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I've lived in the city of Orlando, FL most of my life. Florida is a humid place, but the winters can be wonderful. And of course, it's close to all the theme parks: Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Orlando, and SeaWorld. I call myself a "Disney Baby," having been more or less raised in the parks. My first time ever at Disney was when we moved here. I was four years old. Even now, looking around the house, I see Mickey Mouse hoodies, the Mickey and Minnie salt shaker set my mom gave me, a few Disney stuffed animals.

When I was young, my parents would sneak me out of class and take me to Magic Kingdom; we had annual passes from an early age. (Of course, tickets have gone up in price since then.) It felt like the best family trip whenever we'd go, though we only had to travel about twenty minutes by car to get to our 'vacation.' Still, our family vacations were at the theme parks, and I remember running up to the turnstile, ticket in my little hand, waiting to get into Magic Kingdom without having to wait in the long line with everyone else! Disney World wasn't the only park, though.

Blizzard Beach, the water park, was my go-to place in the summer. I loved the rides there better than Typhoon Lagoon, since I was still a younger kid. I remember one time, getting lost there; my mom was hysterical when she finally found me, though now she recounts the story with hysterical laughter. I was at the lost kid station, queen of the lost kids, like Peter Pan in Neverland. When I left, they bowed sadly, giving me paper crowns and pieces of lint in offering.

When I got a bit older, SeaWorld was one of my favorite themepark locations. Aquatica didn't exist for many years, not yet. But Sea World felt like its own water park, with icy splashes by Shamu and interactive shows with other sea creatures! I had a birthday party there; though, when they promised I could meet Shamu, I expected the killer whale, not a man in a costume. I was seven and I was going to have the party at Busch Gardens, but it's a lot further away, almost an hour a a half from some of my friends homes,

so not everyone could go (nowadays you can get a free bus ride from SeaWorld though) and for some of my classmates was the first time they were able to go to Sea World. We had a room were we had cake and afterwards they took us to the Shamu show where they have a space reserved for us, of course on the splash zone! I felt like royalty and that party (sounds materialistic, I know) made me very popular with my friends for some time :)

Over time, the trips to SeaWorld turned into trips to Universal Studios and later, it included Universals Islands of Adventure and Halloween Horror Nights (once I was old enough to go!). Now, Islands of Adventure includes the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Universal Orlando is its own resort. My high school was across the street (go Panthers!), and after class a group of us would make our way, lugging our heavy backpacks, to Universal's CityWalk. We didn't all have passes to the parks, but we were free to walk between them, scouring the candy store for Rocket Belts and Lemonheads and Bertie Botts' Every-Flavor Beans. We'd watch a movie or grab some potato skins at the Hard Rock Cafe, and my sister would sneak into the hotels nearby and use the pool. She was eventually caught after she forgot her swimsuit but on a dare jumped in fully dressed and there were complaints and violations of codes. My parents just laughed and shook their heads. She still goes, sometimes; "if you look like you belong, they will not ask for a hotel ID" is her motto.

Christmas is a magical time. Since I've become an adult (only on the outside, mind you), I watch the calendar and wait for November. That's when the magic really starts. We head to Epcot, where the giant Christmas tree marks the path to the World Showcase. We get into the Candlelight Processional, hot chocolate burning our tongues, and watch the fireworks light up the night sky with hopes for world peace. Every year, I leave the park feeling a little more hopeful, even with the fighting and unrest in the world. I guess Disney truly is a magical place.