Arley has been begging to go back since Christmas. Almost every day she watches YouTube videos of her favorite rides and the parades. I figured since it was her only real request on our journey of something to do (aside from the Zoo) that it would be a wonderful surprise.
We were able to do a lot of new experiences as well. Whether it be dining at restaurants we haven't tried (Chef Mickey's & Akershus Royal Banquet Hall), seeing characters we haven't met before (Peter Pan) or visiting places we had not yet explored (The Boardwalk) made it all the more worthwhile.
Another fun experience we did was we were able to ride the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train over in Fantasyland twice in a row! Arley refers to it as the "crazy train" because it rocks back and forth and goes really really fast! She even requested to ride the Tea Cups which I allowed, but didn't let her spin any faster than the ride did on its own because we had just finished dinner and I didn't want to risk something coming back up again lol.
My favorite character experience we did was meeting Peter Pan for the first time. In all of my years of going to Disney I have never been so lucky to meet him, but Arley did and honestly it's right up there tied with her experience with Prince Charming from our last trip.
The two of them held each other like this for literally 10 minutes. I wasn't sure who was going to let go of whom first. It was the sweetest, most precious moment I have ever witnessed in my entire life. This right here to me is the epitome of the magic that Disney offers to it's guests. You seriously can't experience something like this anywhere else and is one of the reasons why I constantly continue to go back.
Arley also got to show off her fabulous dancing skills with Goofy AND Donald! They twirled and danced together for several minutes and we loved every single minute of it.
Our favorite Princess meet & greet was Rapunzel and Cinderella. Normally they will not allow characters to photograph together (unless they are a pair) because they have to keep the line moving. However Arley received some extra special Pixie Dust and was allowed to photograph with both Rapunzel and Cinderella at the same time.
Arley's personal favorite meet & greet is when she met Chip & Dale. They are so much fun, played with her Minnie 'Rella doll and made her feel truly wonderful. I myself have always loved my interactions with Chip & Dale. The way they interact is always hilarious.
Our last new experience we shared with each other was taking a stroll along The Boardwalk. She loved looking at the beautiful hotels, the sand and the water. Pretending to play some of the carnival themed games and watching the fireworks from Epcot.
Once back at home we had very little time to unwind because the following day we had a doubleheader with the Hartford Hawks Softball team. Arley got to throw out the first pitch and she threw it straight down the middle! I have video of it that I have been contemplating putting up on our YouTube channel, but have yet to upload anything. You can see her practicing her throwing in the photo below.
A couple of hours after the game we got all dolled up to attend their annual banquet. During a slideshow, they featured Arley several times, whether it being her fellow teammates talking about what it has been like having her apart of the team, or showing photos from her experience thus far, I couldn't help but tear up at what a huge impact Arley has clearly had on the team and them possibly not knowing how much of an impact they have in turn made on her. Arley refers to the them as "her girls" and "her team." This has truly been an unforgettable experience and hope that we can continue to spend time with them in years to come.
