Blonde Highlights

So THE PLAN. First I advise you that to have a terrific trip to Disney World you need to research, develop, feed and nurture your Disney Plan. Then here in this very next section I’m going to tell you to ditch it. Now I don’t mean ditch it ditch it. Like don’t chuck The Plan in the nearest conveniently placed trash receptacle, no I mean if the kid wants to go on the Dumbo ride twice, go on the Dumbo ride twice. And don’t be Grumpy about it.

If you go on a vacation with the children to Disney then it’s reasonable for me to assume that you like your children. You want them to have fun. You want to have fun with them. That’s where I’m coming from when I go to Disney, I want to have fun with the kids.

Now some people criticise a Disney vacation as lacking spontaneity. I disagree. Even the most jaded and sarcastic  (me) parent can have a magical moment. But if you are too rigid and adhere to the marching orders of The Plan you could miss the magic moment. As is true in life - if you don’t open yourself to the possibility of a magic moment you’ll miss them. Or worse you’ll march your kids right past them because they’re not a part of The Plan.

One Disney trip after a busy morning in the Magic Kingdom we arrived at the Crystal Palace for a nice buffet lunch. I wrangled my parents and my kids into the glass encased Winnie the Pooh themed venue. I’d budgeted time in The Plan for this experience. We had lunch with the characters, seconds, the ice cream buffet, a potty break and at just under an hour for lunch we were good to go. The Plan was working perfectly. But I was itching to get the army moving again, The Plan called for a hike to The Hall of Presidents. Then I heard, “but mom we haven’t seen Eeyore yet.”

At the Crystal Palace the Pooh characters rotate from table to table. We’d seen the biggies Pooh, Roo and even that whack job Tigger. We’d DONE the Crystal Palace. We could check it off The Plan and hustle to the next thing. But then again, “Mom, Eeyore, please.”

I was annoyed, if we stayed any longer The Plan would be shot to heck. My parents offered to wait at the restaurant with the kids if I wanted to get moving. My over-scheduled, not-on- vacation mind thought-yes! I can get to all the rides I need to vis-a-vis The Plan without slowing down for the kids! But wait….

Ooh.. this post is almost 400 words.. too much…this story will be continued… Wednesday where you’ll find out if anyone was injurred in the making of the above picture!