Amanda Lamb: Where in the world is Disney World?

I was playing a guessing game the other day with my six-year-old daughter. The answer to the question was “Florida.” I was trying to give her clues.

“It’s the state where Disney World is located,” I say with encouragement as she furrows her brow and contorts her little mouth into a frown.

“How would I know where Disney World is?” She says, her hands on her hips. “I’ve never been there.”

Believe me, this is not the first time I’ve heard about this major travesty in her young life. I am reminded at least once a week that my children have not been to Disney World.

“Mommy, everyone in my class has been, seriously,” she says with wide eyes and an angst-ridden expression.

Let’s get something straight. My kids have been flying on airplanes since they were just a few weeks old. They’ve been to New York, Philadelphia, the Jersey Shore, Washington D.C., and yes, even Florida. They have also been to the Bahamas, yet, I didn’t get a passport until I was a teenager. They’ve been on all kinds of boats, visited water parks, been rock climbing and skiing.

But for some reason, I am the worst parent in America because I have not yet braved Disney World. Frankly, the more they whine about it, the less inclined I am to go.

I admit it — I’m not a big fan of crowds. I’m also not a big fan of large cartoon characters with big heads, but I understand the lure of the place to a young child. My parents took me exactly one time, and as I recall, I enjoyed it. I later visited Disney with friends in my twenties. It was on that trip that I decided I would never come back again until I was accompanied by my children. As an adult, it simply wasn’t my cup of tea.

I know there are families who go back to Disney again and again. They can’t get enough of it. I am like that with the beach. I could never get enough of it. That’s why we spend so many weekends at the coast. I know that eventually I will have to give in and take them to Disney World. It is a rite of passage for parents and children.

But maybe I’ll put it off just a little while longer…