DAY 8 - Part 2
Sept. 27th, 2014 - Saturday
Magic Kingdom (Chapter Two)
Dinner time! I was soooooo excited about this dinner reservation! I ended up rearranging my trip around the one day I was able to land it for, but I'm glad I did!
I know a lot of people have been giving Be Our Guest less-than-flattering reviews, but I LOVED it! So to these people, Beast and I say...
I got there a few minutes too early to check-in, so I sat and waited for about 10 minutes until I could. In that time, I watched no less than 4 people walk up and the hosts have to explain that reservations are required. I felt pretty bad for them. I would imagine that it's hard to keep on the bright and sunny Disney veneer when it's that repetitive, especially when that repetition involves disappointing and potentially upsetting people all day long. I've worked in customer service for 20 years, and I know that situation would wear on me badly. I wish they would post a sign or something.
Once I was able to check in, they gave me a pager and sent me across the bridge to wait. There was a little area to the side where people were parking their strollers and ECVs, so that worked out well for me.
I decided to introduce myself to one of the castle guards...
Is it just me, or does he look hungry too?
After about 10-15 minutes, my pager went off a host came to fetch me. Cue one of the more awkward solo experiences of my trip...
I guess he didn't get the memo from the first set of CMs (up at the podium) that my Party of 2 had become a Party of 1... Me. You see, when I originally booked, there was a slim chance of a friend joining me, so I booked all of my ADRS for 2 people. It didn't happen, and I went solo as planned. And for all five ADRs I'd had in the trip up until this point, not one single restaurant CM so much as batted an eyelash about it.
This guy, though... Once I told him, he just acted REALLY confused and awkward about it.
I watched the family before get let in, and the host introduced them to the stone gargoyles inside the foyer, referred to them by name, and I'm sure lots of other cute things that I didn't see once the door closed. But my guy literally just seemed LOST once I told him it was just me. Didn't do anything cute or fun. I almost felt like he couldn't wait to get as far away from me as possible, like I had some sort of contagious FOREVER ALONE disease. It was totally weird.
He hurriedly lead me to a little table stuffed in a corner of the Ballroom. At first I was a bit disappointed, but I quickly realized that it was quite a blessing! It was MUCH quieter than the rest of the very busy room, private and out of the way, and gave me a decent vantage-point for people-watching.
I loved the table setting, I thought it was just lovely!
Especially the red rose napkin! So pretty, and such a wonderful touch!
And of course... the FOOD teaser photos...
Need more Be Our Guests food photos and details? Visit my Dining Report
HERE!
So after a VERY delicious and satisfying meal, I made my way over to the Beast's study. I was thrilled to see that there wasn't any line at all hardly! There was one family already with him, and another waiting. That was it! I waiting patiently for my turn, then the moment arrived!
Yay! (I like him because he makes me feel petite! I'm 6'0", so that rarely happens for me!)
As I exited, the family was ahead of me was in the hallway, snapping photos. I was doing the same, and the wife and I started laughing about how MUST TAKE PICTURES OF EVERYTHING. I told her I ever took photos of my food, and she was like OMG ME TOO! I should have asked her if she was DisBoards member...
Exiting the castle...
It was nearly dakr now, and this thrilled me. I love the parks at night!
Aside from one FP+ for later, my time was free. So I decided to just meander about and soak up the atmosphere and see what there was so to. I decided to check the wait times on
MDE, and saw that Tinkerbel was about 40 minutes, and that I could stay on my ECV through the queue. Perfect, let's goooo!
She was ADORABLE! Went crazy for my tiara.
I excited and took a moment to just enjoying the sights and smells of Main Street all lit up at night and alive. I just love it!
Upon checking MDE again, it looked like I might have time to get in a meeting with Ariel in her grotto before my final FL window opened, so I headed back towards New Fantasyland. (This is one of the VERY few benefits of being scooter-bound... I can criss-cross the park as much as I like without hating life!)
On my way back up Main Street, I couldn't resist... I stopped for a photo! (Getting the most out of that Memory Maker, baby!)
Then I continued on and found my way to the queue for Ariel's Grotto. Sure enough, only a 30 minute wait! Hooray!
Ariel also made conversation about my tiara, "Oh oh, you must be a collector of things too!" And we talked all about our collections of stuff!
As I was leaving, I stopped for another PP photographer, and patiently waited my turn. And once again, as had happened all week, a woman walked up after me with her little girl, and when my turn came, she cut right in front of me, and ran up to the pose spot. And once again, the photographer said absolutely nothing. Well, I don't know if a week of these was finally making the frustration show on my face, despite trying to hide it...
But just before the photog started snapping, she turned to me and was like "Oh my God, did we just cut in front of you? I am so soooo sorry, that was so rude of me!" And she started to move out of the picture spot, and I stopped her, waved her back towards it, and told her "Oh, it's fine! Really, you've got a little one, it's okay!" She thanked me and they did their pictures. And honestly, I truly meant it. Just the fact that she noticed and apologized was more than enough for me, I was happy to wait then. It was more consideration than many others had shown me that week.
And then I finally got my picture!
Finally, it was time for my final FastPass of the night, and of the trip! I was shocked that I even got this one, and was perfectly fine with it being a night-time one. I was privileged to meet these lovely ladies...
They were both as lovely and charming as could be! And Anna was cute as a button!
Random side note: I'm just now noticing that the lighting in that room made my shirt look orange. WEIRD!
Anyhow! I left there, and the first run of the Main Street Electrical Parade was going on, so I hung a right and went over to Tomorrowland. Just did a cruise around, enjoying the lights and the drinking it all in, knowing this is the last time I would be able to for a while.
Up Next... Magic Kingdom (Chapter Three)!