Last November we had the amazing opportunity to witness the launch of the Mars Rover at Cape Canaveral in Florida. Since Grandpa worked on the project, we were all invited to go to Florida and watch as the Mars Science Lab blasted off on its historic voyage. This was obviously a once in a lifetime event, so we leaped at the chance to go. And since the launch fell right around Thanksgiving, well, why not stay a few extra days and have a vacation? Of course, if you're spending some extra time in Florida, near Orlando, with a six year old, there is only one option for vacation: Walt Disney World.
Yes, this fall we bit the bullet and took the boy to Walt Disney World. We've done theme parks with the boy before, but Disney World is no theme park. At 47 square miles, it is only slightly smaller than the country of Lichtenstein. And don't confuse Disney World with the Magic Kingdom, home of the iconic Cinderella's castle and all things Mickey Mouse. No, Disney World is comprised of four separate theme parks, two water parks, twenty something resorts, spas, golf courses, and God knows what else - they probably have their own diamond mines and sweat shops somewhere on property. My point is, it's enormous. And if you're a total control freak like me, a trip of this magnitude requires planning. Lots of planning. In fact, I researched and planned and plotted enough that I probably could have taken over Lichtenstein.
In the end, though, we loved it. Charles and I were not expecting to enjoy Disney World as much as we did. In fact, our initial plan was to do Disney now, while Matt is young, and never have to go back to Florida again. (After living in Florida and going through three hurricanes in eleven months, it is not our favorite place.) But once we were there, we loved it. It was the easiest and smoothest vacation we've ever had. Disney moves so many people through their properties every day that they have it down to an art. The workers - excuse me, "Cast Members" - are well-trained and pleasant, the parks are clean, and the hotels and restaurants were quite nice. Much to our surprise, we started talking about coming back before we'd even left. We've drunk the Disney Kool-Aid.
We did all four parks, and I think I will break them up into a few separate posts, because, well, I took a lot of pictures. A LOT of pictures. With two cameras. And my phone. This may take a while.
Here is a brief preview:
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| Magic Kingdom |
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| Epcot |
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| Hollywood Studios |
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| Animal Kingdom |
More to come...
1 comment:
I loved the pictures and will look forward to seeing the rest of them. Matt told me that his favorite park was Animal Kingdom. I think that that would be my favorite as well. But if I were there and had my face painted, I think I would have to be a cotton-top tamarin with my white hair :)
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