ORLANDO, Fla. _ Anna and Rafael Solorzano of Orlando, Fla., were married in March, months before the big day arrived.
The Chicago Cubs won their first World Series since 1908.
"It was so hard to watch Game 7," Anna Solorzano said. "It was not enjoyable. I had a glass of wine in front of me. I did not take a single sip of it. As soon as that final out came, it was just pure [ecstasy].
"I fell to my knees because I didn't know what to do. I called my dad in Iowa and told him, 'I can't believe we're here.' His response to me was, 'I can't believe we're alive, and we watched the Cubs win.' "
The Solorzanos were among thousands who watched as Cubs left fielder Ben Zobrist, shortstop Addison Russell and second baseman Javier Baez participated in a parade through Magic Kingdom on Saturday.
Although sizable, the crowd was miniscule in comparison to the estimated 5 million fans who attended a victory celebration in Chicago's Grant Park the previous day. Both had strong sentimental value.
"I have been crying for three days, sobbing, watching TV," said Chicago native Ellen Hodnik, who met her late husband at Wrigley Field in 1969. "It means the world to me."
The players said they have been gratified by the response since Wednesday night, when the Cubs overcame the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in 10 innings in Game 7 of the World Series. It was the franchise's first world championship since it conquered the Detroit Tigers 108 years ago.
"It has been surreal," Russell said. "It has been a lot of smiles. The parade [Friday] was awesome. Hardly any sleep, but we're taking it minute by minute, and now we are here in Orlando with even more Cubs fans. It's pretty cool."
Said Baez, a Puerto Rican who played high-school baseball in Jacksonville, Fla.: "Everybody is happy that we win."
The euphoric vibe continued at Disney World as fans _ most in Cubs caps, shirts or both _ tried to get the players' attention. Zobrist, the World Series MVP, pumped his fist as fans yelled, "MVP." A man screamed at Baez, "I love you, Javy." Chants of "Let's go, Cubbies" broke out.
With the Cinderella Castle as a backdrop, the new kings of baseball soaked in the love.
"A roller coaster, then a big giant shock at the end of it," said Zobrist, who won the World Series with the Kansas City Royals in 2015. "That is how it feels. We were thrilled just as much as anybody else with the emotions of the moment. It was almost too much to take. Everyone just kind of wanted to pass out at the end of it.
"It was tough, especially during Game 7. When we lost that lead, knowing how much that meant to a lot of people, we were as sick to our stomachs as anybody at the moment. But we also knew that we were capable of changing things and coming back from that."
In the process, they fulfilled a lot of Cubs fans' lifelong dream.
"I don't know what I was feeling [after the final out]," said Hodnik, who will celebrate her 77th birthday Sunday. "I was absolutely sobbing, and so were my two boys. I did see [first baseman Anthony] Rizzo put the ball in his pocket, and I thought, 'You lucky son of a gun.' "
Luck and the Cubs?
Who ever thought they would see the day?
