We started our day early again, heading straight to Magic Kingdom. This time, I rented a stroller for James, hoping it would make things easier for him—and it absolutely did!
The Moment Cohen Has Been Waiting For: TRON!
Mizz and Cohen made a beeline for Tron, since Cohen was eager to try it out. Tron is unique in that it doesn’t accommodate plus-size guests in the standard seats, though there’s an accessible seat in the back. Fortunately, Mizz was able to ride with Cohen, and it was a good call to go early since the line is one of the longest in the park. Cohen was obsessed—he couldn’t stop talking about it afterward!
Taking On Fantasyland
While they waited in line, Grandma, Grandpa, and I took the younger kids to Fantasyland. We rode the Teacups, Winnie the Pooh, and it’s a small world. Honestly, I think all three are better at Disneyland, but the kids still had a great time. The interactive queue at Winnie the Pooh was especially impressive and kept everyone entertained.
The Haunted Mansion
We regrouped with Mizz and Cohen and I managed to talk all the kids into trying Haunted Mansion. Cohen had been on it before, but it was new for Lydia and James. It took some convincing, and while they didn’t love it, I’m glad they gave it a shot.
The Moment of Truth….Splash Mountain or Tiana’s Bayou Adventure?
Next, we checked out the new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (formerly Splash Mountain). The kids were excited, and I was curious to see the changes. The line was manageable, and Grandpa’s scooter helped us bypass some of the stairs. The kids enjoyed it—except James, who wasn’t too impressed, which wasn’t a big surprise. Personally, I found the new storyline a bit underwhelming, but the updated animatronics and the final scene were fantastic. Best of all, we didn’t get too wet!
James’s First Mickey Ice Cream Sandwich and Erika’s Beignets
Snack time was a highlight: James had his first Mickey ice cream sandwich—a true Anderson family tradition. Lydia chose popcorn, and Mizz treated us to beignets, though I still prefer the Mickey-shaped ones at Disneyland.
Pirates of the Caribbean
With a little time before lunch, we squeezed in Pirates of the Caribbean. The timing worked out perfectly, and the on-ride photo was a fun (if slightly creepy) surprise.
Lunch At Cinderella’s Royal Table
Lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table was a special treat. We aren’t doing many sit down restaurants this trip, but I wanted Lydia to have the experience. She has been asking for weeks if we could go and I kept saying, “We will see.” She was so excited when I finally told her. We met Cinderella, then enjoyed a lovely meal by the window—tricky lighting for photos, but worth it. The food was delicious, and the cheesecake shaped like a wedge of cheese was a fun touch. Lydia loved meeting all the princesses, especially Mirada, who was a delight to talk to.
Gotta Love a Parade!
After lunch, we staked out a spot for the parade. It was crowded and hot on the pavement, but the kids loved the parade and I’m glad we stuck it out. With the heat, we decided to head back to the hotel for some pool time. This time, Cohen joined us while Lydia and Mizz went off for more rides. The pool was the perfect way to cool off, and I enjoyed some quality time with Cohen—even if we had a hard moment when Cohen’s stop goosing me.
Back To The Hotel For Some Swimming
We had a wonderful day at the park, and James handled the stroller much better than before. As the weather started to heat up, we decided to return to the hotel and cool off in the pool. This time, Cohen joined us, while Mizz and Lydia stayed behind at the park to enjoy some special one-on-one time together.
Mizz and Lydia’s Princess Outing
Closing Down the Park With My Man Cohen!
Tonight was my turn to close down the park with Cohen, and I absolutely love sharing these late-night adventures with him. We started by trying to ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, but it shut down just before our turn. Undeterred, we headed over to the little roller coaster in Fantasyland—pretty sure it’s called Goofy’s Barnstormer. I also convinced Cohen to go on the Little Mermaid Ride. I took a video to prove he went on it with me and he begged me to not tell his friends.
The line for Tron never seemed to let up, so we opted for Space Mountain instead. As luck would have it, when we got off Space Mountain, there were only ten minutes left until park closing. We hustled over to Tron and managed to get in line just before they closed it for the night! Cohen was thrilled.
He was a bit disappointed that I didn’t fit in the regular seat and had to use the accessible seat in the back, but the cast members were fantastic—they let him ride in the bike right in front of me, which made his night. Tron is a blast, even if it’s over in a flash. Honestly, it’s wild how long people wait for such a short ride!
We finally made it back to the hotel around 1 a.m.—totally exhausted but so happy. Cohen was determined to ride as much as possible to prove Jeff wrong (he always says Disney is just paying a fortune to stand in line for four rides), and Cohen definitely proved him wrong tonight!
