While I frequently feel awesome in my own head, I know that in the real world I am not particularly cool. And if I had any doubts, my teenager reminds me of my un-coolness on a daily basis.
Yet every once in awhile my perception is actual reality. Every once in awhile I am cool. I don’t just think it, I know it.
I knew I was so cool when I was in a Disney parade.
I don’t mean I was in a high school band that was performing. I mean that Matt, the kids and I were in an actual Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade in the Animal Kingdom.
Pretty cool, huh?
The four of us were taking a break on a bench, debating whether to see the Lion King show. The kids spotted some cast members chatting, and they approached these women hoping to trade pins (if you are unfamiliar with pin trading, it is Disney’s brilliant way of engaging kids and coaxing parents to part with more money).
After the pin trade, the cast members approached Matt and me, and asked us if our family wanted to be in the parade that afternoon. “Of course!” we said. “Absolutely not,” said our preteen.
We outranked her, so a few hours later we were admitted behind one of those super secret doors that say “Cast Members Only.” We were outfitted in stylish safari hats and vests and climbed aboard our vehicle:
I always could rock a hat.
Safety first: Adults on the outside
So it would be super fun to be in a Disney parade, right?
Wrong.
Yes, it was cool to be in the tree/float thingy. Yes, it was nice to sit down for 20 minutes. But what Disney people don’t tell you – until you are about to start the parade – is that you have to SMILE AND WAVE THE WHOLE TIME.
Which is harder than it looks.
It’s hard to smile for 20 minutes straight – my cheeks started to cramp up. Both sets. And waving at people who were just staring at us, waiting for the random family to pass by so they could see Mickey, is not fun. We felt like idiots, and my daughter and I had the following conversation through gritted teeth (cuz we were still smiling):
Her: This is horrible. I told you I didn’t want to be in the parade.
Me: It is hard to wave and smile for so long.
Her: I told you it would stink.
Me: I was not going to turn down a once in a lifetime opportunity to be in a Disney parade.
Her: Well, I hate smiling and I hate my braces.
Thank God for those kind souls who waved back at us – it made the waving more natural and we felt a bit less idiotic. For the rest of my life, I will wave at people in parades, and I urge you to do the same.
So the parade ends, we reluctantly give back our vests and hats, and we are given a disposable camera that one of the Disney photographers used to photograph us during the parade (that’s how we got the rockin’ pic of us on the float). I had to mail that sucker out to get developed, but I now have photographic evidence of our (very soft) brush with fame.
LOL! You were too nice to your teen. I probably would have embarrassed her further by being totally obnoxiously goofy on the parade; dancing, shaking my numb booty, and singing (badly) with all the Disney songs. 🙂 Or gotten us thrown out of the parade. 😀
Well, Terrye, I have to admit that I would be too embarrassed myself to do that. I like to pretend I’m all cool and rebellious, but when push comes to shove I would chicken out!
Got to love Disney. They turn everything into an experience that you are not sure you wanted.
Ha – so true, Rebecca. But we keep going back!
Love your daughter’s response – I am sure she will remind you of this moment often, if she is like any other pre-teen daughter:)
Now that she is a full blown teen, she has plenty of other stuff to throw in my face, so this one has moved to the back burner for now!
Both set of cheeks cramping…. Bahahaha! Still a fun memory and eventually your preteen will think it was cool 🙂
Thanks for hooking up to the Hump Day Hook Up again
Always a pleasure, Molley. Three years later and she still doesn’t think it was cool – maybe some day!
I was a Rotary student as a teen and every photo opportunity meant that the 1 or 2 adults would be given a pile of 30 cameras & have to take a photo of the whole group . . . with every single one. And that went on for the entire year. It was painful & my face muscles never got stronger. They’d start to twitch after the 15th camera or so. HA!
Still, agony or not, it was pretty neat to be in the Disney parade!
So smiling constantly doesn’t get any easier, huh? It was worth the agony though. (And btw – I deleted your second comment, since your first one did go through – sorry about that!)
What a great memory for you and your family! But yes I be 20 minutes of straight smiling is harder than it looks!
Yes it is – I don’t know how those beauty pageant contestants do it!
How cool, though. It’s a once in a life time thing and even though you guys were a little uncomfortable from all the smiling and waving, it was a great memory made.
It was a great memory, Robin – and I don’t get to do cool things that often!
I agree, you had to do it. Once in a lifetime opportunity, and it will be a fun family memory. Good to know about the parade pressures though … Our kids have rough lives, right!?
Lol – you’re right! My poor kids have it so rough – a trip to Disney and they have to be in a parade – jeez!
That is awesome! How many people can say they’ve done this? 🙂
Exactly – that’s why we had to do it!
Well, I think it’s way cool! I would have made my family do it, too. And now you have a photo souvenir! 🙂
True, an eternal reminder of our super fun time. Seriously though, it was a cool experience.Thanks for stopping by, Shay!
love it…the conversation behind the smiles cracked me up. definitely an opportunity to not pass up…great memories.
It cracks me up now, too, but not so much at the time!
This is HILARIOUS!!! I’m such a Disney girl…so I freaked out when I read the title of your post. Then as I read on I was laughing out loud. What a memorable experience, for so many reasons! Thanks for the laugh and a glimpse behind the scenes.
Glad I could make you smile, Marie!
Ack I would die! Did your face hurt at the end? I feel like my cheeks would cramp up.
Totally cramped up – both sets of cheeks. And my arm was sore from waving. Ah, the price of fame…
You are officially funny!! I love it! Both cheek sets! And point learned – I will wave back from now on. Was under the impression before that they were enjoying themselves up there, being the font of Candy and all.
Thanks Katie! We did enjoy ourselves for a little while, but those parades feel much longer as a participant than a spectator. At least my cheeks got a work out 🙂 Thanks for visiting!
Oh wow. That’s so cool. I’m a Disney freak so I woulda loved this!
I’m sure my daughter would have gladly given you her spot!
How cool. Tell your girl that if she was 9YO she would have enjoyed it more. Oh wait, don’t do that. Then she will blame you for not taking her to Disney when she as 9. Teens are funny that way.
Oh and wait, now you have photographic evidence to embarrass her with the first time she brings home a boy you don’t like. “Oh honey, show this fine young man the photo of you in the Disney parade. Wasn’t she precious?”
Oh Kerri – she’s was 11 at the time, and we took her to Disney when she was 9, and 7, and 5. She probably blames us for taking her too much. And I will hoard the photographic evidence – great idea!
I actually still think it’s really cool that you were in a Disney parade. But I can sympathize with smiling for that long getting quite painful. Still, awesome photo. I vote worth it (says she with the cheeks that didn’t have to smile for so long).
I think it’s cool too, and I vote worth it also. I just wasn’t as fun as I thought it would be!
I want to say something along the lines of ‘be careful what you wish for’ but I guess it was more foisted upon you! Still, a once-in-a-lifetime experience worth having done for the sake of it. Congrats 🙂
It was worth it – which is what I was trying to tell my daughter! She still doesn’t think it was, but maybe one day…
I hear ya sista!
It sure is tough to be artificial. But, the best part is that it became your memory and we got to read it :))
TGIF
Exactly – I knew it would make a great story!
Halfway through I was going to be all, “That is SO cool- you are SO lucky!” Then I finished reading…yeah, I can see how that isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. But it does make for a great story, and great photos! BTW, I love Disney World and the Animal Kingdom. Sigh.
I love Disney too – and I would do it again even though it was a pain. You just don’t say no to that kind of offer!
Once in a lifetime chance, indeed! Great story and great pics. Too bad he couldn’t have gotten a close-up of you all in the float to see if your smiles were as big as the first photo. You should have just pretended you were playing Pokeno – certainly you smile for more than 20 minutes at a time on those evenings!
True, Tom. But I also have a drink in my hand at Pokeno – a definite no-no at Animal Kingdom!
I totally would have run up to you with my super cool Mickey Mouse autograph book!
And I would have totally signed it!
So funny…I can see you both up there- what I really want to know is what M was saying; I am sure there was some smart ass remarks flying from his mouth. Love this story- needed something from the happiest place on earth this morning.
I’m sure you’re right about the smart ass remarks, but I was too busy smiling and waving to pay attention to him.
The conversation with you and your daughter was the best. Seriously, though it did look like a fun time except for the smiling part. Oh and the waving, too!! Thank you Dana for linking this up with us!! 😉
Always a pleasure, Janine!