tea cups.

Before we left Fantasyland, I made a stop in Tinkerbell’s Treasures to see if they had shoes or a tiara to go with the red Belle dress I had bought Kiara for Christmas from the Disney store. While the store did have a version of the red Belle dress, they had no accessories. No shoes, no tiara, nothing! Grumpy had found a Belle doll in the red dress earlier in the week and pointed out she was not wearing a tiara, but simply had her hair pulled back on the top. After asking the CM at TT about shoes and a tiara to go with the dress and being informed that none existed, I gave up my quest. Kiara would just have to wear her tennis shoes under her dress and I hoped that when she met Cinderella the next day, she wouldn’t be insulted by Kiara’s lack of footwear and proper head dress.

The next order of business was Toon Town where I was sure Kiara would be up for a ride on Goofy’s Barnstormer. Wrong! She shot me down and wanted nothing to do with this ride. Well, I guess the fact that even though she is quickly approaching the height requirement for RNR and Space Mountain, they will be out of the question for awhile! So much for the thrill seeker I hoped I was raising.

Tomorrowland was our next stop, after yet another ride on the tea cups that I passed on, and since Buzz was down we decided to take another ride on the TTA. SM was a no do and so was Stitch. If the dark parts in SE scared Kiara, Stitch’s Great Escape would probably scar her for life. At this point, Grumpy and I thought we were done with the MK for the day, but our little princess begged for one more ride on the Magic Carpets. How could we refuse? As we left Adventureland I kicked myself for not indulging in my new favorite treat, a citrus swirl, and decided to drown my sorrows with none other than a pineapple Dole Whip. Grumpy and Kiara both joined me and the three of us enjoyed our little frozen concoction . Nothing says you are in WDW than sitting in Adventureland, people watching, whilst eating a Dole Whip. It just doesn’t get any better than that.

After we finished our Dole Whips, (and yes I had to refrain from licking my cup clean in public) we decided to bid the MK goodbye for the day. It was early afternoon and we had no plans until our ADR’s at ‘Ohana later that night. What to do, what to do? Or the more appropriate question, what did we do?????

And that, my fellow Passporters, is the main reason why I shouldn’t take six months to write my trip report. But now I know, for future reference, to make sure to download my pictures in the proper order. The next installment of this trip report between leaving the MK and ending up at ‘Ohana may be pure speculation. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Colexis Mom]

What a great day at MK! Sorry you couldn't find the tiara for the outfit [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] Can't wait to hear about 'Ohana (I hope you remember) [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[gwugirl03]

Great update, Nala. Looking forward to more!

[Jillybean]

Aw, just make up something good for us! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] You know that we'll love it!

Great update! Kiara and Mary Devall are starting to sound more and more alike when it comes to the rides that they will ride! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Jill

[lauren-roxy]

Wonderful update Nala!!! Can't wait to hear about Ohana!!!

[coastgirl]

Love the description of Fantasyland, reminds me of our time there. Don't they just love those rides!!

[PrincessSharon]

Great updates, Nala. It's OK if you don't remember exactly what happened. You can just make something up. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] Looking forward to more!

[Nala]

While the temptation to make up some wild and crazy story like we went back to the AK and as we walked through the gates were selected to be one of the families in the parade, I must refrain from messing with my fellow Passporters and stick to what really happened. Sadly, the truth will be much more boring. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/sorry.gif[/img]

At some point in our trip, I remembered that we made another trip to MGM. Calculated deduction has lead me to believe that we did it on this day. But the exact details of what we did is now somewhere buried in the archives of what used to be my sharp memory. This may have been the day that we stayed for the parade that I reported we saw earlier in the trip. I can only speculate that if I was on the MGM premises, I did ride RNR again. One thing I know for sure is that if I was there, I would not pass up an opportunity to ride my most favorite ride in all of WDW. So I will go with that.

And as I looked back at pictures and recall memories of that day, we may have seen the Stars and Motor cars that day instead of the day I thought we did. One thing I know for sure is that Grumpy’s astute eye for detail really came through for me that day. He was made aware that I was doing the ABC scrapbook and was also aware that I had nothing for the letter X. And while going to Gertie’s for drinks, he discovered a great find. A perfect X and something I would have never noticed.

Xanado!

Now there is a word I would have never expected to find in WDW. I thought it was reserved for the bad B movie section of the local rental store! ( I know that was Xanadu)


And that is the only piece of evidence of what we did with our afternoon!

But I do remember what we did that evening. Dinner at ‘Ohana! I was so looking forward to this as it was one of my favorite places to eat at WDW. It was also one of the few places that if pixie dust was thrown our way, Kiara would be able to watch Wishes without being terrified. We made a quick change at the WL and headed to the front to catch a cab to the Poly. And in the cab ride over I do remember hoping that both Grumpy and Kiara would be patient and able to wait for a table with a perfect view. We were at the Poly in minutes and made our way to ‘Ohana to check in.

I went to check us in and Grumpy took Kiara to find a table to wait at. While I was in the short line, he placed a drink order for us. And when my turn came at the podium I made my request clear. A table with a view of the MK, no matter how long it took to get it. I returned to Grumpy and Kiara just as our server was bringing our drinks. Grumpy did good and remembered how much I loved the Wasabi Bloody Mary’s here and had ordered it for me. And as our server sat our drinks down in front of us I couldn’t help asking why he didn’t order a Lapu Lapu.

We all kicked back in the comfortable chairs outside the lounge and waited for our buzzy, flashy thingy to go off signaling our table was ready. I expected to wait a bit due to my request, but much to my surprise after about ten minutes it started to flash. I could only hope that my request had been fulfilled. We headed to the podium, turned in the flashy thingy and were escorted to our table. And as we headed towards it, I knew it was perfect. Front row and center! YES!!!!! Dreams do come true. And our timing was perfect. We were seated about fifty minutes before Wishes was scheduled to start. And as I sat at the table grateful for our fantastic view, I also noticed something else. The weather was perfect. Clear and free of any precipitation. A clear view of Wishes was almost guaranteed and I was beyond happy. If all things went as planned, this would be the first time that Kiara would be able to see Wishes in its entirety. And the first time, due to being across the bay and behind glass, that she would be able to enjoy them.

So we settled back and waited for our food. Our server was great and once he greeted his “cousins” the food started to come. We had done ‘Ohana before the menu changes and I was a bit upset about the things they had taken off the menu. But since it was a favorite, I wanted to go back and try out the new offerings. The first up was the wonton chips and dipping sauces. And while I hate to say anything negative about anything Disney, I was not impressed with this offering. The sauces were good, but I longed for those wonderful little wontons they had before. Next came the salad, shrimp and wings. Kiara went wild over the shrimp and between peeling them for her I was able to enjoy the salad and a few wings. I was also able to sneak in a few pieces of shrimp which were very good.

Our appetizers were cleared away to make room for the main offerings. The Maui scalloped potatoes and mixed vegetables were placed on our table and before we could touch them the meats started to come. And just like past trips, the meats were wonderful. But as I took helpings of the side dishes I longed for the green beans and rice of the past. The mixed vegetables seemed a bit over cooked and the potatoes were swimming in grease or butter or something. While Grumpy, who doesn’t do rice, was happy with the changes, Kiara and I missed the rice. But it was still good. And when we thought we could stand no more, the table was cleared and dessert appeared.

Now I am not one who is a fan of dessert but what was put in front of us was to die for. The bread pudding a la mode with Bananas Foster Sauce was out of this world. And while I longed for the lighter offering of pineapple and caramel sauce, I couldn’t help taking bites of the new dessert in front of me. This was very good!

Even though Kiara and I missed the rice and wontons, this was still a wonderful meal. But the best part was yet to come. Our wait staff had barely finished clearing the table when the lights dimmed. And we knew what was about to happen. Wishes was beginning. Kiara was glued to her seat and looking out the window and all of us together saw a first. A little, tiny, flicker of green light making its way across the sky from the castle. Tinkerbell!!! While Grumpy had caught her on past trips, I had always missed her as had Kiara. But this time we all saw her and Kiara and I both stared in wonder and then squealed with glee. And then the fireworks started. The music and narration of none other than Jiminy Cricket softly filled Ohana as Wishes exploded in front of us. And the best part was, Kiara couldn’t hear the booms that terrified her so much.

And this was a perfect Disney moment. There my little darling Kiara sat, in total awe of Wishes. She couldn’t have been more thrilled. Nor could I. Her oooohhhhs and aaaaahhhs were priceless, as was the look on her face and her constant “Dad, Mom, look, LOOOOK!”. Part of me wonders how I could have not snapped a picture of this moment. but the other part understands why I didn’t. I was too busy watching Kiara’s reaction to even think about my camera. That was probably a good thing as I would have soaked my eye piece by the tears that were flowing from my eyes. Those few moments were the epitome of pure Disney magic.

Right after Wishes ended, our server arrived at our table to settle up our bill. We made our way out of ‘Ohana full, happy and suddenly very, very, tired. My brain really wanted to go to Epcot for the Passporter meet, but my body was fighting the idea. I asked Grumpy if he was up for Epcot, and while he thought about it for a moment, he declined but urged me to go. I too considered it, but decided against it in the end. I was beat and terribly afraid that if I got on the monorail I would fall asleep and be there for hours until a CM woke me up on the last trip before they put the monorail to bed for the night. To all my fellow Passporters I missed that night, I am truly sorry and I hope we will have the chance to meet one day soon.

We returned to the WL in time to get back to our room and catch the end of the EWP. Then we wasted no time getting into bed to ready ourselves for our last and final, magical day at the world.

As I tucked Kiara into bed and kissed her goodnight I asked her what the best part of her day had been. Her response was “Fireworks, Mom, fireworks“.

[luvnwdwgal]

I am sooooo happy that you got your wish!!! What a magical moment!!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[DrDolphin]

What a wonderful update!!! While I agree with you about the changes in the menu at 'OHana (bring back the pineapple and caramel!) - your description of the fireworks and Kiara's reaction are timeless!!!

[kimkdmm]

Awww...I am so happy that you got your "perfect Disney moment" [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/love.gif[/img] and got to see all of Wishes with Kiara!! I'm glad you had such a wonderful dinner at O'hana [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] What a perfect night!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/thanx.gif[/img] for sharing!!

[Jillybean]

I am thrilled that Kiara was finally able to enjoy Wishes! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] And, in the future, if you have to sacrifice and go back to 'Ohana for her to do it again, then I say sacrifice! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

We missed you so much at the PP meet, but I totally understand being whupped!

Jill

[MAria R]

Great updates!!! I am so glad that Kiara finally got to experience wishes, it sounded truly magical.