June 18, 2014

DISNEYWORLD 2014 | A Real Account

Martie Sound Off! Disneyworld, family, humor, vacation 2 Comments

We are home now, have rested up from our trip to Dinseyworld, and I have returned to work.  I wrote this post while reclining on a huge sectional sofa in Sunny Florida, while I watched the rain pour down on our fabulous resort.  I wanted to get all the important details down while they were still fresh in my mind.   Sit back, relax, and enjoy the story.  It’s real, raw, and magical…just like Disneyworld.

Disneyworld: The Most Magical Place on Earth

Here I am, just nine short miles from The Happiest Place On Earth. Here I am, looking out over a beautiful lake, enjoying a glorious Florida sunset. My family and I have just completed four days of park hopping, thrill-rides, and mingling among monstrous crowds of rude, obnoxious, clumsy humans… along with kind, polite humans. I’ve never been so tired in all of my life, nor have I hurt as much as I do at this moment. My feet, legs and back are screaming for mercy. We have two more full days here in Orlando, and I am looking very forward to spending those two days doing absolutely nothing, besides vegging out next to one of the three swimming pools here at our resort. I’m not complaining, because the pain I’m in was totally worth it. It really, truly is magical. It lives up to all of the hype, and is even worth dealing with the crowds (crowds are not my favorite thing, but I survived).

Have you ever been given a gift so huge that you just can’t say “thank you” enough? This trip is one of those gifts. My fabulous Auntie Anne and her fabulous partner, Auntie Susanne, have showered us with hospitality, generosity, and love. Auntie Susanne swapped out her time-share in Key West for us to have a week in a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment, complete with a huge Jacuzzi tub. They sprung for four-day park passes for the four of us, and two days for themselves. They even took Tigger and Pooh for a whole day, toured Epcot with them, and then took them swimming at Disney’s Beach Club Resort (that’s where the Aunties stayed while in town). Auntie Anne even gave the girls spending money, and shared with the girls one of my favorite things ever…herself.

Why did they do all of this for us, you may ask? Because they want to take Pooh and Tigger to Europe in a couple of years, and felt the need to spend some quality time with the girls before then (the Aunties actually live in Key West, so we don’t get to see them as much as we’d like). So, yes, another huge gift is in the works for Pooh and Tigger.

Auntie Anne is the very reason that I am so well-traveled myself. She took Jimmie, Madre and me to Europe when I was 18. She took Jimmie to New York City when Jimmie was 12. She took me to New Orleans when I was 11. She and Auntie Susanne lent Coach and me their home in Key West for our honeymoon, and even paid for our airline tickets. Auntie Anne also flew my family of four down to Key West for her 70th birthday party, as a birthday gift to herself. Auntie Anne is just marvelous, down to the core. As an added bonus, she gave us Auntie Susanne, who is just as marvelous. The two of them just go together like peas and carrots; they compliment each other, temper each other, and love each other…and they are just darn fun to be around.

God has truly blessed me and my family, and we are so thankful.

Now, on to the rest of the story.

Disneyworld: From The Perspective Of An Agoraphobe:

People suck. Not the cast-members, not the Aunties, and not my little family, but people in crowds at Disneyworld. We have been stepped on, pushed, shoved, and run-over by people (and their strollers/motorized scooters) for four days. I have held in so many cuss-words, I should be given a medal. I have let so many cuss-words fly, I should probably lose that medal. My children have been the punching bags of strangers, and nothing makes me angrier.

There really is plenty of room at all of the Disneyworld parks, yet the people still manage to spread out and plant in the very middle of every pathway. It’s like Walmart on steroids, and anyone who knows me knows how I feel about Walmart. I’ve seen screaming, fit-throwing toddlers being manhandled by miserable-looking parents. I’ve witnessed parents taking disciplinary measures that made me want to stand up and cheer, and I’ve witnessed the demeaning stares of onlookers who didn’t agree with those measures. I’ve become even more thankful for my two polite, sweet daughters, who haven’t had to be disciplined much beyond a stern word or two.

Disneyworld: From The Perspective Of A Mother:

But more importantly, I’ve witnessed the permanent smiles plastered on my children’s faces as they hugged Mickey Mouse, conquered their fears on crazy roller coasters, and floated on plastic boats to the tunes of every Disney soundtrack they could ever imagine. I have cried happy tears, because seeing Mickey Mouse in person is just as magical for 40-year-old me as it is for the girls (maybe more so). I have made a fool of myself, and my cheeks are sore from all of the smiling I have done. I have felt like a kid again, if only for a little while. It’s truly a mixture of The Happiest Place on Earth, and hell on Earth. I will never forget this trip, and I won’t soon repeat this trip. The magic of Disney is alive and well, and so are we, so life is good.

If you have never been, go. You won’t regret it. On the other hand, if you have toddlers who can’t walk long distances and have to be pushed in strollers, I highly recommend you wait until they are old enough to remember the trip. I see the value in bringing your kids here while they are still young enough to believe, but I also saw how horribly awkward and miserable it would be to deal with little ones on an excursion this exhausting in and of itself.

Thank you, dear Aunties, for bringing this experience to us. We will never, ever forget it. As long as we live, we will forever sing in our heads, “It’s A Small World After All”. We love you both, and can’t wait to see you again!
And, Happy Birthday (a day early) to my wonderful Auntie Anne!

X,O,X,O,  Martie