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[thekimmiandjackieshow]

A Day of Being Dapper and Dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table

My phone vibrated on the cheap wooden nightstand next to my head early one Saturday morning. I turned the alarm off as quickly as possible so I didn’t wake up my roommate who had worked late the night before. Usually I hesitated to get up. Usually my alarm meant I had to get up for work. I spent a quick second double checking my work schedule as I did every day - a paranoid habit I had picked up after reading horror stories of people getting termed for going to the parks after forgetting they had work that day. Moments later I was getting ready for the most magical day ever.

See, twice a year, Disney parks become the home for a famous event known as Dapper Day. It started out as a small event in 2011 where people could showcase their style, vintage or otherwise, and roam the parks. It has since grown into an event that attracts guests from all over, even those who aren’t particularly invested in fashion. Dapper Day Events take place in Disneyland California, Walt Disney World, and Disneyland Paris, with events in both the fall and spring. I had been lucky enough to attend two spring events at Disneyland and one fall event at Walt Disney World, but I was extremely excited for the spring event at Walt Disney World. With Disneyland being a relatively easy park-hopping resort, Dapper Day Events typically take over both parks. At Walt Disney World though, the organizers of the event tend to pick a main park for the celebration. The Fall 2015 event was held at Hollywood Studios. It was really fun and had its own charm to it, but I was excited because the Spring 2016 event was being held at Magic Kingdom. While no specific era is the focus of Dapper Day, I like to imagine that Dapper Day events recreate what Disneyland would have looked like when it first opened its gates in 1955. You know, back when guests wore high heels and bow ties to the parks. I was excited to see what Magic Kingdom felt like.

It was every bit as magical as I had hoped.

Dana, Jo, and I planned to get to Dapper Day early so that we could ride the street cars down Main Street. Of course when make up and hair curlers are involved, you never leave on time. I wore the same thing I had worn the Dapper Day before, a cupcake dress I had ordered off of Etsy. There are people who design their own dresses, go all out in accessories, and have to have something new every single outing. I’ve never been that person and I’ll probably never be that person, but the cupcake dress was easily one of my favorites out of my dress collection. I checked the weather: hot, humid, with a chance of rain. Classic Florida. My hair went up in a ponytail, Dana curled it, and we were ready to go!

I’m not usually the biggest fan of Magic Kingdom. *Cue audience gasp and immediate loss of followers.* I just think Disney can update quite a few of the attractions at this point, although I recognize that it’s hard to do when you’re trying to get everything open year round for guests who are there on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. That being said, Magic Kingdom is one of my favorite hangout parks. I love the atmosphere from Main Street to the hub, and could easily spend my entire day in front of the castle. 

We ran into the park, giddy and ready for magic. The energy on Main Street matched our excitement, and we couldn’t wait to get the day started. Jo had driven separately since she had to work later in the day, so Dana and I started off on Main Street by ourselves. The Town Square Theatre was on our right, inviting guests to come inside and meet Tinker Bell and Mickey Mouse. The wait to meet Tinker Bell was next to nothing, and I had never done it, so we skipped inside. The Cast Member greeted us, asked us how many were in our party, and invited us into the next room. It was dark inside, lit only by the shimmering pixie dust on the walls. I grabbed Dana’s hand in excitement. The Cast Member appeared in front of us and told us to say, “Pixie Dust”. As soon as the small crowd did, the pixie dust danced over to a door that had been hidden by the darkness of the room and it opened up. We shuffled into that room to find Tinker Bell playing in her forest. When it was our turn to meet her, Tinker Bell wasted no time in asking if the pumpkin muffins on my dress were real. I said I wished they were and she invited me back to have pumpkin muffins with her and her fairy friends any time. We took our picture and headed out back into the theatre. 

I couldn’t stop talking about how neat it was and what a magical start to the day it had been. Even the things that just looked like buildings from the outside were magical worlds on the inside, and it impressed me. We continued on down Main Street and ran into a Cast Member who was passing out “I’m Celebrating” buttons that already said Dapper Day 2016 on them. Even though Dapper Day is an unofficial Disney event, Disney is very much aware of when these events happen and do what they can to make the visit special for guests in the small ways they can. Dana and I grabbed buttons and pinned them on before heading to Casey’s Corner. 

Apparently Casey's Corner has their own special opening. Being a quick service food stop, it opens slightly later than the rest of the park does. They’re supposed to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” or something like that when they open their doors. I had never heard of it but Jo and the coworkers who worked there were interested in seeing it from the outside. We waited for it, but I was soon distracted by other things. A random guest who was also celebrating Dapper Day said she liked our outfits and wanted to get a picture with us. I didn’t catch her name but she appeared to be by herself and was trying to get as many pictures as she could with people who were dressed up. 

Then, the classic Main Street music paused and Move It, Shake It, Dance It, Play It! was announced. If you know me at all, you know I’m fairly socially awkward. With characters, it’s even worse. I can tell they’re trying to communicate with me, but rarely can I tell what’s going on. So a dance party with characters would seem like my worst nightmare. But MISI actually has a very special place in my heart. It’s such an upbeat parade/dance party that you can’t help but feel anything other than excited. The “Party Up” music began, and despite the fact that I didn’t really visit Magic Kingdom all that often, I had all the words memorized. Dana and I instantly started singing along. Casey’s was opening behind us, but MISI had stolen all my attention. I looked up as Mickey Mouse passed by. He waved to me. Friends behind me laughed as their work location opened up. My roommate to my right was dancing along to the loud music pumping through speakers on the famous Main Street, USA street. Dancing to MISI had become the norm. The Florida breeze that comes right before it starts sprinkling passed by and reminded me that I was over 2,000 miles away from home, and that this was real life. The e-mail I had received months and months ago led to that very moment, and I was living the dream. 

Parade Control followed the last set of dancers towards the hub. Dana and I followed right behind, dancing and singing along. A few other dapper friends joined in on our mini parade while tourists anxiously shuffled their feet close behind, trying to get a few pictures, unaware that they were all going to get very close to the characters shortly. We followed them until they parked around the hub and then cut across to Liberty Square. We weren’t in any real hurry. Our first scheduled stop was to have a late breakfast at Sleepy Hollow. 

I had never been. It was on my bucket list of course, but had always been put on hold for other things. We got our breakfast and found a table in a corner. All of them were covered in powdered sugar, a sign of the place being good.

The powdered sugar was as messy as everybody else made it look. I tried to avoid getting any on my black dress, wondering why we had made the choice to eat at a place that was that messy when we were trying to look so fancy. Despite the messy powdered sugar falling everywhere, it was one of the best breakfasts offered inside the parks. 

After everything was cleaned up, we decided to watch the Trolley Show. Another thing I had never seen before. I was slowly checking things off my bucket list. It was part of what made the day so magical. If we had done all of the things that I normally did at Magic Kingdom, it wouldn’t have been special. It wouldn’t have been any different from any other day. But instead my day was filled with new experiences and memories specific to that day. Experience after experience filled my heart with the love I knew I’d eventually have for Magic Kingdom once I got past the homesickness it gave me for Disneyland and the resentment I had against my job. Each thing reminded me why I loved Disney. Being there was an escape. It was a place where a large majority of the people were happy and excited. It was a place I could feel good in. A place that felt like home while still being new each time. A place filled with good, positive memories. A place that allowed me to be worry-free. That day especially was a special one.

We stopped on a random curb along Main Street. I had no idea what to expect. I asked Dana if this is where we’d see the Trolley Show. She said it was a rough estimate, but it should be a good spot. Shortly after, a big blue trolley appeared around the corner. Following the trolley were performers in pastels. The boys wore bow ties, vests, and hats. The girls wore petticoats, frilled dresses with bows on the back, and their hair in large curls. The giant wheels on the trolley came to a stop while the performers danced and sang around it, welcoming us to the town in true Main Street fashion. I clicked my camera away as Dana recorded the show in 10 second intervals on SnapChat. She commented on how the trolley was different. We talked about how even the trolley wanted to partake in the holiday.

The trolley was soon on its way down Main Street again, steadily approaching the next small crowd of guests. The small spontaneous show left a smile on my face, and reminded me that Disney wasn’t only about being big and impressive, but about being detailed and thorough. The show was a continuation of the idea that everybody on Main Street truly lived in that small town and knew the mayor at the end of Town Square. The casual appearance of the performers made it feel like you had stepped into a real-life musical, where every regular citizen randomly dances together and bursts into song. I’ve always wanted to live in a world like that, so it left me feeling pretty jazzed about life. 

Of course one of the main reasons to go to Dapper Day at Walt Disney World is to get pictures around the parks. Dana and I wanted to get as many pictures as we could as early as possible so we could switch out our heels for more comfortable shoes. I had walked around in the parks in character heels before for previous Dapper Days and never had a problem. But combined with the previous 12 hour shifts, my feet were feeling extra sore. Most of our pictures were going to be in front of the castle, though we had quite a few in mind that we wanted to get. So we twirled in front of the castle, princess posed on bridges, made wishes at the wishing well, skipped to the castle steps, spread out our skirts over the hub grass fences, and took pictures of each other from every angle. At that moment we were inseparable and our day was magical, and nothing could change that.

We got pixie dusted in Fantasyland, danced in the rain, and marveled over the castle’s beauty. Jo then split off to be with coworkers, so Dana and I headed off on our own path. After changing into more comfortable shoes, we made a plan of what to do next. During Dapper Day, an artist who does unofficial Disney buttons was passing out free Dapper related buttons. I had gotten one the semester before after Joy introduced us to him, and this time he was giving hints about where he was on Snapchat. Dana and I were determined. We went around Magic Kingdom and ended up waiting by the People Mover for a while. All of a sudden we got a text from Jo saying that he was right next to her back in Fantasyland. The two of us raced to the back of the park, hopeful that he would still be there when we got there. There he was, stopped by a small crowd who had discovered him. We said the magic word, picked out our buttons, and had achieved our mission from the day.

Shortly after, Main Street was preparing for Festival of Fantasy. We waited impatiently on the curb, ready to sing along and wave to our favorite characters. The parade rounded the hub and started down Main Street as the guests of Magic Kingdom were welcomed and invited to be part of the magic. Our dreams came true, our hearts soared, and we lived for being part of the magic as the parade passed before us. Just another day living in Walt Disney World.

During our day, I realized that an old friend was visiting Magic Kingdom. She hadn’t realized it was Dapper Day, but was in town and was stopping by Walt Disney World with family. I messaged her and we had agreed to get together right after the parade for a quick catch up and a picture. Bri and I had met during my first Disney Cruise in 2011. I had gone to Alaska - a 7 night cruise on the Disney Wonder. Every night, since night one, the early 20′s college-aged club would meet up with an entertainment host in a club along “Route 66″. We’d play games, watch live entertainment, dance, and do just about anything. Even after the regular meet-up times were over, we’d hang out around the ship talking about life and bonding. Our little group got pretty close and we managed to stay in touch with Facebook and whatnot after the cruise ended. Bri and I had also gotten together again in 2013 when I sailed on the Disney Dream with my mom. She was working as an Entertainment Host on the Dream at the time, and we were very excited to meet up with each other. Then, on Main Street, on Dapper Day, we were reunited again.

The two of us got to chat briefly about our lives as Cast Members before she had to catch up with her family for the rest of her vacation. It was yet another magical moment to add to our list of magical moments for the day. We wished each other well and went our separate ways.

Dana and I still had a few ideas of pictures we could take along Main Street. Before we did that, we started to think about what we wanted the rest of our day to look like. I wanted to try to ride Space Mountain in a big fluffy dress, explore Tom Sawyer’s Island, and see if any table service restaurant had any walk-ins available. Dana agreed. I had been to Be Our Guest several times and was ready to try some of the other restaurants in Magic Kingdom. The Lady and the Tramp inspired restaurant on Main Street caught my eye, and I mentioned to Dana that we should try there. Then she said something crazy. She said we should check to see if Cinderella’s Royal Table had anything open.

Cinderella’s Royal Table is a restaurant on the second story of Cinderella Castle. It is one of the most popular restaurants on Disney property. Not only is it in the iconic castle with stunning views of Fantasyland, but it is a princess meet and greet dining experience. Sometimes day-of cancellations happen, but they don’t happen that frequently because it costs money to cancel the reservation. I tried not to get too excited as we raced towards the castle. The odds of getting a table there were slim to none. An old roommate of mine had told me stories of times that she had waited on waitlists for the restaurant and never got in. I had never even put it on my bucket list because it didn’t seem possible. 

Dana walked up to the Cast Member working the front desk to ask if there was any magical way that a table had opened up for that evening. A table on any random day would’ve been a miracle, but on Dapper Day - a day where guests love to sit down to fancy dinner in their fancy attire? I wasn’t holding my breath. The Cast Member didn’t miss a beat. 

“Does 10:00pm work for you?”

We stopped. It took us a few seconds to register what was happening. Dana turned to me with a questioning look.

“I can stay until 10:00,” I said.

We agreed. We’d stay all day and finish our day at Cinderella’s Royal Table. It didn’t feel real.

The Cast Member gave us a slip of paper with our names and a return time on it. She told us we’d be one of the last tables seated. We couldn’t believe it.

It was still day time and we had so much time before the end of the day. I put the slip of paper safely in my purse, still half wondering if it was even valid. I couldn’t believe all the magic that was happening. With excitement rushing through our bodies, we skipped down Main Street for more pictures.

One of my favorite parts about working and living in Walt Disney World is the feeling that you know everybody. When you’re on vacation there, you pretty much know the people you’re there with. Living there is entirely different. While wondering the park you may spontaneously bump into friends who are also there enjoying their day off. Or you may walk right into a friend who is working somewhere. Running into people everywhere you go makes the place feel more like home. Instead of being filled with strangers, the place is filled with friends. Dapper Day was no exception. We stumbled into a few of my coworkers that day who were also celebrating Dapper Day!

We were so focused on getting pictures throughout the day that we weren’t really focused on any of the attractions. I had mentioned trying to ride Space Mountain in a giant fluffy dress, but we ended up passing on that and heading to Big Thunder instead. The line was short and we had time to spare, so we hopped on. Shortly after, we raced over to Tom Sawyer’s Island. I had never spent a lot of time there and I never seemed to have time to do it on my visits to Magic Kingdom, so it made the list of things to do that day. It had actually been a while since I had stayed at Magic Kingdom until closing time. 

Tom Sawyer’s Island isn’t usually favored for Dapper Day. The dusty paths and barrel bridges are not ideal for fancy dresses and heels. We of course had already ditched our heels hours beforehand, and the dirt didn’t really bother us. The loud roar of our raft drowned out the murmurs of guests as we trekked over the water and to the island. The two of us skipped down swaying bridges, bounced on barrels, and relaxed in the shade of the trees for a while. 

As we took a break from the warm sun and crowds on the mainland, we looked up the menu for Cinderella’s Royal Table. It had occurred to me that I had never actually looked at what they served because I had written it off as impossible. Looking at the options made us even more excited. We talked quite a bit about how living at Walt Disney World is really the main reason we got the chance to go there. On a standard vacation, we wouldn’t have been able to change our plans up that much and probably wouldn’t have even checked for a table there. Even if we had, we’d most likely be vacationing during a time when we didn’t have to be in school or work, meaning the parks would be significantly more crowded. Magical moments happen on vacations all the time, of course, but spontaneously eating at Cinderella’s Royal Table with a roommate on a random day off between two work days was honestly the reason I went to do the Disney College Program. We then realized that Dana’s umbrella was missing and raced back to a raft to see if we could find it somewhere on the mainland. On the raft we realized that it was probably left behind at Big Thunder, so we asked a Cast Member there to check their Lost and Found. Sure enough, her umbrella was discovered. Another magical save.

The sun was starting to set over Magic Kingdom. The clouds turned pink and the lights on the buildings of Main Street started to flicker on. The morning’s high energy and fast paced atmosphere had relaxed into a calmer evening. Guests who had started their day with tons of plans and little time were now slowing down. Main Street was growing quieter as guests finished off their last few attractions before heading back to the castle to watch the final nighttime spectaculars. Dana and I headed to the train station for, of course, more pictures.

We took our time looking over Main Street from the train station. Watching the magic of the park from above was surreal. It felt like looking in from the outside. Cast Members at kiosks below were waving with Mickey gloves and taking a knee to trade pins with little guests. Fresh popcorn was popping. Guests were pointing out details to their families and friends, kids stared in awe at the majestic castle in the distance, and families were sitting down on the curb with ice cream just people watching from down below. Main Street is so simple, and yet still so magical. 

The sun disappeared but the warm humidity stuck around. Time passed and crowds gathered in front of the castle for the fireworks. Dana and I brainstormed a plan. Celebrate the Magic was always just before Wishes, the fireworks show at Magic Kingdom. Wishes was set to go off at 9:00pm and was about a 13 minute show. We were told to arrive for our reservation at Cinderella’s Royal Table 15 minutes early, so we needed to be on the other side of the castle by 9:45pm. It sounded easy enough. The trouble was, in order to help with crowd control, the castle was completely blocked off. Instead of being able to walk right through the castle from Main Street and straight on to Cinderella’s Royal Table, we would have to go around. The small pathway leading around the castle and right to Fantasyland was also blocked off, so our best bet was to go through Liberty Square and around. How fast we’d be able to do that was dependent on how fast the crowds were able to move after the fireworks. We contemplated skipping Celebrate the Magic, watching Wishes from behind the castle, and then heading to Cinderella’s Royal Table, but Celebrate was my favorite show and I definitely didn’t want to miss it on our incredibly magical day. I couldn’t think of a more magical way to end the day.

Cinderella Castle went dark, magical light instrumentals played, and a projection of Tinker Bell danced on the castle. My eyes instantly filled with tears. Just the day before, I had wished to go home. I had moved to Florida from Southern California with every intention of going back. But my parents had made the move to Texas shortly after I moved to Florida, so there was nothing much to go back to in SoCal. My girlfriend and I had planned to move in together in North Carolina, but I had only visited NC one time. I was excited, but it hardly felt like home. Everything had changed during my program. Not just me but everything I had expected my life to be. I wanted to call Walt Disney World my home, but I also constantly wanted to leave. That night, as the sketches of Walt flipped across the castle, the pressure of finding home released. Right then, I knew I was home. It wasn’t what I had always called home, but it was my new home, and it was magical. It wasn’t just Walt Disney World that was my home though. It was all of Orlando. I knew the best routes to get to work. I knew where to find the cheapest gas. I had my favorite grocery store and knew exactly where to find everything. I went to nearby concerts, clubs, malls, restaurants, etc. An evening out didn’t just mean going to the parks. Sometimes we all went out to Cheesecake Factory because it was nearby and we all loved it. We lived normal lives with just an extra touch of magic. I knew right then that even though I hadn’t always had the best time on my program, I was one of the lucky ones. Dana and I usually would have been singing every word along with the show, but we were silenced to tears as we both thought about how magical our lives had become. The darkness only lasted a moment before Wishes began. I’m not one to get emotional over Wishes, but that night I was a wreck. Tinker Bell flew overhead, flares shot over the castle recreating the image we grew up seeing before our favorite movies, and Jiminy Cricket reminded us to wish upon a star and dream. Wishes ended and while the crowd cheered and paused to take pictures in front of the castle, Dana and I weaved through towards Liberty Square. Of course we had 30 minutes to walk around, so we really had plenty of time, but we were so nervous about losing our table that we didn’t hesitate. We got there early enough to stop and stare at the back of the castle. 

Just a floor above the entry way of the castle sat one of the most popular restaurants in Walt Disney World. The large windows shone brightly on Fantasyland as guests inside enjoyed a magical dinner. I had imagined what the inside looked like for years. I had wondered what the view looked like from the inside of the castle. I had taken as many pictures of the back of the castle as I had the front. I had also always walked away from it, knowing I’d probably never have the chance to really know. That night, we were going to find out. It probably seems silly to people to hear how excited we were about a restaurant, but the chance to be inside the castle, even if it’s just for a moment, is something that most fans of the park long for. We paused to take pictures before walking up to the restaurant to check in.

I half expected the Cast Members to tell me it had all been a joke. I was sure that the pink slip of paper granting us access to our reservation would be lost somewhere in the park earlier that day. I really didn’t believe that any of it was real. I found the pink slip with our names on it and gave it to the Cast Member to check in. Waiting on a bench nearby was Kassidy, a friend of mine from my work location. She was waiting with her friend for a spontaneous late night reservation of her own and was just as shocked as we were to have gotten a table. We were told that we would be one of the last ones seated for the night and that we could take our time exploring the castle after we were done since the restaurant would be closed. Our table was ready almost immediately. 

We were let in through the large wooden doors and were told to walk on the red carpet towards Cinderella. The inside of the castle was beautiful. Stained glass windows were painted with the blue birds that had helped Cinderella wear her first formal dress. Swords were crossed behind a shield that bore one of the many coat of arms displayed inside the castle. Research dictates that over 40 coat of arms are displayed, each dedicated to a person important to the history of Disney. The tall ceilings and stone walls were lit by simple chandeliers. In the empty spaces around the windows hung large quilts with pieces of Cinderella’s story. Around the bend, stood Cinderella. 

To the left of Cinderella was a large regal fireplace. Behind her were tall royal blue curtains that fell behind some tall swirling plants. A photographer snapped pictures for families as excited princesses raced up to Cinderella for a hug. The line was short, but we wouldn’t have cared if it were long because there was so much to look at. Our turn approached and we walked up to meet her. She welcomed us to her castle, complimented our princess dresses, and wished us a magical evening. 

The photographer guided us to the staircase wrapped in stone in front of us. The blue carpet was covered in pixie dust from all the princesses that had makeovers in Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique before making their way to Cinderella’s Royal Table. The stone walls opened themselves up to a small balcony that overlooked Cinderella’s meet and greet below. It was already almost entirely empty.

I took pictures of absolutely everything, refusing to forget the detailing inside. Before we got to the dining hall, we found the restrooms. I was once told to always go inside the restroom of a fancy restaurant because you’ll never know what you’ll find. I was actually told this for the first time at Club 33 at Disneyland by a waiter who could tell it was a once-in-a-liftetime experience for us.  The second time I heard it was on the Disney Dream on a tour of the reservation-only restaurants. Inside the women’s restroom were gold-plated sinks. Actual gold. From then on I have been convinced that Disney hides some of their best detailing in restrooms that are off the beaten path. I told Dana this and we both agreed to go inside and check them out. It was pretty but nothing too spectacular. 

Finally we walked up the rest of the stairs to the dining hall. It was glorious. The middle of the dining hall was slightly lower than the outskirts of the restaurant. Flags and lights filled the open ceiling over head. The windows overlooking Fantasyland were dark with the night sky, revealing just the twinkling lights of the carrousel below. We were sat at a table on the elevated outskirts of the restaurant and greeted by our waiter. Our visible excitement was enough to earn us both a Wishing Star and a magic wand, gifts that are usually saved for much younger princesses. The waiter set our menus down in front of us, introduced us to the restaurant, informed us of how the character meet and greet would go, and left to let us soak everything in.

Shortly after, an announcement was made to the entire restaurant. The princesses were arriving. I have done a few character dining experiences in my life, but never a princess one. To me, they’ve always been a little awkward. While you’re eating, the characters come up to say hi and get a picture. It results in an awkward pause in whatever you’re eating and a weird shuffling around the tables to get the picture you want. I was worried Cinderella’s Royal Table would feel like that, but it was perfectly executed. There was plenty of space to get up and take pictures with them and nothing felt rushed. Everybody in the restaurant applauded as the princesses walked in and started making their rounds to the different tables. 

Snow White, seeing the cupcakes on my dress, asked if I enjoyed baking. She invited me to come over and bake with her and the dwarfs any time! After that, Ariel and Dana twirled in their fluffy skirts together. There had never been a more magical dinner.

The food, of course, had also been fantastic. My favorite part was the themed dessert. Dana and I made sure to get different ones so we could experience as much of menu as we could. I got a lemon dessert that was incredible. Dana and I both thought it tasted like something (besides just lemon of course) but we couldn’t put our finger on it. We started just calling it lemon magic because everything inside the castle was probably made of pure magic anyway. 

As we were eating, the wishing ceremony took place. I had never heard of the wishing ceremony before. The only reason I knew about the wishing stars was because my roommate had obtained a few during her time in the castle. The castle grew silent as we were told to make a wish on our wishing stars and wave our wands in the air. Dana and I waved and waved them around as the ceiling above us twinkled with all of our wishes. Unfortunately, our waiter was un-phased by the event and tried to ask us questions during the ceremony. I don’t think he realized that two young adults would be very into it considering it was geared towards the younger ones. We brushed him off until he got the hint and stood to the side, waiting for us to be done wishing. While it bothered us at first, the overall magic of the day was enough to make us forgive him. After all, he probably saw the wishing ceremony hundreds of times a day and at a certain point, I’ll bet it just becomes part of the noise. I felt lucky that I hadn’t lost that much of the magic. 

By the time we were done, the restaurant was almost empty. We double checked with the waiter to see if it was okay if we roamed the castle to take pictures. Luckily the tables against the windows were almost entirely cleared out, so we walked right up to the glass to get the best view of Fantasyland. 

We made our way down the sparkled blue steps and paused for more pictures. With no guests trying to make their way up or down, we were able to take as many pictures as we wanted. The Cast Members were all really nice too, probably very used to overly-excited guests capturing every possible magical moment they could. 

Downstairs, Cinderella was no longer welcoming guests to her castle. There was nobody around the large echoey room. I wondered if we could get pictures at Cinderella’s picture spot before leaving. Dana walked right up and sat down, figuring that anything they didn’t want touched would be blocked off. I couldn’t imagine finishing my meal and walking back down to seeing guests still in line to meet her. I would have left wanting more pictures, more time, and more freedom than the structure that’s in place during the day. The empty castle was part of what made the night so magical for us, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

We walked out of the castle overwhelmed by the night. Neither of us could believe that we had just twirled with princesses in Cinderella Castle, eating pure magic while wishing on a star, and finishing it off by skipping through an almost empty castle. I completely forgot that Magic Kingdom had already closed for the night and was working towards emptying the park while we were upstairs. The area was empty and we took the opportunity to take even more pictures.

Main Street looked beautiful with all the lights shining on a completely empty street. The music seemed louder than ever with no guests nearby chatting or screaming. There were no ECV horns sounding, no crowds to work our way through, nobody standing in our pictures... just the sound of the famous Main Street music as we walked towards the front of the park. We turned around to get one last look of the castle, standing tall, lit beautifully, with nobody around. It was hard to imagine that we were just inside that very building, eating and wishing and dancing with princesses. In fact it was hard to believe any of the magic that had happened that day. It truly is the Most Magical Place on Earth, and that day, we felt so lucky to call it home.

*I found out that pictures become blurry when viewed on the dashboard. If viewed directly on the blog page, the blurry images become clear again. I’ve looked up work arounds as the image quality issue only happens in text posts when viewed on the dashboard, but the workarounds have failed me.*