Magic Kingdom, revisited

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I visited DisneyWorld's Magic Kingdom for the first time with Kuya Rendo. It was a fun experience but since we were there for only four hours at night (after a day of 2005 AACC sessions), I didn't have time to really see much. It took me 19 years to return, this time with more family members accompanying me.

It's Donan's first time in a theme park. I was so excited for him to see Magic Kingdom because it was such a magical place to be in. All the characters I had grown up watching were there in "real life" (they were actors portraying roles, of course, but still...). However, Donan wasn't into Disney characters because he hasn't watched many shows. He's not into Mickey Mouse and his friends anymore. He doesn't know the Disney princesses, except for Mulan. It was interesting to see what he'd gravitate towards.

Kuya Rico, Charlenne, and their children were with us. This must be a return visit for them because they knew where they had planned the sequence of attractions we were going to visit. 

At the entrance to Magic Kingdom.

Our first stop was a visit to Santa Claus. Luna was so hyped to see him. She had a letter prepared for him, containing all her wishes for Christmas. She had a long discussion with him while we stood at a distance.

Donan, on the other hand, wasn't into this Santa Claus. He kept saying that he wasn't real. We had to encourage him to lower his voice as to not spoil his Ate Luna's belief. However, Donan meant that this jolly guy in a red suit wasn't the real Santa Claus because the real one was still in the North Pole (we were in Magic Kingdom a few days before Christmas). 

Donan met Santa Claus for the first time. He said that he wasn't the real Santa, only a guy in costume, because the real Santa was still in the North Pole.

I quickly learned that Magic Kingdom—with all the lights, sounds, crowds, and attractions—wasn't magical for a five-year-old who couldn't relate to any of the characters and to elders who couldn't carry on at the pace set by younger ones. Donan had a tantrum so early during our visit (me too!) that Daddy had to step in and encourage us to get some ice cream. Mommy was on a wheelchair most of the day. Ninang Trining had to stop a lot because she was exhausted. It was great that Anna and Daddy remained chill the whole time because I was stressed. In a rush to get to all attractions in the list prepared for us, we were pressured to keep up, which wasn't fun. So after just two attractions, I decided to slow down our pace and let Kuya Rico's family continue without waiting for us. We just agreed to meet up at certain attractions to coordinate where we'd go next.

Our next attraction as a complete group was It's a Small World. The queue was so long that we had to wait for over an hour if we stayed in it. But Mommy was in a wheelchair, which allowed us to bypass the long wait. At the point, the two youngest members of the group were so exhausted that Kuya Rico and I had to carry them.

Kuya Rico and I carried our big babies because they were exhausted!

And this was when Donan started to warm up with his Ate and Tito. He rode with Luna in her stroller and was talking with her as dusk settled in. He and Luna were chatting with her the whole time we were in the queue for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

After a 90-minute wait, we were finally boarding when Charlenne frantically called Kuya Rico to take the babies off the ride because it was a really fast rollercoaster. We were able to get off the ride (whew!) but Mommy, Daddy, and Ninang Trining zoomed off at ~35 mph on curves in the mineshaft with the rest of the group. They all came out talking excitedly about the fast twists and turns... and having ridden a rollercoaster for the first time in DECADES!

Donan was sitting on my shoulder to have a better view of the fireworks.

Once the lights around the park dimmed and Cinderella's castle glowed brightly, we all trooped to the lawn to find a good position to watch the fireworks. Donan sat on my shoulders and had the best vantage point, I think. As a result, I wasn't able to take videos or photos. It wasn't a big deal, though, because our stressful day ended magically.

Donan enjoyed the following rides and attractions:

  • Tomorrowland Speedway. He loved the idea that he could drive a car.
  • It's a Small World. He enjoyed the slow ride through rows and rows of animatronic dolls.
  • The Hall of Presidents. He picked up two quotes here: Abraham Lincoln's "Four scores and seven years ago..." and John F. Kennedy's "We chose to go to the Moon..."
  • Liberty Square Riverboat. He enjoyed seeing the animatronic characters relaxing on the riverbanks.
  • Country Bear Musical Jamboree. He enjoyed listening to the bears singing.
  • Mad Tea Party. He loved spinning the teacup with Ate Luna, leaving me dizzy. Kuya Rico bailed on us at the last minute.
  • Walt DisneyWorld Railroad. Donan hasn't outgrown his love for choo-choo trains. He was so excited to go on this as our first ride into Magic Kingdom.
Donan didn't enjoy meeting characters and having his photos taken with them. He also wasn't amazed to see Cinderella's castle when we entered the park. And he wasn't happy that we weren't buying toys for him there (too expensive!). However, the day was still magical in the end because he was able to bond with his cousins and everyone enjoyed.

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