Have a magical day

I have two amazing sons who for the longest time did not ask to go to Disney.  Two years ago they finally brought it up,  some of their friends were going for repeat visits and there was the allure of some new rides they heard of.  The rides they were talking about were not even at Disney but the conversation started.

Along with millions of other parents, I do not exaggerate as they have millions of visitors a year, I looked into it.  I looked like one of their cartoons ... mouth agape, small birds flying above my head when I priced it.  I have spent time at Disney, as a child and as an adult (business meetings are commonly held at the resort).  It is a bit cultish for me .. the whole "have a magical day" and have to say the idea that adults go there without children, especially for their honeymoon, is just so not me.  I also have about a 3 -  5 day maximum tolerance for Florida.  I know as a New Yorker it should have a retirement, spring break, break from winter appeal for me right ?  After all there are many, many New Yorkers (and tristate) folks who are known as winter birds there.  Not I - literally at day 3 I start checking my flight schedule and counting down the time to go back.  It could be the New York City girl in me, the idea of these mass highways and inability to walk places makes me bristle.  It could be the humidity.  Maybe it is that as nice as it is I find it dull.  I have friends who have made this state their chosen home .. good for you am glad it worked out. 

A couple of years have passed and the questions still came on occasion so this year we bit the bullet and with a really good opportunity decided to go to Disney.  I made the trip for more than the usual few days because in my mind I am thinking this is a one and done so they will see it all.  I had a fabulous discount and I still marvel at the cost. I wonder how do families do it ??? My boys are great at not asking for a lot of souvenirs, or almost any when we travel, so that is a not an issue but I looked and the prices are like I am shopping at Saks for stuff I normally wouldn't glance at in Target.  I do not see as an adult me wearing any sort of Mickey paraphernalia.  

It has been a brutal long January to date winter in New York.  The cold has been non-stop, the snow has come pretty much every Sunday it seemed for weeks and even as we were leaving for our trip there was March snow predicted.  Enough!!  Maybe this was the year I got the why people move there - after all the weather reports said low of 60s and high of 80s.  A quick plane ride and the doors opened to sunshine .. ahhh... warmth... take off the sweaters ... close eyes, soak up sun.  Ahhhhh - had I been too harsh, too New York cynical on Florida????  The weather was awesome, even the humidity was not so much that my hair needed it's own room (though it was curly girl all vacay). 

We stayed on premise - I recommend this to anyone.  The parking is expensive and in the end you get a better deal.  To Disney's credit - they are such a well organized machine.  They have a great internal transportation system, the parks and resort are immaculate and the fast pass set up is quite simply marvelous.  Yet on day 3 there was the twinge .. the am I really still in an amusement park twinge.  By day 4 the eye roll had begun - the food is what I expected but the food set up at Disney fails.  I mean seriously it's like I am trying to get into a Michelin star restaurant so why do I need to do reservations months in advance ?  Why do you have no reservations available to be made by a concierge?  Why is there is no standby option at some of these places?  The food is meh .. what I expected but it is also frustrating which just adds to my glances at plane ticket emails to ensure there was an escape coming.

Was it worth it ?? Yes over and over again.  My own issues aside my boys' faces and the happy smiles, never ending thank yous and the hugs were amazing but the sense of wonder as they kept going to new parks and rides was priceless.  I am not a good parent because I took them to Disney but I am good parent for spending time with them that is all about them.  Parenting has changed - the mythical "mother" that we all strive to be is about as real as the Disney characters I saw walking around.  You know the one that spent all day cooking, sewing, looking perfect and spent time with her kids at every moment .. yeah she did not exist then nor should we expect her to come out now. All the parents there were there because they wanted to be with their kids and enjoyed the smiles they saw on their kids' faces.  Parenting is more than Disney it is the vacation you take to a place you may not love because you love them that much.

I still only have a 3 day tolerance for Florida, trust me there are other states that get only a 3 hour tolerance and others that get multiple day but New York none of them are - that's not good or bad it is just me am sure others have a 3 second tolerance for New York.  I will probably wind up back there with my kids because there is this thing called Universal that seems to lure them.  There are other parts of Florida that they may enjoy when the bitter winds are biting in NY.  Much like I want them to explore the world outside of the US I want them to explore the 50 states and see what they like.  I want them to have a sense of wanderlust and most of all I want them to keep enjoying the magic.  It all goes by so fast .. may it always be a magical day.