[Post was written on 12/22/10--somehow I forgot to publish it]
Last week, Nick and Gavin went to Disney World and picked up our annual passes but they did not go to the park because I wanted to be there for Gavin's first time at Disney. I didn't think I would get a chance to go until next week when the semester is officially over but my mom called me yesterday and said that Isabel was sick and so she wanted to keep Gavin separate from her so he wouldn't get sick. Knowing that I would have to pick him up early and loose a day of work I figured it was meant to be. I took the day "off" and went to Disney instead.
I must admit I am not a Disney fan at all. The thought of spending the day in a place with thousands of other parents and their children from all over the world is not exciting to me. However, there is something to be said about experiencing something through your child. Seeing Gavin's face when he recognized characters or when he was just awed by a display or ride, it's pretty amazing.
My main concern was that we would go on a ride and Gavin would refuse to stay still but he was an absolute ANGEL! The way he just sat up straight in the boat ride at "It's a Small World" and stared at every little detail and clapped along to the song...was remarkable. I do think this was his favorite followed by the carousel. He loves the "horseys".
We tried the Winnie the Pooh ride but it was more of an actual "ride" and so it was too "fast" for him to appreciate the displays. It's not like "It's a Small World" where he had time to take it all in and point things out to us.
He gets the bravery award today for riding Pirates of the Caribbean. This was a major risk. The ride is pretty much pitch black for 3/4 of it, with thunderstorms, canon sounds, etc. He liked the idea of riding the boat. Then when he saw we were going into the dark, he quietly said "all done". But no crying or whining at all. He sat by himself between Nick and I. I kept my arm around him just in case he got scared but we made sure we pointed everything out with a positive and cheery voice ("Rain, look at the rain!" --he loves rain...not so much thunder). At some point when it was really dark he said "home" which means he is not comfortable. But again, he didn't cry or whine. Once we got to the characters, he was fine. He pointed out all the animals- the pigs, chickens, dogs, cats, etc. and he waved good-bye to the pirates. I don't know that we'll ride that again just because I know it wasn't his favorite but at least we now know that he won't flip out completely in a ride. I don't think there's anything scarier in the park for him than this ride. Next time, we'll try the haunted mansion. I do think he'll enjoy that more.
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