On the Edge of the Galaxy in a land far far away from New Jersey, a young boy had a mental breakdown over a droid. Note: He was told he could get a droid; we were just not getting a droid tonight.
His mother (that's me!) looked around--mostly to avoid making eye contact with him as he thrashed and tried to argue his point in a style that belongs in a law legal drama. What she saw was other children in the throes of IT and in turn other parents wondering why they were being beaten with an empty popcorn bucket (refills are just $2.25!) and standing in the middle of the Edge of the Galaxy holding a cup of blue milk.
One mom saw my situation and nodded at me--as if to say, chin up, I see you and this is the most magical place on earth and there is alcohol at a grilled cheese stand nearby.
It was a very expressive nod!
It was a community moment, friends. The parents of Disney are a community like no other. In fact, today, I was tasked with the brief care of a British girl named Roma.
Somehow, Roma's mother was on Test Track and Roma was waving from the loading platform, then her mother made a weird face, like, "OOOPS! I GUESS YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF MY CHILD AMERICAN STRANGER" and then she sped off. We'd see them later, after Roma enjoyed a ride with the Adkins of New Jersey (she was not impressed, but none of my children fought in her presence, so we were impressed).
I did have to buy a morning cocktail to deal with the stress of briefly being a mother of four, one of which was abandoned on a ride platform and surely would carry that baggage for the rest of her life.
Friends, Disney is wonderful. And I'd come here a thousand times. But parenting on vacation and in the presence of blue milk and droids is really intense. Even the most grateful children struggle with being grateful. I don't know this from first hand experience, I just know there must be some grateful children out there, even on the Edge of the Galaxy.
On a bright note, everyone is tucked into their beds. Our instacart snack order was located, despite the best efforts of the bell desk to NOT locate it. We road so many rides today--Guardians of the Galaxy, Soarin', Mission Space (I vomited in my mouth.), Test Track, Slinky Dog, Tower of Terror, Rise of the Resistance and if course, enjoyed some blue and green milk on the Edge of the Galaxy, in a land far far away.
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