We are sooo not Dizzers( aka Disney crazy people)

OK, so we go to Disney at least once a year, we'll get whiplash to flip a u-turn when we see a character come up out of the secret tunnel so we can get their fake autograph, we pay extra to eat Mickey shaped waffles and chocolate ice cream bars, and wait hours in line to see animatronic presidents, scary dolls of the world, and pirates that haven't been cleaned since the 60's, BUT we are NOT Dizzers.

This year we joined my best friend Becky and her family at Disney. They live in North Carolina and our boys were best friends too before they moved.

Alright everyone, look in the same exact direction, all wearing mouse ears - got it- good. There was a stingray in the tank that kept breaching and splashing water, so the kids were glued here.

how appropriate

Alright my freaked out look is fake, Emma's is not- we are in Test Track at Epcot when they pretend to send you through the heated element

We did the Disney Dining plan this time and let's see say Rick was in cow overdrive. We all left 10 pounds heavier and happier. Rick took 10 seconds to survey the menu, find the most expensive cow item and closed the menu. At least I tried some chicken dishes and pasta. We tried every night to get into O'hana's with no luck. That by far is my favorite restaurant on Disney grounds. It's at the Polynesian Resort and serves everything on sticks. We did try the Kona Cafe, The Coral Reef, Boatwrights, and The Wolfgang Puck Cafe. The best was the Kona Cafe.

Adeline's impression of Minnie Mouse, we stayed at the Port Orleans Riverside hotel this time

At Downtown Disney you can see this giant balloon from all over and it's actually a ride that you can pay to go up in . You can see it from the highway as you drive by.

We have gone to Disney now twice with good friends and their children. Here is Becky's oldest Mason, with my oldest Emma, grrrrrr

Reece was brave enough to go for the face painting this year. He got the laughing crocodile

Rick hates this picture and thinks the whole hidden mickey thing is overrated. This was on the bed as we checked into the hotel

The weather was cold again this year and my kids all had colds and coughs. But they toughed it out, trying new rides like Space Mountain and Big Thunder mtn railroad. One that when I was a kid, my dad dragged me screaming up through the longggggg line to ride on, only to have me completely go bananas when we got to the ride itself and ran out of the turnstile all the way back to the entrance. How did he put up with me, I'll never know? Robin used to try every ride they allowed her on, no reservations, sky diving, whatever. God made us polar opposites in that regard. It took dating Rick to start me even thinking of venturing on the kiddie coasters and working my way up to wooden ones, until now there are only a few I will still shy away from. I think all the ones I refuse to ride are at Cedar Point in Ohio. I guess that's why I am a bit of a Dizzer. I can go on everything in those Disney parks and not feel terrified(oh, alright, I still won't try Tower of Terror) But, the magic of Disney is palpable and you feel it from the moment you check in and see those little Mickey heads on your bedspread, to the point when your foot crosses over the threshold into the Magic Kingdom and you walk under the train tunnel out into a wonderland. Yes, it's crowded, yes, I've ridden everything at least 5 times, yes the food is overpriced, BUT every time we go there is something slightly different about our visit. Whether it is a woman from the candy store pulling us aside to dip marshmallows in chocolate or a lady in Adventure land having Adeline search for the hidden Mickey shaped gem in a pile of gems. We have been "pulled over" in Hollywood Studios by a fake police man for having too much fun, and had a purple cat made from taffy at the Japan Pavilion in Epcot. Thank you Walt Disney for your imagination and insight, all these years later did you ever dream that your creation would be the perfect location for millions of vacationers every year? I googled you and you are not cryogenically frozen like I thought, you are actually buried in California. Hmmmm, learn something new everyday. Well, Disney World, see you next year.