Disney 2013: Park Day 1 - Chef Mickey’s, Magic Kingdom, and Wishes Dessert Party

Other posts from our Disney 2013 trip:

Disney 2013 Check-In and Tips

(I’d just like to preface this by saying that this is the only day we wore matching shirts. Ok, I feel better now.)

Monday morning was our first day in the parks, and we started our day with breakfast at Chef Mickey’s. We arrived a little early, and Honor was impatient to get to see Mickey and the gang.

Finally…finally…(it was earlier than our actual reservation, but it seemed like ages to the kids) we were seated and got to meet the Fab Five as they each came to our table.

Oh, and we ate breakfast, too. Mickey Mouse waffles included.

Caedmon was having a blast, and was really enjoying meeting the characters. Honor still hadn’t quite figured out the whole character greeting thing yet. She loved the idea of it, she just wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do.

But then Minnie came.

And Minnie gave her a kiss.

And she was sold on this whole character thing. Still a bit shy with Pluto, but definitely sold.

Then it came time for the napkin waving, and both Caedmon and Honor thought it was a blast.

After breakfast, we rode the monorail over to Magic Kingdom. As soon as the kids saw Cinderella’s Castle, the whole thing seemed real.

We headed right over to the Toy Story ride, and the kids loved it – we rode it twice.

We also met Buzz! Honor wasn’t sure about this guy, but she tolerated him.

We hit the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, and the Tomorrowland Speedway. Caedmon was stoked about “driving” a car. They were in front of me, so I didn’t get a picture. After lunch at Cosmic Ray’s, we rode Dumbo. It’s “new,” but the magic is still there. I rode with this kid…

…while Husband and Honor rode together.

Honor and I hung out while the guys rode Barnstormer, then I rode it with Caedmon. He got his first taste of roller coasters…and he loved it!

Then, we met Daisy…

…and Minnie (again).

We had to wait about 15 minutes to meet Daisy and Minnie. During our wait in line, Honor was super excited to see them. I think this is where her love for the characters really started to come out. She couldn’t wait to go hug them…and get kisses from them!

We headed back to the room for naps. We knew we would need them to refuel for all the fun we still had for the rest of the day.

We ate an early dinner and headed back to the park. While the guys went to ride Splash Mountain…

…Honor and I went to meet the princesses. “We see Rewa?” (Cinderella)

First, we saw Rapunzel. Honor asked her about Maximus and Paschal (or “the frog”). Rapunzel told her a great story about what they were doing that day.

Next came Aurora, a princess that Honor wasn’t really familiar with. But still, a princess is a princess, right?

And finally, Cinderella. Honor was starstruck.

I rode Splash Mountain with Caedmon, then we spent the evening riding rides…some of them over and over. I think Husband and Caedmon rode Splash Mountain 3 times and Big Thunder Mountain a few times, too. We hit It’s a Small World and the Teacups. But Honor’s favorite? The carousel. We rode it three times that night…the first of many!

But the best part of the evening? The Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party. It’s a small-ish (by Disney standards) party that I stumbled upon during my research. Reservations go quickly, but we were able to score a front-row table for the party. We had a prime viewing spot for the Main Street Electric Parade, the pre-fireworks light show, and Wishes fireworks. Oh, and a great dessert buffet to go with it.

{ETA: Here are a few links from Disney and the DIS Boards about the dessert party.}

This was my plate from my first time through the line. I don’t want to admit how many more times I went back. Hey, I was sharing with Honor.

See? Perfect spot.

Oh, by the way, Honor still doesn’t like the noise from fireworks.

But ice cream after bedtime? Yes, please.

We headed straight back to the resort after the fireworks. I expected it to take an hour to get back, but it didn’t take that long. We were all exhausted and ready for bed, but it was a great start to our Disney trip!