Day 7. Boo hoo hoooo! And want to know something else? My mom and Hannah are back in WDW right now. As I type this. In Mk. About to have dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern.

Booo hooo hooooooooo!

So. Jealous.

Well Day 7 was our last day. We always spend our last day in MK. It’s like eating your favorite food last. You want the last taste in your mouth to be the best. Or something like that.

Seeing Wishes at Magic Kingdom definitely leaves a good taste in your mouth the night before you have to go home.

So we got up nice and early, raced through out NMR, and made it to the gates in time to see the train comin’ down the tracks! My folks met us there. We rode so many rides that morning I don’t even remember what we hit up first or in what order we went. We just went. We did get pictures of Jack loving The Great Goofini over and over. I think he rode it three times in a row. The wait was walk-on.

{Please note my son riding next to his Grandma with his hands in the air while Hannah Banana holds on screaming for dear life. Haha! She makes me giggle. I’m next to Hannah and my dad is in the back in green.}

 {My little tummy sleeper did so well. He actually fell asleep in my lap on Pirates of the Carribbean {how did he manage that?}, so we laid him down and he slept the remainder of his nap in the stroller.}

We knocked out a fair amount of the park by noon. We hit up Casey’s Corner for another chilli-cheese dog for lunch, then headed back to the Wilderness Lodge for naps and pool time.

Remember our initial pool slide experience? Well, Jack asked to do it again while we were swimming after his nap. I was really nervous to concede, but I really don’t want to turn into one of those over-protective mommies, so I nodded yes while Tim shrugged his shoulders, “Sure, buddy, if you want to…”

“Yeah, I go down slide. Das fuuun, Daddy.”

Ooookay. Tim took him to the top and I did the catchin’. He came down spinning just as before. I caught hold of him {or did he catch hold of me?}, and I waited for a reaction.

“I do again?”

Whaaa? Yes. My little roller coaster, Pirates of the Carribbean, two-year-old thrill seeker decided he enjoyed the pool slide and went down at least five more times. I’m pretty sure my dad did a little happy dance when we weren’t looking, to celebrate the promise of a future wild-ride companion.

After Cole woke up and splashed around the pool for a second, we all got dressed again and headed over to the Contemporary Resort for our dinner reservations at Chef Mickey’s. 

We really like Chef Mickey’s. We have suggested it to many friends that have booked trips with kids. We love that you can meet ‘n greet Mickey and the gang during your meal, so you don’t have to waste time standing in lines in the parks to see them. Also, we have unanimously decided that Chef Mickey’s has the best food of any of the other character buffets. It is all around just really good!

Our reservation was right at the opening time of the restaurant so we were one of the first to be seated, one of the first to meet the characters, and we were leading the charge down the fresh, steaming-hot line of food.

{Every so often they have a restaurant-wide celebration where you are invited to get up, dance, and swing your napkin with the gang. How much fun is that for a little sanguine child? I’ll answer that: tons.}

The dessert bar at Chef Mickey’s is by far the best of any character buffet, as well. Soft serve ice cream with all the fixings, cakes, cookies, Mickey mousse domes, rice crispy treats, fruits…and it’a all fantastic!

After filling our tummies and our huggin’ love-tanks, we headed back to MK to enjoy our last evening in the park and see the Main Street Electrical Parade and Wishes. We stopped first to get our picture in front of the castle.

Elrod WDW Tip: Wait to get your group picture in front of the castle in the afternoon/early evening. The placement of the sun tends to cause squinting in the morning; and nobody like squinty pictures of themselves because the sun was in their eyes. Also, utilize the Photopass cast members instead of asking a stranger to take your group picture. Getting a Photopass card doesn’t mean you are obligated to buy the pictures, and they will always take a shot with your personal camera, as well. Photopass photographers do a better job than Joe Shmoe walking the park because they know how to operate most cameras, and they know the best angles to get a great picture the first time.No matter what time of day, you will most likely have other guests in the background of your picture, but hey, that’s kind of fun too! I just love this story of a couple that realized, while looking through old family photos, that they were both at WDW in the same picture when they were toddlers! Check out the whole story here. So cute!

We had a blast during our last few hours in MK. So much so, that we totally forgot to stake out a spot for the Main Street Electrical Parade! [slaps forehead] Ugh! So stupid!

Elrod WDW Tip: For a good viewing spot for parades, shows, and fireworks, it is wise to save your spot at least forty-five minutes beforehand. If it is a seasonal show or it is a particularly crowded day at the park, I’d recommend getting your spot one to one and a half hours beforehand. Grab a snack and take turns saving the spot while the rest of the group browses gift shops or visits attractions.

Luckily Tim was able to find a spot just big enough for himself, Jack, and Hannah behind a rope on Main Street. I’ve seen the parade many, many times, so I was not concerned with having the best view. I just wanted Jack to experience it. My mom, dad, Cole, and I strolled up and down the Main Street Emporium while the rest enjoyed the parade. Tim snapped some shots with his iphone.After the parade, I headed to the baby care station to warm Cole’s nighttime bottle and feed him in the quiet, nursing mother’s room. The rest of the family migrated into the middle of Main Street to claim a spot for Wishes. Once I finished feeding Cole, I met back up with them. They had gotten a great spot in the middle of Main Street right outside of Casey’s Corner.

Jack loved Wishes {“I see Tinka Bell flyyy!”}, and surprisingly, so did Cole! No tears at all. I just love my boys. They know Disney Magic when they see it. Jack also had a great time playing with all of the glow toys we had brought along.

Elrod WDW Tip: There are lots of glow vendors during nighttime shows, parades, and firework displays. To cut back on souvenir costs, buy glow items before you go. We got rings, bracelets, necklaces, and a sword from the party section at Walmart before we left for about 97 cents apiece! I didn’t show them to Jack until that night once the vendors starting coming out and he never knew the difference. They were new, they were glowing, they were fun! He didn’t care that they were cheap!

I just love Wishes. I’m such a sap that I usually end up tearing up atleast once. There is just something about the music and the beautiful fireworks and being surrounded {nice and close because of crowds!} by the ones you love most. It just feels like a little piece of Heaven on Earth. We’re all together. Everyone is happy. Life is good.

Life is good. And I’m thankful for that. I’m thankful that the Lord has given my family the opportunity to make these type of bond-strengthening memories. These are the best days of our lives, and we don’t even know it.

With love, Malorie