There will likely be many things that remind us of times past as we discover new sights, sounds, and tastes, so this week’s challenge seems pretty apropos. As we get the opportunity to see the variety of beautiful castles, hopefully including the one in Austria that Cinderella’s castle was supposedly modelled after, we are reminded of our very first vacation as a family. When the kids were very young, we drove across the desert to visit Disneyland. It was long and exhausting, but truly one of the best family vacations ever. We are hoping that the children will make it over here to take advantage of the opportunity to make some new memories of their own. So, for this week’s challenge of nostalgia, here are some photos (scanned in, of course) from a little over 20 years ago.
Kids with Mad HatterKids with Meeko from PocahontasKids with Mickey Mouse
If you’ve ever been to Walt Disney World or to Disneyland, one thing that you’re likely to have experienced is one of their colorful parades. Like almost everything at these theme parks, the parades are a lot of fun to watch with each park offering different parades throughout the day and night. When we went to Disney World for our 20th anniversary, we were there without any kids and still had a great time watching the parades.
Dancers at Magic KingdomFloat at the Parade in Animal KingdomLumiere and WoodyDonald Duck in Animal Kingdom
There is an overwhelming amount of things to do when you’re at Disney World, rushing from ride to ride, meeting the characters, eating at the themed restaurants, but take the time to watch the parades. With their upbeat music that is bound to put a smile on your face, to the whirling dancers, or to the various characters that make an appearance, it is well worth the time. Although people line the streets, it is easy enough to find a good vantage point to see the parade and people will make room for the young ones to see all of the action.
Mickey and Minnie Steal the ShowMickey at the Night Time ParadeAnimal Kingdom ParadeLumiere
If you get the chance, don’t just go to a single parade, each one offers its own form of entertainment. Also, try to go to the main parade at night, it is followed by the famous fireworks over Cinderella’s Castle. The various floats are whimsical, fun, and full of color. And rest assured, no matter which parade you go to, Mickey Mouse will be sure to make an appearance. Also, if you go near a major holiday, there will be parades to celebrate the special season.
From the Movie AntzThe Genie from AladdinGoofy at NightDonald Duck
No matter what age you are, whether you’re a fan of light-hearted music, or care about colorful floats, take the time to watch the parades. If the parade itself doesn’t fill your heart with joy, look around at the children who line up along the parade route and see the absolute joy in their eyes. If the look of a child seeing one of their animated characters come to life doesn’t put a smile on your face, then likely nothing will. We had a great time watching five different parades while we were there and enjoyed each and every one of them.
From Animal KingdomMad Hatter, Alice, and Peter PanDonald Duck at Night
If you’re asking yourself “where do I want to travel next” instead of “where is my next meal coming from”, then, like us, you have an awful lot to be thankful about. Neither of our families travelled much when we were younger, which is probably the main reason that sharing travel experiences with our children was so important to us when the kids were younger. Now that we’re older and are fortunate enough to be in a position to travel, we often think back to the days when we struggled to take time off, let alone go anyplace for vacation. We’ve come a long way from the days when we worried about getting food on the table, but we’re well aware that life can change in a heartbeat, so we never want to forget how far we’ve come.
Kids with Mad HatterJewish Quarter in Seville SpainNeighborhood in Chennai
With the hectic day-to-day life as well as planning another trip, it is easy to forget how blessed we are to have the opportunity to see the places that we have. We often see other posts from sites that we enjoy and think to ourselves, “wow, I wish we could go there”. It is easy to get caught up in travel envy instead of simply being thankful for the experiences that you have been able to have. More importantly, for the opportunity to share those experiences with the ones that you love.
Punta CanaFruit and Vegetable Vendor in MoroccoStratford Upon Avon
We recently purchased a digital picture frame where we’ve loaded pictures from places that we’ve travelled, concerts that we’ve been to, and special occasions and holidays with family. It was really eye-opening to see all of those memories in a single place. It really gave us the opportunity to look back and think about how fortunate we truly have been. And that only includes the places we’ve seen since we entered the digital age, there are still photo albums filled with pictures yet to be scanned and added to the library.
YellowstoneEmpire State BuildingSunset in Puerto Vallarta
Hopefully we’ll do a better job throughout the year of being thankful for our opportunities. It is easy to be thankful during the holiday season when it is forefront on people’s minds, but it is something that we want to remember the whole year-long. Hopefully next year will provide as many travel opportunities for you as we hope to have for ourselves. We truly are a lucky couple.
Cabo San LucasMesa Verde Cliff DwellingsThe Chicago Bean
