From my house on Florida’s east coast, it’s an easy one-hour drive to any one of four major theme parks. Imagine, non-stop fun practically guaranteed for the (admittedly hefty) price of an admission ticket. Unfortunately years, if not decades, pass between my visits to Orlando’s tourist mecca. Which is a shame, really. Because the parks are a lot of fun.
This summer, thanks to a story idea about a couple who disagree when she plans a theme park expansion that threatens his livelihood, I’ve been making the rounds of the theme parks. And since there’s no better way to view magic, I took some kids along. Believe me, it didn’t take much effort to “bribe” a precocious eight- and six-year-old to join in the fun.
It’s amazing how kids see things.
Stifling heat? Sweltering humidity? I don’t think they even noticed.
90-minute lines for popular rides? Did you know kids can play “I spy” for over an hour? Again and again? Plus, all memory of the time spent in line was instantly erased by a three-minute roller coaster ride or a train ride or a seat in a spinning teacup.
Crowds shuffling along, elbow-to-elbow, through a new exhibit? The 8-year-old kept asking if I felt the MAGIC of the town. The 6-year-old wanted to solve the mystery of snow on the rooftops in the middle of summer.
And an ice cream cone in the afternoon instantly picked up flagging spirits. My flagging spirits, that is. The kids were still going strong.
All-in-all, we had a blast. And I gathered a lot of info for the new book. Including one piece of information critical to surviving a visit to any of Florida’s theme parks in the summer—bring a hand-held, battery-operated water mister.
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