The Magic is Real

Let’s talk about Disneyland for a minute. One of the big marketing campaigns has always been about Disney “magic.” For little kids, the magic is having their favorite fantasy characters come to life just like they wish they would. They get to walk in those magical movie moments for a day or two. For those of us who are older, the magic comes in being able to revisit the wonder of our childhood for just a little while, in being able to walk back into the simple, imaginative days of our early lives and remember just how charmed and worry free they were. I think that is why Disneyland has such universal appeal. It is all about the magical and amazing things that accompany the very young before they are bogged down by real life. Because let’s face it. Adulting is hard. And sometimes we all need a chance to set aside all our grown-up problems for a day. Of course, we have to go in knowing that our inner adult is going to have a conniption if it thinks too hard on the price tag that accompanies our day of time travel, but if we can get those older, responsible voices to take a day off, we can have a jolly time!

Now let’s move on to some details about our day at Disney.

Dole whip. That was the highlight of my day. That might seem a bit lackluster since we spent the day at Disneyland but let me explain. Dole whip is totally Matthew friendly. And since it is the only thing they serve at the Tiki Hut in Disneyland, the risk of cross contact is nil. All that means that we met up with Matthew after lunch today and we ate Dole whip together. Again, that might not seem like a big deal. But let me assure you that for Matthew, it is huge. A big freaking deal. And he thoroughly enjoyed it, as did I. And the enjoyment was for more than just the fact that it is a delightful frozen dessert that we can’t get at home. The enjoyment was for the tiny bit of normalcy he found in enjoying a special treat with his family while we were abroad in the world.

My second favorite part of the day was the fact that Malia got to have a nice conversation with Rapunzel and Flynn Rider Eugene and the fact that all three of her brothers were insanely jealous that she got to do so. 😂 It was highly entertaining to see her converse with the stars of her favorite ever princess movie and unconsciously use angry Italian hands during the conversation. (As an FYI, when she was in her watching “Tangled” everyday stage, she would always correct me when I referred to Flynn. She would look at me like I was one card short of a deck and say, “It’s Eugene!” Made me laugh then. Still makes me chuckle.)

Other highlights of the day included Matthew walking into his childhood when he visited Cars land, Malia safely eating two meals at two different restaurants as well as having an allergy friendly chocolate chip cookie from the Jolly Holiday Café and Bakery, hearing the Disneyland marching band perform several times, and seeing the spectacle of a Disneyland parade. And despite her many declarations before we left home, I did manage to get Malia to wear some mouse ears! I think they were actually the best ears I’ve ever seen-the “Monsters, Inc.” Mike Wazouski ears. Kevin enjoyed Star Wars land and personally, I think that portion of the park is one of the most visually spectacular ones. No detail was too small and the whole thing looked amazing. And Malia came home with a new friend for Jolly-Stitch is now a member of her stuffed animal entourage. I think the general consensus when we came away is that one day is not enough time to do everything. The last time I visited Disneyland was when I was 18 and the whole California Adventure Park didn’t exist then. Sometime we will have to go back to experience all the things that we couldn’t fit in!

Today’s adventure yielded 20,000 steps. Despite my lack of an actual workout, I think that counts as my exercise for the day. 😉 And I did, in fact, get to experience several magical moments with my kiddos today. So yes, the claim is valid. And yes, some of our magical moments would be considered mundane by most folks, but this is the very first time ever that I’ve gotten to take Matthew out for ice cream. That definitely sets today apart for us. And it is definitely magic of the highest order.