DISNEY! DISNEY! DISNEY!

Okay, so I totally didn't expect to LOVE Disney World. But I did. LOVED IT. So. Much. Fun!

Mind you, this wasn't my first time. The first time was way back in 1985 ... a vacation which will live in infamy. The involved parties know what I'm talking about.

I returned in 1993 with my childhood friend who just happened to live in Orlando at the time and just happened to have a friend who worked for Disney, so we got in for free. Awesome. (Two girls in their early 20's should NOT get this excited about meeting Mickey Mouse. Seriously.)

I returned again in 1994. Same friend. Same admission fee. Only this time we toted along her husband and 6-week-old baby. Because babies love Disney.

I did not expect to ever go back to Disney World. I just don't have that kind of moo-lah. Let's face it, I don't have any moo-lah. But this trip was a gift. And I am thankful.

It was a hastily arranged trip, expertly assembled at the last minute (thanks to my dilly-dallying) by my mother in less than a month. Three cheers for Mom! Apparently, those in the know plan these trips waaay in advance. Like a year or more in advance. Well, pack your bags because I am here to tell you, it can be done in less than a month! Just give my mom a call. (I'm just kidding, don't call her.)

I was appointed tour guide/day planner for our 4 days at Disney, and let me tell you I took it VERY seriously, spending most of the 8 hour drive to Orlando studying the 900+ page tome, the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2010. I was NOT going to go into this teeming mecca on its busiest day of the year without a plan. Give me a touring plan or give me death!, I shouted.

Yeah, I was near tears by bedtime, staring helplessly at my husband, my mind numb with park maps, attraction descriptions, touring plans, dining plans, transportation options, and show summaries, the prospect of waking early after our grueling drive hanging over me like a pall.

But the cramming was so worth it! I awoke refreshed. We had a plan. A flexible plan. We knew what rides we wanted to ride, what shows we wanted to see. We understood the Fast Pass system. We knew where to stalk find our favorite lovable Disney characters. We had dining reservations. Oh yeah!! Bring it on, Disney!

I'll just share here two of my favorite experiences (because I know you do not have the inclination nor the stamina to read through ALL of my favorites. Did I tell you I had a good time?):

Roller Coasters!

A great joy was watching my daughter, the cautious child, step up and not only ride the roller coasters, but revel in them! Our first foray was to Space Mountain. I was a little nervous because my girl is not a fan of the dark. I was prepared for her to bail out at the last minute. Right before we got on, I felt her little heart beating thump-a-thump-a-thump-a-thump-a-thump!

Did she bail? No way! She rode Space Mountain and that girl was hooked! She rode every coaster Disney had to offer, including the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster - also in the dark, but with the added thrill of loops and corkscrews and the adrenaline rush of being launched from zero to 60 in 2.8 seconds. I've said it before and I'll say it again - she is awesome!

She came. She saw. She conquered.
(Oh yeah, it's also her birthday, evidenced by her special birthday button. Nothing screams, Hello, world, I'm 8! like riding Expedition Everest 5 times in a row.)

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!

Before getting in line to see the show, I approached one of the Disney cast members in front of the attraction to ask some inane, obvious questions (BTW, the vast majority of the Disney cast members are quite skilled at fielding your inane, obvious questions with a cheery, pleasant demeanor and without making you feel like a complete dolt who has just wasted 2 minutes of their valuable time. I really like this.) She spied my kids and began to ask me would they like to help kick off the show and could they speak loudly and clearly. I said, Heck yeah, they can! Will we get good seats? And then I briefly morphed into crazy stage mom, coaching the kids on their one line all through our 30 minute wait. I knew the boy would relish being on stage. It was the girl I was not so sure about.


I think she did just fine, what do you think?
(And, yes, we got good seats.)