Inside the Mouse.

Years ago, I read an interesting book about the inner workings of Disney...a literary critique of the casting, characters, and inner workings of what makes this the "happiest place on earth."  

So I was particularly excited to actually step foot inside the Magic Kingdom itself, and glean some fun facts from Daddy, who had been there many times.  For example, did you know that Disney World is actually the second level of construction and that beneath all the excitement is where all the real magic happens, like costume changes and all the intricate details of Disney the business? All of it is actually ground level and the theme park is built on top of that.

And kinda sadly, Cinderella's castle, due to tricks to the eyes, is not really as high as it seems (though still magnificent!).

Disney World is essentially it's own island, and upon entering the Magic Kingdom parking lot and obtaining tickets, there's a choice of either riding the monorail or taking a ferry. We opted for the monorail. We, along with droves of other people, were half an hour early, so we had some time wait. 

Eventually, the "Mayor" of Main Street, USA came along, ready to open the park.  Mickey and friends were due to arrive by steam train. Excitement was building!

Our first stop? To find the 100 acre wood, and the Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh. Easy to find, we soon were in line to ride the giant honey pots that wove us through the timeless classic.  It was awesome.  Throughout the day, we rode this about 6 times.  It was beautifully crafted, super fun, and lovely to watch you sing along to all the words that you've known so well from watching this movie over and over.  Truly a dream come true for you and us.

From there it was on to the magic meeting. Pooh! Tigger! It couldn't have been any better. 

After that, it was Prince Charming's carousel, Ariel's grotto, Dumbo's circus, meeting up with pals Goofy and Donald, and so much more.  OH, and let's not forget the one and only time you went ballistic.  It was on the ride that featured Stitch, from 'Lilo and Stitch'. Long story short, Stitch spit on you point blank, you screamed your head off, and some nice worker with a flashlight came to let us out of the pitch black room so we could escape and not disrupt all the nice people who were enjoying the crazy ride. Needless to say, we had never seen you so upset.  You were totally inconsolable for quite awhile.   But once calmed, you trusted us to bring you to other fun and not so scary spots, and you began to enjoy yourself again.  Thank goodness. The magic returned.  

And then...after the Haunted Mansion, as you staggered out, and got into the stroller, this happened:

We broke you! After 6+ hours of nonstop fun, you had had it.  So we found a quiet corner (believe it or not, there are plenty) and let you nap.  There was a moment, however, where one of your eyes was slightly open, giving you a slightly creepy look.  But still adorable.  You needed the rest.

Observation: everything on the 47+ miles of Disney area is meticulously clean and cared for.  The public restrooms...spacious, clean, and actually somewhat enjoyable to use.  I'm not sure I've ever used the words 'enjoyable' and 'public restroom' in the same sentence! But it's true.  Just another fascinating Disney fact.  

When you did wake up, you had gotten a second wind, and off we went for more rides and fun.  Dusk had arrived, illuminating Main Street, USA in a rosy glow of purples, yellows, oranges...Cinderella's castle lit up the sky like a beacon.  For the umpteenth time that day, I (we) reveled in the magic of it all.  As our 12th hour approached, even as fatigue was creeping its way into every part of us, we settled in to watch the final show...the light show and fireworks.

When it was time to go, we made our way back to the entrance, ready to catch the ferry (this time) back to the parking lot and call it a day.  Our day at the Magic Kingdom was coming to a close.  Hard to believe an entire day was spent in this place, and yet it still didn't seem enough. There were still parts of the park that we hadn't touched. We'll be back!  We just won't be going anywhere near Stitch...