Just got back from a magical week at WDW, and I can't wait to report on it! This is incredible!
I won't bore you with the day to day stuff, but I have to tell you about our visit to MK on Thursday the 26th. We had originally intended to do a waterpark that day, but I talked my wife into the MK instead. As we walked down Main Street, we were passing in front of the ice cream parlor when my wife reminded me to get a park map for show times. There was a cart with a CM and manager there. The manager had maps, so I joked that I would help him lighten his load. Just then, a squirrel ran by and my wife pointed and said, "Cue the squirrel!" which is an inside joke about a friend who claims that EVERY animal at WDW is fake. This cracked up the manager, and we began to chat. He asked where we were from, and if the weather was bad there from Isidore, and small talk like that. He finally asked if this was our first time to the resort, and we said that we come every year, because something magical always seems to happen to us that makes us return every year. He paused, then said that he would like to do something special for us, because he could see that we loved WDW and the magic there. I thought he was giving us a couple of fastpasses or lunch coupons. Instead he calmly takes us aside and says, "How would you guys like to be the Grand Marshals in the 3:00 parade today?" I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP. They had picked a family already, and he asked us as well. We agreed (DUH!) and got the time and place to meet him later, and then spent the next ten minutes searching for a phone to call our families! The rest of the day was a blur. We met... well, we agreed not to use his name, so let's just say we met Bob at the parade entrance in Frontierland at 2:35, and met the other family. They were from PA. We all got Mickey ears with our names on them, and instructions on how we should smile and wave to everyone, and we met the marching band, and got to meet Gus, the wacky prospector street performer from Frontierland. Then it was time to go. The family got to ride in a horse drawn stagecoach, and we rode in an antique car that Walt himself used to drive in the parades at Disneyland! We were the LEAD car. We headed out, and it was amazing to see thousands of people lining the empty street, waving at US. We shot pictures, which I will try to post, and the CMs shot some for us as well. It was incredible! People were taking pictures of us and filming us. The kids were great. You would make eye contact with one and wave at them, and they would smlie and wave back. The best part was hearing our names announced over the PA system as the honorary Grand Marshals! It was the coolest. When we got to the end of the parade route, "Bob" was there with certificates for us for being honorary Grand Marshals. We thanked him profusely, and then watched the rest of the parade.
Words cannot describe the feelings my wife and I hold for this day. We are HUGE Disney fans, and to have the chance to experience something like this is truly amazing. This trip was a chance for us to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary, and to have this happen on this trip is unbelievable! Walt Disney World has truly become the most memorable place for us. I could not wait to share this experience with everyone here at WDWMagic, as I know you guys will love to hear about it!
I have writer's cramp from typing this, so I'll stop here and post this. By the way, was anyone in the MK that day and see us? That would be interesting to hear about. Did we look like dorks?
I won't bore you with the day to day stuff, but I have to tell you about our visit to MK on Thursday the 26th. We had originally intended to do a waterpark that day, but I talked my wife into the MK instead. As we walked down Main Street, we were passing in front of the ice cream parlor when my wife reminded me to get a park map for show times. There was a cart with a CM and manager there. The manager had maps, so I joked that I would help him lighten his load. Just then, a squirrel ran by and my wife pointed and said, "Cue the squirrel!" which is an inside joke about a friend who claims that EVERY animal at WDW is fake. This cracked up the manager, and we began to chat. He asked where we were from, and if the weather was bad there from Isidore, and small talk like that. He finally asked if this was our first time to the resort, and we said that we come every year, because something magical always seems to happen to us that makes us return every year. He paused, then said that he would like to do something special for us, because he could see that we loved WDW and the magic there. I thought he was giving us a couple of fastpasses or lunch coupons. Instead he calmly takes us aside and says, "How would you guys like to be the Grand Marshals in the 3:00 parade today?" I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP. They had picked a family already, and he asked us as well. We agreed (DUH!) and got the time and place to meet him later, and then spent the next ten minutes searching for a phone to call our families! The rest of the day was a blur. We met... well, we agreed not to use his name, so let's just say we met Bob at the parade entrance in Frontierland at 2:35, and met the other family. They were from PA. We all got Mickey ears with our names on them, and instructions on how we should smile and wave to everyone, and we met the marching band, and got to meet Gus, the wacky prospector street performer from Frontierland. Then it was time to go. The family got to ride in a horse drawn stagecoach, and we rode in an antique car that Walt himself used to drive in the parades at Disneyland! We were the LEAD car. We headed out, and it was amazing to see thousands of people lining the empty street, waving at US. We shot pictures, which I will try to post, and the CMs shot some for us as well. It was incredible! People were taking pictures of us and filming us. The kids were great. You would make eye contact with one and wave at them, and they would smlie and wave back. The best part was hearing our names announced over the PA system as the honorary Grand Marshals! It was the coolest. When we got to the end of the parade route, "Bob" was there with certificates for us for being honorary Grand Marshals. We thanked him profusely, and then watched the rest of the parade.
Words cannot describe the feelings my wife and I hold for this day. We are HUGE Disney fans, and to have the chance to experience something like this is truly amazing. This trip was a chance for us to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary, and to have this happen on this trip is unbelievable! Walt Disney World has truly become the most memorable place for us. I could not wait to share this experience with everyone here at WDWMagic, as I know you guys will love to hear about it!
I have writer's cramp from typing this, so I'll stop here and post this. By the way, was anyone in the MK that day and see us? That would be interesting to hear about. Did we look like dorks?
You think after 24+ trips by the ge of 18, we'd been asked! Oh well!! I'm so happy for you guys though!!! I'm glad you got picked!
