12/13 Mickey's Christmas Party

Tonight was a special event at the Magic Kingdom.  You paid an extra fee ($64 per person), got an armband, and spent several hours after the normal closing with tens of thousands of others who had also paid a special fee.  The draw was a special lighting of the castle and park, slightly smaller crowds, a special Christmas parade and fireworks, and free hot chocolate, if you could find it.

Temps have dropped substantially, so even with long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and a jacket, I was pretty cold during the evening, especially since I took the open ferry across the lake to the Magic Kingdom.  Brrrr. 

Here is Main Street and Cinderella's Castle all lit up:

 

I will admit that the Christmas Parade was very nice. I had a great seat, but missed out on the rocking chairs that two ladies beat me to!

 



I took advantage of the slightly smaller crowd and went onto a few rides, including Thunder Mountain Railroad.  And how can you go to the Magic Kingdom without a trip through It's A Small World??

I left after the fireworks, but there was a very long wait for the ferry, and it was not heated, so I froze along with everyone else.  My back, knees, and feet were all killing me by this point anyway.  It was SO nice to get back home to my warm motorhome!  Flipped on both furnaces and took a hot shower, but I did not get to sleep until almost 2:00 am.  Nice end to my stay here, even if it was really cold.