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Published: December 12th 2013
Ava
Ava as CinderellaLaughter is timeless. Imagination has no age and dreams are forever. Walt Disney
After years of discussing when we'd take our gals to Disney World Orlando, without having to mortgage the house, we're leaving tomorrow (Thurs) till the 19th! (PS due to a system upgrade my list of emails was somewhat erased; if you've gotten this email & don't want it, unsubscribe (and sorry) as I imported emails over. Quite sure my dentist does not want to hear about our Disney trip 😊
So you may ask, "What lunatic would pick just before Christmas to go away given how busy it is preparing for the holidays?" Guilty as charged. These
lunatics got such a diggity-dog amazing deal that we couldn't pass it up. Apparently any time of year is fun to visit Disney World, but Christmas is especially magical with the lighting, decorating and parades. And this was a wonderful surprise & Christmas gift to our girls (for many years to come :>
Upon our return the kids are done school till Jan. which made it appealing as well. (Their screams of joy can be heard in Timbuktu. And my screams can be heard too, trying to get Christmas shopping, wrapping, & all errands done before noon tomorrow or I may
turn into a pumpkin! (Sheesh this Disney stuff is getting the best of me...)
Given Lara is 14, Rory 12 and Ava 8, it was time to give them this rite of passage. Time to visit Disney World before they were too cool for mice & princesses! Our criteria for deciding when Disney was right for us was: a) when your kids can remember the experience (that you had to steal from their inheritance b) when they are old enough to carry their own things (ie not in strollers) c) when there's a big sale to Disney! d) when you figure your kids are past meltdowns & tantrums (same can't be said for the adults) So for now, Mexico is put aside; no lounging, no margaritas, no hot tropical weather, no R&R on soft sandy beaches (sigh).
I am no fan of big crowds or big fast rides, but I'll do it for the kids, and yes I know from those I've spoken to, that adults fall in love with Disney as much as the kids. Like many of you I grew up waiting for Sunday nights, to gather around the TV to watch The Wonderful World of
Walt Disney entertained by the magic & imagination of Walt Disney himself. So to see the girls experience it, will make the trip complete for me. (Who am I kidding, that and dining around the world at Epcot!!) Who knows, I may have the time of my life. OR, I might be arrested for whacking some idiot wearing Mickey Mouse ears who gets on my wick (hahahaha) OK I won't do that.
I should mention we're doing this trip with our good friends, Linda and Henry and their kids who are 18, 12, and 9 along with Martha. We would've loved for Sue & Cory, Blaine & family, Maureen & Alex, Manon & John, & Al's sister Shannon & her kids to join us along with everyone else we love, but alas, we will say hello to Mickey for you.
Allan visited Disney World & Sea World as a kid after going on a cruise with his cousin Tom, so he's thrilled to go back. Plus Al is a bit of a thrill seeker (ahem he is married to me), so he's going to love every fast heart-stopping ride, and the scarier the better. So I will hang
with Ava, Linda & Jadie and go on the smaller rides. (And since we're almost the same height means I'm riding the darn teacups). And given Marth & I are hanging out at Disney, god knows what mishaps, stories, situations will occur, so I apologize to Disney World in advance. Sorry Disney...very sorry. (just have to read my Paris trip of last year to get an idea of us two in the city of light).
Planning this trip to Disney is darn near like planning a wedding. And boy does Disney like acronyms; there is actually a term for it called ""DisneySpeak" that only works in Disney World. As for example...
WDW is Walt Disney World
Attractions: term for rides (and not good looking people)
Theme Park means Magic Kingdom (MK), Animal Kingdom (AK), Epcot & Hollywood Studios.
Wishes is the amazing fireworks display at MK every night.
ADR Advanced Dining Reservations (for those early birds who get the worm...er most popular dining spots)
Mousekeeper (yep, maid/housekeeper)
VoluntEARS (volunteers of DW)
IllumiNATIONS (fireworks at EPCOT due to all the nations/countries represented)
Monorail Disney's elevated train transportation taking you
Royal Akershus
Princess dining :) to and from parks.
Cast Member is a Disney employee; either working "onstage or backstage". They are never referred to as an EMPLOYEE.
For those that want to read on, here are some Mousellaneous Facts (hee hee); hope you're all ears (hahahaha). Below are a few other fun facts that you might never have guessed about the Happiest Place on Earth.
1. It's "Not a Small World After All..."It's HUGE!
The size of the entire Walt Disney World resort is approx. 47 square miles, or the size of San Francisco. You heard me. The same size as the city of San Francisco. (My feet are achin' already)
2. They Cut a Lot of Checks
It's not easy keeping the magic alive. Disney World employs 62,000 people, making it the largest single-site employer in the country. (I had to call Disney World & the customer service rep's name was
Thumbelina)
3. Gone...but Not Forgotten
An estimated 1.65 million pairs of eyeglasses have gone missing since 1971 (guess WHO has a cord for her sunglasses?). Every year, the park finds an average of 6,000 cellphones, 3,500 digital cameras and 18,000 hats. (Good luck sifting through that pile if one of your items goes missing over in Toon Town)
4. Talkin' Turkey
Giant turkey legs were first introduced at Disney World in the 90s, & now more than 1.6 million turkey drumsticks are consumed every year, and you can even buy all sorts of gear (t-shirts, hats, etc.) with pictures of turkey legs on them. (Al you're not buying a turkey T-shirt. Mickey Mouse yes...)
5. It's Sustainable!
Who would have thought? More than 30 tons of fruits & vegetables are grown each year at EPCOT Pavilion & used in the resort's restaurants and cafes. (I plan on eating some of that sustainable yummies while there.)
6. Papa Oak
The Liberty Oak, which stands in Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom, has spawned over 500 young oak trees via its harvested acorns. (Dad you may find that an interesting fact!)
7. Sleep Like a Princess
There's a hotel suite tucked away in Cinderella's Castle that can sleep up to six and has flat-screen TV disguised as magic mirrors. Unfortunately, you can't just make a reservation—overnight guests are winners that are chosen at random by the park each day. (not sure about those magic mirrors; sounds creepy?)
8. Holy Inflation
When Disney's Magic Kingdom first opened in 1971, adult admission cost $3.50. Today, it's around $100.
9. Cinderella Lives Well
Cinderella's Castle is made out of fiberglass; no stones at all. It stands 189 feet tall & can be seen a mile away.
10. HOHOHO
Disney World decorates more than 1,500 Christmas trees at holiday time. (I'M gonna LOVE this & Al didn't have to decorate nary a one!)
11. Ears To You There are enough of the famous "Mouse Ear" hats sold each year to cover the head of every man, woman and child in Pittsburgh.
12. Animals R Us
Animal Kingdom covers more than 500 Acres with approx. over 1,000 animals requiring 4 tons of food a day...(much like the average teenage boy's appetite)
13."Tracking" Space Mountain This amazing roller coaster took 10 years to develop and 2 years to build...wow, simply wow. (Now I just may have to break down & go on it for all that work!)
14. MOW Miles 450,000 miles of mowing is what it takes to maintain the 2,000 acres of turf. Equivalent to 18 trips around the equator. (See Al, really? Does mowing our lawn seem like such a big deal after all? (insert smiley face)
Are you still awake from all this WD info??
Will try & give you an update here and there but something tells me I'll be immersed in another world altogether for about 12 hours a day. (However, I gotta log some time for
Playa Beach Getaways as this is their high season for vacations so I might be able to throw you a blog or two...MOM!! (I promised myself to do it when the kids aren't awake or are otherwise occupied so we get the whole magical dizzying experience together!)
Sal
PS some of you are wondering, "if you're so busy how did you find the time to write this blog"? Well this is what happens when you can't sleep at 2 in the morning because of worrying about all the "Disney Details" & you can't do chores because those "other people" are sleeping... SO tad-ah...you write a blog. 😉
PSS as it gets colder here in Ottawa, happy to see Orlando is looking quite tropical; humidex of 35 on Sat 😊 After that, who knows 😊
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Danielle
non-member comment
Lucky you.....
I hope you have great time... from your loving "fairy" godmother.... love ya Ava, Rory and Lara; relax and "observe" (ha! ...as you fight the traffic in disney)... I think it has it's own zip code... and yes you can get lost guys... I know you will enjoy... it will definitely beat the cold weather here. There is so much to see... do.... eat.. and enjoy at Disney; just remember, save some stuff for when you go back as adults... and don't try to take it ALL in.. just enjoy the moment and observe what goes on around you...it can be magical and some of it is truly unbelievable and has something to offer for everyone...you just have to find it*** Have fun on your great holiday.. that you will always remember... all my love; auntie "etc" Danielle.