I Can Show You the World... Magic Kingdom!

We woke up in our Lion King suite in Art of Animation to get ready for our day in Magic Kingdom. I'm really excited we got a Lion King suite because I've only ever stayed in the Little Mermaid rooms, and I wanted to experience something different in AoA. Not to mention, Lion King is one of my favorite Disney films ever. Although, one of my biggest disappointments on this vacation is that Danny didn't get to see the resort at all because we were rushing to get to the parks early in the morning, and we were too dead when we returned from the parks at night. He barely saw any of the Lion King statues, along with seeing nothing in the Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo or Cars sections of the hotel. I didn't even get to take the Skyliner from my own resort! Luckily, we are going back to AoA in October, and we can dedicate proper time to exploring and filming the resort. 

Our morning started off with a million photoshoots around the castle LOL. Sadly, our photographer that we had worked with on previous vacations had to cancel last minute due to falling ill (thankfully, it wasn't Covid-related). I was a little sad because I love the vibrancy of her photos, but her health was more important than anything else. Thanks to the crew and their fire photo taking skills, Danny and I got some really cute photos together this day. What's funny is that everyone was so preoccupied with getting us adorable couple photos that Chinh and I have no photos together LOL. I love everyone's dedication and excitement in capturing our first Disney trip together though.

We actually accomplished a lot at the Kingdom. We were able to ride Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, Little Mermaid, Dumbo, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Big Thunder Mountain and the Barnstormer. Next trip, I need to get Danny on Splash Mountain (I hate it), PeopleMover, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tea cups, Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan. Oh, I also hope to torture him with "It's a Small World" and Astro Orbiter too. For lunch, we stopped at Cosmic Ray's where I discovered disturbing details about my boyfriend. He decided on the foot long hot dog that Dario almost lost his dignity over on our last vacation. He ate the entire hot dog too, which shocked me LOL. I mean, at least, I know he'll like Casey's Corner when it opens up again. I miss those mini corn dog nuggies.

We managed to capture the Mickey & Friends calvalcade later on in the day before we went to get dole whip. We split up with half of us going go Aloha Isle (famous for the classic pineapple dole whip), and the other half to Sunshine Tree Terrace. I headed over to Sunshine Tree Terrace for the Citrus Swirl, of course. It’s basically frozen orange juice swirled with vanilla soft serve. It’s super delicious, and one of my favorite Disney snacks. Unfortunately for us, it started to rain while we were sitting down to enjoy our frozen treats. We finished up as much as we could, and started to head over to the buses to take a break. Needless to say, we got soaked walking over to the buses LOL. It’s been a while since I’ve been caught in that Florida rain. To make matters worse, we literally waited an hour or so just for a bus back to AoA. It seemed like there were buses for every resort but ours, with multiple buses heading to Pop Century (which is adjacent to AoA) passing us by. Sometimes, the free transportation between Disney parks and the resorts are not so convenient. By the time we were able to get on a bus, we were mostly dry again. 

Once we got back to our resort, it was time to shower and get ready again for our dinner at Be Our Guest. I was excited to eat here again since it’s been a while, but I was even more excited for Danny to have this experience. Be Our Guest has three themed dining rooms to immerse you in the story of The Beauty and the Beast: The Grand Ballroom, The West Wing and The Castle Gallery (Belle’s library). I’ve only ever sat in The West Wing, but this time, we were seated in the Ballroom. Although the Ballroom is stunning with its beautifully painted, high ceilings and grand chandeliers, it is the largest room of the restaurant, and thus, the most crowded. Luckily, our reservation was at the end of the night before the park closed. By the time we were finished with dessert, the restaurant was mostly empty, which was perfect for photos and filming.

We were seated at the very end of the Ballroom, right near the large arch windows that Disney imagineers cleverly designed to look like you were dining on a cold, wintery night with snow gracefully falling as you dine on your grand feast. Dinner at Be Our Guest is a prix fixe, 3-course meal of French-inspired cuisine. I was worried how Danny was going to feel about the meal, especially when we sat down and I took a look at the appetizers. He is a man of more simpler tastes, and none of the appetizers were of his likening lol. I went with the safe choice of French onion soup, which was fitting in our deceptive setting of a snowy night. On another note, we got very excited when the bread came with butter in the shape of Mickey LOL. It’s the little things.

For our entrées, I always go with the filet mignon. Danny made the mistake of choosing the pork tenderloin, which did not come with mashed potatoes. Now, he knows better lol. During dinner, the Beast came out to a round of applause as he greeted his guests. For dessert, I tried the grey stuff and it was delicious! Our meal came with a trio of dessert: a lemon jam macaron, a white chocolate “Chip” cup filled with the grey stuff, and a dark chocolate truffle. The grey stuff is a mousse-like dessert that tastes like cookies and cream, and is usually sprinkled with edible pearls. This unique dessert has come in various forms over the years in Disney. During my first dining experience at Be Our Guest, the grey stuff came in cupcake form! It’s not my favorite dessert at Disney, but it’s a must every time I dine here since this exclusive treat is only served at Be Our Guest in Disney World and the Red Rose Tavern in Disneyland.

Once we were finished with dessert, I was able to explore the restaurant with Danny as it was his first time here. The West Wing mimics the dark study of the Beast. Here, you can see the enchanted rose, and catch a glimpse of the portrait switching from the Prince to the Beast at the crackle of thunder and lightning. The centerpiece of the Castle Gallery is the grand music box of a twirling Belle and the Beast. Portraits of Belle and the Beast also adorn the walls of this dining room. One of these days, I’ll finally get to dine in this room. 

We left Be Our Guest to find a peacefully empty park. There is something beautiful and serene about seeing the castle at night all by her lonesome. My absolute favorite part about these type of nights is the quiet stroll down Main Street to finish off the perfect day. I do miss the excitement and chaotic fun of parades and fireworks at night, but sometimes, nothing beats seeing the magic when no one else is around. These are the more emotional, but promising "I'll see you again real soon" goodbyes as you take one last look at the castle before you leave. It makes me want to cry just thinking about it now lol!

There's not much I regret about this day. It was my favorite day with Danny by far. I just wish we got our Mickey waffles to start off the morning. I'm hoping for our next trip we can have a proper Disney breakfast at Ohana, and I can say "Hiiiii" again to my favorite blue alien. Also, next time, we definitely need to have a honorary Mickey pretzel and ice cream sandwich to commorate the occasion! Everything tastes better when it's Mickey shaped.

Next up... Hollywood Studios and Epcot!