Disney: Day 1

Have I mentioned already that my family went to Disney. I'm sure I have, and finally I have the posts to prove it. After Christmas we got in the car con mi familia and traveled south. We had four parks to cover in two days while it rained (it always rains on the Magee's in Orlando) and was as crowded as could be for the New Year. We only complained minimally as we were in the Happiest Place on Earth!

Day one started with Animal Kingdom. Can you spot Everest in the background?

By the time we got to Disney, Ryan was not with us anymore, he was back at work, Meghan was babysitting for family friends, and Dad avoids these parks like the plague so our crew was 7 deep (at it's biggest) and dwindled at other times when people were to exhausted or wet.

Speaking of wetness, Tim's hand umbrella for me was much more effective than my standing on my tippy toes to attempt the same service for him.

After waiting in line for about 17 minutes, we realized that time passes like molasses when there's nothing to do so we looked to Ellen for some entertainment. Heads Up was the best investment we made all day. It meant that we had to conserve battery on phones and make sure one phone was always charged and never used for the game but again, minimal complaints because at least we had something!

Naturally, we hit up the Safari (and avoided the It's A Bugs Life 4d movie) just before leaving Park #1 to get Tommy home to see the ND football game.

As I am sure one reader has already noticed (cough* Ryan *cough), most of these pictures are from my Mom's camera which marks a considerable quality increase in photo. Excitement for now, until it returns to normal in a few posts.

The necessary picture with the Tree of Life before moving along to Park #2.

The Most Magical Kingdom.

This is what dreams are made of. We experienced more lines than normal but still so much joy. When I started to get a little whiney about my feet hurting or being wet and tired, I remembered my experience of the Canonization in Rome. At least in the States we know how to not only form a line but also Disney knows how to make every line and every little thing, from the sidewalks to the trash cans, part of the Magic.

As night fell we were able to get to more rides in a shorter amount of time. We are people who try to time these things as best as we can so we go for the longest line just as people are watching a parade. We were able to get on all of the roller coasters for my fearless brother and visit every part of the park for everyone else. Fantasyland comes with the highest recommendations and the new Seven Dwarfs ride is perfection. Of course we will always have a soft spot for Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain and, my personal favorite, The Monsters Inc. Laugh Lab.

My parents are so very generous and gifted us, as a partial Christmas surprise, a hotel room to stay on property for the night. In serves a few purposes, namely that we were all able to get the Extended Magic Hours, but they also told them that we were newlyweds so Disney upgraded our rooms, treated us to chocolate and champagne, and gave us these stellar pins! Such treatment! We can't thank my parents enough!

Tim and my pins were the Happily Ever After ones for all newlyweds and everywhere we went staff kept congratulating us. Shafer's most exited about his pin; he maxed out during the Buzz Light Year Space Ranger Spin Laser challenge to a score of 99,999 and got a modified birthday pin naming him a Galactic Hero. He took his new role quite seriously.

The most magical, the most tired, in the most pain. Ready for bed. Nothing can bring as much joy and pain as Disney.

The final crew at the end of Day 1. When we walked into Animal Kingdom my sister Maddie said we needed a signal to find each other and Tim put his hands above his head and started flapping like a bird. If ever you got lost, look for the people foolishly doing this. If you were trying to find yourself in the picture from the ride, look for the people foolishly doing this.

We love you Disney, even when you dump rain on us, and we will dance off the pain all the way to the car (not posed).