Dinner with Cinderella

Our Ace convention was in Orlando this fall so we decided to try and take Ava to eat with some Disney characters. We went to dinner at the Grand Floridian to eat with Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, and Drizella. To this day, this was one of the best things we have ever done with her. She talks about it almost everyday and she can tell you in detail things that happened.

Our little Cinderella. My mom, Kirsten, and Melissa all came with us to the dinner. The last time Kirsten went to a character dinner she hid under the table because she was scared of them. We thought she was going to do the same thing this time… (just kidding)…haha!

The last time we had been to Disney was early May and we didn’t wait in any lines to see any characters, so I wasn’t sure how she would act when they came to our table. Prince Charming came by first and you can see she wasn’t too crazy about him, but he did give her a kiss on the head.

 

Cinderella came by right after the Prince and oh my! Ava was in heaven. She loved her. She took to her right away. When Disney re-released Cinderella on DVD back in 2005 I didn’t buy it because kids weren’t even on the radar. Well, now that Ava is here and getting to the age of all things Princess, it is locked up in the vault and you can’t find it anywhere. I found a copy on ebay that claimed it was “authentic, new in case”…..soooo…..Ava watched Cinderella on the way down to Orlando- she was good an ready to meet her.

 

Of course she had to introduce everyone.

 

I was so glad she wasn’t clinging to me scared, it makes it worth it to see her enjoy it. I’m not sure what all she talked to her about, but it was obviously thought provoking!

The earliest I could get reservations for the dinner was 7:30 so Ava was getting close to bed time by the time we got in to eat. You can tell by the pictures she was tired. She absolutely loved the dinner and there was no way we could have made her fall asleep even if we had tried.

Before she left the table, she gave Ava a kiss and that must have been a highlight for Ava because she will tell you anytime you ask her about Cinderella how she gave her a kiss.

 

After Prince Charming and Cinderella Anastasia and Drizella came by to visit. She didn’t take to them quite like she did Cinderella, but she still talked to them.

 

I was actually away from the table fixing her plate so she could eat when Anastasia came by to talk to see her.

 

 

I have to say, I would not want to play the part of the evil stepmother! :) I’m sure there aren’t many kids that are just dying to see/meet Lady Tremaine.

 

Every so often they would introduce the characters and Ava loved watching Cinderella and the Prince when they came out.

After dinner we left and said goodbye to Cinderella and went to ride the monorail so Ava could see the Castle. She had mentioned it several times, so we told her we would take her. She loves to see the castle and riding the monorail is cheaper than paying for a park ticket :) When we were leaving the Grand Floridian I stopped in the gift shop to see if they had sunglasses (I had lost Ava’s and she whined the entire way down – other than when she was asleep- because she wanted to wear her glasses like mommy and daddy). While we were in the gift shop Ava and her daddy went to listen to the jazz band that plays in the lobby of the hotel. The band looked over at her when they finished a song and pointed to her and said this is for you. They played  “So This Is Love” the song from the Cinderella movie that Cinderella and Prince Charming danced too. While they were listening Ava wanted to dance like Cinderella so she and her Daddy danced. When it was over he picked her up and she clapped for the band and they all stood and bowed to her- so sweet. She still tells everyone how she danced like Cinderella with her daddy. She will never forget this night.