Originally Posted By momof4boys Well, when I last left off, I was up early on Sunday waiting for the others to get up. Nathan, did wake up early and the 2 of us set off for MM- we made it by 7:00am- just in time to go in. The place really was very empty. The last time I went to early entry, Fantasyland was packed. I guess everyone was at Nemo this time. Since it was just the 2 of us, I let Nathan call the shots. We did all of Fantasyland, Buzz and back to FL. Still no dad and brothers. He decided he wanted to ride Mr. Toad....over and over until the rest got there. We rode it a dozen times. Everything was still just about a walk on except PP and Dumbo. FINALLY those late sleepers dragged in! Nathan decided he wanted to be more advernturous and try Matterhorn. At his cardiologist this summer, he said use our best judgement on rides- make sure he isn't scared and that a parent is with him. David thought it would be fine- I was more scared than Nathan. His doctor has also said as Nathan gets older, if we put too many restrictions on him, he will rebel agains everything. He can't rebel against his meds- they are keeping him alive ( evidently it is common for teens to start to refuse to take their meds). We just had to take away PE from him, so I did some praying and decided Matterhorm would be ok. He absolutely loved it. They rode it several times. I won't go into detail about every ride we went on. We did love the changes to Pirates. I also called Deckert's Medical for a wheelchair. So easy- did it all over the phone, they had a wheelchair at our hotel within an hour! Sam was feeling better but was very tired. David ran back to the hotel and got the wheelchair. My sister had joined us by now. They have been to DL several times ( they used to live in Bakersfield) but usually just day trips and haven't experienced everything-like many of the shows. We look forward to sharing those things with her and Daniel. We ate lunch at Rancho Del Zocalo and Sam and Nathan were ready to head back to the hotel. It was getting a little too warm for Nathan. Sam let Nathan ride on his lap back to the hotel. My boys are not small-combined weight was 200+lbs. I was worn out by the time we got back to the hotel but they wanted to swim. I agreed- they didn't swim long. Just a few times down the slide and they were ready to rest. We all took a nap and were ready to head back to the park. The rest of the family accomplished a lot while we were gone. We were all amazed by the lines. It was very manageable. Such a pleasant surprise. We toured DCA until it closed. We wanted to try some new places for us to eat so we ate at Pacific Wharf. It was very yummy and they gave us large cups of water for free! We went back to DL at 9:00pm. I could tell Nathan was tired but he refused to go back to the hotel. My nephew, Daniel, was off work by then and had joined us. He wanted to be with his cousin. Sam was feeling pretty good and let Nathan have the wheelchair. They all went off to Space Mountain while Nathan and I waited. He fell asleep. When the others were off the ride, Nathan woke up and said, " We'll see Dan tomorrow won't we? Maybe I will go back to the hotel." David and I took Nathan back and the 3 oldest stayed with my sister and Dan. It was William's turn to sleep at their hotel so we told Tucker to call us when they were leaving the park. Surely it was okay for a 16 and almost 12 year old to come back to the DLH by themselves. It really was a good day. When Nathan and I were in FL by ourselves, I would tear up all the time. It was a special time for the 2 of us. I told the boys I would let them sleep in on Monday. We ahve reserved seating for Fantasmic this night. But here it is 8:10 am, I am completely ready and they are all asleep. Even Nathan my early riser. How long do I let them sleep? Morning time is my favorite time at DL! I don't want to go by myself. To me, DL is all about time with the family! It might be time to turn on a few lights! Hey, in Oklahoma it is after 10:00! Dan and Gwynn ( my sister) might be here soon-maybe that will wake them! Oh, and still no package!
Originally Posted By SoThisIsLove I'm right there with ya! Mornings are so very special....I hope they wake up soon! And....staying until it closes is special, too! LOL! It's so hard to tear myself away from DL once I get there, I just enjoy it all to the point of exhaustion. Have a great day!
Originally Posted By momof4boys One mare thing- Tucker seemed a bit down yesterday. I finally got a chance to talk to him ( on the sunwheel, he agreed to do non swinging with me. ) He said he wasn't sure what was wrong. He was worried he was getting bored with the same rides over and over again. He didn't want to ever get tired of DL, but he was afraid he was going to. I told him that as you get older, DL isn't just all about the rides. For me, it is the experience of being together as a family-no other worries or concerns. Little ( or hopefully no) fighting. Just being together in a magical place. And if he has a few years where he doesn't want to come as much, that doesn't mean he won't get that magic back. He said later that really helped change his outlook. He was starting to see DL as more than just fun rides- he really perked up as the evening went on.
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 That is so sweet that you had a few minutes with Tucker and he opened up to you! My older kids took a few years break from DLR and are now back loving it with their own families >>>I told him that as you get older, DL isn't just all about the rides. For me, it is the experience of being together as a family-no other worries or concerns. Little ( or hopefully no) fighting.<<< Beautifully said mom, and LOL to the last line Now, where is that darn package?
