The Magic Begins Early
by Greg Whaley
(Bogalusa, LA)
In preparation for our first trip to Disney World, my family (three kids ages 10, 8, 5 and wife aged ##) did a lot of research. As the patriarch, I happened upon Dad's Guide to Walt Disney World and read vociferously.
So many great ideas... I was really looking for ways to avoid the crowds and Dad had some great ideas. Perhaps the best was to get there early. And in February of 2011, my family arrived at the Magic Kingdom 30 minutes before the park opened as per Dad's instructions.
What we were not prepared for was the opening ceremonies. I don't know if they do this all the time or not, and I'm sure it was mentioned somewhere in all our research (probably by Dad himself) but it took us all by surprise. We watched as they staged a small show complete with the Disney characters coming in on the train at exactly the right time in the music.
My kids were spellbound, my wife was crying, and I was just taking the whole scene with my family in! The rest of the day went great. We rode everything we wanted on a very busy day thanks to Dad and good planning. But it was that opening moment that I remember best and it set the stage for the most magical vacation our family has taken to date. We are coming back as soon as we can!
