The crowd then dispersed into the various lands, and I tried my best to get a decent photo of Cinderella Castle, but I was not bringing my A-Game today – so annoying!
We decided to go and get some 45th Anniversary treats before they all sold out (which special stuff always does), so went in search of those which I think we found in Gaston’s Tavern.
We bought a cupcake and a candy apple. Unfortunately I couldn’t seem to find the receipt for these purchases… There was another cupcake available with blue frosting and Oreos for Mouse Ears, but the line for that one, for some reason, was insane. So we passed on that one!
Check out my rubbish, out of focus picture of the candy apple – I’m so annoyed with myself!!
As you can imagine, the park was very busy – not much room for manoeuvre at all. It was strange to see long lines for things like the Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover and Carousel of Progress!
We did actually go on both of these, but after that, the lines were so long for pretty much every attraction, that we just didn’t bother with them. We still had to get to Saratoga Springs to check-in and get back to Magic Kingdom for the fireworks!
When the Castle show, Dream Along With Mickey ended in April 2016, to say I was upset is an understatement! From the moment I saw the show for the first time in 2011 I fell in love with the music, and is my fondest memory at Walt Disney World.
It was replaced by a new show – Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire – which is based around newer Disney animations – The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, and Frozen. Mickey Mouse and the gang do have roles to play in this show, but it really is focused on the other characters.
I was so horrified that they got rid of Dream Along With Mickey, I refused to see this new show all holiday! But, since we were passing the Castle, and since it was just starting, I said maybe we should stop and watch.
It didn’t blow me over the way Dream Along did, but it was still a good show, and I suppose it was nice to have some familiarity with the songs already. I really don’t remember much about it so will have to watch the video back at some stage!
My understanding is that the outfits that Mickey, Minnie et al, all wear, change with the different seasons which is pretty cool. I’ll have to check my photos from when we went in December 2017 to see if they are different!
I have to admit it was fab to see Louis from The Princess and The Frog – I love that character and took loads of pics of him!!
Once Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire was finished, we headed up Main Street USA to Tony’s Town Square Restaurant where we had a lunch reservation.
People seem to either love or hate this restaurant which serves Italian food. We have always enjoyed it when we are there, and the food isn’t awful – no worse than what we’ve had in somewhere like Olive Garden.
When it comes to Disney Dining we have always been believers in trying out a place for ourselves and make our own decisions on it. There are places that get rave reviews, yet we’re not so keen, and vice versa. Who knew food at Disney was so serious?!
Tony’s Town Square Restaurant »
Starters…
Me: Calamari – served with a side of Lemon-Caper Aïoli ($15)
Him: Assorted Meats and Cheese – served with Peppers, Roasted Onions, Olives, and Grilled Flatbread ($16)
Main Course…
Me: Cannelloni – filled with a mixture of Ground Beef and Sausage, Mozzarella, and Ricotta served with Marinara Sauce and Créme Sauce ($22)
Him: Chicken Parmigiana – Lightly-Breaded Chicken Breast topped with Melted Mozzarella and Tony’s Marinara Sauce over Spaghetti ($26)
Tony’s Town Square Restaurant, Magic Kingdom
Bill: $85.98 + Tax: $4.48 + Tip: $15.48 = $105.94
TiW Discount: $17.20
Total Paid: $88.74
We didn’t bother with dessert as we had already had our celebratory cupcake and candy apple earlier! After paying the bill we took a Disney Bus to our next resort – Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa – leaving our car in the Magic Kingdom parking lot.
We did this because we didn’t want to lose our space, and because we would be coming back later in the day to see the fireworks so it made sense just to use the bus system.
We were staying at Saratoga Springs for this last night because it was all that was available when I made the decision to add another day onto our trip – or rather, it was the cheapest in terms of DVC points. I had tried to add an extra day at Animal Kingdom Lodge, but it was full up.
It really wasn’t a big deal to change at this very last point in our trip – Disney transferred our luggage, and when we got to the reception desk it was already waiting for us at Bell Services.
Before that though, we had to buy another suitcase… and spent a hefty sum (I think nearly $200) for a hard-shell case from the Resort Store. We had discovered late last night that our bags were too heavy and didn’t have time to go to a WalMart or somewhere off-site to buy one cheaper. I know… but we were desperate at this point.
This resort has a horse theme to it, which is obvious if you know that Saratoga Springs is a city in New York State – a hub for thoroughbred horse racing, and home to the Saratoga Race Course. (Thanks Google!)
So once we had that new suitcase bought, Steve rode in a golf buggy with a Cast Member to transport our stuff to our room in The Paddock area of the resort, while I headed over there on my ECV.
I sadly can’t really do a full Resort Tour as this was such a flying visit, and we only really saw the reception area, shop and our room – and not much else.
During my little ride through the resort to our room, I did take some photos of the surroundings, as well as our room (which was huge!) We both agreed that it felt like a really relaxing resort, and so pretty too with the coloured buildings, gardens and water features.
We were on the ground floor and had a little patio area, with a lovely view of the water and trees. We couldn’t take much of it in though, as we had to re-jig the stuff in our suitcases, and get back to Magic Kingdom.
After the cute desserts at Club Villain the day before, and because it would no doubt be packed for Wishes that night, I suggested that we look to see if there was any room left for the Tomorrowland Fireworks Dessert Party. Amazingly there was availability, so we booked it! This meant we didn’t have to worry about rushing back to Magic Kingdom, as we would be guaranteed entry thanks to our ADR.
After much stress, and having to play a game of Tetris with all of our stuff, we finally got all our cases packed, and caught a bus back to Magic Kingdom.