I'm the Mommy

So we just got back from Disney, and let me tell you, it was PERFECT. It was the most perfect, perfect Disney trip (aside from spending too much money on food, but that's another post). The sky was clear and blue, not a drop of rain, the kids had a great time, we had a great time. Our family got lots of extra attention because the girls had "It's my first time" buttons on and we had "It's our anniversary" buttons on. Our good friends Amy and Thomas and their kids came with us, and since they are seasonal passholders, they knew all the tricks. We got to do almost everything.

Now, for my 3 year old, Kira, we weren't sure how she was going to do on all the rides, but as both Mark and I are thrill-seekers, we hoped that she would follow suit. One complication is that there is a 40 inch height requirement for Splash Mountain (the big flume with the huge drop) and Thunder Mountain Railroad (roller coaster). Kira is 39 3/4 inches tall with her Crocs on.

Even though Kira ate voraciously the week before in an attempt to close the 1/4 inch gap for Splash Mountain, she didn't quite pull it off. But we had a backup plan-- The Sandals. Amy's daughter Emily had sandals with a 1/2 in. thick platform sole.

Confident that we wouldn't need them, we headed to the Splash Mountain entrance where Kira was immediately ushered to the measuring station. I could see right away that she didn't meet the requirement. We were turned away.

Enter: The Sandals. I knew the staff member was going to recognize Kira from oh, 2 minutes before, but I didn't care. My kid was getting on that ride. Now I understand that some parents may feel differently for safety reasons and all that... but not me. Trust me, I planned on having a real good hold on her when we went over that waterfall, no matter how many inches she measured.

I must admit, there was a little embarrassment involved when the girl saw us come up the second time and said confusedly, "oh, she's too short." I said, "Just measure her again." Suddenly Kira was tall enough. "Oh," said the girl, "You changed her shoes. Well, shoes don't count."

That's right, I thought as we breezed past into the Fastpass line. I'm the mommy and if I say my kid can ride, my kid can ride. My child has been looking forward to this for weeks, and anyway, if I had to pay full price for her, she should be able to ride all the good stuff. If she can't go on Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain, I should get at least another $40 off my ticket!

Well, in case you were wondering, the 1/4 deficit did not make Kira suddenly fly out of the ride or anything of that nature. (In fact, she was holding on to me so tightly that she wouldn't have fallen out if I had thrown her.) She loved the ride and asked to go again.

Score: Ravenous Thrill-seekers: 1, Establishment: 0 Yeah!!!

Oh, here's my random Disney tip for today: If you've got a baby and/or toddler, bring your sling and your stroller. If your baby is napping on you in the sling, you can enjoy some of the indoor, air-conditioned shows where strollers aren't allowed, and your older kids don't have to wait around for the baby to wake up before doing something fun.