Stew, Jo & Isabella's return to the Disney bubble:Day 15-I don't wanna go MK in my pants!*COMPLETE*

[Stewboy]

So this is it. Day 15. Time to go home. Before we do that though, we have a morning at Magic Kingdom to say our goodbyes.

We woke up at about 8:15 and after checking her phone, Jo saw a text saying that our flight had been delayed from 6:05 to 7:15. An extra hour in Florida, woohoo

Breakfast for Jo and Isabella this morning was the Cinderella cupcake from yesterday, I made do with a cup of tea.


A healthy start to the day!

Jo had very kindly got me an outfit sorted for the day but had neglected to provide me with any shorts! Not wanting to cause a scene in MK, I thought I should probably put some on and found a pair in one of the packed suitcases.


Isabella was all packed and ready to go early...

I walked over to Congress Park to pick the car up while Jo and Isabella finished getting ready. Once I got back to the room we begun taking the suitcases down to the car, including a couple of bags with spare clothes to change into at the airport for the journey home.

It was about 10:30 by the time we were ready to go and get some real breakfast. We drove back to Congress Park and once again walked over to Downtown Disney to head to our favourite breakfast destination - Wolfgang Puck Express. Unfortunately our favourite server Ashley wasn’t working today and the server we had wasn’t quite up to scratch; bringing out one meal at a time with a considerable gap between them, rather than at the same time as we’d asked.


Ready for breakfast


One last walk through Congress Park

Feeling disappointed with the service and with the food, which wasn’t as good as previous visits, we left DTD for the last time and headed back to the car. By now it was 11:15 and time for our last visit to Magic Kingdom.

The weather was looking decidedly dodgy with an awful lot of ominous clouds in the sky. Checking the weather forecast before we left the room, it had predicted rain at about 4 o’clock by which time we’d be out of the parks and on our way to the airport. Even so, I’d suggested to Jo that we take a jacket with us but she said it’d be fine…. hmmm, I wonder how this turns out…?

We got to MK to find it was very busy this morning; it was a Monday and not a day recommended for visiting this park. We parked in the Transportation and Ticket Center for the first time on this holiday and walked to the entrance.




The sky was beginning to bruise

As there were no monorails running we had to get a ferry - luckily there was one ready and waiting for us and just before 12:00 we were entering Main Street, U.S.A. one last time. The drive and entry had taken about 40 minutes in all - confirming what we’d already suspected; that the bus from Saratoga Springs is much quicker and easier.


Busy morning


Still time for some PhotoPass photos

As mentioned in other days, Jo had been using the Disney app to make and change FastPass+ rides, so our original 11:30-12:30 Big Thunder Mountain Railroad FP+ had changed to Jungle Cruise, which we had subsequently changed to Splash Mountain at Isabella’s request. Unfortunately, Jo hadn’t realised that when changing to Splash Mountain the time had also changed to 2:35. We only found this out upon reaching the FastPass entrance of the ride, and with a 20 minute stand-by line we decided to keep the FastPass+ time and ride it later.

Jo was feeling annoyed at this enforced change of plan so she consoled herself with a Pineapple Dole Whip Float from Aloha Isle in Adventureland. Isabella had the, now discontinued, Vanilla Dole Whip Cup and I went without as I had my sights set on a Funnel Cake from Sleepy Hollow.


Dole Whips

As Jo ate her Dole Whip we organised the rest of the day; Funnel Cake first then we do our Enchanted Tales with Belle FP+ followed by Meet Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater. After that we’d do our Splash Mountain FP+ and then we could watch the new Festival of Fantasy Parade at 3 o’clock (our first opportunity this holiday) near Splash Mountain as it starts in Frontierland. What could possibly go wrong….?

First up was my Funnel Cake, so off to Sleepy Hollow for some fried, sugary goodness. Yum yum. Next, it was over to New Fantasyland for our Enchanted Tales with Belle FP+. On the way past the castle I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get a shot of my favourite attraction: the crane! It’s so underrated….


Funnel cake


We were excited to see the crane

We arrived at Maurice’s cottage and despite having a FastPass had to wait for about 10 minutes for the next show. We eventually got inside to find that it’s changed quite a bit from last year. They now have a mirror that turns into a door that leads into Beast’s Library where The Wardrobe now does the narration while the CM chooses the characters. The other drastic change is that only the people taking part get the photo and the bookmark, whereas before all the kids got it. They probably should’ve made that clear beforehand as Isabella was understandably disappointed, as she just wanted to watch. Fortunately we managed to grab Belle for a photo as we left.






Entering the Beast's library






Enchanted Tales with Belle

After Belle we hopped on the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel as there was no queue. Isabella loved this ride and once again The Many Faces of Jo™ made an appearance!




















The Many Faces of Jo™

At this time we noticed that the sky was beginning to bruise and it looked like the predicted rain might be on it’s way 2 and a half hours early . We headed over to the Town Square Theater to meet Mickey Mouse. Perhaps because she knew we were going home, or because she was skipping nap time, Isabella wasn’t in the mood for the talking Mickey and was very uncooperative. Mickey tried his best but she wasn’t interested unfortunately.








Inside the Town Square Theater


Mickey got a hug...


..but she wasn't impressed

We came out to pouring rain and the realisation that the parade would probably not go ahead. I was feeling annoyed at both the weather and Isabella’s mood putting a dampener on our last few hours at WDW. Jo gave me a pep talk, telling me to cheer up, or words to that effect...

We decided to wait it out for a bit outside the Town Square Theater. Watching the crowds leave in droves, Jo decided to change the Splash Mountain FP+ to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad on the assumption that Splash Mountain wouldn’t be busy.


Rain


The stroller ate my daughter!


Exodus

We waited about 15 minutes before making a dash to Columbia Harbour House for lunch. It had eased a little but not much and the clouds didn’t look like they were going anywhere soon. Once again I thought of the ponchos sitting in the bottom of the wardrobe at home…

The crowds were still exiting the park en masse, including a group of Japanese teens who’d decided to removed their shoes… crazy kids! Those that had not left the park appeared to be sheltering in Columbia Harbour House.

After ordering and getting our food, Jo and Isabella went to the restroom while I searched for a table. The usually quiet upstairs area was absolutely full of groups of teens without food - cheerleaders and tour groups mostly. After a frustrating 5 minutes of wandering round and round the restaurant I eventually found a free table in time for Isabella and Jo to join me.

We had the following:

Jo - Anchors Aweigh Sandwich: White Tuna, Lettuce, and Tomato on Toasted Multigrain Bread with Potato Chips

Me - Battered Fish Plate
with Steamed Fresh Broccoli, Apple Slices, or French Fries

Isabella - Chicken Breast Nuggets

Isabella also got given a free Mickey straw to go with her milk.


Why does it always rain on me?


Too late for that Brer Rabbit!

We finished our lunch at about 2:35 and then made our way over to BTMR. The weather was still wet but we soldiered on through, determined to go out in style! BTMR was good fun; Isabella loves a coaster and didn’t mind getting wet. It was now time to see if we could get on Splash Mountain. The wait time was posted at 10 minutes but it turned out to be a walk on, as we’d anticipated. This definitely became the Sears’ favourite ride on this holiday and a great way to end our time at the parks.


"What goes up is sure to come down"

After riding Splash we were well and truly soaked and the walk towards the exit turned out to be a little bit cold and miserable for more than one reason. On the way down Main Street I stopped for a couple of Starbucks Venti Flat Whites to warm us up, while Jo used up the rest of the snack credits next door in the Main Street Bakery.


A soggy end to the holiday


At least someone's still smiling!

….And we were done. It was 4 o’clock, and time to say goodbye to Magic Kingdom and Walt Disney World for another year. By 4:30 we were on the I-4 and on our way to Orlando International Airport.

We hit a bit of traffic on the way to the airport but about 40 minutes after we left WDW we were dropping the car off back at Alamo. The walk from the car hire to the check in desk is a real pain and we had a lot of bags so we invested $5 in a trolley for the first time ever!

As Jo had already checked in we just needed to drop our bags off. Before we did so, we all changed into our aeroplane clothes, stashed the wet, dirty clothes in one of the suitcases, then did bag drop. There was no queue and it was all smooth and hassle free. After bag drop we dropped the car seat and stroller at the oversized baggage area directly opposite (Gatwick take note!) and we were done.

As we’d already eaten we could relax and not have the panic that we had eating and getting to the plane on time like last year. We wandered to security and were at our gate half an hour early, only to find the flight time had been pushed back half an hour. Having not had a nap, Isabella was restless which didn’t bode well for the forthcoming flight.


Sitting in the waiting room

Boarding eventually happened at about 7:45 and after a 15 minute wait on the tarmac we were eventually on our way. Isabella kept herself occupied watching Disney Junior shows on the in flight entertainment.

After a very average meal of chicken curry for Jo, chicken nuggets for Isabella and a beef stew for me, Isabella went to sleep while Jo and I watched some films. I watched Edge of Tomorrow (great film) and Monsters 2 (rubbish); Jo watched Gone Girl. Isabella stayed asleep for about 5 hours and by the time she woke we were almost home.

After landing back in England, it took a surprisingly long time to get through passport control and to the bus stop; it was about an hour and a half before we were on our way back to the Gatwick Long Stay car park.

Our bus driver went a bit rogue when we got to the car park; stopping wherever he wanted to and ignoring the announcements from his own bus. Eventually he dropped us off at our stop and we were reunited with Fred the Peugeot. Car loaded, we got a coffee from the McDonald’s up the road and then headed for the M25 via the M23.

We stopped for some food at the “picturesque” Thurrock services just north of the Dartford crossing - possibly the worst motorway services in England. An hour or so later we were back home, drinking tea from our WDW Starbucks mugs.

Holiday officially over.




Some of our purchases

[Stewboy]

Summary

So, I just thought I’d do a brief summary of the holiday: We had a brilliant time.

There, I did it. Ok, here are a few more words…

WDW truly is our favourite place in the world. We end up working at different times a lot at home - me weekdays in London, Jo evenings and weekends all over the place - so it was really lovely to get to spend some quality time together as a family, in such a great place. We feel really lucky.

As always, it wasn’t long after getting home that thoughts turned to the next trip. We’ve booked again for next year, October this time, for a bit of a change. It seemed like a really long time to wait, especially considering how busy we’ve both been since February and how in need of a holiday we are! So, on a bit of a whim we’ve ended up with a reservation on the Disney Magic, cruising on the Westbound Transatlantic: Barcelona to Miami, then up to Orlando for a few days. We go in two weeks! We are beyond excited and you can read about it here:

#DibbAfterDarkCruise

Before I go I wanted to say a big thank you to everyone for reading and commenting. It’s a real motivator knowing people are enjoying reading about our holidays, and we both love reading the comments. Special thanks as always to the #DADC

So, for the final time on this trippie... TFR!

#DibbAfterOneTripFinishesItsTimeForTheNextOne

[sarahc]

I've loved reading these! Thanks for sharing and I hope you have a fantastic cruise!

[Happyhaunt1000]

Great report 'The Sears'.
Glad to see one final edition of TMFOJ on the carousel. Couldn't help notice the bruises on Jo's knees! When you guys nap in the afternoon... You REALLY nap!
I actually quite like the odd rainy day at the parks. Clears the park out and tends to leave just the hardcore among us to enjoy the rides. Also.. Bonus points for not being Poncho Wombles!

As always, GP, GD & TFS

#DADC
#dibbaftertheskywasnttheonlythingthatwasbruised
#removingsnailsfromubendsonholiday

[loves2plan]

The last day is always sad, but at least you didn't let the rain deter you. We were in Epcot that day and ended up taking shelter in the american pavilion watching both the singers and the show, both things we've never done before. We had my mum with us so couldn't soldier on in the same fashion as the cold and wet really affect her.

You'll love October - the parks all decked out for Halloween are great.

Enjoy the cruise!

[disneylover]

Great report Stew. Well done on packing in quite a lot of rides on your last day before the dreaded airport. Also well done to Isabella for staying awake and who I guess was 'delightful' at the airport because of this? Talking of bruised skies, poor Jo's knees I see we're still a lovely shade of mauve? Thank god for maxi dresses! Glad to hear your going back soon and have a great trip.

[vics18]

Curse that Florida rain mucking up your plans on your last day. I suppose at least it was quiet and you got to do the rides you wanted to do , even if it was a bit damp!
Really enjoyed reading your report. Have a great cruise!

[Grapesoda]

Great report as always, looking forward to the next...

[mariechez]

Love your reports, thanks for sharing.

[Tartan Tigger]

Really enjoyed reading about your trip. Thanks for sharing. Hope you have a great time on the cruise. 😀