I Heart Disney World

YAY!!!  i hate you...

I know that I have done a few posts about the evils of Disney World but it just never gets old so here's another one!  Don't get me wrong, I love all things Disney.  When planning our trip I'm super excited and I can't wait to get going and I count down the days with the kids on the calendar and then the day finally arrives... and, Bam!  I get a wicked dose of reality and I remember that Disney World sucks now that I have kids to share it with.

Disney World is magical and beautiful and everything works properly and the "cast members" all treat you with respect and dignity even though everyone knows that you totally surrendered your dignity back in Tomorrow land when you pushed over a 7 year old to make sure your son got a pic with Buzz Lightyear.  ( It really is the most magical place on earth.)  but most of the time you are too hot and sweaty and tired and cranky to really enjoy any of it.

Where's my martini?!?!

The kids are crying for ice cream, they are way over excited and exhausted because of it and all you wanna do is go back to the hotel and drink until tomorrow.  But then you remember you have your kids with you and no one to watch them.  yay.

All complaining aside, this time was different.  This time was awesome!!  I don't know if it was because my kids were just better behaved then normal, (hahahahaha) or maybe it was because for the first time, we didn't have to be dragging a stroller, two back packs, a cooler full of breastmilk and a "plastic bag for wet things" along with three kids under the age of 5 around an amusement park.  Not very amusing...

I'm thinking it might have something to do with the latter.

So I am here to give you hope!  If you are ever able and willing to plan a trip to the most magical place on earth and it's terrible, it will get better.  There is a reason why children 2 and under are free.  It's because they will hate it!

It's hot, and loud, and way to visually over stimulating and every 20 minutes the music comes blaring over the speakers to announce one parade or show after the other.  It's just magically exhausting.

Not only did I not have to lug half our house with us this trip but my kids are now old enough that they don't get exhausted every 3 hours.  They go all.... day..!  Normally, this makes me want to slit my writs,  (calm down, it's just side to side so you know I'm just doing it for attention) But in Disney World, this is a must!  Do not bring your kids if they still nap.  Trust me, it will be torturous.

Allow me to give you a snapshot:

We finally made it!  Nap time!

By the time you get up, get them ready, have breakfast, pull your double stroller onto the magic disney bus that brings you right to the magic kingdom, get through security and actually scan your magic band to get into the park your precious-super-excited three year old that wanted nothing more then to go to Disney World, will be ready for a nap.  So just go ahead and park anywhere on main street for the next three hours since your child will be fast asleep in her stroller.

Next thing that made this trip more enjoyable was the fact that my kids don't have to eat every 30 minutes.  Thank the Lord my youngest had a "hoarding" issue that had to be rectified with therapy or we would never have learned our lesson.  My children, like most, ate like birds.  Literally, every 30 minutes I would be shoving goldfish into their tiny mouths just to keep them quite.

I know the idea is to get them to eat healthy snacks, like apples and carrot sticks every 20 minutes but lets be honest, i'm just feeding my kids as many packages of goldfish or cheese-its it takes to get through "It's a Small World".

But since my kids weren't perpetually hungry, I didn't have to stop every 15 minutes to get them a sandwich or a mickey Ice cream or a Turkey leg from Frontier Land.  Lets just say that this simple fact did not only saved my sanity but also my pocketbook.

Dumbo, much more our speed.

Also, my kids weren't scared of any of the rides!  That's a new one.  Usually someone complains about not wanting to go on a ride.  This in turns means that my husband and I have to split up while one watches the Debbie-Downer and the other gets to wait in line in the air conditioned "Pirates of the Caribbean".  Inevitably, someone feels like they got the shorter end of the stick and sometimes its both.

Family Vacations are awesome!!

Needless to say, Disney World is a completely different animal when your kids are just a little bit older!  Granted, I don't think its a coincidence that the very age that your children start to be awesome fun in the parks is also the same time you have to pay upward of $100 for their entry...

But if you're looking for the best time in the Disney Parks?
...
get a sitter and leave the kids at home!

Antenella