To my mom's disappointment even calling twice a day there were no openings for the "Be Our Guest" and "Cinderella's Castle" dining. That was of no importance to me however as Zombie's currently obsessed with Stitch- which was perfect since I was able to score breakfast seats for the Ohana restaurant at the Polynesian Resort.
We were fortunate enough my mom gifted us a few nights at a Disney hotel which saved us on parking but everything came to a halt when we arrived 2 hours early for our reservations (per the confirmation page!). The reservations line was no help since there were no openings but Hubs was able to sweet talk us in an hour early after 4 families cancelled last minute!
Once we were in I couldn't stop staring at her face of excitement! Zombie was ecstatic at seeing her favorite characters live and up close. They even gave her a birthday card signed by Stitch, Lilo, Mickey and Pluto.
The breakfast itself was great- Mickey Mouse shaped waffles, bacon, fresh fruit, potatoes, fluffy eggs, biscuits and Hawaiian sausage with passion fruit/orange juice. We conga danced around the restaurant with maracas and took photos with the characters before heading back to Magic Kingdom via the metrorail.
Since it was a Monday and not a holiday the park was as empty as you're ever going to find it. The lines weren't excessive and we took our time through the park as 4 year olds can't ride the rides with high wait times.
Post tea cups we headed towards Dumbo when we stumbled upon a circus tent titled "Storytime with Goofy- 25 minute wait" instead it was a photo op with none other but Minnie Mouse and Daisy! I couldn't believe it! Just this morning I disappointed Zombie when I told her I refused to wait an hour to take photos with Minnie beside the Christmas tree and here we were- in a 15 minute line to meet Minnie Mouse! Our luck just kept getting better and better.
Having been dosed up on medication Zombie was out for about an hour while we ate- since we were in no rush we let her sleep and planned the rest of the night. We watched some great shows, ,had some overpriced snacks and found spots around the park for perfect memory photos. The Frozen castle light up finished our magical day at Disney and we headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest.
Having lived in Orlando a very long time we always dreaded going to Disney because of the large crowds. Here are a few tips that made our trip easy-going and enjoyable!
1. Download the My Disney Experience application- this app gives you waiting times on rides and shows, a live GPS, character experiences, dining, and parade times. This was insanely helpful in getting us front row seats at parades and shows!
2. Pre-plan dining for brunch! For lunch/dinner alone we spent $40- on chicken fingers and pasta! At our character dining we spent double that and got a buffet style meal which filled us up till late afternoon.
3. Get to the parks early to grab your pins! As it was Zombie's birthday she got an "It's My Birthday" pin, but just for kicks hubs and I grabbed "First Timers" pins.
4. We avoided the rides and characters we knew Zombie had shown no interest in. For example the Dumbo ride which goes up and down we knew she hated because of previous trips to the fair, so we avoided those and used the time to do other things.
5. DO ALL THE THINGS KIDS GET HYPED TO DO. What I mean by this is wear your Minnie Mouse headbands, stickers, glitter, outfits, you name it! This is just one more way you can make their their Disney experience memorable. This day isn't about being cool- it is about showing your child you're still a kid at heart. Zombie loved that I wore a headband just like her and that I danced in the street during the parades, this was literally one of her highlights of the day.
Thank you to everyone who made this day possible! It couldn't have been done without you!
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