joedisney
03-17-2001, 05:23 PM
Hereâs Episode 6. As a reminder: I'm Joe, the Dad and 38. Kathy, the Mom is 34. Christopher is 8, Connor is 5 and the famous "Octopus" from Episode 1 is 18 month old Alex.
Sunday January 14, 2001: After several days at Disney, I have learned so much. With a family of small children, you can take your detailed plans and throw them right out the window. Each day at the World brings with it a myriad of circumstances that simply cannot be accounted for. Each member in your group from the smallest to the largest further multiplies the chances of encountering the unexpected. The unintended, the improbable and sometimes the impossible (remember, even the impossible is possible at Disney) all conspire together to destroy the intentions of even the most ardent of planners. Alas, where does this leave us poor planaholics? Do we abandon our instincts to fill each and every moment of our schedule? Should we just let the chips fall where they may and allow the whims of the moment determine our destiny? Or, in the spirit of Clark W. Griswold, do we make our plans and force-feed them to our families whether they like it or not? After all, they werenât the ones that spent every day at lunch scouring the web for those little tidbits of information that could help to make this trip special. They have no clue of what AP, CM, EI, TON, TOT or CRO stand for. They don't know when the parades start, where to sit, when to call for priority seating or even what a PS is for that matter. They know nothing of early entry days, Fast Passes, e-ticket nights, Fantasmic! Dinner packages or hidden Mickey's. They havenât spent long hours studying restaurant menus, hotel floor plans or park maps. Do they know the busiest times at each park on any given day? No. The easiest way to get from the Yacht Club to MGM? No way. The best snacks at Epcot? They havenât a clue. This is the inner turmoil of the Disney planner. Make a plan and have it destroyed by a diabolical eight year-old, a pooping octopus or a hot dog stealing seagull. Donât plan ahead and risk long waits, missed events or foolishly entering Alien Encounter with your unsuspecting five year-old. What is the poor planner to do? More on this laterâ¦
Day five at the World provides strong arguments for us planners. Today, everything pretty much goes according to the master schedule. Having already had such a great time at the Animal Kingdom on Friday, no one complains when we follow the plan for attending AK in the morning, followed by some pool time in the afternoon then finishing up our day at Epcot for dinner. As we head over to the Gasperilla grill for breakfast, we are again met by an absolutely beautiful morning. Having missed several attractions during our first visit to the Animal Kingdom, Map boy and I plot out our plan of action while munching on our breakfast.
We begin our day at Camp Minnie-Mickey where we all enjoy the Festival of the Lion King. I am again amazed at how the Octopus will sit with rapt attention during the full length of a half-hour show. Staying true to form, however, we are soon surrounded by that all too familiar odor just as the show ends. We are quite pleased that the little guy was kind enough to wait till the end of the show. We are even more pleased that everything remains self-contained. Kathy takes care of Alex while the big boys and I head over for a few autographs. Kathy and the babe catch back up with us just in time for a nice family photo with Goofy and Pluto. The lines are short and move surprisingly quickly, allowing the boys to add several autographs to their collections before heading over to Dinoland U.S.A. Christopher and I do the Dinosaur ride then we all build up a big hunger while playing in the Boneyard. The boys just love the dig site where they unearth large portions of a wooly mammoth. Famished, we walk over to Restaurantosaurus for lunch. This is definitely the coolest McDonalds we have ever been to. While we chomp on or meals, Connor proudly claims yet another hidden Mickey sighting. Throughout our stay, Connor demonstrates an impressive talent for spotting the many concealed Mickey's scattered throughout the kingdom. Before heading over to the Kali River Rapids, Connor leads us to a dinosaur to authenticate his latest conquest. Sure enough, amid the intricate mosaic that makes up the dinosaurâs back is the small image of Mortimer's famous descendent. I could have spent the entire day riding the back of this prehistoric replica and never have noticed this well hidden Mickey. Chalk up another one for the little guy.
Although we are well aware of the ride's reputation for completely drenching its passengers, Christopher and I decide to give the Kali River Rapids a try. We grab our rain ponchos and head over to the ride. Both Christopher and I feel more than a little foolish, as we are the only ones on the ride with any protection. I am filled with a sense of total humiliation as the ten-year old girl sitting next to me looks up in utter disgust. I figure, when the ride is over and Iâm nice and dry, sheâll be wiping more than a little water off of her smug little face. As it turned out, I felt foolish and dry at the start of the ride, foolish and dry during the ride and foolish with wet shoes at the end of the ride. There are two things that make this ride worth trying. First, Disneyâs attention to detail which sends you halfway around the world to the lush surrounding of a tropical rain forest. The views on this ride are truly spectacular. This, I could tell even as I cowered beneath the confines of my hooded poncho. I can only imagine how much more gratifying this ride would have been had I braved the elements without my cowardly protection. The second thing that makes this ride worth trying is the getting wet part. This is a short ride, the rapids arenât that rapid and there are really no great thrills. Other than the splendid views and the exhilaration of getting pelted by large splashes of water, there are no other reasons to ride. Take my advice and ride this ride the way it was meant to be ridden. Enjoy the beautiful views and get wet. As my ten-year old friend exits the ride with her dripping head held high, I slosh away in my wet sneakers. For me, there was just no dignity in staying dry.
After the Rapids, we all get some ice cream and then head over to the Maharaja Jungle Trek. Contrary to the Unofficial Guide, we find this walk much more crowded than the Pangani Forest Trail. The Tigers, the Bats and the cool surroundings are the highlights of this attraction. Itâs about eighty degrees as we exit the trail and we unanimously agree that itâs time to hit the pool. As we walk through the busy streets, the babe dances to the music as small dig site pebbles drop from the bottom of his shorts. Many people point and giggle. We are so proud.
We have yet another relaxing swim in the Grand Floridian Pool. As the boys and I toss around a soft football, another unexpected guest looks to join our group. Staring up at me like a dog at the dinner table, 7 year old Anthony is in definite need of some new friends. Anthony is from Canada and I'm sure if he had one, his little tail would have been wagging franticly when I asked him to join in. My boys are more than a tad shy, but Anthony has familiar mild manner and the boys again feel comfortable around our new friend. We have a grand afternoon playing several games of Monkey in the Middle. Anthony is more than a little disappointed when his dad tells him it is time to go. After Anthony leaves, Christopher begins practicing his underwater swimming. Connor and I are very amused as Christopher dives underwater, flails his arms and legs wildly then comes up in the same spot as that he started in. The boy goes through all the motions that should propel his body forward, but he just doesn't go anywhere. After many failed attempts to move forward and several pointers from dad, Christopher actually starts moving backwards from his starting position. As we are all chuckling at Christopher's persistence, the lifeguard yells a warning for everyone to get out of the pool. Someone has done something bad in the pool. Although I am glad that the Octopus had nothing to do with this particular incident, I start to wonder how long this particular theme will continue to loom over our vacation. We all agree that this is a good time to head back to the room and get ready for our night at Epcot.
Everyone is surprisingly spry as we head over to the monorail that will take us to Epcot. As we ride, the boys tell their mom of our newest pool pal and we all poke fun at Christopher's ability to swim backwards. Although I've taken the monorail to Epcot before, I had forgotten the thrill of silently swooping over Future World before stopping at the front entrance. We are all very hungry and choose to have a quick bite to eat at Pasta Piazza. After dinner, we begin to make our way to the World Showcase. We stop at the Coca-Cola igloo and sample each of the cola samples from around the world. I am prepared for the worst as a few drops of the cola from Italy make their way towards my lips. As the rancid flavor tickles my taste buds, I smile remembering a friendâs recommendation to gulp down a big sample of the Italian selection. Nice try Danny, but I know you too well. Christopher loves tasting the samples and tries all but the choice from Italy. Connor wants to try them very bad, but has never tried a carbonated beverage. How many five-year-olds do you know that can still make that claim? Connor stays true to his cause as a bona fide apple juice man. After the igloo, we are off to Canada for some Beaver tails. As we chomp on our treats, you can almost cut through the rich Epcot atmosphere as it mingles with the warm evening air. A silly fellow I know recently asked me why I would ever want to go to an amusement park for a vacation. Calling Epcot an amusement park is like calling the Grand Canyon a sandpit. Our stroll around the World Showcase will stand out as one of my fondest vacation memories. Not because of anything extraordinary, but just for the sheer joy of being in such a wonderful place with my favorite people. As we walk along, the huge torches surrounding the World Showcase lagoon come to life. The glow of torchlight adds even more texture to the kaleidoscope of culture that surrounds us. The babe is again in his glory. Snapping his little fingers as he prances around taking in the sights and sounds of this magnificent park. We take another snack break in Japan, where we share a strawberry and a rainbow Kaki-gori. These are delicious shaved ice treats that we all find most satisfying. Sitting on a bench enjoying our treats, we laugh as the babe dances to the music drawing the attention of more than a few passersby. Just as we about to continue, the Tapestry of Nations Parade begins. The regal majesty of this parade provides the perfect nightcap to our evening at Epcot. Connor and Alex ride in the stroller as we walk along with this beautiful parade. Several times during our walk, the twenty-foot tall puppets descend upon our group. I am amazed at the graceful dexterity of these highly skilled puppeteers as they playfully interact with even the smallest of spectators. By the time we exit the World Showcase Connor is sound asleep. Soon we are all resting peacefully after a most magical day at the World. I am filled with a strong sense of plannerâs pride as the master schedule worked to perfection, right down to the Beaver tails and shaved ice.
So, how do we solve the paradox of the Disney planner? For me, the answer is simple. Planned flexibility with a side order of imagination. Letâs face it, for us planners, half the fun of a Disney trip IS the planning. Need it or not, weâre going to do it. The key, however, is to have the common sense to chuck the plan when the instincts and imagination of an eight year-old take over. Disney is a place to have fun, a place to drop your inhibitions and allow the kid in you, or in this case the kid you brought along with you, to take over and run the show. As Chris Van Allsburg so eloquently describes in his book The Polar Express, somewhere along our path to maturity, we lose our ability to hear that sleigh bell ring. My boys have an uncle that never lost the ability to hear that bell chime. My boys see him as one of their own. A little bigger maybe, but they know that Uncle Jack speaks their language. A sleep over at Uncle Jackâs is filled with ice cream, video games and very few rules. A trip to the toy store where they can pick, "what ever they want." Yeah, he may spoil them a bit, but bring your self back in time for a minute. Imagineâ¦Your five years old, your in a big toy store and youâve just been given the power to choose whatever you wantâ¦Imagineâ¦Jack has never forgotten the magic that lies within the imagination of a five year old. His greatest joy comes from sparking that imagination then buckling up and riding right along with them. I think we all have a bit of uncle Jack buried deep within our souls. At Disney, itâs time to let him out.
Coming soon (Hopefully?):
Episode 7: The doors open, but nobody moves.
Sunday January 14, 2001: After several days at Disney, I have learned so much. With a family of small children, you can take your detailed plans and throw them right out the window. Each day at the World brings with it a myriad of circumstances that simply cannot be accounted for. Each member in your group from the smallest to the largest further multiplies the chances of encountering the unexpected. The unintended, the improbable and sometimes the impossible (remember, even the impossible is possible at Disney) all conspire together to destroy the intentions of even the most ardent of planners. Alas, where does this leave us poor planaholics? Do we abandon our instincts to fill each and every moment of our schedule? Should we just let the chips fall where they may and allow the whims of the moment determine our destiny? Or, in the spirit of Clark W. Griswold, do we make our plans and force-feed them to our families whether they like it or not? After all, they werenât the ones that spent every day at lunch scouring the web for those little tidbits of information that could help to make this trip special. They have no clue of what AP, CM, EI, TON, TOT or CRO stand for. They don't know when the parades start, where to sit, when to call for priority seating or even what a PS is for that matter. They know nothing of early entry days, Fast Passes, e-ticket nights, Fantasmic! Dinner packages or hidden Mickey's. They havenât spent long hours studying restaurant menus, hotel floor plans or park maps. Do they know the busiest times at each park on any given day? No. The easiest way to get from the Yacht Club to MGM? No way. The best snacks at Epcot? They havenât a clue. This is the inner turmoil of the Disney planner. Make a plan and have it destroyed by a diabolical eight year-old, a pooping octopus or a hot dog stealing seagull. Donât plan ahead and risk long waits, missed events or foolishly entering Alien Encounter with your unsuspecting five year-old. What is the poor planner to do? More on this laterâ¦
Day five at the World provides strong arguments for us planners. Today, everything pretty much goes according to the master schedule. Having already had such a great time at the Animal Kingdom on Friday, no one complains when we follow the plan for attending AK in the morning, followed by some pool time in the afternoon then finishing up our day at Epcot for dinner. As we head over to the Gasperilla grill for breakfast, we are again met by an absolutely beautiful morning. Having missed several attractions during our first visit to the Animal Kingdom, Map boy and I plot out our plan of action while munching on our breakfast.
We begin our day at Camp Minnie-Mickey where we all enjoy the Festival of the Lion King. I am again amazed at how the Octopus will sit with rapt attention during the full length of a half-hour show. Staying true to form, however, we are soon surrounded by that all too familiar odor just as the show ends. We are quite pleased that the little guy was kind enough to wait till the end of the show. We are even more pleased that everything remains self-contained. Kathy takes care of Alex while the big boys and I head over for a few autographs. Kathy and the babe catch back up with us just in time for a nice family photo with Goofy and Pluto. The lines are short and move surprisingly quickly, allowing the boys to add several autographs to their collections before heading over to Dinoland U.S.A. Christopher and I do the Dinosaur ride then we all build up a big hunger while playing in the Boneyard. The boys just love the dig site where they unearth large portions of a wooly mammoth. Famished, we walk over to Restaurantosaurus for lunch. This is definitely the coolest McDonalds we have ever been to. While we chomp on or meals, Connor proudly claims yet another hidden Mickey sighting. Throughout our stay, Connor demonstrates an impressive talent for spotting the many concealed Mickey's scattered throughout the kingdom. Before heading over to the Kali River Rapids, Connor leads us to a dinosaur to authenticate his latest conquest. Sure enough, amid the intricate mosaic that makes up the dinosaurâs back is the small image of Mortimer's famous descendent. I could have spent the entire day riding the back of this prehistoric replica and never have noticed this well hidden Mickey. Chalk up another one for the little guy.
Although we are well aware of the ride's reputation for completely drenching its passengers, Christopher and I decide to give the Kali River Rapids a try. We grab our rain ponchos and head over to the ride. Both Christopher and I feel more than a little foolish, as we are the only ones on the ride with any protection. I am filled with a sense of total humiliation as the ten-year old girl sitting next to me looks up in utter disgust. I figure, when the ride is over and Iâm nice and dry, sheâll be wiping more than a little water off of her smug little face. As it turned out, I felt foolish and dry at the start of the ride, foolish and dry during the ride and foolish with wet shoes at the end of the ride. There are two things that make this ride worth trying. First, Disneyâs attention to detail which sends you halfway around the world to the lush surrounding of a tropical rain forest. The views on this ride are truly spectacular. This, I could tell even as I cowered beneath the confines of my hooded poncho. I can only imagine how much more gratifying this ride would have been had I braved the elements without my cowardly protection. The second thing that makes this ride worth trying is the getting wet part. This is a short ride, the rapids arenât that rapid and there are really no great thrills. Other than the splendid views and the exhilaration of getting pelted by large splashes of water, there are no other reasons to ride. Take my advice and ride this ride the way it was meant to be ridden. Enjoy the beautiful views and get wet. As my ten-year old friend exits the ride with her dripping head held high, I slosh away in my wet sneakers. For me, there was just no dignity in staying dry.
After the Rapids, we all get some ice cream and then head over to the Maharaja Jungle Trek. Contrary to the Unofficial Guide, we find this walk much more crowded than the Pangani Forest Trail. The Tigers, the Bats and the cool surroundings are the highlights of this attraction. Itâs about eighty degrees as we exit the trail and we unanimously agree that itâs time to hit the pool. As we walk through the busy streets, the babe dances to the music as small dig site pebbles drop from the bottom of his shorts. Many people point and giggle. We are so proud.
We have yet another relaxing swim in the Grand Floridian Pool. As the boys and I toss around a soft football, another unexpected guest looks to join our group. Staring up at me like a dog at the dinner table, 7 year old Anthony is in definite need of some new friends. Anthony is from Canada and I'm sure if he had one, his little tail would have been wagging franticly when I asked him to join in. My boys are more than a tad shy, but Anthony has familiar mild manner and the boys again feel comfortable around our new friend. We have a grand afternoon playing several games of Monkey in the Middle. Anthony is more than a little disappointed when his dad tells him it is time to go. After Anthony leaves, Christopher begins practicing his underwater swimming. Connor and I are very amused as Christopher dives underwater, flails his arms and legs wildly then comes up in the same spot as that he started in. The boy goes through all the motions that should propel his body forward, but he just doesn't go anywhere. After many failed attempts to move forward and several pointers from dad, Christopher actually starts moving backwards from his starting position. As we are all chuckling at Christopher's persistence, the lifeguard yells a warning for everyone to get out of the pool. Someone has done something bad in the pool. Although I am glad that the Octopus had nothing to do with this particular incident, I start to wonder how long this particular theme will continue to loom over our vacation. We all agree that this is a good time to head back to the room and get ready for our night at Epcot.
Everyone is surprisingly spry as we head over to the monorail that will take us to Epcot. As we ride, the boys tell their mom of our newest pool pal and we all poke fun at Christopher's ability to swim backwards. Although I've taken the monorail to Epcot before, I had forgotten the thrill of silently swooping over Future World before stopping at the front entrance. We are all very hungry and choose to have a quick bite to eat at Pasta Piazza. After dinner, we begin to make our way to the World Showcase. We stop at the Coca-Cola igloo and sample each of the cola samples from around the world. I am prepared for the worst as a few drops of the cola from Italy make their way towards my lips. As the rancid flavor tickles my taste buds, I smile remembering a friendâs recommendation to gulp down a big sample of the Italian selection. Nice try Danny, but I know you too well. Christopher loves tasting the samples and tries all but the choice from Italy. Connor wants to try them very bad, but has never tried a carbonated beverage. How many five-year-olds do you know that can still make that claim? Connor stays true to his cause as a bona fide apple juice man. After the igloo, we are off to Canada for some Beaver tails. As we chomp on our treats, you can almost cut through the rich Epcot atmosphere as it mingles with the warm evening air. A silly fellow I know recently asked me why I would ever want to go to an amusement park for a vacation. Calling Epcot an amusement park is like calling the Grand Canyon a sandpit. Our stroll around the World Showcase will stand out as one of my fondest vacation memories. Not because of anything extraordinary, but just for the sheer joy of being in such a wonderful place with my favorite people. As we walk along, the huge torches surrounding the World Showcase lagoon come to life. The glow of torchlight adds even more texture to the kaleidoscope of culture that surrounds us. The babe is again in his glory. Snapping his little fingers as he prances around taking in the sights and sounds of this magnificent park. We take another snack break in Japan, where we share a strawberry and a rainbow Kaki-gori. These are delicious shaved ice treats that we all find most satisfying. Sitting on a bench enjoying our treats, we laugh as the babe dances to the music drawing the attention of more than a few passersby. Just as we about to continue, the Tapestry of Nations Parade begins. The regal majesty of this parade provides the perfect nightcap to our evening at Epcot. Connor and Alex ride in the stroller as we walk along with this beautiful parade. Several times during our walk, the twenty-foot tall puppets descend upon our group. I am amazed at the graceful dexterity of these highly skilled puppeteers as they playfully interact with even the smallest of spectators. By the time we exit the World Showcase Connor is sound asleep. Soon we are all resting peacefully after a most magical day at the World. I am filled with a strong sense of plannerâs pride as the master schedule worked to perfection, right down to the Beaver tails and shaved ice.
So, how do we solve the paradox of the Disney planner? For me, the answer is simple. Planned flexibility with a side order of imagination. Letâs face it, for us planners, half the fun of a Disney trip IS the planning. Need it or not, weâre going to do it. The key, however, is to have the common sense to chuck the plan when the instincts and imagination of an eight year-old take over. Disney is a place to have fun, a place to drop your inhibitions and allow the kid in you, or in this case the kid you brought along with you, to take over and run the show. As Chris Van Allsburg so eloquently describes in his book The Polar Express, somewhere along our path to maturity, we lose our ability to hear that sleigh bell ring. My boys have an uncle that never lost the ability to hear that bell chime. My boys see him as one of their own. A little bigger maybe, but they know that Uncle Jack speaks their language. A sleep over at Uncle Jackâs is filled with ice cream, video games and very few rules. A trip to the toy store where they can pick, "what ever they want." Yeah, he may spoil them a bit, but bring your self back in time for a minute. Imagineâ¦Your five years old, your in a big toy store and youâve just been given the power to choose whatever you wantâ¦Imagineâ¦Jack has never forgotten the magic that lies within the imagination of a five year old. His greatest joy comes from sparking that imagination then buckling up and riding right along with them. I think we all have a bit of uncle Jack buried deep within our souls. At Disney, itâs time to let him out.
Coming soon (Hopefully?):
Episode 7: The doors open, but nobody moves.