Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Magic Kingdom

I apologize for my absence. We have been off having a bit of fun at the "Magical Kingdom" for Belle's sixth birthday! Belle's Mom, Kristin arranged the whole trip. She is an angel! Her boyfriend, Chris, joined us once we arrived at the hotel. Billy's parents arrived from Las Vegas and off we went.

On our drive, I confessed to Billy that I have a big flaw. A crack in the armor, if you will. Don't get me wrong, I love Disneyland as much as the next person. I love the the experience, the magic of the place and all the wonder. I love the lights at night because it gives it that extra magic. I feel like a princess going all the way back to my childhood. But 10 minutes into my experience, I become a mad woman! There. Are. Too. Many. Freakin'. People!!!

I become the creature from the black lagoon. I'm cranky, rude and start cutting people off left and right. I can't help making comments that I would never make if I wasn't driven to the point of madness! There are simply too many people sandwiched into that place. The lines can be long and treacherous. Suddenly, the warm, fuzzy feeling inside goes away and the Cruela De Ville inside of me comes out.

I explained to Billy that I was self-talking all week. I wasn't going to let this get me down. I would rise above it and go with the flow. We had two whole days to experience the magic through our children's eyes. He looked at me like I was nuts! He honestly thought I was a bit extreme and had no idea what I was talking about.

We arrive and I was shocked that there was a lot of wiggle room to maneuver around. Waiting time for most rides were about 15 minutes, which is unheard of!

One hour into our adventure we decide to head over to Big Thunder Mountain. That's when it happened. We hit a sea of people and it was Billy who lost his mind! I could feel the tension building up inside of him. In addition to that, our group was breaking up with all those people cutting into our invisible bubble. I know all too well the emotion of wanting to punch someone because it's just too much!

We managed to get through that moment because it eventually cleared and we were on our way. Running from ride to ride. Enjoying the wonder on the kids' faces, we just took in the experience. We decided to call it a night around 9:30pm and head back to the hotel.

The next day, it was POURING rain! We actually were delusional in our thinking. We got on the shuttle and made it to Disneyland, got off the shuttle and decided that was a bad move. Sideways rain, huge drops of falling rain and a chilly wind that was knocking the ponchos off of people. Kristin, Belle and Chris were already inside the park. The five of us, plus little Pumpkie, were not interested in getting pulverized by the rain. We came up with a better plan - March Madness and a beer inside of a dry, warm sports bar!

We were able to get vouchers to come back another time due to the bad weather. We enjoyed the time spent with each other and will brave it once again sometime soon, but not too soon. I think Billy still needs a few weeks to forget his experience.

I, on the other hand, realize that I am no longer six years old. The lens in which I viewed Disneyland is now jaded by over priced food, crowd control issues, and smart-mouthed staffers. But when you're a child, you see the magic, the wonder and the fun inside that park. I really want my children to experience that. So we will go back, with our swords raised overhead, slicing through the crowds and giving our children the experience of a lifetime.....because they deserve it!

2 comments:

  1. YUP! Sounds like my expierence the week before, well mostly and I ended up overheating which did nothing to help my mood and anger at the strollers and people walking 4 deep at the pace of a 4 year old. And why do people with kids go into Tomorrowland? There is nothing there for a 4 year old! :(
    I sincerly hope Belle enjoyed the wonderment and excitement for her birthday and the rest of you were able to find some joy as well. I know I finally did.

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  2. It truly can drive a person mad! I'm so glad I'm not alone. Thank you for sharing your experience with me. Belle had a great time. She loved Peter Pan and Splash Mountain the most. When we took her to the Haunted Mansion her response was "this isn't even scary!". Kids! We do our best to make them happy. :)

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