Wonderland.....

Favorite Vacation Moment

Omaha, NE

by mrohlfing1 March 19, 2008 | Son: Age 22, Daughter: Age 7, Step-daughter: Age 25

The quest for Alice......

My daughter (Veronica) is memorized by the movie "Alice in Wonderland." Grandma shared this favorite movie with Veronica. This introduction to Alice and friends had led us on the adventure to Wonderland/Disney. In 2006, neither Grandma (64) nor Veronica (4) had been to Disney World. So for Veronicaâ¬"s 4th birthday we headed out to Florida. Grandma didnâ¬"t need to eat mushrooms or cookies to shrink the size of a child. She was able to live childhood dreams through her granddaughterâ¬"s eyes.

As if the magic of Disney wasnâ¬"t enough, we spent our vacation having a scavenger hunt finding any Alice merchandise, memorabilia or characters. On Veronica's 4th birthday we ate at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot. Veronica dressed in costume and looking like Alice herself was the first to spot Alice. Her eyes big and tongue tied she nearly fell out of her seat scrambling to point Alice out to the rest of us. The next day we were at the Magic Kingdom riding the teacups, going through "It's a Small World" and searching for Alice. During the Dreams Come True Parade, Grandma was the one who spotted Alice skipping down Main Street with no other than the Mad Hatter. Our final and most rewarding catch of Alice was at the Grand Floridian. I had reserved a special afternoon tea party, hosted by the characters from "Alice in Wonderland." The young children were excited and little apprehensive to stay without parents but when the doors opened the room was decorated in pure Wonderland magic, the apprehension quickly evaporated. Grandma and I never saw Alice that day but my daughter has a special memory of the afternoon she spent with her favorite characters eating desert FIRST, playing Mad Hatter says, and other secrets I have yet to discover.

I canâ¬"t image a vacation, as special as, seeing true magic in my mother's and daughter's eyes. Iâ¬"m not sure who enjoyed it more Grandma, Veronica or myself. Since then, we have returned a second time and magic continues.