I need to clear something up. Despite a few of the comments I have been hearing from out there, I am in fact having a good time. I think, though, that as I become older it is not always where I am that lends itself to having fun, but who I am with. I have enjoyed spending days with my family in an environment where we only have to think about the now. Tomorrow will be here soon enough so let’s enjoy the day before us. Last year the girls got a chance to create memories with their grandparents on a trip to Hawaii. I am very glad that they are now having the same chance with my parents. Years from now after the “stuff” purchased is long gone, after our bodies no longer ache, and after they have families of their own, they will remember this time together. For them, Disney World is not the shell of its former self that I see. It is still a place of excitement and fun. We all would do well to channel that excitement and grab the memories as we can. In a short while we’ll be back home dealing with all that life has to offer. For today, let’s just be.
Our Thanksgiving started off bright, beautiful, and crisp. Obviously, that meant we had nowhere to really be so we could take our time getting going. While cooks all around America were busily prepping food for the masses to celebrate the bounty of the past year, our crew was in pajamas ordering room service. I’m not normally a big room service kinda guy, but heck why not? We mauled the spread before us, omelets, benedicts, french toast, eggs, mimosas, coffee-Thanksgiving was off to a great start. Our only plans for today were to head to the Animal Kingdom for our late afternoon/evening fast passes. So around 11:30 we lazily left our hotel and bused over. A nice walk through the animal habitats and a few shops led us to the Finding Nemo show. The theater was packed and the show was just ok. The costuming was nice and the actors were talented but I just think that unless you have small children (like under 6) you could probably miss this one for something else. But I guess knowing your family is important in that consideration.
Speaking of knowing your family-we next took in “It’s Tough to be a Bug”. This is a fun show with great effects. It is vital that you are fully aware of your children’s fears and yours as well. If creepy crawly things freak you out-go elsewhere. I would recommend it though if you like cool effects with a dose of ugh thrown in for good measure. Lunchtime! I can smell it now. Mom’s turkey. The best part is that after Thanksgiving we can have turkey stew, turkey sandwiches, turkey hash…but not this year (Bumpeses!!!) Nope. This year we dined at The Flame Tree and had traditional Thanksgiving barbecue. They were serving a traditional turkey dinner that looked good and the boss had it. She deemed it turkey-riffc and said that there was just enough of everything. Lucy tore into ribs, Ethel some chicken, and after lengthly discussions with the manager, I settled on the pork sandwich. All food was good and provide the needed sustenance to head over for our last ride on the safari. Our driver this time was much smoother but there we were few animals. They must have worked their shift and per union rules were off the clock. I imagine it like those old cartoons with the coyote and the sheepdog-“nite Fred..” I wonder if they clock out with their own animal sized magic-bands? We had a little time to kill before our Dinosaur fast pass so we went to Dino-Rama and rode the two rides there. Both were fun and though cheesy, it was a good way to pass the hour before our ride. We had a moment or two left so we encouraged the girls to play in the Boneyard for a minute. Traveling with a middle-schooler is interesting. One second, she is taking pictures of herself with her phone, the next she is chasing her little sister on a playground. These are the moments I was mentioning at the beginning of this post-by the way. I checked the app on my phone and guess what? Dinosaur was down. I have lost track now with how many rides have been down for period of time this week. The fast-pass line was getting crazy so we decided to switch our fast pass time for Everest and we to take one final ride on it. I told Ethel to ride it like its the last time and she did. She never put her hands down or stopped grinning.
We thought it would be fun to head to Epcot to close out Turkey Day ’14. My parents took the girls to the gift shop and to find food. The boss and I headed to World Showcase to visit some of the establishments we missed out on earlier in the week. We got to the park around 7:15 and had a nice two hours strolling through the fairly empty park. There was nothing new or exciting for us on this night. Just spending some time was fun. The two of us, in 20 years, have never strolled World Showcase at night. We even stopped by the American Adventure to grab a quick bite to eat. Gluten-free was no problem here either. One bit of advice as two adults stroll the promenade. Share the “experience”-it’ll save you money and ensure that you leave the park ambulatory. As we departed this fine evening, the sound of “Illuminations” ushered us out. Once arriving back at the room, our progenies displayed all of their wares for us. Today really went by quickly. Do all vacations speed up as the end draws near?
Observations today…
1. Keep your children well-fed. Sugar counts, just be sure they never crash.
2. Expect things to break and be able to adapt quickly.
3. You have to plan well-ahead. Long gone are the days of showing up, grabbing a guide map, and deciding.
4. Do the number of rude people really out number the polite ones?
5. Take more pictures than you think you are taking. Particularly of your family.
6. Regarding number 5-sometimes though, put down the camera and experience the world through your eyes and not a view-finder.
