For the most part, I'm a pretty serious person. Rarely silly. Always sarcastic, but thoughtful and mature 95% of the time. I've been this way since I was a kid. Just imagine the things I say now coming out of the mouth of a five year old and you'll realize what kind of messes my mother cleaned up behind me before I was old enough to do it myself.But deep inside, in the part of my brain usually tucked away, is that five year old. The one who fell in love with Prince Charming and was an honorary member of the Mickey Mouse Club. (I placed in an art contest when I was a kid and got a pin and ears and everything.) The one who got every Disney movie when they came out on VHS for gifts and when she got old enough, bought them for herself on DVD. I have all 4 Disney Classics CDs, so I know the words to little known songs from movies, rides, parades and shows. Just ask me to serenade you. DB missed the whole Disney thing growing up in the 70s and he just doesn't get it when I dance around the house singing "Hoggity, poggity, woggity-wack!"
It's this inner child that is the driving force behind the scope of our upcoming trip to Disney World. I've been waiting for Little Sister to be old enough to remember and enjoy the trip. When the others said they were considering going, we decided to make a big thing of it. From there, with the help of Instigator and the power of the internet, it exploded into the grand Disney extravaganza. Any second now, PC and Angel are going to tell us we're on our own and ban us from the email loop.
A million emails and schedules and scenarios have flown around and for good reason. A lot of these things require advanced planning and reservations. There will be several character meals, autograph books and princess makeovers. Gifts from Tinkerbell and matching shirts. Trading pins and fairy god-mailers (long story). We're staying on property in awesome condos with dining plans and special after hours parties. I think if we could manage to get the kids on a parade float, we'd do it. I'm thinking perhaps we can manage to get Little Man to drive the Monorail. We're already dressing up for the Halloween party. Well, some of us are, anyway.
*coughspoilsportscough*
I'm pretty sure I've lost my mind. I'm also pretty sure that LS won't be nearly as impressed with this trip as I will be. I'm sure she'll love it, but the appreciation for this will likely come much later in life. This is the trip I wanted when I was 6. To see and experience all the magic of Disney when I still believed in it. To spend a week exploring everything - seeing the shows and the parades, not just going from line to line in a rush to cram everything into one day. Money just wasn't happening back when I was that age, so I dreamed that one day, this would be the kind of trip I would take my kids on. No kids yet, but when and if I do have them, I will be a seasoned veteran.
What brings out the kid in you? Do you have any fond Disney memories or big trips you took your kids on?
SP
P.S. Instigator is blogging tomorrow on the Blaze Author blog. Stop by and say hello. www.blazeauthors.com/blog/
5 comments:
I made my first trip to Disney World when I was 22. I had grown up with the Mickey Mouse club on TV and The Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights. We had no VCRs or DVDs. You just saw the movies when they were in the theater or on TV.
We parked and rode the trolley to the main gate, paid out admission and made our way into the park. I took one look at the castle and my eyes began to leak. It was that dream come true you talked about. And I want to share that with BabyGrand one day when she's old enough to really remember the trip.
Same thing happened when I went to the Olympic Games in Atlanta. I'd watched Olympic coverage on TV for years and even with the games a mere 200 miles away, I didn't think attendance was possible. Then a friend who lived in Atlanta and worked for the Olympic Organizing Committee offered us her extra tickets and a place to stay at their house. The tickets were for a 4-hour block of track and field preliminaries and were in the upper nosebleed section. But I was AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES! My eyes leaked when I walked into the Olympic stadium and saw the flame too. My sons just didn't understand.
Y'all should put this planning into a book -- DISNEY BY SPREADSHEET. ;-) When I get ready to take BabyGrand, I'll be calling y'all for all the tips and tricks.
It's an extravaganza, let me tell you. All I have to do it write a check (dog, I love it when that's all I have to do. Can you tell I'm getting over my Control Freak tendencies?).
I know it's going to be a great trip, but when I tell you that Insti and SP are taking this SERIOUSLY, well, that's an understatement. But I'm really looking forward to it.
OMG, what you have just described is my idea of HELL.
An entire week doing all that stuff, kids everywhere, etc? H. E. L. L.
I've been to Epcot. Once. I suppose if I had kids I'd be more amenable to the idea of a Disney trip.
But oh the torture of all that! The torture of the character breakfasts, the shirts, the costumes --
I need to lie down.
My inner child triggers are more simple. Curling up on a rainy day with a really good book, and horseback riding (which I've not done in a few years now). Reminds me of my childhood.
We didn't have the money for big trips either.
I love Disney World! I would go every year if I had the money. My last trip was about 3 years ago when Oldest was in a dance competition at Disney. We stayed at one of the Disney resorts, so there were always extra hours at the parks. Youngest was only 2 at the time, so they took her back this year and did princess everything. They ate every meal with at least one character. I didn't get to make that trip, but hope to go back in the next year or so.
My best memory was when we took my two oldest nieces 7 years ago. My sister and her husban ate at the castle and while the girls and I went on a bunch of rides. When it came time for the fireworks, Tinkerbell flew right over us as she lit the fireworks. My girls thought it was the coolest thing ever(they were 6 and 9 at the time).
Yes, the planning that has gone into this is scary. And I'm a planner, so that's saying something. My husband, well, let's just say he thinks we're all nuts.
Hmmm... I have to work on my family's disney spreadsheet this weekend, too. I'm really excited because I've only been to Disney once -- when I was 15. Though I know I'll be grouchy by week's end, I'm still looking forward to seeing my children enjoy themselves... and drinking around the world. :)
Angel
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