What Happens at Disney, Stays...in Your Heart

in #travel7 years ago

There seems to be much debate about the perfect age at which a child should be taken to Disney World.  Many express concern that a child too young will not remember the momentous occasion.  Others fret that a child too old will lose the magic that it is meant to be.  

I am here to tell you that the perfect time, is any time.  There are no rules in place that you may only cross the gates of the Magic Kingdom once.  I understand it's expensive.  I don't discount that fact.  But truly, there are arguments to be made both ways.  So if you are on the fence...lend me your ear   (ღ˘⌣˘)

                        

The first time we went, Little D was thirteen months old and Miss D was four.  On this recent trip, Little D is 3 and a half and Miss D is 12.  Both times were amazing for both of them for different reasons.  

It truly is majestic.  

Everything about the place just oozes magic.  The characters, the princesses, the staff (or cast members as they call them) - they are so highly trained to make your child (and you) feel like the most wonderful, special person in the world.  I'm not kidding.  It's like the entire universe is revolving around you.  

Everyone calls your daughter(s) "Princess."  I'm not sure what they call boys....but I'm sure it's something really cool.  Everyone smiles.  It's spotless.  Immaculate.  It's all happiness, all the time.  The rides are fun.  The food is shaped like Mickey Mouse.  It is heaven.  And not just for the kids.  I'm not kidding.  My husband and I get caught up in it too.  We get teary eyed during the parade.  Our hearts race a bit as Princess Aurora approaches our table.  Honestly, watching the experience through our children's eyes makes us feel like kids again.  

I can tell you honestly that you will never see your children's eyes so wide or full of wonder.  They believe the princesses are actually the incarnation of the characters from their beloved movies.  They think they're in the presence of royalty.  They are on their best behavior so as to not make a bad impression on the princesses.  Little Darya could not hug Minnie Mouse quickly enough.  Or often enough.   She gazed at Cinderella as though she were a devotee at the feet of the Dalai Lama.  Miss D beamed at all of them and then got slightly embarassed when they called attention to her beauty...and her dress...and her hair.  It's just what they do.  They are like these amazing stepford princesses.  But not at all creepy and they kind of make you want wish you were one too.  Except maybe for  Snow White...this year's Sthnow White had a bit of a lispth.  She told usth about her dwarvthes.  (Don't forget - I love lispers. I can't get enough of it.  And it was almost "kid cute" coming from a princessth.)

The fastpass system means very little waiting in lines for the rides.  And the REALLY cool thing is the rider switch pass.  If you have a younger child that does not meet the height requirement, they give you this switch pass.  So my hubby would take Miss D on Space Mountain the first time, and then I would immediately get to go on it with her.  It was a beautiful system because my husband would go through the waiting period when there was one - and then I got to get on right away and Miss D got to ride everything twice in a row.  Beautiful.  

There are plenty of rides that little kids can ride, toddlers even.  When Little D was thirteen months old, he LOVED the Small World ride.  He was like a crazy little bird, wild-eyed, flapping her arms with excitement...he could not take it.  There are tons of rides that accomodate lap riders throughout the parks as well as some where they can sit next to you.  

The parades are amazing.  I can't say enough about the excitement surrounding the parades.  You can feel the energy.  The fireworks show has a message about dreams coming true - everything is about wishes and happiness.   It's enough to make a grown man cry.  Trust me...

I'm telling you - if you want to go and the only thing stopping you is worrying about whether your child will remember it...Go.  Go. Go. Go.  Even if they don't remember it, you will never forget it.  They can relive it through photographs and they will.  Mine are obsessed with their albums from Disney.  And don't forget the autograph books.  They get the characters autographs and then you can slide their picture with the character next to it.   Perfect souvenir. 

If nothing else, go because it makes you feel like a kid.  And there's nothing better than being a kid WITH your kid.  You will both see each other in a whole new light.  You will truly have the time of your life and your kids will too.

Now, some tips:

1 - My number one tip for flights (other than snacks and activities) are DOTS. The candy.  Chewing the DOTS during take-off and landing works wonders for ear discomfort.  Better than gum and as effective as popping your ears.  Works like a charm for my kids.

2 - Umbrella strollers with stroller connectors.  It is not impossible to get a case of stroller rage.  Maneuvering a big double stroller through the crowds is not ideal.  We take two umbrella strollers so we can a) get around more easily, and b) go separate ways if we need to.  Then we have the connectors in case one of the parents needs to push both strollers.  Just snap them on and you're on your way.  (Did I mention that they line up your strollers in perfect little rows every time you leave them?)  Also do something to distinguish your strollers.  Ours are bright green with polka dots, so we could usually spot them quickly.  But like I said, they move them around so you'll want to be able to find yours quickly without grabbing every navy blue stroller.  

3 - It does not have to cost a million dollars.  Yes, the tickets to get in the parks are costly.  But you can take all the food and water you want in with you.  (Another reason strollers come in handy!  To lug all the stuff around!)  You can be like me and buy the little light spinner things at Walgreens for $2.99 and take them with you instead of springing for the $20 ones.  I buy a tube of glow bracelets at Michaels for $1 and take those.  I bought the spray bottle fan last time around out of desperation because of the heat...but I re-used that sucker this year.  If you choose to eat at the parks - the prices aren't really that different from say, McDonalds.  They sell fresh fruit for $1.25. (or take in your own) You can take your own water bottles.  And you could be like the lady at our hotel, using all the stuff from the free breakfast to make sandwiches for her family to take to the parks.  :o)  You can literally take everything you want in with you, that will make it through security.  

4 - Don't forget the sunscreen.  

5 - Get a hotel room with a fridge and stock it up.  

6 - Get a giant memory card for your camera.

7 - Look for money saving tips at mousesavers.com.

So there you have it.  My Disney Trip wrap up.  We combined our trip with some time at the beach, so we only did two days at the parks.  We covered everything we wanted to do at all four parks.  We made it out of there without completely breaking the bank and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything in the world.  

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Vivid photos!

Thank you so much!

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