Skipping Town

Our final Magic Kingdom day was all about princesses and pressed pennies. We’d gotten a few pressed pennies on Monday and Tuesday, and L&G’s collecting gene kicked in, so we found a pressed-penny-machine map online and set out to get all the pressed pennies we could. Our concierge very nicely counted out a ton of pennies for me in the morning, even swapping out the tarnished ones for shiny ones. Disney service, right there. The day started early, with breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table, which is fun for two reasons: first, because you meet five princesses and get to eat in Cinderella’s Castle; and second, because you get to go into the Magic Kingdom before it officially opens. We strolled down a deserted Main Street and had our picture taken with the castle--and no crowds--in the background. L&G wore pink princess dresses and carried their Minnies. (Seriously, these kids loved Disney. And to think part of me was in doubt.) First, Cinderella welcomed them to the castle, an...

We were all-in on Tuesday, heading to the Magic Kingdom early enough to see the characters perform a little welcome routine before opening time. L&G didn’t mind the wait because they were coloring in their magic-ink coloring books, which were easily the best Disney-prep purchase I made. When the park opened, we quickly headed right to the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which L&G had said they wanted to do and which we didn’t have a Fast Pass for. It was a misstep. This was a real roller-coaster, tame by coaster standards but definitely an overwhelming choice for kids who’d never ridden one before. Greta was enraged by the tight lap bar, and Lucia was alternately screaming-happy and completely terrified. I hate roller coasters and was glad when it was over. We needed a break after that grand beginning, so we got cinnamon buns from Gaston’s Tavern and found a little table in the shade. This was eerily calm and quiet, right in the middle of the park--a perfect little rest. We went ...

We embarked on our Disney vacation with skepticism, which was mostly rooted in the inherent difficulty of planning a first Disney trip--so many weirdly specific logistics, so much required advance planning. There are resort reservations, Fast Pass reservations, meal reservations. We planned six weeks in advance and were told we were much, much too late. But we got our bookings, and off we went. Along with the skepticism, we went with openness and a willingness to be surprised by the fabled magic of Disney. And I’ll say this: magic was in abundance with our four- and six-year-old traveling companions. They were the perfect ages for Disney. Lucia, especially, was the kind of child for whom Disney was made. Greta had a wonderful time but was, in my opinion, still a bit too young; but I’m glad we went while Lucia was six, because six is the perfect Disney age. I’ll go wild here and say we’ll have to go back when Greta is six, just to give her that same experience. We kept our trip pri...

We are on the cusp of change: ponies are overtaking princesses. We've been in princess-world for almost one full year, and now, as summer comes to an end, both girls' interest in the Disney Princesses seems to be waning. They still play a lot with their Barbie-size princess dolls, but they haven't played with their Magiclips very much lately, and they no longer gravitate toward any potholder, keychain, outlet cover, or what-have-you with a princess on it. Today Lucia even told me that next time we go to New Hampshire, she doesn't want to take her princesses. She wants to take ponies instead. And so begins our My Little Pony era. We've had ponies for a while now--I bought a few at a yard sale a couple of summers ago, and the girls have always played with them now and then, without much fervor. Greta was always much more interested. But now--but now. They saw an impressive collection of My Little Ponies when we visited friends in Pittsburgh last month. And they disc...