Disney World & Family Time

Our Disney story began a few years ago, when Little One was a pint-sized tot, totally in awe of all things Disney.  A friend gave her Wall-E and a family gave her UP.  The rest was history…or, just the beginning!  Soon after, Little One just had to collect as many Disney DVDs as possible.  She also REALLY wanted to go to Disney World.

We discovered that though at three years of age, she could recite every line in the movie UP (verbatim), she loved stories with the Disney princesses the most.  Belle from Beauty and the Beast was her favourite princess for years.  When Disney’s Frozen was released, Elsa became Little One’s favourite Disney character.

Little One turned six years old in November, and reminded us of our promise to take her to Disney World.

As we approached the Magic Kingdom, Little One made me smile when she gasped, “Oh! Fairy tales do come true!” It truly was a magical moment.

Here are some snippets of our Disney trip:

I used to go to Disney World with my family when I was a kid.  We’ve gone several times and I never tired of it.  Each time is even more magical than the last.  I remember growing up, It’s a Small World was always my favourite ride.  Do you remember the books in the ’80s that came with a record that you could play and read along with?  That was one of my favourite books.  My mom would read it to us at bedtime.  My brother liked it because the main character’s name was the same as his.

Little One is different in that she comes from a multicultural background.  She has Filipina, Chinese, Caribbean, Scottish, English roots from Hubby and me, and she was born in Canada. All of these make her clearly Canadian, right?   I was trying to tell her that though Hubby’s and my ancestors came from different countries, Hubby and I were both born in Canada and she is Canadian.  I want her to understand that diversity is beautiful and each country and culture is special.

The It’s a Small World ride did just that for her.  She was in awe.

We made the colossal mistake of taking Little One on the Disney’s haunted mansion ride.  I remember as a kid, I thought it was a bit creepy.  I just didn’t anticipate Little One’s reaction.  She was petrified. As an adult, I actually really liked it!

Note to self: Do not take Little One on scary rides that have ghosts or creepy characters.

We needed to quickly find something HAPPY and not scary to calm her down and Mickey’s PhilharMagic was the perfect answer to that!  A true concert for the eyes and ears!  We all really enjoyed the experience.

We used our Fast Pass for visiting Rapunzel and Cinderella, Arielle in her grotto and Belle at Enchanted Tales with Belle.  The interactive story was very well put together.  Little One even got a role in the story as Maurice, Belle’s father.

This is one seriously happy kid!  She kept saying “Going to Disney is my WISH COME TRUE!”

Oh, she’s not a drama queen at all.

We spent fourteen hours at the Magic Kingdom.  Yes, you read correctly. FOURTEEN HOURS!!!  Little One thoroughly enjoyed every moment and wanted to stay longer.

We just had to stay for the Main Street Electrical Parade!  That was always one of my favourite parts of our Disney trips when I was younger.

This was such a memorable experience for all of us.  For Little One, being at the Magic Kingdom was magical.  For Hubby and myself, being able to go on a proper vacation and spend time as a family away from work and responsibilities at the farm was a welcome treat!

Stay tuned for upcoming posts about Preparing for your Disney trip,  What you Need to Pack for your Disney trip, Things to do in Orlando for Families with Young Children, and a post about Marriott Harbour Lake Resort.