Nooooooow.... where was I before I was so ha-RUDE-ly interrupted by life and things and such?
Ah yes.
Why Alice blows.
**large disclaimer: that this is the last of my Disney dissatisfaction. After this evening Disney was perfect and I haven't a complaint.**
We were all very excited for the MNSSHP. Everyone was dressed in their costumes, except Dave who decided to crap out because his costume "shrunk in the wash." I told him to wear sunglasses and be our Papparazzi with the camera, but he looked at me with disdain, so I let the whole costume-for-Dave dream go.
We puttered over to MK on the shuttle boat from Wildereness Lodge. Me as a gympsy holding our little Alice, and sitting next to Pluto:
It was a perfect night in Orlando:
What you don't know from the pictures is that Roo got a LOT of attention from the CM's dressed as Pluto. Everyone, especially the younger ladies, oogled over his adorability, and he was shining with pride to be the cutest boy in all the land. You know how, as you walk into a party via Main Street USA the CM's have the big Mickey gloves and wave to direct the crowds in and out of the park? Dave has video following Roo down Main Street and
every single CM made a comment to him! "Hi Pluto!" or "Pluto you look great!" or "Hey everybody, look! It's Pluto!" Everyone wanted to give him a high-five, or talk to him for a second or two. He loved the attention!
We decided to head to Tomorrowland. We rode a few rides and met characters like Buzz Lightyear:
We stopped to get oodles of candy (this candy spot was by the Speedway - hence the oil drum):
That's me behind the stroller trying to get candy. uhhhh. For Mimi. Right. =ahem= Candy for Mimi:
Mimi managed to get more stickers than candy. I had no idea that the CM's gave out stickers, but apparently they have non-sugary treats, too! You have to ask for them, but for kids with allergies it's a great alternative. Anyway - Mimi stuck most of her stickers on her face:
Oh. Can't really see it? Ok. Here's another little look-see:
Hands:
It was about this time that we decidd to head over to meet Alice behind the Tomorrowland Speedway around the corner from Toontown. We walked all the way down to the end of the path to find her:
Finally we spotted her! And we were only three small groups of people away from meeting her! So we stopped and "HOORAY! We're going to meet Alice":
Little look around at the scenery while we wait:
And we wait:
And we wait:
And we wait:
One group ahead of us leaves. Hooray! Maybe the wait won't be much longer then.
Gee. Alice sure is spending a lot of time talking to this group. Oh. Each adult in the group wants their picture taken with her individually as well as together with three different cameras. Oh. Ok. We'll wait:
Alice's handler saw Mimi and commented on how delighted Alice would be to see her. And then Alice had to go. Abruptly, of course. She just skipped away. The handler tried to stop her, but Alice shot her a nasty look at skipped away without so much as an eyeball toward Mimi. Yeah. Ok. It happens. We asked the handler when Alice would be back, and she said Alice wouldn't return until 10 pm!
What? Oh. Will she be at one of the other character spots along the path? Can we go back to find her? No. Alice wouldn't be found anywhere until 10 pm. Our little Alice will not stay awake that long. Are you sure she won't be found
anywhere ? No. I'm sorry.
Stoopid Alice.
And that is why Alice blows.
BUT WE STILL HAD A GREAT NIGHT!
"Pluto" had a magical moment with Goofy at the Space Mountain Arcade:
(Goofy won the race)
Mimi wanted to join the picture, but only for a millisecond:
Luckily, my trigger finger was set for super sonic speed and I managed to get this picture before she darted:
Aaaaaaand there she goes:
"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!"
Goofy was a good sport:
Mimi rocked out at the dance party in Fantasyland:
You can't hold me back, Daddy! I've got on my dancin' feet:
Bouncing on her heels:
Chip is no match for Mimi's moves:
Roo had NO intention of dancing. He was going to sit in his stroller seat and eat. his. candy! He wasn't going to move one muscle for some stoopid dance party. Unless. Unless... wait. HAng on. Is that who I think it is? Pluto? IS THAT PLUTO??????? Insert mad dash here:
Go away, girl! I'm with Pluto! (roo didn't actually say that. she had noticed he was dressed like Pluto and commented to him that they were funny together):
Roo could barely believe it. He loved being with Pluto dressed as Pluto so much he didn't know what to do with himself:
So they danced:
After the dance party and fireworks (I don't recommend fireworks from behind the castle, BTW) we rode Cindy's Carousel. I asked the CM if she knew where Cindy's horse was, and she escorted us to it! I couldn't believe no one else had snagged it! It has been my intention to get a picture of Mimi on Cindy's horse every time we go to WDW so that in 20 years we can see how she grew up. Here is the first of the series:
Was Roo on Prince Charming's steed? Not sure. Maybe an aficonado can tell me:
"Daddy! You're FUN.ny!" He squealed as Daddy took this shot:
It was about this time that the kids tuckered out. We managed to keep Mimi awake long enough for one spin on the Haunted Mansion, but she fell asleep as we waited for the parade to come by. Of course
that was when Alice decided to come GRACE us with her presence: when Mimi was fast asleep.
Stoopid Alice.
After the parade, Roo was awake, but hanging on by a thread. Dave and I toyed with the idea of parent swap riding Pirates, but as it turned out the slightest mention of Pirates and he was suddenly wide awake. After that we walked back toward Hanuted Mansio, toying with the idea of parents swapping once more before we left. But we didn't.
I asked my "Poppa"-razzi if he would take this picture of me for my Passporter friends on our way out. By the time he snapped the shutter? Both kids...
:
There. I wasn't too brutal to Alice, was I? Trust me... time has eased my bitterness.
But we had a great time. MNSSHP is why I love WDW. I don't really care to visit any other time of the year. Except maybe on my solo-trips around the time of my birthday when the crowds are at their lowest. It was a great party. With or without Alice.
In the next installment: Winter-Summerland is HOT HOT HOT!!!