February school break rolled around and at the bequest of my oldest, our young family took to the skies to visit our friend Mickey Mouse in Orlando, Florida. Yes, we went last year and the year before. Why, might you ask? The first part was obvious to me – we wanted to avoid the cold and the snow. Unfortunately, the day after we came back, we arrived into a historic blizzard in the Northeast and wish we extended our trip a few days. Nevertheless, the main reasons we went are much more important…
- The kids. We have never taken the same kid twice. Sounds like a strange statement, but the experiences 1 year ago vs. today are drastically different, and that’s a testament to just how much children can change in a single calendar year. This year, outside of a few height restrictions, we went on every ride, rollercoaster, or activity that we could handle (which made me a happy camper, as I’m a huge fan of rollercoasters). That didn’t happen just last year as we were still a little afraid of the bigger rollercoasters and anything that could have spun too fast.
- The food. As our house has started to grow up, we’ve tried to explore more foods (with pretty good success, I might add!). Plus we now actually have a shot at sitting at a table for a meal for more than 15 minutes. Disney World, Epcot in particular, has some surprisingly great chef-driven restaurants with a good variety in options. One of the best dinners of the year so far was at one of the places in ‘Italy’ at Epcot. Both girls were into the music, the vibe, and they annihilated the pasta dishes. I have some pictures below to capture the moment. Of course, the girls also tried a little of the famous dole whip alongside a steady stream of Mickey Ice Creams.
- The fluidity. Prior memories had sparked an excitement for all of us about what we wanted to do at the parks and hotel each day. While we did put a select few things on the ‘must do’ list, we made sure to leave room for flexibility. Everyone got a chance to plan out an activity, which we’ve noticed makes a huge difference in how the girls’ approach the day and how they handle curveballs along the way. For example, on our first day we were in urgent care with a double ear infection, and then back to the first aid office the second day for a lost tooth (right in front of the Fairy Godmother!). Both girls (and parents) took these things in stride and focused on the moment because we hadn’t tried to jam it all in to any single day.
Now everyone always talks about the cost. Was it cheap? No, not at all. But was it a new great core memory for both of our kids? Absolutely, and to us that is worth it. Whatever that thing is for you – don’t wait for it – just go do it. You never know when you might no longer be able to jump on the plane to hang out with Mickey.
The girls are already asking to go back, which I cannot blame them as the weather was darn near perfect and we had an amazing time. I also have two brothers (each married with two kids) asking if I can be the tour guide for all three families for a trip next winter. I haven’t shared how much my tour guide rate is, so we shall see!
Here are some pictures that captured some of the moment.
Until next time…
