Okay, so I can already feel you groaning and rolling your eyes. Sorry, I just can't help it. I am so overjoyed about the upcoming Christmas! For three years now we have been planning our girls first trip to Disney World. Disney has been a lifelong friend of Kimberly and I. We both grew up loving Disney cartoons and shows. We would watch the Wide World of Disney on Sunday nights as a family while we ate pizza and popcorn. Before I was even born my family was at Disney World for the grand opening in 1971. My most memorable vacations from my childhood were when we drove down to Florida and went to Disney World. Only now do I realize the tremendous sacrifices my parents made in order to be able to take us there. My parents were missionaries with Child Evangelism Fellowship and would arrange for us to drive down to Florida and be able to sleep on the floor of the CEF office in Orlando. We had to be out early in the morning and couldn't come back until late at night but that was no problem as the Disney Parks were where we wanted to be anyway. We didn't think that strange at all but rather we KNEW that we must be the most fortunate people on earth as we were at Disney World. What could possibly be better than that?
We never have stopped going back to Disney World and only grow to love it more and more. Kim and I even went to Disney World on our honeymoon. You might say that it is in our very blood to love it. If not in our blood it is certainly under our skin. In that vein (I know -- bad joke) we are thrilled to be able to bring our girls to Disney World this Christmas for their first time. We know the parks backward and forward and yet they always amaze us with how clean they are and how well done they are. We feel very blessed to be able to share that love with our girls this year. I can't wait to watch them watch everything and experience everything for the very first time. I am eternally grateful to my parents for providing that experience for me. Incidentally, they will also be going with us as well so they can see their grandchildren fall in love with it even as I did.
14 comments:
Enjoy. I remember going when I was just out of high school. I thought I would be too cool to enjoy it. Your a kid again the moment you get there.
Wow,Papa Frank..that is just so great that all of you are going! What great memories for all of you..old ones for you and your wife,and your parents, and the little ones will start on their on personal collection of family memories of Disney World!
Look for the hidden Mickeys....that's all I will tell you, once you find the first one, you'll be obsessed like I was to find the rest of them.
This is so awesome! I remember going to Disney Land when I was five. Ahhh, the magic. I nearly fainted when I saw Sleeping Beauty.
Mommy, is she looking at me? Me!!?? Oh my goodness, mommy! Can I hug her!
I
hugged
Sleeping
Beauty.
A REAL PRINCESS!!!
Pure bliss.
Yea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i'm a disney freak like you. :-) i have been to disneyworld several times, and have enjoyed each trip.
for the last three spring breaks, we've taken my son to disneyworld. absolute magic - watching your child's eyes fill with wonder, excitement, and amazement over the rides and shows.
i'm envious that you and your family are going there for christmas! lucky duck! enjoy it!!!
are you staying at disney, or do you have a hotel outside of the park?
ugh.......i wanna go. :-)
have fun.
I wish you were coming to DisneyLAND, sort of near me! BUT, that's for selfish reasons, of course!
THIS IS GREAT...WHAT FUN! And how wonderful that your folks can see your girls AND YOU AND Mrs. F so happy! OH, I can't wait to hear about it!
Funny that you posted this today. Just this afternoon I started my Christmas present list and started filling in items next to the names....not too much done yet, but it's such fun! .makes me happy just THINKING about it, even this early!
Great post, Pops...lovely to share your happy anticipation!
AND, they better be prepared for a day beachside! I get 'em!
Good morning, G*D bless and Maranatha!
tmw
Cocoa Beach or Kennedy Space Center?
Cool! I went with my grandparents when I was about seven. One day, I hope to take my kids!
Have a great time, and enjoy the anticipation until then. :)
i used to love to go to disneyland as a kid - it was within bus distance of where i lived in san diego.
we had a trip to disneyworld planned and payed for last year when my dad passed and we had to go to cali instead.
oh well - we bought season passes to silver dollar city instead. closer to home too!
p.s. - don't go during gay days...
Jason and Kim I'm with you... I love Christmas! It's the spirit of it that is very joyous... Of course we will have those who get caught up in the whole buying thing and feel that Christmas is troubling, but if you focus on the TRUTH of the Holiday which is Yeshua... YOU WILL HAVE PEACE! I celebrate Christmas in my heart all year long. Have a great time at Disney World!!!!!!! I know what you feeling about Disney. My grandfather and uncle both worked as animaters at Disney in California so we spent every waking hour their... SO MUCH FUN! I loved it.
Shalom Ya all!
WOW!!! Who would have thought that you would all be Disney sympathizers (if not Disney lovers)?
Karin -- Did you ever get to actually meet Walt there?
Nanc -- Bummer! I'm hoping that doesn't happen to me with the bad financial situation right now. Hopefully when we're there the yuletide will be the only gay thing there. ;)
Brooke -- Thanks! I sure hope you could take your kids one day. I have such great memories from being there during my childhood. My parents also taught us how to budget money by giving us a certain amount of money each day and leaving us on our own to budget how much to spend on lunch and how much to save for stuff we wanted. I don't remember for sure but I think we all got something like $6 a day. I managed to save enough to get a t-shirt and a Figment (the purple dragon from Journey Into Your Imagination) stuffed animal from Epcot.
TMW -- We are back to flying out so we will be confined to Disney World as they are going to pick us up from the airport and bring us back there when we fly out.
Z -- If you need any suggestions for recipients of your Christmas list just let me know! ;)
Salubrina -- Are you sure we're not some sort of long lost brother and sister? We are staying at the Pop Century resort there and will try out the Disney Dining Plan for the first time. Like I said, we've planned this for years. We are SOOOO stoked!!! What was your son's favorite rides and what scared him?
Pinky -- I can't wait for the experience that you have described here. Jessica's favorite is also Sleeping Beauty and Arianwyn's princess of choice is Ariel. I'll certainly be posting enough pics here to make everyone just a little ill.
Steve -- I've read about the hidden Mickey's but have never actually seen them. It's something i've thought about. I also was reading about all the machines that make pennies and quarters into little collectible trinkets.
Jan -- Thanks! We're thrilled to get to go and so happy that Mom & Dad get to be with us. My sister and her husband and 3-year-old are also coming. It's going to be quite the party.
Chuck -- I hope I am NEVER too cool to run around Disney World like a giddy little child!!!
papa frank,
i think we are, my friend. i've stayed at all star movies, which is very similar to pop century. i've also stayed at port orleans riverside and caribbean beach. my favorite of all of those is port orleans riverside.
you will LOVE the dining plan. MAKE SURE you take the kids and the wife to Lilo and Stitch's Ohana breakfast at the Polyneasian resort. It is the best dining experience. Another great one is the Mickey's barbecue at Fort Wildernesss resort.
At Epcot, go to the Biergarten restaurant in the Germany pavilion, and the other must-dine is The Living Seas. They have a wall there that displays an aquarium. You are literally dining with the fishes. Very cool!
Oh! Are you sure you don't need a sisterly tour guide for all the latest and greatest things Disney? LOL
my son, being autistic, has a routine at Disneyworld. first, we go to magic kingdom, where we proceed to the buzz lightyear space ranger spin to get a fastpass, before hopping on the 'blue train' (and tomorrowland trainsit authority), and ride it a couple of times til our fastpasses are ready for the buzz lightyear ride.
from there, we go to the indy cars, then the tea party, then winnie the pooh. after that, it's all for grabs.
i literally could go on, and on, and if you'd like me to, i will, but i don't want to snoozefest all the other readers. go to my blog, and email me. i'll send you my full report.
i actually prepared a dining review for all the disney restaurants for my travel agent to use with her other clients to help with their planning. i can forward that to you if you like. :-)
have i mentioned that i'm slightly jealous that you guys get to go there for CHRISTMAS! beyond cool!
I met Walt one time during a employee Christmas celebration that he gave for the families every year. It was such a big deal he would give out toys and candies in stockings and have a parade with all the characters. I was about 7 at the time. At that time Disney gave out the ticket books to the employees.. many per year which was way to many for one family to use. So every time we would have visiting anyone we would take them to Disneyland. Or as I got older we would just go to do something. It was a very special time in my life. My grandfather is now gone to be with Yeshua and my Uncle is retired. And now my whole family is with me in Oregon so we haven't gone for a long time. But it was very good times.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
We love you guys!
Shalom
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