The Making of a Disney Addict

[Al and Kate's Mom]

The History

I took my first trip to WDW with my family as a surly teenager (yes, I had a deprived childhood, at least in reference to Disney, which will play heavily into my adult-life addiction). Me, Mom, Dad, Little Sis and Little Bro DROVE from Raleigh down to Orlando in a mini-van. This was still back in the day when car seats and seatbelts were just a suggestion, so my Dad’s way of dealing with 3 cranky, quarreling kids was to – GET THIS – make the two back bench seats FACE EACH OTHER. That way, we could beat the crap out of each other all the way down, and he and Mom would not be bothered. GREAT IDEA DAD – Strike 1!



We made it down there without any major injuries, and checked into the lovely Days Inn Kissimmee. Now, at this point in my life, I didn’t even know that there were hotels on Disney property, so this was no big deal for me. What WAS a big deal was that there were two double beds, one bathroom and 5 people – strike two Dad. (Funny side story – Little Bro was 6 on this trip, so he thought he was big stuff. He wanted to take his shower by himself one morning, and Mom let him. The rest of us are lazing around and we hear this very loud CLUNK and a scream. We all rush to see what happened – he not only fell out of the shower, he had left the toilet lid up and HIS ARM WAS STUCK IN THE TOILET. Me, being the not-so-compassionate surly teenager that I was, fell in the floor laughing hysterically while Mom and Dad tried to figure out how to get his arm out of the toilet, and Little Sis – the compassionate one – wailed uncontrollably. It was funny, I don’t care who you are, that’s funny ).

They did get his arm out, and we headed to Disney World. Now, I have to be very honest at this point – I really don’t remember that much about actually BEING at WDW. The two memories that do stand out to me are 1- we waited in the THOUSAND DEGREE heat for 45 MINUTES to ride MAELSTROM – now where in the heck were the Fastpasses then? And 2 – even though food was AVAILABLE at the Magic Kingdom, it apparently was for OTHER PEOPLE – we had to wait until we left the park and get drive-through food. Strike 3 – I’m done; I HATE DISNEY WORLD (okay, collective gasp, but remember, I was still a surly teenager, and could not be held responsible for my actions).

Next up…Surly Teenager GOES BACK to Disney World with Friends…

Links to Each Post:

Surly Teenager GOES BACK to Disney with Friends

Sowing the Seeds of Addiction

The Best Week of My Life that Almost Wasn't, part 1

The Best Week of My Life that Almost Wasn't, pt2

We Arrive at the World

Total Bliss

Around the World

Time to Go Home

 

[Eeyore's Tiara]

Alright I can't wait for the surly teenager to go back. Next installment please!

 

[GOOFYsince71]

Wow, You are doin' a great job of hookin' us and reelin' us in!!!!
Let me know if you need any help with pictures for the thread!!!

I sent my check in for this subscription!!!!!!!!

-----------------------------------------------------jan

 

[Lan]

The good ol' days of being a teenager.

 

[Al and Kate's Mom]

ET - thanks for joining me - I need your sunshine for this!

Goofy - I will definitely have you do my pictures - you have proven yourself as a true artist

Lan - welcome; glad someone else can commiserate with me on the teenage years

I'll try to get another installment up tomorrow - thanks guys!

 

[GOOFYsince71]

G'nite..................

-----------------------------------------------------jan

 

[redheaded mama]

Great start. I had to laugh at the car seats facing each other. I remember those days. My Dad took out the back seat of our van and put a mattress in the back. Apparantly hotels and food in the park were for other families not ours.

Keep the trip report coming.

 

[Al and Kate's Mom]

Hi Redheaded Mama - welcome - thanks for reading!

 

[Al and Kate's Mom]

Over the next year, I somehow morphed from Surly Teenager to Focused Teenager with Attitude. I was no longer disagreeable just for the sake of being disagreeable – now I always had a reason. Because of this morphing, I was asked to be an assistant coach for my neighborhood swim team. I always liked kids and now I was going to get the chance to help them be great at a sport I always loved! The other two coaches on the team were several years older than me, and already in college. So naturally, when they mentioned something about a trip to Florida when the swim season was over – I WAS IN!!! Three weeks on the road with people old enough to buy liquor, and NO PARENTS ANYWHERE – WOO HOO!

The trip started off great – we spent a few days in Georgia and then worked our way down to DAYTONA – I was so cool! EXCEPT – they wanted to go clubbing, and I, being a young teenager but looking more like a 12-year-old had no hope whatsoever of sweet-talking my way in. So did they pass it up and stay at the house with me – OF COURSE NOT – I got left by myself. This is where the attitude part comes into play – let’s just say I was NOT an agreeable travel companion for the next few days.

So, when they woke up one morning and told me we were heading to Orlando to go to DISNEY WORLD – AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH – NOT GONNA HAPPEN – that place sucks! Well, it was either go with them or hitch back to Raleigh, and considering that my parents would have absolutely made sure I didn’t see the light of day except to go to school until I graduated if I hitched, I once again found myself going to Disney.

We only had enough money left to go to one park, so we (THEY) chose Magic Kingdom. We went in, spent several hours working our way around the Mountains, and then they decided they needed to shop. HELLO – WE HAVE NO MORE MONEY. Ah, but THEY had credit cards. FINE, WHATEVER – we’ll catch up later, and off I went. I wondered around taking in the sites, and actually found myself - GASP – enjoying it. WHO KNEW? I’ve always been the independent sort, so it must have been the freedom to do what I wanted that started the turn…

Anyway. So a while later, I noticed people starting to line up on the sidewalks. Seemed like a good idea (?), so I joined them. Then the PARADE started. WOW, so this is DISNEY. I was really impressed with the whole thing – it wasn’t just a place for little kids – this is fun for me, too.

Now keep in mind, this is before the advent of cell phones, so as people started heading out of the park, it suddenly occurred to me THAT I HAD NO IDEA WHERE MY FRIENDS WERE, and as we have already established the fact that hitching was out of the question, I HAD TO FIND THEM! Okay, don’t panic, just head down Main Street, keep an eye out, and we’ll find each other. Made it past all the shops and was getting ready to have to go under the train. NOT GOOD. Then, I start hearing my name being screamed – I look around – and here come the two yay-hoos running toward me. Turns out they had been looking for me for several hours and had just reported me missing at lost children. NOW REALLY – I’m a teenager, not a rugrat, so why all the fuss? Besides, I’m in a good mood – I just enjoyed Disney – now quit the harping and let’s go.

When we got back home to Raleigh and my parents asked how the trip went, I was actually – wait for it – ENTHUSIASTIC about Disney. Did I really just say that? I told them I wanted to go back when we could stay for a while. They just stared at me, as parents often do when their alien teenagers say something so out of character, but hey – I could have hitched.

Join me next time for…Sowing the Seeds of Addiction

 

[DisneyObsession]

You've got me hooked.....guess I hook easily. Can't wait for the next installment!

 

[Al and Kate's Mom]

Hi DisneyObsession - thanks for joining! I'll try to get the next installment up tonight!

 

[cherokeemamma]

I love reading about your past. Brings back memories.
I too only went to MK for 1 day, stayed off property with an Aunt and Uncle and 2 cousins. I have very limited memories of the trip. I really only remember 20, Leagues under the Sea and the HM.
I too had to wait to leave the park to eat because it was so $$$$$.
The arm in the toilet thing !!

I can't wait to read the rest.

 

[Al and Kate's Mom]

Cherokeemama - I'm glad you joined us! I'll have another installment up tonight.

 

[Figments Pal]

I'm in too! You've got me hooked. Can't wait until I get to hear more!

 

[Al and Kate's Mom]

Hi Figments Pal - LOVE your name Thanks for joining! 'Nother installment coming right up!

 

[Al and Kate's Mom]

The following year, Mom and Dad decided that we would once again try Florida for Spring Break. I was now of an age and appropriate Attitude level , that I could get away with calling dear daddy “Mr. Cheap”, which I did often because, well, he’s cheap. Not because he has to be, but because he CAN be, which is very infuriating to a teenager . For example, we did not get a microwave in our home until I was a Senior in high school – they were available of course, but we didn’t NEED one. Ditto a computer – that’s a WANT, not a NEED. So when Mr. Cheap told us that, not only would we be going to Florida, this time we were FLYING, I was ecstatic – no WWF sessions in the back of the van with my siblings ! Then he said something that I NEVER, NEVER thought I’d hear come out of his mouth – we were going to STAY AT A HOTEL ON DISNEY PROPERTY. After Mom brought me around from my fainting spell , I started to get EXCITED!

Dad had booked us into the Disney Inn (I THINK this is Shades of Green now, but someone please correct me if I am wrong). The entrance to the property had the Seven Dwarfs surrounding the entrance sign, and they were kind of creepy – so my Mom nicknamed them the Seven Perverts (come on, we all love Snow White, but that poor kid was shacked up with 7 little men for a while…doubtful their thoughts were all puritanical) . Mom rarely made comments like that, so we knew we were in for a good time this trip!

I still don’t remember a lot from this trip (it WAS many years ago), but I know that we got to eat at Cosmic Ray’s (We were now those OTHER PEOPLE ), we rode Space Mountain about 50 times over the week, and I fell in love with a little purple dinosaur and was confident enough at that point to not be embarrassed by this infatuation. I’m not kidding – FIGMENT was my new hero, which probably tells you more about my attitude change than anything else in this report. We enjoyed the fireworks shows and parades, did a lot of strolling and people-watching – it was just a good time. Maybe it was me growing up, or maybe the whole family dynamic had shifted, but there wasn’t any bickering even though it was sweltering, no one fell on the ground and threw a hissy fit about anything – it was just a good time.

When we left this trip, it was kind of bittersweet. I knew I would be going off to college soon, so family vacations would become rare if not extinct, and I had REALLY enjoyed myself. You should know that, even as a TERRIBLE TOT and SURLY TEENAGER, family had always been very important to me – that’s just how Mom and Mr. Cheap raised us. So, pulling out of the Disney Inn our last day, blowing kisses to the Seven Perverts and laughing about things that happened during our trip, I felt my first-in-my-lifetime twinge of nostalgia – you all know what I mean – that moment when the awareness hits you that NOTHING WILL EVER BE THIS GOOD AGAIN. It’s that “tears through a smile” feeling – I hope I’m describing it well enough. Anyway, I said goodbye to Disney, truly not knowing when, or even if, I would ever be back.

And I whispered an apology to Mr. Disney and the Main Mouse for ever having said I hated Disney World.

Next: The Best Week of My Life that ALMOST Wasn't

 

[Al and Kate's Mom]

The Best Week of My Life that Almost Wasn't, part 1

So, I grow up, go to college, graduate, meet a great guy, marry said great guy and become an ADULT (shudder )

My original plan in life had been to graduate, start a great career, be a VP by 30 and live happily ever after (darn that great guy ).

Since I had completely altered my plans at this point, I thought, why not have a baby??? Now, I always liked kids, as long as they were SOMEONE ELSE'S KIDS but it just seemed like the thing to do with my new suburban life. I truly did not realize HOW MUCH my life would change when I became pregnant - suddenly strangers thought it was okay to touch my belly - I KNOW they were trying to feel the baby, but hey, that's ME they're touching - back off!

I was 4 1/2 months pregnant, it was 2 weeks before Christmas, DH and I had just bought a new house and two new cars - life was SWEET Then my boss calls me into his office one Monday morning and informs me that the company is downsizing - thanks for all your efforts - have a nice life - WHAT THE FOCKER (thanks, PrincessV)

The rest of my pregnancy was spent sitting on the couch of my Mom's house during the day and shopping for the coming baby's things - I HAD planned on having a GREAT room prepared for her, but with no income, I went the budget route (looking back, it really wasn't that BIG of a deal, but at the time, that really was tough for me).

Then...PALLY arrives (that's my nickname for her, because her name is Ally and she's my Pal) NOW I know what true love is she's perfect, and suddenly, life takes on new meaning!!!

I watch her grow and am amazed that I HELPED CREATE THIS PERFECT LITTLE PERSON. I find a new job and send her off to daycare (which just about kills me, but she loves). She grows some more and turns into a neat little toddler - some tantrums, but in general, a really easy kid! So - let's have another one! Enter Princess Kate - a true beautiful cherub. How do you love both of them the same??? Learned - you don't - you appreciate each of them and who they are!

Pally is not so happy with Princess Kate's arrival - sibling rivalry begins at a young age, doesn't it? So what to do? I KNOW - LET'S TAKE PALLY TO DISNEY WORLD!!!

DH agrees, we line up Mom to babysit the little bit, and I go into full planning mode - I'M GOING BACK TO DISNEY AND I GET TO SEE MY PRECIOUS BABY ENJOYING ALL OF THE THINGS DISNEY CAN BE - WOO HOO

Then the bomb drops.

To be continued...(hint, no one dies, so don't get too upset)...

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

I'm late again to the party! I just found your trippie!

Don'tcha just love sibling rivalry?

Can't wait to read more!

 

[Eeyore's Tiara]

You don't sound any worse than most teenagers, me included, except for the hitchiking thing. I saw way too many horror movies to ever attempt hitchiking.... I love the way your perspective changes along the way. And having kids? That changes everything!

My 1st daughter was a complete angel until the 2nd one arrived..... Then it went completely downhill.

Keep on writing, I want to hear more!

 

[Al and Kate's Mom]

Welcome Disneyland Mama!