Image Credit: Pinterest- Lean Timpug
Maddie has loved writing since she was a little girl, and once she got older, she decided to become a children’s book author. She loved writing fairy tales, mainly about princesses, princes, knights, dragons, unicorns, fairies, and mermaids. But this time, she was writing her first novel about a girl who befriends a mermaid she meets while on vacation at the beach with her family.
Maddie was sitting in bed writing on her laptop when her husband, Parker, brought her a steaming mug of hot chocolate and a freshly baked sugar cookie that was still warm. Parker leaned in to kiss her and asked, “What are you writing about this time, my wonderful Maddie?” Maddie responded, “I’m in the middle of writing my first novel. It’s about a girl who meets a mermaid at the beach.” “It sounds like we should take a vacation soon, right? Luckily, I already thought of that,” Parker said, pulling two plane tickets to Florida out of his back pocket. Maddie squealed excitedly, “Oh my goodness, a trip to Walt Disney World is exactly what I’ve been wanting. How did you know?” Parker smiles, “Maddie, you’re the biggest Disney fan I know, so taking this trip will be a nice way for us to get your mind off writing for a week. But this trip might also inspire you, so you might want to bring your laptop just in case.”
The following day, Maddie and Parker began packing their suitcases for their trip to Disney. Since she was a massive fan of Disneybounding, Maddie loved wearing outfits inspired by her favorite Disney characters. She packed a cute lavender sundress that reminded her of Rapunzel from Tangled, a light blue peplum top, a pair of light-wash jeans that reminded her of Cinderella, a cute pale pink sundress that reminded her of Marie from The Aristocats, and several of her favorite Disney t-shirts. Maddie was so excited that soon she would be riding on her favorite rides like Space Mountain, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and Under The Sea: Journey Of The Little Mermaid.
Maddie and Parker’s flight was set to leave the Minneapolis/Saint Paul International Airport at 8 A.M. the following day, and they had to be at the airport hours before their flight to ensure they made it on time. Maddie and Parker checked their suitcases to ensure they had packed everything, and they went to bed a little earlier than usual to ensure they woke up in time for their flight the following day. The next morning, they both woke up, got dressed, and headed out to the light blue Volkswagen Beetle they had loaded their suitcases into before heading to the airport.
Once Maddie and Parker arrived at the airport, they had to go through security, which was always a hassle; afterward, they headed to Dunkin’ Donuts for a quick breakfast of donuts and coffee before boarding their flight. Maddie always ordered an iced coffee and a strawberry frosted donut from Dunkin, which she got every time she visited, because they had always been her favorites. Parker ordered a Boston Cream donut with a cup of hot tea, as it was his go-to order. Before they knew it, they had to board their flight, and they were both so excited to go to Disney World again and for the warm Florida sunshine that awaited them.
While Maddie and Parker were on the three-hour flight to Orlando, Florida, they ended up watching the Disney movie The Little Mermaid because it had always been one of Maddie’s favorites since she was a little girl. Maddie had always loved that Ariel was not afraid of following her dreams, and she related a lot to her. Despite so many people telling her she lacked talent, she knew she would be a writer and storyteller someday. One of the reasons Maddie loved Disney movies, even as an adult, was because the characters were never afraid to achieve their goals, never gave up, and never scared of following their dreams.
Once Maddie and Parker’s flight landed in Orlando, they both had to find their suitcases and were in a car on their way to Disney World. Soon, they checked into Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, where they spent the week. Once they had changed into their outfits for the day, they were ready to head to Magic Kingdom Park, so they headed to the Disney Transport bus station, a short walk from the entrance of their hotel. While on the bus, Maddie and Parker talked nonstop about what rides they were looking forward to riding once they got to the Magic Kingdom.
Maddie had visited Disney World since childhood, and the Magic Kingdom had always been her favorite of the four Disney theme parks. Once their bus arrived at Magic Kingdom, they raced toward the park entrance, checked their bags, and walked into the park. Maddie got excited because she could see Cinderella’s castle, one of many great places to take photos. She and Parker posed for a picture with the castle behind them, taken by a Disney Park employee named Melody.
Melody was wearing a lot of Disney pins on the Minnie Mouse lanyard around her neck, and Maddie decided that now might be the perfect opportunity to do a little Disney pin trading. Melody had a Rapunzel pin that Maddie had wanted to collect for a long time because Rapunzel was one of her favorite Disney characters. Many people had always told Maddie that her personality was very similar to Rapunzel’s, so she always took that as a compliment whenever someone told her. Once she secured the pin, she and Parker were on an adventure to find some Disney food. The smells of buttered popcorn, funnel cake, cotton candy, and other treats filled the air. It made both her and Parker even more hungry, so they stopped at an ice cream cart that just so happened to have Mickey Mouse ice cream bars, one of their favorite treats to get whenever they were visiting Disney.
Once they both finished eating their ice cream, they walked through the park so they could ride on several of their favorite rides, including Dumbo Flying Elephants, Pirates Of The Caribbean, Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, Under The Sea: Journey Of The Little Mermaid, and Peter Pan’s Flight. They also met many Disney characters, including Alice from Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Ariel, Tiana, Moana, Rapunzel, and Belle. Disney World was such a magical place to visit, and that’s why Maddie loved coming back and visiting every year. Visiting the parks was even more special now that she and Parker were married because it meant they would visit Disney World together and make memories that would last a lifetime.
After a long day exploring Magic Kingdom, riding their favorite rides, and eating delicious snacks throughout the day, it was time for the nighttime spectacle of fireworks. Seeing the fireworks of various colors like pink, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, and purple light up the sky above Cinderella’s Castle was the thing about visiting Disney World that Maddie looked forward to the most. There was nothing more magical than feeling like a kid again because, as Peter Pan always says, “All you need is a little faith, trust, and pixie dust to make unforgettable memories.”
This was written by our editor-in-chief and co-founder, Hanna Peters.
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