we're back. sigh.
it was a really fun trip. i laughed almost the entire time. (the few exceptions: when Ghirardelli's in Downtown Disney neglected our sundae order and took more than 30 minutes to give me my ice cream; when a [crotchety, mean] Disney merchandise hostess actually yelled at me for something i didn't do; when Michael started asking me questions about our hotel bill at 7am on Friday—i can't do math well at all, let alone before a shower and caffeine.) but, really, most of the time we laughed.
i, for one, needed it.
rather than bore you with a day by day, hour-by-hour recap, here are the top 10 things we saw, learned and/or did on our third trip to Disney World together:
1) do not go there in August, no matter what, but especially if you have kids. you will hate yourself, your life and, quite possibly, your kids.
2) Europeans are having their way with our country right now. again, i mean no disrespect, i love Europeans with all my heart, but they are crawling all over the place, kind of like the ants i saw this morning swarming over a stray piece of pepperoni on the sidewalk. they also have no idea how to navigate strollers through large crowds.
3) the World Showcase at EPCOT is even more fun and impressive when you drink your way around it. Michael and i did just that last Monday and it was quite possibly our best day of the trip. not just because of the alcohol involved (i mean it!), but it was also much less crowded and a nice, slightly more mature break from the rest of Disney World. there's something to be said for sharing wine and cheese in (fake) France instead of scarfing yet another burger and fries in, say, Pecos Bill's in Frontierland.
4) ideal places to take much-needed mid-afternoon naps: Ellen's Energy Adventure in EPCOT (it's a little outdated and too long; it's also very cool and dark) and the Walt Disney retrospective in Disney's Hollywood Studios (genius or not, i defy you to keep from nodding off during the movie of his life story). we managed to stay awake through Hall of Presidents in the Magic Kingdom and the American Adventure in EPCOT—we do have some class, thank you.
5) lines are long and tedious, but sometimes you luck out. for example, we saved Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for last one night, and got to ride it twice in a row because everyone started chanting "one more time, one more time" as the "train" pulled into the loading zone. because it was late (and one of the ride operators' birthdays) they let us, which was pretty damn cool. (in Disney World, that's what they call a "magical moment." you can go vomit now, it's OK.) then, at the end of our day at Animal Kingdom, Michael and i rode the new (to us) Expedition Everest rollercoaster about five times because there was no line. we rode in the front, the back, the middle. we totally conquered Everest.
6) expecting to eat anything close to healthy on vacation—especially in WDW—is just insane. we both arrived not wanting to overdo it or go completely hog wild. then Vacation Hunger set in. you know what i'm talking about—the ravenous appetite that takes over as soon as you're a certain number of miles away from home. your stomach abandons all dignity and restraint and wants everything in sight, including a rice krispies treat on a stick, in the shape of mouse ears, dunked in chocolate. even as you're shoving it down your throat, you know it's a bad idea. yet even the subsequent stomach pains won't prevent you from consuming something equally horrifying the next day. there is no controlling the beast.
7) if you must get stuck on the Tower of Terror, try to be in the same "elevator" as a young, British girl. our experience trapped inside a rather small and stuffy box (on a ride that actually simulates a broken elevator, oh the irony) was made almost pleasant—and definitely entertaining—by a 12-ish-year-old girl with an English accent who nearly had a nervous breakdown. "are we going to die?" she kept asking her mother, and: "why has the ride broken down?" when her older brothers started to make fun of her, she turned to them and said, so evenly and spot-on, "i hate you." her antics distracted me from my own near panic attack, god bless her, and we all got off the ride unscathed.
8) searching for Hidden Mickeys can quickly turn from a fun diversion into a full-blown frustrating obsession. it's a very fine line. just letting you know.
9) meeting Mickey Mouse is always a little magical. we waited close to 45 minutes to meet the big cheese this time, and it was worth every second. what's a trip to Disney World worth if you don't get a picture with Mickey? i know the deal, i've been behind the scenes, i know how it all goes down. still, walking into a room to find Minnie and Mickey there, waving at you, giving you hugs—i won't lie, it's just fun. it's good for the soul.
10) no matter how many times i go or how old i get, i don't think i'll ever get tired of going to Disney World. i know i'm flying my geek flag way high and way proud, but we all have our "things." (and it's not like i watch "The Hills" or plan on voting for McCain. my "things" could be much worse.)
- mb
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