Day 22: Little Sleep

Last night I experienced something I generally only like to do at Disney...I stayed up pretty much all night.

Granted, this was to finish work, but it does remind me of some of my favorite times at Disney. It doesn't happen very often, and it will happen even less now because Extra Magic Hours is down to 2 hours at night, but once in a very great while Magic Kingdom is open until 3 in the morning. Luckily I had the chance to experience this my last trip in November.

Now, if you've never been to Magic Kingdom at 3 in the morning...it's interesting. Well, not interesting as much as amazing I suppose. There are crowds until about 1....and then it seems everyone leaves. There's no line for anything...NOTHING. I honestly swear we were the only ones in the "Storybook Circus" area that night other than cast members. My family rode Dumbo...alone. We got free samples of the AMAZING candy apples they sell (of which I couldn't eat much because I have a fruit allergy...but it was still really really good). I'm pretty sure my brother and I went on Space Mountain about 5 or 6 times...one of which times we were able to ride all by ourselves...that was great (also...going on as a pair is great...you almost always get the back two seats). And to finish it off...I probably got the high score on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin about 3 times at least.

Aside from the no line part...there's really just no one around, so it's a great time for pictures too.Throughout this blog post are pictures from my late night stay at the magic Kingdom...and while I say that it was open until 3, I really mean we stayed until 4, just because that's how it works. No one's there, they aren't kicking you out yet...picture time! I'm especially proud of the panorama...which has not ONE person in it. Not everyday you can take a picture like that!

But at the same time, around 1 in the morning you are fighting exhaustion...so you ride It's a Small World, take a small nap and go on your way! By the time we left the park...well, it was so late we were on the last boat across the lagoon and on the last tram out to the parking lot (honestly it would have been the perfect time to ask if I could honk the horn...something I really really want to do). By the time we got out to the parking lot we were the only car left...literally. Actually, there were a bunch of people out there painting lines for the lot...they had to paint around our car. When we got there they proceeded to ask us why we were still there and what time the park closed (they, sadly, had incorrect information and had to work around a bunch of cars). On the way back to Old Key West we saw a total of four cars...on a how many lane road!

Oh yes...Disney at the latest hours of the night is fun. Staying up all night to finish projects on the other hand...is not.

Have a magical day!