The House of Mouse, continued



We loved the Magic Kingdom!

Day 5 was a Magic Kingdom day. After our customary leisurely breakfast in the club lounge, we made it over to the park in time for the opening show. This time, though, we headed straight for Adventureland's Jungle Cruise. What fun! We loved the guide's smarmy jokes, and I swear that Clay thought the fake elephants were cooler than the real ones we'd seen at Animal Kingdom the day before.

Afterwards, there was virtually no wait for any nearby rides, so we rode both the Magic Carpets of Aladdin and the Pirates of the Caribbean again. Clay wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, so just to be safe, we got a couple of FastPasses. Then, we set our sights on Tom Sawyer Island.

Tom Sawyer Island ended up being one of our favorite places in the Magic Kingdom. We loved all of the caves, tunnels and secret spaces. Clay adored protecting the fort from the rifle roost, and we also took time to play on the playground out there. Hubs took the raft back to the rest of the park in search of a cold drink, but Clay and I must have stayed on the island for an hour or two. When we finally did ride the raft back, we cashed in our FastPasses for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. At first, Clay was scared. But by the end of the ride, he was giggling and asking if he could go again.

Sharp shooting in Frontierland

We decided to stop by the Country Bear Jamboree, a fun (if old) animatronic musical show. Afterwards, we were getting hungry. Since the show lets out right at Pecos Bill's Tall Tale Inn and Cafe, we decided to settle in for lunch. I had a grilled chicken salad, Clay got a small burger, and hubs met up with us to eat.

After lunch, we headed back to the hotel room for a rest. We had early dinner reservations at the Crystal Palace that night, and we didn't want to be late! Refreshed, we awoke after our nap and headed back to the Magic Kingdom. This time, our sights were set on Tomorrowland. We buckled up for the Tomorrowland Speedway first (only so-so; you can ride go-karts anywhere), then realized we had just enough time to check out Disney's Carousel of Progress before making our way to dinner. I really loved Carousel of Progress. I loved the rotating theatre and the vintage feeling of the attraction. If I were to change anything, it would be the last scene. Today's technology has already surpassed what we might have dreamed only 10 years ago, and the final scene feels dated.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad became a fast favorite.

When we came out of the theatre, it was pouring down rain! Luckily, we'd brought ponchos and an umbrella in our bag, so we simply suited up and trekked over to the Crystal Palace for our dinner reservation. Unfortunately, lots of people without reservations at all (or with reservations a good deal later than ours) had the idea of hiding out in a restaurant to wait out the weather. We stood in a LONG check-in line, but once we got to the front of it, we were seated pretty quickly.

The dinner was buffet-style, with lots of variety and delicious food. As we ate, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and Piglet came out to take photos and meet the kids. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal. By the time it was over, the night lights and fireworks show was just beginning outside at Cinderella's Castle. We simply sat on a bench on the porch of the Crystal Palace and had a comfortable viewing spot for the whole show! It was lovely.

Afterwards, it was still a little rainy. We decided to head back to the room for the night.