Tag Archives: It’s a Small World

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Magic Kingdom Day

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Day two of our Walt Disney World adventure has been so incredible!

  1. Character breakfast at Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom. Ida was completely traumatized by the arrival of Winnie the Pooh. “Too big!” She begged to be cuddled by her mum and hid her face until Pooh went away. Tigger-same thing. Piglet-a little more interested. Eeyore-not so scared, and Ida didn’t hide her eyes.
  2. We rode Peter Pan’s Flight, and Ida and James were a bit scared. “Too dark.”
  3. We rode it’s a small world next. Ida dug it!
  4. We rode Winnie the Pooh. Ida thought it was OK, but a bit too bumpy.
  5. Finally we rode Under the Sea-Journey of the Little Mermaid. When we finished, Ida said, “Really cool!” Success at last!
  6. We finished our day with a swim and dinner at Olivia’s.

What an incredible day! What an incredible time with family! What a beautiful place!

Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

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That Magic Kingdom Smile

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I am twenty days away from flying to Walt Disney World and that most magical of Kingdoms. I’ve been planning, saving, researching, and preparing for three years, and now I am within three weeks. Wow. Just wow!

There is something that happens when I get near the Magic Kingdom. Something almost magical. There is a sign announcing the Magic Kingdom that spans the highway leading into the park. When I see that sign, my heart speeds up, I have an adrenaline rush, and I can’t stop the smile from spreading across my face. My family inevitably notices it and chuckles. I can’t really explain it, but it happens in spite of myself.

It really is a magical kingdom. It makes me feel like a kid again, even though I’m sitting on an EVC or a wheelchair. The years melt away, and the pure joy of untainted childhood takes over. It’s a small world after all… In the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room… There’s a great, big beautiful tomorrow… In Magic Kingdom the songs are hopeful with positive messages about possibility. Possibility about a world where we are more alike than different. Possibility for the fun and oneness of all creatures on Earth.  Possibility of a brighter tomorrow. How can that be bad? I love the bright, colorful decorations, and the happy music throughout the park. Bliss!

Most of all, I look forward to sharing days in the park with my family. Whatever else happens, we will be together, and therein lies even more magic. Rides aside, decorations aside, delicious meals aside, I will be with the people I love most in this world. Thank you, Lord!

Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

 

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My Ten Must Dos at WDW

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Only 34 days to go until we travel to Walt Disney World. It is creeping closer and closer. Yay!

Here are the 10 things I am the most excited about for our trip to Walt Disney World in October:

#10 Riding it’s a small world.  It is my favorite ride!!

#9 Celebrating our unbirthdays with “the dip” (see below) and birthday cupcakes.  Woo hoo!  Happy unbirthday to us!

#8 Exploring EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival.  Looking forward to tempting tidbits of tasty treats.

#7 Experiencing Minnie’s Seasonal Dining at Hollywood and Vine, Halloween Edition for the first time ever.  I mean, Minnie, Mickey, Goofy, Donald and Daisy in their Halloween costumes! Plus the food looks yummy.

#6 Spending the better part of a day at Disney Springs exploring and shopping.

#5 Eating at Olivia’s Café at Disney’s Old Key West Resort. This is by far my favorite restaurant at Walt Disney World.

#4 Experiencing Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween.

#3 Spending plenty of resort time and pool time at Disney’s Old Key West Resort.  It is, seriously, my Happy Place.  When I’m chilling at Old Key West I can actually feel all stress leaving my body.  It is the ultimate in relaxation for me.

#2 Meeting and greeting Mickey at Magic Kingdom. I am so ready to shake Mickey‘s big, white-gloved hand and get a picture with him and my family.

And the #1 thing that I am excited about…Looking at the faces of my husband and children and their spouses and children and spending some quality time together in this beautiful place.  This will be a family reunion extraordinaire!

Meet you at the Kingdom.

Donna

*The dip: In a pie plate spread 8 oz. of cream cheese.  Next sprinkle 6 to 8 cut-up green onions on top.  Then spread a can of No Bean chili on top.  (We usually make a second dip with Vegetarian chili with lots of beans.)  Finally sprinkle 8 oz. of grated cheddar cheese on top.  (We prefer sharp cheddar.  The shaper the better.)  Microwave for five minutes and serve with your favorite chips.  (We usually heat it in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes instead, because it seem to hold it’s heat longer.)

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Carrying On

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Hello Dear Readers,

I hope this post finds you healthy and at peace.

In just 5 days I will call Disney and schedule our next trip to Walt Disney World. We hope to go on October 20 of next year. Because we are Disney Vacation Club members, we can call and book our home resort, Old Key West, 11 months in advance. Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, we will have 8 nights and 9 days at Disney: Mike, Emi, James, Ida, Jake, Eliza, Baby Jarvi and me.

This time it won’t be so much about time in the parks, although we will have tickets for 5 days. This time it will be all about the babies. Ida will be 2 & 1/2 and Baby Jarvi will be 8 months old. Dumbo, Prince Charming Carousel, Meeting Mickey, It’s a Small World and splashing in the water fountains will be the focus of our days. Probably just a few hours in the parks and then time at Old Key West.

I take none of this for granted. I know that if we are all there it will truly be a gift from God. I am doing my part to be there. As of this morning, I am 54.4 pounds down since May. I am learning how to eat as a diabetic. Now I just need to start moving more. Please pray that I can and do move more.

May God bless and keep you, dear Readers. Meet you at the Kingdom.

Donna

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Top 10 Things I Am Excited To Do at Walt Disney World

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Day 386 in my excitement on my way to meeting up with Mickey

Here are the 10 things I am the most excited about for our trip to Walt Disney World in October:

#10 Riding it’s a small world.  It is my favorite ride!!

#9 Celebrating one year’s-worth of birthdays with “the dip” (see below) and birthday cupcakes.  We have been saving up to celebrate our birthdays together in Florida.  Woo hoo!  Happy birthday to us!

#8 Exploring EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival.  Looking forward to tempting tidbits of tasty treats.

#7 Experiencing Wishes Fireworks Dessert Party for the first time ever.  See comment from number 8.

#6 Spending the better part of a day at Disney Springs exploring and shopping.

#5 Eating at Olivia’s Café at Disney’s Old Key West Resort. This is by far my favorite restaurant at Walt Disney World.

#4 Experiencing Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween for the first time ever.  I have my costume now.  I ordered it from the Disney Store.  I will wear a Mickey Mouse Skeleton Tee and a Minnie Mouse Ears Headband.  🙂

#3 Spending plenty of resort time and pool time at Disney’s Old Key West Resort.  It is, seriously, my Happy Place.  When I’m chilling at Old Key West I can actually feel all stress leaving my body.  It is the ultimate in relaxation for me.

#2 Meeting and greeting Mickey at Magic Kingdom. This has been the driving force behind this blog.  I am anxious to shake Mickey‘s big, white-gloved hand and get a picture.

And the #1 thing that I am excited about…Looking at the faces of my husband and children and their spouses and spending some quality time together in this beautiful place.  This will be a family reunion extraordinaire!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

*The dip: In a pie plate spread 8 oz. of cream cheese.  Next sprinkle 6 to 8 cut-up green onions on top.  Then spread a can of No Bean chili on top.  (We usually make a second dip with Vegetarian chili with lots of beans.)  Finally sprinkle 8 oz. of grated cheddar cheese on top.  (We prefer sharp cheddar.  The shaper the better.)  Microwave for five minutes and serve with your favorite chips.  (We usually heat it in the oven t 350 degrees for 30 minutes instead, because it seem to hold it’s heat longer.)

 

 

 

 

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Fuel and Motion

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Day 367 in my determination to reach Mickey in a healthier state (2 months and 1 day to go)

Today’s plan was to begin again: to eat healthier meals and snacks and to move more.

  1. I picked the best foods available to me today.  For instance, for lunch I had a Boca veggie burger, some mini-carrots and some grapes.  At dinner I made sure to include a salad of greens with our chicken and boiled carrots.  My snacks today: an banana and a Greek yogurt.
  2. Moving more was easy.  While I was away over the last five day, my office was carpeted.  So today I moved things back into my office, not all at once, but every hour I walked down to the storage area and moved a few more things back into my office.

I am tired and a bit sore, but it was a good work day.  AND I slept so much better last night.  Halle-J-lujah!  I am one grateful woman tonight.  I stayed sugar-free today, too.  I am going up to bed to fall asleep and dream sweet Disney dreams: Mad Tea Party, Journey of the Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast: Live Stage Show, Spaceship Earth, Festival of the Lion King and my very fave, it’s a small world.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Ten Minutes and Thirty Seconds of Peace and Good Will

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Day 358 in my contemplations on meeting Mickey

According to DIS at wdwinfo.com: it’s a small world–Ride Length: 10 minutes, 30 seconds

“The “legend” has it that if you ride it’s a small world at Disney World, the song will stay in your head forever, it’s a small world after all.  A lot of people claim this ride is just a cliché or is “just for kids.”  People will tell you that they avoid it like the plague. These are the same people that will turn around and moan that the Carousel of Progress should be saved, or that they never should have taken out Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Their reasoning is that these are Walt Disney’s Legacy…Let’s talk about that. Many of the older, or original if you prefer, attractions at Disneyland and Disney World have Walt’s touch. Walt and his team of Imagineers, led by artist and designer Mary Blair, created it’s a small world as tribute to the children of the world for the UNICEF pavilion at the 1964/65 World’s Fair. The Sherman Brothers, responsible for a big chunk of Disney music (ex. Mary Poppins) originally wrote the theme song as a ballad. Legend has it that Walt told them he needed something “peppy” that would last throughout the ride. “

it’s a small world is my favorite ride.  When I get to Walt Disney World, riding this ride is my sign that I can exhale and really begin my vacation.  It has always been my favorite ride here.  On our fourth trip to Walt Disney World, which was our second trip as Disney Vacation Club members, we invited my mom and dad and Mike’s mom along.  My dad was enjoying the vacation, but not really showing excitement about anything.  Then we rode it’s a small world, and everything changed.  As soon as we got off the ride he asked to go again.  🙂  And then on our last day of that trip, I asked my dad what he would like to do on his last day of this vacation.  His response?  “I want to go on it’s a small world.”  That cemented it for me.  It is now and will always be my favorite Walt Disney World attraction.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Nothing new or fancy

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Day 18 on my way to rendezvous with Mickey.  🙂

Well, folks, the title says it all.  Here’s the plan: nothing new or fancy today.  I will eat healthy today.  I will avoid sugar today.  I will move more at work today.

You know, moving this much weight through space is no small task.  (Please, excuse the pun.)  My former work partner once told me, “They say you should do some sort of weight bearing exercise each day.  Well, moving this body through space is weight bearing exercise.”  I laughed out loud.  But it makes you think.  I know I have to move more to get the energy to move more to get the energy to move more.  Wait…what?  It’s an odd thing really.  When we move more, we draw oxygen deeper into our bodies/systems, and it gives us more energy, more oomph.  I WANT more oomph.

I want enough oomph to stroll the trails at Old Key West, to walk at Disney’s Animal Kingdom without being immediately exhausted, to walk all the way from the bus, to and through, Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom.  Maybe even straight to It’s a Small World.  Do not pass go; do not collect $200.  I love this big Disney dreaming.  I’m willing to work as hard as I have to, to make these dreams/visions come true.

Thank you, Mouse-fans, Disneyphiles and Donna supporters, for reading.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Making Plans for Nutritious Meals

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Day 14 of getting ready for Mickey

Wow!  Two weeks in already.  Last night Mike and I brought all the equipment back into the church and set it up.  Holy wah!  What a huge task!  Platforms and cords first, then chairs, then all the gear.  It took us two and a half hours.  I prayed for strength before we went, and, thank you, Jesus, I was able to do quite bit.  It was empowering.  For a change, I did not hide from the physical work.  I dove right in and survived!  Halle-J-Lujah!

When I meet Mickey at the Magic Kingdom, I want to feel my best.  Nourished and healthy.  So here’s today’s plan:

  1. I will research 3 new healthy recipes online.  (skinnytase.com and ifoodreal.com here I come)  🙂  
  2. I will plan my menu for the week.
  3. I will make up a shopping list for needed ingredients.

I am also visualizing:

  1. I’m climbing into a boat on “It’s a Small World.” Then I’m singing along to that wonderful song ’til the end of the ride.  🙂
  2. I’m flying over London on “Peter Pan’s Fight.”
  3. I’m careening down a mountain on “Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.”
  4. I’m in the final free fall on “Splash Mountain.”
  5. Yo, Ho, Yo, Ho, a pirate’s life for me…  “Pirates of the Caribbean” is next.

There’s a huge grin on my face right now.  🙂

Thanks for reading.  Meet you at the Kingdom.