Grandparents new Article 4

To be sure, grandparents have many responsibilities to work out with their grandchildren. On the plus side, one of them has to be to make them happy. What happier venture can there be than a trip to Disneyland in Anaheim, California or to Disneyworld if you are in Orlando, Florida. You have opportunities on both coasts to spread love in the form of bigger than life entertainment.

I have always detested the crowds and the lines and the overall wait time at the Disney parks, but I must admit getting out into the throng of families and kids of all ages is a way to view a minicosm of the world. There are people who come from everywhere to enjoy Mickey and Minnie Mouse and the other cartoon characters, to visit places like the Haunted Mansion or the Mark Twain Riverboat and to participate in the street parade during the summer at night with a dazzling array of fireworks. There are North Americans, South and Central Americans, Mexicans, Asians, Europeans and many more nationalities who upon visiting this fairyland experience what it's like to be American for the day, week or however long they're staying.

The excitement of seeing the cartoon characters like Mickey larger than life on the streets waving at you and then greeting you up close is thrilling. After all, it's the sharing of friendship and love that counts. I carried my little 3 year-old Marie over to Donald Duck to give him a hug as she blurted out, "I wuv you, Duckie. " He laughed and jumped up and down  for joy. What a pleasure to witness!

Then, of course, there's my favorite attraction the Haunted Mansion, a little too scary for tiny ones like Marie, but ... I found myself making the trek with my son Jake, as Mary treated Marie to a cinnamon-sugar churro on the midway. Then there are the terrific indoor shows where you can watch and sing along to all the merry Disney tunes. Frozen was an experience that left us all breathless...the beautiful sets, costumes and those triple threat actors and actresses who can sing, dance and act to the max.

Once you have spent a day at Disneyland with your grandchildren, you realize that there still is a lot of kid inside you and what you share is unforgettable fun.