Disney World 2009

Brrrr... after a week in sunny Florida, this Colorado fall weather
is kind of brutal.  Yes, we paid Disney World another visit this year, but no 15K runs were on the agenda this time.  This was an end of summer vacation with the Pierz Family.  We always have an easy time hanging out.  Just call us Pierzarrios (think mash-up like Tomkat, Bennifer, or Brangelina).  The kids had a blast together as well.  The Marielle-Alex duo was in full affect, and Lila was thrilled with all girl power that was going on between her and our girls.  I think Harper and Lila are starting to become quite a duo as well.

With the economic downturn and all, Disney had some pretty compelling late-season deals available, so yay for us (that's a SYTYCD reference just for Sarah).

We stayed at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort.  This was the first time that we've stayed at an actual Disney Resort.  I would recommend it for the shuttle service alone.  despite the fact that some of the shuttle rides were kind of long, the frequency was way better than at other hotels we've stayed at; plus, not dealing with parking lots and trams was nice.  And resort guests get some other sweet perks like extended park hours.  Since Disney's not paying for this endorsement I'll stop there.

Despite the fact that we've been to Disney World several times (Marc = 5, Marielle = 3, Harper = 2, Vivian = ∞), and despite the fact that I'm always protesting going so frequently, I'm always excited about how much the kids love it.  Although age definitely plays a part in what the kids appreciate, without a doubt, there is something for kids of all ages.  This year Marielle definitely new what rides she really wanted to go on.  The Dumbo Ride was number one on her agenda with the carousel (actually, the girls referred to it as the "princess" carousel) as a close second.  After that, it was all of the remaining Fantasy Land rides like Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, and It's a Small World.  For Harper it was the Magic Kingdom, in its entirety, or bust.  No really, as far as she was concerned, Disney World began and ended with the Magic Kingdom.  Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and even the Animal Kingdom were all only pit stops on the way to "Disney World."

For us it was exciting to see Harper's reaction to everything.  She spent the entire journey through It's a Small World pointing out everything she could.  The whole time it was, "Look at that giraffe! Those guys are dancing!  I see some flowers!  Those flowers are shaped like hearts!  I like those heart flowers!"  She also wanted to interact with everything rather than just take it all in like last year.  She hugged every character she came across and wanted to participate in every show we went to.  She emphatically shouted out her name when a kid twenty feet away was asked his name.  It was hilarious.

For Marielle we were excited that she would be able to go on some of the "bigger" rides.  We ended up a little disappointed that in her petite-ness she was technically too short for the 40" minimum for most of those rides.  However, between us carrying her and her standing on her tip-toes when the park attendants checked her, she was able to get a few of the good rides under her belt.  She rode Soarin', Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Goofy's Barnstormer.  She was a little reluctant to ride Splash Mountain.  We walking by as one group was taking the plunge.

Marielle said, "I don't think I want to ride that."

I replied, with excitement, "Do you hear that, everyone is cheering!

To which she flatly replied, "they're not cheering, they're screaming..."

After applying the "you have to try it once" mantra that we use for tasting new foods, she gave it a try and loved it.  She was quite bummed that she couldn't go a second time because the park attendant at the head of the line picked up on her less-than-40-inch stature.