Disney Day 1 - Part II

It is Mickey Backyard BBQ time!

Ice Cream mouth

His first Mickey ice cream bar

JB's reaction when he saw Mickey & Minnie run out

We had a great afternoon swimming and touring around! Once we came in and rested a little while it was time to head out for dinner. Just about the time we needed to leave our resort it started pouring rain! Oh and lucky for us our BBQ was outdoors =(  Thank goodness it was under a pavillion. We had to drive to Fort Wilderness Resort and catch their bus to take us back to the pavillion. We got dropped off a good 200 yards from the pavillion and we had no choice but to make a run for it. I had a towel over my head, Drew was holding JB and we ran ran so we could grab a good seat for the BBQ. Mom, Dad & Beckett waitied on the rain to stop because they were headed to a different restaurant while we were at the BBQ. Glad we toughed through the rain because we got a great seat and about 10 minutes after we arrived people started to pour in. Dinner was a buffet all you can eat and all you can drink wine and beer. Thank heavens! We needed some vino after our trek in the pouring rain to the BBQ. As soon as the lines opened up I headed to grab two plates for the three of us to share. [Hotdogs, hamburgers, ribs, slaw, potato salad, baked beans, mac & cheese...ya know all the healthy things at the BBQ.] We started on some cab in a plastic wine glass...classic! JB loved the food and kept saying yummyyyyy! We ate our $$ worth and JB even got a Mickey Mouse icecream bar.

Once dinner was over the band started up and JB was focused in. The band introduced the man with the ears!!! Mickey Mouse!!!! John Brady was star struck and not sure what to think. Then seconds later ran out Minnie, Chip & Dale! They invited all the kids to come to the dance floor to dance with their favorite character. Once all the children were out there...SURPRISE here comes Goofy! John Brady loves Goofy too!  John Brady was not scared to dance...at all! He was shaking it all over the dance floor. Drew and I laughed so hard at all his new moves. He loved dancing with the characters....he followed them around, did the Congo, etc. He would run up behind them and tap them on the leg and say their name. He wasn't so sure about them when they turned around and got in his face though. We had a BLAST running after JB and taking pictures of him dancing and having a blast. The BBQ lasted about 1 1/2 hours. I am already ready to go back again with both boys in about two years...please Drew!!! ;)  We will definately do the BBQ again because even though the characters don't come to each table, the kids get to run around and interact with them for longer than the one second photo op like all the other character dining experiences. John Brady spent a good 30 plus minutes interacting with whichever character he prefered.

On the bus telling Poppi about his time at the BBQ

By the time it was ending the rain had stopped and we met up with mom and dad and headed back to our resort. We ran in changed diapers, got comfy, grabbed beach towels and headed back out about 8:45 to the Polynesian. We arrived to their beach right at 9:00 for the water parade on the Seven Seas Lagoon. We sat on the beach and watched the water parade and then a little of Lion King on the beach while waiting for the fireworks to start over the Magic Kingdom @ 10. It was worth the wait. The Polynesian plays the same music being played at the Magic Kingdom....it started "A dream is a wish your heart makes when your fast asleep....etc" JB sat in my lap and laid his head back on my chest and watched the fireworks with wide eyes the whole time. He didn't move a muscle other than to look up at me and smile in between them and also call out the different colors and shapes of the fireworks. I couldn't help but cry...some tears trickled down my face as I watched the beautiful fireworks over the Magic Kingdom with JB snuggled in my lap... for the first time as a mom. I had watched these same water parades and fireworks over 10 times on the same beach at the Polynesian with my mom and dad ...seems like just yesterday. But it isn't just yesterday...years and years have passed. We have all aged, things have changed, and time hasn't stopped. Tonigh I sat on the beach with my TWO boys, my awesome husband and the best parents in the world. My have things changed. It was a perfect ending to the day. This was THE latest JB has been up at night. He had a bath at 10:45 and was out like a light within 10 minutes.

Tomorrow...O'hana & Magic Kingdom here we come....