Nala and pride "Here we go again!" Final thoughts and COMPLETE! Updated 7/30 About This Page:

[Jillybean]

I'm glad that you convinced Grumpy to hold out for the CP ADR! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif[/img]

And what a cool story about the little boy and his mom handing out pixie dust! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] So, so sweet!

And Mary Devall has already told me that her prized Jasmine outfit itches too! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Jill

[luvnwdwgal]

Wonderful update! Keep spreading that pixie dust! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img]

[Colexis Mom]

Great update Nala [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/zwavin.gif[/img] DD won't wear her princess dress too long either [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/082502no_prv.gif[/img] Sorry you witnessed some not so magic behaviour, but the pixie dust at the end was certainly a great way to change things around! Looking forward to hearing about dinner [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Tink and co.]

What a great update and way to spread magic! More please!

[IdahoDisneyMom]

It was 105 degrees here in Boise today, so I spent the day reading your TR!! Your trip sounds like it was fabulous, I'm glad you had such a great time. And no, your TRs aren't too long, they're funny, entertaining and heartwarming. Thanks!!

[Minnie Lor]

Great update! Sorry that Grump was having a hard time finding the magic after his earlier encounter. The pixie dust story is cute. Glad it helped restore the earlier mood.

[PrincessSharon]

Great update, Nala! Glad you stuck to your guns and got a magical moment out of it [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif[/img] Can't wait to hear about dinner with Pooh & friends!

[OCEANGRLLG]

Great TR sounds like you guys had a blast!!! Now only to get my DH to say yes that we can go back!!!

[Nala]

We made our way up the steps, greeted the hostess and gave her our name (and the flashy, buzzy thing) and were escorted to our table. I was thrilled to find we were being directed to a window table. Unfortunately, it was on the far right side of the restaurant and while we could see some of the castle, our view was blocked by bushes or trees or something. But it really didn’t matter as Wishes was much later in the evening and there was no way we could monopolize a table for that much time. Although, holding out on the table would have been the easy part compared to entertaining Kiara for that length of time. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

So it was time to get our grub on. And I was ready! Grumpy and I took turns at the buffet and I was grateful that no one was counting how many trips I made! We (or I) ate and ate and ate some more. Some of my favorite dishes in all of WDW were here and I wasted no time getting my fill of them. And in between my multiple trips to the buffet, the characters started coming.

Piglet was the first to grace us with his presence. (he must have sensed a kinship with me by the way I kept filling my plate) And as always, he was cute and cuddly as he posed with Kiara.



Next was Eeyore. Is he not just the cutest thing or what?


After Eeyore left our table, I did a quick assessment of the character situation and figured that Pooh was enough tables away that I had time to make it to the buffet for yet another trip. And my assessment was correct. Shortly after I returned from my eighteenth trip for more of the beef, bleu and romaine salad, Pooh came to our table.

And right behind Pooh was none other than the wonderful Tigger.



Ahhh, life was good. All of the characters had been to our table, Kiara was happy with her encounters with each of them and all the pressure of missing a character greeting whilst at the buffet was off of me. I was free to go back to the buffet again and again.

But then I had one of my Disney moments. You know, the little things I have put in this report about how I go completely and totally stupid. But this one was the best.

For some reason, my gaze broke off my plate of all that wonderful food and I found myself looking at something on the window sill next to me. And horror struck my heart. There they were, the telltale signs that Mickey had family members that visited the MK and more specifically had left their mark at the CP. I looked at them, I looked away and looked again. And if twice wasn’t enough, I looked for a third time. And by the third time I dropped my fork on my plate which got Grumpy’s attention. He looked at me and in a bare whisper I stated what I had found in the window sill. “What?” he asked as he couldn’t hear what I said. So I repeated it a bit louder. “Huh?” And finally I spoke the words so he could hear me. “There are mouse droppings on the window sill!” . [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] So, I was freaked totally out. I found it hard to believe that if there was a rodent problem at CP that the evidence would be so blatantly out there in the face of a guest. And I knew there was only one thing to do. Inform a CM.

So while Grumpy tried to get the attention of our server, who was very busy, I stared on and off at the offensive, little things in the window sill. And while our server was being detained by the needs of the other guests he was tending to, it took everything I had not to stand up and scream “I have a situation over here that requires attention NOW! Thankfully, I refrained from making a scene.

As Grumpy continued to attempt to catch our server’s attention, I decided to survey the surrounding area of the offensive matter on the sill. I looked behind me and saw something that puzzled me.. The same size and shaped item as the two brown ones in front of me was laying on the window sill behind me. Only it was pink. And then I saw another one, but it was yellow. And then the light came on……………… [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/foreheadslap.gif[/img]

I turned to Grumpy and quickly told him to stop waiving at our server! I then confessed that what I thought I saw was not what I thought it was, but was in fact a few chocolate sprinkles from the sundae bar or some other dessert! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] Grumpy and I started laughing about my revelation of the truth and were horrified that it was at this time our server decided to make his way to our table. He was concerned that something was wrong by the way Grumpy was waving at him and all I could do is say I really needed a refill on my tea. He looked at us like we were flat out nuts for the fuss we were making over a drink refill. And as he walked away, Grumpy and I laughed even harder. If he only knew what had been going on at our table! Thankfully, I had discovered the truth before I had the opportunity to, once again, make a total fool of myself.

We decided it was time to make a quick exit. We finished our last bits of food, requested our check and made it a point to leave the server a tip a bit above the norm. And I was still laughing as we left. In fact, even seven months later, I still laugh when I think about this moment.

We left the CP and made our way to Main Street and it was clear to us that it was time to say goodbye to the MK for the final time this trip. Spectromagic was scheduled to start soon and the crowd was forming along the street. The sidewalks were impassable, so we made our way right down Main Street towards the exit. We still had about fifteen minutes before the parade began and I wanted to look for a few things in one of the shops before we left for the night. I sent Grumpy and Kiara to an out of the way spot (the smoking section) to wait for me while I made a final cruise through a few shops.

Since Kiara has been in her current class at school, we have made it a point to bring back a little something from Disney for her classmates every trip. And this trip was no exception, so that’s what I went in search of. While I found several things that would have been great, I also found that the crowd in the shop and the lines at the registers were unbearable! Like Grumpy, I also can’t handle crowds, and it was just too much for me. I knew there were some items that would work at the gift shop in the WL, so I gave up and went outside to claim my pride. As I approached the two of them, Grumpy noticed my empty hands and stated “It must be REALLLLLLY crowded in there for you to walk out empty handed!” Scary sometimes how well that man knows me.

Spectromagic was about to begin and it was time for us to leave. It would have been nice to stay and watch the parade, but at this late moment we wouldn’t have found a good spot and Kiara was getting cranky. Plus, we just didn’t want to battle the mass exodus that would occur when the parade ended. And as we left, I did what I always do. Looked back one final time to take that last glance at the icon that I have loved since I was nine years old. Grumpy, who is now used to my little ritual, left me alone to enjoy my final moment and headed to the stroller return with Kiara. There I stood, alone in a sea of people, and watched the castle changing colors. Tears filled my eyes as I whispered “See ya next year”.

I pulled myself together, headed through the tunnel and was able to catch Grumpy and Kiara as they were passing through the gate. With Kiara between us, the three of us held hands and made our way to the boat dock and back to the WL.

When we arrived, Grumpy headed to the room with Kiara and I headed for the gift shop. I found a few things for her classmates, (stickers, suckers and some chocolate coins) and headed back to our room. Kiara was more than ready to call it a night and fell asleep long before the electrical water pageant made its way past the WL. But Grumpy and I saw it for a final time. The packing began and along with it came the heavy heart that I was leaving my happy place in the morning. As I packed, my mind was filled with wonderful memories of things that had happened on this trip. And I couldn’t help wondering how I was going to survive an entire year without getting back to my happy place. In order to keep my wits about me, I turned to my Scarlett O’Hara approach of things in life I don’t want to deal with at the moment and decided to think about that tomorrow. After all, tomorrow was another day.

Shortly after all the packing was done, Grumpy joined Kiara in peaceful slumber. But I wasn’t ready to give up yet. I stood on the balcony and looked out over the WL and the dark Bay Lake in front of me. And I reflected on not only this trip and all it’s magical happenings but on all of our past trips as a family. Those past trips pushed my memory back even farther to my childhood trips. I found myself looking into the dark distance across the lake where my thoughts landed on my trips to FW with my parents that happened so many years ago. All my memories of my dad and the times we had there flooded my mind. As I thought of my father, I glanced back at Kiara sleeping on the bed behind me. I looked at her and found myself grinning from ear to ear and finally figured out what it was that made my father bring us back to WDW again and again, time after time and year after year. It wasn’t the parks (or park at that time). It wasn’t even his beloved FW. I know now it was the smile on his daughters faces as they slept after a magical day at WDW. And that smile was the same one that I was now seeing on my sleeping daughter’s face.

I knew our wake up call would come way too early, so I forced myself from both the balcony and my trip down memory lane and turned in for what would be my last night at WDW.

[Minnie Lor]

How is it that you have the knack for making me roll with laughter one minute and wipe the tear from my eye the next? You have a wonderful gift for writing!

I loved your trip report as always. Thanks so much for taking the time to write this report (I hate calling it a report since it's so much more and 'report' sounds so cold)and thanks for letting us in on your magical memories and thoughts.

[Colexis Mom]

Gosh Nala, you had me [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img] and then [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] I'm glad what you thought you saw, wasn't it [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/082502yes_prv.gif[/img] And that you could laugh about it [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Other than that, it sounded like a great ending to your trip! Love the pictures of Kiara with all the characters [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

So sorry it's all over [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[luvnwdwgal]

Beautiful ending! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/applause.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/applause.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/applause.gif[/img]
You have such a way with words! Thank you!

[DrDolphin]

Nala - you should write professionally!!! You spin such a great story! Sorry your trip is coming to an end.

[DyanKJ130]

An excellent report from start to finish! Thanks for sharing!!

[DawnDenise]

Excellent update Nala!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/applause.gif[/img] I was laughing so hard about the "droppings" then I turned a corner and was in tears by the time I finished reading your last paragraph. Absolutely wonderful!! I'm so sorry to see this coming to an end.