We started planning this family vacation about a year ago when my brother proposed to Crystal. We decided we’d save to take two whole weeks exploring the southeastern US and then the possibilities became a nearly-every-day conversation. Do we fly into DC and travel south? Do we fly into Atlanta and do a loop? And so on.
We settled on beginning in New Orleans, traveling east to Destin for the wedding and then finishing in Naples where our friends live. We had a three day window to steer our minivan south through Florida. Andy and I had planned to wing it – perhaps camp at state parks, hike, discover small towns. But then! My dad decided to join our post-wedding journey and he mentioned Disney World. We hadn’t really considered it we told him.
That night we started really talking about it, looking at the website and amping. Let’s do it! he announced. Cheers!
We woke early and made our way to the Magic Kingdom. Our ride buzzed with excitement as my kids shouted out the names of Mary Poppins, Tigger, Alice, Snow White and Ariel! My dad in the back row all smiles, just a few days after his 63rd birthday. I cried, honestly. It surprised me but the tears were there as we drove with hundreds (thousands?) of cars into another world, all for our kids. In a few months I had gone from eh to HECK YEAH regarding Disney.
I went there as a child and I remember the feelings I experienced more than what we did. Awe, joy, warmth, excitement. Holding my parents’ hands, skipping with my dad, posing for photos with my brother. It was even better than I remembered. It truly is another world. Parades, singing, dancing, giant balloon bouquets, shiny confetti, boat rides, bright sunshine, life-sized Winnie the Pooh. Magic. Kingdom.
Margot felt like she had found her home, floating on happiness. She put out her hand for her little sister who felt overwhelmed at first. Ruby followed with trust.
Ruby coined a new word-use that immediately became a family favorite: soakin’ to mean really. It was first used around 2pm in the when she shouted “I am soakin’ HOT!” She adapted its use from my mom who declares anything that is remotely wet (a little bit damp or dripping with moisture) to be soakin’ wet.
We watched a performance at Cinderella’s castle where Mickey and Minnie invited the crowd to chant ‘dreams come true.’ Andy and I stood with our girls on our shoulders and sparkly mouse ears on their heads as they both cheered and sang dreams come true! as loud as their squeaky voices could sing.
Favorites: It’s A Small World, Under the Sea, the castle performance, meeting Ariel (Mom! She told us this is her first time on land!). Margot’s fuzzy head was exactly at line for the roller coaster so sister got to experience Thunder Mountain. Twice. The second time was with me and she said “Ok mama. So it’s a little scary. Well, more like startling. But all you have to do is smile and scream and then it’s so fun!” Indeed.
The stroller rental proved an amazing addition to our crew. By day’s end, I wanted a stroller (my aching feet!) but settled for a martini with my dad.
I felt and feel so appreciative for the experience. I kept reinventing ways to thank my dad for everything when he finally said, “Sweetie, you are welcome. This is what it is all about. Your mother and I are thankful to share our good fortune, especially with our kids and grandkids. That’s all.” And we toasted to that while I made a mental note to be the person who always delights in sharing good fortune.
We all have good fortune to share, you know. Every single one of us. What a soakin’ great opportunity.
next up: part 4: Naples with Kelle
32 Comments
Love the pic with your dad, and how you “kept finding ways to thank him”…. I know that feeling. It is really the best thing, to have an awesome dad, isn’t it? I treasure mine so so much. xo
This post made me cry. Those sweet faces! Their smiles and their lit-up eyes! Totally magical. I can’t wait to take my daughter to the Magic Kingdom.
P.S. I wish I lived near you because your girls are the kind of girls that I want my girl to be friends with. 🙂
It really is magic. I remember how I felt when I went as a kid and now I know what it’s like to let my kid experience that. And holy hell…that feeling is way bigger and better. 🙂
It made me cry too! I especially love the way Margot explained Thunder Mountain to you. That girl. 🙂 xo
We took our 4 children in December. Our oldest boys are 16 and 13, our girls are 6 and 2. We waited in line to meet Ariel for an hour and a half…thinking it was a ride! Our boys teased us forever about that!! But they were good sports for their little sisters. As we honestly thought it was a ride not a meet the character!
Nici, i love it! thanks for sharing. We are thinking of taking Avi to D-land in the fall (he and Lilit both in Jewish schools that close for high holy days so why not?) and originally we envisioned just Leeor taking him down bc I’ll be so ready to give birth but then Avi was all, “but Mama, of course you need to be there” and your pictures make me excited. We were thinking Lilit may be too young but whatevs. I still remember my first visit, too. And tell Margot Thunder Mountain is the best ride. Ever. So glad you guys had such a lovely family vacation! xo
We took our four year old son to Magic Kingdom exactly four weeks ago. We made it there in time for the opening performance. As he sat on my husband’s shoulders and watched the characters come in on the train, I was absolutely tearing up behind my sunglasses. It touched me way more than I thought it would and was much more magical than I could have imagined. Crazy huh?
Soakin’ awesome!
Your whole trip just made me want to sleep.
But what a great time, eh?
🙂
-Angie
Oh! Those smiles! Beauiful post, beautiful family, beautiful magic.
This post made me smile, smile, smile
Xxx
Aw! Your dad is THE CUTEST! What a smile 🙂
I loved taking my kids to Magic Kingdom last year- they were so in awe, and even though I was thinking, “they probably won’t remember much from this”, they were so happy in that moment that I didn’t care. My parents came with us, and they had a blast watching their grandkids take it all in. I love the Rubyism. My oldest daughter has always said “sweatin’ hot” as her opposite to “freezing cold”. It makes me smile every time. Sounds like an amazing trip- we always have the best time on long family road trips.
This post made me cry happy tears. We traveled to LA from Australia in 2011 and took my step-daughters to Disneyland and your post has brought all of the memories flooding back. We’ve since welcomed a little dude to the fold, and witnessing the whole ‘new grandparent’ thing that I missed with my step-daughters makes my heart burst with happiness.
Dad is right, “This is what it is all about”….our joy is you, your family and Trav & his.
I am soakin’ with love and tears!…..
xoxo Mom
Lovin’ the pictures of pure joy on your kiddos faces. The picture of you and your dad is completely awesome. So glad for you and your family that you got to have that experience.
Priceless memories! Makes me want to go back to Disneyland, they are at such a perfect age to enjoy it’s magic. What fantastic photos you captured too.
Wow, pure joy and happiness! Or, I should say…soakin’ joy and happiness! I have loved reading about your trip (lived/worked in Destin for two summers after college and made the drive to New Orleans often) and can’t wait for part 4!
These precious moments made me feel happy for you.I loved reading this post.
christian websites
LOVE this post xxx
Oh how I adore that last picture. Sure, as grown ups we collapse after an exhausting day, but there is something so marvelous about being just soakin’ tuckered out after a day of fun! May we all be tuckered out this summer!
why did i cry when i read parts of this?!!??! thank you for sharing memories from your disney adventure. it was beautiful!
i think this is one of my favorite posts!
So lovely, Nici! I too got all teary taking my then 3yo Ceci to Magic Kingdom. So great to have followed you along on this great trip!!
Oh that place… before having kids I swore we would never go… having worked for the Mouse on a few films (we called it Mouseschwitz) I was left jaded by the commercial greed machine. So when the whole family declared our reunion trip would be to Walt Disney World I tried to just go with it “for the kids”. Turns out that place really is magic. Seeing it through my boys eyes as they ran hand-in-hand with their cousins taking in each new adventure & declaring it the “best thing in the whole wide universe” melted my heart. I even teared up during that damn castle performance. Soakin’ in magic indeed.
Found you thru Kelle, and am so glad! We are hoping to save for Disney in the next year or two. It truly looks like the happiest place on earth. Good for you!
This is the second time I’ve read this, and each time, when I get to the part about you thankin your dad and what he said …. TEARS! And this time, when I read what your mom said in the comments … I was a blubbering fool!! Your folks are right … And so are you, we need to be those min of people! You are blessed, Nici, both by those girls who follow you and those parents who came before! A doggone blessing sandwich!!
Oh, I snuck a read of this while at WDW this past week, celebrating my daughter’s 5th trip around the sun.
I remember the all-encompassing experience as a child, but I loved watching my husband transform from “this is for the kid” to being wrapped up in the magic of it all. Our hearts beat louder watching our daughter meet her favorite characters, sing along with the parades, and test her limits on new rides. I agree with your top list of rides, and Alex marks meeting Ariel and participating in the Enchanted Tales with Belle as some of her favorite moments. And ours included riding with her on anything that required her to be at least 40-44″ tall.
And now I’ve been requested to rework a mermaid costume into just a bra and just a tail. Go figure.
“… I made a mental note to be the person who always delights in sharing good fortune.”
My husband’s parents take every single grandchild and their family to Disneyland when that child turns four. An amazing and special trip that has us joking we should have had a third baby! Seriously, I’ve been at a loss for words of gratitude both times. This last one we had to put off because my father in law, who’s on oxygen for fuck sakes, had to go into the hospital. They apologized repeatedly to us! They made up for it tenfold. I’m just so grateful that my kids will have THIS memory. It has started the ball in motion. My husband and I will come up with something this memorable for our future grand kids. How could we not? What they probably don’t realize is that those two trips couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. With them came an opportunity for healing and forgiveness that I didn’t think possible. Gratitude! There’s nothing else quite like it.
Nice post. I study one thing more difficult on different blogs everyday. It will always be stimulating to learn content material from other writers and follow just a little something from their store. I? desire to use some with the content material on my blog whether you don? mind. Natually I?l provide you with a hyperlink on your net blog. Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely precious! Many beautiful memories made. I still remember the feelings of excitement when my family went years ago. It is amazing to pass on the memories and make new ones taking your family. Awesome photos, and awesome post Nici!
This post made me cry. At work.
I’ve been to Disney twice as an older child and a young adult and really didn’t like it. All I saw was the consumerism and the $62 costumes and the cheesy, cakey makeup on the princesses… I forget that it is MAGIC for many people. Particularly the young people. Thanks for reminding me of the pure joy that is Thunder Mountain (oh, Margot, you are so wise!! It is fun and scary!) and meeting Ariel and confetti. Maybe I will actually go back, now… just to see it all through my as-yet-unborn-kids eyes.
What a great reminder of all things soakin’ good.
I’m really enjoying the theme/design of your site.