A/N: So this was supposed to be posted on the actual 'Stitch Day' (6/26), but that obviously didn't happen. But I hope you guys will still enjoy it anyway.
"Hey, you guys ready to get dressed?" Kate peeks her head out of the master bedroom of their suite, her hair wet, having just gotten out of the shower, onto the balcony that overlooked one of the savannas in the middle. Their morning view included Zebras, various types of birds, and Okapi.
All five kids were standing at the ledge, on tiptoe, watching the animals roam and play and graze on the grass. They were still in their pajamas, morning breath and sleep ruffled hair and all.
"Yes!" Miyana was the first to turn around. This morning they were headed to a character breakfast that was picked mostly with her in mind. "It's Stitch day!" She cheers, rushing inside to the second bedroom. She rips open her suitcase and digs through, throwing the other clothes haphazardly out of the bag, looking for a very specific outfit to wear.
When she finds it, she stuffs the other clothes back inside and tears off her pajamas. Mia changes into the shirt and skirt set in record time and scampers to her parent's bedroom.
After knocking, and getting allowed entrance, Mia bursts through the door, excitement and energy filling her tiny body. "Ready!" she cheers.
"Not so fast there, Speed Racer," Kate admonishes her daughter. "You're gonna have to wait for everyone to finish getting ready.
Miyana sulks at that; she's too excited to wait.
"Come here, let me fix your hair." Kate leads her daughter over to the vanity and sits her down on the padded bench seat. She brushes out the tangles, of which there are many, braids two sections back and adds them to a high pony tail. "There: all done," Kate proclaims, tugging on the ponytail to tighten it one last time. "Now, go brush your teeth," she orders, pointing her daughter in the direction of the bathroom and her toothbrush.
Miyana, hair and teeth brushed, socks and shoes on, is the first one of her family ready to go.
"Wow, look at you, Mia!" Jim admires, tying on his shoes, watching as the girl twirls in front of him, showing off her outfit.
"Isn't it so cool?" The girl asks.
"Very cool," Jim nods.
Miyana's shirt was light blue, like water, and had Stitch and his Human friend, Lilo, standing on a surf board, riding the waves; and her skirt was divided right down the middle, one side was patterned to look like the Blue alien's skin, and the other was the pattern on Lilo's signature red dress.
Soon enough, everyone is ready, and after grabbing room keys, sunglasses, and the park bag that had been packed the night before, all eight family members head downstairs to rendezvous with the rest of their group before heading to their breakfast reservation.
[] []
The monorail ride over to the hotel was just enough to keep the nine crabby, hungry kids in their group from melting down long enough for them to get to their breakfast. They liked looking out the windows and watching the world below them zip past, and the little girls nearly lost it when they went past the castle in the Magic Kingdom.
"Are we really going there?" Danielle asks, looking up at her dad.
"Yup, after we eat breakfast," Rick answers.
Soon the train is pulling into its stop and the doors are sliding open. They swarm out in one large blob, kids in strollers and holding hands with adults, and two little girls lead the pack inside the hotel.
"Grace! Go left!" Ryan directs his daughter who is up front with Miyana. The girls disappear around a corner for a moment, but they are never out of the adults' sight for too long.
"Aloha! Welcome to Ohana!" The girl behind the counter welcomes them.
"Hi!" Mia cheers. "It's Stitch day!"
"Are you here to meet Stitch?" The girl asks.
"Mmhm," Mia nods enthusiastically.
"That's awesome! Can I have your name?"
"Castle," Rick's reply has the girls' turning to face the grown-up. "Reservation is under Castle."
The girl taps on her computer for a moment then nods. "Here you are," she checks them in and grabs one of the pagers. "We're getting your table ready right now; it will just be a few more minutes. Can you hold on to this?" She asks, bending down and handing the pager to Kieran, who had materialized next to his older sister and cousin. "When it lights up, you come back and give this to me and you can go eat, okay?"
"Okay," Kieran nods, taking the pager and rushing over to his mom, hollering about what he gets to do.
After a game of chase gets then yelled at by a Cast Member and their parents, the kids settle down into a more controlled chaos, and before long their pager goes off and they are escorted back to their table.
[] []
There is a momentary scramble for seats and kids wanting to sit next to a specific person, but eventually they all get settled. The large dining room was filled with families much like there's: up too early, hungry, but excited to experience this meal and to enjoy the day that followed it.
Their waitress, Katie (the name made every adult at the table hide giggles, and caused Jim to smiles sheepishly at his daughter), got them going with glasses of 'Stitch Juice' and a basket of bread and pastries. She left, but returned quickly with plates and silverware, and after telling them she'd give them a minute, left to tend to her other tables.
Multiple conversations could be heard across the table: adults with kids, kids with kids, adults with adults; it was loud and happy. Cameras flashed as pictures were taken, some candid, most were posed with kids and adults alike smiling at the lens.
Finally, food was served; family style with two large platters at either end of the table. Eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, waffles; the whole nine yards.
"Here, Mia, hand me your plate," Kate directs her daughter seated to her left. The girl hands over the plate and Kate loads it full of Mia's choices. When the plate it set in front of her, Miyana gasps.
"Daddy! Look!" she shouts down to the opposite end of the table where her father is sitting. "I got a Stitch waffle!" Rick looks up to his daughter who is holding up the waffle emblazoned with her very favorite character on it.
"I see! Very cool, Mia girl," He smiles back.
Once everyone has full plates of food, their table goes quiet; everyone occupied with stuffing their faces rather than making conversation. Katie checks on them a few times: refilling juice and coffee cups, bringing new platters of food, and just making sure they are doing alright.
In the middle of their meal, the characters start to come around, and the first to greet them is Mickey Mouse, dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, he looked ready for the beach. The older kids were quick to jump up and get hugs as their parents snapped photos. Even the grown-ups got in on the action: there was a picture caught of Lanie kissing the famous mouse on the cheek and Esposito feigning hurt and anger on his other side. While most of the kids loved it, three of them were having none of it. Kieran, Letty and Monica were buried in their parent's sides as much as the possibly could; whining and crying and saying "No!" And despite their parents' attempts to get them up and over to the characters passing by, it was unsuccessful.
The same routine was performed with Pluto, Minnie and Lilo, and finally the character Miyana Castle has been excitedly waiting for came to their table.
"Stitch!" Mia was the very first to rush over and crush the blue alien with a hug. "Look! You're on my shirt." She points out, touching the picture on her top. Stitch silently, happily, admires himself on the little girl's shirt, hugging her again before moving on to her siblings and cousins. Mia stays close, in a bit of disbelief that her favorite character is right there where she can touch him.
Finally, after one more hug, Stitch left and the kids returned to the table to finish their food. But Miyana barely picked at what was left on her plate, she was still buzzing.
"Mommy," she sighed, leaning into her mom's arm.
"Wasn't that so cool?" Kate asks, kissing the crown of her daughter head, and smoothing out the hairs she had mused.
"It was amazing! The best!" Mia replied excitedly.
"I'm glad, baby girl."
[] []
Everyone had eaten their fill, the check was paid, and a tip was left for their amazing waitress. After a trip to the bathroom, and going on a wild goose hunt for Kieran, who took a wrong turn coming out of the bathroom and had gotten lost, they stood on the monorail platform with a handful of other people waiting for the train to take them into the park.
"Look, we got a yellow one this time," Liam comments as the train slows in to the station and the door slide open. He goes for the window again, sitting on his knees on the bench, the other kids in a line next to him.
The electronic voice reminds them to "stand clear, the doors are closing," and a moment later they are zipping along the track headed off to get lost in their imaginations.