So far, it has always been our family's luck. Someone ALWAYS gets sick before a Disney vacation. From our very first Disney vacation, this has become a family tradition I am desperately trying to change.
Our first trip to the World, we had planned for months and months on end. We were so excited and I, of course, was still pouring over and planning every detail. We were staying at the beautiful Wilderness Lodge. To this day, still my favorite Disney resort. We had our days planned out, including several Character Breakfasts and lunches. I even managed a small miracle and was able to procure a breakfast at the one and only Cinderella's Castle on the last morning! Anyone who is even remotely crazy about Disney knows that getting a Cinderella's Castle breakfast reservation is harder than trying to train your cat to use the toilet! But I had done it, achieved the almost imposable. . . . . if only I could say the same for the cat.
Unfortunately two weeks before we were to leave for our 9 days of Disney bliss, Thing 1 got the FLU! Not just sick, the FLU! This was Thing 1's first real big sickness and I of course panicked. Poor baby was so sick. The doctor gave lots of meds and said Thing 1 would be over the worst in a week, but symptoms would linger another week or two after. Thing 1 would be just fine to go on vacation, so no need to cancel. PHEWWW! Crisis averted. . . . . . then Thing 2 got the Flu a week later. Crisis back on. . . . . Rushed Thing 2 to the doctor. Meds, rest and Thing 2 should be ok to leave for vacation. The day before we left, I brought both Things back to the doctor, just to make sure they would be up for vacation. They were doing much better aside from still stuffy noses and coughing. They were thankfully cleared for Disney!
The trip proved to be a great social experiment! We would be standing in line with the Things, who even though still taking cough medicine, sounded like they had the plague. Of course we would get looks from other parents to the effect of , "What is wrong with you people, dragging those kids around when they are clearly sick?", "Come over her Jr. ,don't want you standing too close to those two." I would probably act the same way, being such a germ-a-phobe, so I would smile and try to explain they are over the Flu, the doctor said they are not contagious. Eventually I would just start to complain about the warm, moist, Florida air and that they have allergies. That usually worked better and was meet with understanding, sympatric nods and war stories of their own allergy problems. . . . grrrreeeeeaaatttt! Still, it was amazing how much more personal space you are given at the World when other people look at your children as if they have Tuberculosis. It was even more amazing the stares and judgment that people pass, as if I wasn't a good mother and didn't want to cancel my trip. "Sure lady, keep looking at me that way! Seeing The Mouse is clearly way more important than my children's health! Come a little closer so they can cough on you and I can smack you!" I felt I was going to have to pin an All-Clear doctor's note on them or just wrap them in a bubble so other people would feel more comfortable! Thankfully as the week progressed the coughs got less and less and we were pretty much just left with a few coughs and a runny nose.
Sadly, the last morning of our vacation came. Days of being fully immersed in the Disney Kool-aid was about to end. We hadn't even set foot outside of the walls of Disney World for 9 days! In just a few short hours, we would be rejoining the real world. Worst part of any Disney vacation. We got dressed, loaded the car and checked out of the Wilderness Lodge. The plan was to go to the Castle breakfast, then go on our 5 favorite rides at the Kingdom and then start the long, sad, drive home. We walked down to the boat launch at the Lodge and rode the boat over to the Kingdom. One of the best and coolest rewards for staying at the Lodge. Taking the relaxing boat ride across the winding lake over to the Magic Kingdom was always such a treat, as was returning at the end of the day. Such a unique idea and way better than taking the bus!
Since the breakfast begins before the park is "officially" open, you go to a side gate to present your tickets. They direct you to the Castle, as if you could miss it. . . . . and in you go, the Kingdom, BEFORE HOURS! So quiet and calm. Walking up main street, by ourselves, with only a few other Castle breakfast people further down near the end of Main Street. That has to be one of the most Magical moments I have had in Disney! For that moment, we had the illusion of having the park almost all to ourselves! My favorite walk down Main Street and it was just me and my family! The music was on and the smell of waffle cones were already floating on the breeze. For just those few minutes, it was all for us and for us only. That moment was worth all the time and money it took to get the breakfast reservations and was even more magical than the breakfast promised to be. We all knew this moment was unique and special. We looked at each other and smiled. We walked hand in hand up to the Castle a little slower, savoring our magic. Such a great way to begin our last day, Thank- You Disney!
Our moment finally came to an end as we walked up the drawbridge and under the castle to the entrance for the breakfast. There were a lot more people here, lined up and waiting to be admitted. After a few moments wait, we were also admitted inside. After all these years of not even knowing that you can go inside the castle, to finally be inside was amazing! There were stone walls covered with tapestries of kingdoms and other fantasy castles. There were princes and princesses everywhere! It was like walking into a mini royal ball! We waited for our turn to be announced into the castle and then we made the rounds to each royal couple for a greeting and a picture. The last, of course, being Cinderella! "I am so happy that you made it!" She gushed " We've been waiting for you! Welcome to my home! The chef's have made so many yummy treats for you! I hope they are your favorites and you like them!" She spent quite a bit of time with the Things and then snuggled in with them for a few pictures. Then we all took pictures with her. After, we were escorted upstairs to the Ballroom. It was enchanting!! Stone walls and tapestries still filled the space as well as hundreds of grand stained glass windows spilling color throughout the whole room with the help of the early morning sun. There were intricate mosaics, candles and chandeliers, pillars and archways, it was so warm and inviting! We were lead over to our table. After we were seated, we noticed that we all had blue wishing stars on our table. These were used later during the breakfast for us all to place a special wish on! Throughout the breakfast, which was really delicious, the princesses made their way through the dining room greeting guests and taking more pictures. We were all really enjoying the atmosphere, the breakfast and the overall magic!
Well, clearly the Things come from a descendant of the Funny Farm Family. They too apparently carry enough in them that I should have known the magic wouldn't last too long. . . . . The Things had already meet with a few princesses and Jasmine was just a table away and was headed over to us next! The Things were excited to greet another princess guest at our table. Then, it happened. . . . Thing 1 sneezed! Not just a little "ah-chew" no, no, this was a whole giant, loud, entire sinus cavity clearing SNEEZE! The series of events that followed “The Sneeze” all happened in a matter of seconds, but they felt much, much, longer! After "The Sneeze" I look over at Thing 1 who was now in a state of "What the heck do I do now panic." and looking directly at me with large eyes. I am directly across the table from Thing 1 and I look back at Thing 1 with even bigger eyes, mortification and disgust! It was indeed a nose clearing sneeze! I see that Thing 1 has a LONG line (my guess about a mile long) of thick, nasty snot trailing out of the nose and almost into the lap! Thing 1 is 6 at the time, so "wipe your nose" has clearly been taught and mastered, yet, Thing 1 isn't moving or wiping! I look over at Hubby who is sitting right next to Thing 1 with the same mortified and even more disgusted look on his face than I have. Hubby is a HUGE germ-a-phobe and doesn't handle any gross bodily functions well. I can tell he's already holding back the urge to gag and he is looking a little green. He too is frozen in a state of shock and awe! “What is wrong with you people!” I frantically think to myself, not able to speak yet. Thing 2, also useless and frozen. Just then, I see out of the corner of my eye that Jasmine has left the table and was headed over in our direction. I say was. She caught one look at Thing 1, the snot line, made contact with all 8 pairs of mortified wide eyes and did what I have never thought possible of any Disney Cast Member, she BROKE CHARACTER! The Princess smile fell of her fast faster than a snot rocket and was replaced by a look of sheer terror! She turned on her heel, forced herself to plaster that Princess smile back on her face and headed to another table on the other side of the dining room so fast I think she left flames and burn marks in the rug! I look at Hubby and Thing 1 at the same time and in panicked hushed tones tell them to grab a napkin and WIPE THE NOSE! Hurry!! OH.MY.GOSH! Just wipe it, cover it, something, do SOMETHING!! Hubby dares to give me a look that said, "I can't touch that! Why can't you walk over here and do it?!" Realization hit him that he's the closest, he's gotta do it. Then he and Thing 1 at the same time FINALLY grab a napkin and begin wiping and scooping up the snot trail. This, of course, is followed by a few disgusted faces and some gagging from the Hubby. Thing 1 finally pulls the napkin down to reveal a nice, fresh, un-snotted face. Hubby ordered Thing 1 to throw the napkin on the floor because he didn't want it anywhere near all the food and gave Thing 1 his napkin to use. Thing 1 wiped the nose a few more times, just for good measure. We all looked around at each other unable to even speak. Our faces and the backs of our necks all buring hot with embarressment. Clearly, being in such close proximity to other tables, I am sure those immediately seated around had also seen the snot-trail, but thankfully they also saw our mortification and tried to be polite and just ignore us and that it happened. We all sat in silence for a few moments, trying to move past the awkward dilemma. I felt so bad for Thing 1. Thing 1 doesn't handle embarrassment well. I had to do something. This absurdly gross bodily function accident can't ruin what was such a magical day! Apparently Hubby had the same thought because finally he leaned in and said, "Did you catch the look on Jasmine's face?" We all had and we all smiled at the thought, then we all broke out into huge laughter! I mean hey, what can you do about it but laugh? We joked and giggled the rest of the breakfast. The survival of the traumatic "snot incident" clearly bringing us closer together. Poor Jasmine never made it back over to our table and in fact, I think she grabbed a magic carpet and flew away! We left the castle and enjoyed what was left of our magical morning at the Kingdom. Hey, we're a Funny Farm Family, Snot Happens!
Our first trip to the World, we had planned for months and months on end. We were so excited and I, of course, was still pouring over and planning every detail. We were staying at the beautiful Wilderness Lodge. To this day, still my favorite Disney resort. We had our days planned out, including several Character Breakfasts and lunches. I even managed a small miracle and was able to procure a breakfast at the one and only Cinderella's Castle on the last morning! Anyone who is even remotely crazy about Disney knows that getting a Cinderella's Castle breakfast reservation is harder than trying to train your cat to use the toilet! But I had done it, achieved the almost imposable. . . . . if only I could say the same for the cat.
Unfortunately two weeks before we were to leave for our 9 days of Disney bliss, Thing 1 got the FLU! Not just sick, the FLU! This was Thing 1's first real big sickness and I of course panicked. Poor baby was so sick. The doctor gave lots of meds and said Thing 1 would be over the worst in a week, but symptoms would linger another week or two after. Thing 1 would be just fine to go on vacation, so no need to cancel. PHEWWW! Crisis averted. . . . . . then Thing 2 got the Flu a week later. Crisis back on. . . . . Rushed Thing 2 to the doctor. Meds, rest and Thing 2 should be ok to leave for vacation. The day before we left, I brought both Things back to the doctor, just to make sure they would be up for vacation. They were doing much better aside from still stuffy noses and coughing. They were thankfully cleared for Disney!
The trip proved to be a great social experiment! We would be standing in line with the Things, who even though still taking cough medicine, sounded like they had the plague. Of course we would get looks from other parents to the effect of , "What is wrong with you people, dragging those kids around when they are clearly sick?", "Come over her Jr. ,don't want you standing too close to those two." I would probably act the same way, being such a germ-a-phobe, so I would smile and try to explain they are over the Flu, the doctor said they are not contagious. Eventually I would just start to complain about the warm, moist, Florida air and that they have allergies. That usually worked better and was meet with understanding, sympatric nods and war stories of their own allergy problems. . . . grrrreeeeeaaatttt! Still, it was amazing how much more personal space you are given at the World when other people look at your children as if they have Tuberculosis. It was even more amazing the stares and judgment that people pass, as if I wasn't a good mother and didn't want to cancel my trip. "Sure lady, keep looking at me that way! Seeing The Mouse is clearly way more important than my children's health! Come a little closer so they can cough on you and I can smack you!" I felt I was going to have to pin an All-Clear doctor's note on them or just wrap them in a bubble so other people would feel more comfortable! Thankfully as the week progressed the coughs got less and less and we were pretty much just left with a few coughs and a runny nose.
Sadly, the last morning of our vacation came. Days of being fully immersed in the Disney Kool-aid was about to end. We hadn't even set foot outside of the walls of Disney World for 9 days! In just a few short hours, we would be rejoining the real world. Worst part of any Disney vacation. We got dressed, loaded the car and checked out of the Wilderness Lodge. The plan was to go to the Castle breakfast, then go on our 5 favorite rides at the Kingdom and then start the long, sad, drive home. We walked down to the boat launch at the Lodge and rode the boat over to the Kingdom. One of the best and coolest rewards for staying at the Lodge. Taking the relaxing boat ride across the winding lake over to the Magic Kingdom was always such a treat, as was returning at the end of the day. Such a unique idea and way better than taking the bus!
Since the breakfast begins before the park is "officially" open, you go to a side gate to present your tickets. They direct you to the Castle, as if you could miss it. . . . . and in you go, the Kingdom, BEFORE HOURS! So quiet and calm. Walking up main street, by ourselves, with only a few other Castle breakfast people further down near the end of Main Street. That has to be one of the most Magical moments I have had in Disney! For that moment, we had the illusion of having the park almost all to ourselves! My favorite walk down Main Street and it was just me and my family! The music was on and the smell of waffle cones were already floating on the breeze. For just those few minutes, it was all for us and for us only. That moment was worth all the time and money it took to get the breakfast reservations and was even more magical than the breakfast promised to be. We all knew this moment was unique and special. We looked at each other and smiled. We walked hand in hand up to the Castle a little slower, savoring our magic. Such a great way to begin our last day, Thank- You Disney!
Our moment finally came to an end as we walked up the drawbridge and under the castle to the entrance for the breakfast. There were a lot more people here, lined up and waiting to be admitted. After a few moments wait, we were also admitted inside. After all these years of not even knowing that you can go inside the castle, to finally be inside was amazing! There were stone walls covered with tapestries of kingdoms and other fantasy castles. There were princes and princesses everywhere! It was like walking into a mini royal ball! We waited for our turn to be announced into the castle and then we made the rounds to each royal couple for a greeting and a picture. The last, of course, being Cinderella! "I am so happy that you made it!" She gushed " We've been waiting for you! Welcome to my home! The chef's have made so many yummy treats for you! I hope they are your favorites and you like them!" She spent quite a bit of time with the Things and then snuggled in with them for a few pictures. Then we all took pictures with her. After, we were escorted upstairs to the Ballroom. It was enchanting!! Stone walls and tapestries still filled the space as well as hundreds of grand stained glass windows spilling color throughout the whole room with the help of the early morning sun. There were intricate mosaics, candles and chandeliers, pillars and archways, it was so warm and inviting! We were lead over to our table. After we were seated, we noticed that we all had blue wishing stars on our table. These were used later during the breakfast for us all to place a special wish on! Throughout the breakfast, which was really delicious, the princesses made their way through the dining room greeting guests and taking more pictures. We were all really enjoying the atmosphere, the breakfast and the overall magic!
Well, clearly the Things come from a descendant of the Funny Farm Family. They too apparently carry enough in them that I should have known the magic wouldn't last too long. . . . . The Things had already meet with a few princesses and Jasmine was just a table away and was headed over to us next! The Things were excited to greet another princess guest at our table. Then, it happened. . . . Thing 1 sneezed! Not just a little "ah-chew" no, no, this was a whole giant, loud, entire sinus cavity clearing SNEEZE! The series of events that followed “The Sneeze” all happened in a matter of seconds, but they felt much, much, longer! After "The Sneeze" I look over at Thing 1 who was now in a state of "What the heck do I do now panic." and looking directly at me with large eyes. I am directly across the table from Thing 1 and I look back at Thing 1 with even bigger eyes, mortification and disgust! It was indeed a nose clearing sneeze! I see that Thing 1 has a LONG line (my guess about a mile long) of thick, nasty snot trailing out of the nose and almost into the lap! Thing 1 is 6 at the time, so "wipe your nose" has clearly been taught and mastered, yet, Thing 1 isn't moving or wiping! I look over at Hubby who is sitting right next to Thing 1 with the same mortified and even more disgusted look on his face than I have. Hubby is a HUGE germ-a-phobe and doesn't handle any gross bodily functions well. I can tell he's already holding back the urge to gag and he is looking a little green. He too is frozen in a state of shock and awe! “What is wrong with you people!” I frantically think to myself, not able to speak yet. Thing 2, also useless and frozen. Just then, I see out of the corner of my eye that Jasmine has left the table and was headed over in our direction. I say was. She caught one look at Thing 1, the snot line, made contact with all 8 pairs of mortified wide eyes and did what I have never thought possible of any Disney Cast Member, she BROKE CHARACTER! The Princess smile fell of her fast faster than a snot rocket and was replaced by a look of sheer terror! She turned on her heel, forced herself to plaster that Princess smile back on her face and headed to another table on the other side of the dining room so fast I think she left flames and burn marks in the rug! I look at Hubby and Thing 1 at the same time and in panicked hushed tones tell them to grab a napkin and WIPE THE NOSE! Hurry!! OH.MY.GOSH! Just wipe it, cover it, something, do SOMETHING!! Hubby dares to give me a look that said, "I can't touch that! Why can't you walk over here and do it?!" Realization hit him that he's the closest, he's gotta do it. Then he and Thing 1 at the same time FINALLY grab a napkin and begin wiping and scooping up the snot trail. This, of course, is followed by a few disgusted faces and some gagging from the Hubby. Thing 1 finally pulls the napkin down to reveal a nice, fresh, un-snotted face. Hubby ordered Thing 1 to throw the napkin on the floor because he didn't want it anywhere near all the food and gave Thing 1 his napkin to use. Thing 1 wiped the nose a few more times, just for good measure. We all looked around at each other unable to even speak. Our faces and the backs of our necks all buring hot with embarressment. Clearly, being in such close proximity to other tables, I am sure those immediately seated around had also seen the snot-trail, but thankfully they also saw our mortification and tried to be polite and just ignore us and that it happened. We all sat in silence for a few moments, trying to move past the awkward dilemma. I felt so bad for Thing 1. Thing 1 doesn't handle embarrassment well. I had to do something. This absurdly gross bodily function accident can't ruin what was such a magical day! Apparently Hubby had the same thought because finally he leaned in and said, "Did you catch the look on Jasmine's face?" We all had and we all smiled at the thought, then we all broke out into huge laughter! I mean hey, what can you do about it but laugh? We joked and giggled the rest of the breakfast. The survival of the traumatic "snot incident" clearly bringing us closer together. Poor Jasmine never made it back over to our table and in fact, I think she grabbed a magic carpet and flew away! We left the castle and enjoyed what was left of our magical morning at the Kingdom. Hey, we're a Funny Farm Family, Snot Happens!
Jayme: Can't wait to meet you, DH and the Things on our Fantasy Cruise. I'm here with tears rolling down my cheeks and my wife is looking at me like I've lost my mind! We've all been there, but you tell it so much better! - JohnPA
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