Disney magic

So, I'm back from celebrating my birthday in Disney World!

Been back for a (cough) week now. My life has been a blur. Or maybe that's just the tears in my eyes while potty-training the Man-cub. For the third time.

Anyway....

My husband and I grew up going to Disney World and have been there a dozen times or more. We started a tradition of visiting Disney World after Thanksgiving each year after the Man-cub turned one. It's a great time of year to visit because Disney's holiday decorations are up, but the resorts have reduced rates. The weather can be topsy-turvy, so we end up packing everything from swimsuits to winter coats, but we live in layers here in South Florida in the winter anyway. We also like Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, which takes place on certain nights in December.

The fact my birthday falls during this time is just a coincidence. Yeah....

Our family likes Disney World not so much because we're beholden to Mickey Mouse or any of the characters, although we enjoy meeting them.





It's not that we like going to Disney World because of the rides or attractions. Although there is a certain dad who has to go on the Jungle Cruise to catch all the corny jokes and puns. And there is a boy who wasn't supposed to be tall enough to do this:



who now asks if he can drive my car.

Thanks, honey.

Mostly, it's convenient. Disney World is a three-hour drive for us, so it's an easy getaway. As Florida residents, we get sweet Disney discounts on park passes. (I noticed lots of Florida license plates in the parking lots.) Because we have kids, we like knowing that Disney is a kid-friendly place to go. Even if we don't go into a theme park (we used only one day of our three-day pass), there is something for kids to do at the resort, at Downtown Disney or at the mini golf areas. Heck, two days we rode the monorail just for the Man-cub because he thinks it is a train! Disney has plenty of fun stuff for kids.

Like having a train! in the lobby of the resort we stayed in this time. A train! that the Man-cub never ceased ogling or talking about.



Or the carousel made entirely out of gingerbread, fostering Hansel and Gretel-type dreams.



Me, I get my kicks just seeing Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. I'm easy to please.



And of course seeing Cinderella's castle.



(I also have to get a pastry in France at Epcot every time we go. And truth be told, I also like not cleaning or cooking while on vacation.)

This was my little Junebug's first visit, of course, and he told me Disney World was OK but he didn't know what the fuss was all about. As long as he was glued to me, he didn't care what we did.





Next year, though, I bet he will be all over Pooh's Playful Spot.

We have our complaints about Disney -- the poor road signage once you enter resort property that makes it easy to get lost, the price of food, the wait time and lines for rides, the $10-per-day fee at the resorts for Internet access -- but overall it's a fun and easy trip for us to make, and Disney goes out of its way to make sure people have a good time.

And making sure the kids have a good time is what it's all about -- that, and maybe a few great photos to prove to them when they're older how much fun they had.