After Tilly’s experience with Epcot, she woke up the next day even more excited for Magic Kingdom. On this day, we had to arrive a bit earlier, as we had a very important date to meet the princesses for lunch at Cinderella’s castle.
Entering Magic Kingdom was a lot more chaotic than entering Epcot. The park is also a lot smaller, and everyone was racing for a photo with the infamous pink castle in the background. The humidity was also much stronger than the day before, and we were glistening not long after entering the park. We were able to squeeze in a few quick rides before our lunch, including the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and Winnie the Pooh. Of course, Tilly exercised her right to control the teacup and made us nauseous before our princess lunch.
The entrance to Cinderella’s Royal Table is behind the castle. We felt extremely special and elite while walking up, because you needed a reservation and this was a hot ticket. I had booked it over a month in advance and the only option available was an 11:20 lunch.
The initial line we waited in was not the typical line at Disney, either. At the end was Cinderella herself welcoming her guests. Even I was starstruck. The detailing inside the castle was already amazing, but to see Cinderella personally waiting to greet us? Wow.
We made our way up the winding staircase to the main dining room. The room was bright with many lovely stained glass windows shooting colors across the ceiling. As we sat down, a waitress from Chicago (what a coincidence!) handed us elegant menus to select our meal options. After ordering, it was then time to wait for the food and the princesses.
Then it started. Core memory #4 – unlocked – even for me! A gentleman stood at the top of the dining room to announce the entry of the first princess, Aurora from Sleeping Beauty. The gorgeous princess floated to the center of the room in her famous pink dress. She started her rounds visiting each table and I couldn’t wait for our turn.
Following Aurora was Snow White, Jasmine, and my personal favorite, Ariel. Food was served and we enjoyed our delicious meal while we waited for our turn to meet the princesses.
The interactions with these princesses brought the biggest smiles to Tilly’s sweet face. This in turn made me smile like a crazy person. I even cried! I was almost as enamored with these princesses as Tilly was. But even more so, I was so unbelievably grateful to be able to give her this experience. The magic was even stronger for me in this moment as an adult than to when I was a child. I realized my love for her was stronger than anything else in the world, which transformed that magic into something stronger too.
That lunch left a permanent mark on my heart. I am also glad we did it earlier in the day. While we enjoyed the rest of the Magic Kingdom, the heat and humidity definitely contributed to some frustrating moments.
After lunch, we then made sure to experience some of the more famous rides at Magic Kingdom, including: Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, Aladdin’s magic carpet, and the Swiss Family Robinson. Tilly couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that a Swiss family got shipwrecked in Disney World.
She had very similar excited squeals for Pirates of the Caribbean and Aladdin’s Magic Carpet, but HATED the Haunted Mansion. “Mommy, that was too scary. How can you like that ride so much?” she asked. Core memory #5 – definitely unlocked, LOL.
By this point, it was mid-afternoon, and Tony was ready to head back and jump in the pool. However, knowing we would not have this experience again, I had to stretch it a bit longer. Tilly would never be this perfect age where the magic of Disney is just right. I wasn’t ready to say good-bye, yet. I managed to convince Tony and Tilly to head to an early dinner at Be Our Guest. This allowed us to meet the Beast and see his and Belle’s castle just like we had Cinderella’s.
The restaurant, or castle, I should say, wowed us just like Cinderella’s. There was the famous stained glass window upon initial entry. We waited for our table in the same room where the Beast first met Belle’s father, Maurice. The dining areas consisted of the grand ballroom, the west wing, and the rose room. We were seating in the main ballroom, and could just picture Belle descending the staircase in her lovely yellow dress.
It was then time to call it a day. As we made our way towards the exit, we made one last magical stop. Near the exit was the Town Square Theater. Here, Tilly had the chance to meet Mickey Mouse one last time and bid him farewell. This final character interaction was the cherry on top. The hugs, the smiles, and the genuine, pure joy on her face was worth all the money in the world.
Was two days at Disney World enough? Absolutely. But honestly, I could have done 100 more days of it if it meant I got to see that look in Tilly’s eyes. I’m sincerely thankful for it all – the memories, the magic, and my Matilda. Thank you, Disney, you’ve done it again!
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