Day 10- The dream ends
So, it now amounts to being the last day I have at Walt Disney World and I chose to spend it at The Magic Kingdom. A someone early start and checking out of the hotel was first on the agenda as I left my bags and headed to Magic Kingdom. My goal was to ride things I had missed and to re-ride some of my favorites.
Upon arrival I headed to Frontier Land and rode the Jungle Cruise. The line was short and I got on a fairly good skippered boat. Its really a step above the Disneyland version in most ways except for the intimacy I find here. I thought the inside temple scenes were great but fairly underused as there seemed to be many dead spots in the ride. But it was a beautiful area and the queue was nicely detailed.
Next up was Big Thunder Mountain, which was in rehab until the day before. The line was small and it was weird being in such a long extended inside queue for BTMRR. The loading area was also fairly bizzare being indoors. The ride itself was bizzaro Big Thunder with elements that are familiar but not quite what I know it to be. It was a quick fun ride and I liked the finale much better there. I missed seeing the goat though...
I headed to the Country Bears to take in one last show and ran into "Woody’s Roundup" which was just a small parade with the Toy Story Characters and some cowboy & cowgirls hoofing around. I didn’t stay to watch. At Country Bears it really took me back to the 70's when I was a kid and it was so sad to see the bears in such a state. TLC is needed badly.
After biding the Bears farewell I went to have an early lunch over at The Plaza Restaurant again. I had my Cheese Steak Sandwich, fries and an Ice Tea, which would be my last meal at Walt Disney World. After a really great meal, I headed to the castle to watch "Dream Along With Mickey" in its intirety. Its really the best Mickey show I’ve seen in forever and the animated heads is just mesmerizing. Seeing it on video doesn’t even begin to give you an idea of how amazing it looks. Its extremely natural - just amazing.
Mickey and the gang dancing away.
Melifecent shows up.
All is well when daytime fireworks go off.
After the show I made my way to Tomorrowland for another run on Carousel of Progress, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority and then back to Main Street where they were having the Family Fun Day Parade which is just a group of families and some characters marching down Main St., from what I saw of it. Sadly, this isn’t something you’d see at Disneyland, I would think.
Carousel of Progress and Me!
Sorry, I love these raised walkways... <3
Family Fun Day Parade.
I spent some time at the castle just looking, taking some pictures and admiring it. Inside the breathtaking mural and they had just taken down the walls inside the courtyard where the crane for the Christmas lights was sitting, so I could now walk down the side pathway towards Tomorrowland. The walkway had a "wishing well" of sorts that was pretty neat.
A well with no echo, nor singing.
Just a small part of spectacular Cinderella mural.
Fantasyland was pretty busy by now so I re-road "Mickey’s Philharmagic" and headed to Mickey’s Toontown Fair. Mostly just to take pictures but I was on the lookout for a box set of CD’s featuring some of the music of Walt Disney World and I had not remembered where I saw it until I was back there and I found it in the Circus tent store. So, with the box of cds containing "The Festival of the Lion King", "Wishes", "Spectromagic, "Illuminations" and "Disney’s Magic in the Streets", plus a few Pins of the various theme park logos, a Souvenir Picture book and two more CD’s - The Official Soundtrack and the special "Events" CD that has the Hallowishes, and the Dream Along With Mickey Show.
Time went by quickly this day and I had to be back at the hotel for the shuttle back to the Airport. So, with a very heavy heart I made my way to Town Square where I had just enough time to see some of the Disney Dreams Come True Parade. So I waited and the clock ticked and ticked and ticked and the parade wasn’t coming. It was started at the other end of the route and the time was getting to be late, so I moved to just below the train station and the music came on. Down Main Street came Mickey’s float and this would be the last experiance at Walt Disney World (That was "Magic" at least)
I waited until the float was nearby before exiting the park. I got to have Mickey wave at me. (Yes, he did!) And got to hear a bit of the touchingly ironic parade song as I walked out about Disney Dreams do come true, and for the previous 10 days - that’s what I got.
It surely felt like a dream....
"Just believe and your dreams will come true"
Though this wasn’t the true end of the trip, I’ll leave this as the cliffhanger...
Next - the insane trip back to the hotel, the flight back home and my final comments.
To be continued...