Ooh why ya coming down to New Orleans?
I wasn't prepared for the tears I shed when my then 5 yr old daughter ran up to her first character and hugged him. It was Captain Hook.
LadySiren....The last couple of times we went our daughter just didn't seem excited. She doesn't like to watch the planning DVDs. We were a little dissappointed. But once we got there, she was flipping out with excitement. So don't worry, they will be excited!!:wave:
Erin,that was quite an amazing story that brought tears to my eyes. It really shows what the magic of Disney can do. I'm happy that you were able to enjoy that time.
For me, the most magical and unexpected moment I have ever had in Disney happened in early October 2005. I had taken my kids to Disney about four times previous and I had been going for years. We all loved it, but it was just a cool place to vacation.
On August 29, 2005, our lives were changed forever. My kids and I lost everything we owned when Katrina's eye came ashore in Bay St. louis, MS where we lived. All we had left after evacuating and thinking we may come back to a little flood, was a SLAB. Literally three days of clothes and a slab.
My company transferred me to Mobile, AL and we got there and were in total shock still. It was so hard for me to hold it all together for my three kids, (I was a divorced single mom), but I did. After we had been there a few weeks, my old boss from years ago who I had remained friends with, tracked me down and said he wanted to do something for us. He had heard about us losing everything.
He told me to let my boss know I was leaving town for a few days and that he had booked and paid for a room in Disney for the kids and I and there were park hoppers and spending money waiting for me at the front desk and I was leaving the next day to get away from it all.
He had actually already arranged it with my boss. I was so amazed and went home and packed the kids up while they were at school. They did not know where we were going until it was time to get in the car!
We drove all night practically, and when we got there and walked into the MK and I saw my babies faces light up, there is no way to describe that feeling. For weeks they had been very quiet, not eating well, not smiling much etc. They had literally been ripped from their home and friends overnight and placed in a new town and new schools etc. with no notice. It was pretty traumatic for them.
Everything changed in Disney. They interacted wth the characters and we watched every fireworks show and every parade and cherished those four days so very much. I literally felt like my kids came back to life on that trip. I remember sitting by PotC and seeing my two youngest sword fighting and smiling and it just made me cry.
For four days, we didn't think about insurance battles, worry about where our old friends were, feel like the whole world knew we were refugees, etc.
Ever since that trip, Disney holds a place in my heart SOOOOOO special, that NOTHING and NO PLACE could ever compare. Our life has been so amazing since then and we are so blessed now, and we go every year and I still get emotional that first time entering the MK remembering hteir little faces that day.
That was a magical life changing and unexpected experience for us.
That is why we love it so much. You can literally forget every care in the world once you step into one of the parks.
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