Adventures in Disney World - Suburban Shalom

Last week after the wedding festivities in Orlando, we scooted down the road just a bit to “the happiest place on earth.” {I believe it also deserves the honor of being labeled “the most humid place on earth,” at least in July}. We knew going into this trip that the Toddler’s ripe age of twenty-one months would not be ideal for Disney. BUT, we also knew we would already be down there and so very close. And, the bigger girls are at great ages for much of the Disney magic. So, off we went with our double stroller, an umbrella stroller, a backpack full of sunscreen, diapers, juice boxes and snacks, two little doggie backpacks, travel mugs, a camera, a handful of park guides, and most importantly, a grandmother {aka, Mimi}. We like to travel light.

I won’t bore anyone with a day-by-day synopsis of events, but I want to summarize the highlights so we’ll have these to look back on in a few years when the memories are blurry.

Right off the bat we ran into Snow White, in Germany of all places {Epcot’s version}. This was convenient because she’s one of the Preschooler’s favorite characters.

For the rest of the evening we had to answer questions about why Snow White was in Germany and where the mean old hag might be. It’s of no use to try to explain their fictional nature to the Preschooler. And it’s all very confusing to say, “She’s just a character” when you’ve just met a very real person who appears to actually be Snow White.

The Toddler had her qualms about the princesses, but she had more serious reservations about meeting all the characters. She loves Mickey and especially Donald. But, it’s one thing to love a 2-D version of them from the safety of your living room and an altogether different thing to love a towering real life version of them right in front of your face. Her constant request was, “Hold me.”

Once she warmed up to Mickey, though, she did want to get a good feel of his nose.

These two spent much of our time there with their shades on and their seats reclined.

The adults, on the other hand, spent much of our time there trying to survive the heat. This is a quote directly from my mom to the Spouse on our first full day in the parks, “Here’s some cash. I don’t care how much those fans are… as long as they’re less than $500, buy me one.”

It came in at just under $500, and so we did.

The rides themselves were a refreshing break from the heat, so we rode as many as possible. The Toddler liked “It’s a Small World” and “Winnie the Pooh” the best. In the picture below it may appear like she’s enjoying some particular feature of the ride, but she’s actually plotting how she can best yank the Preschooler’s ponytail in the row in front of her on the boat.

Mimi prevented this crisis, but on other rides the temptation to pull hair came over her again and Mimi’s reaction time wasn’t always quick enough to make the save.

The Spouse and the Kindergartener enjoyed taking self-portraits on their rides. I’m so glad the Spouse now has someone who enjoys things like Splash Mountain, because I don’t do roller coasters, free falls, or plunges. She, of course, loves all the above.

I much prefer the Preschooler’s pace on rides. Slow and easy. And, she likes to know what to expect. Are the lights going to go out? Is it going to be loud? Is it scary?? Also, we use caution when driving our guided car. After all, the sign clearly says, “Do not bump the car in front of you.” {Ahem}.

And, speaking of rules. This trip marked the first time I have ever been part of a party that gets called out over the loud speaker for breaking a rule during during a show, of all things. Yes, the Spouse got up and walked several feet down the aisle {to catch the roaming Toddler} during the “Carousel of Progress” which caused an attendant to stop the show and blare through the loud speaker that, “For the safety of all guests, everyone must remain seated throughout the duration of the show.” So embarrassing. The Spouse, of course, has a lengthy explanation to defend his rule-breaking behavior.

Another highlight came one evening when we were all sweating and ready for dinner and yet the Kindergartener was insisting to me that she needed to put on her princess make-up. I explained that her make-up would melt in the heat and there was no need to take time out to put on sparkly pink eye shadow in the middle of the Magic Kingdom. To which she replied, “But, Momma, a princess always needs to look her best!”

I told her, if that’s the case, princesses probably shouldn’t visit central Florida in late July. And, then she got distracted by a parade or something and we were able to move on from that discussion.

All in all, it was a great week because even in the heat there is so much to see and do and enjoy in the world of Disney. Our favorite ride was “Toy Story Midway Mania” in Hollywood Studios… though not everyone in our group liked the glasses.

And, another fan favorite was the real safari ride around Animal Kingdom where we learned that giraffes only need about thirty minutes of sleep a day AND a group of flamingos is called a flamboyance. Who knew?

I think these three might also be called a flamboyance.

We may be tired, but you can’t be there with a 4-year old and a 6-year old and not enjoy seeing Disney come to life from their perspective. Mickey Mouse may not be real, but he’s real fun.

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