Disneyworld Orlando: about dreams coming true

Arriving at Magic Kingdom (1996)

When I was a child I had this dream to visit Walt Disneyworld. However, back in the 1980’s, traveling to Orlando was very expensive. A vacation that only the wealthier could have. Many girls my age chose to travel to Disneyworld Orlando when they turned 15 instead of having the traditional birthday party and ball. I chose the party and never regreted it.

Years later, I learned life has a strange way to fulfill dreams when you really want something with all your heart. In the mid 90’s I was a university student and worked part-time teaching English in a language school. The school branch I worked for had received a quality award that year and one of the prizes was sending a teacher to Disneyworld Resort Orlando to accompany a group of students. So who would be the lucky one? During a meeting in early 1996, in order to make things fair, all the teachers’ names were written in small pieces of paper, folded and put into a box. Between curiosity and anxiety, our coordinator drew a piece of paper from the box and I couldn’t believe it  when I heard my name being called out loud. After that, I spent the next three months following procedures and paying fees to get my first passport and the USA tourist visa.

Kirkman Road: view from the hotel room (1996)

It was May when D-day finally came and  there was I, bags packed up and ready to go on my first trip to another country and dream destination. I got to meet the students who would travel with me in the check-in line at  Guarulhos International Airport, in São Paulo. There were about 40 people in my group, most of them were teenagers. We had a direct flight to Orlando flying Transbrasil (the airline went bankrupt in 2002). It was a day flight. We left São Paulo at midday and arrived at 6 p.m. local time in Orlando International Airport. It was the first of many long distance flights I 'd take in my life (something I couldn't imagine at that time).

Star Tours at Disney's MGM Studios (1996)

Going through Immigration and Customs didn't take very long and soon we were at the Baggage Claim Area. There was a bus waitng for us outside the terminal and it drove us straight to our hotel. We stayed at Hampton Inn South of Universal Studios for 10 nights. It was a short walk to International Drive, the main tourist area where we can find restaurants, shops and supermarkets. I shared a room with three other girls, two of them were sisters. They were very good people and responsible ones despite the young age. The four of us got along really well. Actually, all the 40 guys in my group were great, behaved themselves really well and didn't get in any kind of trouble during the trip. And I can't forget the two ladies who were the tour guides that led my group all the way from Brazil. They were amazing!

Mel's Drive In at Universal Studios Florida (1996)

For the next week and a half, my life was nothing else but get up early, have breakfast, leave for a theme park, spend the whole day out, go back to the hotel (feeling exhausted) and fall asleep. We visited practically all the Orlando theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, MGM Studios (now Disney's Hollywood Studios), Universal Studios and Hard Rock Cafe (CityWalk and Islands of Adventure were then a construction site), Bush Gardens (in Tampa Bay), Seaworld and, as a bonus, the waterpark Blizzard Beach (that had recently open for the public). The weather was very hot and we all had a blast spending a day by the pool.

Pleasure Island (Disney Springs) as it was in 1996

Well, we also went shopping at Florida Mall and Belz Factory Outlet (currently Orlando Premium Outlets). Everything was so cheap I bought lots of clothes, sneakers and Disney stuff. I even purchased an extra bag at Kmart. One of the nights we went to Pleasure Island (now it's Disney Springs) to enjoy nightlife, but only the ones who were 21 or older were allowed to go.

I would be the happiest person ever for the rest of my years with only that very trip to Florida, but life had other adventures for me. After that I visited the USA (and Disneyworld Resort Orlando) for three more times, went to Canada and Europe making other vacation dreams come true.