A Georgia Girl in Germany

We planned to spend three days at the Disney World parks, and our first park -- no surprise -- was the Magic Kingdom. Benjamin had been telling me that he hadn’t ever been to Disney World, and that he needed to go. The last time we went was when he was 11 months old, so he legitimately doesn’t remember having been there before.

When we first arrived in the park, there were a few characters greeting visitors. Benjamin was initially hesitant to go up to them, but warmed up to them when MacKenzie was with him. We didn’t stick around to meet all of them, especially since the lines were quickly growing and the temperatures were rising with every minute.

After standing in a tremendous line to meet Pluto, we called it quits for meeting characters. Fortunately, Benjamin got enough autographs to satisfy that need.

Zachary and MacKenzie really enjoyed riding Space Mountain five years ago, and were excited about getting to ride it again. Unfortunately, it was under repair this year. Sad faces all around -- even for Benjamin since he absolutely loves roller coasters and had heard Zachary and MacKenzie talk about how cool Space Mountain is. Better luck next time.

We all enjoyed riding Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. We got to shoot at tons of futuristic aliens as we traveled through the Ranger Academy and beyond.

Afterward, MacKenzie and Benjamin were detained by the evil Zerg. Good thing Zachary and I were able to help them escape.

Benjamin was excited as we patiently waited to enter the theater to watch the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor.

One of the permanent highlights at the Magic Kingdom is driving the Tomorrowland Speedway. Benjamin was telling me to get in the car because he didn’t want to have to leave without me -- too funny!

Zachary remained hot on our heels as we twisted and turned through the race course. Hard to believe he’ll be old enough to get his REAL license in just over two years (egads!). He certainly looks ready to be behind the wheel!

The Astro Orbiter is another must-ride attraction. Even though the line is usually long, being high enough to see the rest of the park is well worth it. When we stepped off the elevator, however, we were told a storm was moving in and they may have to shut down the ride if they spotted lightning. Fortunately, the Disney cast member (remember, they’re not “employees”) didn’t spot any and we were cleared to ride. Look at that expression on Benjamin’s face -- priceless!

I’d say MacKenzie enjoyed the ride as well. She especially liked jerking the rocket up and down just to hear me holler. Oh the cheap thrills at my expense!

Another of our favorite rides is Splash Mountain. You can see the beads of sweat rolling down Zachary’s face, so we all welcomed the opportunity to cool off. Benjamin seemed a bit concerned about getting soaked though. Fortunately, both boys wore quick-drying shirts -- they were prepared! (Hey, they’re both scouts, and a scout is always prepared!)

Zachary really enjoyed the Mad Tea Party, and spinning the tea cup to get me extremely dizzy (which I find is easier to do the older I get).

After we rode the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, MacKenzie threatened Zachary. Fortunately it was all in god fun. Plus, he quickly had his gun pointed back at her.

What a motley crew of pirates this is ... well, if you ignore the price tags hanging from our Jack Sparrow hats. At least Benjamin’s price tag looks like an odd eye-patch!

Gotcha! Yep, he’s gonna get ya!

Nana and Papa left to head back to the hotel while we went on one last roller coaster ride. We rode the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad after dark (does that kinda count as riding Space Mountain?), then headed toward the exit. However, the evening parade had already started by the time we got off the ride, and the crowds became thicker as we neared the castle. So we slowed down, caught a couple good glimpses of the parade as we made our way toward the park exit and decided to stay and watch the evening fireworks. We even saw Tinkerbelle fly down from the castle (although I missed catching a photo of her -- aren’t fairies elusive that way!?!!).



Benjamin was getting so tired that he couldn’t keep up, especially through the crowds, so he climbed on my back until we found a good spot to watch the fireworks.

However, Benjamin caught his second wind as we waited for the bus back to our hotel, and convinced me to buy a double-balloon.

By the time we made it back to our room, Zachary and MacKenzie were ready to crash, but Benjamin was still excited to have his balloon. We even managed to bring the red balloon back to Germany with us. Even more surprisingly, Zachary untied it, let the remaining air out, blew it up again and tied it off. It’s STILL inflated and in our house nearly three months later -- now that’s a sturdy balloon!

Labels: Benjamin, Disney World, MacKenzie, Nana and Papa, Stateside visits, Travel, Zachary