The Wanderin' Mom: Stay Weird! Part 1

The Wanderin' Mom: Stay Weird! Part 1: Not exactly the Biltmore House I needed to get away....and so I did. Guilt?  Nah!   Based on past travels, I have learned that whe...

Stay Weird! Part 1

Not exactly the Biltmore House

I needed to get away....and so I did. Guilt?
 Nah!

  Based on past travels, I have learned that when you visit another city away from home, you may spot something there that will leave some kind of impression. For whatever reason, you didn't pursue a potential opportunity for adventure from this memory and maybe regretted that once you returned home.


 Through the rolling Blue Ridge hills at an altitude of about 2100 feet, a very humble but raging fire exists within a trendy urban neighborhood in Asheville North Carolina. I noticed it previously from my last visit on New Years Eve in 2016. Here I am again two years later and my mom and I had discussed and planned what we might want to do along the way during our 3-day stay. But now with  a second chance, I knew I just could not leave until I found out what this powerhouse was all about.

 It is known by most that the city of Asheville is home to the renowned Biltmore Estates which was the residence of business tycoon George Washington Vanderbilt II. People come from all over the world to this attraction for hospitality, wine tasting and architectural amazement.  As for me, anyone who has ever known me knows I'm a little quirky. My travels certainly reflect this. Now I'm sure the Biltmore House is all it's hyped up to be but even the times I visited London, the castles were not necessarily the first places I visited. In fact I really did nothing more than walk to Buckingham palace, shot a photo or two and then made my way to a museum for a David Bowie exhibit and never really though another thing more about the palace. My quirkiness was now about to reach a new level.


The Lab


   It was 10:00am when we walked in just in time to open up for business. A very friendly employee covered in ink greeted me and mom and asked us if we were there for the tour at 10:30 tour. Tour?! What was even better? I had 30 minutes to mess around!

  Now I haven't been overt about this but I come from the first generation of Sesame Street (pre-Elmo days) where the art of Jim Henson was often accompanied by unusual and, at the time, very sophisticated technology with regards to music and effects that were incorporated into his work. I confess, as an adult I am still entertained by this via youtube. However, this fascination followed
me through life as I was introduced to the music of Emerson Lake and Palmer, the Beatles and Yes.

 It was all in front of me in this laboratory waiting for me and looking very happy to see me. There were many different models of instruments all equip with headphones! It would be kind of like a form of wine tasting but rather with different analogue sounds on synthesizers. I wasted no time!

Sirin is not the keyboard but the modual from behind.

 The name is Moog (pronounced "Mogue" rhymes with "rogue"). I have highlighted four of my favorite instruments from this experience: The Grandmother, the Mellotron, the Etherwave (Moog's model of The Theremin) and Sirin Analogue Messenger of Joy. I know all this music lingo is a bit daunting but I promise I will keep everything very simple.

  I chose the Sirin Analogue Messenger of Joy as one of my favorites because it was the very first model I experienced that day. Having already been familiar with Moog models, what I heard was completely as expected. The setting of the instrument was a cross between adorable pitched electronic conga drums and popping bubbles. I started them out soft and mysterious and began to grow in intensity. It sounded like a scene in an action film where the assassin was in hiding and being hunted. I quietly giggled for a moment after that. However, the Sirin is actually a bass synthesizer that is programmed to produce many different effects and can exceed the lower range of the typical bass.  It can also be used effectively when connected to a pitch finder such as a keyboard as well.

  It was a sunny beautiful morning and while the birdies were singing outside, I had moved on to the next model and created my own monster music fit for my someday killer thriller! In fact, many sequences in the music of Michael Jackson was produced from the behavior of the Grandmother model. The nice thing about this place is that you are allowed mess around with any settings you want without anyone complaining. With this, I was able to diffuse the sound and create arppegiated effects to add diversity. However, the instruments are monophonic (meaning only one tone can be produced at a time) and that creepy tritone could be played holding down two fingers and releasing one while still sustaining the other and doing this repeatedly.

    It's nice if you don't  have any actual talent but still sound like you are creating legitimate music. The Mellotron originated in the 1960's and preceded the synthesizer. The initial model was a keyboard instrument connected to prerecorded tapeloops which would sound simultaneously when keys were played. I got to play around on an electronic version of this with no tapeloop. One key creates the entire band and hiring additional musicians for me was not necessary which was the initial purpose of the instrument.

  Since I only had 30 minutes, I wanted to be sure I spaced my time accordingly before my tour. Just before time was up, I made my way towards a structure that was not that of a keyboard. It was a free standing console with controls and sensory rods. It looked somewhat familiar like maybe something I may have seen on Mr. Rogers when I was a kid but not something I had seen too often and did not remember what it was known as. I knew it had to be a wave sensor of some sort. It was early in the day and it had not yet been powered up as I was the first to play it that day. Once I figured that out it did not take long to know what to do to produce sound. Then I realized this instrument had a name.

  The Etherwave is Moog's version of the an instrument known as the Theremin which is the only instrument played without being touched. The pitch is determined by the distances of hand placement towards the antenna. Volume is controlled by an additional rod on the left side of the instrument. If you are familiar with the song "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys, the sound of the Theremin can be heard at the end of the song (the whistle-like effect).

   Since music is one of the easier topics for me to write about, and on this particular subject, I have way more to say, I have decided to divide my story into two separate posts. Please enjoy this funny video of Paul McCartney while he performs a demonstration of the Mellotron.

To Be Continued :).......

Keto Along the Way-Take Me There!-Part2

 

Some people hate car rides. Especially very long car rides. For me, they make my sensory come to life. Everything from cows off in distant pastures, skyscraper as we pass through larger cities, old houses, churches, landmarks, and deer (the ones that dodged the headlights!)
For many years, I have made countless road trips from Atlanta going north via I-75 to I-24 through the rolling hills of Tennessee. With a one hour time change and rest stops included, our annual drive to St. Louis is around 10 hours. Stopping along the way is often discouraged in order to keep good time. This time, we made an exception.
  

The Old General Store

    There is something about a road trip  that boost my appetite. I can't seem to ever get enough to eat while in the car. Before starting Keto, I usually would like the starchy things like BBQ potato chips, Goldfish crackers and sandwiches. Since my diet now is virtually no carb, this situation is more of a challenge and I will need a little help. I am hopeful that this first stop will make it happen for me.
  
    It was one of those places I would always notice every time we would pass though this mountaintop whistle-stop. The signage alone left me protein hopeful.
   
    The November air felt brisk and we were glad to stretch our legs. As weary travelers, we were welcomed with down home country panorama. This place had everything! Smoked ham, fresh bacon, handcrafted barbecue sauces and homemade fudge.
   

  This is what you bring to the office picnic and ask "Where do I put the Jello?"

     The walls were lined with antiques from local dealers, a working player piano and a display to commemorate one very bad day for a rattle snake.

     There was also an area in the store which housed a museum dedicated to the legendary country duo the Louvin Brothers. Though they were a little before my time, I was impressed with the large collections of photos, CD's and  memorabilia.

      There was way more to see and do but we were on a tight schedule.


What did I come away with?  
Tah-dah!

    Now don't judge me. When we were kids, we didn't know sardines were little fishes and there was actually a reason dad was sent outside by mom to the back patio table to eat them. The same is true with pork skins. After all, are any of us really bothered by the fact that bacon is pork belly? The pork rinds came in a variety of flavors and are 100% carb-free (so is bacon for that matter).


The Icon


I guess maybe another reason I like road trips is because of all the time I spent on the road growing up. We were military and would often travel cross country to relocate and my mom never wanted to fly anywhere. My awareness of surroundings back then were every bit as much vivid as it is now. I took everything all in. Everything from the fanning rows of corn in the farms as we passed through the Midwest while Steppenwolf played on the radio.

   It was back in the day when there were no Quick Trips or mega-truck stops and the only place for lodging, really, was the Holiday Inn.

    The concept of a roadside convenience store had not really yet transpired but wasn't completely nonexistent. Yes, there was a place in the middle of nowhere where we could stop in, stretch and buy a rabbits foot as a souvenir. I remember this place and how very remote the locations were. As a kid I also wondered where the people who worked there actually lived as it seemed like we were miles from the nearest civilization.
  
    As we revisited this place today, we arrived to find that this store location was immaculate. It appeared as though it were family owned and the owners seemed quite glad to see us. Maybe it was because everyone else went to Quick Trip or Love's that day as it was very quiet. The dining room looked as though it had not yet been dined in that day. The shelves were neat and fully stocked. Since we were in the Bible Belt, the writing on the wall of the ladies room had mostly scripture verses and "Jesus Saves" next to their names as opposed to the typical countess phone numbers and indecent proposals.



   Though the pecans are keto friendly the caramel and the confection are not. A serving of this pecan log (1/8 of a piece) has 27 grams of carbs. A small sliver of this daily should be fine. If keep it in my refrigerator, I will be able to enjoy this for a long while.



The Brewery

  

  Some of the most successful businesses started out of peoples basements. Steve Jobs started Microsoft in his basement and Walt Disney and Amazon actually started in garages. We hear these stories and are amazed. However, when it happens to someone in your family and you are able to watch it unfold as its happening, that's a whole different story.

     Four years ago I wrote a blog about my brother in-law, Matt who had a home brewery in his basement. The name of the blog was titled "Bang Bang" because he took us all out to the shooting range while we were in St. Louis that year  to visit that year and I fired a rifle for the first time. Here is the link....

https://gettinglostismygoal.blogspot.com/2014/11/bang-bang.html

     A lot has happened in four years and he no longer operates his brewery from his basement. Out of this genius invention came a successful craft brewery with the offspring of a coffee house, events venue and phase two of the brewery itself.

     A year ago during Thanksgiving, we celebrated as a family just before the soft launch of the new brewery with pizza and craft beer. Fast forward one year later the brewery is now standing room only and once again we have reason to celebrate. There is only one problem. I'm not supposed to eat the pizza.  

     Since we are all family and we already have bragging rights because Matt uses our pizza sauce recipe, I had an idea. I looked at the menu and saw where they serve a house salad. I looked at the many varieties of pizza. There was BBQ chicken with red onion as well as buffalo chicken with red onion and ranch and a grilled fajita. I suggested to Matt that the two should be combined for trouble makers like me. I had a grilled fajita salad and I really liked it. Maybe my idea will stick and end up on the menu!

Places visited: Jim Olivers Smoke House
                Monteagle, Tennesee               

Stuckey's
  Pelham, Tennesee
               
                         Good News Brewing Company,                         

    O'Fallon, Missouri

                           Date visited: Between 
                                November 20th                                            and
                                     24th, 2018
















  Making the decision to be on the Keto diet was by far one of the best lifestyle decision for me. I feel great most of the time. I'm not grouchy as easily, the quality of my work has improved, and the edema and inflammation are gone. Now that I am at my ideal weight, I am able to fuel up a little more with some carbs on the weekends and work on building muscle tone. Not go "cray cray"with the carbs but just fuel up a little more. It's a learning process that I'm working on finding my place a lot of the time but it has proved that it works. It can definitely become a frustrating game of do's and don't but everyone is different. I am still learning of who to listen to and what I should just ignore.

I don't like rattlesnakes!

    
     

   

   

Keto Along the Way! - Rockin' The Paradise! - Part 1

There it is- the "K" word! In case you're wondering, yes that word now applies to me! I have been

fortunate enough to be at a healthy weight most of my life but over the past few years, I have developed some health interferences that have left me just not feeling like myself.

        I'm just going to come out and be real about this. As I have become "of age" (in reference to entering middle age) I have struggled with inflammation problems, edema, anxiety probably from the result of fluctuating hormones, and yes, weight gain! I don't go to the doctor and I don't to take medication so I researched and googled natural supplements to ease these aging symptoms. I also started a workout routine last Summer but saw little change. I felt that the only thing I could do was just accept these things as a part of growing older but quite truthfully, they really suck!

         I had heard about this keto lifestyle and have had many friends share their success stories so I did tons of research. When I learned that I would get to eat nuts, boiled eggs, any and all berries, gourmet cheeses, dark chocolate, and chicken tenders, I became intrigued as my diet consists mostly of all of these things. I could totally do this! It's just that there were many other things I would have unplug from my diet should I follow this plan. I would need to do without most of my endless consumption of chips and salsa at the Mexican restaurant, sandwiches on Hogie rolls, pizza crust and sadly my Jarritos (it's this Mexican soda that comes in many flavors and goes good with chips and salsa).

       So the story begins. I started with a 24-hour fast and little by little eliminated carbs from my diet over a period of about a week. I am constantly on the hot pursuit of information and have probably done over 100 different searches on Google most of which start with "How many carbs in..." I  had no idea that there were so many hiding places for carbs and how careful I actually needed to be to reach my goal and staying under 50 grams of carbs per day!
   
      I have replaced chips and salsa with celery and peanut butter. I now enjoy salami and provolone rolls, and eat lots of cashews. If there is pizza in my house, I peel off and eat the cheese and take the crust outside for the birds. I even was able to replace my soda with a drink called Zevia. It is made from the the natural sweetener Stevia plant, it comes in many flavors and tastes like regular soda. It's a bit more expensive so I try to get it when it's on sale.

     Among the information from my endless research, I have also read that if you eat a ketogenic diet one of the disadvantages is not being able to enjoy going out to dinner as often. Since I like to write about traveling and eating, I have also wondered how my new lifestyle would effect my experiences. Regardless, I made the decision to prove this information to be wrong!

      My experiences would not be limited. Maybe just a little different. I have learned that going keto involves a little more creativity with eating.

     And the journey continues as we had approached my favorite week of the year which is always Thanksgiving. Each year we drive 10  hours from Atlanta to St. Louis to visit family. When we get there, we go to our favorite brewery and then we drink craft beer at the brewery, eat pizza and cook meat all day the next day. Besides that, we don't really do much else. That's kind of the point of the trip. It is also why

4 types of meat for TG : Sausage, turkey, tri-tips and ribs.

I have not written much about my St. Louis trips because there's not really a who lot to say about them. However, this year it will be my first Thanksgiving with the challenge of staying in Ketosis. I begged and begged my husband to please not be about point a to point b on this trip and to please adapt the Clark Griswald mentality of "Getting there is half the fun!" I even offered to get up an hour earlier that morning. I got lucky and he agreed. So with that,  I will  write of  an adventure which I have never written about - the keto-eating journey with as much creativity as I  can          muster at the many unique stops along
 the the 10-hour drive! .





 Here we go!!!   


                                          For your enjoyment: Rockin' The Paradise-STYX

Monorail Chronicles - The 4 Things that Made Me Cry at Disney

As mentioned before, Disney for me was once not the experience that everyone raves about. At one point, it just all seemed like hype to me. Because of poor planning, timing and a negative attitude, I really could have cared less about having the experience. That was many years ago.
  The weeks that preceded the big adventure seemed normal- day to day life, work, cleaning house, school. I didn't even really start packing for the trip until a few days before we left. Never before would I ever imagine that anything about the experience would bring me to tears. But it did. More than once.

1- Getting Out of the Car.

   There are just some days that are set apart from others where life will never really be the same once that day is over. On this day I knew we were going to have a major life event together as a family and we knew it was all about to start. The drive on the way to the park was rather quiet and filled with anticipation. It was early and very sunny outside. Madi was wearing her ball cap. I didn't think it would actually be as powerful as it was. We were parked at Simba 119. We were here!

2- Walking Down Main Street.

Disney Parade with Ariel

                                                            
Another powerful moment. Once we had made the journey from the shuttle train, through the crowd to the Monorail and followed that same crowd through security and scanned our fingerprints at the gate, the journey was now about to become very real. It was overwhelming. I could not stop gazing at the Magic Castle where it seemed like everyone I knew had had there picture here and posted on Facebook. I waved hi to Peter Pan and I think he maybe saw me! I was not thinking about finances, I was not thinking about work situations or schedules. Here I was at the happiest place on earth...and well, pretty happy!

3- Elsa, Anna and Deidre

                                                                  
There are many rides throughout the Disney parks that take you through imaginary worlds in the form of boat rides through water canals. Some of these floatables were of clam shells like the ones we rode on for The Seas With Nemo and some took us through cool misty caves with a view of skulls as we became Scallywags on The Pirates of the Caribbean. They are all a little different and, in any event, a nice relief from the Summer heat. There was one of these particular voyages, however, that I remember well.
  You may be wondering - whose Deidre? She wasn't an unknown character in the movie "Frozen." She's part of my story. She's my youngest at 7 years old and I was 42 years old when she was born. She was sitting in front of me in our viking boat on the Frozen Ever After ride. Though the song "Let it Go" has had it's share of plays and replays and endless airtime on the Disney Radio-waves, it still remains timeless. But it was a little different this time...

I was at Disney. It was ever more so powerful!
 
  I thought about Deidre and the fact that, though I may be getting older, she is still young and has more time to build memories with us just like this. I know I made a fool of myself as I sat behind her and struggled to control the waterworks.

4-Torrential Downpour

   Yes, a sudden downpour can happen at anytime in Orlando Florida during the Summer, However this can be a problem at Disney if it's late, it's time for fireworks and you have not yet ridden Space Mountain.
   Our beloved family recommended that we have our Space Mountain adventure late just before the park closes. This makes sense because Space Mountain has one of the longest wait times and after the firework show is over, there is usually a mass exodus from the park at that time.
   We knew things were grave when our Jungle Cruise ride was cancelled due to lightning in the area. We had hoped for the best but checked the weather radar online and sure enough we were doomed!
With the fireworks delayed and the rain endless, we waited under the canopy of the It's a Small World ride.
   When someone in your family has special needs, things like Space Mountain can be very important. I have a little bit of autism myself so I understand this. However, Space Mountain was not as much of a priority for everyone else as it was for Rebecca. We were at the Magic Kingdom for nearly 12 hours and everyone else was ready to call it a night. My beloved family was kind enough to stay with Rebecca and take her to the ride and drop her off with us later.
   Our goodbye to the Magic Kingdom ended with no fireworks, a long exhausting walk in the rain which led us out of the park to the Monorail and from there eventually to the shuttle train through the very large parking lot. It wasn't exactly what we had planned. We then arrived before the massive crowd feeding into the monorail which didn't seem to be moving too quickly. Tired and spent, we then received the dreaded text message that Rebecca had not made it to the ride on time before it had shut down for the night.
   Though heartbroken at the time, the magic once again found us when our beloved family was able switch out a Park Hopper pass the next day and her friend that was with us had one additional fast pass. Rebecca's disappointment then turned to triumph when she heard the good news! Then, finally to our surprise, the delay for the firework show had been lifted and we watched them late into the night from the Monorail line.

Now wasn't that sappy?! In any event, Summer is over, school is back in session, and there are difficult moments during my days that leave me thinking "Gosh I wish I was at Disney right now!" It is all we have talked about for the past month! I can now say that I have officially crossed over!

Tomorrowland where Space Mountain is located.

 



Frozen Ever After with Ana and Elsa

The coolest part of this ride is where the boat ascends during the ride and later shifts and shoots the viking boat backwards during the chorus of "Let it Go.
     Frozen Ever After is located in Norway at EPCOT. The cold never bothered me anyway!





                                                        


                                                                Yeah. Crazy. I know.

My Beloved Family:

Michael

Rebecca

Madeline

Emma

Laurel

Deidre

Cari 

(Cast Member)

Mel

Taylor

Madison

Donna

Marv

Liselle and

 Hannah 

(Cari's Special Friends)

                                                                            

The Monorail Chronicals - I Was Hungry

My "Pinocchio"
(Yes, it's okay for grown-ups to play with their food at Disney)

.

    Now I am the kind of person who never orders
the salad when I go out to eat. I try to eat fairly healthy as a general rule the rest of the time when I am at home or at the school I work at but when I travel, I usually eat what I want. 
    Disney parks are by in no means short of it's wide variety of eaterys but because I was with beloved family who knew Disney, I once again had a little help with the decision making. Because we were at Disney I believe that there were likely no bad decisions to be made and we found this to be true based on our selections. 
   Our beloved family had gotten an earlier start than we did on that first day for Magic Kingdom and landed a spot in line for the "Peter Pan's Flight" ride which is located in the Fantasyland district of the park. They were kind enough to include Deidre and Laurel (my two youngest) to join them while the rest of us waited. After their "flight" had landed, the inviting aromas from the restaurants around the park served as our summons to feast.

The closest restaurant in proximity at the time was Pinocchio Village Haus. From the outside, the facade was a timber-frame design that would typically be seen in Germany or the Swiss Alps. I wondered how good the Spaetzle would be and what varieties of Bratwursts were served. Then I remembered "But wasn't Pinocchio Italian?" Sure enough, the menu included a chicken Parmesan sandwich, pizza, pasta, and meatball subs which is certainly nothing to complain about, just, well, different than what I expected. I went for the calories and had some of the best white meat chunked chicken nuggets ever!
      The food was great but I really liked the atmosphere as it resembles a Hofbrau style interior decor embellished with Pinocchio and friends. This Alpine-like design was likely due to a change in character adaptation that Walt Disney made in 1937 before releasing the film. He wanted to add more charm appeal from the original character which had somewhat more of a darker story line that followed. For viewing pleasure, the restaurant also has a large window that overlooks the ride "It's a Small World."

                    

  EPCOT

   We spent 12 hours at Magic Kingdom that day. That is a long day with a lot of walking which was good because eating well can go along with burning off the calories. However, we were tired and a little slow to get going the next day. Though I looked forward to our EPCOT visit, I was enjoying the still slowness of the morning on the back patio of our hotel. My time was soon interrupted when my husband came out and informed me that my beloved family had made lunch reservations at an English pub for 12:00 PM. I am an obsessed Anglophile. Anyone who has read my blog before knows this about me (I have been 3 times since 2013). My down time no longer mattered. I did not want to be late for anything that came with mash.

Shepherds Pie is a well known dish throughout the UK.
The bowl was filled to the rim with ground beef and lamb, fresh carrots,
peas covered with mash, and baked with Irish cheese.

   With a view of the World Showcase Lagoon at EPCOT, the cheese, the servers, and the company made for a cozy, lazier feel for the early afternoon at the Rose and Crown Pub. The menu here was very consistent to what I experienced in Britain. Almost every meal contained meat and carbs but in Britain, the two are often a fusion. Meats are often within a pie crust or smothered with potatoes. I like it both ways.
    It is only in Britain where I will likely have a beer before 5 o'clock. My meal was complimented with sample Bass Ale and Harp Lager. 

Chefs De France

What's better than a little girl time while the guys are off having their pizza in Italy. In recent years as I began to take on my great interest in travel, I have coupled this with developing my language skills. I have been studying Spanish in-depth for the last three years and in the past year have decided to expand even more. I have discovered that with the exception of pronunciation, Spanish and French languages have many similarities.
   My brother-in-law was involved in the dinner reservations for the evening and we had to divide the numbers accordingly as there were 13 of us. I was on the swing between Italian and French cuisine and he asked me what I prefered-well gosh, let me think a little on that one! The only time I had ever been to France was passing through Charles Du Gaulle airport last Summer to London and with 5 children, we frequent the Little Ceasars 5.99 deal often enough. Time to put my language skills into practice, which I did that evening as I joined the ladies of our group!
   

 Poulet Pouvais et Pomme Puree avec Vin Rouge

  
The Dole Whip

  There are certain elements associated with Disney that are original only to Disney. This by no means is an experience to be left out. Let's be very clear about that.
   As our day flowed smoothly that day at the Magic Kingdom, we had the pleasure of visiting the tropical paradise of Aloha Isle and Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. Here we were serenaded with silly songs sung harmoniously by the numerous species of tropical Audio-Animatronic birds. There is nothing better than pairing this delight with another to complete our Luau.
   The Dole Whip gives the tourist the pleasure of the frozen  treat to cool off from the heat of the Summer. Though it is dairy-free, the creamy consistency along with the well known flavor of Dole pineapple can be enjoyed by anyone.
   So once you return from Disney and anyone asks if you enjoyed your Dole Whip, be sure to hold yourself accountable.



EPCOT:

Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow

                                                                    
    
  

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.