It is hard to believe that tomorrow morning, the new Fantasyland at Walt Disney World will officially open. Even more magical is that TechyDad and I will be there. Just a few years ago, we went to Mickey’s Toon Town for the last time, said goodbye to the old Winnie the Pooh playground, and watched as walls announced what would be coming to this enchanting space.
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Mickey Mouse is featured all over Walt Disney World, other Disney Parks, and throughout the world. Of course, there are also lots of Hidden Mickey’s around. This time around the theme of the Disney Wordless Wednesday is Mickey Mouse. As you will see, I had a wide variety of Mickey Mouse sightings from some recent visits to Walt Disney World.
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There is a method to the madness in how I pack for trips to Disney. I pull out clothing for the kids for a fashion show. Then, I check to make sure the items fit the boys. After that, I pair up outfits for each of them. Oh, did I happen to mention that every shirt is something from Disney? The only exception to that rule is sometimes what they wear when flying down. Once we are there, we have a tradition of wearing our matching shirts on the last day, but nothing else. In April, NHL made sure that he and JSL were wearing their Phineas and Ferb shirts when they met the dynamic duo at Hollywood Studios. Here are some of photos from our last trip that follows the Disney Wordless Wednesday theme of Disney Attire.
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Once upon a time, in a galaxy far away, I was a carefree young girl who would go hiking with neighborhood friends. I remember the views were amazing, the trail was fun, and the memories big in my heart. For years, I have been saying to TechyDad that we should go to Thatcher State Park and walk on the Indian Ladder Trail. This weekend, with no notice, we packed the boys into the car for the ride and adventure.
It has been a LONG time since I went to Thatcher Park. I never took TechyDad there before we started our family. My guess is that it has been at least 15 years. A lot has happened in that time. I got married, became a teacher, had two sons, and started to worry about things that never would have bothered me. When we arrived at Thatcher State Park, we parked the car and set off to explore. We were on a mission to find the Indian Ladder Trail, but were not sure if we were going to attempt it.
The views along the way were breathtaking, but I was a little preoccupied at times. I had to watch to avoid the mud covered in leaves, divert the kids from other items, and make sure that they stayed away from the ledge. I do recall listening to JSL chant how it was the best day ever because he was walking in a forest. He would have just enjoyed going along these simple trails, but we were on a mission to get to the Indian Ladder Trail that I had been talking about for years.
I swear that the sides seemed much different before I was a mother. Suddenly, the edge of the mountain looked a lot closer to where the trail was. It was all so very different. Way back in the day, this view would not have sent me into a mild panic.
This was just one of the crazy sets of stairs that I don’t recall being this steep when I was 15+ years younger. Of course, in those days I was not traveling and in charge of two of my own children. I really do think that that made a major difference. If you look at the far end of the photo above, you will see mud, wetness, and leaves. This certainly added a new level of excitement to the trail.
Honestly, it wasn’t that bad. It was just different. Had the trail not been as wet and slippery, I probably would have enjoyed the beautiful colors and two amazing waterfalls a bit more. Still, we stopped for photos in places I remembered.
We all were amazed with Mother Nature’s beauty on this autumn day. Not only were the colors probably the best for viewing, but the water falls were rushing like I had never seen.
There is a lot more to share, plus I have a feeling we will be going back to Thatcher Park again, perhaps before the winter. Of course, the views will not be the same, but the natural beauty and new knowledge of the trail with kids will make our next adventure even better.
Have you ever been back to a place that is very different than you remember it as a parent? I would love to hear your thoughts and memories.
Just stepping into a Disney park is a magical experience, now imagine special events that will unfold each and every week with even more fun coming around the next week. On October 17, 2012, Disney Parks announce their new Limited Time Magic for the next 52 weeks. The news was unveiled in Times Square where a giant ice castle was on display in the middle of New York City.
In case you were curious, the ice castle was 25 feet tall, 9 feet deep, and 15 feet wide. It was made with 45,000 pounds of ice. Here is a video from Disney Parks all it featuring Jennifer Mason, Ambassador – Walt Disney World.
If Disney can create this magic memory in the middle of New York City, imagine the items that will be on the agenda this year during the Limited Time Magic. Here are a few of the items that Disney has already mentioned for the Limited Time Magic:
So will you be heading to Disney in the next year to experience Limited Time Magic? I would love to know all of the details as a life long Disney Parks fan.
Disclosure: I was invited to the event in NYC, but was unable to make it. As a lifelong Disney fan, I wanted to share this information with all of you.
