Cinderella's Royal Table

Today was the big day. A really big day. It was 180 days ago that we made reservations for this epic moment, and it had finally arrived. Let me go ahead and say it was worth the wait! We woke up this morning quite early - very early, in fact!

We woke up so early that we actually arrived at the gates of the Magic Kingdom before they opened, and waited right there for the park to open. Right at the top of the hour, they had a show - and all the characters appeared on a train which arrived at the station above us: welcome to the Magic Kingdom!

Immediately, we traveled over to Fantasyland to ride some of the more popular rides like Dumbo, Peter Pan and It's a Small World. But rather quickly, it was time for our appointment with the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique!

Madison was so in the zone. So very happy! She was treated like the princess she is, as a staff put her hair up, gave her a crown, put nails on and also applied makeup. Here she is above, before turning around to see what she actually looks like. She was having the time of her life getting all of this pampering done - it was so much fun for her! But then it was time to turn the mirror around and see what she looked like:

She was so happy! She beamed radiantly as everyone took lots of pictures. She was so happy throughout this experience that every picture features a huge, natural smile! We went back to Fantasyland for a bit and caught Prince Charming's Regal Carrousel, Mickey's Philharmagic and even the Snow White ride - but then it was time for another appointment: lunch with Cinderella! THIS is what we waited 180 days for. Actually we waited a lot more than that, because each time we go to Disney we try to make reservations here - only to have all the slots be filled. Finally, we made reservations to eat at Cinderella's Royal Table.

Going up there, you can see why it fills up so quickly: there's not that much room. But it's an incredible experience. All the princesses wander from table to table to meet up with the little princesses. We had visits from Cinderella, Belle, Aurora, Ariel, and even Snow White:

Madison was a real princess today. She was so incredibly happy, and so were we. The meal was very good too, and as a bonus, they gave us an official portrait of Madison with Cinderella. It's been years since Daddy was up in the castle to eat - back then it was called King Stephen's Hall. Nowadays, it's the ultimate dining experience in all Walt Disney World. And we were very blessed to be there!

Afterwards, we did a few more things - we went to the Tiki Room, and were delighted to see it was restored back to the original format. Madison enjoyed seeing the birds and singing along too. Next, we visited Jack Sparrow on the "Pirates of the Caribbean," which Madison enjoyed so much she wanted to do it again! We rode the Magic Carpets of Aladdin together, and even did our parental obligation: wait in line for autographs. We waited for Jasmine and Aladdin, and got some great pictures of Madison with the two of them - and their autographs, of course.

But we had so much more in store for today. And that's why we had to head back to the lodge, in order to take a pretty good nap. We made it to Main Street and found a perfect opening though: we could see perfectly the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade. Seriously! Usually you have to camp out way early for a spot to see the parade. But it just so happened that we got to see the parade without even going through any effort - we were even on our way out of the park. We had such favor on this trip.

Back to the narrative: it was time for a nap. Back to the lodge we went for a long nap!

Daddy went to our favorite little nook in the lobby to read a book, while Mommy and Madison slept well in the room. A few hours later, it was time to arise and shine - and go to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.

It was pretty crowded. Still we had fun riding rides again, and watching the decorations. Main Street was absolutely beautiful - and the snow was falling around us. Here's a photo of Madison catching snowflakes. Or at least trying to!

We rode many rides again, and even saw the Country Bears Jamboree - we heard pirate singers singing Christmas songs, and shared some hot cocoa and cookies. It was a festive time, although a little crowded. We made sure we found a spot for the main event, Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. We camped out there early, but not so much so that we felt like we were missing out on anything. Daddy got Mommy and Madison some food while we waited, including a tub of popcorn. And then it was time to for the parade!

It was spectacular! There's Donald above, just one of many creative parts of the parade. Daddy's favorite would have to be the wooden soldiers, which were tremendous. There was so much atmosphere and Christmas music - Madison's face was smiling the whole time, calling out the different characters she spotted all the way through the end, when Santa himself came riding by, waving at everyone.

We rode a few rides after that, including the "Pirates of the Caribbean," but everyone was losing steam - and we thought it might be best to avoid the crowds and escape a little early. So, having a very full day, we strolled down Main Street once more beneath the lights, looking back at the castle draped in icicles. We said goodbye to the Magic Kingdom, and went down to the dock to catch our boat back to the Wilderness Lodge. It was quite a full - but magical - day!