Hakuna Matata

A few years ago, Seth and I decided that we would like to take the boys to Walt Disney World. We wanted to go when they were old enough to remember, but young enough that they would experience the "magic" of it all. They turned 5 and 7 this year, so it seemed like a good time to go.

We started planning in early spring and with the help of our awesome Disney vacation planner, we put together our "dream vacation" for the fall. We also invited Seth's mom and stepdad to come along.

Our oldest son, Corbin, loves all things Disney and is also a Star Wars fan, so he was super excited, when he learned that we were going.

Emmett, on the other hand, couldn't care less about movies or cartoons, except for an occasional song that might capture his attention for a few seconds. However, he does love people, music, food, and playing in water, so I knew (or at least I had hoped) that he would enjoy Disney World, as well.

This trip was not only the boys' first Disney experience, but also their first flight. I was a little nervous about the plane ride because I didn't know how Emmett would handle the change in cabin pressure, but he did amazingly well. I had our carry on bag fully stocked with lots of snacks and drinks, which is always key when traveling with Emmett. He got a little restless, but did great overall. Corbin had his own carry on bag filled with lots of things to keep him busy and he really enjoyed flying. He was also a trouper in the airport. He helped by pushing Emmett's stroller, so that Seth and I could manage all of the luggage. He truly is a great big brother!

When we first started planning our trip, we learned that Disney has a disability program that helps minimize wait times for people with special needs and their families. We were also able to use Emmett's adaptive stroller as a wheelchair, which allowed him to stay in his stroller until it was time to transfer onto a ride. He could also stay in his stroller during shows, if he wanted to. Emmett falls and wears out easily, can't walk long distances, and doesn't understand the concept of waiting in line, so this made things much more manageable and less exhausting for everyone. I think that it is great that Disney recognizes how difficult it can be to have a loved one with special needs. Everyday life is challenging, both physically and emotionally, so I appreciate that they try to make visiting their theme parks as easy and enjoyable as possible. 

The Three Mouseketeers in our Mickey Mouse shirts.

When I started planning what shows and rides we would do, I realized that Emmett was one inch too short for many of the attractions. It wasn't the end of the world, but I was a little sad that he would miss out on some things. However, thanks to a recent growth spurt, he was just tall enough to do most of the rides that his brother did. There were a few rides that we decided were a little "too much" for him, even though he was tall enough, but he didn't seem to mind. He got to hang out with his nana, while we were on the rides. They checked out the souvenir shops and rumor has it that she may have shared a little ice cream with him too!

Corbin leading the
audience with a "roar!"

There are many things about our trip that stand out, but some of my favorites were during the Festival of the Lion King show. Corbin got to lead a section of the audience with a "roar" and a little later, a cast member invited both Corbin and Emmett to be a part of the show. When Seth told her that Emmett wouldn't be able to keep up, she said, "That's okay, I can push his stroller!" and she quickly took both boys into the center of the room to join the other kids. It was nice to see Emmett included and having such a good time. Every Disney employee was very accommodating and helpful. Another highlight was watching how the characters interacted with Emmett. They were very gentle and sweet with him and he seemed to like them too! Corbin and Emmett also loved the pool and water play area at our resort. They both love water, so I'm glad that it was warm enough to enjoy it for most of our trip. Corbin literally went down the water slide nonstop for almost an entire hour one evening!

Both boys during
the Lion King show

Emmett making a funny face,
but enjoying the pool area.

We started every day really early, so we were back at our resort by dinnertime, for most of our trip. However, we did decide to go to the Star Wars night show, which was the one night show that I knew Corbin and his dad would really like to see.  Although the weather was nearly perfect for most of our trip, that was the one night that it rained! We had a few showers earlier in the day, but that night it started pouring less than hour before the show. It was thankfully a warm night and we had our ponchos, so we stuck it out and the rain stopped just in time for the show to start. We were a little damp around the edges, but I'm glad that we stayed. We got a picture of us in our ponchos and kept joking about it being "the happiest place on Earth!"
Emmett must have thought that it truly was because he woke up in a good mood every morning (which is not normally the case at home) and he was slap happy and giggly every evening (which is way better than being grumpy). I'm not sure what he will remember about the trip or if he even understands what Walt Disney World is, but he definitely enjoyed himself, while we were there.
I can honestly say that the trip turned out better than I could have imagined. I knew that the boys would have fun, but I wasn't sure how either one of them would handle being on the go so much. I guess they are used to traveling all over creation for various appointments and therapies, so they adapted very well. It also helped that it wasn't miserably hot and that we were on a fairly relaxed schedule. The week was quite an adventure. We got to ride various modes of transportation, including: planes, buses, the monorail, a train, and even a ferry. Not to mention all of the shows and rides. We even spent our last day eating around "the world" at Epcot's Food and Wine Festival, which was a fun way to end the week.
We went into this trip not knowing what to expect. Our whole attitude was much like the song, "Hakuna Matata". No worries! We didn't have huge expectations. We just wanted to have a nice vacation and we definitely did.

Meeting Chewbacca

The whole crew at Epcot

Rafiki was super sweet
with Emmett!