A Family visit to the Magic Kingdom

Can a jaded New Yorker go to the happiest place on earth and have a good time? Can he be surrounded by little girls in fairy princess outfits and parents with mouse ears all day without going bananas? Well, believe it or not, he could and he did. Being with my entire family (all 12 of us) was great but I was dreading being in Disneyland all day, however I got intot he spirit of things and had a blast. My 5th grade nephew and I snuck away from the rest of our group to ride all the big rides like Space Mountain, Matterhorn, Splash Mountain and all the rest. We would meet up with the “fam” now and then to do the obligatory family ride like Autopia and then would scurry off to another white knuckle ride.
I can’t believe since the last time I was in Dizzy-land it was 14 yrs ago and the price was much lower than the $70 that it is now. Crazy huh!?! Well we worked that $70 like there was no tomorrow. I created a project for myself for the day. I would take a picture of all the people who used those electric carts to get around the Magic Kingdom. I figured you get to know what America is all about by visiting Disneyland and what better way to showcase the out of shapeness of this country by all the people who aren’t able to walk around the park all day. Once in the park, I snapped a few people and then there were just too many to photograph so I stopped that project about 30 mins. in the park. I was focusing on the happy not the depressing and what better way than to ooh and aah at Tigger and Winnie with my nieces than look at these fat people shlumping around on their little carts.
After all the wild rides (Splash Mountain-thumbs up, finally Disney found a way to use “Song of the South”without being too un-PC, Indiana Jones-big thumbs down—lame ass ride on a stupid jeep) I decided to drop my nephew and hit all the Fantasyland rides with my nieces. Alice in Wonderland is my favorite and we had a ball zooming around on the caterpillars. Then we hit the tea cups and spun around until almost sick level. Mr. Toad’s, Snow White (still scary) and Pinocchio—I love it all.
Around 5:30, we all felt we got our $70 worth and with small nieces having meltdowns, it was time to say goodbye to the Magic Kingdom and go back to reality. It’s great that we were all together—such a rare event for my family and I hope we get to be together again. Next stop the Bay Area for a week of friends, contra dance calling and quiet time to figure out what to do next with my life.