Sunday April 27th, 2008
I don’t do parades.
I mean I do the Independence Day parade on July 4th every year in our community. This parade comes complete with horses, mom-and-pop floats, candy-throwing, water-gun spraying, folding chairs, ice chest refreshments, classic cars and golf carts. A real hometown parade in the middle of Orange County.
But I usually don’t do Disney parades. There are no candy handouts or beach chairs; no golf carts and certainly no coolers allowed inside the park.
For me, Disney parades are something you watch over the tops of people’s heads as you walk behind the crowds trying to pick your way down Main Street. Disney parades are busy, sweaty, popcorn-smelly, gutter-sitting, and I haven’t waited to watch one since I was thirteen.
On Friday night, even though we had just arrived, we had already waited in four lines:
Parking Structure: 18 minutes (there was a staffing issue at the gates)
Tram: 15 minutes (just Friday night busy)
Bag Check: 6 minutes (because our family of four would be smuggling something illegal into the Park)
Park Entrance: 3 minutes (ironically, the shortest line yet).
I think Heathrow Airport is easier.
Already spent, we sat down at outside an ice cream shop to wait for some friends. 3 melting strawberry cones later, a loudspeaker announced that a PARADE WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN…in just 15 minutes, some Disney magic or something would descend upon us and we would be swept up in the glitter and fairy dust…in just 15 minutes.
Okay, so I don’t do the steamy, sit-in-the-smelly-street kind of parade. But here we were, in the late afternoon shade, sitting at a table, tummies full in perfect view of the newest Disney sensation. My girls wanted to be swept up in the fairy dust — who was I to stop them?
Our friends arrived with their two girls. The four little girls climbed up on chairs to see better. They giggled, danced, snapped pictures and strained to gather it all in.
I stood next to Naomi. She was in awe and yelled at each new character she saw,
Mr. Incredible (garbled but understood – “incredible” is hard to pronounce if you are two), Buzz!, Green Army Guys! (okay, she really didn’t say “green army guys” – it was more like “guuuuyyysss!”).
She had been swept up in some sort of Disney dust and was mesmerized.
I’m not really sure what else happened. I didn’t watch. I really didn’t care. Remember, I don’t do parades.
Instead I watched her.
When we were there about six weeks ago, I actually watched the last half of the parade, for the first time since I was a little girl. This was our third trip in a matter of four weeks, but we hadn’t stopped to watch the parade the other two times. I confess, as I watch Belle and the Beast dance high atop their sparkly float, I was swept away by the magic of it all. In that moment, I wondered if this place really might be the happiest place on earth…
And, on another note, after those three trips, Troy now thinks it is normal for us to go every few weeks. He’s been asking quite often lately to “Go, D’ee’land? See Mick Mouse?” This is when passes would be handy.
The delight, wonder, joy, and amazement in their eyes is so worth it! To get swept up in their feelings – makes you feel like a bit of a child again.
We haven’t been to a good parade since we left home – the good old fashioned hometown parades. I love those events!
Hi Sarah, I see you are at Disney with the kids. These might be the best days of your life but I’m not sure if the next week will be included in that. The kids of course will love it and that’s what counts. I have three daughter’s myself. You don’t do parades – I don’t do Disney.
Hang in there though – and try to have some grown up fun too!
How fun to do Disney! It’s a treat (at least in my eyes) to be so close to enjoy it more than once in a lifetime! Sometimes it’s more fun to watch your kids enjoy it anyway…
I love watching my children exerience new wonders that I’ve ceased to be amazed by. It always thrills my heart!
This past fall, my daughter and I went to see Disney Princesses on ice. I spent most of the two hours watching an photographing the delightful expressions on my daughter’s face. More amazing than the show.
this is a cute post! Also, your picture at the top is beautiful.
I remember going to Disneyland with my parents when I was 6 – I was also with my 2 older brothers and younger sister. Now I know why my parents never returned with us…=)
Just spending some time catching up with you. Beautiful, as always Sarah.
You have a gift!