Ok so 2nd part of my Birthday! (A month ago now!)
After a mid-day rest, shower and change we headed out to the bus stop to catch the bus back to MK for my Birthday evening. Now this is where the only bad bus experience of our trip began! And on my Birthday! But it was the only one of the trip so overall it didn't matter too much.
Our ADR was at 5.50pm at Cinderella's Royal Table and we were at the bus stop at 4.45pm (which is maybe cutting it a bit fine anyway but we'd had good experiences so far with the buses and knew it only took on average 10-15 mins to get to MK from our resort). However by 5.10pm and no MK buses (and typically after 2 Epcot and 2 Animal Kingdom, a Hollywood Studios and a Training bus that didn't stop had already had been by!) I was starting to get anxious!
Eventually at 5.15pm one turned up- and it was a driver "In Training" so had another driver with him telling him where to go and what to do. Of course this is necessary and the drivers need training, it was just frustrating on this time important trip! He was sooooo slow and cautious! And then we had to wait for two scooters at the next stop! Arrrrgh!
It was 5.35 pm by the time we left the resort... and I thought, OK, we might just make it to the gates for 5.45pm and then if we run we won't be too late... However, as we passed through the gates for MK and began driving past the TTC... the road all the way up to The Contemporary and beyond had a HUGE TRAFFIC JAM!!
I couldn't believe it!! It was moving gradually but of course this was frustrating! EVENTUALLY we got to the front (the traffic was continuing past into the back of MK/wherever that road goes and it was all cars so I don't know what it was about?) and after leaping off the bus and running to bag check we then got through the gates. It was also at this time that I realised wearing an unworn pair of plastic "glass slippers" that I thought would be awesome to wear to the castle on my Birthday was not the best idea when in a rush! Ouchies!
We fiiiiinally made it into the MK just after 6. Oh, wait, one more hurdle- the Move It Shake It Parade!!
So, after alllllll of those hurdles, we finally checked in slightly out of breath at about 6.10pm, but they were fine. We actually went straight through, had a pic with Cinderella (who asked if I was going to make a wish) and then it was up the stairs and to our table!
We made it!!
And I got a signed disc thingy for my Birthday
Now, unfortunately, the second not so good experience of our trip happened here, and on the same day as the bus journey and my Birthday! It wasn't too much and it didn't affect the trip as a whole, it was just a bit disappointing.
One part was that the food here, was terrible. I ordered shrimp and grits and the grits were like water. In fact all the food except the dessert (and that's because it was sugar and chocolate based, can't really go wrong there!) was pre-made, overcooked, warm not hot- so it had obviously been left under a lamp somewhere- and was over-seasoned. For a signature, although I know the experience is about the castle and the princesses, this was just very disappointing. Especially after our AMAZING experience at California Grill two nights before!
The worst part though, and the bit that actually caused me to complain to Disney when I got back, was that as I was finishing my appetiser, with bread in hand (using it to dip into the watery grits) the server from the kitchen came along with our entrees- and WITHOUT ASKING ME whether I had finished, moved my appetiser out of the way, plonked my entree down and then took my appetiser away! I was left there still holding the just-dipped-into-the-now-taken-away-grits-piece of bread in a bit of shock. SO RUDE!!
Anyway, fortunately they were the only two not so good experiences of the whole trip, and considering the bus thing wasn't really that bad it was just that we were short on time, and that this was only one meal out of the whole trip (that actually Disney got back to me about, discussed with me, apologized and offered me a Dining credit gift card for our next trip- which was nice and unexpected) it wasn't really to much of a dampener on our spirits! In fact we couldn't do anything but laugh really! Also now coupled with the fact CRT is being refurbished in January so there
might be some improvement if the refurb is on the kitchen, I may even go back!
PLUS it was still my Birthday... and I got to meet my favourite princesses! Ariel, of course, again, and for the first time RAPUNZEL! I was way more excited than I maybe should of been about this! Love Tangled!
May have then photo stalked her for a little bit... such pretty haaaair!
So, after the hiccups, I was given a Birthday cupcake and our waiter sang Happy Birthday to me.
Then it was time to bid the Castle farewell, and head off to spend the evening in the MK!
I'm actually struggling to remember exactly what we did between leaving CRT and our FP+ for BTM at around 8.30pm... I think we went on something... oh well! Big Thunder was fun, it's always more fun than I remember!
We were both a little tired at this point and our feet aching, so we stopped for a drink. I was wondering if we would make it for Wishes! I had just made a FP+ for Winnie the Pooh at 9.15pm on one of the kiosks and had planned another run on Under The Sea after going to see Tinkerbell in Town Hall but this wasn't seeming too likely at this point... so I thought I'd just go and see Tink and see how we felt. On the way we went through the Emporium and I spotted a Rapunzel dress that might actually just fit! Thank you Disney and your all inclusive merchandising making XXL dresses for children that can fit adults! I didn't actually buy it but I wanted to!
LOVE the little area you meet Tink in! And the sparkly lights that "shrink" you down. I had a major DERR
moment here though, and as a huge Tinkerbell fan (Before the re-surge in the past 10 years, but also I've watched all the movies!) I couldn't believe how dense I'd been when I left! As we went in all the CM's were saying "Happy Arrival Day!" because of my button and I kept thinking "Arrival Day?! Is that a new button you can get now- your first day in Disney World?!" and then when Tink said it to me I said "Thanks! And it's my Birthday too!" to which she looked confused but quickly realised I hadn't got the arrival day reference and went along with it! Ha ha ha! Even Russ knew (and I do too, had a brain moment!) that Arrival Day is what Tink and the fairies call your Birthday. Doh!
OOOoohh well. It was still fun meeting Tink! And I got a Selfie
After this I was a bit pumped up again with excitement and it gave us our second wind!
So to keep that going we popped into Starbucks. I actually love being able to get a Starbucks (any size!) for a snack point in the parks! And the cups they come in! And I got a little Happy Birthday on it which made it even better
After this it was about 9.20 I think as the Electrical Parade was just finishing. Once this had ended we made our way into the hub (not too bad a spot either, just to the left of the Castle and not too far out of the spot they have for FP+ viewing of the parade. It wasn't difficult to get to either! And this view was actually better than when we had a FP+ for Wishes earlier in the trip. That was in the Rose Garden and they sat us behind the tree that covered the castle so we completely missed the projection show!
Anyway so we had prime viewing this time. I'm not the biggest Frozen fan myself but I LOVE Let It Go. So I love the Frozen part of the projection show! Gave me goosebumps and tears.
And then it was Wishes! Cried. More than once. I just love this show and was so glad we decided to stay! Capped the day off perfectly.
So after this we made our way back home to rest- and for me to free my torn up feet from my plastic shoes!!
All in all though was a wonderful Birthday and spent in the BEST PLACE EVER!!
Next up, just two more full days to go...!
