March doings

Simultaneously reading to herself and popping her ears, while bound for...

Yes, we finally caved. Turns out nine and six are just about perfect ages for it.

First thing we encountered at DisneyWorld: the Liberty Bell (repaired). Sure glad we took this trip!

Those black and yellow stripes are Alice, ducked low

Our next venture:

They got Hogsmeade just about perfect, except for the crush of Muggles.

 

Ollivander and his wand shop

Meanwhile, in Seuss Land, since she wasn't old enough for Hogwarts...

We weren't sure we could ride, since we all have backs and necks.

A visit to Downtown Disney completed the sense of unreality.

The LEGO store

Masterbuilder Alice gets to work

A park scene, since Disney was so short on natural areas

I'm not sure whether I missed a core American gene, but despite warm memories of Disneyland with my parents and grandparents as a child, I found DisneyWorld rather a totalitarian dystopia. There's no escape, even back at the hotels, from a totally controlled experience. There was nowhere to run, no public space to be found (Disney even controls the utilities), no natural beauty, nothing unplanned, nothing to do but shop Disney shops, stand in Disney lines, and "Believe the magic!"--which seems short on underlying substance. On balance, I don't see it will be a great loss once rising sea levels swallow central Florida.

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But the kids had fun, and that was the point. A happy spring break for the under-ten set! And therefore, by extension, for their parents. One All-American Bucket List item, accomplished.