Today was Calvin's birthday. Turning the big 7. In celebration, we went to the Magic Kingdom, not because he really wanted to (he wanted to go back to the water park), but because most of the rest of the extended family was also going, and we thought it would be nice if we all went together. As it turns out, we did run into some of the other family groups during the day, but we didn't really do anything with them at the park.
Upon our arrival, we decided to go to Adventureland and check out Thunder Mountain Railroad. Calvin took one look and decided this was way too scary and he wasn't going on it. Vast amounts of cajoling, ego massaging, etc were for naught - he wouldn't go. So Hobbes and I took a ride, had a great time, told Calvin as much, but alas, still no movement. So Sweetie and Hobbes went while I tried to determine what Calvin DID want to do today (Sweetie has also tried this while Hobbes and I were on the ride). Well, he didn't want to do anything. Everything either fell into the category of Too Scary, or For Little Kids. On top of this he was upset with himself for being 'chicken', and he thought Sweetie and I were mad at him because he didn't want to go on any rides. We tried to straighten him out, to no avail. So we got something to eat, hoping that would improve his disposition.
After our snack, he was still being persnickety, so Hobbes and I went on the Splash Mountain flume ride. Once again, it was hot. Really, really hot, so the flume was popular. We got on line and the wait was 45 minutes, which really wasn't too bad, considering there was this huge group of Argentinian teenage girls in the park that day, who were hitting the rides in large packs. We were in front of them in line, thank goodness. While in line, I tried to explain to Hobbes what Song of the South was (the ride is based on it) and remember some of the Bre'r Rabbit stories. The ride was pure Disney and had a great flume at the end.
We found Sweetie and Calvin, and Sweetie told that they had arrived at a plan: she and Calvin would go and ride the Barnstormer (the only thing he agreed to go on) while Hobbes and I did what we wished and we would meet up later. Fine, so long as Calvin was happy on his birthday.
Hobbes and I went on a bunch of rides: Pirates of the Caribbean, Aladdin's Magic Carpet, The Enchanted Tiki Lounge (Under New Management). I even convinced him to try the Haunted Mansion, which was spookier than I remembered, but still not that scary. Hobbes was a little freaked out, and didn't like the ghost sitting in the carriage with us, but he got through it okay. We also did the Hall of Presidents. (Barak Obama got quite an ovation.)
It was getting on in the day, so we decided to try to switch off boys. As we passed the Magic Castle, on of the shows was going on, so we stopped to watch it. I didn't think Hobbes would be that interested (since it had singing and dancing and princesses), but he was pretty engaged.
We found Sweetie and Calvin. They had rode the Barnstormer many times, looked in Minnie Mouse's house, and then gone to the Monster's Inc Laugh Floor show twice. Once they texted in a joke, and it was used in the show, which I think was quite a thrill for Calvin.
Sweetie and Hobbes headed off for Space Mountain, and Calvin and I headed for the Jungle Cruise. Things were not to be, however. The line for Space Mountain was 70 minutes, and Hobbes didn't want to wait that long. Meanwhile Calvin and I stood in line for the Jungle Cruise only to have the ride break down when we were close to the front. So we headed over to the Aladdin ride. We stood in line, and Calvin worried about how high the carpets went. In the end, he got out of the ride because Sweetie called to say that if we didn't leave the park soon, the pizza party dinner we were supposed to be hosting back at the house wouldn't be until 8pm. So we bailed. (Although both Things did get Mickey Mouse watches before we left.)
We returned to the house, and the kids (duh) went swimming while we waited for the pizza to show up. We had a nice big family birthday party for Calvin (and Hobbes also got a few gifts). He's had some pretty lame birthdays in the past, because we're often travelling on his birthday, so I think he enjoyed being the center of attention at this big party.
Later that night, Sweetie and I were talking about Calvin's problems during the day, and we decided that on top of probably being tired, the last attraction we did Monday when we were at Magic Kingdom was that stupid Stitch's Great Escape experience, which scared the pants off Calvin. So maybe he didn't want to try new rides because he didn't want to be scared like that again. Who knows. I think at the end, he had an enjoyable day, and that's what's important, even if it didn't meet the expectations in my head.
Today's Scorecard (for new rides only):
| Ride | Me | Sweetie | Hobbes | Calvin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Thunder Mountain Railroad | A | A | A+ | n/a |
| Minnie's Country House | n/a | B- | n/a | B+ |
| Splash Mountain | A | n/a | A | n/a |
| The Magic Carpets of Aladdin | C | n/a | B+ | n/a |
| The Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Management | C | n/a | B+ | n/a |
| Pirates of the Caribbean | B | n/a | B+ | n/a |
| Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe | D | n/a | A | C+ |
| Hall of Presidents | A | n/a | A | n/a |
| Haunted Mansion | B | n/a | B+ | n/a |
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