Thanksgiving at Disney World

This year, Marriott Vacation Clubtries to sell us on their timeshare opportunity via Orlando, FL. We had been talking about taking the kids to Disney, but I never wanted to make the investment to do so. Having grown up when amusement park tickets were less than $60 a day, almost $300 for 3 days is a heavy pull to swallow. But, I knew if we didn't taken the trip now, by the time we got there, much of the magic would have been gone for our children.

We picked Thanksgiving week because it was off peak and everyone already had pre-approved vacation. I learned a lot about me, my husband and our kids while on the vacation. We also made so many memories that I'd like to keep recorded for when we take our grandkids at $200 a day tickets.

1. I am sentimental. I knew this this, but missing a holiday with family was tough, no matter how much fun we were having.

2. I am a traditionalist. Thanksgiving, to me, is a day of hanging out, cooking and eating. Black Friday is a day of shopping, of completing all of my Christmas shopping. Part of me feels strange for having missed this. I don't think I'd like to do another extended family free Thanksgiving again.

3. Disney is crowded as sin! Lines are a minimum of 30 minutes. Adults hate lines. Kids are okay, as long as we don't seem miserable. I taught my kids and the others in the line "down by the banks" and "bubble gum in a dish". We can't underestimate the fun these types of games can bring...both monetarily and electricity free.

4. I was taken aback at the number of times I would look over and see groups of teens, standing together, not communicating, but instead, on their phones. So sad. Even more sad were the parents and kids that were doing the same thing. We need to put these things away before they replace conversation and human interaction.

5. My L and J just love each other so much. They truly are best friends. P and I had to sit with C and Q for every ride either because of their ages or their heights. On the few times that we could switch up the riders, they rarely wanted to do so. They slept together, played together and walked hand in hand most times. So touching!

6. My C is a loving bird that wants to be a big girl and a baby, all at once. She wants to be heard and share, but is sensitive if she doesn't feel like she's being taken seriously or listened to fully. We let the kids pick out 1 souvenir each. C selected a necklace, showing her girly side and her movement away from little girl to big girl.

7. J is still a little girl, no matter how hard she wants to be seen as a tween. She selected a stuffed bear, Sallie Mae, as her souvenir. She has snuggled with it and her and Quinn have played with stuffed animals ever since. Her imagination is sharp. She is the child that wanted the pictures with the princesses.

8. Q is turning into a very sweet and respectful little girl. She showered her father and I with "please" and "thank you" all day, every day. She was scared on the dark and scary rides and occasionally cried as a result, but was proud of herself for being brave. On multiple occasions, like Big Thunder Mountain, she put both of her hands in the air to prove that she was tough, just like her siblings.

9. L is just my doll baby, growing into a young man every day. He is starting to really need his privacy, but is a great big brother...as long as the girls give him space when he needs it. He is still reserved and cautious. On at least one occasion, Harry Potter coasters, he declined the ride because J could not go. He said that if she could do it, he could, but he didn't need to prove himself.

10. Our oldest 3 decided to open a business while on vacation. They are selling 10 minute massages for $5 each. Each of them takes an even cut and is responsible for a different part of the body. They developed a frequent shopper card and even added to their offerings to ensure mom would continue to patronize their business. FYI: they offer a free trial.

11. My husband is a hard ass jerk and a softie teddy bear. This vacation, completely devoid of work, helped to remind him of where his focus should be. I am grateful for that. I am also grateful that we could refocus on family and leisure. It is too easy to get caught up in work. And though he was on his phone more than I would have liked, when I said something, he immediately put it away.


12. I really tried to be present for my kids and not try too hard to focus on nit picky little things. I think we were all happier as a result.

13. C about It's A Small World - this is freaky!

14. Universal Studios is awesome! The decor is spot on and just hard to beat. The rides are definitely more fun than Disney.

15. Disney is older and could use a refresh. The rides are fun, but I've been on better. What Disney has that cannot be replaced though, is the magic. It is distinctly Disney. The wonder, the childhood dreams and memories, that is what you are paying for, not the rides. The parades and shows were more memorable than any ride. The wonder on our kids' faces when they saw their favorite characters, the snow covered castle, fireworks, dance parties and the like cannot be substituted.

16. Child swap - Universal does a great job with this. They have child swap areas where parents can wait on their spouse and taller children, while keeping their smaller children safe and entertained. Disney is a joke. After parent 1 goes through the line, they come out and hand the other parent a fat pass ticket for him/her and 2 other people. Now the rest of the party has to wait 20 more minutes or more while they go on the ride. That means this ride takes over an hour and your poor little one(s) must sit and wait all that time. For this reason, I felt too guilty to go on Space Mountain after P and the other 3 had gone on.

17. Universal has an Express line. It costs about 2x the amount of a regular ticket. Who wants to pay that much?! We still got to ride every ride and paid half the amount. Disney has a fast pass option. Basically, you get 3 rides to skip lines on. This is more fair. Though we didn't sign up the 60+ days in advance, day 3 allowed us to use it on the highly desired rides.

18. Headed to Disney? I recommend 1-2 days in the Magic Kingdom. If you plan on doing Hollywood Studios because you have a Star Wars fan, get the park hopper that day. This will allow you to do 2 lesser parks that day because you don't need a whole day at any of the lesser spin off parks. Or...use the spin off park to recover from the full prior day at Magic Kingdom.

19. Florida tap water tastes like swamp. Do not drink it!

20. Though I had a blast, as did the family, I do not believe that Disney will be a yearly voyage. For the money we spent on tickets, we can take a trip to another location and have a pretty nice time. I also want the kids to experience different cultures and develop a love of travel. There is so much to see in our own country and I really want to give the kids a chance to experience as much of it as possible while they live with us.