If Disneyland is “The Happiest Place on Earth” what is Walt Disney World? I’ve wondered that ever since my family got back from our trip to Orlando. I think “euphoria” and “exhaustion” should both be in the motto.
I feel a bit guilty, but pulling my kids out of school the first week of December to visit Walt Disney World was totally worth it. That’s when the crowds are supposed to be the smallest. I grew up going to Disneyland where you were lucky to only wait an hour to go on Star Tours. I didn’t want to waste precious vacation dollars standing in line.
Luckily, we didn’t have to. The line to meet Anna and Elsa was ridiculous, but most other rides had waits less than 20 minutes. On our very first day at the Magic Kingdom we walked on Space Mountain two times in a row. When we visited the Animal Kingdom, my son and I rode Expedition Everest so many times I felt sick. Thankfully, it was an illness the Florida sunshine cured.
For us it seemed like summer, but the whole resort was decked out for Christmas, with gorgeous poinsettias planted outside. My son yelled “Dream on!” every time the sound system played Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.” Although to be fair, Elsa did produce fake snow over Cinderella’s castle.
Each afternoon the weather turned misty and the other tourists freaked out. They purchased uber-expensive rain ponchos that looked like trash bags with Mickey on them. But a light rain doesn’t hold a Puget Sound family back. We raced through raindrops to the next attraction.
For me, witnessing my kids experience my own childhood favorites, like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, was the best part of the vacation. Do you remember the fake rib bones and pretend geysers? My son thought they were really cool, just like I did when I was 9 years old.
I didn’t even look at the audio-animatronics on the Jungle Cruise. It was more fun watching my children’s faces when the hippos came out of the water.
My daughter’s favorite ride was daddy-powered. We brought along an umbrella stroller to spare her little legs. According to the pedometer on my phone, the rest of us walked between 8 to 13 miles each day. Then we’d come back to the Beach Club Resort and swim in the sand-bottom pool. Every night we fell asleep exhausted.
Now, I know there are a lot of Walt Disney World connoisseurs out there. I hope you’ll visit this story on heraldnet.com/ibrakeformoms and leave your best travel tip in the comments. But for my family, this was probably our only visit because there are so many other places we want to go.
Although heck, it sure would be fun to take the grandkids someday. Maybe by then the line to meet Anna and Elsa will have finally calmed down.
Jennifer Bardsley is an Edmonds mom of two. Find her on Twitter @jennbardsley and at www.heraldnet.com/ibrakeformoms and teachingmybabytoread.com.
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