Slice of Life Story Challenge - The Most Magical Place on Earth (Without Kids?)

It's the March Slice of Life Challenge at Two Writing Teachers!

Disney, the Most Magical Place on Earth!  

    I had never been to Disney as a kid, so the first time I went, I was an adult.  We first went in September of 1996 when Libby was three and Katie was just a baby, with some friends.  I remember it being HOT. We're all a bit rosy-cheeked and slightly miserable in the photos.  The girls were so young, they didn't quite appreciate it, especially since we were roasting most of the time.  But then we went again on my 36th birthday (in 2002) with Ed's sister's family, and it was like being a kid all over again.  I got to eat with Mickey for my birthday dinner when we arrived:

     The girls were 9 (Libby) and 6 (Katie), and since they didn't really remember their first time, it was like it was their first trip.  Their cousins were 10 (Catherine) and 9 (Stephanie).  They were all the perfect age!  Young enough to be enamored by it all, but old enough to be independent and fun. I don't remember any arguing, whining, or complaining the whole time (or maybe that was just fairy dust sprinkled over us)!  We stayed in a villa on Disney grounds, so all the parks were easily accessible, and it was a blast.  It was probably one of the best vacations we ever had.  We had a great time with Ed's sister, Cindy, and brother-in-law, Tom, too.  I remember laughing A LOT.  Notably on the way back to the villa after the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue (that's a whole blog post in and of itself)!

     Because it was right after Christmas, one of the things I was enchanted with was the "snow" along Main Street.  Snow, made with bubbles, fell on main street in the evenings.  I also remember how magical it was to see Tinkerbell "flying" down from Cinderella's Castle at midnight.  I was in charge of booking the shows, so I had discovered that you could get the best seats, without waiting, if you made dinner reservations in addition to the show.  We certainly got easy access to the shows, but oh my, we ate BIG meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  At one point, Tom laughed and said, "They're going to have to roll us out of here by the time we're done!" We had to cancel a few bookings.  Ha.  

     Unfortunately, it poured on New Year's Eve, so we weren't able to go out and enjoy fireworks, but we made it fun anyway by staying in and enjoying games, snacks, and NYE on t.v. Some highlights:

\

"Cindyana", as we nicknamed her, was chosen to participate in an "Indiana Jones" skit.  She's the one in the red pants.

A picture with Goofy

Epcot in the background

Donald Duck!

At a Japanese restaurant in Epcot - I remember the chef making "volcanoes" out of onions.

With Snow White at the Princess Breakfast (one of the many big meals we had!)

Catherine was the only one who braved the Tower of Terror with Cindy and me!

Best seat in the house for fireworks on Main Street!

Everyone (especially Ed) loved trading pins!

 Magical family vacation!

     So. Much. Fun. We returned in 2011 when Katie was in high school (Libby was on a mission trip, so we asked another set of cousins, Kaela and Natalie to join us that time), which was fun, but we camped at the Disney campground, and it POURED all week.  I still remember lots of laughter.  This year, we decided to go back for my spring break - of course, our kids are grown now.  Katie is at OSU and already had her spring break, and Libby is working and her husband goes to law school, so it's just us.  We'll spend some time at Disney, and a day at the Harry Potter theme park (my students want lots of pictures of that), and then finish up with a couple days at my mom and dad's in Tampa.  We're ready to experience the Most Magical Place on Earth without kids!