goodbye, yellow brick road- picture heavy

I loved you Disney World. I really did. I have been to Disney World seven times. Once when I was two, again at eleven, and five times as an adult. I've even been on one of your cruises, courtesy of Peppy's grandparents. 

I have so many wonderful memories of time spent in your parks with the people I love the most. We anticipated each trip with anxious impatience, and being in the Disney parks campus made you feel like you were in a bubble. I loved the energy of the other happy vacationers. I loved seeing giddy smiles on elderly people after they rode Soarin'. Disney really did know how to create magic. 

But then one by one, the things that made a Disney vacation magical (at least for my family) were taken away. No more fast passes. No more free dining plan during the off season. The prices for a Disney vacation continued to increase, while they began removing the things that made it special. My family and I don't mind walking, so with the fast pass system, we rarely ever waited to get on anything. And when we could book during off season and qualify for free dining, not only did that save us thousands of dollars, but do you understand the freedom it gave Peppy not having to stress over the price of each cupcake or dole whip? I have read that the magical express that would take air travelers from the airport to their resort has also been discontinued. How magical does an extra $80 uber ride to your resort sound? Great first impression to have.

You also discontinued free magic bands for guests staying on site. They are still available for purchase for around $15-20, but when they were free for years and years, it is kind of like a punch to the gut for loyal fans.

I sincerely felt like our trip two years ago was going to be our last one, and I've only had this feeling validated time and time again. I am so grateful and fortunate for the happy memories I have collected over the years. They are precious treasures in my mind. Some of my happiest family memories were made in your parks. Your corporation may be corrupt, but you sure know customer service. I could be totally wrong, but maybe your whole plan is to exclude the lower class and advertise exclusively to the upper middle and upper class families. I mean, what were you thinking with those prices for your new Star Wars hotel? I understand it's an 'experience,' but a 48 hour $3600 experience is out of our price range. Although it does look cool, even to someone that's not a Star Wars fan. 

I do hate that we never got to ride Rise of the Resistance or Tron, because they both looked awesome. And the thought of never getting on the PeopleMover and Tower of Terror again is a little heartbreaking. I have definite nostalgia involving my Memaw and 5 year old Gage on PeopleMover. And I will never forget me and Owsley riding ToT and Rockn' Rollercoaster back to back for hours.  I will also miss my favorite foods and everything that captivatingly beautiful Pandora had to offer. Like I said, I'm so grateful for the memories I do have and the experiences my family got to have. 

We are trying out Universal next month. Maybe, hopefully. Who knows what could happen between now and then, especially with the water shortage and obviously coronavirus. Peppy went a lifetime ago, but the kids and I have never been. I know it's a lot different from Disney, but it also seems way more laid back. Way less to plan. We just want to go away with the kids for a few days and forget about real life and have fun and let Gage eat all the junk he wants. We have free unlimited express passes with our hotel, so at least we won't have to run all over the parks to make our fast pass time slots, and can leisurely go from ride to ride. Gage loves simulators and there's some great looking thrill rides that Owsley will enjoy, so we are excited to try and explore something new. And I've been scouring the menus for the best looking things to eat. Owsley and Peppy are also going to the water park one day, so I really look forward to getting to spend some one on one time with Gage. That is a rarity these days. I booked us brunch at Toothsomes Chocolate Emporium, which looks like a blast, and lunch at Mythos because Gage is obsessed with everything ancient Greek and thought it looked like fun. (I'm willing to do most anything for Gage to happily spend time with us. Hah.)

Sorry Disney. I guess this our official breakup. Except for the fact that my kids are making me watch all the Marvel movies in chronological order. (That's our Sunday night around here. I'm so glad we're finished with the Iron Man movies. Tony Stark was a terrible character. The others haven't been as bad as I was imagining. Just a lot of fighting, and my mind tends to get overstimulated and zone out during long action scenes. But I liked Captain America (conspiracies, and not feeling like you fit it,) Thor, and Guardians of the Galaxy. We also watched Wanda Vision, because I just thought it was a show and didn't realize it had anything to do with Marvel until the kids started making connections. I think it was my favorite so far.) 

Anyway....

Don't look below, Peppy. Your nostalgic little heart probably can't handle it. 

I will miss you the most. But I hear Cletus Chicken Shack at Universal has a good chicken waffle...

I will also miss the friend green tomato sandwich at Hollywood Studios...

And the burger pods in Pandora.

I don't mind wearing masks at Universal if that is required. Honestly, with as often as Owsley bites on his fingernails without realizing it, it might actually be better if masks were required. I just hope we still get to go. A lot can change in three weeks. Things seem to change daily lately.