As we walk towards Cinderella's castle, I could barely contain my excitement. I have a smile across my face, that even if I wanted to I am not sure I could make it go away. The kids are laughing, they can't believe how excited I am. We walk in and tell the royal hostess we are there for our 5:30 reservation. The great room is filled with people and I am in awe of how beautiful the setting is, I sit and listen to the names being called and everyone is announced as "The Royal Family" I can't wait! Bethany sits on my lap and we are all chatting, the elevator dings and out walks the Fairy godmother, she is saying hello and greeting everyone, Charlie says "look Lis, look who it is" I clearly don't care. Another ding and Prince Charming walks out, although I am with the real Prince Charming, I smile, I am impatiently waiting to go up stairs, I can't wait to see Cinderella and tell her how much I love her, yeah I know she isn't real, but for me she was. I was 8 and my parents were getting divorced, she made me smile, I clung to her story of "happily ever after", it gave me hope, silly as it seems, it got me through a very difficult time. Talking with Bethany and the boys, I am thinking that it doesn't get better than this, the elevator dings again, there she is, in all her glory, more beautiful than I ever imagined, without a thought in my head I stand, Bethany falling of my lap and slides across the marble floor, I look but it doesn't really register, I am now running to get to the front of the line, hip checking little girls as I go, okay, not my proudest moment but I have lost all rational thought at this point, I am 8 and I am going to meet Cinderella. The look on the character's face should have told me to slow down, although smiling she had a look of "what is this crazy woman doing" by this time Bethany had gotten up and the 4 of them were hysterical laughing a little of OMG mixed in and and trying to pretend they did not know me.
I get to her and try to explain how she has impacted my life in such a profound way , she is nodding and saying "that's nice dear" trying to move me along, I however won't be rushed, this is my moment. Good God, over the years I have listened to Charlie and the kids repeat this story, funny as it is, I wonder why he did not walk but run away hop on a plane home and never look back. As things settle down she stands near the fireplace and you can line up for pictures, YES by God I am getting a picture. Not gonna lie, I went to Disney with my girlfriends a few years before this and I waited in line for 1 hour to get my picture with Cinderella. My friends walked past me several times, they also pretended not to know me!
The line begins to form and I am talking to little girls who are also very excited and a little apprehensive towards me, the only "grown-up" in the line. Not a care in the world, I wait, at this point I ask Beth to join me, she does and so do the boys. When we get up to her, she has Bethany sit next to her and me stand (see picture below) I am pushed to the side, I am not happy, but it is still Cinderella!
We are called "The Royal Sylvester Family" technically I am not a Sylvester, but I like the sound of it! I am apologizing to Bethany, but they just think they whole thing is hysterical and are loving it, she doesn't even care. Charlie is looking at me and I think he final gets how much this all really means to me , Or he thinks I am completely crazy, either way I can't stop smiling" The room was just how I had always imagined it would be, the servers all dressed in royal fashion I am on cloud nine! Mid way through the dinner, I hear that familiar ding of the elevator, the door opens and out steps Cinderella and Prince Charming, I gasp and wave frantically at my favorite couple they wave back and it looks like she mumbles something to him, Charlie is positive she was telling him "there she is the crazy one" we all laughed and watched her float around the room. When we left I couldn't help feel like this was the start of my happily ever after, it will always be one of my favorite memories.
Onto the next day and Epcot oy! Charlie loves, loves, loves Epcot and he had a whole day planned, the 4 of us however were not as enthusiastic to say the least! Looking back we all feel bad, but it doesn't change the day, we have promised him that if we every get back there again, we will all be better participators. The day was long and he pretty much had to drag us from place to face, seeing the uninterested expressions and the occasional yawn. He gave up, pouted and asked what "we people" wanted to do, we all had different ideas, back to the pool, shop, The presidents Hall, ice cream, and Dan said he'd stay at Epcot, always the "pleaser" to this day! The President hall and ice cream won.
As we waited in line, I was trying to cheer Charlie up, I think Epcot may have been his Cinderella, just saying. I leaned in and kissed him and BAM!!!! Kicked in the leg, it hurt! Bethany looking rather pleased with herself had kicked me, I said to Charlie "did you see that, she kicked me" already not in a good mood, he grabbed Bethany by the back of her neck scolding her, and then me, people were staring and Bethany and I were both crying, I looked at her and picked her up and held her tight, telling her it would be ok, her crying made me cry more and Charlie and the boys moved away from us. When we went to our seats, Bethany stayed with me and we held hands. After the show, I spoke to Charlie defending, Bethany, her and I sat and had a little heart to heart, I felt like that was the turning point for my relationship with her, we had bonded. To this day we both agree that, that was the moment that changed everything.. Later that day Charlie won a big stuffed animal of the Lion King's Simba, looking at both us girls, Bethany and I decided we would share it!
Our last day at the park, the kids were able to pick a ride, at anyway park that they wanted to go on, we went back and forth and forth and back and forth, I was tired and I said to Charlie "this is just not done, we should stay at one place do all the rides and then move on, all this back and forth is crazy, I would never have been allowed to do this". Charlie laughed and said this is what they will remember, just because our parents wouldn't have done it, doesn't mean it isn't a good idea. He was right, usually is, when we talk about that trip, they remembered that, oh yeah and dinner at Cinderella's Castle.
The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful, well except for the fact that Dan, may or may not have seen me naked, to this day we are still not sure and he will not talk about it!! The bathrooms in the condo were weird, the shower was in one part and the toilet was in another, separated by a master bedroom, I got out of the shower one night walked into the bedroom, covered only in the front by a tiny towel, and all I heard, was "um, I'm in here" I jumped against the wall, wiggled out and shut door, got dressed quickly and yelled for Charlie, Tom and Beth came as well. I told them what had happen, praying Dan wasn't now blind! He came out, seemed no worse off, but pale, ah damn!! He saw me... we figured we wouldn't make a big deal, but he always knocks nowadays.
All in all for my first trip with kids, it was a great time, we all survived!
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