Top Reasons Why Disney is NOT the most Magical Place on Earth

If you haven't read the post below this one, read it first, then move on to this one.

Reason #1: This is not a magical place of relaxation. We literally walked between 5 to 10 miles a day. Don't the scouts do a 50 miler for one of their badges? I think we all just earned one of those - and the blisters to prove it. We crashed into bed each night and had to drag ourselves up each morning for another round of walking torture.

Reason #2: Mickey's Not-S0-Scary Halloween Party is Not-So-Fun when the Mickey fans come in droves to accumulate their Disney candy. I mean, really, we had to wait in line for candy. Where is the fun in that?

Reason #3: Why do parents keep their kids up way past their nap times and bed times to enjoy their Disney Adventure? I know, I know, we were guilty of this too. I had to remind myself that I was not allowed to get mad at my three-year-old for throwing a tantrum, when she was just overtired and yours truly had inflicted it upon herself.

Reason #4: Not the best place to have a stomach bug. Luckily, the one day we decided to sleep in and relax at the house swimming in the pool before heading off to the Halloween Party was when Alicia and her cousin Jake decided to start throwing up. Thankfully, she was better by the time the party rolled around.

Reason #5: Trips are sometimes a bit emotional, especially since this trip was meant to be done with my dad at our sides. He was excitedly planning the trip along with the rest of us two years ago when he wasn't able to go to Disneyland with us. Just two days before we were to head out with grandma and grandpa, he contracted a very nasty and painful case of Shingles. This was supposed to be his Disney redemption trip.

No one told me about this part of losing someone close to you. All of the things you had planned to do with them in the future. When the events roll around, and they are not there with you, it is really difficult.

One of the days we were at Disney World, there was another family about the size of ours all wearing red shirts that said, "In memory of..." then it listed how they were related, i.e. grandpa, dad, etc. It certainly put things into perspective when I realized we weren't the only ones missing someone on our trip.

We really had a wonderful time though despite the crowds, massive amounts of walking, and other such pleasures. Guess we'll have to start planning for the next Disney trip. Not for at least 10 more years though in my book. (In John's book, 2 more years and then Disneyland - we'll see if I still remember the top reasons why Disney is not so magical, or if I've forgotten by then - kind of like having a baby, right?)