But can you come to Florida and not go to Disney World? What would Pete tell the other children at daycare? I needed a plan.
Luckily Uncle Walt provided the answer. Disney Springs is a Disney-themed mall (most things around here are Disney-themed) which sits just to the right of the Magic Kingdom. You even drive in on the entrance road to the park proper, which gave me some palpitations as I worried I might actually have to pay. But no - parking and shopping is free, at least until you buy something. Or get caught shoplifting.
Amid the dazzling array of retail and eateries there's a huge Lego store that offers prizes for kids who can fulfil tricky challenges. I watched on, the proud parent, as Pete balanced six Duplo blocks on top of each other and won a bag of bricks that I believe you can make into a picture frame. And they don't even tell parents to move along when they build space ships at Lego tables designed for 6-to-12-yr-olds! The place is amazing.
Even bigger is the Disney store. Wow. I thought I was satisfied with my lot in life before I saw a Mickey-shaped casserole dish and a Beauty And The Beast tapestry wall hanging. Even more inspiring was the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique where "Fairy Godmothers-in-training" give extreme princess makeovers starting at $60. Unfortunately for me the 12-yr-old age limit so laxly ignored at the Lego shop was strictly enforced here.
We wandered through the many departments, pointing out all the Disney decor to Pete, and took numerous photos with all the famous characters before placing the merchandise carefully back on the shelves. In a few years we'll pull out the album and say "remember when we went to Disney World and Legoland when you were three?" Genius.
When toffee apples look like this there's only one place you can be.
Lego + Disney = complete breakdown of parental resolve.
All those afternoons of extreme Duplo training paid off.
Bricked in.
Dad, you're so embarrassing.
$250, 1636 pieces. If only batteries had been included I'd have bought it on the spot.
Lego army.
In my day there were only four colours, and they all had tooth-marks in when you couldn't get them apart.
Ah, Disney. When you do this to real princesses they tend to react badly, so another advantage of staying away from the actual park.
My one-and-only real Disney princess.
Now which T-shirt should I buy her...?
The wedding I always wanted. Say cheese!
