Seems to me that’s a parental compliment.  It probably has to do with the fact that while we were making sure the kids were having a splendid time (my wife and I were constantly patting each other’s back), we were left wondering why we ever booked a trip to Disney in the peak of summer!

Boy oh boy, man!  Was it ever hot!  The good news for me was while at Disney World I certainly got to indulge in my favorite treats near the hotel such as eating smothered, covered and chunked hash browns at the “Waffle House” and chicken fried chicken at “Cracker Barrel.” 

We made the Zephyrhills company richer by consuming a case of water a day as a family.  We were actually force feeding our kids bottles of water at night and during the mornings in preparation for a daily scorching Disneyworld excursion.  It’s difficult to get kids to drink water, especially when they’re not really all that thirsty, and even harder to convince them they’ll thank us later when everyone else around them is doubled over from heat exhaustion.   

Disneyworld allows you to bring in water bottles and little packaged snacks and we took advantage of this in a big way.  After spending a fortune on the hotel and tickets to Disneyworld, Seaworld, and Seaworld’s “Aquatica” water park, we really had no choice!  A great way to start the day at Disney World or any theme park for that matter is to have a hearty breakfast before entering the attraction.  This way you won’t be hungry for a good four to six hours and you can further prevent your hunger if you mix in some type of healthy breakfast or granola bars every two hours or so.

Sunglasses are a must for Disneyworld (no-not to slyly check out the good-looking women and men while your mate thinks you’re looking straight ahead!) if you want to see any part of the attraction at least half the time.  Without them it feels like the sun is reflecting off the pavement and burning holes in your eyeballs.  I had my custom-made, genuine imitation $12.00 polarized no name brand sunglasses on the whole time, and they worked fine.  While we’re on this subject a hat, cap, or visor is something you should also consider to keep the dangerous sun’s rays away from your precious cheeks, and applying sunscreen should become an hourly habit! 

Folks, it’s extremely easy to lose track of your toddlers when a theme park is packed like sardines in a crushed tin can.  I experienced the old “heart dropping to my feet” somewhere between Adventureland and Fantasyland for a split second at the Magic Kingdom when my little Kyle dropped back while we were walking and briefly disappeared behind a huge Santa Claus-like bearded man who smiled when he saw the relief on my face when my eyes met Kyles’ eyes.  After that, I made sure all my kids walked in front of me and I let my wife lead the way.  

I visited the Official Disneyworld web site yesterday afternoon, signed up for a free Kids’ games account, and was amazed at the superior graphics as well as the enjoyability of their games.  Little Kyle was glued to the screen for a good two hours acting like he knew how to control the computer mouse.  That’s when I really threw him a curve; I pointed at the computer mouse and said, “Kyle, that’s a mouse.”  Kyle begged to differ and insisted, “No, daddy, that’s a mouse, Mickey Mouse,” as he pointed to that irritatingly, irresistible, iconic rodent!  We continued our argument for a good ten minutes until I dropped the subject. 

I went to sleep last night with the words “Meeska” and “Mooska” nailed to my brain, but praise heaven above, when I woke up this morning, I couldn’t remember dreaming about anything remotely related to Disneyworld.  I served my kids breakfast while repeating the words, “Meeska, Mooska,” like I was from another planet in a distant galaxy.  Kyle was looking at me as if to say, “Dude, you’ve got issues!” 

I always kid my family members about how overly excited kids become when they hear they’re going to Disneyworld, but the truth is, once I’m there I can’t think of a bigger joy than watching the wonder in my kids’ eyes as they watch the Disney characters come to life.  Three years ago, as big and burly as some people say I am, I sobbed uncontrollably (nobody saw me-I hope!) while watching my little Kymberly marvel at her idol “Ariel” during the “Philarmagic 3D” show because of how happy I was for her. 

I say let your kids go overboard with excitement during the days leading to a Disneyworld trip.  ”So what” if you pull out a few hairs while your kids continually ask, “Mom, Dad, when are we going to Disneyworld?”  Every year before we go to Disneyworld, he heighten our kids’ experience by buying a couple of Mickey Mouse DVD’s and/or CD’s at Amazon.com,  and by tuning in to the Disney Channel much more frequently.  By the time we walk through the gates at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, they’re the liveliest kids in the whole place!