More of a memory report than trip report

em'smom

Maelstromer
Joined
Jan 13, 2006
Messages
230
ok folks, I am wide awake, bored to tears and it is 3 am, no matter what time my posting clock thingamagiggy says, and I feel like boring you to death with some pictures of Emily and me at Disney.

But first a little story. Maybe not so little, sorry.

When I was a kid my mom and aunt used to drive us all (I am one of five kids remember)down to Disney every year during presidents week. Why mom and aunt? Because my aunt is a saint (mom is too) and my dad never wanted to go. Really she is a saint. Five kids, none of which were hers and she split the bill halvsies with my mom the whole way. And she put up with us and she didn’t kill any of us, which I am sure we would have deserved at several points during those trips. We did this trip for about ten or twelve years in a row, and it never got old.

My father never went with us. He hated playgrounds, never went there either, he would see all the possible ways for kids to get hurt. He also hated the Disney parks, for good reason I guess. He and my mom brought my two older sisters there in the early 70's, maybe 72 or 73? Anyway, I wasn’t born yet, so it was before 74. They were walking around the park and my oldest sister was following my dad as they were walking down main street. You know the way that kids do...mom has on blue shorts and sandals...dad has tan shorts and sneakers....

So as they are all walking along, my sister holds my father’s hand and turns out, that isn’t dad. She had been following the wrong shorts for a while. Luckily the park wasn’t so crowded and the family she was following were really nice. They put her on a garbage can and left her there. No, they didn’t leave her, but they did stand her on top of the garbage can. Which was really helpful because my dad is pretty darn tall. He was about to have a heart attack because his little girl was missing, but luckily they found each other. Anyway, it was thirty years before he went to Disney again if you get the idea of how much he hated it.

Anyway, we used to drive from NY and make the trip in a day and half. Most of the way mom would yell that she would “turn the car around RIGHT NOW” if we didn’t behave....but we never believed her because we knew that she wanted to be there as much as we did.

We loved these trips. Absolutely loved them. When I read about everyone’s special memories of their parents on a certain ride or in a certain area of disney, I think about my mom and my aunt. And for me it isn’t one ride or area, it is the whole world! And different stretches of I 95. I can picture us all at different spots throughout the years. Pointing out signs for ‘South of the Border’ for about 100 miles before we get there. The first official sighting of a palm tree, stomping our feet and pounding our hands on the car roof when we finally cross the florida border. Depression that sinks in when you realize florida is a long state to drive through also. And the joy of actually stopping and settling in at the hotel, (no Disney hotels for us, way to rich for our blood then). Cannon ball jumping in the outdoor, non-heated pool as soon as we were out of the car no matter what the weather. But nothing topped the euphoria of the first morning entrance into the Magic Kingdom. Absolute bliss. And my youngest brother squeaking “Winnie World! Winnie World!” with increasing volume, frequency and pitch (squeakiness?). He was about three at the time we started these trips and never let him live it down. He also wasn’t in a car seat and was rarely seat belted in, I guess we were living dangerously. Oh wait, it was very early 80's, we weren’t required to be belted in yet, were we?


To me it was home. My home. And my inheritance, because for the longest time I thought my grandfather was Walt Disney. No kidding, I thought Grandpa was THE Walt Disney. I have the pictures to prove how much they looked alike. So I really thought that Disney World was my home. And future.

We never had plans for the parks (as far as I can remember) we just went with the flow. Start in Tomorrowland every time and circle our way around the park. I have memories of us from so many different trips in each area of the park. The best of course was when we would end our night on main street and watch the parade and fire works. I have read somewhere here from some great authors how they cry when the entered the parks. Not me. Always when I left, even if it was just the first day. I would cry because I was so happy and to me a day in Disney was a day in heaven. It didn’t matter if we kids fought with each other, or got in trouble with mom or with our aunt. It was all forgotten by evening. Because then we only remembered the good times that we spent with each other.

Anyway, once my daughter was born, I knew that I wanted to, no needed to bring her to Disney to experience the magic, and visit Great Grandpa of course. And without a doubt, Grandma had to be there for Emily’s first taste of Disney. On our five day trip we may have made it onto ten rides, but that didn’t matter. We experienced a part of Disney that we hadn’t really felt before. The slower pace of Disney with a baby. We had the opportunity to take in the quiet areas and really savor each moment. Emily was 16 months old on that first trip. She was a very good baby and loved to people watch. We all enjoyed that trip very much.

I have a few pictures to post from that trip.

This is really my favorite photo, the magic of meeting your hero. Pooh was Emily's favorite movie and toy and bedtime book at that time in her life.
pooh.jpg



Proof that we were maelstroming way back in 97 and enjoying the wait for the Norway movie
norway.jpg



and another favorite picture of Emily as a baby:
potc.jpg




Not a flattering picture, but me Emily, Grandma and Emily's hero, Pooh
grammomem3.jpg


Two cute chicks
gramempotc3.jpg


Does anyone else remember when the castle was a cake for the
25 anniversary? It looks like Emily is saying "Granma, i want that cake!"
gramemcastle.jpg

__________________
 
Hi Em's Mom!

I'm so glad you put this over here for others to see! It matters not when the trip was ... although some folks read TR's to assist in planning, many many of us just love to read about others' fond memories of Disney.
 
em'smom said:
To me it was home. My home. And my inheritance, because for the longest time I thought my grandfather was Walt Disney. No kidding, I thought Grandpa was THE Walt Disney. I have the pictures to prove how much they looked alike. So I really thought that Disney World was my home. And future.

Hay Em's mom- Thanks for the beautiful life time trip report! I thought this was just beautiful and proves you are a disney girl through and through. I hope you weren't devestated when you learned your inheritance was indeed not "winnie's World"!

Your story of your aunt's generosity, your mom's spirit and your dad's well, aversion to crowds was heartwarming. And your little girl is a doll.

Tell us more.... :yay:
 
Thanks KPK. I have enjoyed so many trip reports here by so many terrific authors.

My sister read this earlier and she reminded me of something that I had totally forgotten about this trip.

During one of our days enjoying Magic Kingdom, while on line for lunch at Pecos Bills becuase they had the awesome toppings bar...My daughter dislocated her arm. Yep. I forgot about that. I am sure someone took a picture of the kid who was screaming like a banshee and posted it at the time, and said what an awful parent I was. And they were right. Because I did not know that she had dislocated her arm. I thought she was just cranky and really in need of a nap.

Well, Momma (me) was in need of some really good grub and I was not going anywhere until I finished my lunch, which I did. My mom and I had already decided that something was wrong and were on our way out when a nice cast member let us know about the first aid center near Crystal Palace. Cool, we thought, lets go over and see what they can do to help us with my little screaming like a banshee angel.

As soon as the nurse saw and examined Emily, she told us that she was pretty sure Em's arm was dislocated. Great, thought I, now we will miss seeing Disney and have to spend a day in an ER waiting to be treated. NOPE! They called an ambulette to us at Magic Kingdom, drove us and all of our junk- stroller, purchases, diaper bag...- to an ER/Treat and Release type center where the doctors were so nice. The doctor who examined Emily there didn't even charge us for the visit, and they summoned the ambulette again for us which took us again straight to Magic Kingdom. The best part of that was that we were able to see all of the back roads into the park. We saw some kind of staging area for the afternoon parade floats as I recall. And the people were all so nice. The driver for the ambulette somehow managed to get Em to relax and calm down and stop crying, the staff at the ER center and the staff at the first aid center were really all so helpful and wonderful.

And this is further proof how wonderful my Disney memories are. Because here I am almost ten years later and I had forgotten about a really big, somewhat bad, and definitely painful part of the trip because the overall feelings and emotions of that trip and the many others have been so wonderful.
 

Good news folks, I am now at my parents house and I have found pictures of Walt Disney, I mean Grandpa. I also found a pic of my sisters from the trip that made my Dad dislike going to the parks. I'll post later tonight when I get home and can scan the pictures onto the internet.
 
Oh cool! So glad you took sweet Horseyponycutiegirl's advice and posted this here.

Love your memories. My TR is really a Trip Memory too...

Poor Chappie, doesn't he know we ladies love to keep men waiting and wanting more :smokin:
 
Great to see you post your memories, Em's mom, really enjoying it. Can't wait for the pic of Grandpa Walt, LOL
 
Enjoyed reading ~ Thanx for sharing.
 
Thanks for the memories Em's Mom

I really loved your story -:)
 
Here are some pictures of Walt, I mean Grandpa

His retirement party sometime in the 60's
grandpa12.jpg


Again, retirement party
grandpa22.jpg


I have no idea what this photo is from, but Walt/Grandpa is in the lower left
grandpa32.jpg


My Nanny and Grandpa/Walt
grandpa42.jpg
 
My mom made me sign a note that I would return all of these photos that I 'borrowed' today. Here are a few more for you.

My parents, cousin and sisters before the eventful day when my oldest sister got lost and found at Disney. My father wants me to let everyone know how much he hated those hats my sisters were wearing. They were straw hats and when my dad carried my sisters, the straw poked him in the eyes. But oddly enough, he liked the hat he was wearing.

momdaddisney2.jpg



The van that is the only reason we survived all of those 2 day trips with five kids. Keep in mind that you can only see 3/4 of the van.

van2.jpg


Some pictures of us in Disney during one of our great trips

Mom, oldest sister, younger brother, and if you look carefully, some of my hair and my sweater behind my brother. Do you see those smiles? That is what Disney is all about, fun and family. and really big aviator sunglasses and my awesome pacman tee shirt.
familyfun12.jpg


Mom and all five of us kids. three girls then two boys. I am the middle child. I am also older than my brother who has always been bigger than me.
familyfun22.jpg


Mom, my aunt and four of us kids. Has everyone noticed my sister's awesome 80's hair with wings? I think Madonna is going for a similar look these days.
familyfun32.jpg



The youngest in this photo is now the biggest. He is a firefighter back home in NY and we are very proud of him.
familyfun42.jpg
 
Thanks for the pictures of Walt! Wow early dis pix- very cool! :thumbsup2
Disney trips were part of my childhood memories too, wonderful ones. Thanks, em's mom. for sharing
 
Thank you so much for sharing all your memories. I did not get do Disney as a child, but love it as an adult. I have planned my sons first trip for november and I just can't wait to make some magical memories with him.
 
Em's Mom -
These are just beautiful memories. Thanks so much for sharing them with us, and the pictures!

It is so wonderful that you are also making magical memories for your daughter, who is obviously cherished!

Amy
 
Thanks everyone for posting. I just want to let you know that I printed out my first two posts and gave them to my mom for mother's day. She was so happy, she cried while reading it. And when my father read it, he told me that he never knew about the "Winnie World" excitement from my brother. He also realizes now that he missed a special carefree time with us kids, but he does enjoy going now. He has gone three times in the last three years. Mom also pointed out the errors in my memory. She told me that she is going to keep my Disney story with the story of her Christening gown that my grandmother made when she was expecting my mom, a later in life baby. This Christening gown story is pretty amazing and the dress is as well. All babies born in our family since 1948 have worn the dress. The first time we couldn't do that was when my brother and his wife had twins last year.

Anyway, enjoy your children and enjoy your time with them in Disney. And while you are there, say hi to my grandpa!
 
Thanks for posting. Love the old time pictures, they were really neat to see.
 











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