As we drove under the Disney World welcome sign, I had to blink back a few tears. It wouldn’t be the only time that week that I found myself feeling a little silly about the sudden emotion. Neither Jeremy, nor the kids, had experienced Disney before, and I was beyond excited to make memories there with them. Disney, while exhausting and at times stressful, truly feels like a magical place. I wanted them to experience special moments like the ones I still cherish from childhood. While I plan to record as many memories as possible from the trip, there were two moments that stood out in my mind as absolute highlights.
As we were riding on the monorail into Magic Kingdom, we caught sight of Mary Poppins waving to us from a nearby steam train. It was then we realized dozens of our favorite characters were waving from the row of cars, heading to the main station to welcome guests with singing, dancing and fireworks as the park gates opened. We arrived just in time to catch the end, and I half ran through the gates, pushing Benjamin and Abby in the stroller and dragging Jeremy. As we rounded the first curve, we slowed to parade down Main Street, which was lined with Disney employees singing and waving hello. Abby and Benjamin waved from their stroller, and I had to put on my sunglasses so no one would notice my eyes were a tad misty.
The castle was up ahead, and all around us people were soaking it all in… and then making a mad dash to the rides they wanted to see before the crowds made the wait lines too long. So, admittedly, I didn’t want to stop for a family photo. Later in the day, when the kids were a bit cranky, we did the best we could…
My second favorite memory was visiting Mickey Mouse. I don’t know why it was so emotional, but for my kids to actually meet the mouse they watch on a weekly basis, was precious to me. Benjamin was in awe. Abby, who is obsessed with “mowww,” warily watched from Jeremy’s arms as this talking Mickey Mouse greeted her. After posing for a few photos, Mickey asked Benjamin if he wanted to do “The Hot Dog Dance” from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Benjamin was so overwhelmed, Mickey decided to stop partway through and gave him a hug goodbye instead.
No comments:
Post a Comment