How was everyone’s Monday? It was a doozy for me. Re-entry after the Disney bubble has been a bit overwhelming. All day I’ve been catching up on work, swim team newsletters, school newsletters, prepping for Case’s Valentine’s party, buying items for Brooks’s Valentine’s cards, grocery shopping, writing bills, etc. Our Disney trip last week was truly as fun as everyone told me it would be. I’m not easily impressed, so I was a little skeptical about a seven-day trip to Disney being THAT much fun, but I’m here to tell you it was. As much as I’m intrigued by Walt Disney the person and the empire he built, I thought spending that much time at Disney World would get annoying and feel hokey, but oh no, I was happily immersed in the WDW culture with the best of them proudly kissing Mickey Mouse, stalking Fast Passes, and wearing Minnie ears.
As I sit here and reflect upon last week, there’s so much to tell, I don’t even know where to begin. There are tips and tricks I want to tell Disney newbies and questions I have for veterans. There are things I learned about Walt Disney that I want to share, and so on. Over the coming weeks, I’m going to break all of my thoughts and reflections into individual posts so this one doesn’t become super long.
Before planning our Disney trip, I didn’t even know there were four different parks. If you’re a person like me, you should know that “Disney World” actually encompasses four different parks: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot Studios, and Hollywood Studios. They each have a unique vibe and a variety of attractions, shows, and rides. Even though we were there for seven days, we still didn’t do everything we wanted to. Below is a collage that includes pics from all four parks.
Just looking through pictures to make this collage was so much fun. Sometimes it’s helpful for the psyche just to escape the intensity of everyday life and enter into a magical kingdom, even if it is only for seven days. I can’t wait to tell you more about our trip, especially to share some things I learned that will help others when they travel, but right now I have to sign off to prep dinner and take the boys to swim practice before returning home for the nighttime routine then to get back online and finish up some freelance work. Whew. Where’s Mickey Mouse when I need him.
I also learned a lot about Walt Disney himself while in Orlando, and let me tell you, he was one amazing individual. His life hit some major roadblocks and tragedies, but he never gave up on his dreams. So today, I’ll leave with you with one of my favorite quotes of Walt’s (one of many). If you’ve had a rough go of things lately (as have I), I hope these words give you some encouragement and hope.
Glad you are home and had fun! It is an amazing place and Walt Disney was a fascinating man. When I worked there you had to go to Disney school before starting. There are also a few movies about Walt you’d probably like!
What!? How did I not know you worked there? This must be our first topic of conversation during our next lunch date. Miss you!