Trip Report – Disney World: Part 3

It’s finally here! The last installment of my Disney World trip report. In this wrap-up I’ll cover our final two days at Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. Check out the links below for Part 1 and Part 2:

Part 1
Part 2

Day 4 – Magic Kingdom

• Food, Food, and More Food
  Our day in Magic Kingdom started a bit later than usual since we all chose to sleep in : ) I was planning to watch the Main Street Electrical Parade and the fireworks at night, so I knew it would be a looong day. We rode the Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train with a Fastpass and Pirates of the Caribbean then wandered for a bit before taking the boat over to the Wilderness Lodge for our lunch reservation at the Whispering Canyon Cafe.

This restaurant is located in the lobby of the Wilderness Lodge and features southern comfort food. I had the pulled pork sandwich topped with coleslaw and onion rings (there is actually a sandwich under those onion rings, I promise!) The sandwich also included your choice of a side, so I went with the sweet potato fries. It was a huuuuge portion and absolutely delicious.

Speaking of huge portions though, my dad got the all-you-can-eat skillet lunch. This never-ending meal includes pork ribs, pulled pork, roasted chicken, strip loin, sausage, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, baked beans, and cornbread for the table. It’s initially served in a skillet with all the componenets, but you can ask for more of anything!

After lunch we planned to stop by the Contemporary Resort for their Peanut Butter Pie that I’ve had my eye on for months. I was stuffed, but I’ll admit I ate every bite : ) The pie is sold in their bakery (Contempo Cafe) located on the same floor as Chef Mickeys. Believe me, it’s worth the trip out of the park.

• Parades and Fireworks
  After lunch and pie, we made it back to Magic Kingdom just in time for the Festival of Fantasy parade. The parade floats were very impressive and it was well worth watching! By this time of day, the park was quite full, but we planned our Fast Passes so we still had two more to use to avoid the lines.

My parents stuck around until just before dinner and then went back to the hotel to relax. I had another three hours to kill before the Main Street Electrical Parade, so I ventured throughout the park trying to find the shortest lines (surprise surprise – the Hall of Presidents was quite empty).

With five minutes to spare, I found a spot along the parade route in the front row. Word of caution, this is much easier for one person than for a whole family. People line up super early to get the front row spots. The parade was unchanged from a few years ago, including the ridiculous music… I love it!

After the parade, I zipped through the crowds and made it to the castle just as the light show was starting. This is a must-see show that starts 15 minutes before the fireworks are scheduled. They project different scenes onto the castle in a way that is breathtaking and delightful. The Wishes fireworks show afterward is just as wonderful, so stick around.

Day 5 – Animal Kingdom

• Get In and Get Out
  Our final day was spent at the Animal Kingdom. We had our flights home scheduled for 6pm that night, so we checked out and left our luggage with the concierge before heading to the park. Knowing we only had a few hours, we packed in all the best attractions, Dinosaur, Finding Nemo – The Musical, Expedition Everest, and the Kilimanjaro Safari. The combination of Fast Passes and low crowds allowed us to get through everything with time to spare.

We also fit in lunch at Flame Tree BBQ… a must-do for our family. I was pretty disappointed with the salad I got, though. All the components were great except the dressing, which ruined it. It was a thick mayo-based dressing that had no flavor. Bleh. Lesson learned – stick with the meat!

I realized I didn’t take many pictures at Animal Kingdom, so I’ll end with the only ones I took from the safari…so many cute animals! Thanks for reading!