It was a romantic sort of day. Well, as romantic as you can get between a mom and her 12-year-old son.

My husband and two daughters stayed at our Disney resort for breakfast, swim time, and nap time. The girls were crabby on and off yesterday, so we thought it would be best to try a slow start for them today. That left me and my son free to take the shuttle to Epcot for a quiet morning, just the two of us.

Our time together started off great!

We had the photographer take our photo at the entrance to Epcot. Nice. Calm. Collected. Simple photography in front of Spaceship Earth. No fighting. No refusing. Just stand. Smile. And voila! A beautiful photo with my near-teenage son.

When we were at Epcot earlier in the week, we decided that I’d return with a kid or two and make our way through Epcot’s World Showcase, a circular path that takes you on a tour of 11 countries around the world. So that’s just what we did!

We arrived at Epcot at 10:40 a.m. and noted that Mary Poppins was going to be meeting and greeting in United Kingdom starting at 11:00, so we made our way right around the circle with her in mind.

As we approached, my son told me that he LOVES United Kingdom, that he wants to visit and maybe even live there someday. I had no clue. He’d never told me this before. I said, “Awesome! You go for it! We’ll come and visit! You can live wherever you want. That would be great!”

We waited in line for about 10 minutes. I taught my son how to take pictures with my camera, had him try a few, and when it was my turn, he snapped my photograph with Mary Poppins. “I hope you like them,” he said as he smiled slightly, gave me sweet eyes and handed me the camera so I could take a peek at the photos. They were good. “Great,” I said! “Thank you very much.”

We continued to make our way through the World Showcase. At this point, I should mention that from the moment we arrived at Epcot, my son was persistent that I get a glass of wine. He remembered that part of our last visit to Epcot two days ago was a bit off, that I’d wanted a glass of wine. I’m pretty sure he wanted that treat for me today. So as we approached France, he told me again, “You need to get a glass of wine. We’re going to get you a glass of wine now, mom.” So we stopped at the Food and Wine Festival kiosk in France and bought me a glass of chardonnay. It was small, but lovely. Particularly special because my son knew that was a treat for me. I rarely drink. So as odd as it sounds, inviting me to buy and enjoy that glass of wine was his gift of love to me.

I told my son that he got to choose where we ate for lunch, anywhere along the World Showcase. We went into a few places before he decided on American fare. A hamburger for him. A grilled chicken burger for me. Fries, Rocky Road Brownie and Diet Coke for both of us. All included in our Disney dining plan. He LOVED the fries. As in, he commented on how good they were several times.

We had great conversation during lunch. Great conversation with my son means I ask questions, and he actually answers, and sometimes even with a sentence or two or three. We talked about all kinds of things. His favorite moment of the day so far, his favorite day of our vacation so far, team building activities he’d done with classmates at school, a book that his favorite YouTuber is releasing this week, the fact that he’s decided sauces cover up the flavor of food, and a bunch of other random things.

I felt like a “good mom” for once. We were sitting together casually, chatting, loving each other through mutually enjoyed meals and simple conversation. There were definitely people around, but no crowds. So the experience was relaxed, quieter and more intimate than normal.

After lunch, we continued to walk through Epcot’s World Showcase. It wasn’t long until we came upon a white bridge. Several smiling people were standing behind the bridge holding a sign. I couldn’t read any of the words, but I could see the tops of a few letters, enough to realize that the sign said “Will You Marry Me?” I took a closer look at the situation, including a Disney cast member who was standing on our side of the bridge with a camera, another Disney cast member who seemed to be providing updates, a woman who peered behind the bridge at the sign and responded with surprise and delight, as well as a small crowd of people hanging out across the way. WE WERE ABOUT TO WITNESS A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL!!! I was psyched!

Watch and learn, son. Watch and learn what true love looks like.

We waited and watched for about 10 minutes before we heard word that the couple was walking “through America.” They were close! They were coming! The people behind the sign started smiling big. The small crowd that had gathered broke out their cameras. I was getting nervous! It sounds silly, but I had a few butterflies for this couple I didn’t know at all!

I had no idea who I was looking for, but it was incredibly clear that they were coming when the people holding the sign broke out in huge smiles.

There they were! I saw the couple coming down the path. I watched the whole proposal go down in real, live time and shot as many photos as I could. It was so quick, but so awesome. What a great experience. I’ve never witnessed anyone’s engagement except my own. What a privilege and delight to watch everyone, especially the beautiful bride-to-be.

After the proposal, I asked my son what he thought. “Cool,” he said. I put my arm through his and he escorted me down the World Showcase path. It might’ve been a little cheesy, but I didn’t care. This was a rare gig and I was soaking in every moment for all it was worth.

We visited Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Minnie Mouse and got some big hugs. We visited a few stores together. And we grabbed some beverages before the rest of our family arrived at Epcot. It was a relaxing morning full of love. What more could I ask for? Sun. Warm weather. Four uninterrupted hours with my son at Epcot. Love lessons from all angles. Best case scenario.

 

 

 

 

This post is part of a month-long series titled 31 Days of Disney! If you’d like to read more posts from the series, click here and you’ll be directed back to the 31 Days of Disney landing page. ALL posts from the series are linked within the body of that post. Find a title or topic that intrigues you, click on it, and the post will pop up for your Disney reading adventure!

I also placed the series graphic on the right sidebar of my blog’s home page, so click it anytime and it’ll bring you back to the 31 Days of Disney landing page where all 31 posts are listed and linked.

You can follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/AmyBPederson where I’ll tweet links to all 31 posts using hashtag #write31days, and I’d LOVE to connect on Facebook at facebook.com/AmyBPederson. You can also find me on Instagram at instagram.com/AmyBPederson, and I might even do a few scopes live from Disney World, so follow me on Periscope at @AmyBPederson to see if I get brave!

So glad you stopped by! Make yourself comfortable. Take a peek around the place, and know you’re welcome back anytime.