Disney: Where Dreams Come True, Damn It!

Last weekend my sisters--Leticia and Margie--came down to Jacksonville along with my niece, nephew and brother-in-law. Our destination?: Disneyworld. We've been waiting for this trip for years but it had been put off year after year. We finally decided that this past weekend would be the best time to take the kids. Disneyland was an indelible fixture of our minds as children so we wanted this to remain a special memory for our children as well.

Which brings me to my next topic: Rationality. When is it too soon to lay the truth down to a child about things that are considered fanciful? At which age should you strike down the notion of Santa Claus? Should you really just tell your child that his favorite superhero is absolutely not real? Is imposing the Socratic Method okay to do on a five year old when attempting to arrive at a logical conclusion of something?

In the long-run, I think it's great to have a child that is somewhat rational. It's going to help them much in life. However, in the short-run, which may include magical trips to Disney, expect there to be some backlash because of it.

Getting Caught Up In The Horrible Grip of Perspective


Moment #1:

Christian looking around saying out loud, "Where in the world are we? What in the world is going on? What are all these signs for?"

Moment #2:

Uncle Brian pulls over to grab video camera from the trunk to record the children's reaction. Ti-Ti Lety quizzes the kids for them to guess where we're headed. Christian says 'Disneyworld' a split second before she does and goes on to explain that he already saw the sign.

Moment #3:

Ti-ti Lety: "You have to be patient for dreams to come true."
Little Lety: [Quietly thinking out loud to herself with her eyebrows furled] "You have to be patient for dreams to come true?"

Moment #4:

Little Lety with a little agreeance from Christian: [During the fireworks at night, Tinkerbell effortlessly 'flies' from the castle down to ground-level somewhere in the distance.] "That was lame. Tinkerbell was on a wire and her hair was black but it's supposed to be blonde."



That's pretty much when I smacked my forehead and realized there was no hope!

As for J.J., the youngest one, he was extremely well-behaved for the first-half. (We went back to the resort around 1 p.m.) He made up for it later though but was actually extremely well-behaved. I think it's because he was 'a believer.'

As for the age you should take your child to Disney for the first time? It depends. You must be at least 40" to ride several rides (44" on most) but I think they can have just as much fun if they are perhaps oblivious about there actually being a regular human-being inside of that Mickey costume or that fairies actually do need wires to fly. However there's a glimmer of hope here. I saw my child quiver with fear at the Haunted Mansion. Thank God, we haven't lost him yet. I at least have that.