Meet me in the Land of Hope and Dreams -DAY 25 - Goodbye MK.

[walt4it]

Welcome Back thank you for reading so far- it is really appreciated and your comments have been wonderful
- Thank You.


Today was our final visit to Magic kingdom on this trip

Previously - DAY 24 is here

Index of the whole trip ( just in case you have missed the fun so far) is here.



If you are interested in reading previous rambling stuff that you do on a holiday - then the 2013 trip report is here.



Welcome to ...

Friday 22nd August 2014

Planned Fp's today

Space Mountain 12.10-1.10
Splash Mountain 1.15-2.15
Seven Dwarves Mine Train 4.10-5.10 ( cancelled before we arrived in the park)
replaced by
BTM 2.15-3,15 ( An important change in the whole day!)


This is perhaps described as the Finale part 1!

We parked and headed into Magic Kingdom at a rather decent hour - 11am, unsure of how long we would stay but with the intention of seeing and doing as much as we could - hence the cancelling of the 7 Dwarves mine train FP - we had ridden this a few times already and being forced to wait until 4.10 in the afternoon before extra fast passes became available was simply toooooo long!
So we changed it


As we arrived we grasped the opportunity of a few photos

My better side obviously!





Rules for the day were pretty simple!



We stopped at city Hall for birthday pins for the boys and to get a few Disney Dollars as a keep sake for them too.

We walked up Main Street at a rather slow pace( for a change!) simply soaking up every ounce of the atmosphere and ensuring we had a final walk, right up the middle.
The finality of today had struck us hard and since Magic Kingdom would usually be our final park of the holiday it was making us very aware that the end was in sight

We headed to Space Mountain and finally got the picture we knew was possible



All four of us in the one picture on Space Mountain - shame Joe missed the camera - we rode on the left hand side track and as discussed on nearly every single trip we find this side to be the one that is a little bit quicker/ tighter or just throws you around a bit more ? It is something as we came off on our first coaster high of the day and if that was our last go on Space it was a good one.

Food and coffee were calling as was Gaston at his Tavern

but this was our real reason for visiting!






See the concentration needed to eat one of these!

By the time we had finished, we went straight onto Splash Mountain and we got incredibly wet too!










We then headed to Big Thunder Mountain where we were allowed to ride 7 minutes before the FP time allowed



Aladdin and his magic carpets were next with a very short queue but not before we snagged a FP for Pirates at 3.20

The ride proved a bumpy one though as joystick wonderment took over in the front row



Talk about camera shake

Anyway we were simply trying to avoid the inevitable - we had not paid a visit yet in 2014 and against our better wishes Josh insisted we "must" do this.
I still remain of the same opinion as I have always had - what on earth was Walt on when this was designed?

My favourite bit






We escaped, sorry we left in a bit of a hurry it was 3pm and the parade was just passing






As the parade faded into the background we were met by the REAL country Bears!

As if sitting through the show was not punishment enough!



We went in search of Pirates on our 4th Fp of the day and joined a slow pass queue - the wait to use our FP was also the same idea that lots of others were having as the parade had gone -I remained calm and patient though, as otherwise it would have meant another Country Bear experience!
As we exited Pirates we recharged our FP for a very soon to happen one at Haunted Mansion - we simply walked round a got on - FP 5 used.
We got another for the Indy Cars as this has seen a big rise in queue time this year due to FP+ so it was worth getting - we did have to wait 20mins so we went for a Pooh



ride and it filled in the time until the Indy cars. FP 6



Expertly driven again by Joe - the whiplash claim is still being calculated - I'm just glad there is a rail otherwise I think we would have headed towards Seven Seas Lagoon!

We got stuck at the end and sat in full sun waiting on a broken car down being removed for 20 mins- it was baking hot and the lovely small of fumes from surrounding cars was starting to get to us both, we thankfully got moving and off the ride.

We then got a FP for Buzz and met him whilst was took on another lot of water - we had frazzled a little in the car and the water was needed.

Now handy hint and tip if you are at Disney - some of the drink sellers have large bottles of water for sale at just $3.75 whilst the smaller ones $2.50 keep an eye out for them.
We had finished our Walmart supplies and left some in the car for later - these were extra as it was roasting hot.


We then rode Buzz and searched for FP 8 - at which point the computer was not playing ball and we could not find anything that would fit into our remaining time so we stuck on Seven!

We got on the people mover as we planned our final hours.

We then decided to go and ride Airel as the queue was short, live wait times update thanks to The Dibb live wait times

She was ready and waiting for us and we simply walked in and enjoyed the voyage!

We were aware that the weather was turning so we got into



Before everyone else had the same idea. you could sense the weather change in the air and also visibly too. The lightning also meant that all the outdoor rides closed.



The rain was just about to start as we got to Peco Bill's for some food - it was 6.45 and time was moving pretty fast now for us all, as the lightning was all around the rides had closed and we knew we were making good use of the storm interruption watching the phone updates for what was open and when .
We finished our food and heard the sound of the train whistle, an all clear perhaps? Well we hit Big Thundre Mountain with just a 10 minute wait time and it was in fact a walk on as we got to the ride itself.



As we rode the darkness of the storm turned towards dusk and the sky was calm once more .
As the darkness started to fall on Magic Kingdom it seems to turn itself into another place, one charged with renewed expectation and excitement of the evening entertainment to come. The atmosphere becomes something that is difficult to describe, you want to reach out and touch it yet you know it can't be touched. It is a wonderful time to just watch how the whole park transforms in a matter of minutes.





The standby and FP queues were decidedly longer now for the ride, we jumped on the train and headed to Main Street Station - we thought it would be a quicker move rather than battle the crowds preparing themselves for the Elactric Parade at 9 - we were just 35 mins away from that.
We spent the parade time in The Emporium shopping rather than watching the MSEP - Don't get me started on SpectroMagic

We were stunned to see the first Halloween display too - IN AUGUST!


We readied ourselves for Wishes with a Frozen Lemonade and the next hour just drifted away.
We stayed just by the flag pole to watch - simply to get a quick get away. But despite a promise of no pictures I had to take just a few.










And once again Wishes did it for us all - the raw emotion of it being our last visit saw tears and the knowledge we would not be back. It was not even our final day but the feelings were exactly the same
There was a stunned silence as we onto got the boat, back to the car - looking longingly as we crossed the lake at a castle and magical place that was now out of our reach once again. The slow steps off the boat with one last look behind.
It was reality time - we were soon to be going home - and no matter if you have been here a week or a month that feeling would be exactly the same

Finale day 2 is here

[flo-tinka]

Almost poetic in parts! I can feel the emotion! Ha,

[Taffy1959]

Fantastic day and I love the pictures of Wishes

[mick]

Brilliant day lots of rides done, and finished of with wishes just a shame it was your last visit of the holiday always a sad one.

Joan

[walt4it]

Originally Posted by flo-tinka

Almost poetic in parts! I can feel the emotion! Ha,

See more...

I hope you can - as even reading it back again I know this night was our real goodbye there is something about Magic Kingdom that does it to me every single time I leave for the last time

Originally Posted by Taffy1959

Fantastic day and I love the pictures of Wishes

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Thank you- I was not sure about being so far away and with a few lights on in Town Square - Will try again and see if I can get something to rest the camera on as handheld and so far away can be a bit hit and miss.

Originally Posted by mick

Brilliant day lots of rides done, and finished of with wishes just a shame it was your last visit of the holiday always a sad one.

Joan

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Leaving MK always a sad one Joan

Thanks for reading and sharing my emotional farewell

[collybird]

FP+ works better in Magic Kingdom than anywhere else, I love toting them up.

[Reetser]

As we rode the darkness of the storm turned towards dusk and the sky was calm once more .
As the darkness started to fall on Magic Kingdom it seems to turn itself into another place, one charged with renewed expectation and excitement of the evening entertainment to come. The atmosphere becomes something that is difficult to describe, you want to reach out and touch it yet you know it can't be touched. It is a wonderful time to just watch how the whole park transforms in a matter of minutes.

See more...

Nothing further to add your honour!

[walt4it]

Originally Posted by Reetser

Nothing further to add your honour!

See more...

Thank you for the highlighted quote

Reading back - it makes my own words seems so alive - as Flo-tinka posted earlier
I had not recognised the emotion and poetic nature of what today reads and having read it like this I see just how it can be .
Especially when you get home after experiencing it all once again.

Thank you all for reading