The Monorail Chronicles - The 7 Things I've learned About Doing Disney Right

   Whenever I take a travel adventure, I like to write about what I experienced and all the  nuances of how that experience effected me. I have never really written my stories necessarily with the "how to" purpose or a practical guide that provides helpful information. However, I've learned a few things both from this most recent Disney trip as well as Disney trips in the past that there really are a lot of things to know before planning the great adventure. All of my blogs are different and I hope that anyone who may be planning a trip to Disney World in the future will find this information useful.

   You see, over the last several years after previous experiences at the Disney theme parks, I just didn't have that "Magical" feeling that everyone talks about. There were many reasons for this-I didn't plan ahead well and I had a different attitude on life that made the whole Disney experience seem like just a big hassle and nothing more than just a commercial racket. I have since matured over time and now that my children are older, thank goodness I no longer have that perspective. However, there are always some helpful things to remember to make the experience a little easier, cheaper and more enjoyable. 

1. It is better not to go when your kids are too young.

   Oh, the strollers! Yes, you can bring your own or drop 15 bucks to rent out the larger ones that are available at the parks. As helpful as I remember those larger strollers to be from previous visits, I saw many of them as well as the other strollers parked outside of theaters, restaurants and Dumbo rides and parents holding on to their squirmy little ones while struggling to remain patient in lines sometimes as long as 90 minutes. I felt for them as I saw this. But at the same time was so relieved that those days were behind us.
    When we started having children, we waited as long as we could to purchase a minivan. It wasn't until after baby number three that we made this inevitable decision. The same should hold true for Disney. According to Disney, whether you are Peter Pan or not, you are an adult at age ten and there is a very small difference in price between the child and adult passes. Additionally, when a child is very young he or she will remember very little about the experience and will be limited to what attractions are age appropriate for them. Okay, now I am going to be very honest and transparent here. There were seven of us and only one of us was under age ten. Even with a discount provided by a beloved family member who works for Disney, two-day passes for all of us were nearly $1400. You see what I mean? Make it worth the experience and wait.

2. Make use of the Lines App

    Because we were VERY fortunate to have beloved family with us who are employed by Disney we had access to the inside scoop on things. Though I know this is not the case for most folks, I was able to gain some valuable information.
   As we worked our way around through the Magic Kingdom we

At the parade.

made use of something called the Lines app. This is a very helpful tool that provides information about real-time wait times for all rides and attractions. This way, were able to know what attraction to go to at the best times. Unlike the good ole days when everyone was standing around and having discussions and debates about what to do next while precious time was passing, this app helped us to have as much fun as we could in a day while making good use of our time.

3. Bring your own water.

     Bag checks are required at all Disney parks, but food and beverages brought into the park for outside are permitted. We were at Magic Kingdom for a total of 12 hours during the month of July. A lot of water will be necessary so it is best to carry backpacks with what ever snacks and drinks you will need for the day. The backpack may be heavy at first but will empty itself quickly as the day wears on. If you don't bring your own water, be prepared to spend about the same as you would at an airport at $3.00 per bottle sold throughout the parks. That adds up very quickly! Or there's always Florida water from the fountains if you prefer. (If you've never been to Florida, the tap water tastes like sulfur which brings me to my next topic.)

4. Remember, you are in Florida.

   A sudden downpour can happen at anytime and likely will in the Summer months. We found that the best way to prepare for this are rain ponchos. You can get them at the dollar store, they fold up and are easy to store as they don't take as much space as an umbrella. Just be sure to not get separated from your loved ones because when everyone is covered with a rain Pancho, all of Disney looks like one big happy family and it's not such a "Small World" after all.

5. Dramamine

   No, not just for the kids, for you, the grown up! We found this to be true not at Magic Kingdom but the next day when we went to EPCOT. This brings me back to a memory from one day when I took kid #3, Emma, to the mall. She had never been on a roller coaster before and wanted to be introduced to the idea by taking a ride on one of those motion simulators. Not thinking a thing of it, I climbed in with her ready to equally enjoy the thrill. I don't know if I just thought a little too much about what was actually happening, the motion of the capsule and the hills and turns on the screen but about half way through the ride, I broke out into a sweat and could feel myself turning a light shade of green. The music in the background seemed to grow louder and louder. I thought to myself, there is no way this ride could possibly be making me sick. I like to think of myself as someone who wants to live for an adventure but can I not even handle a simulated ride at the mall? I guess the more I age, I'm a little less resilient this way than I used to be. The ride ended in time and I was soon fine.

Tomorrowland-Magic Kingdom

    I never even thought about it again until we arrived at the Mission Space ride at EPCOT. I knew nothing about the ride beforehand, and got in line just like I had for Mickey's PhilharMagic and Enchanted Tales with Belle. As we entered the line we were handed an orange ticket that read: "Warning: You should not ride if you are made uncomfortable by enclosed dark spaces or simulators.You should not ride if you are prone to motion sickness or made uncomfortable by enclosed dark spaces, simulators, or spinning." From just simply reading this alone I once again broke out into a sweat. Maybe the word "spinning" jolted my attention. The memory of that day of at the mall immediately reentered my mind and I retreated from the line at the last minute. Maybe the ride would have been spectacular enough for it to be worth any queasiness I would have experienced but at the same time, I did not want my experience at Disney to be effected in a bad way by becoming ill. I never thought me, as a grown up, would need Dramamine but it likely would have given me peace of mind and I would not have missed out on what would have been a great adventure. Now I have to wait until next time not knowing when that will be in the foreseeable future.

6. Let It Go!

  As mentioned before, our previous trips were a little on the stressful side with very young children in the Summer heat, the unexpected deluge, and the many monetary obligations. Before this upcoming trip, I had mentioned to a parent of one of my students that I would be visiting Disney and would be off the following week. She had mentioned that her family had also visited a few times. As we conversed more about this, she made me aware of something very important. She told me that when she is there something about Disney that makes her "like a little kid". She smiled and giggled as she said it. I thought about that a lot. I had hoped the same for my experience.

Bookshelves at Haunted Mansion

 We were in line for a ride called the Haunted Mansion at the Magic Kingdom. Since lines at Disney can be very long, Disney makes the process pleasant by adding props, scenery, sound effects and air conditioning which I think makes the experience well worth the money you spend. We gradually moved along and walked past the mysterious bookshelves where the books move in and out of their places by themselves creating a game of Whack-a Mole. The kids had fun trying to catch the books in time before they slid back  into the shelf. I thought to my self "I can do that." Without regard to the fact that I was an adult, I started playing along and took it very seriously. I felt a little silly when I realized I was the only adult doing so. But then I remembered that previous conversation. That is why I'm here.

7. Disney may set you back financially a little, but it's ok.

  Though saving up and planning ahead is highly recommended, the Disney experience is really kind of like planning a wedding. It should be the one time in your life where you can free yourself up and not feel guilty for spending more than you usually do as long as you have boundaries. This was a time of celebration for us and memorable time with family set apart from our normal way of life. We chose to eat well, play hard and allow a time to not say "no" to our kids. Yes, when we got home we felt the pinch a little but lifetime memories were built and money can't buy such precious things. Therefore, there is no room for guilt nor to beat ourselves up over it. Money comes and goes and then comes back again. Dreams, magic and memories are forever!

More about Mission Space

(Spoiler Alert! In case you've never been to EPCOT)

   10 out the 13 in our group had the Mission Space experience and raved about it after it was over. I listened to all their stories and became more and more curious to the point to where it really started to mess with me. So I decided to do some research.
   Now I stayed in line that day long enough to view the introductory video as a "trainee" on a simulated mission to Mars. When this crew of trainees board the ride, they enter a capsule which contains individual centrifuges within. So it turns out that in order to achieve the effect of G-force for the initial launch, one must have to spin and at a very high speed at times. Since you are surrounded by a magnified screen with a view of outer space and have fans blowing, motion sickness can be less likely especially if you don't know exactly what is happening. Once I realized this, I was very glad I walked away after having not had Dramamine. But may be more so inclined to have the experience now that I know what I know. In any event, I was glad my husband, kids (to include my very daring 7-year -old, Deidre), and extended family enjoyed the experience on my behalf. The ride is located at EPCOT in the Future World section and was opened to the public in 2003.

The Monorail Chronicals-Introduction

   Something very big happened this year. Madi, my second born, reached a huge milestone. Since I travel with my kids as a way of commemorating any graduation we now had reason to make these plans. I always need a reason to travel. My Kids. I gave birth to them. Why not? So for most of the second half of the school year, we browsed the globe and window shopped for what bargains we could find to places like Dublin, Prague, Amsterdam, multiple cities in Italy, Paris and Barcelona. All of these places were and are always of interest to me since I have never been to any of them and I've noticed that vacation packages are priced unusually low at this time. However, every time I suggested one of my ideas to go to any of these places, I noticed that there just was not the same level of excitement where Madi was concerned.

  Madi does not yet know where her future will take her but for the past year I have seen very little of her. She is already out in the world serving in the community doing things such as mentoring children, leading worship at church, taking college classes early and working a part-time job. I know that whatever she does, she will never let the grass grow under her feet. I like this about her but I also

know that this is the beginning of her moving more and more towards independence. This made me realize that family vacations may soon look a little different once she leaves the nest. Then one day I had an idea and made a suggestion. Though we had been to Disney World before, it had been many years. There were only two of them-Madi and her older sister Rebecca. Rebecca was obsessed with Buzz Lightyear and Madi was just out of preschool and I still have the Mickey Mouse ears that we bought when we were there. The years that followed were years when I was pregnant and could not ride theme park rides and the steady growth of our family with regular diaper changes, car sickness and no where to hide when there was a temper tantrum made for less interest in travel of any kind. We are now past these years as the number seven will remain the same for our family size and there is still time for one more adventure for all of us. When I suggested that we all make this pilgrimage she instantly grew with enthusiasm saying that there is nothing more that she would rather do. It was exactly what she wanted and we are going to do what we can to do it right in every way.

  So with chocolate on their faces, tangles in their hair, playing with Beanie Boos on the couch, Madi's three younger sisters will hear the announcement after we will have done our taxes on a Saturday afternoon.

  I usually blog even before I start packing. So with that I will write about an adventure which I have never written of until now.


                                                          

Mouse ears for Disney World from 2004