The day started out early for Pam and I as we mapped out a plan for the last day of experiencing the magical world of Disney with the rest of the free world. We realized the night before that to maximize our fun, we were going to have to let the girls catch up on some much-needed teenager sleep.
With Pam becoming a Disney App expert, she was able to secure Fast Passes for "The Haunted Mansion," "Buzz Lightyear" and "Splash Mountain."
We woke up our girls and took them to Chick-fil-A to fuel them up on nuggets and save money before we hit the park. As we drove off, I realized we would be cutting it close to make the first Fast Pass of the day. Pam declared she would make the ultimate parent sacrifice and dropped us off at the entrance to park the car, so the girls and I could make the ride. As Pam secured her Coolest Parent of the Year award by taking one for the team. I had to assume the role of Supreme Leader of the Fambam and navigate the long lines of the monorail and park entrance.
I looked at my watch as precious minutes passed by and the threat of missing our first Fast Pass of the day looming. The crowd was large, and I knew the only hope of rides for the day would be through the Fast Pass system. The girls looked worried, and I had to think of something quickly to access the ride on time and preserve their faith in me being the Temporary Adult in Charge.
Matters worsened as we entered the park and saw they were getting ready for the Disney Parade. There was no room to move as they were shutting off access to where we needed to go. Sadness overtook the magic off the girl's faces, and I knew I was the only hope they had left.
I quickly put forth our Conga Line tactic from the evening before and let Little D go ninja-style, as she led us through, under, and over people by all means necessary. We may-or-may-not have gone through a few roped off areas and ignored the threats of Disney jail by Disney personnel, but we made it with two minutes to spare.
Once we got off, we fought our way back through the crowd of people to find Pam and reunite the Fambam. We wondered over to ride "Buzz Lightyear" with only suffering a few banged shins from strollers full of pissed off little kids who would have preferred to be walking rather than riding.
Tomorow Land was so full of people they literally had Disney staff trying to keep people moving on paths safely. Pam knew her tribe was tired of the crowds and found a small area where we could sit and relax. She bought AK a smoothy and Little D a churro that Rigo had highly recommended. They enjoyed their snack as I watched Little D make quick work of her sugary snack in hopes of a small taste.
It was soon time to drive the race cars, and I was in the same vehicle as Little D. Pam loaded with AK and we were off. Little D proved to be a crazy woman driver as I found this ride scarier than any other I had experienced
Pam and I barely survived the race with girls behind the wheel and decided to take a moment to capture our relief in a picture.
We still had a two-hour wait until our next Fast Pass, and all the lines were showing a wait time of at least an hour and a half. I had not relinquished my interim title of Supreme Leader of the Fambam and made the call to explore 'Tom Sawyers Island". My theory was it would provide some refuge from the masses and allow some ability to move freely about. My choice proved worthy as Little D was in her element. She ran all around the island going in-and-out of the caves and running up and down the hills with a smile on her face. We hung out on the island and relaxed as we waited for our Fast Pass to ride "Splash Mountian."
I personally thought Splash Mountain was one of the best rides we hit at Disney. Perhaps I would have felt differently had we been able to go on more than just a few.
Pam knew the girls had lost their magic from the Magical Kingdom, so she took back her rightful title as the Supreme Ruler of the Fambam and announced that we were leaving Disney and heading to the Golden Corral. The girls and I lit up like a Christmas tree with the idea. Little D couldn't contain her excitement as she jumped up in the air and screamed in delight as a full-on buffet is her most favorite place on earth.
We showed up at the Golden Corral and charted our plan of attack for getting our monies worth and then some. Little D was pleased to find out that she was young enough to receive the kid's price but assured me that she would eat enough as Cousin Garrett does sitting down for a Thanksgiving feast!
I set Little D loose as she piled her plate high of fried okra, mac-n-cheese, and brisket. Pam was lost in all the possibilities to take, and AK loaded up with her favorites delicacies. Little D was two plates into her meal as Pam sat down with her first.
The empty plates piled up as I could no longer see Pam or Little D from their side of the table. The manager started to walk by frequently with a concerned look on her face. We didn't care, we survived Disney, and we were going to enjoy our first real Fambam meal that did not consist of goldfish from my backpack or overpriced carnival food.
Pam was the first to tap out and got back on the Disney App to see what Fast Passes might be available. The girls loved Epcot. It was not nearly as crowded as the other parks had been. Pam's Candy Crush thumbs came through again as she found us several good rides to hit at the girls favorite park in Disney.
Epcot was beautiful at night as we rode several attractions right off the bat. The girls wanted to walk around the countries one more time. We enjoyed strolling at our own leisure without anyone touching, tripping or just getting in our way. For the first time in three days, I felt free and able to move around.
It was soon time for the Desparrois Fambam to call it a night and get some rest as we had to check out and head to Clearwater Beach the next day for some rest and relaxation. The girls waved goodbye to Mickey, and we left the park exhausted from all the fun, rides, attractions, fireworks, and walking the last three days provided!
We enjoyed Disney World and loved that we were able to take the girls to see it. It had been a dream of Pam's since AK first came into our lives. If you haven't been, I suggest you take the time to plan a trip. The parks are all beautiful, the employees treat you like royalty, and it is remarkably clean.
The Fambam Travel Tips of the Day:
-Do rent a car when going to Disney World (You will save money on going off-site to eat, and you will need a break from the crowds).
-Do consider going at a time of year when the crowds are less intense (Your kids will get more out of the park, and you will receive more points in the quest to be Coolest Parent of the Year).
-Don't take your kids if they are too young (The little kids looked miserable, and their parents seemed even more miserable).
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