A Few Surprises Here and There

Looking back at the years of travel stories has made me a bit nostalgic for those early years.  Of course, the days when we had many little one were certainly very busy, but in many ways they were more simplistic.  Those were days when a kiss from mom was all that was needed to fix any boo-boo.  Those were the days when a song and a tickle was enough to turn a bad day around.  Those were the days when we could set the clock ahead a couple of hours and pretend like it was already bedtime. 

During those halcyon days of the past, when the kids still believed everything we said just because we said it, there were plenty of opportunities to sneak in a few little traveling surprises.  Sometimes it was a side trip they weren’t expecting, or sometimes we planned an entire surprise trip that wasn’t revealed until we were getting on the flight.  And of course, there were times when we were all surprised by the new things we encountered on our travels.

Poor planning during a trip to Paris left us with a day to fill, and although the grownups had plenty of museum ideas, we felt the kids deserved a special day.  So, we planned a surprise-French style.

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“So, what should we do today?” Gary and I wondered quietly in the hotel bathroom. Our itinerary had scheduled us to go Versailles in the morning, but after checking the web we had learned that Versailles is closed on Mondays. Suddenly, we had a whole day open in Paris and we needed to decide what to do. The previous night we had discussed our options loosely, but hadn’t made any decisions. I would have loved another museum day, and if I had been alone the Musee d’Orsay would have been calling to me. But, the boys had been such troupers for the whole trip, we felt they deserved a day of fun.

We made a secretive decision in the bathroom and decided it would be more fun if we kept it to ourselves as we headed out of the hotel. The boys were engrossed in their Nintendos in the backseat, and were fairly quiet for the first half of the trip. “Where are we going,” someone finally piped up from the back. “To another castle,” I answered vaguely, and we drove on.

We escaped without any more questions until we reached the parking lot. The colorful signs, although in French, were unmistakable.

"Is this for real,” Ryan asked. “Are we actually going here?”

“I thought we were going to a castle,” Evan added.

Even thought the evidence was right in front of them, they were disbelieving until I gave them a word of confirmation. “We are going to a castle, Cinderella’s castle. We’re spending the day at Disneyland!!”

 

In front of the castle at Disneyland Paris

Within moments we were standing under the sparkling palace with three boys who were virtually floating on air. Gary and I were pretty thrilled with our surprise and the prospect of spending the day at the amusement park with our family was equally thrilling. Although, we have visited both Disneyland and Disneyworld in the states a number of times, we are big Disney fans and completely enjoy the childlike whimsy in the park. And truthfully, we all needed a break from serious pursuit of academic sightseeing.

 

Spinning on the Teacups

Many of the rides that we know and love from home were here for our enjoyment. The Phantom Manor (Haunted Mansion) was just as silly-scary in French as it is in English. Likewise, French pirates from the Caribbean are as delightful as their English counterparts. There were some unique attractions for us to enjoy as well. The boys enjoyed both the Alice in Wonderland Maze and the Pirates' playground, complete with haunted caves. Both were a great opportunity for them to let loose to run and play like little boys should.

Ahoy Mateys~Playing on the Pirate Playground

 

Entrance to Alice in Wonderland Maze

Play, and rides, and parades continued until closing time, with smiles and laughing all along the way. Even when it rained the boys were cheerfully splashing through puddles on their way to the next ride. Disney certainly has a way with magic and it certainly worked its magic on us.

Three Magically Happy Boys