I just got back from the “Happiest Place on Earth”, or so they say. My wife and I, and another couple from church spent eight days and a whole bunch of money at Disneyworld. These are my reflections on the “Happiest Place on Earth.”

Disney goes out of its way to make you happy. The colors are festive, the people are friendly, the grounds are immaculate, even the weather cooperated (I know, I know, they had nothing to do with that).

From the time we checked in until the time we checked out, the people of Disney were there to make us happy. And for the most part, we were.

Now for the rest of the story, as it were. It is my contention that children under the age of five should NOT go to Disneyworld, unless it is for one or two days AT THE MOST. We saw babies in strollers, toddlers on leashes, children of all ages asleep in their parent’s arms. Whining, crying, whimpering, and screaming children were found around every corner. For them, and their parents, this was not such a happy place.

It was even worse on those who did not have any children there. Like me. I hate to see children suffering through days of 85 deg heat with no relief. Cajoling parents asking for one more smile for the camera while their ofspring struggled to escape the weird characters dressed in costume. Sugar coated sugar was par for the course for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The interminable waiting in line for a 3 minute adventure ride only made things worse for parent and child.

Don’t get me wrong, there were a lot of happy children there, but for the most part, those were over the age of five. Five year olds have a greater attention span than the normal two year old, and more stamina. For a five year old, it is an adventure, a chance to see some of their favorite friends from TV. For a two year old, it is more a chance for the child to see the parent’s favorite characters from their past.

The trip to Disneyworld was the meat of our vacation. The bread of this vacation sandwich consisted of two Sundays at a local church in Tampa. The first Sunday we were able to relax from the plane flight down from Seattle, worship our Lord, hear a preacher expound the word of God, and visit with friendly churchgoers afterward who gave us excellent directions to a local beach with glistening white sand. The next Sunday, at the same church, we again enjoyed a good sermon and worship our Lord. After church we went out to lunch with a couple from the church and talked for a couple of hours. We left that evening to come home.

In a way, this was the most exciting part of the trip. Coming to a new church, worshipping with people who we had never met and yet were not strangers, singing songs of joy to our Lord, rejoicing in God together, these things were exciting.

I don’t want to knock Disneyworld, they are trying hard to make your vacation as fun as possible. It is truly a very happy place. In spite of the crying and screaming, I am sure most of the children enjoyed it also. However, I am firmly convinced that where two or more are gathered in His name, that is the “Happiest Place on Earth.”