It has been said that it is “the happiest place on earth”. Especially for the young. I know, because I have seen it in their eyes. The first time was years ago when we took our daughter and son to Disney World. It just happened to be the 15th anniversary of the park and we were fortunate to be a part of this grand celebration. Yes, it was wall-to-wall families with strollers and, yes, it was the definition of sensory overload. So much to see, so much to take in. The sights, sounds and smells truly can be overwhelming, particularly for the little ones. If we saw one child crying or in the middle of a mega melt down, we saw ten more along with their mortified parents and siblings trying to get them back on the “isn’t-this-the most-fun-place-ever” track.
Wait...didn’t I say this is the happiest place on earth? In the end it is, but that is the nature of so much stimulation regardless of the setting. It seems to be magnified in a place like this. It’s just a part of the package.
Our kids were 10 and 6 at the time so they were pretty much into the experience the whole time. After all, they did have to make sure their parents (also first time Disney guests) didn’t leave them at the Princess’s Castle or the cotton candy stand while making a beeline in their excitement for the Biergarten or Yorkshire County Fish Shop in the World Showcase at Epcot. They kept us reined in - mostly.
The highlight had to be the Festival of Fantasy Parade held each afternoon. When we entered the park in the morning, a young man with a clipboard asked us where we were from and if we wanted to be in the parade that day. We said we were from Illinois and making our first trip to Disney World...and who wouldn’t want to be in the parade! Little did we know that when we showed up at the appointed parade spot we were ushered into one of 6 convertibles, ours stenciled with ILLINOIS on the side. We were not just in the parade, we were in one of 6 cars LEADING the parade as representatives of the Midwest. The icing on the cake was that they periodically announced the names of each of the families in the convertibles to the crowd lining the streets. My wife and I were pretty pumped up about this but you should have seen the faces of our kids. This place IS truly amazing. (Like this would happen every time we would come to Disney World.) Savor the moment.
Then just a month ago, we took our daughter, her husband, Love Monster and Smirker to Disneyland for 2 days in celebration of Love Monster’s 8th birthday. They were very excited. Disney really knows how to make this an unforgettable experience. For those attending Disneyland for the first time, they get a “1st Visit” button. So they both got those. Love Monster also received a Birthday button with her name on it. Their staff is very well trained because everywhere Love Monster went for 2 days, she was greeted with a “Happy Birthday!” - from the popcorn stand guy to the person picking up trash to the Tigger character to the Princess in the parade as she stood high above on the float. Love Monster was thrilled. “Everyone knows my birthday”, she would say. It was fun to see her so happy.
And then there were the rides....
They both loved Autopia. The thrill of “driving” a car at their age is understandable. Grandpa and Grandma were just along for the ride...as well as controlling the accelerator.
Smirker couldn’t get enough of It’s a Small World - 4 times! And it’s long ride - 15 minutes! During that time you could download Windows 7 (ok, that was 5 years ago), watch a Ted Talk, do the 7-minute workout twice, make Crescent Roll Calzones or hear almost all of either In-A-Gadda-Da-Vita (Iron Butterfly) or Close to the Edge (Yes). You could also mediate, which I think I may have done after trip #2. By the 4th time, Smirker was acting as a personal tour guide for those riding with her. The song does stay in your head for hours, if not days!. She also liked the Teacups, visiting with the princesses and, of course, Mickey.
The Birthday Girl’s favorite was Alice In Wonderland. A bit of a surprise, given that it is mostly in the dark with our car darting and turning quickly, seeing the cheshire cat’s grinning face and the queen of hearts yelling “off with her head”. But she loved it. She also liked the teacups and Robinson Crusoe’s Treehouse (climbing and running are right up her alley). She almost went on The Pirates of the Caribbean. After waiting in line for more than 30 minutes with all of us, she made the predictable move by bailing out (with Grandpa) just before going into the ride. Predictable because her mother had done exactly the same thing many years earlier at a different Disney park. Apparently, it is genetic with first borns.
I don’t know if it’s really the happiest place on earth but it certainly is worth seeing the smiles on their faces the first time they experience it.
This grandparents gig is pretty cool!
