We're Going to Disney World!

Guess who's going to Disney World?!

So we've spontaneously decided to make our first family pilgrimage to the Happiest Place on Earth.

I knew this day would come eventually, although both Matt and I were pretty adamant it wouldn't be happening until Violet was old enough to fully appreciate (and remember) it. But when a friend of mine casually mentioned they were going before their daughter turned three (and had to pay for a ticket), I starting wondering if a quick little jaunt might not be worth it.

And just like that, we jumped in. We have a school break coming up for President's Day, a break that just happens to fall four days before the cost of Violet's ticket goes from free to almost a hundred bucks (let's pause for a moment to let the craziness of that dollar amount sink in). So why not take the weekend? Sure, the park will be crowded with lots of other families taking advantage of the break. Yes, Violet probably won't remember the details of this trip. Yeah, we're throwing this adventure together last minute style. But it won't be the last time we go. And we're not going to dump a huge amount of cash at this trip. So we're seizing the day.

There is a bit of homework ahead of us, however. Before we decided on this trip, Violet had never even heard of a place called Disney World. She knows the basics of Minnie Mouse and the newer Disney princess movies, but there's still not a whole lot of background knowledge there. So my goal between now and then is to indoctrinate Violet into the world of Disney. I've been drilling her - Where does Minnie live? (Disney!) Where does Cinderella live? (Disney!) We've also been brushing up on some classic Disney. What's the point of the Dumbo ride if you've never seen Dumbo? So this weekend she's been watching Sleeping Beauty and Dumbo. I've got the Little Mermaid lined up in the Netflix cue. You can check Cinderella off the list.

Speaking of old school Disney, it's amazing to rewatch some of these classics. I've seen almost every full length animated Disney classic there is, thanks to the summer my brother and I made it our mission to watch them all. But I've forgotten just how different they are from today's movies. There's a gaggle of crows in Dumbo smoking cigars! And there's way more sword play that involves stabbing and blood. I mean, the hero in Tangled doesn't even fight with a sword - he gets a frying pan! And yet the prince in Sleeping Beauty slays the dragon with a might stab to the heart. Evil is a lot more... evil. Some of the stories seem way scarier than I remember them as a child - we've heard a lot more talk of "bad guys" around here, although it's nice to know that love still conquers all.

So, any advice for us? Things we have to do? Pack? Avoid?