Courtney's Birthday in a Rainy Magic Kingdom

   It's become sort of a tradition to make a trip to Disney for my Birthday! (And Mother Nature has made it a tradition to have it rain every year!) This year we decided to start the day early with breakfast at Kona Cafe over at the Polynesian.  

 
We had done lunch and dinner at Kona but never breakfast, so I was excited to try it. It did not disappoint! Kona Cafe is known for it's Tonga Toast: French Toast stuffed with bananas and covered with sugar! Derek ordered the Tonga Toast and I got the Big Kahuna. Both were delicious.

Tip: You can also get Tonga Toast at the counter service restaurant at the Polynesian!

 It was a great start to our morning and we were both stuffed at the end! We then continued our day at the Magic Kingdom where we were able to get in some rides before the rain started.

Taking a stroll down the river.

We got to meet Anna and Elsa for the first time! (Thanks to FP+)

They loved my bow and the "little green snowman"

We also go to see Aurora!

May 2nd was also the dedication day for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Later in the day my brother, Peter, got to ride the attraction (he worked on the attraction). We caught him on a few of his rides!

Overall, we had a great day in the Magic Kingdom for my Birthday, even with the rain.  A rainy day in Disney is always better then not being there!

The Dapper Dans sang me a Birthday Song!

The Little Things #8

In this series we want to take some time to appreciate the Little Things that just make Disney, Disney. These are those moments and experiences that just make you smile and laugh; those moments that create memories to last a lifetime; and those that only Disney magic can create.

Corn Dogs at Casey's

A trip to the Magic Kingdom just isn't complete without a stop at Casey's for some corn dog nuggets topped with a beautiful view of the castle!

Have a favorite Little Thing? Share it below or on Twitter and we will share some in a future post!

Missed The Little Things #7? Check it out here!

24 Hour Disney Day: Monstrous Meet Up

We started our 24 hour Disney Day bright and early at the Ticket and Transportation Center to attend the Disney Parks Blog Monstrous Meet Up. Joining us this morning were my Dad and brother, Peter! We arrived at 4am and after checking in made our way over to the Magic Kingdom via the Ferry Boat. 

On Our Way!

Once at the Magic Kingdom we got in place for the start of the All-Nighter! We were given Monsters University buttons and Mike Wazowski glasses to mark the occasion. 

 

At 5:50am, the opening ceremony began with a visit from Mike and Sulley in their Monsters University gear. They were soon joined by an array of Disney characters who arrived to the station on the train. And with that we officially started our Monstrous Summer All-Nighter!

We had some time before the first meet-up event of the day, so we joined the crowd down Main Street and made our way to our first attraction, Buzz Lightyear!

 

The park was really empty that morning allowing us to walk on everything! Definitely a nice change. After Buzz we made our way to the Monstrous Meet Up Breakfast with the Monstrous Donut Bar! On our way, the Main Street cars were parked in front of the castle; we stopped for a group picture. 

It was then time to fill up on donuts, fruit and Sulleyaide! At breakfast we were able to meet Sulley, get our picture taken for our Monsters University IDs, and enjoy a buffet of donuts where you could decorate your donut with sprinkles, coconut and even more sugar! 

These guys are some scary Monsters!

             

After breakfast we had some free time in the park before the main event. We used this time to take advantage of the non-existent lines riding Thunder Mountain, Little Mermaid, Aladdin's Magic Carpets, Haunted Mansion and Jungle Cruise! We even had time to complete a map for the new Pirate Adventure experience we shared in our last post and check out the sweet offerings on Main Street! 

                     

After having fun in the park it was time for the main event, a preview screening of Monsters University!!  We met up with the everyone by Splash Mountain where we boarded buses to make our way to AMC Theaters for the movie. Once we arrived, we received some special popcorn and made our way into the theater. 

Photo Courtesy Disney Parks Blog

Can you spot us?
Hint: Look on the right side of the picture :)

The movie was amazing! Everyone in our party absolutely loved it. It's funny and touching at the same time much like the original. Make sure you check out Monsters University when it comes out on June 21st!

The end of the movie marked the end of the Disney Parks Blog Meet Up. As we left everyone received a goody bag filled with fun Monsters University items and we picked up our Monsters University IDs! 

We are Monsters now!

We really enjoyed this meet up. Disney Parks Blog does a great job at putting these events together and adding in those special surprises! 

Even though the Meet Up was over this was not the end of our fun on the 24 Hour Disney Day! Hear about our evening fun in the next post!

The Little Things #4

An Empty Main Street

Taken during the Train Tour

Have a favorite Little Thing? Share it below or on Twitter and we will share some in a future post!

Missed The Little Things #3? Check it out here!