This week's important for family, not just money rank

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Last year's winner, Stephen Ames, wasn't too old to have his picture taken with Mickey Mouse.

You can hear the train whistle from the Magic Kingdom as you play the back nine of the Magnolia Course. None other than Mickey Mouse toots the horn as the train makes its loop around the happiest place on earth.

This is a very special week for PGA TOUR players and their families -- no matter where dad ranks on the money list. The staff of the Children's Miracle Network Classic presented by Wal-Mart has plenty of activities to make their stay at Walt Disney World memorable.

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Players and their families will be treated to a character breakfast on Tuesday morning. Eggs Benedict with the mouse and company is sure to be a huge hit for the kids and players alike. I don't care who you are, you're never too old to have your picture taken with Mickey. Besides, the pancakes are shaped like mouse ears and have little chocolate chips on them -- nothing like giving the kids a sugar high before you set them loose on the Magic Kingdom.

On Wednesday, one of the most anticipated events of the year is the father-child tournament played on the Oak Trail Course, which is sandwiched inside the Magnolia Course. Families take carts over to the little golf course and ride around the nine-hole facility. There is no prize money, no two-year exemption and no television coverage -- but that doesn't mean there is no pressure. The top-three teams in each age group get a Mickey Mouse trophy. Even for major championship winners, this is a coveted prize. Although my PGA TOUR career was hardly the stuff of legend, both of my children have Mickey trophies proudly displayed in their rooms to this day.

The trophies for the tournament are awarded by Mickey and Minnie at a dinner on Thursday night after the first round is over. Continuing a theme here at the mother of all theme parks, the tater tots are shaped like mouse ears and so is the macaroni and cheese. There are hula-hoop and limbo contests for the littl'uns and steaks and beverages for the adults. There aren't a lot of events that PGA TOUR families attend together throughout the year. Everyone is family at Disney, though.

Obviously, there is a lot on the line in the final PGA TOUR event of the year. There will be players leaving the golf course on Friday or Sunday and packing up to go to the second stage of q-school the following week. There will also be triumphs by players who made a late surge to sneak inside the top 125 and secure their playing privileges for another year. A week at Disney with the family can bring a level of perspective unlike most stops, though. Life-long memories are made this week regardless of money-list position or even how you play this week. As pampered as life can be on the PGA TOUR, there is only one Walt Disney World, and no child is immune to its allure.

Players and their families enjoy park passes for the week and other special amenities. As soon as the day's work is completed, most players dash over to the park to meet their families and enjoy what is left of the afternoon. At nearly every tournament, the driving range is bustling with activity after play each day. Here, though, it's one of the loneliest places on earth. The only sound you hear at the Magnolia Course is the train whistle echoing across the property and the faint hint of children laughing at a distance.