Long time, no write. I blame myself mostly...myself and Mr. Walt Disney.
You see, a few months ago, I was dragged kicking and screaming (metaphorically...and in a dignified manner) to Walt Disney World.
I'm not going to lie, kids. I was not excited about this trip. I just couldn't envision myself enjoying a vacation consisting of long lines, screaming children, and mediocre food. Now, I'm not a theme park naysayer, but I'm a one day visitor; not a seven day inhabitant. But this trip was my mother-in-law's vision--one she'd been planning since Justin, my nephew, was born, and being one who relishes his #1 son-in-law status, I put on my happy pants in preparation to meet Mickey.
So how does Uncle Walt factor into my blogging deficiency? Well, after what turned out to be an amazing experience, I couldn't in good conscience blog about any other subject matter until I had blogged about this trip...plus, I think Sara's mom would have disowned me if I had.
But how does one capture the wonder that is Walt Disney World in a solitary post? You actually can't (as if that would stop me), but hopefully, my remarks will be intriguing to the uninitiated and reminiscent for those who have.
First off, there's something magical about witnessing Disney World through the eyes of a child so you'll notice this post is very Justin-centric. Plus, the presence of a child allows you to abandon certain adult-like pretensions: Ice cream at 10am? Sure! Ride the Buzz Lightyear 16 times in a row? Why not! Dance in the middle of the streets while eating a churro...okay that last one was just me...but you get my point. Disney is much more fun when you can experience it like a child...and it's a whole lot less creepy when you actually have a child with you.
Secondly, the hotel was amazing. My nephew loves the Cars movies so you can only imagine how excited he was to see life-size versions of his favorite characters as we entered the Cars section of the Art of Animation resort. His trip was made in that moment alone, and each day, we got to walk (as much as a six year old ever walks) by Lightning McQueen, Mater, and Luigi as if they were old friends.
Thirdly...okay enough with the -lys, bullet points from here on out:
- Production Value: This is what separates Disney from other theme parks I've been to. You don't just enter a park when the gates open. You're "paraded" in by Mickey and the gang. You don't just take a picture with a character. They sign an autograph book. You don't just swim in a pool. You swim in Nemo's "Big Blue Pool" with speakers pumping music underwater.
- Timing is Everything: We visited outside of the peak times--the first week of December...and it...was...glorious. Crowds were manageable, lines were pretty short, and the heat/humidity were just fine. Everyday, we spent far more time enjoying the park than waiting to enjoy the park. Of course, now that I blogged about this to my readership of 12, I'm certain I've just ruined a good thing, unleashing a stampede of new visitors to Disney World on December 1.
- Food/Snacks: We had one of those fancy-shmancy meal plans that pretty much allowed us to gorge ourselves throughout the day...you know, the polar opposite of "a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, and then a sensible dinner." And the food was pretty good. Sure, I got tired of eating a bacon cheeseburger every day, but yet, I was drawn to it like a moth to the flame every time.
I'm pretty sure I've exceeded blogger word count etiquette two bullet points ago so I'll sign off for now, but stay tuned next time as I detail how this inexperienced Disney visitor inadvertently scarred his nephew for life.
Good night, folks!
Ben
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