A Magical Place For All: Second Rough Draft

DisneyWorld has always been a special place to me. I took my first plane ride there with my family when I was 9 years old. It's where I spent my honeymoon and it will be my daughter's first plane ride too. I have so many fond memories; feeling the warm air in April, sitting by the bar at the pool ordering a hot dog (seeing I was way too young to order a drink), getting out of the heat even if it was on the ride 'It's a Small World,' seeing real flamingos and palm trees, having the biggest worry be what time the shuttle bus was coming, riding on the monorail, watching the fireworks, and seeing everyone around you smile. It truly is a magical place for all ages.

One of my most memorable moments was the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Review dinner show. My husband and I were sitting at a small round table up by the stage. We had just finished our first course when the actors came out to say hello and ask the crowd some questions, 'who's celebrating a birthday, an anniversary, and who's on their honeymoon.' I have never been one to shy away from attention, so immediately my hand goes up. Had I known what would come next, I may have chosen not to reveal any information. One of the actors came running over to our table and told me to come with him up on stage. I really didn't have much of a choice when 500 people sat there smiling and waiting for me to respond. Meanwhile, my husband was laughing hysterically trying to find our camera.

It was exciting being picked, but I could just feel my palms getting sweaty and my mouth drying up. Could this be my big Hollywood break? I may be a high school math teacher, but my dream was always to become an actress. There might be someone in the crowd that would see some me up on stage and,.....who am I kidding? I'd be lucky if I got a few claps and a 'nice job up there.' Back stage there were three of us from the audience who were asked to get changed in the dark and were given verbal instructions of what to do, when to do it, and what say. When it was my time to go out on stage I forgot everything. I could just feel my face getting hot and it wasn't just because the lights were in my face.

This summer my daughter turns 5 and we are going to Disney for the first time as a family. I cannot wait. It's been 9 years since our last trip there (3 weeks before 9/11). Last year I started researching airlines, hotels, places to eat, etc., so most of everything has been done for a while. I'm not the most organized person, but I do a great job planning events. I see the big picture and then work on the little touches. We've received some criticism from friends and family because we're traveling in August, but it really is the best time for our family and that's exactly what I tell them. It's cheaper to travel to Disney in the summer, the crowds are minimal, there is no stress in returning home and having to plan or correct papers, my daughter doesn't loose instruction time at school, it's not one of the busier times at work for my husband who is a store manager, and I don't have to worry about traveling to or from the airport due to snow storms.

I'm really looking forward to the end of school so I can concentrate on those little things, like making a list of items we'll need to bring with us, calling the hotel about room arrangements, and finally watching the vacation and planning video Disney sent us six months ago. We have dinner reservations for the Hoop Dee Doo show, but I think I'll just sit back and relax this time.