“Bippity Boppity Broke.”
“Happy Never After.”
Just a couple of the less-than-magical t-shirts I spotted around the Disney parks yesterday and today—on dads, no less. The “Never After” one, with Grumpy the Dwarf on it, I thought was especially clever.
With two of five park days down, we’ve learned some lessons. First: don’t do two big parks back-to-back. However much Evelyn was a trooper—going 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. yesterday—the gusto and patience required to wait in lines only had so much staying power on day two.
Second: plans need backup plans. The Tron ride didn’t actually have early access, so there was no way around the long wait.
Lastly, I underestimated motion sickness—and how much the Lightning Passes impact the regular line, now called the standby line. It almost feels like Lightning Pass is the main line, and the rest of us are just filling in the gaps.
Tomorrow is a much-needed rest day. My feet feel like drums that have been beaten too hard. They were never meant to be rockers, so I’ll gladly give them a well-earned break.
My goal for the remaining park days is not to chase the sought-after rides. Sure, experiencing their latest and greatest technology is mind-blowing—like today on Ratatouille—but the cost isn’t lost on me. The long lines are a trap, an energy and fun-o-meter drain. And because I get that now, I want the slower-paced, older rides instead.
I’m getting close to mastering this Disney vacation thing. Not in the “do everything” way—but in our way. Just enough, our rhythm, our pace.
Love, Jaclynn
Going On 40 