Wearing our matching shirts, we were excited to visit Disneyworld and couldn’t wait to see Mickey and Minnie.
The Best Day Ever
This past Labor Day weekend, I took a much anticipated trip to Disneyworld with my family and a few friends. In anticipation, we obtained fast passes for our favorite Disney rides and events, and made sure we had plenty of sunscreen, snacks, and money. Our reservations were at Orange Lake Resort in Kissimmee, Fla., only ten minutes from Disney, so we were pumped and excited.
As everyone knows things don’t always go as planned on vacation, but little did we expect what happened the first day. In the midst of pouring down rain, without warning, our friend’s car broke down just north of Savannah, Georgia on I-95. Fortunately for us, we were able to get another car and by 10:00 the next morning we were on our way to see Mickey.
My first visit to Disneyworld was in 1972 when I was in college. The Magic Kingdom was the only theme park open at the time, but even with just one park, I was amazed and in awe, especially of Cinderella’s Castle. Of course, I don’t want to take anything away from seeing Disneyworld through the eyes of my grandchildren. I loved seeing their faces when a character walked by, or shook their hand, or gave them a kiss. One of the most delightful experiences was with Ariel. She was really sweet and patient as my grandkids posed for pictures with her.
One of my favorite events of the week was the breakfast at the Polynesian Hotel. Not only was the food amazing, but many of the characters were there, including Mickey and Minnie. They signed autographs and spent time talking to the children, even including them in a march around the room. In the eyes of the children, Mickey and Minnie were the stars, but, why not? After all there wouldn’t be a Disneyworld without Mickey and Minnie and their creator, Walt Disney.
A big hit for everyone (big and small) was the Safari Ride in an open-air vehicle at Animal Kingdom. A rough path/road through jungle, rocks and waterfalls with wild and not so wild animals in their natural habitat, made the adventure feel just like a real African safari. The giraffes came right up to the vehicle and seemed to pose for pictures with the silliest of expressions.
We stayed until closing at Magic Kingdom, and although tired at the end of the day, our experience was so worth it. We saw the parade in the afternoon and the 2016 Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks that night. My son-in-law said the fireworks were the best he had ever seen.
Our week came to a close on Thursday night with Mickey’s Backyard Bar-b-que. Set in Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, the bar-b-que took place at an outdoor pavilion, with plenty of food and entertainment, such as line dancing, live music and a cowboy doing rope tricks.
Thanks, Disneyworld for a wonderful week with friends and family we won’t soon forget.
Disneyworld is known far and wide as a place where dreams come true. Congratulations to Baylie Hain. Her dream came true this week after being accepted into the Disney College Program for the upcoming semester. Way to go, Baylie.
What’s your favorite thing to do or see at Disneyworld? Leave a comment below, message on Facebook or email dicysm@yahoo.com
Thanks,
Dicy
www.dicymcculloughbooks.com/blog
