The day began late for most (although I woke up fully awake at 3 AM!) with breakfast in the room. It did take us a while to find the cookware in the drawer under the oven (and a call to housekeeping!).
Then off to Magic Kingdom. We shopped a bit on Main Street and then headed over to pirates. J4* and the kids rode while I found a needed bathroom. The kids loved it (even J12, who we had to remind was not afraid of the ride!). She spotted the ship in the distance by the load area and declared it the Flying Dutchman.
After they rode, we met up and watched Jack Sparrow’s pirate academy. J8, who is in love with Johnny Depp, was especially taken.
My folks (D&M) joined us later as they were still puttering about the room when we left. We all shopped for a bit on Main Street and then took the monorail to the TTC and then switched (monorail waiting for us!) to Epcot.
First order of business was Spaceship Earth. Always a good way to kick off Epcot.
We ate at Electric Umbrella, as burgers sounded good. We hadn’t eaten there much, but the burgers are pretty decent.
After lunch we split up, as I had the duty of taking the kids into Innoventions, which they love. After about 53 years inside there, we went to Wonders of Life. This pavilion has been cosed of late, and was thought closed for good. J12 had been there when she was about 5 I think and J8 had never been. J8 was amazed that it had been closed. ”This is a very beautiful building,” she declared inside.
The exercise machines were closed (including the bikes that made it look like you were going through Disneyland on a Big Wheel), but we played at the Sensory Funhouse and then did Cranium Command (J8 had listened?to it on the Inside the Magic podcast and really wanted to see it. She loved it. Then I took them to the Making of Me, which I affectionately call the sex movie (”It’s not about that, it’s about making babies,” J8 proclaimed). The kids liked that as well.
Then we all met up outside the International Gateway for the Disney Vacation Club Merry Mixer. This was neat. There was a drawing for a neat DVC gift basket, characters, a dance contest for the kids, cookies, cider, an exclusive pin for sale, and tables showing the offerings of DVC, the Disney florist, Disney Photopass and the upcoming pins (yeah!).
On exiting, we all got a pewter ornament - very nice!
Then we walked to the Beach Club, took the bus to MK (M was shopping, so D&M got on the bus after us, but we all ended up on the same boat to WL).
After a brief stop at our villa, we headed to Liberty Tree Tavern for dinner before Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at MK. It was good, but the beef and green beans were too spicy and too much garlic (on the beans) for D. J8 was a bit of a terror, but once dinner was done, she was happy as a clam.
We did most of Fantasyland. We all had our picture taken (in our matching sweatshirts from Disney Ink Shop) I split off to watch the fireworks, and my folks headed towards Adventureland, where they rode pirates and couldn’t believe how much it had changed (but approved)!
After the fireworks, I met with J4* and the kids and we did Tomorrowland. They had already done Stitch (amazingly a favorite of the kids’). Then we walked towards the front of the park. It was about 10:30 now. J12 and I stayed to watch the parade. We cut out right before the end and headed back to the room. A late night, but a good one. The weather could not have been better all night!
See you tomorrow.
