For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a crippling fear of not feeling the holidays the way they should. This Thanksgiving break was no different, except I knew it wouldn’t be like Thanksgiving since I was going to Epcot. Doubtful feelings arose alongside excited feelings: Am I too old for this?
While the idea of drinking across the world sounds appealing, something about staying in an Airbnb completely decked out in Disney decor, having my own set of sparkly blue Mickey ears, and having my big -parents accompanying me and my cousins on the trip made me skeptical. I did my best to keep an open mind and low expectations as I drove home from Amherst on the Friday before the Thanksgiving holiday. There were friends to see, laundry to do, and homework to finish before my early Sunday flight. My cousin Juliana and I turned 21 two months apart this summer, and my aunt’s birthday was fast approaching, so this was our party trip.
As a seasoned solo traveler, waking up at 6:30 a.m. was nothing new and I found that some of my pre-flight anxieties that I had experienced for so many years seemed to have eased. The plan was to fly to North Carolina on Sunday, where my two cousins, aunt and grandparents live, and then fly to Orlando on Tuesday morning. Upon landing I was greeted with a text with a picture of my Mickey ears with my step-grandfather picking me up, sporting a long white beard accompanied by his white hair dressed head to toe in a Christmas costume. Let’s go, I thought as we walked home. The next two days before our trek were filled with catching up on life and anticipation for the journey ahead. The nine hour drive to Florida felt relatively short and filled with “JESUS LOVES YOU.” REPENT” signs strewn along highways. My older cousin, Sara, met us at our Airbnb on Tuesday night, and we walked around the festive house in awe of the decor. “We’re not going to have matching shirts, are we?” she whispered to me as we walked into a floor-to-ceiling covered room in the Elsa and Anna set, adjoining a room that could have walked straight out of toy story. I tried to brush off the mocking comments and remind myself of the positive attitude I thought I would have.
My promise of positivity took a slight turn when Juliana and I found crumbs under our Woody and Buzz Lightyear quilts, and took the couch as our bed for the night. The next morning was slow, as we gathered on the couch to watch the World Cup, then gathered the troops for lunch and a trip to Disney Springs.
Disney Springs was packed. It was lined with gift shops to get in and out of, and department stores that I only lasted five minutes in. We walked around and enjoyed each other’s company for hours until Juliana and I decided to sneak out and enjoy our benefits of being freshly 21 and ordered a glass of green tea at a bar. which we came across. I wasn’t exactly expecting Disney to serve the strongest drinks (which they didn’t), but it was $25 for two meager shots, so I was expecting a bit more them. It was the weakest drink I’ve ever tasted, but it was good since Juliana and I were giddy with excitement at the mere ability to order it in the first place. We went back to our families and came home – and faced an hour of stationary traffic to get back to our Airbnb which should have been only 15 minutes away.
The main event – Epcot – would take place the next day, which was Thanksgiving. My Wednesday night was filled with FOMO watching my friends get together at our hometown bar, but also with excitement for the next day. In the morning, I had completely forgotten it was even Thanksgiving and was getting ready for the day. It was a long and busy day as we arrived at the park around 9am and didn’t leave until 9pm. In each country. I snacked on churros, a pretzel, strawberry pie, and lo mein along with a margarita, purple sake drink, and limoncello. The trip was lovely and I loved spending so much time with my family that I don’t see very often, despite my tired feet, my painfully slow walk and the awkward family tensions that inevitably arise. We did our best not to complain, and my cousins and I accompanied my aunt on three more rides after our grandparents retired and came home.
While I think being 21 was the perfect age to be able to fully experience Epcot, we were walking a fine line between not wanting to be Disney adults but still wanting embrace all aspects of travel.
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