Day 3b - Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

Let me be forthcoming so no one gets the wrong impression about our family or this trip. I am not trying to be negative nelly, but this part of the trip was not bubbles and rainbows and unicorns. I don't know what it was...the lightning/thunder, the fatigue, the torrential downpour and colder temps...but I was irritated. I was sad. I was immensely disappointed. I had worked and planned for this particular night for months. It was one of the main things we were going to do while in Disney World. We had tickets for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, and they were for one night only. And the party went on, rain or shine. And it was beyond raining. But the show must go on, and so did we. I had a bit of a frown on my face initially...

I am really thankful that I snapped this quick picture of the boys in their costumes.  I had planned to wait until we got to the park so I could get a good one of them standing...but if I had waited they would have been asleep in the stroller (thank you Monorail) and it would have been pounding rain. So, here is the one-and-only picture of my TMNT and Spidey. They were precious...and it just upset me so much that the rain ruined it. But they went with the punches better than their mommy. (this is a moment where I learned from my children...)

Magic Kingdom was Poncho City that night. We were literally soaked to the bone...but everyone says you have to experience Disney in the rain. I don't know what the appeal is, but we did it. I guess the lines are shorter.... But seriously, either I am ticked off because of a longer-than-I'd-like line or I am ticked off because I am soaked. I will take the former. (this makes me sound hard to please. I probably am) I really was trying hard to make the most of it...even snapping a selfie in our ponchos while the kiddos were sound asleep in their stroller with their ponchos covering their legs.

Something incredibly redeeming about the rain (kind of) was that we jumped right into a short line to see Elsa and Anna from Frozen...a wait time that could go up to 3-4 hours. One that you typically have to have a FastPass for but we couldn't get, even 60 days out!! So we jumped in line and waited. This sounds like a great scenario, but let me set the reality. People in line to see these Disney women are pushy, mean, and it is mano a mano...rain or shine. Forget the part that this is a family affair. So, we were amongst that in the pouring down rain...and the workers wouldn't let us stand under the awning to keep dry while we waited. Whatever. Wet is wet, so Josh and I just dealt with it while the boys kept dry, asleep in the stroller. Sounded like a good plan until the doors opened and the herd pushed forth...and we were then told no strollers allowed in line. We knew this...but something happens when you are exhausted, wet, and over it. So we forgot to get rid of the stroller before we got in line. But because the mob was pushing us forward, we panicked: I jerked a kid out of the stroller and Josh jerked a kid out into the pouring rain...and then he ran to park the stroller while I continued to walk in line in the pouring rain holding one kid and pushing another to walk though I had just ripped him from his slumber. Let me remind you, my children didn't have ponchos ON them but draped over them. So they were soaked by the time we got inside to see Elsa and Anna. And of course, the air conditioning was on. My poor children were crying, teeth chattering freezing, dripping wet. We snuggled them, tough-loved them to get it together because we were gonna see Elsa and Anna and other kids may not get to (look, don't judge...it was ugly and we were stressed), tried to dry them and warm them the best we could. And we made it in the room with the princesses...three kids in front of us before our turn. And Keagan decides he HAS TO PEE. NOW. I could have died. He couldn't hold it, he said. I mean, seriously!?!!??!!!! The kind soul working the door let Finn and I wait back in the room with the princesses, but Josh had to take Keagan back outside to the nearest bathroom!!!!  They finally made it back, and, well, the pictures speak for themselves. My poor children. Finn refused to part my side. He was shivering and wouldn't let me even put him down. I believe I held 32-lbs of 2 year old for 40 minutes during this whole fiasco...

 

This picture is fantastic to me: Keagan must have said something to Queen Elsa that made her laugh...he looks like he has said something witty, and she is tickled. Flirting young. :)

This picture literally brings tears to my eyes. This woman dressed as Queen Elsa gave Keagan the warmest hug after meeting him. In fact, and I have mentioned this in an earlier blog, the characters throughout the parks are incredibly warm and inviting. I am certain that our entire family smelled of wet dog, and wet children have their own potency. Queen Elsa gave him the best hug and literally made his night. She made my night too. In fact, I really do think this is when my mood completely changed about the weather, the cold, and the fact that in all the time I had spent on my children's' costumes they were ruined and falling apart in a matter of minutes. These people hug all kinds of children all.day.long and yet I felt like my child was the only one Queen Elsa would hug that day. I do believe that this was where the magic was.

When we finally left Princess Anna and Queen Elsa, the torrential rain had quit. Thank the Lord above...we sure did. It was cold, so we warmed under the plastic ponchos, grabbed some popcorn and moved on. And the Lord listened: there was no more rain that night!!

 

Cinderella's castle at night. Phone pictures just don't do it justice.

 

We made our way to the Boo to You Parade and, while we missed the Headless Horseman, we saw the rest! And made dinner out of some of the Halloween candy we had already gotten (it is a huge trick-or-treat party through the park...and the candy is the "good stuff!" You know what I am talking about...all name brand chocolates and stuff).

Jafar from Aladdin! A freaky character...

This was a gorgeous restaurant in the park, it was pretty neat during the daytime, but I couldn't get over how pretty it was at night!

The line to meet the Seven Dwarfs was insanely long...so we opted to just snap a quick picture.

Meeting Princess Jasmine and the Genie from Aladdin. Princess Jasmine was another very sweet princess and took her time with our family. The Genie was hilarious and I guess because I was closest to him I got a hug. Princess Jasmine was trying to teach Keagan how to nod his head and fold his arms as if granting a wish, and, though we've watched the movie, I think this might've been lost on him.

We got to meet a real pirate (what we told Keagan when we met Captain Jack Sparrow) and ride the Pirates of the Caribbean. Captain Jack was hilarious, he speaks Pirate and I had a really tough time understanding him. He was trying to tell a joke, but it was more funny that I kept asking him to repeat himself. Then he finally looked at Josh and questioned how much I had had to drink!! Keagan really liked Captain Jack until it was picture time and he became bashful, and Finn's eyes in the picture are hilarious. I would love to know what was going on in that little mind of his!!

Another perk to the rain was that the rides really were not crowded. One of the kids favorite rides was the Buzz Lightyear ride, and so we walked right onto it and rode it again. And Josh tried hard to beat his initial score.

We also got to meet Ariel...but I don't think Keagan knew who she was. The boys hadn't seen The Little Mermaid yet (they have now! I bought it when we got home...you know, exposing them to the "classics.") He doesn't look too thrilled about this, but I think he was still cold and wet as this was still early in the evening. Finn refused to be in the picture.

Our family closed down the park at midnight that night. It was an incredible "show" throughout the park. The music and the lighting on Cinderella's castle and the buildings on Main Street (the main channel into the park) were perfectly coordinated. I tried to capture it on video...I think it is a bit choppy and shaky because I was walking, but it really shows a lot more than the pictures do. There are no corners cut in the entire production at Magic Kingdom and I was really impressed by the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.

This was at Midnight. Look at my little champs, still awake and going strong!!! They had so much fun and were incredibly well behaved. They powered through the rain, cold, and fatigue...and had a really good time. It's funny now how much they talk about all of the experiences we had...I am so thankful that these memories were made!

And I was thankful the next day for a true "down day."  But I still have a blog for that. I love getting your comments on here, on FB, and in person!! Thank you to all who have let me know how much you are enjoying these blogs or are planning your own trip and want pointers. (p.s. I can give you my amateur advice...but please don't think we are pros!)