Cayetano Reunion 2006 Day 9

Friday we go to Magic Kingdom. Again. We have a light breakfast at Main Street Bakery – cereal with milk, cinnamon roll, mixed parfait, and a plain bagel. After breakfast, the girls and I watch Cinderellabration while Sheila saves a seat for us at Storytime with Belle. Cinderellabration is just okay. It is not as fun as the show they had 2 years ago. We leave the show just before it ends because they have a small fireworks display at the end that terrifies Maddie. It's just as well, because we really need to see Storytime with Belle so we can get her autograph. The last time we were here, Lauren got picked to go up to help with the storytime but she was too shy to go up there. This time I hoped that they would pick her out again but she doesn’t get picked. Oh well, it's a fun little story.

We are getting hungry so we head over to Columbia Harbour House for lunch. I have the Garden Galley Salad - mixed greens with chicken, pecans, pineapple and feta cheese. Yeah, I know, me eat a salad? Well, the Dining Plan is starting to take a toll. It's simply way to much food - appetizers and desserts each day! Sheila has the Starboard Deck Sandwich - ham with tomatoes, broccoli slaw and cheese. The girls both get Mac and Cheese. We save the chocolate cake desserts for later. We still need to get Ariel’s autograph so we go to Ariel’s Grotto and wait in a very long line. To make things worse, the line is outdoors and it is so hot right now but we finally get Ariel’s autograph. Maddie goes up to her right away and gives Ariel her autograph book to sign (but Maddie gives it to her upside down!). Ariel must have eaten way too much tuna or something but she looks a little chunky. I shouldn't be talking because all of this food on the Dining Plan is making my waist bigger and bigger!

It's time for a nap for the girls so we start heading back to our resort. On our way out, we stop by a gift shop on Main Street and get a stuffed Tinkerbell for Lauren and Donald Duck for Maddie. Maddie gets Donald Duck because she remembers Jay having one.

After our nap, we head to Epcot for our dinner at Mitsukoshi Tepanyaki. This is the same concept as your Benihana restaurants where you gather around large grills and watch amazing chefs perform their culinary feats of magic - fresh fish, meat and vegetables are artfully chopped and stir-fried before your eyes. This communal ritual is a trip to the cultural and flavorful heart of Japan. We are seated with another family from Kentucky. Very nice family. They go to Disney at least once a year since they own a timeshare (Disney Vacation Club). The chef is not as amazing as I had hoped for. He wasn't as flamboyant as I expected him to be. I just expected a little more of a show, but the food is good.

On our way back to our resort, Maddie somehow manages to lose her stuffed Donald Duck we just got her earlier today. I couldn't let her go home without one if Lauren had one, so at the gift shop at our resort, I surprise her with another one.