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We Came To Play!

We Came To Play!

Opening Magic Kingdom

Opening Magic Kingdom
Showing posts with label meeting disney princesses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meeting disney princesses. Show all posts

Monday, September 16, 2013

10 Out Of 11 Disney Princesses


10 out of 11 isn’t bad.  That’s how many Disney Princesses we met during our summer 2013 vacation.

I am so glad the boy and the husband enjoy meeting the Princesses.  Not all 10 year old boys would be accommodating.  I must also say, that the Princesses seem to enjoy greeting our boy and that definitely helps.


Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus in the Norway Pavilion in EPCOT was a Disney Princess haven.  We met 5 Disney Princesses here, including Aurora, Ariel, Snow White, Cinderella—on a rare appearance outside the Magic Kingdom, and of course the host, Belle.


Mulan and Jasmine were both found in EPCOT in their respective pavilions.  Mulan was in China and Jasmine, along with Aladdin was in Morocco. 


Merida and Tiana were both greeting guests in the Magic Kingdom.

Ariel was also found in her grotto greeting guests.  So, we were able to meet her with fins and feet!

Cinderella and Rapunzel were also in the Magic Kingdom at Town Square Theater on Main Street U.S.A. Note:  The Princess meet and greet location in Magic Kingdom in Fantasyland opens this week.

The only missing Disney Princess is Pocahontas.  The husband and boy caught a glimpse of her at Animal Kingdom while on the way to Festival of the Lion King, but alas, no picture and greeting.  We have met her, and Meeko, before though.  Sounds like we will need another trip!

Monday, August 26, 2013

We Met Merida!




When traveling to Walt Disney World, a priority list is necessary as it is nearly impossible to see and do everything.  Each of us has a “these are the things I really want to do” list for each of the parks.  For me, meeting Merida, was tops on the list for a day at Magic Kingdom.

The entrance to the Fairytale Garden
So just after park opening at 8:00 am for extra magic hours and meeting our Long Lost Friends—click here to read more, the husband and the boy headed to Tomorrowland Indy Speedway, grabbing Fastpasses to Buzz Lightyear on the way, and I made a beeline for the Fairytale Garden, next to Cinderella’s Castle, to wait for Merida.  The guys knew just where I would be and planned to join me after their ride.

Even though Merida would begin greeting guests at 9:15 am and it was about 8:45 am, there were already 3 families in front of me in the line.  No Cast Member was there yet, so we took turns directing other guests into the line.

The boy and husband arrived shortly and soon we were being counted off and sent into the garden.  Only a certain number of guests can enter the garden at a time. We were told to move all the way forward along the inclined path to make room for others. 

Merida greeted each guest with enthusiasm.  And those blue eyes!  They were nearly the color of her dress!.





Merida signed autographs, spoke with an accent, posed for pictures, and gave hugs all around.  A Photopass photographer was on hand to take photos. 


The Fairytale Garden, which we have seen through multiple transitions—Storytime with Belle (which is now embedded into Belle’s Enchanted Tales), a meet and greet area for the Tremaine’s (how fitting that it was just outside the Castle), a meet and greet area for Rapunzel, and it is now themed for Merida with archery equipment and beautiful tapestries.  The only thing missing. . . her brothers!


Our recommendation is to get in the line early, just as we did.  The line was nearly to the Castle even before the character meet and greet opened.  The line, though, is somewhat shaded.  Be sure to listen to the music and enjoy!

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

There Will Now Be Eleven Disney Princesses

The Boy meeting one of the eleven Disney Princesses--Princess Aurora.
Disney Princess number eleven will be crowned on Saturday, May 11, 2013, at the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort.  Merida, from Disney/Pixar’s Brave will have her royal coronation to crown her an official Disney Princess. 

If you know the story of Brave, Merida is an unlikely Princess, as she chose a different fate than what her parents and family had in store for her.  And, different from other Disney Princesses, Merida had no need for a Prince Charming to make her dreams come true. 

Oh, how I wish I had a picture of Merida, taken with at least one member of the Williams Family, but alas, I do not as we have yet to meet Merida.   Meeting Merida is on the top 10 list of things we want to do during our upcoming trip to Walt Disney World. 

Merida is currently greeting guests at the Fairytale Garden near Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom. 

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Our Love of Disney is NOT All My Fault!



Sometimes I feel that folks think our family’s, dare I say obsession, with Disney is all my doing. . . my responsibility. . .my fault.

But I have evidence to the contrary!


A couple of weeks ago the husband and the boy headed off to a local community event complete with climbing wall, wagon rides, and pony rides.  A sudden rain storm stopped the event, so they headed to the local mall for a go on the bounce house.

While at the mall, the husband must have wandered into the Hallmark Store and discovered the following holiday ornaments that he felt compelled to take pictures of.








Of course, I didn’t discover the ornament photos until I loaded the pictures from the SD card into the computer and they were a bit of a surprise, although evidence that our family’s appreciation of all things Disney does not begin and end with me.  The husband carries his share of the “obsession” as well.

Speaking of all things Disney, I got to hear a heartwarming story yesterday of how our blog helped to make someone else’s trip a bit more magical.  Seems that a special “auntie” was at the Magic Kingdom trying to convince her near tear nephews that meeting the Disney Princesses was an okay thing to do. . . for a boy. . . and that other boys do indeed meet and greet the Princesses, aka the boy.  The “auntie” explained to her nephews that she had read about and seen pictures of another boy meeting the Princesses—from our blog.  Upon hearing this, the nephews mustered their courage, dried their tears, and greeted the Disney Princesses with the gallantry they deserve.  I got to see the photos and they were priceless!

It is stories like this that make writing and managing the Williams Family Blog worth it.  Knowing our labor of love has helped someone else discover the magic that is Disney is heartwarming.  We already “get it”;  that Disney offers a special kind of magic that makes so many memories.  Even the “auntie” on her first trip with only one day at the Magic Kingdom could feel the difference; the magic. . . and now she “gets it” too.  And, she’s already dreaming of her next trip!

Sunday, May 13, 2012

My Mom Is My Favorite Princess



There could be multiple titles for this particular post:  “Thank Goodness for Park Hopper” or “The Magic Inside the Magic” or “A Mother’s Day Tribute” as each of them could properly capture part of this story. . .

We headed to ‘Ohana’s for dinner after spending the day touring Animal Kingdom—click here to read about how we got to be the First Family at Animal Kingdom.  We had had a great day and were ready for a great dinner.  ‘Ohana’s, of course, is one of our favorites and a trip wouldn’t quite be complete without a meal here.

When dinner was over, we decided to take the monorail back to the Magic Kingdom and stop in and see the Princesses.  We hadn’t met the Princesses at the Town Square Theater yet, so we decided to give it a try.  Thank goodness for the Park Hopper option on our tickets!

The wait was minimal—20 minutes or so.  Once we traversed the main room with the queue, there was another room with an unfinished ceiling—so not like Disney, and then we filed into the last room where we could see the Princesses from our line.


Soon it was our turn.  Aurora, or Sleeping Beauty was first.  I handed our Photopass card to the first photographer and then proceeded to make sure the pillow case for autographs was ready for each subsequent Princess.  I knew, from watching, that the Photopass photographers and character handlers would pass our card down the line to each Photographer.


I’m so grateful that the boy enjoys meeting all of the Disney characters, including the Princesses.  I think it helps that he has been meeting them since he was a preschooler and that his Dad has a favorite Princess that he doesn’t mind meeting.  I hear about some families with boys who skip the Princesses altogether.  That would make me sad.


Next came Belle.  Belle asked the boy who his favorite Princess was and his response, “My mom is my favorite Princess.”  Well, I didn’t hear him, as I was prepping materials to meet Cinderella, but the Photopass photographer did and she made sure I knew what he had said.  It warmed my heart. . . both what the boy said and that the Photopass photographer made sure I knew it.  I thanked her for telling me.


I thought, what a great response from the boy.  Not only did it give my “mom” ego a boost, but it was very politically correct for the setting.  I mean, he was in the middle of a room full of Disney Princesses and didn’t want to hurt their feelings by picking one over another.  Hence the potential title for the post—A Mother’s Day Tribute.


Cinderella was the final Princess in the house.  The greeting had the right amount of royal regard.  We left the Town Square Theater, exited the park, and made our way back to our resort.


It wasn’t until the next day, that the boy’s answer to Belle made even more magic.  You see, the next day, we returned to the Magic Kingdom and instead of watching the rope drop at the park, we were IN the rope drop show and opened the Magic Kingdom—click here to read more.


To capture all the happenings of the event, a Photopass photographer was on hand, and his name was John.  Somewhere during the photo session before opening the park, there was talk of the Disney Princesses.  I then mentioned that we had met the Princesses the night before at the Town Square Theater and that the boy had told Belle that I was his favorite Princess.

John looked at us and said, “So you were the family.”  Huh?  Turns out that John’s wife was the Photopass photographer who had overheard the boy telling Belle that I was his favorite Princess and had in turn told me.  Then, she told her husband that night when she got home from work and then we end up being picked to open the park and John is photographing us.  What a small world!!!

The whole story gives me goose bumps.  John’s wife must have photographed hundreds of children and families the night before.  For her to tell her husband our story is mindboggling and then for us to be joined with John the next day in such a magical way is beyond coincidental;  it’s magical. 

And, people wonder why we keep going back to Disney.  This story exemplifies one of the many reasons!  It’s not that we expect the same magical things to happen each trip—far from it.  It’s that we know magical things can and do happen.  Are we disappointed if something doesn’t happen?  No way!  We have incredible experiences and make our own magic.

I’m still shaking my head by the serendipity of all of it.  But that’s what Disney magic will do!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

9 Out Of 10 Disney Princesses



9 out of 10 isn’t bad.  At least for meeting Disney Princesses!  We were able to meet 9 out of 10 Disney Princesses during our most recent trip to Walt Disney World.  See if you can determine which Disney Princess is missing.
 We saw Belle at the Princess Gathering in the Town Square Theater and at EPCOT in the France Pavilion with The Beast.

Rapunzel was in the Fairy Tale Garden, but now has a new meet and greet location in the Town Square the Magic Kingdom--click here to read more.


 Pocahontas was with Meeka near the entrance to Festival of the Lion King at Camp Minnie Mickey in Disney's Animal Kingdom.

 We found Sleeping Beauty, also known as Princess Aurora at the Princess Gathering in Town Square Theater at the Magic Kingdom and also in the France Pavilion in EPCOT.


 Princess Jasmine was near the Magic Carpets in the Magic Kingdom.  We also saw her at the AAA Story Time--click here to read more.  And, we have found her in the Morocco Pavilion at EPCOT before.


 Mulan greeted the boy at Disney's Hollywood Studios during, what we call the Character Explosion, also known as Character Palooza--click here to read more.

Tiana was greeting guests at her gazebo at the Magic Kingdom. 

Ariel, and Prince Eric, were found on the veranda at Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom.

Cinderella was with other princesses in the Princess Gathering at the Town Square Theater in the Magic Kingdom.

If you guessed Snow White as the missing Princess you would be correct.  We knew we would find her at EPCOT in the Germany Pavilion and had read the Times Guide for exact times.  Since we had a 6:00 pm ADR at the Biergarten, we made sure we could get to the 5:30 pm meet and greet time.  We went to the spot only to discover a Cast Member, and character handler at that, informing us that Snow White was not available to meet guests that day.  Oh, no!  We were a bit disappointed, but we had met her before on previous trips.  And, it gives us another reason to come back!