Ah, Disney. ..

How I missed you. It was so nice to visit you today and remember being a kid, going with my own family. We saw you so much, in fact, that there came a time when I whined, "Disney again? We just went last week! Can't I just stay home?" No offense, dear Disney World. But when one lives in Orlando and when one's parents bought annual Disney passes, even a wonderful place like you can wear one out with excessive cheeriness.

There WAS the Christmas Day when I was about 14. I had no money, but after my dad bought hot chocolate for the family and I went back for napkins, I struck up a conversation with a cute boy selling the hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies. I walked away with a free chocolate chip cookie! And a warm glow in my heart for the pleasant conversation regarding the chilly weather. It was innocent. And sweet. AND it impressed Mom and Dad.

But I digress. It occurred to me today how completely fabricated you are, dearest Magic Kingdom. The ground to the walls to the lights to the shows to the Cinderella with dark eyebrows and the permagrin on her face. . . it's all so fake. NOTHING is Waldorf-like about you. And yet, my children soaked up every minute we were in your presence with wide eyes, gasps of delight, open jaws and wonder. It was worth every bit of time and money spent to introduce them to you.There was an older lady in a wheelchair next to us at the parade. She was very nice, offering to share her umbrella's shade with my children, who politely declined. When the characters walked by to give high fives and shake hands and hug children, this lady was the first one to grab them and hug them and wave at them. It was so cute to watch this. She wasn't mentally incapacitated, just excited to be at Disney World.

Grace saw the parade for the first time in her memory and spotted Snow White. Awe filled her face.








We went on "The Jungle Cruise" and that provided nice respite from the sun. AJ, especially, needed the ride.



Terry and AJ and Grace insisted on pretending to be Captain Hook, following Pirates of the Carribbean. Hey, he's a pirate, too!!! BTW, Magic Kingdom, nice job on updating the ride to include Jack Sparrow.




Terry and I got a kick out of standing line for pictures with the Princesses. We waited in line for 35 minutes, which was nothing, really, compared to the 2 hour wait earlier in the day. We saw little girls get shy, or squeal with delight. The princesses asked the girls for a hug. We watched an entire Indian family, complete with the grandma wearing the traditional sari, take a picture with not only Sleeping Beauty, but also Cinderella and Belle. We watched two single men get their pictures with each princess. We noted the princess did NOT ask THEM for a hug. Then it was Grace's turn. She became shy and forgot where she lived. The princesses were very kind and conversed with her for a few minutues. AJ hugged each princess, also. And walked away with lipstick on his cheek from Sleeping Beauty. The rest of the evening, he kept telling me, "I want to hug the princesses again!"


After hugging Aurora, he had to explain to Belle why there was lipstick on his cheek. Busted!




He's never going to wash his face again.


I offered to take Terry's picture with the princess of his choice, but he declined. Apparently I am the only princess he needs. :)


Oh-I almost forgot! When we picked up our tickets in the morning, the cast member took about 10 minutes to process our certificate in the back office. She came out with an apology for taking so long, our tickets, and 3 fast passes to use on any "FastPass" ride of our choice. We zipped through the lines for "Jungle Cruise" and "Winnie the Pooh." We thought Peter Pan might be too much for my height-phobic daughter.

I must confess, dear Disney. When my husband expressed his desire to visit you, I hesitated. I told him, "You know this is Memorial Day weekend. The park will be very crowded."

But he knew that. I thought, "The man works full time and goes to school full time. Who am I to deny him his wish to visit Disney World on his one week free from school?"

So we bought ponchos, expecting rain. We dressed for hot, humid weather and enjoyed the day. It was busy, but we still went on several rides and saw many shows. AJ laughed very hard at the "Monsters, Inc." comedy show. The parades were great for our children. I have a great picture of Grace watching the parade with wide eyes, lit up at the sight of Cinderella. Even the food was almost reasonably priced and palatable. We donned our ponchos when it began to pour in the late afternoon, and continued our jaunt. AJ splashed in every puddle he could find. So did Terry.

We ended our visit to you, dear Disney, watching the light parade upon our egress. We hopped on a Monorail, debarked at the Polynesian Resort, (the best place to park at Disney because it's free) and ate a late night snack at the Kona Cafe. We had the best California roll ever at their sushi bar--they use real lump crab instead of Alaskan Pollock imitation stuff. And pineapple was in the roll, too. And the kids had make your own icecream sundaes, Terry enjoyed white chocolate cheesecake, while I indulged in a coconut cream tart. The coffee (freshly brewed, by the way) helped Terry and I drive home without falling asleep.

We cannot wait to come back and visit you for Grace's birthday. We plan to dress her up and take her to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for princess hair and makeup on her special day. We just hope to get in to Cinderella's Castle for a meal this next time. Who knew that you filled up 90 days in advance?

Thanks for a great day.