My heart melted at the thought of  going to Disney. Or, did it bleed, or was it my pocketbook that bled?

Staying at a nearby RV park, a shuttle visits the parking lot frequently arriving to stroller pushing parents. Baby wearing backpacks, front carriers, tethered toddler towing families await.

Applying large gobs of sun cream is as American a tradition as wrecking ships into the America’s and claiming to have founded-new-land.

The families apply large doses of golf hats, sunglasses to shield their sensitive faces.

Tip: Purchase tickets online at Disney’s website, which I will not link to.

Tip: Use a secondary email address to visit and make purchases with Disney. Their all-knowing marketing department has ways around all Spam Filtering Technology. BEWARE!

On the shuttle bus, a gentleman was kind to teach us about the Fast Pass. Grab tickets for busy rides in advance, make it an all day hobby, increase fun times one thousand.

It is good to have a person who is assigned to run for more Fast Pass tickets. Popular rides have a small kiosk at the entry way, insert Park Tickets and the kiosk spits out Fast Passes for a later time in the day.

Space Mountain is the best place to start for Fast Passes.

How to be efficient and pack the schedule with fun?

10 ways to have maximum fun at Disney

~Pack food and water, camera, cash.

~Plan to spend about $25 per person, per day for food as an absolute minimum.

~Purchase a ticket package with meals included.

~Purchase a tailored Plan Dining deal.

~Stay until midnight and watch the fireworks.

~Purchase an all inclusive deal.

~While waiting in line for an attraction, send one person with all park tickets to get more Fast Pass Tickets from another ride.

~Eat Cotton Candy.

~Eat Big Lollipops.

~Visit Tom Sawyer Island during the hot hours of the day, it’s a good place for relaxing and offers a safe place for kids to run around. Plenty of trees, benches, toilets, water fountains, caves, paths, walkways, exploring. Spend an hour or two resting.

Five ways to avoid the Theme Park Spoilers:

Theme park spoilers have been visiting since the beginning of time.

~In Mickey’s Toontown, an overly excited young man decided to indulge in frozen ice cream bars. By his second ice cream, it had become stuck to his tongue, crying teen with giant Popsicle on tongue makes a great video opportunity. Avoid the temptation.

~In peak tourist season, weather can be hot,  visitors to the park may have a sense of entitlement, cut lines etc., I suggest ignoring this. Maintaining the sincere-magic-feeling can be a challenge for the less adaptive traveler.

~Leave the park for a few hours to rest, swim, eat. If some in the group are still feeling active, leave them at the theme park, avoid demanding anything of their time, it’s a spoiler.

~Visit California Adventure: Because I couldn’t. Yes indeed, I had a spoiler who ruined this part of the magic. Something about first-time theme park visitors can be wimpy, afraid, boring. Don’t let the big rides scare first timers, make them section off into a less-stimulation-seeking group.

~Spend a little time alone, there is much to see in a five minute walk to the toilet, gift shoppes, art, architecture, hidden paths, gates… it’s brilliant!

Try To Ruin My Magic I Dare You!