It's All about Emma

...or at least today it was.

Now, I ask you…. how does anyone say NO to Disney?? Especially when the numero uno entertainment complex in the entire universe is just about three hours up the road?? And how does one say ‘no’ to the most engaging seven year-old on the planet, when she asks: “Are you coming to see us at the Magic Kingdom, Uncle Mr. Miller?”

Does a one-legged duck swim in a circle?? Did Rose Kennedy own a black dress??
Of course I am coming to see you, Emma; I’ll be there late Saturday afternoon.”

Someday,,, when I sit down to write my memoirs, the chapter about Emma’s mother and my friend, Korie, will begin with the words: “I liked her instantly”.

Korie, or as I call her, "Kortense", and I have been friends since our accidental meeting at a Media Play store in Alpharetta, Georgia over 12 years ago. We just began chatting one Saturday afternoon and have been talking ever since.

Last week, Korie’s husband was going to be tied up with some extra long hours at the office, and suggested she take her mother and the girls down to Orlando for a long weekend, and when either of us are nearby the other is always assured an invite, although sometimes it may be last minute. So when I got the call I didn’t hesitate: change of clothes in the duffel and up the turnpike I went.

Now without trying to sound too sappy here, I just don’t see how anyone, of any age, can drive onto Disney property without feeling different. Something happens to you when you are about to leave reality and enter his world. As Walt used to say, “Magical”. But truly, the only way to really enjoy this experience is through the eyes of a child.

It’s a given: As soon as Emma and I see each other … right after the hugs.. she immediately ends up on my shoulders for conveyance, and a camel’s-eye view of her surroundings. And this visit is no different – off we go to plan our strategy, with Korie dutifully in tow. We only have about 7 hours to see and do what we’d like to see and do – and so we plan wisely. Which in this case means NO agenda..and we do whatever we feel like - and WHEN we (she) feel(s) like it.


First stop, Space Mountain, and then on to the Tomorrowland Speedway, where we came in pretty much first in our race; that is if you don’t count the cars in front of us. We took a spin on the Carousel of Progress (it was sort of spooky that we knew pretty much the entire song by heart before it was over!)

Next was Buzz Lightyear’s Spin, and then down the 52 foot drop at Splash Mountain.

Mercifully, the park wasn’t all that crowded so we didn’t have the usual irritations of long lines or immobility, but instead were really able to enjoy the visual aspect that the creator worked so hard to achieve.

Everything the public takes for granted didn’t ‘just happen’. It was well thought out in advance, after the style and inspiration of Mr. Disney himself. I was told that he would anonymously follow guests out of a candy shop and count the number of steps they would take before the wrapper fell to the ground, giving him a guide as to where and how far apart trash cans should be positioned.

And while these are the things that might intrigue an adult, by far the most enjoyable thing to me that day was watching it all through the eyes of Emma. Seventh Heaven! -and completely contagious. Just a little girl, so happy you could almost patent it, on overload, without a care in the world, other than how quickly she could get right back on my shoulders when each ride was done and on to the next one. It transported me to a different place for a while, and sort of made me remember what matters most.

So now we’ve been at it a few hours and it’s time to refuel.

But wait.. not yet?? “What’s that, Sweetie…? One more? “Sure!!” “The Haunted Mansion?” “Of Course!”

It was kind of odd this trip in that there really was no line or wait – just straight into the front hall elevator and let the games begin!

Time is moving on though… we’re beginning to feel the tug…

Ok – now we’re startin to see some exhaustion, and perhaps a bit of crankiness workin’ It’s definitely time for some grub. Due to the diminished crowds, most of the sit-down restaurants seem to be closed, or not taking any more reservations, so we make due with a fast food joint and order up.

Uh oh… now we ARE getting a bit tired and whiney, awwww.. Dinner's done, but there's too much STUFF to do and not enough Emma to do it ...

So Korie says, I’m goin’ over here to wait, Mr. Miller, would you mind to do ‘that thing you do’?? "She'll listen to you."

“Certainly.”

Sitting down on the café chair, just inside the door, Emma standing just in front of me, with the cutest, pouty, tired-lil-girl face ya ever saw – I explain to her, as calmly as I can:

“Now honey, we know you’re tired… in fact we all are, just a bit, but we only have a certain amount of time to visit together before we all have to head back home. So even though we don’t have much energy left we still have to save what we Do have so that we don’t mess things up for the rest of us – does that seem fair?”

*Emma nods.

“But we DO have only a couple of choices here, so I want YOU to tell me what we should do, o.k.? “

Again, Emma nods.

“You know that Uncle Mr. Miller doesn’t really care to be around little girls when they act like that, right?”

*Nod.

“So… if you like, and this is all up to you… we can either just say goodbye now, and I can get into my car and head back home, knowing that we probably won’t be able to visit again for a long time…OR …

We can pull our shoulders back, and readjust our attitude and remember that WE’re not the only people here,,, and think about how what we do affects others, and just chill out a bit for a little while more and have some fun.”

(faced with the prospect of losing her pal (and favorite mode of transportation), Emma considers very carefully now)

“So, Sweetie,,, what’d’ya think??”

(Interesting, what a child will do when not backed into a corner, per se, but given a couple of choices that that allow them to think through ‘decisions vs. consequences’. No one gets forced or embarrassed; just a calm, rational discussion between two humans, and workin it all out... No need to yell or threaten, no “time out” (shudder!!!) just impart some information that they can use to make informed decisions – very interesting, indeed. – I wish my father had thought like that – ha!)

“Mom…??” (her hands on hips, head tilted slightly, looking as if she were the chairman of the board, and completely in charge…) I think we're just gonna chill now, and ride some more rides before Uncle Mr. Miller has to go.., o.k?”

“Sure, Sweetie, that’ll be just fine…“ and off we go.

And so we did “chill” .. and we did realign, and we did finish out the day under fireworks and a visit with the Pirates of the Caribbean – and Our Gal had a great time.

It’s funny, I went with the sole goal of making sure that Emma had the best time possible and in return, just being able to live it all through her was the best time possible for me. I don’t know how it all works, but it seems like a fair trade.