Happiest Place on Earth

Disney World claims the distinction of being known as the Happiest Place on Earth. Really? I can think of much happier places that I would rather be, like.....Marshalls with an unlimited spending amount on the credit card or Nova Scotia in August with balmy ocean breezes and no children or in the dentist chair getting a root canal....oh, wait a flippin minute...the wires in my brain just got criss-crossed!

Ok, I do have to say that I had just as much fun as my children this past weekend at Disney. Like Busch Gardens and Elmo, I was super excited to see Maddens reaction to Mickey Mouse and the Clubhouse gang and I was not disappointed!  Friday night we took the wrong exit off  I-4 trying to locate our hotel, but as it turned out, we drove right past Downtown Disney. So rather than check in at the hotel and THEN head downtown, we swung the swagger wagon into the parking lot and unloaded ourselves. Headed straight to one of the tens of thousands of stores that all sell the exact same things and bought Madden an autograph book and pen for almost $20.00. I could have bought something similar at the Dollar Store before leaving Pinellas Park...but that would have ruined the whole maxing out the credit card weekend extravaganza experience! Since it was an hour before the dinnertime rush we decided to check out the T-Rex restaurant and see what kind of line was waiting to get in to eat the overpriced delicious food. No wait. Lucked out. This restaurant is fabulous. Seriously...I couldn't stop looking around. It was like I was telatransported back in time to the Mesozoic era. Madden was a bit freaked out by the loud dinosaur rawrs and teradyctal screechings but overall enjoyed it.



So now that we have eaten enough food to make even a T-Rex full we stroll around Downtown Disney and then head to our hotel to check in. When booking this mini vacation I tried to be as cost efficient as possible and got us the cheap-o hotel. It actually is owned and operated by Disney, it just is called their Value resort...as opposed to the sell-your-first-born to pay for an over the top room at the swanky Disney resorts. Since Shaws mom came with us, I booked 2 rooms side-by-side. So I shoved Madden and Shaw in a room and me, Brooklyn and Dallas got on our swimsuits and headed out to look for a hot tub to relax in. WHAT? No hot tub. You have got to be kidding me. The ONE thing I've been looking forward to all night. Oh well, the kids jump in to the pool but being the Florida girl that I am, the water was waaay toooo chilly for me! Back to the room and to sleep.

   Up and at 'em at 7am. Breakfast in the bedroom...$1.00 cereal boxes that I pre-bought at Publix to help keep the costs down.....but then Shaw had to go buy some milk at the hotel restaurant and 5 boxes of milk cost him $10.00!!! Oh well...I tried!

Off we go. We take the resort bus to the Magic Kingdom and then enter the Park as it is opening. The Mayor of the Park welcomes everyone and there is dancing and music and the characters arrive by train and it all is so happy and magical....ok, so I'm a little emotional here because the happiness on my kids faces is priceless! Being the anal retentive OCD organizer that I am...I have the whole park mapped out and know exactly where we are heading. Hurry up kids...keep up...no dilly dallying. It's a Small World is our first ride and guess what....we are the 1st park visitors of the day on the ride. No prize for us unfortunately, but we did have the whole ride to ourselves. No smelly, sweating co-riders here! From there we hit all the fun rides, saw Pooh and Tigger, hopped on more rides and got some autographs. Of all my visits, it was by far the best weather day ever. Overcast....not too hot, a breeze, PERECT. Madden was such a trooper. He went full tilt until 9pm when he crashed hard on the bus ride back to the hotel. A few minor meltdowns but nothing serious that a kiss and ice cream cone couldn't fix. There were 2 rides he didn't like. Lilo and Stitch....which was stupid anyway and the Haunted Mansion. Shaw took him out of Lilo and Stitch before it even started but once we made our way into the Haunted Mansion there was no turning back. So while he started whimpering that he wanted to go home, I whipped out my camera and gave it to him to look at the pictures. Shaw took his sweater and covered us up on the ride so we couldn't see anything. Only problem was that Madden was still moaning and groaning. I'm surprised we weren't caught on tape, a security guard mistakenly thinking Shaw and I were making out! If I had to rate this day I would give it a 10 out of 10....seriously, that great!!!

Day 2 and we have decided to take the kids to Chef Mickey.....well I have decided this and Shaw has no choice but to go along with my wild schemes! So once again we hop on the bus that takes us to Magic Kingdom. From there we hop on the monorail that takes us to the Contemporary Resort. We give our name and wait about 5 min and we're called back to a table. Walking by the buffet and my mouth starts to water...I think I have saliva dripping down my chin everything looks so good and it is after 11am....way, way past my normal 7am breakfast hour! We get settled in and go to load up our plates. I'm a bit embarrassed at the amount I piled onto my plate...after all it was a buffet, I was allowed to go back for 2nds even 3rds or 4ths if I felt like it! I get back to the table and oh look....it's Chef Mickey making his way to our table.

The fabulous part of this breakfast is that the characters all come to your table one by one so you get their undivided attention! So we get autographs and some pictures and then start to eat. You have got to be kidding me......my breakfast is now cold. Oh well...I eat some things and then go back and fill up my second plate. No longer embarrassed because everyone else has way more than me on their plates. Get to the table and oh look....it's Chef Goofy!  

So needless to say that even though I filled my plate about 5 times...I never was able to sit down and actually enjoy it while it was still hot! BUT my children had an amazing time, got pictures and autographs with Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald Duck and Goofy, they ate brownies and chocolate chip cookies for breakfast, they told me they loved me and thanked me for the weekend so THAT right there was totally worth the $175 we payed for a cold breakfast.

It was a fabulous fun filled family weekend that I wouldn't trade for anything. So even though Shaw puts a price tag of $910.00 on the weekend my price tag reads PRICELESS!