Wacky Clan in the CASTLE!

[January-2007]

OH MY GOSH!!! That is just the coolest thing ever! My day is going to be so much better just knowing this. I can't wait for the trip reports! How very exciting and wonderful! It really can happen to anyone! Thanks for sharing!

[PirateLover]

Thanks for the pic, Jeanne!!! I am just so happy for them

[KylesMom]

WOW this is so unbelievable! And you know what? Just reading everyone's responses to the news that one of "ours" won is tremendous. It just goes to show you what an incredible community we have here.

Now - bring on the details, Ian!

[Ian]

We're back!! They just dropped us back off at Pop a few minutes ago.

So ... I won't keep you waiting ... here's what it was like:

So I already told you how we won and what that was like. I'll pick up from where they got us at our resort ...

We're in the lobby at Pop and a VIP Tour Guide comes up to us to pick us up. She takes us out front to a big Suburban with a Disney logo on the door and we get in for the ride to Magic Kingdom. We entered the park via backstage ... if you've ever ridden the monorail and looked down near the entrance you can see a little guard booth there (between the Contemporary and the MK gates). That's the entrance we went in.

We walked out from backstage and onto Main Street and they took us all the way up to Frontierland where we waited for our parade to start. This was in the little backstage area behind Splash Mountain where the train crossing is. There were a few marching bands that came through while we were there, which Taylor really liked. Jake wasn't a big fan of the train whistle, though. It scared him silly every time the train came by!

Finally our little car came to pick us up and we climbed in. They gave us those special YoaMD mouse ears (the silver ones that you can only get if you win them) then they took our picture in the car (which had a banner on the side that said Castle Suite Winners!) and then we were joined by Daisy Duck. Taylor loved that!

When the parade started they announced us over the PA system in the park (Join us in congratulating the Mitchell family from Colmar, PA!, etc.). So we cruised the parade route and waved and smiled at everyone. It was really cool! Everyone was waving at us and smiling and yelling to us. Taylor was in her glory! She's giving her princess wave to everyone and smiling.

So we arrive down on Main Street and they give us a VIP spot to sit for the rest of the parade. After that we had to put our special YoaMD ears on and have our publicity photo taken. And then it was time to actually go see the suite!

They walk us up under the Castle and to the "Magic Door" that takes us up to the room. Our guide knocks on the door and another CM answers and lets us into the entry way. There we board the "autoMagic" elevator up to the suite lobby.

The lobby is gorgeous! There's all these panels from Cinderella around the ceiling and a glass display case with a pumpkin and Cindy's crown and glass slipper. They gave us special room keys that say, "Cinderella Castle Suite" on the top that Taylor used to let us into the suite itself.

There's really not much to say other that yes ... it's as unbelieveable as it looks. It's so plush and fancy it's just crazy. I could spend a year in the bathroom alone. It has this great shower stall and a HUGE whirlpool tub that has a star field above it. The tub also has lights in it that change color, so you get this great atmosphere lighting under the water. There are these beautiful, one of a kind mosaics all around the tub and it has one of those cool waterfall faucets to fill with.

The sink area has two of these bronze, deep basin sinks and these old-fashioned faucets. You get special bathrobes to wear, monogrammed with Cindy's "C" logo and all the bath towels also have her logo on them.

In the main room there is a writing desk that has all these great knick-knacks in it (like little slippers and crowns and stuff) and then the two queen-sized beds with Cindy's logo above them. Next to the one bed is a big stained glass window and there's a HUGE portrait of Cinderella above the faux fireplace that actually morphs into a big plasma T.V. when you push the "secret" button.

Off the bedroom is the parlor that has two really big stained glass windows (one looks out over Fantasyland and one looks up into Liberty Square) and another plasma T.V. In this room is a fridge stocked with drinks and two DVD players (one for the bedroom and one for the parlor). There's a big "royal" looking sofa and a little futon. In a case by the one window is a telescope that you can use to look out the windows. Although honestly it didn't work very well at all because of the stained glass.

So they gave us the choice of relaxing in the suite or going out in the parks for awhile before dinner. We opted to stay in the suite, so Taylor watched a movie in the parlor while Trish and I relaxed and Jake took a little nap. I gave the whirlpool a try, too. Very luxurious!

Around 5:15, our friends who won with us came back to the park and they came up to the suite to hang out for awhile. At 5:45, they came up and took us down to CRT for dinner, which was fun. Taylor got a special meet and greet with Cinderella and they took a ton of pictures for us (which they gave us for free).

Dinner was really good (most of us got the prime rib which was yummy and Brian got the chicken, which he said was good too). During the meal they announced us to the room and we got a big round of applause, which was fun. Taylor really ate it up.

[merlinmagic4]

Wow! That's all I can think of to say! I am so thrilled for you and your family Easily the experience of a lifetime, huh? Hope you'll share some pictures later Continue to enjoy your trip!

[Ian]

After dinner, we went out into the parks to hit some rides. Our VIP guide said he'd take us right to the front of all the lines, no waiting, so we took full advantage!

We rampaged through Fantasyland and tried to get on Haunted Mansion but it broke down. By the time we finished Fantasyland it was time for Spectromagic, so we walked down through the Castle to our viewing area. Unfortunately, Jake had absolutely had it by this time and was wiped out. He was cranky as anything so Trish decided to take him back to the suite to sleep.

It was just Taylor, Brian, Jo and I who went to watch Spectro. This part was a teeny-weeny bit of a letdown. The VIP area we went to had a bunch of other people there and they didn't even have any seats left for us. We had to sit on the ground. The area itself was right on the little bridge between the castle hub and Liberty Square, so it was a good spot but I could sit on the ground anywhere, you know? But Taylor loved the parade and got lots of attention from the characters. She really enjoyed it, so it was okay with me too!

The fireworks viewing was even odder though, because our "VIP area" was nothing more than standing in the hub area with all the rest of the people. In fact, we couldn't even really see because some guy stood right in front of us the entire time. Even so, though, it was still incredible.

After the fireworks ended, we went back to riding the rides. We hit Tomorrowland and finished up Fantasyland, too. By this time it was like 11:30 and Taylor was just wiped out (I was pretty beat myself really) so we headed back to the suite for the night.

[pogo]

This was so cool and it was even cooler for you to report on it so quickly. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[rsumrall]

AWESOME!!! We are living vicariously through you, WDWacky!! Can't wait to get all the glorious details when you get back!

[Momof2boys]

Congrats to the entire Wacky family ! !

I was so very excited to see in the pics that Ducky was also able to experience this Dream Come True.

Ian - the report & pictures were fabulous ~ you guys will definately have memories to last you a lifetime.

[goofy for pluto]

Wacky!!
Thanks for sharing your dream come true with us!!

[Katzateer]

Thank you for sharing your wonderful evening with us. It was so exciting to hear about it.

[Natazu]

This news has absolutely made my day. I'm so happy for you. Congratulations and I hope you guys have a blast as the royal family!

[KAT1811]

Congratulations on such a wonderful prize!!! I'm sure it is a memory that you and your family will treasure forever. It is so wonderful that you shared your experience with us in such detail. Thank you again for sharing so much of your magic.

We're heading down in September with our three Princesses and I already have my fingers crossed!!!!

[Auntie]

How exciting for you and your family! Now the rest of us Intercoters can say we actually "know" someone who won!...sort of. A virtual friend!
I'm glad that someone with a little girl won..I think seeing Disney and particulary Cinderella through the eyes of a little girl is really something special. Talk about a dream come true!

[Kate In Wonderland]

THAT IS SO WONDERFUl!!!!!Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[crazy4disneyworld]

Congratulations on winning the Castle Suite, Ian! I hope you had a magical time and savored every moment.

[DestinationWDW]

Congratulations Ian!!! You have a beautiful family! Thank-you so much for taking time away from that wonderful experience to post and share with us!!!! If it were me, I would stayed in that tub all night - a perfect mom's retreat! What a great story for Taylor to bring home to her friends!!!

[MagicKingdom12]

Wow...Congrats!!! I couldn't imagine.

[KAJUNKING]

its so cool for this to happen to a fellow intercotee, congrats

[disguy]

Oh my gawsh!!!!! What a dream come true!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!