Yesterday afternoon, the Dork Lord and I went to his parents’ house for a DisneyWorld planning session. I know. Who needs plans for the happiest place on earth? Don’t you just show up and eat Mickey Mouse ice cream ears and skip through the Swiss Family Robinson tree house until you can’t get the music out of your head and then ride Pirates of the Caribbean one more time before going to sleep with a stupid grin on your face? You’d think. But, as it turns out, we do need plans. Because with meal packages that require reservations, and maybe one or two picky eaters (yeah, don’t look at me. If you cook it, I will consume), and acres and acres of park to cover, there were maps to scour, golf arrangements to make, menus to review and, well, look, I’m going to go ahead and cut the crap and tell you that all that matters is I’m going to eat lunch with Cinderella. IN. THE. CASTLE.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been in the castle. It came as a tremendous disappointment that not just any little girl who loves – really truly loves — Cinderella gets to venture inside the castle (unless you count the gift shop where your mom assures you that you cannot afford to touch anything, let alone buy it). But guess what? If you are a grown up with spending power (or a meal package) you can go any damn where you want. Including Cinderella’s castle where the princess herself will make an appearance at your meal. I’m pretty sure the Boy’s sister and I will be wearing white gloves and tiaras if left to our own devices. Our boyfriends will also be wearing gloves. Golf gloves. Out on the golf course. Because they’re just not emotionally equipped to handle that kind of celestial experience. Also, they sort of refused to go. I’ll tell you now that things will have to be going very wrong for us to notice their absence. I’m just saying.
The Dork Lord, who is used to his own dorking out seemed pretty amused by the whole holyshitcinderella’scastle! and the ensuing nerdvana.
“Will you get your picture taken with Cinderella?”
“Are you freaking kidding me? We’re going to get drunk and make out.”
“Oh dear.”
Seriously, I don’t know what else he expected to happen with thirty years of build up. Picture, schmicture.
Awesome!!!
Love that place!
You’re gonna have a blast and yes! breakfast/lunch at the castle is a fun-filled fantasy for any girly-girl, no matter what her age!
I hope you and your family have a blast!
PS: Just don’t forget the sunscreen.
Ah!!! I had dinner in. the. castle! And now, I wasn’t five, I was 22 and it was still one of the most magical experiences EVER. My best (guy) friends knew how much of a hopeless romantic I am so they reserved dinner in the castle for one of the nights we were there. Enjoy it!
Were you aware that you can actually sleep in the castle too? I don’t know exactly how you swing that, but I’m pretty sure making out with Cindy is a good start.
Have fun!
That is awesome. You are going to love it. I lived in Orlando for 10 years so I have been a few (hundred) times. It never gets old and is always magical.
http://www.tourguidemike.com = best Disney site ever. Give you tips on EVERYTHING, including which days to visit which parks and what order to do the rides in so you are not stuck in that god-awful Florida humidity all day. We did Disney every year growing up, wish my parents had discovered the site, lol.
Having spent my life going to Disneyland, I was utterly shocked to find out HOW much planning one has to do in order to go to DWorld instead. The restaurant reservations drove me mad alone. Not to mention that all your carefully laid plans get thrown awry if you are staying in a Disney hotel and taking advantage of the extra hours…on a day where you already booked breakfast in another park where the extra hours are not happening.
Oh, DWorld. I love you so, but oh, the stress!
Are we related? My parents are taking the kids and grandkids to Disneyworld next week, and we’re having lunch at the castle. It’s theoretically in celebration of my niece’s 4th birthday, but I have a feeling that, although 2 decades older, I might be more excited than she is.
That’s so exciting! You MUST convince her to let you wear one of the glass slippers. Or both. In which case, you win at life!
p.s. you do know you can get married at Disneyland/World? I know, because I asked when I was there and a wedding was being set up. I was 15 and the employee looked at me funny.
This made me so happy for you, I almost clapped my hands at work. Please wear a tiara. I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from singing Bippity-Boppity-Boo to Cinderella – I hope you make a better impression than I would! Can’t wait to read about it.
I think I’ve been to Disney World about a dozen times in my life – that’s pretty much the only place my family & I ever vacationed. In terms of getting dinner reservations I would say find out what time the fireworks happen over the 7 Seas Lagoon & make a coinciding dinner reservation for the patio at the Rose & Crown Pub in the UK in Epcot. The food is not spectacular – it is “Britain” after all, think Shepard’s Pie – but it has a great view & is a nice way to end a loooooong day of walking. And order the Raspberry Fool for dessert – that is spectacular. Other than that, Birnbaum’s Disney guide says when offered a choice always choose the line that goes to the left. Don’t know if it’s still true but most people naturally go right, I guess. Have a blast!
Went to Disney for my honeymoon and ate at Cinderella’s Castle for dinner. Oooooooh, the pretzel rolls and dijon butter. The food is actually fantastic. Not to mention the pictures with the lady herself and the magic wand and sword my husband insisted we leave with, even though they are typically reserved as handouts for children under the age of 12. They even gave us a set of Cinderella champagne glasses because it was our honeymoon. We have to fight the urge to spend every vacation there, otherwise we’d be those people who had never seen Europe but know the location of every hidden mickey in the park. I hope you also made reservations for the restaurant in Mexico in Epcot. Probably not the most authentic food, but such an adorable setting. It’s one of our favorites. And the Hoop-de-do at the Wilderness lodge… I could go on and on.
Despite having very few princessy bones in my body, this post made me smile. I’m very excited for you
Love the title’s reference to Princess Bride (one of my all-time favorites).
Have fun, princess!
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The Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse? You’re so precious. It’s the Tarzan Treehouse now. No one under the age of 30 even knows who the Swiss Family Robinson is. They have no clue that the family in Old Yeller + a couple others built a treehouse that MacGuyver would be proud of (not even any duct tape). It now belongs to Tarzan and Jane (daddy, he took my boot).
*Tsk* Fish (our princess)…. I can’t stop thinking of this place now. It’s been a while since I’ve been to the Orlando site since relocating west. Not that the west coast location isn’t fun and just as happy but, there’s something really special about the Florida location.
So..my thought and hope is that you’ll play into the whole “make-believe, fairy dust, wishes-do-come-true” thing.
I know when I do, it makes everything in that place a little more magical.
PS: Sorry about all my !!! in my first response. I know how you feel about them
but your post just sent me into a little kid-excited frenzie, which I can’t seem to let go…. so far. 
Thanks.
OMG. I hate Disneyland and I’d pay a pretty penny to make out with Cindy. Yeah, screw the pictures, I want video!!
If you want an oh so romantic dinner with the dork lord (and very pricey) go to Bistro de Paris, in Epcot, it’s upstairs in Paris. If you can book a window at 8:30-9ish, you get a wonderful view of the light-show.
To get a custom map for what you plan on doing at Disney:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/myVacation/customizedMaps/index?id=CustomizedMapsFlashPage
I’m a bit of a Disney junkie. I can’t wait until my baby is old enough to take there. I’ve already started a special savings account for that trip (in 5 years I hope to have enough to rent the castle suite)
I thought you might enjoy this
http://www.mylifetime.com/on-tv/shows/project-runway/tim-gunn-phone-call
Are you kidding? OF COURSE you have to plan for a trip to Disney World! It is highly recommended to purchase both the OFFICIAL guide to DW; the Birmbaum AND the Unofficial version. Maps, stratagies and dining tips must be perused, and plotted to get the most out of your time and money!!
OMG. I want to go! I’m 49 and haven’t ever been to OZ aka Disney World. One of my dream vacation, taking my niece along too of course. My husband said he would rather not… a little more strongly than that. I have a new 2 week old niece too. I guess I’ll have to wait for her to get a bit older and take both her and her 12 yrs older sister. Or go now and go back again when she’s old enough. I wish I had a dork-lord’s parents to bring me along. My hubby is more the anti-dork though as computers tend to go haywire when he’s around. AND I have to fix them!
Ummm good luck getting drunk. When my sister and I were there in February, we looked everywhere and I do mean everywhere for alcohol in the Magic Kingdom. No luck. My sis kept saying “Happy place on earth my a**. Where’s the beer?!” “ok. This place is even called a saloon and there is NO alcohol. What’s with that?” “Let’s go on Big Thunder Mountain again!” — cause clearly this is the next best thing to beer!
WOW! This all sounds so exciting. Got any space left in your luggage you can pack me along. teehee
But HEY, I was short-changed when I went to DW in 1976 because the Castle was a walk-thru attraction then. Ground floor, just walk thru, look up and that was it. And Cinderalla wasn’t there, she was out and about, flitting around the park. Think we saw her doing the nasty with Tigger.
However, there was many bicentintial events and exhibits in the park during our visit.
We went to DW as part of an Air Force package tour from Biloxi, MS. I went with a group of girlfriends, and we hit the park running. No planning, no guide books, no sleep – we travelled all night and arrived in time for DW to open. Somewhere along the way, we picked up a discarded map of DW and used that to select where we wanted to go and not walk past things we had already been to. LOL We spent 3 days and 2 nights there and had so much fun.
I’m not a comment whore but I had to let you know that I am BEYOND jealous! There are very few things more rad than havin’ a meal in the castle and have Cinderella saunter up to your table for just a quick chat… I la-la-love that idea! I am of the green nature…
My last post got eaten, so we’ll try again . . .
I haven’t visited the Magic Kingdom since, oh, 1973. Back then, Orlando was still “rednecks with Disney.” My wife and I visited Epcot in 1997, and while I thought it was OK, it was still a bit too hokey for my taste (though the evening fireworks show is pretty awesome). Universal Studios was much more fun. Stay away from being there in summer as the weather is really hot and the lines are really long. The Brazilian kids seem to like to vacation at Disney as well, so you might actually hear more Portuguese than Spanish spoken.
When you want to get away from the crowds and the noise (and have much better food for the same price), go to Winter Park, which is north of Orlando. The Morse Museum specializes in artists who lived long and died rich. Pretty nice, actually. The cafés along Park Avenue were good. The lakes and big houses look pretty as well. When we were there, the town was so rich they didn’t need parking meters!
Anyway, enjoy, whatever you do.
Ah, I have a soft spot for Disney magic too, having never gone as a kid. I did get to go 2x in high school. I can totally relate to your wanting to wear tiaras and gloves with Cinderella and think it’s great that your bf’s sister is going with you.
Ah, I have a soft spot for Disney magic too, having never gone as a kid. I did get to go 2x in high school. I can totally relate to your wanting to wear tiaras and gloves with Cinderella and think it’s great that your bf’s sister is going with you.
Ok – Had to comment on this one – I LOVE Disney! I also had to check to see how quickly someone mentioned http://www.tourguidemike.com. I cannot recommend that site enough. I went with the kids during one of the busiest summers ever at Disney, and never had more than a 10 min wait in any line. It’s worth it’s weight in gold…. if it actually weighed something.
OK, so hells yes dinner at the castle is phenominal! BUT not only will you get to take pictures with Cindy herself,as you dine the fairy godmother and a few of the mice come into the dinning hall AND SING TO YOU! I went for my 30th birthday and wore one of those “it’s my birthday” buttons, and she came right over and sang to me. Not gonna lie, I cried. It was TOTALLY EFFIN AWESOME.
As someone already alluded there is no alcohol in the Magic Kingdom. If you are going without any children in tow – I highly recommend the extra magic hours and the late afternoon for Magic Kingdom. As for planning – almost everything you’ll ever need to know (and a lot you’ll never need to know) are here
intercot.com
The castle experience is awesome! enjoy!