The Magic Kingdom

I am happy to report that we successfully flew down to Orlando, FL for an amazing vacation to Disney World in October. While we knew Penny would have a great time, I think Mike and I were surprised at how much fun we had. You couldn't have picked a more polar opposite experience than our last big family trip - to cold, windy, natural Iceland. Disney World is a completely artificial environment, it was hot, and it was corporate Americana on steroids. And they do a fabulous job of entertaining the whole family. Even though I had been there as a kid, it is very different now in terms of rides, technology, and also price gouging for every little detail. The trip we had was the trip I would have planned for myself as a kid. We stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort, which I would consider staying at again in the future and recomend. My biggest "travel hack" was having an A***** package delivered to our resort the day before we arrived, with sparkling waters, granola bars, applesauce packs, cracker packs, etc. It was so nice to arrive and just have our little care package of snacks there. 

 Penny had the stamina to go all day long (more than I did - I took midday naps back at the hotel), and she went on every ride she was tall enough for, without fear. She rode roller coasters and the Tower of Terror. She is the bravest 4-year-old I know. She is the age that she very much believes in magic, and we are happy that we could give her a magical experience before that wonder gets dashed out of her in the next few years. She enjoyed meeting and taking photos many characters, even though she was a little shy at times. Mike really maximized his Disney app usage to minimize our ride wait times, and even snuck in a few grown-up rides for himself. 

 Like after our Iceland trip, I felt a sense that "things will be okay" during and after the trip, since COVID really took our normal way of life for so long and it didn't feel safe to travel. It's still not 100% safe to travel, but it's at least managable at this point, and feels worth it to have these kinds of novel and fun experiences again. 

 We also recently renewed both of Penny's passports, so she is good to travel internationally for the next 5 years. And we hope to make good use of them, for at least a few trips. 

 Here's to enjoying travel again!