October 27, 2009
7:30 am Eastern Time (4:30 am Pacific Time)
We woke up to that darn internal clock. Someone reset it to Eastern Time - how did that happen?
Dreary eyed, but excited for the day, we all started to get ready, and plan our day.
Our first stop: The Gingerbread House. We walked a short distance from our Villa to the the whimsical restaurant where everything is complimentary.
Breakfast was served by an army of volunteers, who even helped us take our tray to the table. The tables were decorated with real peppermint candy under the varnish. Alex and Tessa were just awe struck at all the great dolls and antique toys lining the whole place.
The food was good - they even had grits (one of my favorites)! After eating a large breakfast to steel us for the day of 90+ degree weather with high Floridian humidity, we all crammed into the Minivan, and took off for the Magic Kingdom.
Alex was so excited that when we pulled into the gate, he waved frantically to the giant Mickey and Minnie mouse statues.
Alex started looking around anxiously for the castle. All he saw was pavement. Miles of pavement. The journey to get to the Magic Kingdom was just beginning.
We parked the car, and piled out into the warm sunshine. We hopped on a tram, which took us to our two transportation choices for getting to the Magic Kingdom. Alex chose the paddle boat over the monorail for our first visit to Mickeys home. The view was fantastic, with the castle jutting out into the sky at the far end of the lake that separated us from the "Happiest Place on Earth".
Upon arriving at the ticket gate, Grandma Diana and Grandpa Bob's tickets didn't work, so Alex had to anxiously wait while the issues were resolved.
Finally, we entered the Magic Kingdom. I got a huge lump in my throat, when it hit me that we were here on Alex's Make-A-Wish trip, and that so many people worked so hard to get him there. His smile was huge, and the first words out of his mouth were "I want a Buzz Lightyear toy now, please!" You see, he had been wanting a Buzz toy for weeks, and we kept telling him that he would get it when we got to Disney World. Well, we were here, and he couldn't wait another minute!
After acquiring the beloved toy, we headed off to Fantasy Land, and Alex's first ride of the day. Eric and Alex sat down in the teacups, and the two of them didn't stop smiling the whole ride. As a Wish Child, Alex was able to ride without having to stand in line. I had to stop watching the two of them, since my stomach was experiencing sympathy nausea for Eric. Finally after three rides in a row, Eric convinced Alex to exit the Teacups. They both swayed a bit while walking to the next ride.
Ice cream was in order, and after polishing off a big vanilla cone, we were off to Dumbo. I rode with Alex, and Tessa rode with Eric.
We grabbed some lunch, and then went over to Tomorrowland. This turned out to be a great place for both Alex and Tessa. The Buzz Lightyear, Astro Orbiter, and the People Mover rides were all a treat. Eric was quite sad that Space Mountain was closed though - we are just going to have to return someday to ride!
After Tomorrowland, we walked over to Adventureland to visit Captain Jack Sparrow at the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. The kids eyes were wide as we floated through the scenes, with the notes of "Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirate's Life For Me" dancing through our heads. A Jungle cruise later, we were on our way to Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain Railroad. These were the two big rides we had been working up to all day.
Splash Mountain was next. Alex, Carol, Eric and I made our way past all the people in line to get on a log. Alex was fascinated with the story of Brer Rabbit as we gently floated along the ride. Alex and I were in the front, with Eric, Carol, and Buzz Lightyear directly behind us. I steeled myself for the big drop, and hugged Alex a little closer. As the log tipped over the edge, I looked at my little boy, and saw a HUGE grin from ear to ear. I blinked, and we were soaking wet at the bottom of the ride. Alex christened me "Wet Butt", while Buzz was "Wet Head". He took the name "Wet Shirt". Grandpa Bob was able to get a great picture of us barreling down the 50' drop.
With his confidence soaring, we decided to hit Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Let's just say, Eric, Carol, Alex and I had a blast! After three exciting adventures on the roller coaster, we called it a night. We hitched a ride on the Walt Disney World railroad, and returned to the front of the park. The Monorail delivered us to the trams that dropped us off at our Minivan. We returned to Give Kids the World, a very tired, and grateful Wish family.
Dinner was served at the Gingerbread House and as usual, the food was great and the volunteers, amazing.
Right outside the Gingerbread House, is the Castle of Miracles, and the magical carousel. Tessa fell in LOVE with the zebra, and throughout our stay at GKTW, she would ask to go on whenever she could. Eric and Alex liked the giant roosters, and I usually ended up on the lion next to the zebra.
After a few twirls on the carousel, we wandered over to the Ice Cream Palace (which is open from 7:30 AM to 9:30 PM) and enjoyed some yummy desert. Alex enjoyed ordering anything he wanted, as much as he wanted, and adding sprinkles!
We then waddled back to our Villa only to find another gift for Alex and Tessa from the Gift Givers. Sleep came easy once our heads hit the pillows, and we all dreamed about the wonderful things we would experience the next day.
Our first day was amazing. I cannot find the words to do justice to our trip. This day was the first of many wonderful experiences that none of us will ever forget.
Next: Day 3 - Disney Hollywood Studios, Horseback Riding, and more fun at GKTW
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Wow, that was one fun filled day!
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