You Just Finished Running 13.1 Miles...

What are you going to do next?

We're going to Disney World!

Oh wait, we are already at Disney World. So we are going to go back to the hotel, shower, change, take a quick nap, and then go back to Disney World for a day at the Magic Kingdom. No, I'm not kidding. My parents thought that a family day at the park would be an awesome way to follow a 13.1 mile run. In reality, it was probably the best thing for my body to be walking (probably more limping then walking) around instead of crashing in my bed watching TV, but it was a pretty painful afternoon.

Our first order of business after pushing through the park's turn dial was finding something to eat. No one had eaten since before the race and we were starving. So what did we decide on? Gigantic, baseball park style, hotdogs.

After lunch it was time for some Disney fun. The interesting thing was that not one person in my entire family even attempted to find a park map. We just didn't see the point in carrying one around. We know exactly which rides are among our family favorites, we have the strategy down to a science so that we are not waiting in line for anything longer than necessary, and we know the fastest way to get to every ride and most restaurants from any point in the park. These are things you just know when you go to Disney at least once a year for your entire childhood.

The Buzz Lightyear ride is one of our favorites, although my dad and I usually lose horribly - this time was no different. My brothers play too many video games, or at least that is always my excuse.

The Haunted Mansion still creeps me out even as an adult. There is always something that surprises or scares me. I always feel bad for the people who work close to this ride because they have to wear these period styled costumes that include gigantic dresses and lots of layers of thick clothing. I can't imagine wearing that stuff in the Florida heat, but their "characters" are really rude so being paid to be rude to vacationers can't be all that bad. 

Pirates of the Caribbean is another LaSelva family favorite - and we loved it LONG before they made the movie and incorporated Captain Jack into the scenes of the ride.

As you can see, even now that we are all older, it's still impossible to get a good family photo with a six person family.

Considering a LaSelva family day at Disney usually lasts from the moment the gates open until the moment they close, it was odd for us to get there around lunchtime and leave around dinner time, especially when we weren't even making the hour drive home but just a short bus ride back to our hotel. 

Speaking of the bus ride back to the hotel - after literally half a day of walking around the park, we sat down on the bus and my brother J.J. (who slept in the hotel while Josh and I ran the Disney Half) said, "I'm glad we are heading back, I'm pretty tired and sore from walking." I just stared at him in disbelief. Was he seriously complaining about being sore and tired? And complaining to me and Josh nonetheless? I swear our family would make one heck of a reality show.

The main reason we headed back to the hotel a little early was not that J.J. was so sore, but that I wanted to eat dinner at one of the restaurants in the hotel. They had a African buffet that looked phenomenal and since we had hotdogs for lunch, I wanted a true celebratory meal. Buffets are my absolute favorite!

Round 1:

The food was so good! I think everyone in the family was pretty thrilled with my restaurant choice, even my brothers who are always skeptical of new things, especially when it comes to food. I think I out-ate everyone though. After three rounds of dinner plates, it was time for dessert. 

My dad assumed I would come back with one dessert - oh dad, you should know by now that is just simply not a possibility. He couldn't stop laughing when I walked back to the table with a sample of everything on the dessert bar. 

Not long after dessert I was in bed only to get up early and head to the airport to fly back to Colorado. Even though the day at Disney was a painful one, it was still a great day with the family. When I was younger I took days like this for granted. I had no idea how quickly we would all grow up and go our separate ways. Now, the days we are all together are so few and far between. I think all of us have a new found appreciation for days like this one.