What is this thing called Disney?

I didn't want to go to Disney, though it was all my own idea. I wanted to go on the kind of vacation I'd seen profiled in the now-defunct aspirational parenting magazine, Cookie. You know, the fake kind of vacation that you can't have when you have real children, not well-behaved, equity-card-carrying stand-ins sent from the casting agent.

So, I'm not sure what the heck I was expecting with this trip, since reality was clearly missing during the planning process. People ask me if I had a good time. Tricky question. My kids had an awesome time. I feel wrung out. I drank a heck of a lot more than usual (TWO of Shipwreck Sally's Mai Tai's, my good man, and this time, put rum in it!) and I over thought everything.

When we'd only made it to Aladdin's Magic Carpet ride by noon, I worried that we weren't going to see everything (duh). Eyeballing the man selling fan-topped squirty water bottles, I worried about heat stroke (my fault for not wanting to take the kids out of school.) After making my kids spend every last minute in the Magic Kingdom and getting back to the resort at 1am,  I worried that I'd pushed them too far. Especially since I had to  cut the fairy costume off my youngest - she was so out cold I couldn't get her to raise her arms.

But when I look over the pictures I remember, hey, yeah, the Tea Cup ride was awesome. Everyone raising a tankard and shouting "BUTTERBEER"! then giggling hysterically? Awesome. My eldest begging me to go on Haunted Mansion for the third time. My littlest hugging a Star Bellied Sneetch statue.

It's hard for me to be in the moment. That's the kind of mess I am. If I could change one thing about myself, I'd want to be more about the present, less about planning. That would probably put me out of a job since I'm an event planner. Might also mess up with this crazy writing alchemy I have going on. On second thought I'll change my allergy to cats and dogs.

Here are some interesting blog posts about Disney, in case you were looking for that and, unfortunately, landed here.

Lyrical Meanderings - Land of Mouse - Public Breakdowns 101
Iggy & Gabi - Three Things I learned about Writing at Disney World

Hiatus Due to Mouse Ears

The bag of Chupa Chup lollipops cost $17. My two year old licked the carpet in the waiting area by our gate before I could stop her. Not even out of the airport and the giant rodent got his sticky mitts on us (one new mouse ear cap for each child under 50). Every window was rolled down as we sang (read 'screamed') along to Stop for a Minute by Keane driving down the Florida Turnpike.

We have arrived in Orlando. If I survive, I will be posting again on Sunday. Say a little prayer for our goofy selves.