We started the day with a stroller rental. It was bound to be good.

As we moved towards Epcot’s Spaceship Earth where we told the kids we were going to take a family photo, I envisioned a glorious day. I wrote a delightful storyline in my mind. We’d make a hundred magic moments. Maybe a Disney cast member would do something out of this world. Perhaps a fellow Epcot guest would be super inspiring and leave a mark on my memory for years to come.

I used to call myself a pessimist.

Now I know the truth.

I’m unrealistically optimistic.

Maisie hid her head for our family photo by Spaceship Earth. No big deal at all. Truly, no big deal. I moved on knowing we’d have another 10 opportunities for family photos this trip. One head hiding in the shoulder? No loss there. Just real life at Disney. That’s all.

I was resilient at this point.

But things didn’t turn beautiful and magical so quickly.

It was too hot for one of us.

Too bright for another.

Three people wanted to stop and look at Disney trading pins.

Another didn’t want to stop at all.

And another didn’t really care one way or the other.

Maisie’s morning fresh fruit cup wasn’t sufficing as breakfast. She was “hangry” yet again, while the rest of us were just fine. So we beelined to a cafeteria and bought her an Uncrustable, which turned her mood for a bit.

My husband went with the two oldest on Soarin’. But Maisie wasn’t tall enough, so we got a “parent swap” pass and I wandered with her over to the parent/baby-toddler-preschooler waiting area.

It was dark, full of little ones and caregivers just sitting and waiting for the rest of their party to return. I imagined the place remodeled and reinvented to meet the needs of busy little ones and ridiculously patient caregivers. It was all so beautiful in my mind.

The couple next to me fought hard. They yelled at each other for a good two to three minutes before I couldn’t take it anymore. A yelling match? At Disney World? In front of 20-30 people? Not okay. Even if you’re ticked. Leave the building and take care of the issue in an off-the-beaten-path place. I didn’t understand what was going down. They were yelling in another language. All I knew was that they were TICKED at each other. Big time.

Did I mention it was DARK down there?

I had to leave.

I took Maisie by the hand, up the escalator, around the long rotunda and we went outside. I texted my husband and told him we weren’t going to be able to wait any longer. That there were people yelling at each other and I had to get out of there.

We got some fresh air. We took a cute outdoor photo by Nemo and friends. My husband texted me back, told me they were almost on the ride, that we should come back. So we did.

We reunited quickly and went back outside to pick up the stroller. Things should have been looking up, but they weren’t. People seemed super crabby with their kids. There were wheelchairs all over the place, more than normal. Moms in wheelchairs. Kids in wheelchairs. People with amputated legs in wheelchairs. Sons who looked like they’d never been able to speak in wheelchairs. People just seemed off. I wasn’t feeling the magic at all. I started to wonder if I WASN’T supposed to see or feel the magic today. So I silently prayed that I would be able to experience what I was supposed to experience today, that God would show me what He wanted me to see in this place, whether that was magic, pain or a mix of the two. The only thing I knew for sure was that I wasn’t supposed to just blow it off and move right along through it as if everything was gloriously perfect.

Why was I just seeing pain?

Why wasn’t I experiencing the magic of Disney?

What was it with this day?

It wasn’t anything in particular. The day just felt off all the way around.

Four of us ate fast food Chinese for lunch. My husband didn’t care for Chinese, so he sat with us, then took a moment alone at a salad place while we got photos with Daisy Duck.

Our first Fast Pass for the day was about to expire, so we booked it over to Turtle Talk. We waited 10-15 minutes before the show started. While we waited, my eyes drifted nearby to a notably overweight father figure, and a young mama who was incredibly ticked off with her baby. “STOP!” she exclaimed, as her baby continued whatever it was that was ticking mama off. I saw the fire in her eyes. She needed a break. This mothering gig wasn’t living up to her expectations. I saw a sister figure look at the reprimanding mama with wonder. I wondered what the sister figure was thinking.

Turtle Talk was great. Funny. Relaxing. Good for all ages. A breath of fresh air. The best thing that happened to us all morning besides the stroller.

I think I saw what I was supposed to see in that dark room where brilliant technology allowed animated turtles to engage personally with people. I was beginning to piece together the puzzle. Today wasn’t about seeing and experiencing the magic. Today was about me seeing the REASON we NEED the magic, the reason we SEEK the magic, the reason we LOVE the magic, the reason we’re all so DESPERATE for the magic.

Life is great. Yes.

Fun. Yes.

Beautiful. Yes.

Lovely. Yes.

Life-giving. Yes.

Holy. Yes.

But it’s also painful.

Difficult.

Challenging.

Boring.

Stressful.

And very real.

We need an escape.

We need something, someone, anyone to take us away.

We need hope.

We need a little magic.

Disney’s all about the magic. They work their magic every time without fail.

Honestly? I don’t think it’s magic that Disney creates. It’s a sense of hope, a sense of purpose, a sense of peace, a sense of fulfillment and enjoyment, love and connection, a sense that everything’s gonna be alright. Disney reminds us that we’re making it. That things are good. That life is incredibly hard, but it can be incredibly beautiful, too. That we’re loved and cared for, gently and tenderly received. Just as we are. Wherever we are.

Disney Magic. It’s hope. 

Adults and kids alike, we filed out of Turtle Talk into the hot, Florida sun. The mood hadn’t shifted outdoors. But we knew better. Good things, magical things were going on inside that Turtle Talk building. We’d been there. Done that. And it was good.

As I watched the people file out, I was reminded of the crazy-thick Walt Disney biography I’ve been plodding through for the past two years, how the author surmised that Walt intended to create a magical, alternative world where everything was as it should be. I remembered how that struck me, how that captured my attention as probable truth. Perhaps that’s why Disney has been so successful all these years. Because it is an alternative world, an escape of sorts.

Maisie got her “hangry” back on. And I sensed the older kids’ tiffs getting my husband in a bit of a tizzy. So I suggested we separate again. Me with our baby. My husband with our oldest, in pursuit of the next big-kid ride Fast Pass that opened in 15 minutes. We knew we were going to have to separate for this part of the afternoon, anyway.

They went their way. We went ours.

We went on another ride where we sat in clam shells and were transported to an underwater world with Nemo and Friends. I watched Disney cast members stop the shells to load a boy in a wheelchair. He was the most peaceful and grateful looking boy I’d seen all day.

We escaped, me and my baby, to the underworld, an underwater world with Nemo. For five minutes, maybe six or seven. I took a deep breath. Leaned into the hard, clam shell. Hummed with the delightful tune that drew me in like nothing else. Bathed in the moment.

After, I gave my daughter my snack allocation for the day. She chose an orange creamsicle pop. It melted fast with the hot sun. I got a couple of the first bites, then a bunch of licks to help a dripping girl out.

She was thirsty after she ate.

We’re still hungry after we eat.

Still thirsty after we drink.

I was suddenly wishing for a glass of wine. Or maybe a frozen margarita. It is Epcot’s annual Food & Wine Festival, you know. The line for wine was long. I stood in line for a frozen margarita, but their Magic Band machine was broken and I didn’t have cash or credit along, so the margarita was a no go for me.

My husband and two oldest were still on Mission Space.

I was with the “baby,” searching for more magic, waiting for the day to take a turn.

We began the long walk around Epcot’s lands. Donald Duck was hiding in Mexico with a long line. So we kept walking.

And there it was, the moment where the day took a turn for me, the moment I heard the magic before I saw it.

A little mariachi band. Heck, I don’t know what it’s called. All I know is that it’s what I needed.

It was a quaint little something to delight my heart. Lovely. Pure. Music. A live performance by three. For a small audience of five, six, seven. We were tucked away behind the Mexican souvenir shop where most passed by. But I heard. I knew I needed this kind of magic, this kind of hope, this kind of peace.

It was beautiful. These guys were so in it to win it. So in it for the sake of their art. So in it for the few. So in it because that music was the right thing to do.

I made myself comfortable on the ground, and we listened to several tunes, my baby and me. I smiled at the dudes and clapped generously after each song. Every song was an invitation to be present.

I loved it.

They announced that they were done, that they’d be back at 2:30 to play again.

I thanked the men. Each one. They acknowledged us personally. One smiled, called my daughter princess and asked how she was today.

Do we really need anything more?

Walt Disney found a market. He filled a niche.

A niche where people can stop. Pause. Just be.

A niche where people can love and be loved.

A niche where people can wander and wonder.

A niche where people can listen to a song, sing a tune, hum along a little longer.

A niche where we can hang with family and meet new friends.

A niche where we’re all in this together.

A niche where things are a-okay.

A niche in which we can come as we are, and no matter what ugly we bring, we’ll always find a little magic.

A niche where we’re called princess. Where we’re asked how we are. A niche where someone will play us a little song and say hi at the end of the day. A niche where we can sit down and rest for a while. A niche where our burdens are eased, if even for a few moments. A niche where our senses are delighted and dazzled in unique and glorious ways.

Disney.

It did all those things for me today.

But what about the days we’re NOT at Disney. What then? Can we fill a niche, create a little Disney magic right where we are? I don’t know about you, but I need to do more of that myself. I need a little song, a place to rest, a place to be called princess, a place where someone stops to look me in the eyes and ask how I am today. Yes, I’d like more of that for me. And I’d like more of that for you. How are we going to do this, friends?

I saw the ugly, the downtrodden today. The worn out. The weak. The disabled. The meek. The mad and the angry. The hungry. We’re hungry for more, something more. We’re hungry for magic. We’re hungry for hope and connection, peace and place.

Walt Disney filled the niche right here. In the parks. He got it. He understood the need. Let’s bring it right out of these parks, friends. Let’s get a little magic stirring in the real world.

Because once that magic’s stirred, you never know what might happen. Today, a brother and sister decided they want to be friends. A near teenager put his arm around his mama and walked with her in public. A family had a delicious dinner after a long, kind-of-off day. A hangry “baby” enjoyed a swim followed by an early bedtime. And a mama felt a little more sure of her mission. To bring this Disney magic OUT into the real, everyday world. Because Lord knows, we need more magic.

 

 

 

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.

I do my best to convince my husband that we need to START and END our Walt Disney World vacations at Magic Kingdom. There’s just something special about that place, something magical.

This is our three-year-old baby’s first visit to Walt Disney World. I’d been especially looking forward to her first day at Magic Kingdom, because it’s my favorite, a classic without a doubt.

With the exception of 45 minutes to get ready for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party early in the evening, we were away from our resort from 8:30 a.m. until 11:45 p.m. So you can imagine the day wasn’t 100% magical. We had some meltdowns. We had some moments in which my husband and I were on the edge of getting a little fed up with our near four year old. And let’s just be honest – she had a few “hangry” moments, didn’t get a nap or swim time, and needed to be held more than we wanted to admit. (We might be renting a stroller tomorrow.)

But being there to experience my baby’s first magic moments far outweighed any trouble we experienced with her the rest of the day. These are the memories we’ll relive for a lifetime. These are the images we’ll roll around in our mind when we think of her first Walt Disney World vacation.

Her first time seeing Cinderella’s castle from a distance.

Her first picture by the castle with mama, sister and brother.

Her first SUPER SCARY roller coaster ride. Oops. She was tall enough for the ride. I even asked if kids her age go on the ride and the cast member said yes. But it was way faster than it looked and she screamed bloody murder the whole way through. Sorry, Maisie! 

Her first time watching a Disney World street party!

Her first time experiencing the Haunted Mansion. It shut down for a couple minutes half-way through and was actually a tad creepy during that time. But still…pretty awesome as usual!

Her first time meeting Belle. It was one of my most magical moments of the day as well. Enchanted Tales with Belle is Magic Kingdom’s hidden treasure.

Her first Disney parade! She kept waving and yelling the names of each character that passed until they responded (or didn’t). I was shocked at the number of characters that actually waved to her, smiled at her, and stopped to give her a high five. Guess all that yelling and waving worked its magic! 

Her first SUPER “hangry” moment (hungry + angry). And her first relief snack on Main Street. Thank goodness for strawberry banana smoothies at 4:00 p.m.

And her first character dining experience. PIGLET!

It was all magical. Every bit. “Hangry” and all.

First magic moments. Irreplaceable memories for a lifetime.

Tomorrow we’re heading to Epcot. Join us, will you? I’ll be back with another post at the end of our day!

 

 

 

 

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.

She woke up in the morning looking something like this. Mickey ears and all, she was ready to go to Disney World!

We packed our final items in suitcases, cleaned up the house a bit, dropped off a CD of photographs at a friend’s house, picked up some waterproof bandages at Target (our son had a frisbee golf accident two days ago, which required a doctor visit and Durabond), and made our way to the airport!

Maisie, our three year old, was sad she had to leave her Sofia the First suitcase with the guys at airport check-in. She couldn’t understand why they were TAKING HER SUITCASE! She even cried when she watched her suitcase disappear through the hole. We took time to explain they’re taking our suitcases to the airplane and we’ll get them back at Disney World later today! Later when we were on the plane, she asked where her suitcase was. Still not sure she fully understood that experience!

We had a few minor issues at the airport. Nothing big. We got stopped for 10-15 minutes going through security because my husband and son had all of our Disney trading pins in their carry-ons. After exhaustive searches by TSA staff, we were cleared! Maisie bites her fingernails and also happened to bite some skin off one of her fingertips today (ouch!), so we had to pull out the Sofia the First bandaids while we were waiting for our pins to get through security. She also went full-on IN the MEN’S bathroom, so I had to yell at her to come back out! Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be any men in there at the time.

Once we arrived at the gate, things went swimmingly. Cooper, our 12 year old, did crossword puzzles in the book I bought him. SCORE! And Elsa, our 10 year old, did half of her homework on commas. SCORE! Both without us asking. Thank you, children, for getting our vacation off to a peaceful and wholesome start.

Before we knew it, our row was called for boarding. Cooper and my husband sat together on one side, and I sat with the girls on the other side. It was Maisie’s first plane ride, and if I do say so myself, it went quite well. During takeoff, she said “Oh, this is making me crazy! We’re high up in the sky like the clouds!” And then there was this. “How long until we get there? Three minutes?” Ummm…more like three hours?!

When we arrived in Orlando, we headed straight for Disney’s Magical Express, the shuttle service that delivers guests to their Disney resorts! I was shocked when my husband told me that we didn’t even have to pick up our luggage from baggage claim. For some reason, I’d forgotten that about past stays. What a lovely thing to not have to worry about picking up luggage first thing off the plane! That’s Disney customer service for you!

It took about five minutes to check in at Disney’s Magical Express station. We activated all five of our Magic Bands, snapped a photo, got in line and were on our bus within another five minutes. Super slick. Super convenient.

We spent 5-10 minutes sitting on the bus before it departed, but no big deal. The two oldest sat quietly across the way while while our youngest peeked through the seat in front of us. 30 minutes to our Disney Resort, and BAM! We’d officially arrived at Walt Disney World!

We spent literally ONE minute checking in (we didn’t really even have to check in because we’d done that online back at home) and made our way back to our building. We were shocked to discover that this resort is extremely similar to the one we stayed at in 2010 and 2011, only this is new and designed for “bigger” families (of 5+) like us. It was like coming home, only we’d never been here before!

Our room is lovely and family friendly, with plenty of space for all of us. Even one of those cool, pull-down-from-the-wall beds! What are those called, again?

After a 10-15 minute orientation to the room, we made our way to transportation, hopped on a shuttle to Disney Springs (aka Downtown Disney), and arrived at our first non-resort Disney destination!

Disney Springs was crazy busy. Before we knew it, Maisie had found some Winnie the Pooh sculptures and wanted to visit them! Three year olds are easy to please….sometimes?!

As fun as it was to visit Winnie the Pooh, we knew we didn’t have much time to waste before Maisie had a meltdown. With the time change and all of the day’s events, it was already 8:30 p.m. by the time we got to downtown Disney. We hadn’t eaten anything of substance since 11:15 a.m. So we desperately needed to find dinner. And quick! Luckily, we found Earl of Sandwich, which was also crazy packed full! But the line went quickly and there was a lovely Disney cast member who delighted my heart by fulfilling her simple duty of asking guests if they had questions about the menu and how their day went. Lovely. Delightful. Totally Disney. Because they give top notch service. It’s easy to forget how excellent customer service can be until you return to a Disney park.

Dinner didn’t come quite soon enough for Maisie, though. She had a meltdown at the table while we were waiting for our sandwiches to be delivered. Chips didn’t suffice. (No surprise, there.) And she wasn’t too interested in drinking anything either. When her grilled cheese came, she looked at it like it was from another planet. It didn’t look like a standard grilled cheese sandwich. It was much, much better, in fact. But we had to convince her so by taking a few bites of it ourselves!

Things turned around for Maisie after a little food and beverages. All was well with the world. We went to the Disney trading pin store across the way from Earl of Sandwich and bought a Minnie Mouse pin lanyard for Maisie. She wanted a picture next to Minnie and Mickey, then the two of us hopped a shuttle back to the resort for an “early” 10:30 bedtime while the other three stayed for some late night fun!

It was a good day, friends. But primarily a travel day at that. Looking forward to a restful sleep for us all, then we’re at Magic Kingdom for a long and incredibly magical day tomorrow!

 

 

 

 

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.

Hello, friends! Today, we’re kicking off part two of the 31 Days of Disney series. This is the active-travel portion of the series, so it’s only fitting that we start it off right with a post about packing for your Disney vacation!

Everybody’s different when it comes to packing. Everybody has their own ways, their own method to the madness. Packing is never a super simple process, but it can be streamlined with a few tips. This post is certainly not exhaustive. It’s not an end all, be all packing list for your Disney family vacation. But it will give you a few ideas of things you’ll want to remember, things you’ll want to consider, things you’ll want to think of before and while you’re packing for your Disney vacation.

First, I thought I’d first share a few general packing tips that work well for me. These tips work particularly well when packing a family for a Disney vacation, because the task requires you stay organized and keep first things first!

GATHERING ALL THE THINGS

In the weeks and days leading up to your vacation, start gathering things you’ll need to bring. Set them aside. Put them in a pile in your bedroom or somewhere where they’ll be at least somewhat out of sight. That way, when you get to the point where you’re actually packing, you’ll have a head start on the job.

PACKING FOR CHILDREN

So maybe I’m a little OCD. My husband says I overpack. But when traveling with young children, my bare minimum is ONE outfit per day, TWO outfits for each day if they’re tiny and have that many clothes for the particular season in which you’re traveling. No matter what, I recommend packing extra clothes for your child. Who knows if they’ll spill a bunch of ketchup all over their shirt, fall and get soaking wet in the middle of the day, or look like a sweaty, dirty ragamuffin after a long day in the Disney Parks. When packing, I lay clothes out on the kids’ beds before I put them in suitcases. That way, I can easily see and count the outfits I’m packing and compare that to the number of days we’ll be gone. (Okay. Yes. Perhaps I’m a little OCD.)

CARRY-ONS

When you pack carry-ons, don’t forget to include some activities to keep your children busy on the plane or car ride. This is a great opportunity to give little ones a Disney sneak peek with a Disney coloring book, activity book, book, stickers, game or Disney movie ready to stream on your iPhone, iPad or laptop.  

RAIN GEAR

Consider packing gear for rainy days at Disney Parks. We have two bright yellow ponchos my parents bought for us when we visited Disneyland in the 1980s. I bring those on every Disney vacation, just in case it rains. Rain ponchos of any type make for great photos and are easy to pack, too!

CAMERAS

Speaking of photos, don’t forget to pack your camera!

Now let’s talk about the things you might want and need to pack that are specific to a Disney vacation! These items are small, but will make your Disney vacation flow more smoothly and will enhance those magical moments!

BAG TAGS

If you’re staying on Disney property or booked your vacation through an agent that’s affiliated with the Walt Disney Travel Company, you’ll receive Disney luggage tags in the mail. Remember to label them and put them on all of your bags, and if you’re anything like me, you might want to grab a little packing tape and double secure them. The points of attachment don’t seem incredibly secure for heavy wear and tear on flights.

DISNEY COLLECTIONS

Perhaps you collect DISNEY CHARMS for your Pandora necklace or bracelet. Perhaps you collect DISNEY TRADING PINS like our family! Perhaps you have a collection of MICKEY EARS you’ve purchased on past Disney trips. Perhaps you have a favorite DISNEY T-SHIRT. Perhaps your child has a favorite DISNEY SWIMSUIT or STUFFED DISNEY CHARACTER! Bring a few small, easily packable items from your Disney collections as you’re able. It’s fun to have those things along on the trip! They’ll make the occasion even more delightful once you arrive at your Disney destination! Remember, once you arrive, everything’s Disney and nobody’s judging! So go all out! Bring that Disney gear! Bring those collections! Bring those Disney items that tickle your fancy.

VACATION INFORMATION, MEMORY MAKER & MAGIC BANDS

If you purchased a Disney vacation package, you’ll receive a packet of information in advance of your trip with itinerary details, instructions, as well as a variety of coupons for your stay. Be sure to pack this in your carry-on for quick reference.

If you purchased a Memory Maker Package online prior to your Disney vacation (which gives you full access to download and print photos of your family taken by Disney photographers), Disney will send you the card in the mail. You may have already tied the Memory Maker Package to your Magic Bands, but go ahead and bring the card anyway. Make sure all those photos are going to the right account!

Last, but not least, if you received Magic Bands as part of your Disney vacation package, or chose to order them for convenience sake, remember to bring them with you! Don’t forget the Magic Bands! This will be our first Disney vacation with Magic Bands. I’ll let you know how it goes!

That’s it, friends! Like I said in the beginning, this certainly hasn’t been an exhaustive Disney packing list, but is a good basics checklist of sorts. Hope it’s helpful as you prepare for future Disney vacations! Have a magical day, everyone!

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.

Today, we’re talking favorite Disney memories! I asked my husband, son and oldest daughter to sit down and write about their favorite memories from past Disney vacations. I’ve included one of my favorite memories as well. I hope you’ll find our diverse perspectives to be easy and enjoyable to read. After you’ve read all about OUR favorite Disney memories, I invite you to take a moment to think about and share YOUR favorite Disney memories! Let’s do this, friends!

Seth’s favorite memory

I’m a fan of all things Disney, but especially the experience of Disney Parks. That makes choosing a favorite memory difficult – it all runs together in a week-long fog of favorites on top of favorites. But there was this one small event, at Animal Kingdom, that stands out.  It was a little thing, barely even significant enough to warrant comment, and yet it jumps out. I was approaching my family. Sitting there on a bench, next to a concession stand was Amy, in dressier-than-normal clothes and looking peaceful, even with the joyous kids climbing all over her. Without a word, I grabbed the camera and snapped the best shot of that vacation. Our whole family was perfection in that moment, and it was inspired by the happiness of the place. I’m looking forward to another moment like that next week.

Amy’s favorite memory

There are so many favorite memories that flood my mind when I think of the six Disney trips we’ve taken to date. I could tell you all over again about the time I met Fairy Godmother behind the castle. I could bring you back to 1900 Park Fare when Cinderella’s Stepsister captured my heart so tenderly. (What is it about me and the Cinderella cast?) I could share memories I’ve never shared before, like the time the kids had fun chanting and waving their arms up and down on our way out of Magic Kingdom, or the time we saw Britney Spears perform up close and personal at Hollywood Studios. But I’m choosing this one little memory to highlight as a favorite today. This one time I found myself sitting on a rocking chair with my daughter in Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland. We were waiting for my husband and son. I’m not sure why. We had nothing to do, so we sat. On the rocking chair. The two of us in one little chair in the corner of the store-front porch. We rocked and rocked the hour away. A bird came swooping in to eat some leftover lunch crumbs. People enjoyed ice cream and lunch nearby. We didn’t do anything, really, except rock to the music. Quaint country music played. It wasn’t anything special except wholesome goodness. Just a little country instrumental, that’s all. Lovely. Reminiscent of days passed. Reminiscent of another time. Another much better place. We rocked and rocked. We were in Frontierland, where all things are possible. All things were possible that afternoon. I delighted in the moment. Asked my husband to take a photo when they returned. And I made it into a 5×7 to display in my home office. I wanted to remember the peace, the goodness, the wholeness, the community, the sense of YES, this is all good. Oh, so good. Did I mention I even searched around in that store to see if they had the music for sale? But nobody knew where they got it, nobody knew where it came from. Perhaps it was mystery music? Perhaps I’ll see if I can get my hands on a copy of that music next time we’re in Frontierland. It’s time to bring that goodness to our own front porch. I am a southern girl at heart, you know.

Cooper’s favorite memory (12 years old)

My favorite part of Disney World is when we go on rides. All the family seems so happy. There are rides everywhere. We have so much fun! My favorite ride is Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios. I like how fast it goes.

Elsa’s favorite memory (10 years old)

My favorite memory of Disney World is when we went to 1900 Park Fare. I liked the buffet there. A couple examples of the good food were a chocolate fountain, yogurt parfaits, and pulled pork (which was super good). My other favorite part about 1900 Park Fare is that we got to see the Cinderella cast. We met them when we were eating. The evil stepmother came along, and she was being really mean to Cinderella and her two other daughters. (This memory is from four years ago, so I was into princesses then. Don’t judge.) All of the Cinderella cast signed my autograph book. That was my favorite memory of Disney World!

Your Favorite Memories

So what’s your favorite Disney memory? Have you been to Disneyland or Walt Disney World? Maybe you’ve been to Disneyland Paris?! How awesome would that be?! Or maybe you’ve done a Disney cruise? We’re hoping for one in 2017, and would love to hear your thoughts, insight and best Disney cruising tips! If you visited any of the Disney parks when you were a child, on spring break, while you were in college, on your honeymoon, as a young family or with teens, share your favorite memories! Now’s your chance. Perhaps you visited with grandchildren, or are fortunate enough to have a season pass?! Perhaps you went on a trip with your girlfriends, or extended family?! Do share, please! I’d love to chat about your favorite Disney memories. Share the love and go for it, friends! Share up a storm. Vague or detailed, tell me all your favorite Disney memories. Let’s chat! Let’s remember the magic of Disney.

 

 

 

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.