2 new parades and getting close to the Tree of Life!

We got up early and were out the door by 8.45 to drive over to the Magic Kingdom. We arrived there shortly after rope drop and went straight to the Main Street Bakery for breakfast. The line started OUTSIDE the bakery, but it moved fairly quickly. They handed out menus, so you could decide before you even got to the counter. Since I was not sure what we were entitled to on the DDP we asked one of the nice Cast Members and were told that we could choose one savoury item, one bakery item and one drink for a counter service credit. We both chose one of the Ham, Egg, and Cheese Croissants.

 These were wonderful. Very silky soft eggs with soft cheese and thinly sliced ham. We had heard so much about the Cinnamon Rolls, so we got one to share. It was so soft and lots of icing and it was HUGE, more than enough for the two of us to share. Our other bakery item was a Chocolate Croissant. We both ordered an orange juice as our drink. Luckily we got a table and started our breakfast. But after we had finished the Cinnamon Roll we were stuffed and there was no way we could have eaten the Chocolate Croissant. I walked back to the store and asked for a container and they were happy to help. We put the boxed Croissant into the backpack and off we went. We went over to Space Mountain, but the line was too long, so we picked up a Fastpass for it. Since we were heading towards Fantasyland we thought about riding Peter Pan, but again, another long line, so we walked past it and rode the Haunted Mansion.

Next stop was Liberty Square, where we visited the Christmas Store and just as we exited we saw that the “Dream along with Mickey” show in front of the castle had just started and decided to watch it. We found a “seat” at one of the fences to the side of the castle and enjoyed the show and the sun.

After the show we had a few photopass photos taken and while we discussed what to do next we noticed that the new “Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It” Parade was about to start. We kept our spot on the curb opposite the castle and waited for the parade to begin. The floats circled the hub and finally the Mickey and Minnie float stopped right in front of us.

It was amazing to see how the Cast Members and guests got into it and played along. It really is a fun parade and the character interaction with the guests was so much fun to watch.

Again, we enjoyed the parade and the sun and were very thirsty afterwards. I had read a lot about the Raspberry Lemonade Slush at the Enchanted Grove and this was were we were heading to get some drinks. I tried the Raspberry Lemonade Slush and it was very tart at first, but the more I sipped the more it grew on me. Tom had some bottled water.

Since we had our drinks we decided to leisurely walk around for a while until we had finished them.

We walked over to the path that leads from Tomorrowland to Toontown and while we were walking we noticed the train was in the station. When they drove by we saw that the locomotive was the Walter E. Disney. We checked out the large shop in Toontown and people watched, still trying to finish my lemonade. When I had finally finished it, it was time to go back and ride Space Mountain. Before we got on, we picked up another Fastpass for Space Mountain. The line was LONG, so it was nice to bypass them by using our other Fastpass. After that ride we got on the TTA, or Peoplemover, as we call it. What a nice, stress free ride. Since our dinner was at the Animal Kingdom at 4.30 we had to eat an early lunch IF we wanted any. We were not really hungry but Columbia Harbour House is always tempting, so we walked through Fantasyland, where all the lines were rather long and over to the Columbia Harbour House.

We took our time, having our lunch and sat upstairs where it was fairly quiet and cool. Once we were finished with lunch we walked over to Big Thunder Mountain and picked up a Fastpass, then rode Pirates of the Caribbean and climbed the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. We had not been on there in quite a while and while we enjoyed the view, one felt “driven” by the masses of people who wanted to see the Treehouse.  

We still had some time left before our Fastpass, and since the park was so crowded we decided to ride the Tomorrowland Transit Authority once more. Even that had a line, but it was a really relaxing ride, with the possibility of snapping a few more photos.

It was now time for our second Fastpass, but at least we picked up another one before getting in line. There were lots of people in the regular line and we were really happy to have our Fastpasses. After the ride we walked over to Liberty Square to stake out a spot for the parade. We found one right in front of the Liberty Tree Tavern and watched the two marching bands march by before the actual parade.

Even though some of the floats look “familiar” the new parade is fun and energetic. The Mary Poppins float stopped right next to us and there was a lot of dancing involved. The parade took about 20 minutes to go by and once it was gone we noticed how strong the sun had been that day. We were both sunburned. Time to head back to the resort for some after sun lotion and a short break.

On the way out we tried to give away our Fastpasses for Space Mountain, but it took a few tries to find someone who wanted them. Finally a young couple who just entered the park was happy to receive them. We hopped onto the Monorail and went back to the parking lot, picked up our car and went back to the resort. We stopped at Old Port Royale to pick up some after sun lotion. Back at the room we rested just a little before we were to head out again for our dinner at Yak and Yeti. Since we had spent a little too much time at the resort we were now late for our reservation.

Once we reached the restaurant we checked in at the podium and they did not mind us being late. We were then taken to our table, the server came by and picked up our Key To The World right at the beginning of the meal and explained what we were entitled to on the dining plan. So we both ordered a Diet Coke and a speciality drink we were to pay out of pocket for. Tom decided on trying the Yak Attack - Mango Daiquiri, Bacardi Light Rum, and Wildberry Flavors, while I went for an old favourite, the Strawberry Daiquiry. Since we had had a late lunch we had to skip the starter and went right on to order our main courses. Tom had decided to try the Crispy Mahi Mahi - a filet of mahi mahi, Japanese bread crumbs, Cantonese sweet and sour sauce, jasmine rice and stir-fried vegetables. It was a huge portion and such a good choice. I had been looking forward to the Shaoxing Steak and Shrimp - skirt steak, tempura-battered shrimp, jasmine rice, stir-fried vegetables and chili plum dipping sauce.

The steak was cooked perfectly and HUGE, the shrimp were tender with the crispy tempura on the outside. Pure heaven. For our dessert we both chose the Fried Wontons - Skewers of fresh pineapple and cream cheese wontons, vanilla ice cream and honey vanilla drizzle. I had mine without the ice-cream because it tastes like the cheapest of all vanilla ice-creams, just like frozen milk. We paid our bill, and walked over to Everest to get in line for our favourite ride there. Extra magic hours had just started, so the park was still packed, but the line moved rather quickly and we got to ride. After that we decided to check out the path that goes close up to the Tree of Life. We found the entrance to it right by the entrance easily and walked along the winding path until we came close to the Tree of Life. The path led behind a waterfall and then we were really close. It took some time to take in all the different animals on the Tree of Life.

Unfortunately the sun was going down and it got darker as we walked. Towards the end of the path we were kind of stuck, since Terk from Tarzan was doing a meet and greet there. So once all the people were gone, we signaled the CM who accompanied the characters, that we would like to go through. Didn’t want to scare Terk. It was dark by then and we tried to get on Everest another time.

There were still lots of people in the park and the line was quite long. We got in line and thankfully it moved quickly and we got to ride Everest. After the ride we went over and got in line for Dinosaur. Another long, but fast moving line and we had fun riding. Since there was still quite some EMH left we went and tried Everest again. After 25 minutes we got to ride again, but then decided that it was now time to leave the park. Back at the resort we had a bottle of Rosa Regale to try. We both did NOT like it very much. Tastes like cheap Italian Asti Spumante. I started to do some packing and Tom helped. But finally we got to bed earlier that day.