4 July 2005

Arriving at the Magic Kingdom.

It was a very hot and very sticky July 4.  We were in Disney World and had spent the very early morning and well into the afternoon standing in line, peeling our legs off of the seats of rides wet with other people's sweat, and spraying ourselves with our fan spritzers looking for some relief.  About 2 o'clock, we decided to hang it up and spend the rest of the day at the pool, just "chilling" in the 88 degree water.

We headed back to the room, and it was cool and dark, and the beds were so inviting that we all laid down and immediately fell asleep for about an hour.  Around 4, we put on our swimsuits and made our way through the labyrinth of sidewalks to the pool, where everybody was leaving to get ready to go to the Magic Kingdom for the fireworks display.  I knew it was the 4th of July and that the fireworks would be especially glorious because it was the 4th, but I also knew that it is traditionally one of the most crowded days of the year at Disney World, and it was really, really hot, and I was happy to just hang out in the water with the kids and relax.

About an hour later, Kyle said, "Mom, can we go to the fireworks too?"

I said, "Well, if you want to, we can think about it, but it is going to be REALLY crowded and we'd have to get out and get ready and take the bus over to the Magic Kingdom and we'd have to get out pretty much right now in order to make it in time..." trying my best to come up with every good reason to stay cool and calm and relaxed right where I was.

"Okay!"  he replied.  "I don't care!  Let's do it..."

And then he uttered the words that made me move, "...because when are we ever going to be at Disney World on the 4th of July again?"

I looked at Kirk, and he shrugged like "what can I say to that?" And since he's always game for anything, I dragged myself out of the pool, and we made our way back to the room where we dried off and got ready and made our way back over to the Magic Kingdom.

I was wrong when I said it was going to REALLY crowded.  It was REALLY, REALLY, REALLY crowded, but we were lucky enough to be able to find a small piece of sidewalk to park ourselves and wait until dark.  Emily was 3 1/2 at the time, and while she was very, very good, she got bored and she didn't want to sit any longer.  I had to think of a way to occupy her, so I started doing "See, See My Playmate" with her.  Then we did it again.  And again.  And again.  Then I got Claire and Emily to play with each other.  Claire taught Emily another hand game and that worked for awhile, but soon they were bored, and it was still pretty light outside.  So I started singing to them, quietly at first, and they joined in.

We sang "Grand Old Flag" and "God Bless America" and "My Old Kentucky Home" and "Yankee Doodle" and "My Country Tis of Thee" and every other old timey song I could think of.  Then we sang them again and again.  Pretty soon, some people around us joined in, and the singing spread, and we found ourselves on Main Street U.S.A. in front of Cinderella's Castle singing patriotic songs with total strangers on the 4th of July while waiting for the fireworks to start.  Talk about magic!  And I thought to myself, "Thank you, Kyle, for pushing us to come tonight because when are we ever going to be at Disney World on the 4th of July again?"

I wonder if there is anybody else out there who still remembers a desperate lady trying to entertain her little girls who moved a crowd to sing as one.