Holly and I have been having a super time on her Ten-Year Old Trip.  And today was the best of all.  We had been looking forward to this day for a long time because we were having breakfast INSIDE Cinderella’s Castle!

We woke up early and took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom – so early that there was no line at all!   We journeyed up Main Street, ascended the stairs, and walked right into the Castle.  Then we were escorted into a receiving line and met Cinderella herself.  Holly and I were both a little star-struck.  Holly even got Cinderella’s autograph.

Then they led us up a winding stone staircase into a beautiful banquet hall with stained glass overlooking the carousel.  Wow.

They took our orders (French toast for Holly, mushroom quiche for Aunt Christy) and then princess after princess stopped by.  Holly got autographs, shared stories, and made a wish by closing her eyes and swirling her magic wand.  They even presented her with a birthday cupcake.  It was a very special morning.

Off To Explore

Then we hit the park and some of the highlights that Aunt Christy remembered from when she was Holly’s age – The Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World, and Pirate’s of the Caribbean.  We walked through all the different lands and took our time shopping.

Then – another highlight – an audience with Anna and Elsa from “Frozen.”  Apparently this is the #1 FastPass reservation at Disney.  Aunt Christy had to log on at midnight exactly 60 days in advance to try to secure it.  And was it worth it!  Holly wanted to get Anna and Elsa’s autographs not just for her, but for her two sisters back at home as well.  The princesses were very understanding and happily gave all autographs and posed for pictures.  (We did feel a little sheepish as others had fancy autograph books – we had paper torn out of Holly’s sketchpad – but I think that made her requests all the more charming.)

By this time it was early afternoon, and we decided to take a break and head back to the hotel.  We spent the afternoon by the pool, which was fabulous.

Dinner With The Beast

After our break, we had new energy and we’re ready for an evening back in the Kingdom.   We had a date with “Beauty & The Beast.”

Our first stop was Belle’s village, where Holly got to act in a show with Belle herself.  Holly played Mrs. Potts – the teapot.

Then, we made our way to the Beast’s castle for dinner.  Holly admitted later that she was a little uneasy as we crossed the moat lined with gargoyles and approached the heavy wooden doors.  We were seated in the ballroom and soon we heard, “Ladies and gentlemen, please stand back as the Beast makes his way to the study.”  And the giant Beast appeared – at that point, Holly told me she almost bolted, but kept up a brave front.

 

We had a scrumptious dinner, and our waiter even presented Holly with  a birthday card signed by Belle and the Beast – wow!  And for dessert, we had “The Grey Stuff” (it was delicious!).  We also explored the rest of the castle, including the room with the rose from the movie.  (Even Aunt Christy had to admit that room was a little spooky.)

End of a Perfect Day

We had had a wonderful day, but were pretty tired since we’d gotten up so early.  As probably 100,000 people lined Main Street for fireworks, we forced our way upstream and out of the park to our waiting monorail.  We opted for ice-cream in the hotel lounge instead, where we could watch the fireworks from afar without all the crowds.

We ended the evening snug in our bed watching the Disney Channel until 11:00 pm!  (Holly’s bedtime usually is 9, so we felt wild and crazy.)

So – another Ten-Year Old Trip is in the books.  Next up is Ashley, who is currently 6.  She is busy dreaming of her trip someday . . . .