We had so much fun as a family. It really was the trip of a lifetime and, hopefully, we have a lifetime's worth of memories to keep with us.
For the boys, anyway the memories will fade away as they get older and experience so many other things in their lives. For Jude and me, though, I think the memory of taking them on their first trip to Disney World will always be special. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I think even the small details of the trip will be etched in our minds for all time.
Highlights? Too many to capture, but I'll give it a shot.
- J.P. turned into a real "world traveler" for the first time, as he carried his own suitcase through the airport. More importantly, for the first time ever, he didn't vomit on the flight to Orlando or on the return flight to Nashville. Progress? I'd say so.
- Expedition Everest. An error in judgment by Jude and me to let him ride it with his old man, as I think we ruined all roller coasters for J.P. for a long, long time. Afterwards, he was almost catatonic for an hour or so as we walked around the Animal Kingdom Thursday morning. If only that damn "yeti" wouldn't have torn up the track!
- The safari at Animal Kingdom. A true highlight of the trip. It's well documented that I don't like zoos, aquariums, circuses, etc., because I'm bothered by the animals being caged up so far away from their natural habitats. It seemed different, somehow, for the animals on the safari, because their was so much open space in which they could roam. I realize it's just a bigger cage on a certain level, but it felt different. Really cool.
- Being able to watch, from the balcony of our hotel room at Animal Kingdom Lodge, as the giraffes ambled over to the pond for dinner each evening was awe inspiring. Such graceful, peaceful animals.
- Joe, being Joe, delighted in screaming out "yeti" throughout our stay, having heard J.P. and I talk about the "yeti" on "Expedition Everest." It became a running joke, as each time we returned to the hotel and disembarked from the bus, J.P. and Joe would run ahead, hide, then jump out and scream "yeti!" Jude and I looked at each other and smiled as the boys laughed uproariously together.
- J.P. loved, and I mean loved, "the Hall of Presidents," of all things. We watched the 20+ minute historical film on Friday and Saturday. On the return visit Saturday, we sat in the front row of the large theater, so J.P. could see for himself whether all of the presidents who appear "in person" at the end of the film were actors or robots. He had convinced himself after our Friday visit that the presidents were actors, so he was a bit disappointed to learn otherwise on Saturday.
- J.P. and I laughed (as did those around us) Saturday afternoon and evening, as we took turns calling out an obscure president's name (i.e. Millard Fillmore), then slowly nodding our heads like each presidential robot did when his name was called out after the film at "the Hall of Presidents." I don't know why we thought it was so funny, but we did. Cyndi (Baines), Cyndi's mom (Sue) and Jude laughed right along with us.
- J.P. and Joe loved the Peter Pan ride. It was old school, nice and slow, but I think what the boys liked was "flying" slowly over London. Not at all like "flying" backwards down Mount Everest through dark tunnels with a "yeti" chasing you.
- I'm not sure why, but J.P. fell in love with the old time "shooting gallery" in Frontierland. 4 quarters for 35 shots at various "targets." It was so unlike Xbox, Playstation, etc., which I why I think I liked it. Well, that and the look of horror on Jude's face as J.P. held a "rifle," grinning from ear to ear.
- Tom Sawyer's Island was really, really cool. J.P. and Joe loved exploring the fort there. Keeping with our gun theme, J.P. got a kick out of firing the guns on the top of the fort, as imaginary attackers tried to sneak up the riverbank. Jude just shook her head sadly. Boys, indeed, will be boys.
- The Swiss Family Robinson tree house was also cool, for a lot of the same reasons the fort on Tom Sawyer's Island was.
- J.P. and I rode "Pirates of the Caribbean," which he enjoyed after I convinced him it wasn't another roller coaster. Boys, pirates? Always a winner combination.
- We all rode "It's a Small World" on Friday and Saturday. An old school ride for sure, but the boys liked it (especially Joe). I'm pretty sure it hasn't changed a bit since I was a kid.
- It was great to spend some time with Cyndi Baines, Finn, Sue Debula (Cyndi's mom) and Jake (Cydi's 6 year old nephew). They drove over from Jacksonville/Neptune Beach Saturday morning and we had dinner together Saturday night at Planet Hollywood in Downtown Disney.
- For me, the highlight of the trip may well have been arriving at the Magic Kingdom on Saturday morning in time to line up and wait for the official opening of the park. More on that later, but it was great to feel the anticipation build in the crowd outside the park until "the mayor" finally walked out and made note of the approaching train carrying Mickey, Minnie and their friends.
- J.P. loved "the racetrack." He "drove" a car with me working the gas peddle and him steering once on Friday and 3 or 4 times Saturday morning. In fact, we were the very first drivers on racetrack Saturday morning, which was awesome.
We'll got back to Disney World, of that I'm sure. But we'll never go to Disney World together for the first time, again.
The Magic Kingdom really is the happiest place on earth.
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