Our very first big family vacation was to Disney World last year. It was a complete disaster, resulting in my son and I in the emergency room with dehydration from a stomach bug, and our credit card number being stolen. We had only one day in the park together as a family, so we knew that we had to try again. After a year of anticipation, and many prayers, our “Re-Disney” trip was a fabulously fun success!
The only “imperfect” aspect of the trip was the weather. We had sun every day, but the temps were in the 50s and 60s, dipping into the 40s at night. I never thought we would have to buy hats and gloves in the Magic Kingdom, but it happened. I lived in this fleece my hubby found me at American Eagle before we left, and I loved it:
Then during our day at Epcot, I found a matching hat in Norway. It saved my ears for the rest of the trip.
Some hilarious observations I noticed in the parks due to the cold:
-Dads with big embroidered Tiggers on their hoodies
-Grandmas on motorized scooters with Ed Hardy inspired Disney sweatshirts
-Grandpas with gangsta graffiti inspired stocking caps that say “Grumpy”
-Flip flops with socks (How can that be comfortable??)
While walking through the parks, you also have the perfect opportunity to people watch and “window shop” in a way, and apparently, these are some current “must haves”:
–Maclaren strollers (These were EVERYWHERE. I had never heard of them, but they are a far cry from the $14.99 Toys R Us umbrollers we used to push our kids around in.)
–Vera Bradley backpacks (These were THE bag of choice to schlep stuff around in the park. I had something similar that my mom made me, and it was perfect!)
–Dooney & Bourke Disney purses (If you had $200-300 to spare, you could take this little baby home as a souvenir.)
–Vinylmation figurines (Disney’s latest creation and an attempt to create a must-have collectable and tradeable.)
For a family striving for the values of minimalism, the excess of Disney can be quite an overwhelming experience. My husband and I discussed before our trip that the word “Grace” would be our ripcord of sorts when the whining and greediness reared their ugly heads. When children are surrounded with shiny, fun, brightly colored toys at every turn, what else can you expect? And sadly, when every ride exits out into a gift shop, the elation from the ride quickly turns to “But I REALLY want it!!” We were not alone however, parents all around us were having the same struggles; trying to tame the greedy monsters the “Disney machine” brings out in our children.
I kept in mind however, that our children were literally surrounded by this environment, and it was only for a week. Something that warmed my heart though, was when they actually asked to leave the park so they could go back to the hotel room to play together.
Here are some random memories/observations I took away from our trip:
-Bibbity Bobbity Boutique Princesses flitting this way and that, with their glittery hair up in buns
-Sounds of tribal lullabies and sleepy children on the buses, boats, and trams at the end of a fun filled day
-All of the custom made Minnie Mouse inspired bows, outfits, and dresses (some with crinolins!)
-Spotlessness of parks; even down to polishing of the drinking fountains
-I have absolutely no idea how parents do it with babies, toddlers, strollers, diaper bags, etc.
-Disney World employs a tremendous amount of retirees for all types of positions
–Every single cast member we encountered was cheerful, helpful, and had a smile on their face
-Friends are quickly made on bus/boat/monorail rides
And some of the definite highlights from our “Re-Disney” trip:
-VIP Christmas Parade seats
-Our flashing Disney Christmas tree hat being a huge success. 60 plus people either commented how cool it was or inquired as to where we bought it (Ebay!)
-Our son discovering that he LOVES roller coasters
-Whispering Canyon Restaurant (“WE NEED SOME KETCHUP!!!!!)
-50’s Prime Time Diner (“Skippy! Elbows!!”)
-Soarin’ (SO worth the hour+ wait!)
-Meeting a sweet helper dog in the park who gave me my puppy fix during a week without Alfie.
-The Broadway quality musical performances (Lion King and Nemo are “must-sees”!)
-Our daughter finding one of the 10 hidden paint brushes on Tom Sawyer’s Island (Which earned us four Fast Passes to Big Thunder Mountain!)
-The frequent hugs from my sweet daughter and her saying “I’m having SO much fun!”
As a result of the colder temps, our longest wait time was usually 10 minutes (or less), so each day we were able to hit every ride and attraction we planned to. We ended our vacation with a bang and stayed all day and into the night at the Magic Kingdom for the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Our son had a very tearful boat ride back to the hotel that night, but at least this year those tears were because he had such a wonderful time and didn’t want to leave.
After a mere 3 hours sleep, we boarded our 5:05am bus the next morning, and navigated our way through the Orlando Airport. These two realities quickly emerged:
-Airport TSA employees do NOT have the same disposition as Disney “cast members”
-That adult Tinkerbell hoodie is no longer the height of fashion outside the world of Disney
We also learned that we have a very nervous flyer in the family. Apparently, the same boy who can ride roller coasters ’til the sun goes down, can work himself up to the point of puking right before boarding the plane. Go figure. No worries though, after take-off he was completely fine and back to normal.
So, to recap, our “Re-Disney” trip was a smashing success, and has done well to completely erase the horridness of last year’s trip. We no longer feel like the Griswolds, and have hopes and dreams of many more wonderful, fun family vacations in our future. We thank all of you for your prayers and patience as we recounted our disappointment from last year, and our anxieties about trying again this year.
We hope you all have a Very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a Healthy New Year!!
Running Without Being Chased 