I am not afraid to admit it. Some of my fondest childhood memories include a haunted house, a handful of pirates in the Caribbean, a toad in the English countryside plus a roller coaster in space.

Clearly, I grew up with Disneyland and Disney World in my blood. I was humming the theme to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ years before Johnny Depp put on the mascara and hoop earrings. Don’t get me wrong. I actually liked the recent films. All I’m saying is, I was there first. (Actually, my best friend’s dad worked the Jungle Cruise on opening day in 1955, so I guess he wins a “there first” award.)

Now that I have an 11-month-old son, it’s time to start planning our father-son pilgrimage to Disneyland and, since I’ve never been, to Disney World in Orlando. My son is still too young to enjoy the parks, and he’s not yet ready to consume my favorite theme park combo: cotton candy hot dog red licorice rope popcorn ice cream sandwich, followed by a spin on the tea cups.

(Please note: I am legally required to warn potential copycats that, yes, if you follow my recipe above, you are 99.9% likely to lose your lunch literally and figuratively.)

My Disney train of thought got started this time around by a promotional notice sent from Disney about the “Year of a Million Dreams” celebrations:

“Disney’s renowned heritage of personal service will be hitting a high point. The Disney Cast will be empowered like never before to make Disney vacations dreams come true. Each and every day during The Year of a Million Dreams, the Disney Cast will be surprising guests with enchanting dream-come-true entertainment and magical moments happening during this very special year. Suddenly you are not watching a parade, you are IN the parade. Not only do you see a princess, you BECOME a princess. Or a pirate. It’s imagination in full force. Make-believe, made real.”

Am I up for becoming a pirate? Avast me mateys, of course I am. I’ll see you in New Orleans Square.

Heading to Walt Disney World® in Orlando? Viator has a special on 4-day Magic Your Way tickets and 7-day Magic Your Way tickets. You can also search Viator for more Disney tours and tickets, things to do in Orlando and Florida theme parks.

–Scott McNeely

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 25th, 2007 at 2:24 pm and is filed under Deals, Specials & Promotions, Departure Lounge, Destinations, Family & Kids, Travel Inspiration, USA, Canada, Mexico. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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