One Magical day at Disney

Dear Em,
Your daddy & I had talked a lot about how old you should be when we took you to Disney. Daddy really wanted you to be old enough to be able to remember the trip. He was ten when he went & remembers it fondly. I was five or six & can't really remember anything from the trip I went on with my family. Then we made plans to visit your Aunt A in Florida & realized she lives less than two hours from Disney. So, we decided, why not spend one magical day in Disney (bonus, kids under three get in free). We thought about which park to take you to, but with your current love of everything princesses, the Magic Kingdom was an easy choice.

We had pre-ordered our tickets to be picked up at Will Call, because I had read somewhere online that it was the fastest & cheapest way to buy your tickets. The Will Call line took at least 45 minutes, while your Aunt A & L got their tickets from the electronic vending machines in less than 5 minutes...for the same price. You cried & begged us to change your diaper the entire time we stood in the Will Call line. Needless to say, next time we will get our tickets the day of at the vending machines.

Once we were inside the park, we were greeted by a show of singing trolley riders. We just happened to be in the right place at the right time, & you loved starting our day off with the singing & dancing.

The first ride we saw was a Snow White ride. It couldn't have been more perfect. You love Snow White. The line moved really quickly, & you were actually excited to wait your turn.

As we went through the ride, Daddy & I worried you would be scared. The ride seemed to highlight all of the dark & scary parts of Snow White. I couldn't understand why the happy & light parts of Snow White weren't included. Luckily, you enjoyed the ride even through the darkness. As we exited the ride to find where we had "parked" our stroller (every ride had a stroller parking area, it was amazing), I looked back to see the name of the ride, Snow White's Scary Adventure. Well, that explains it. Whoops.

After getting our feet wet with our first ride, we decided to go do what you had really come to Florida for, to meet Rapunzel. We found the Fairy Tale Garden where Rapunzel is. We were told that the line would take over an hour, but only one person had to stand in line to hold the spot for everyone in their party. We were also told that the line would only get longer during the day. So, we decided to wait. Actually, I waited while you went on the Teacups with Daddy.

You loved the Teacups. After that, you joined me in line, & Daddy went to get us some lunch. This, for sure, was the most productive line waiting I've ever done. It was perfect. Luckily, we actually made it in a lot sooner than we thought we would (probably only 30 minutes). Once inside the Enchanted Courtyard, they had coloring & benches while we waited to meet Rapunzel. We happily colored & ate lunch.

As we got closer to Rapunzel, you bubbled with excitement & called, "Rapunzel, let down your hair." You were so excited to finally meet Rapunzel. You hugged her & pet her hair & talked a mile a minute. She called you a little chatterbox & said you were yellow like the sun in her story. I actually started to tear up a little. You were so happy to meet your favorite princess whose movie we've all watched 5,000 times. I just wanted to bottle up this precious moment. Luckily, I took pictures & video.

Next we headed to the Tomorrowland Speedway. You had to be 32 inches to ride, & luckily you're 35.5 inches. Daddy was excited to let you drive (the cars ride on a metal track so we weren't worried about you causing too much damage). I giggled as I rode in the car in front of you. It looked like Daddy was riding in a car with no driver. The top of your head barely cleared the steering wheel. There's no way you could see where you were driving, but you didn't care. You loved driving.

We spent the rest of the day watching the parade & going on one fun ride after another. I was pleasantly surprised that the lines were not that bad, most 30 minutes or less. There were fun things to see & do while we waited. While waiting for It's a Small World, we made wishes as we threw pennies into the water. 

We were impressed at how well you did. Did you get antsy & squirmy in some of the lines? Absolutely, but you did better than we could expect a two year old who didn't get a nap & is not accustomed to waiting in line. We tried to follow up long lines with rides with shorter lines & catch a show or the parade where there were no lines in between. I think there were times when we all needed a time out, but we were successful overall.

Watching the Main Street Parade.

It's a Small World, one of your favorites.

On the carousel.

Waiting for Pirates of the Caribbean.

On the People Mover.

You would have ridden on the Teacups all day if we had let you. You loved "driving" (spinning) them.

Waiting for the Jungle Cruise. Can you tell we were already exhausted?

We ended the night with the amazing firework show. I couldn't believe what they did with lights, music, & fireworks. It was a perfect end to a magical day.

 You made sure to hold on while riding the monorail back & called it one last ride.

You asked for a banana in the car & fell asleep mid-bite before we had even gotten out of the parking lot. I've never seen you so exhausted. You continued to sleep when we stopped the car, as I carried you in, & 90% of the way through changing your diaper & putting your jammies on. You were pooped, we all were!

So glad to have shared such a magical day with you & that you enjoyed it as much as you did. You may not remember it, but I always will. I will remember your smiles & giggles & excitement. I think looking at Disney through your eyes is the best way to look at it.

I love you so,

Mommy