Family Trip – Disney World 2003

Jennifer, Kaylee, and Lauren had been living with us since August 1999 and we had been through some rough periods during those years. We all had adjusted to the new “normal” and we had found fun things to do or places to visit so that Kaylee and Lauren could have good memories of those years.

My job in the IT world during the 1998-2000 years was filled with Y2K issues and the concern that the computer systems would fail on January 1, 2000. Everyone in management was in panic mode and that made everything worse than it should have been. After the world did not end as they were afraid it would, then there was a list of projects that were delayed due to Y2K.

In July 2002, Eva and I took a vacation, just the two of us, to have some alone time. I had not discussed those plans with Eva before as I usually did, because she would always need to do something for Jennifer or the kids. We went to Florida for a week. I wanted to go to the track at Daytona and see how Disney World had changed since we had been there in 1983. The real purpose was to see what options I would have for taking the entire family there and where we could stay that I could afford. We went to the four Disney World parks and visited several places in that part of Florida including Cape Canaveral. We checked out many of the hotel packages and got information regarding rental homes that were available for vacations. When we were on our way back home, I told Eva that I wanted to try to take our family to Disney World the next summer if possible.

It was the last part of May when I presented my ideas to Tammy and Jennifer about the family trip to Disney World. Everyone was excited and we then needed to pick a time when it would work with everyone’s schedule. I rented a five-bedroom house for the week and ordered Disney World tickets. Eva and I bought a new 2003 Ford Expedition for the trip and Tammy and Kirk had recently bought a new Dodge Minivan so we would make the trip in two vehicles. Eva had bought walkie-talkies so we could talk between the cars and at the parks – before everyone had a cell phone.

Our vacation would have us at Disney World for the 4^th of July Celebration. Melissa and Rachel had just had their birthday party for turning six the weekend before, so the kids had been together for that, and they were all excited about the trip. We made it to Tallahassee before stopping for the night. The next day, we arrived in Orlando and then found our way to the place where we checked in for the rental home. We got the directions to the house and the keys with instructions on what to do when the stay was over. The kids were happy to see that the house had enough bedrooms, and it had a swimming pool that was screened-in and just for that house. We managed to get them to slow down so we could find a Walmart to get snacks and food to have for eating at the house during the week.

The house was near the parks, and it was better than staying in a small hotel room. I had bought the Park Hopper tickets so they could visit all four of the parks as they wanted. Our first day was at Magic Kingdom. Kyle was 9, Kaylee, Melissa, and Rachel were 6, and Lauren was 4, so let your imagination tell you how excited they were that day. I took pictures to capture those moments of them enjoying the rides and shows. The parks were very crowded due to the special celebrations planned for that week for the 4^th, so finding eating places where we could all sit together was a challenge at times.

Our 2^nd day was mostly at EPCOT and the kids enjoyed it, but all of the walking tired their legs a lot. The shows were great and seeing the diverse cultures around the world was fun for them to experience. The fireworks shows were great to watch, and you could see their eyes taking it all in. By the end of the day, we all had a child that needed to be carried to the car. By the time we made it back to the house, they would have their second wind and be ready to play or chase each other or enjoy the ice cream in the freezer. The house had a washer and dryer so we could clean the clothes that got wet and/or dirty on the many rides.

We visited Animal Kingdom Park and saw all the animals there and were able to pet those animals in the petting area. Everyone enjoyed seeing the Lion King show and other exhibits. We spent a day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and got pictures taken with the character actors, enjoyed more rides, and watched many shows.

The Magic Kingdom parade was always a remarkable thing to experience, but it was spectacular on the 4^th of July. It seemed like the fireworks show would last forever. I remember that Lauren was so tiny, even for her age, but she wanted to ride all the rides that Kaylee, Melissa, and Rachel could ride. She would walk up to the signs and stand on her tiptoes and stretch out her body to get every half inch of height.

As we get older and have more time to recall the past, there will always be a list of things we wish you had done when we were younger. That is why it is so important to take time to make some good memories with your family and then share the memories with them when they are older.