Thursday Treasures

A week ago today, my family was wrapping up our first day at Disney World by watching the Wishes fireworks show at Magic Kingdom. What a special time in our lives filled with moments I will never forget! My husband and I brought our 3 children on this magical adventure. Now that our trip has wound up, and we have arrived safely at home, we are all reflecting on our experiences. Something I have found is that while all 3 children enjoyed the vacation, they had 3 different experiences.

 Ethan (7 years, 11 months) is my first born child. He is a people pleaser and is typically the picture perfect child (yes, they do make those!). Watching him at Disney World was so much fun because he had to balance his fears along with his desire to please. Ethan's favorite ride at Disney World is the Kali River Rapids ride located at his favorite park, Animal Kingdom. He stated he recommends Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain to others, but he is afraid of heights, so he only wanted to ride them once. Downtown Disney was another place Ethan enjoyed because it "looked cool." Chef Mickey's was Ethan's favorite place to eat because he really liked the food. According to Ethan, the best part of going to Disney World is just being there. He thinks other people would enjoy the fun and fast rides, and would "definitely recommend going to Disney World to his 3 best friends." If Ethan could tell people one that about Disney World, he "would tell them how cool the roller coasters are." Ethan was surprised by how much fun Disney World was!

The middle child: Emma (4 years, 6 months). She is a charismatic sweetheart, a diva, and a drama queen. Emma loves Downtown Disney. It is her favorite place at Disney World and is the location of her favorite place to eat at Disney - the Ghirardelli Ice Cream Shop. She also enjoyed her meal at Chef Mickey's because she "loves Mickey and Minnie." If you ask Emma what the best part of Disney World is, she can't pick one. Emma loved swimming in the Port Orleans Riverside Pool. Her favorite ride is Thunder Mountain, and she "loved Splash Mountain. It is so exciting!" According to Emma, the worst part about Disney World is Tower of Terror. That ride actually left her speechless. Her biggest accomplishment on the trip was riding the Haunted Mansion ride and not being scared. Emma stated Cinderella is the best Disney character. Her cousin, Brent Dodge, author of From Screen to Theme, is Emma's favorite person at Disney World (EDITOR'S NOTE: Smart kid). If Emma could tell people one thing about Disney World, she would tell them she "had lots and lots of fun!"

Gracie (2 years, 8 months) is the baby, but she strives to keep up with her big brother and sister. Gracie would never admit to being scared or too small for anything! She loves to smile and have fun. Gracie's favorite park at Disney World is Animal Kingdom where her favorite ride, the Dinosaur Spin, is located. According to Gracie, the best part of Disney World was getting to see all the princesses at her favorite restaurant Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. Since eating at Chef Mickey's, Gracie has stated that Goofy and Donald Duck are her best friends. Her favorite souvenir is her Tinker Bell jewelry box. Gracie wants to go back to Disney World someday.

I discovered that it is even more thrilling to experience the wonder of Disney World through the eyes of my children. Each of my 3 very different children have come home with their own individual experiences, but they all agree that Disney World is a Magical Place they would like to return to!

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