Day 1 of Disney- Throw your bags in the room and RUN to the castle.

We actually got on the road within about a half hour of my projected time of 7. I wanted to be at the hotel to check in and get our tickets and get to the park as soon as possible as the Magic Kingdom closed at 7 that day.

We packed up and off we went. The tired children demeanors did not reflect  our destination but my excitement and bouncing made up for their surprising lack of enthusiasm.  I hit play on our Newsboys theme song. Apparently “everwhere I go is where the party is at” applied only to me because you would have thought these nerds were going to get compulsory vaccinations not a ride on the tea cups.

We were an hour from Disney World and I could barely contain myself.  I finished gluing rhinestones and sewing bows on minnie heads on matching dresses.

 Finally I passed out for a few minutes on my pillow. Tony didn’t say anything as the first disney sighn appeared. I was so frustrated. I needed video L

As I searched for my camera I missed the second overhead sign. So much for my opening sequence to the travel video.

Still the kids were not feeling the pixie dust. My irritation at being the only outwardly excited person was mounting.

Then we got lost. 

If you haven’t been there, you don’t realize that Disney World really is a world unto itself.

 Roads zig zag off in directions leading to various destinations of excitement and relaxing resorts.  I was becoming anxiously agitated. Magic Kingdom was only open til 7 tonight and I had to squeeze as much M agic out of that kingdom for our first day as I could and not seeing a sign dedicated to Port Orleans French Quarter- where my keys to the kingdom awaited- was not magic squeezing .

Finally after a call to an amused cast member, we found out what section our resort was in and arrived. Tony went in as I stayed out with the kids- still watching movies… as if this were any mundane stop

After what seemed forever  (to me at least) Tony came back out with a gift from Mickey! He left the girls a bunch of pins to start their Disney World Pin Trading collection.

After we ran the bags to the room, I was a harsh task master. We changed clothes – the girls of course had to change into Disney themed attire. I held off on princess dresses because I knew something  special was in store… and didn’t want to be lugging around two discarded princess gowns…

 we ran to the bus stop to head to Magic Kingdom for the first time on our trip!

I again can barely contain my excitement as our bus rolls along the ten minute drive from Port Orleans to Magic Kingdom. Thankfully we did not have any stops to make since we were staying at French Quarter. I don’t know that I could have handled it!

As we sat down and I asked Ella if she could believe we were headed to where Cinderella’s castle was she gave me a huge smile and her giant blue eyes lit up bright as she nodded excitedly.

Laci seemed very reserved and still unexcited.

This is definitely not acceptable behavior on the bus ride to Magic Kingdom the first day of a Carey Family Disney Vacation- or any of the trip for that matter!!

I couldn’t figure out what her deal was, and it was bumming me out so I focused on Ella. Layla was far too young to get the anticipation- I knew though I would have beautiful moments with her as well, but she had no idea at 1 year 3 days what she was about to experience.

Ella, however, was the prime age. Still, distracted by Laci’s attitude I’d glance her direction every now and then to see if any emotion crossed her face as I talked to Ella about all that we were going to do that day and pointing out sites along the way. I became increasingly disappointed by Laci being compltely non-plussed by the whole thing thus far. I was worried she was already too old, fears exacerbated by Tony expressing his sadness we hadn’t returned sooner and that he shared the same suspicions that it just wasn’t going to be magical for her.

I spotted Space Mountain before any  other bus passenger and excitedly pointed it out to Ella.

Still nothing from Laci. Mild patronizing interest perhaps.

I had to just let her have whatever experience she was going to have and not let it ruin this long awaited moment so I picked ella up on my lap and whispered (a loud whisper that all surrounding could hear, so that Laci didn’t feel left out- or the middle aged woman with no kids who had been watching our interactions with a kind smile and genuine interest in watching Ella experience the magic for the first time ) that Cinderella’s Castle would soon be in view.

Ella bounced a little, still understated excitement compared to what I expected, and started pointing out random things –none of which were a castle belonging to anyone. 

Soon I spotted the spires. I squealed “Look Ella the spires the spires” and before she could spot or figure out what the heck a spire was, the castle dipped out of view. She was extremely excited at this point and squeezed my hand.

“look Ella its Cinderella’s castle!” as it peeked into view again briefly.

“mm hmm” she said nodding, clearly not seeing anything except possibly Space Mountain.

Laci looked so underwhelmed I could have screamed.  Didn’t she realize where we were headed?   Is she told old for all this? Did we already have our last and only magical Disney vacation with her? Why didn’t we come last year, I could have waddled around very pregnant if I knew she would have out grown it.

Then came the music. My favorite part of the ride. We were receiving the royal proclamation (on a mass transit bus) that we were entering Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom.

I got butterflies in my stomach and grabbed Ellas hand pointing out the now very visible castle as we heard:

 It is one of my favorite sounds in the world. Even just thinking about it wells up such excitement in me that even Christmas morning as kid cannot compare to. I LOVE THAT RECORDING!!!!

Im tearing up watching Ellas face brighten, everyone near us is watching as a child’s first trip to Magic Kingodm is one of the most wonderful parts of childhood. It is.

Everyone has sense enough to let the super emotional mom and three princesses exit the bus first. Unfortunately, the girls stroller royal carriage is a bit cumbersome to unload so we have to wait for Tony anyway as he plays Royal Coachman and unloads the two seater. We zoom off the bus and Ella and I are halfway to the turnstiles before I realize that Tony has to haul the stroller. Sigh. He’s still at the bus drop off point. Slowly we skip back as I throw things all over in order to get the stroller open and things settled and us onto Main St USA.

My husband is many things, fast paced is not one of them. He moves at a leisurely rate at all times and is very laid back. Disney World with me is not the time to behave in such a manner. You would think this was a vacation or something.

FINALLY we are moving back towards the glorious destination. I am way ahead with Ella and Tony thankfully picks up his pace, probably not so much to appease me as to beat the occupants of the two busses pulling up at that moment.

I know the drill. I unzip the bags and have them at the ready. No reason to spend anymore time in line than need be.

The  beautiful thing about September is there is no long line to get in and wait, wait, wait.

 However the three people ahead of me in security are KILLING ME. THREE people? And what the heck, they don’t even have their bags open.  WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE? UNZIP YOUR BAGS PRIOR TO QUEING UP. (do that. Do it when you go. Do not wait til the guard asks you . Get all your crap out of your stroller and hold it precariously in one hand as you unzip with the other. Be prepeared and get out of there for the sake of everyone. Disney minutes are precious. )

Like a good Disney guest I had my stuff prepared and set down with a smile. The older gentleman seemed somewhat stern, I was a little off put as Disney Cast Members are exuberantly happy. Sacchrine sweet and joyous to an odd degree.

He checks our bags without much conversation, or verve or vigor… and I smile and say thanks- genuinely but impatiently. He stops and asks Laci – by name to step up. He needs to talk to her.

He asks her what her business here today is. She is not saying anything. I make a joke trying  like “uh oh Laci” just trying to get her to react in some way and to make sure she knows this is light hearted and shes not being dragged off to Disney jail. (it exists)

I receive a “shut up” glance from the cast member. Im teetering on yelling “don’t steal my magic little man” as he continues to question an unreadable Laci when he asks her to hold out her hands.

 I think ive figured out his game.

Laci is hesitant so despite being told shut up by his eyes I tell her to go ahead hold out her hands.

He informs her that he was left a message for her from his boss and was to give her the message along with something else left for her.

Shes getting irritated or nervous, Im not sure which.

He asks does she know who his boss is?

She  barely shakes her head no.

“Why, Mickey Mouse  of course” he replies.

“Mickey told me to wish you Happy Birthday Laci and to welcome the Magic Kingdom” as he says this he dumps a load of our favorite Mickey head shaped sparkly confetti into her hands.

I tear up (I think we are at three and have yet to enter a park) and  thank him, instantly forgiving him for the side eye he shot me.

Aside from the continued amazing treatment from random cast members while weve been at Disney barely two hours, it warmed my heart because on our last trip, our first trip,  Mickey confetti were both  a joy and a huge pain.

Laci was just enthralled by the sparkly Mickey heads laying about the streets of Magic Kingdom and picked them up as we walked along – constantly. It was cute to begin with and quickly begin burdensome and perhaps dangerous- have you seen how some of these mothers wield strollers?  They should be required to have a dangerous weapno permit and there is my princess crouching down in full royal attire in busy pathways stopping short at the sight of sparkle shaped like everyone’s favorite mouse.

On our last day as we are terribly sad about leaving , we walk through the turnstile and are stopped by a castmember wearing oversized Mickey hands. He tells laci to close her eyes reaches into his pocket and just before throwing it over her head tells her to open them. He then gives her a huge handful of her very own, that she does not have to pick up  off the sidewalk.

So it was as though Mickey saw her coming this trip and left these Mickey heads just for her.

Magic.

We passed security and the creepy digital fingerprinting we were home free!

 Smiling cast members wearing over sized Mickey hands waved us to the magic that awaied.  We walked under the train station and came out in a whole new world.   Immediately we see Daisy in the town square.  The kids waved hello but were unsure, so we kept  walking.