Yes, it might look nice but its hallow inside, its fake. So I give the Cinderella Castle more credit. The Cinder-Castle at least as a suite.
Ok due to these two posts and a few others who said they like what I write...I am going to share something I was not so sure I wanted to but it is relevent to WWOHP and Cindy's Place. Mantaguy, take a bathroom break and grab a drink before you read...it is long winded ;-)
I do have something to say about Cindy's Place vs. Hogwarts (read the end). When I was a child we lived in Florida. Disney was only the Magic Kingdom. I have this sort of pathetic memory of my First time in Disney. It must have been pure torture for my poor parents. I saw THE Castle! and that was all I cared about! Nothing else matter! I just HAD to get to Cinderella's Castle! I Dragged at my Mother who was also toting 3 other siblings and my Father who all wanted to see every little thing along the way. Imagine being pulled through the WWOHP by a nagging 5 yr old straight from the entrance way to Hogwarts in the hot Florida heat. We FINALLY get just across the street from my dream castle where all my 5 yr old dreams come true and then....a Parade of significant movie and stories play to me in my dreams and on Disney Sunday nights. My parents were "Oh Look! There is Tinkerbell! There are the fairy godmothers!" and so on and so on. I was really waiting for Mickey just so the HUGE event would be OVER! Let me in that Castel!!! As soon as the Parade ended I let go of my Mother's hand and RAN across to the castle. My Parents were FRANTIC! As the Parade was over there were several hundreds of general public pulling up the rear of the parade and separating my parents From ME. Parental nightmare. Even in the 70s.
Everyone was focusing on the Parade and I was walking up to the Entrance to of my Dreams! I paused for a moment, blinked my eyes to make sure it was really there. Then I walked in to.... A hallway? That was all it was? A Hallway! There was no entrance. There was no Cinderella or Mice or anyone. There were a few huge doors painted on the walls of this hallway so I hugged the "door" I thought would be the right one to let me in and pressed my whole tiny, 5 yr old body against that wall and wished, and Wished and WISHED. My Mother finally caught up with me holding my little sister and dragging the heavy 1970s metal, non collapsible, stroller behind her little 98 lbs body. She was out of breath and telling me "Get off that wall! What do you think you are doing?" I was so upset that she pulled me away from the wall/door. If she had just let me cling to that wall and wish harder and let the magic happen I was sure the door would have opened. I cried off and on all day. I thought from time to time that I wasn’t good enough, I had some how messed up and did something selfish at some point. How lovely for my parents huh?
I remembered later that my Mother said to my Father that he should have caught me before I reached it. They both guessed it wouldn't be a real castle but no one prepared me.
I took my youngest to Disney two years ago. The restaurant in Cindy's castle was booked up for the next 3 years so we knew going on our trip we would not have Breakfast, dinner or anything in that restaurant. After I booked our Disney package they sent me an email about getting to STAY in Cinderella's Castle! Oh yes, it was already booked up for years and the only way to get in was to Win it at random. There was also the addition of the Bippity Boppity Bootique which my 9 yr old daughter laughed at since she had a better costume made Snow White outfit and saw the clips of the hair styles "Mom, you do mine better and I am ok with that." We did pageants for 5 yrs but I sort of wanted her to have an appointment but it was her vacation too, if she didn't want it we wouldn't do it.
When we arrived at Disney we had an Amazing time. Then it was time to enter the Castle. I made the mistake of telling my daughter about my very young experience with this but told her things have changed! There is now a restaurant AND a Princess Boutique! I told her how impressed I was! Then we entered the castle. I held my breath. We peeked into the BBB and they very kindly told us we could take pictures of my daughter in the waiting room but shouldn't linger watching the girls receive their princess makeovers. Then we walked over to the restaurant where I explained that we just wanted to look in from the door way. I was told in no uncertain terms in front of my little girl "If you do not have a reservation you are not allowed near the door way."
Yes, I was a little disappointed but I was horrified at the next thing that happened. My little girl looked up at me and said “Maybe Disney just wants to see your face pressed against the wall. Sad they wont let you even look inside.”
As sad as that story is I still want to get into the castle just to prove to my daughter that dreams really can come true and not just by wishing hard enough .
I was VERY relieved and GREATFUL due to the anticipation and expectations my own children had with the WWOHP that Hogwarts and FJ were actually FULL FILLING a dream and not leaving children, of any age, squished up against a wall saying spells and wishing as hard as they could muster in their lovingly huge hearts. They cherished every view, every angle of every view as we walked through the entrance of Hogsmead. They savored every shop and every detail of each area we walked. TM vs. TM in each park…well Disney really is more polite but sometimes the Disney politeness is the same as in the movie House Bunny movie “So Nice.” The TMs in the WWOHP are really in character and even the Slythern house is polite but in that ….sort of polite way. The TMs in the WWOHP really seem to enjoy their work and sort of have the mischievous look on their faces like…when the parks close we are going to let the house elves out and have a REAL party!
Still not giving up on having a meal in Cindy’s castle or sleep there one day. I may be there alone as my children and the rest of the family will be in UO. Just makes my heart ache that my children know I was in pain as a child when I looked up to a castle. SOOO glad the first castle they dreamed of entering …they were granted access!!
Hey, another dream came true… I had hoped that my children would see WWOHP the way I had wished my first Disney would be for me. I think WWOHP has a new place in the future family tradition visits of for my Children and the rest of our family (UK and US). We were a Disney family and this was our first trip to OU. Thank you UO for delivering the real experience.
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