Florida Coalcracker Chronicles: Everhart 8 Spend 4 Days in 4 Disney Parks

Breakfast with Minnie

It has been 40 years since Lulu and I first took our students to Disneyworld. In 1974 - it was our first trip on a passenger jet when we loaded 150 twelve year olds up for that one day adventure of a lifetime. Yes - everything covered for $89 - we boarded a bus in Panther Valley at 5 AM - proceeded to our charter in Harrisburg - then flew non-stop to Sanford, Fl. By 10 AM - we were all in the Disneyworld. It would most likely be considered child abuse today to turn the kiddies loose in the Magic Kingdom - doing head counts in front of Cinderella's Castle every few hours - but we did it and there was no place else to go. We weren't fed a daily dose of CNN news and Internet reports of kidnappings. Ignorance was bliss. At 7 PM - we did a head count - and everyone survived. It was back on bus/plane/bus trip back to the Valley. At midnight - out chariots turned back into pumpkins - and since it was a school night - every kid promised me they would be at school the next day - and they were.

In 1974 - Mom - Me - Dad - on our first jet ride to Disneyworld

When I reminded my second son about that $89 trip - he pulled out his iPhone - called up the inflation calculator and reminded me - $89 in 1974 - is equivalent to $421 today. It was a bargain but not that much of a bargain :-) At the time my teaching salary was $8000 a year.

The granddaughter loves the castle

A few years later - Lulu and I purchased our own bus and made 16 trips to the growing Disney complex. Sometimes we stayed in hotels - other times we enjoyed the campgrounds - even sleeping in the bus. Our own kids were born in 1977 and 1978 - and they joined in with my students. They loved being passed around the bus - letting everybody have a chance to entertain them. There were no seat belts - car seats - or air bags to protect anyone. We all survived.

My daughter-in-law's first trip to Disneyworld

All the old trips drift into the background with these memories

Since then Lulu and I have gone back to Disneyworld many times. In 1980 we spent a year in Orlando - while Lulu earned her masters at UCF - I worked a very short time as a cop for the Mouse. It allowed me to take my sons in the park - free of charge.

Since then - it has been hard going into the parks without thinking of all those trips with my students and my family. Disney has always represented healthy family entertainment - and I have mourned losing those days more than anything in my teaching and my early family life.

Last weekend - the good feelings all came rushing back.

Two princesses

The Everhart 8 spent 4 days together enjoying Wally World. This time I had my grandkids. It was certainly a reversal as my sons had everything planned. We had rooms at the All-Star Movies Resort - a van - fast passes - and Disney bracelets that served as our hotel room keys - our park admissions - our ride Fast Passes - meal tickets - and our credit cards to buy souvenirs. You didn't have to carry anything else.

On Friday morning - Lulu and I were at the airport with the van to greet everyone after their flight. Some came from Washington - others came from Richmond - two cities we used to drive through on the way down the east coast in our bus back in the 70s and 80s. This time they had non-stop flights.

3 Everhart men and Mum Mum

After checking into our hotel - the first stop was the Magic Kingdom. The parents must have spent days on the lessons plans - because there were few delays as things whizzed by. But the absolute best part was watching the grandkids. I could not take my eyes off their faces. I was reliving the joy of Disney without all the melancholy of wishing I could turn back the hands of time to when I was the big Daddy and leader. I had no worries to plans to follow - just the joy of seeing it all happen to my newest family members.

Lunch at The Brown Derby in Hollywood Studios

Since the kids had been up since 4 AM - catching their flights south - around 8 PM Lulu and I took them back to the suite and let the 4 adult kids experience some nighttime EPCOT. I have no idea what time they got home - but it was nice to give them some alone time while the kids were safely in our care. Although the All-Star Resorts are budget price Disney rooms we got on a Florida Resident discount - it was a long way from spending the night in a converted bus at Fort Wilderness.

Mum Mum is all smiles in tram to Animal Kingdom

Sunday was excursion day. If you stay at a Disney hotel - you have a parking pass that allows you to visit all the parks and park. We found out quickly that piling in the van sure beat waiting for Disney busses. We had Park Hopper passes and visited all 4 parks on that Sunday. Crowds were modest - the weather was clear and in the 70s. The weekend was emotional for me - but I can't quite explain the feeling entering Animal Kingdom to the "Circle of Life" from Lion King. We have seen that show in New York and London and my eyes well up every time I hear it. Now the grandkids were enjoying every second of it - whether one was on my shoulders or I was pushing another one in the stroller. And I had to hide the tears welling up in my eyes behind my John Lennon sunglasses. For a few moments I was Mufasa holding Simba in the air.

Woody sat right outside our hotel door

My granddaughter loves all the Disney princesses. Every day she was dressed in a different outfit. We even had privates appointments with Rapunzel and Cinderella. A super highlight was the sing along with the cast of Frozen. All our eyes were on the kids as they belted out the tunes. Even our 6 year old grandson was singing along - when he thought no one was looking.

Sending mail back home to friends from Magic Kingdom

The old standards were great - Thunder Mountain - Splash Mountain - Space Mountain - Small World - Family Robinson Tree House. Never was heard a discouraging word.

All of the parks were decked out in the finest Christmas decorations. The fireworks and Cinderella's Castles glistened like never before. Late Sunday night - we went back to the back lot at Hollywood Studios and visited what easily is the most fantastic Christmas light show I have seen. Both kids and adults alike just watch with wide-eyed amazement. What a wonderful finale.

Animal Kingdom

The weekend spun by - lunch at the Brown Derby in Hollywood Studios - beer brats and pretzels in Germany in EPCOT - and Breakfast with The Characters in the Contemporary Hotel on Monday morning.

Fantastic Christmas lights in Hollywood Studios

Monday afternoon was the hard part. We did our goodbyes at the airport quickly. No use hanging around with all the tearful waving. We turned around quickly - and got in the van for the 5 hour trip home in the rain. The kids all beat us home - they had quick 2 hours flights. As they flew - they could look down on Interstate 95 - the highway we drove so many times on our trips to Florida. So many things have changed and happened in those 40 years - but the more they changed - the more they stayed the same. We visited Disneyworld as kids ourselves - then as parents - and now we got to see our kids take their kids. We were the grandparents along for the ride - we had our chance and did our part. It was fun seeing the new generation sharing the things and values that we love.

The Circle of Life.

A note from Lulu: I agree with everything Harry said (really!) We had such a great time. I loved taking our granddaughter in Small World with her Mom and then later we went again with Drew and the grandson. She kept pointing out things to her dad, "See....see that..." with such attitude. On his first go through of small world grandson (like father and grandfather) didn't look up from the water as he was fascinated by all the coins lying there. He also was not timid about going on roller coasters but his favorite was called the "Laugh Floor" a pseudo comedy club with Monster's University characters. For his final attraction of the trip Harry had to take him back there. We didn't know how the granddaughter would be in the Haunted Mansion and her dad said to cover her eyes on "scary parts" but she kept moving my hands out of the way. Not scared at all.

Early November is a perfect time to go. The crowds were light and the weather was mild - sunny and in the 70's. Everything was decorated for Christmas. We did manage to swim one night in the heated hotel pool.

Our sons had the agenda planned perfectly - we didn't wait for anything more than 15 minutes. Grandson said he is planning a trip for Summer 2016!