Unicorn Festival

Today was the annual Unicorn Festival. This year, we invited Ainsley to join us. After considering many options, Ainsley wore her Belle costume. Marina was excited to wear her new Anastasia costume.  I offered the girls capes to wear over their dresses instead of jackets since it was chilly today.

We arrived at the Unicorn Festival early. We found a really good parking spot and checked in quickly. We had to wait for about 15 minutes until the festival opened. While we waited a little girl asked if she could have her picture taken with Ainsley and Marina.

When the festival opened we went first to the Princess Palace. A friend of ours was dressed as Mary Poppins. We visited with her for a few moments. We also knew the actress playing Moana, so we took photos with her as well.

Next we went to the Mermaid Lagoon. Last year it had a long line all day. We arrived before it opened and had a short wait for our turn. We took photos with two mermaids before meeting Ariel. We got some nice photos there as well.

When we exited the Mermaid Lagoon, we were at the Mad Hatter Tea Party. We planned to wait for the show but it was taking a bit longer than usual, so we browsed some of the booths. We went back for the show and after we got photos with Alice and the Mad Hatter, we stopped for lunch. I also bought fancy cupcakes for dessert.

After lunch, we decide to wander around the festival. The girls loved shopping the various vendors. Marina insisted that we stop by the Harry Potter Sorting Hat. She was pleased that both she and Ainsley were sorted into Hufflepuff. We ran into Peter Pan and Tinkerbell along the way.

We headed back to the Princess Palace where we took photos with Tiana and Jasmine. Cinderella arrived as we were there but her line was pretty long, so we decided to come back to see her.

We did a little more shopping. At one booth both Marina and Ainsley found necklaces they loved, so I bought them. By this time, Cinderella’s line had shortened, so we took photos with her.

We checked out more booths and the petting zoo, which both girls loved. They also went through the castle maze. By this point it was starting to sprinkle. Because of that, the line to sit on a “unicorn” was as short as we had seen it, so we waited for Marina and Ainsley to have their photos taken on the larger “unicorn.”

By this time, it was starting to rain. At the Princess Palace, Anna and Elsa were there. Since there wasn’t much else to do, we waited in the line. It was pretty cold by then so we teased Elsa that she must have brought in the bad weather.

We were all ready to go home but since Rapunzel was due in 15 minutes, we decided to take a photo with her and then go home. Unfortunately the waited ended up being nearly and hour. Marina got a bit grumpy. Eventually she went over to the Storytime Cottage and talked with the drag queen there. Apparently she was asking for makeup tips.

Eventually, Rapunzel arrived and we quickly took a photo with her. After the long, cold wait, we were all pretty miserable. We headed to the gate, stopping along the way to pet more “unicorns.” So we left the festival and stopped for dinner.

Another Princess Partea

For the past two years Marina and I have attended The Princess Partea. While Marina said she wanted to go, at times she felt reservations about being too old. However, today she was excited to go. She wasn’t sure what to wear, so I suggested a Cinderella costume. She finished it off with sparkly shoes and a blue crystal tiara.

The hotel the Partea was at this year is fairly close to our house. So we were able to arrive early. We ended up in a long line when we arrived but it moved very quickly. Once inside, we looked for the princess meet and greet lines with the shortest wait. We quickly saw Merida, Mary Poppins, Tinkerbell and Sleeping Beauty. Then we saw Jasmine’s line was fairly short, so we met with her. Marina was particularly excited to see her with a new Aladdin movie coming out soon.

At that point, we were shocked that the line for Anna and Elsa was pretty short, so we went o see them. Last year their line was long the entire time, so we happy about that. Next we went over for pictures with Moana, who had an amazing palm tree made of balloons near her.

One of the longest lines was for Belle. But we were willing to wait. She was, as always, just lovely to us. After a few pictures, we went into the Under the Sea Tea Party where we sat down for a bit and had a snack. Then we got into the fairly short line to see Ariel.

The longest line during the whole party was for Cinderella. But since Marina was wearing a Cinderella costume we had to see her. While we were waiting in line, Marina saw there was no line for Moana, so she talked with her and Merida to pass the time.

After a lovely visit with Cinderella, we saw that the lines for most of the princesses were practically nonexistent. So we stopped by to see many of them again before we were ready to leave.

Mary Poppins Returns

Last week I entered a contest for tickets for a sneak preview of the movie Mary Poppins Returns. I won tickets to see it tonight. Marina was thrilled.

We didn’t leave the house as early as we had hoped but were glad to see there wasn’t a huge line to get it. When we went into the theater, we found good seats next to a woman who had come on her own. So, we happily joined her. I bought popcorn and a drink while Marina chatted with her

The movie started late and Marina got a bit restless. But once it got started, Marina was completely engaged in it. The story had plenty of fantasy and musical numbers which she loved. At the end she said she really liked it.

Party with Princesses

Last year, we attended the Princess ParTEA. When I got an announcement that they were having another one this year, Marina wanted to go. We just got an Elsa coronation dress last week and she wanted to wear that. We decided not to use the cape because it was so long we worried it would get stepped on and damaged.

There was a line when we arrived and we went through that only to get in another line to get in. When we finally made it into the ballroom. We headed to the back of the meet and greet area and saw our friend as Mary Poppins. She didn’t have a line, so we went over to see her. Then we found  Rapunzel. Her line was short, so we visited her as well. By then most of the lines were so long that we went into the tea party room. We got a photo with Belle and then got a snack.

After we ate, most of the other attendees were also in the tea party, so we went back to see princesses. By now, the liens had gotten much shorter. We saw Cinderella and Aurora. We also got photos with Merida, Elena, Moana, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. Before tackling the huge line for Anna and Elsa, we saw Ariel and browsed the vendor tables.

The line for Anna and Elsa was long and slow.  Marina was tired by then. Fortunately, the line sped up after a while and we were able to get through it.a. Of course, Else had to make a fuss over Marina’s dress.

Once we finished with Anna and Elsa, we said goodbye to all our friends before heading out.

Mother's Day Tea Party

Marina and I have been looking forward to the Mother’s Day Tea Party at with Mary Poppins and Merida. Marina wore her Merida costume and brought her bow as well as her Mary Poppins umbrella.

We arrived a bit early and settled in for tea. Marina chose blueberry which she really enjoyed. She also ate some cookies. She helped some of the younger girls at the table with their tea.

When Mary Poppins and Merida arrived and the party started. After they greeted everyone, the girls were given a strawberry craft to complete. Then Mary Poppins sang “A Spoonful of Sugar” followed by Merida singing “Into the Open Air.” Then the girls gathered around for stories.

As the tea party ended, the girls tried their hand at a small archery set and posed for pictures. We stayed late as usual. It was another fun tea party.

A Spoonful of Sugar

This evening we had tickets to see Mary Poppins at a local theater. Marina dressed in a black and white dress with a black sweater, trying to look as much like Mary Poppins as possible. She also brought her Mary Poppins umbrella. And since it was snowing outside, the umbrella came in handy.

Marina sang “A Spoonful of Sugar” in the car on the way to the theater. We arrived a bit early and Marina wanted to find our seats as soon as possible. We both looked over the program while we waited. Once the show started, Marina paid close attention. She even got a bit giddy when “A Spoonful of Sugar” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”

When the show was over, Marina looked forward to meeting the cast. There was a bit of a line to speak with Mary Poppins and Bert, but it moved quickly and we were able to get a picture of them. We also met Jane and Mr. and Mrs. Banks before we left.

Practically Perfect

We've seen the touring shows of Mary Poppins over the years, so Marina and I were excited to see a local dinner theater performing it this summer. We invited Michelle and Jessica to join us today. Marina brought her parrot head umbrella with her today.

We arrived just as seating began. Our server was Mrs. Banks in the show. Marina surprised me by ordering bangers and mash for lunch. She did seem to enjoy the food when it arrived. Once lunch was over, she impatiently waited for the show to start.


We've seen this show twice before but Marina was still excited to see it again. She paid close attention to the entire show. She particularly liked the big dance performances and Mary Poppins flying.

After the show, we were fortunate to get a photo of Marina and Michelle with Mr. and Mrs. Banks and then they each went on stage to pose with Mary Poppins and Bert. Marina showed them her umbrella and they were impressed when she showed it to them.

After the meet and greets were over, we headed home. It was a fun afternoon.

Tea for Two

Marina and I have attended many tea parties over the years, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to attend a formal tea at the botanic gardens. Marina was a bit nervous when she saw she was the only child in attendance, but everyone at our table was very welcoming.

The tea party was hosted by a "tea sommelier," who compared her expertise to a wine sommelier's knowledge of wines. She talked about the different types of tea and the plants and leaves that they come from. The described the difference between high tea and low tea. She also gave a brief history of the solarium we were sitting in. We were excited to hear that this beautiful structure was originally commissioned and used by Disney. One woman there said it had been used in the movie Mary Poppins.

Marina was bored by much of the introduction, but she perked up as soon as the food arrived. We were presented with trays of egg salad crostini, cucumber herb sandwiches, scones served with strawberry jam and Chantilly cream, lavender shortbread and lemon madeleines. She was a bit unsure about some of the food, but she tried and liked everything. While we ate, she chatted happily with the young ladies seated near her. She would not, however, have a cup of tea, so she drank water from her china cup.

Once the party was over, we headed out into the gardens. They were crowded and the day was very hot. We went around to parts of the Chihuly we hadn't been to before. After about an hour, we headed out.

Marina wanted to go to the children's garden, as usual. She spent quite a while in the wading stream. Then we went to the children's pond and stage. The last time we were there, the stage was being renovated. Marina was delighted that the renovations were complete. She enlisted the help of two little boys who were there and the three of them put on a play together.

Once the play was over, we were tired and very hot, so we went home. It had been a lovely day!

Jolly Holiday

Marina and I saw the Broadway musical Mary Poppins two years ago the first time it came through town. I asked Marina if she'd like to see it again and she enthusiastially said, "Yes." Usually we opt for Saturday matinees, but since Marina has the day off tomorrow, we saw it this evening.

We arrived at the theater a bit early, so we took some pictures outside. When we went inside, Marina suggested we check our coats.  That's something I never do, but it turned out to be quite convenient. As we were waiting to be seated, we ran into a young lady Marina knew from school. Marina was so excited to see someone she knew.

We were in our seats early and Marina got a bit restless for the show to begin. She was especially looking forward to the song, "A Spoonful of Sugar." She also enjoyed the performance of "Supercalifragelistiexpialidocious." During the first act, she was a bit restless. She talked to me quite often and told me she was tired.

At intermission, we stood up to stretch, we saw that two rows behind us was one of Marina's best friends with her mother. They were both elated. So, the girls spent the intermission excitedly talking to each other. It turned out that the seat next to Marina had been occupied by a member of her friend's family. So they got the sit next to each other for Act Two. So, instead of talking to me through the show, the girls talked to each other.

Once the show was over, we took our time leaving the theater so we wouldn't get caught in traffic. That worked out fine, but it was pretty late when we arrived at home. Surprisingly, Marina wanted to watch the movie Mary Poppins. I told it it would have to wait and got her ready for bed. We were both exhausted by then. 

Home, Sweet Home

After ten days in Florida, today we headed home. I had planned a breakfast with Alice in Wonderland and Mary Poppins at the Grand Floridian. But since we got in so late last night, I decided it wasn’t a good idea. So instead we slept in and went to the hotel pool until it was time to leave for the airport. Marina was happy with that plan. She played with another girl in the pool until it was time to pack up. She was very helpful getting all our stuff packed so we could check out of the hotel.

We didn’t have to wait long for the shuttle and were at the airport pretty early. So we ate lunch at the food court, then we shopped at the Disney Store located in the airport. (Because apparently we hadn’t had enough Disney for the past eight days!) Marina was impatient to get on the plane but she managed to occupy herself with some of her new toys while we waited.

The flight home was a bit bumpy, but Marina didn’t seem to mind at all. We’d had a great time, but we missed home.

Rainy Day at EPCOT

Marina and I slept in a bit, but we got ourselves going for a day at EPCOT. Marina wore her Jasmine costume today. When we arrived, Daisy Duck and Stitch were near the entrance. So we took the time to meet them. Then we went over to The Land - a building we missed completely last year. We got Fast Passes for Soarin', then looked at the Living With the Land and Circle of Life attractions.

The Seas was next for us. We rode the Finding Nemo ride. Then we went to Bruce's Shark World and Turtle Talk With Krush. Marina remembered all of that from last year.

We entered the World Showcase and took the ferry to Morocco so we could meet Aladdin and Jasmine. We had lunch at the boulangerie in France and looked at the model trains in Germany. We went to China to meet Mulan, but before we did that, Marina wanted to change into her Mulan costume. As we waited to meet Mulan, the rain started. We hung around the China pavillion for a while, but Marina wanted to move on. So, we put on our ponchos, and headed out.

We went over to France where we managed to find Sleeping Beauty, Belle and the Beast in the French theater. Then we walked over to the UK where we found Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland and Winnie the Pooh and Tigger in a toy store.

We went back to Future World and rode Soarin' which Marina loved. We learned where we could meet Snow White and Marie the Aristocat despite the rain, so went over to see them. Marina also wanted to see Mickey Mouse again, so we caught him as well as Minnie, Pluto, Donald Duck and Goofy.

By then, it was time for the IllumiNations show. So we watched that before heading back to the hotel. It was another full day.