Who doesn't love Mickey Mouse? And a trip to Disney World was a huge treat for a group of exchange students from Spain.

 

Carlos was staying with us for the school year, and the trip to Orlando was his spring break adventure. We were traveling with a group of ten or so from Kansas City to Orlando. Excitement was high as the kids made plans for activities at the Magic Kingdom.

 

All went well as we checked luggage, grabbed snacks, and headed for the gate. But as we settled in at the gate and did a little review to make sure we hadn't lost anybody, etc., we discovered two of our boarding passes were nowhere to be found! With only a little time until boarding, we hurriedly checked backpacks and purses, restrooms, Snack Bar areas, but no luck. What to do?

 

Racing back to the ticket counter (which, fortunately, was not a huge distance in Kansas City from the gate), we were told the boarding passes could be replaced----for a fee, of course,.

 

So all was well, and the Disney World trip was a wonderful time for our Spanish students and for us. But our experience reminds me that while we all think of security/safety as a concern once the trip is underway, it really begins before we leave home, with careful packing, organizing, and safeguarding our belongings, and making it simple to keep track of travel documents and identification.