My Fairy Tale Weddings Vow Renewal Trip Planning Session…

[Janet2k]

Franck’s Bridal Studio – Cake Tasting…

After browsing through many of the items that were on display inside Franck’s Bridal Studio, it was time to get down to the business at hand. The following little song popped into my head:

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"If I Knew You Were Comin’ I'd've Baked A Cake"
(click here for music) (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=029205401030706550&cid=600111)
Lyrics and Music by Bob Merrill, Al Hoffman, and Clem Watts
Performed by Bing Crosby and Bob Hope

If I knew you were comin' I'd've baked a cake
baked a cake, baked a cake
If I knew you were comin' I'd've baked a cake
Howd-ya do, howd-ya do, howd-ya do

Had you dropped me a letter, I'd a-hired a band
Grandest band in the land
Had you dropped me a letter, I'd a-hired a band
And spread the welcome mat for you

Now I don't know where you came from
'cause I don't know where you've been
But it really doesn't matter
Grab a chair and fill your platter
And dig, dig, dig right in

If I knew you were comin' I'd've baked a cake
Hired a band, goodness sake
If I knew you were comin' I'd've baked a cake
Howd-ya do, howd-ya do, howd-ya do

If I knew you were comin' I'd've baked a cake
baked a cake, baked a cake
If I knew you were comin' I'd've baked a cake
Howd-ya do, howd-ya do, howd-ya do

Had you dropped me a letter, I'd a-hired a band
Grandest band in the land
Had you dropped me a letter, I'd a-hired a band
Spread the welcome mat for you

Oh, I don't know where you came from
'Cause I don't know where you've been
But it really doesn't matter
Grab a chair and fill your platter
And dig, dig, dig right in

If I knew you were comin' I'd've baked a cake
Hired a band, goodness sake
If I knew you were comin' I'd've baked a cake
Howd-ya do, howd-ya do, howd-ya do

Howd-ya do, howd-ya do, howd-ya do
Howd-ya do-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
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Since I love sweets (http://www.hersheys.com/), I had especially been looking forward to the next item on my Fairy Tale Weddings Vow Renewal Planning Session Agenda:

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Planning Session Agenda:
11:45 am – 12:15 pm: Franck’s Bridal Studio - Merryweather Room

Janet & Friends
Janet’s Event Manager, Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Cake Tasting
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The second half of my Planning Session would take place inside the Merryweather Conference Room. For those of you who haven’t been inside Franck’s Bridal Studio (http://adisneyweddings.disney.go.com/media/dwwh/media/video/francks.mov), I should mention that this conference room resides there.

The Merryweather Conference Room was a tastefully decorated room. Inside it sat a nice-sized conference table and enough chairs to accommodate my entire party plus the Cast Members who would be joining us there throughout the afternoon.

I am going to re-post below a little background information:

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Shortly after I had FAXed my planning packet, I received the following e-mail from my Event Manager’s assistant:

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Janet, I received your planning session information. I noticed that you do not know what type of cake and flavor you are going to have for your wedding. For the planning session, do you want us to choose some cake and filling flavors for you to taste? Please let me know since our bakery usually requires 2 weeks notice before a planning session.

Have a Magical Day!
Your Event Manager’s Assistant
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Boy, if he had asked me if I wanted ketchup or mustard for my hot dog, I could have answered him in a heartbeat (neither – I like ‘em plain). But since he had asked me what cake and filling flavors I wanted, well, with me, the sky’s the limit. I haven’t met a cake or a filling that I don’t like. Asking for my favorite cake/filling flavors was like asking me which of my two children was my favorite. I have no favorites. I love my children (and my cake/filling flavors) equally:

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Event Manager’s Assistant,

I have no idea what I want for the cake. The only request I have is that the cake/filling not contain nuts or coconut, as I am allergic to both of those items. If the Bakery could provide some samples of various flavors of cakes and fillings, that would be wonderful.

Janet
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Before my Planning Session, that e-mail exchange was the only time the topic of wedding cakes had been discussed with me. My only request was that nuts and coconut not be used in the cakes and fillings that would be presented to me due to my food allergies (http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=mf_frame&id=1808589443&mspid=1808648916&mfurl=http://mediaframe.yahoo.com/launch?lid=wmv-56-p.1332227-142462,wmv-100-p.1332228-142462,wmv-700-p.1332230-142462,wmv-300-p.1332229-142462&p=movies&f=1808589443&.spid=1808648916&.dist=Columbia%20Pictures&type=c",737,503) (note: that video clip will take a little while to load). Other than that, the entire cake topic was an open book for me.

Now that it was time for the Cake Tasting, I was curious to see what cake and filling selections the Grand Floridian Bakery had provided. My guess was that they would be the most popular flavors, and that was perfectly fine with me. I knew that if I didn’t like any of them, the Bakery would work with me to accommodate my needs. I didn't have a care in the world.

As I entered the Merryweather Conference Room, I noticed a platter sitting in the middle of the conference room table. That platter contained the following selections of cakes (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/9c4e&.dnm=9c6e.jpg&.src=ph)): yellow, chocolate, and marble (a yellow and chocolate combination). I also saw teardrop-shaped cups that contained the following selections of fillings: strawberry, Bailey’s Irish Cream, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. As expected, my Event Manager informed me that these were the most popular cake and filling flavors (http://disneyweddings.go.com/site/wed/cus/rec/cake.jsp). I was pleased with the selection that sat before me; everything looked yummy.

My Event Manager asked if we wanted something refreshing to drink. My beverage of choice would have been a glass of milk (http://real21mt.audiovideoweb.com/ramgen/avwebbb1060/RussianFamily_240x162.rm), but I knew that wouldn’t be an option so I didn’t ask for it. My second choice would have been a can of Pepsi (http://www.pepsi.com/ads_and_history/index.php), but I knew that wouldn’t be an option either so I kept quiet about it. There was one beverage, however, that I knew would be possible and so I asked for a Coca-Cola (http://mfile.akamai.com/332/rm/cocacola.download.akamai.com/332/corporate/_media/tv/i_wish_coke_uk_eng_300k.ram). My Event Manager was happy to oblige me. The ladies asked for cold water (http://www.dasani.com/flash.htm).

My Event Manager soon returned with our beverages and cups to pour them into. Then someone knocked on the conference room door and my Event Manager let them in. It was my Sales Manager. She was carrying a pink gift bag (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/9c4e&.dnm=dfc1.jpg&.src=ph) which she placed before me. What a very unexpected surprise. I was touched. She only stayed a moment and then she was gone. I was sorry to see her go, but I was happy that she had spent as much time with us that day as she had. My Sales Manager is an absolute doll, and I will forever be in her debt for everything that she did for my Fairy Tale Weddings vow renewal.

The ladies and I were sipping our beverages when my Event Manager handed me a large photo album (http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/weddings/index?name=FoodBevCakeDetailWeddingsPage) (note: view the wedding cake slideshow on that webpage) that contained photographs of various styles of wedding cakes. The cakes shown in that book ranged from the simple to the sublime. I saw cakes that were decorated with fruits; cakes that were decorated with flowers; and cakes that were decorated with more fanciful items (bride & groom figurines, Mickey & Minnie Mouse figurines, butterflies, ribbons, and so on). There were even a few photographs of whimsical Groom’s Cakes. I was amazed by everything I saw. To give you an idea of what I’m talking about, please take a look at the following slideshows: Food Network (http://images.foodnetwork.com/webfood/images/lifestyle/weddings/wedding_slideshow.html) and Sylvia Weinstock (http://www.sylviaweinstock.com/index_fl4.html). The cakes shown in those slideshows were indicative of what Disney’s pastry chefs (http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/lc_desserts/article/0,2041,DIY_14000_2274091,00.html) could create.

I must admit that the photos in the cake album that really caught my eye were the ones of the miniature wedding cakes. After having personally viewed a few of those cakes inside Franck’s Bridal Studio that afternoon (mini-cake #1 (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=76e8.jpg&.src=ph), mini-cake #2 (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=7ce0.jpg&.src=ph), mini-cake #3 (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=d509.jpg&.src=ph), and mini-cake #4 (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=b852.jpg&.src=ph)), I had pretty much made up my mind that a miniature cake would be served at my vow renewal’s dinner party. Since my guests would be enjoying their desserts inside the Land of Oz, a munchkin-sized dessert was in order. There wasn’t a more appropriate dessert for such a whimsical location than a miniature wedding cake. The only question remaining in my mind was which miniature cake style to choose?

As I sat inside the Merryweather Conference Room, I quickly narrowed down my miniature cake choices to three: the Cinderella Castle cake, the Underwater-Themed cake, and the Mickey Mouse Ears cake. Those three cakes all caught my fancy.

The castle cake was initially in the lead because there was no place other than Walt Disney World where a cake topped with a replica of Cinderella Castle could be served. But since my dinner party wasn’t being held inside the Magic Kingdom Theme Park, I decided that cake wasn’t appropriate for my event. My list was now down to two cakes: the Underwater-Themed cake (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/9c4e&.dnm=d509.jpg&.src=ph) and the Mickey Mouse Ears cake (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/9c4e&.dnm=b852.jpg&.src=ph).

As much as I loved the Underwater-Themed cake, I knew it would look out of place inside the Great Movie Ride. That meant the only logical choice for my event would be the Mickey Mouse Ears cake. The more I thought about it, the more confident I felt regarding my decision to choose it. The original icon for the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park had been the Earffel (or Earful) Tower (http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/guides/mgm/st-overview.htm). That cake definitely reminded me of the tower. It was truly the perfect choice for an event inside the theme park.

I tried to visualize the expressions upon my guests’ faces as the miniature cakes were placed before them on the night of my party. I knew their expressions would be priceless. And so with a smile upon my face, I felt at peace with my decision. Since I hadn’t planned any “Disney” touches for my vow renewal just yet, a cake topped by mouse ears would be the perfect way to incorporate a little bit of Disney magic into my event.

With the hard part out of the way, the fun could now begin. It was time to finally taste the cakes and fillings that had been sitting on the table before us. My thoughts quickly turned back to the following song verse (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=029205401030706550&cid=600111):

“Now I don't know where you came from
'cause I don't know where you've been
But it really doesn't matter
Grab a chair and fill your platter
And dig, dig, dig right in”

The ladies and I did exactly that as we began sampling the goodies from the Grand Floridian Bakery.

I started with the yellow cake and the strawberry filling. I proclaimed both of them delicious. The ladies started with the yellow cake and the white chocolate filling. WeFullTime, Nutz4dzny, and Bonzie1 were in perfect unison with their enthusiastic “Yum’s!”

I then moved onto the yellow cake with the white chocolate filling. Another delicious combination, but the strawberry filling still held a slight edge with me.

The ladies moved onto other cake and filling selections. The yum’s continued to escape from their mouths as they tasted combination after combination. It was fun listening to their moans; however, after a bit I began to feel like the restaurant patron in the movie “When Harry Met Sally.” (http://www.mgm.com/video_window.do?formatid=1086&videoid=483) I wanted to say to my Event Manager, “I’ll have what she’s having” (click here (http://www.destinationhollywood.com/movies/whenharrymetsally/quickclip_01.shtml)).

With each bite of cake and filling, it was getting harder and harder for me to make a decision. When Nutz4dzny polled everyone in the room for their favorite cake and filling combination, the ladies’ response was unanimous, “White with white.” Since I still preferred the strawberry filling, I was wavering with my decision.

Then my husband’s face popped into my head. After 22 years of being a couple, I knew he was strictly a yellow cake and white chocolate filling kinda guy. It was at that point that it became crystal clear to me what cake and filling choices I needed to make. So, in honor of my husband and my dear friends, I told my Event Manager that I wanted the yellow cake and the white chocolate filling to be used for the miniature wedding cakes at my vow renewal’s dinner party. It felt good (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=d9b8.jpg&.src=ph) to have that scrumptious decision out of the way.

[zurgswife]

The cake with the mouse ears was a wonderful choice...and the White on white in honor of your dear hubbie was a great idea too....

Thanks for continuing to share .... :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny:

[Janet2k]

Over the past year or two, many of you have asked me for pricing information regarding the events that my family has experienced while vacationing in Walt Disney World. When I began sharing information about those events, I made the conscious decision to keep the pricing information private. My fear was that if I began sharing the pricing information, the events would become more about their cost and less about their experience. I did not want that to happen and thus chose to keep mum. I want to thank you for your understanding in this matter.

[Janet2k]

I will share the pricing information regarding the miniature wedding cakes that were served at my vow renewal’s dinner party. The miniature cake pricing information has become somewhat public over the past year so it is safe to share what Disney charged me. Here goes…

On my final bill, the Mini-Wedding Cakes’ cost breakdown was as follows:

Mini-Wedding Cakes charge was $625 ($25 per cake x 25 guests = $625)
Sales Tax charge for Mini-Cakes was $40.63
Gratuity charge was $173.75
Sales Tax charge for Gratuity was $11.29

When all was said and done, the cost for 25 miniature wedding cakes came to $850.67. That works out to $34.03 a cake. Because I had three guests drop out at the last minute, I was still charged for all 25 cakes. That meant my per cake cost was slightly higher ($38.67). As the French say, C’est la vie (http://www.fonetiks.org/talkfr76.html ) (such is life). ;)

[zurgswife]

Because I had three guests drop out at the last minute, I was still charged for all 25 cakes. That meant my per cake cost was slightly higher ($38.67). As the French say, C’est la vie (http://www.fonetiks.org/talkfr76.html ) (such is life). ;)

Ouch!! did you at least get custody of the beautiful cakes for a later munchie session....

[Ron from Michigan]

Thanks Janet for another great post. :flower:

[Alysa]

The cakes look wonderful - I don't imagine they went to waste! But Janet, you could have called me! ;)

PS Happy Valentines Day! :lovestruc

[bonzie1]

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY
:love: :love: :love: :love: :love:

Janet!

Just like life... EVERY bite of that wonderful cake was to be savored! It was a perfect choice, a perfect size, and a perfect surprise, with different colors for each person! What a colorful, MAGICAL tablescape!

You're magical way of sharing brings back all the memories! :goodvibes

Hearts + pixie dust to you this Valentines Day! :love:

[gigi1313]

ooh, ooh, did you say colors?! as i was looking at the red mickey mini cake i was thinking how cool it would look in blue... or maybe another hue... and now bonzie you mentioned diff't colors?! do tell more!!!

janet, thank you again for sharing your magic with me! i love each and every installment... i could almost taste that cake as you were describing it! and i'd have chosen yellow/white choc for my dear hubby too ('cause he's allergic to strawberries!) yummmmmmmm!

[KayleeUK]

The cakes look lovely :)

[rascalmom]

You picked my favorite! I wonder if I could get the mini-cakes for my dd's birthday when we are in the World for Spring Break?! She would be amazed - I'm going to try to check into it. (I'll just have to keep the fact that you got to have your dessert at The GMR a secret. She's a huge Wizard of Oz fan!)

You must have had an incredible time planning all of this. Thanks for sharing with us in such a creative way - I love all of your little sound and movie clips. The allergy reaction clip from Hitch is too funny. Haven't seen it yet, but I can relate. I've made a few desperate dashes to the drugstore for benedryl myself.

[Janet2k]

Just like life... EVERY bite of that wonderful cake was to be savored! It was a perfect choice, a perfect size, and a perfect surprise, with different colors for each person! What a colorful, MAGICAL tablescape!

Mata Hari (http://www.randomhouse.com/features/spybook/spy/961113.html) Junior (a.k.a., Bonzie1 ;) ), shame on you. You're going to have to go back to Spy School (http://www.spyschool.com/), you naughty girl!

Everyone, just like Dorothy experienced in the Emerald City, there were horses (http://a80.g.akamai.net/f/80/71/6h/www.ftd.com/pics/products/M005_2.jpg) (in my case, cakes) of many colors in the Land of Oz. Since Bonzie1 let the cat out of the bag, I will share one photo of an actual miniature cake that was served at my dinner party: click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/dbdb&.dnm=feed.jpg&.src=ph).

That’s all that I will share for now. My lips are sealed as to the other colors that were used to decorate the cakes (and just wait until you see how Disney decorated the Land of Oz – it was truly Technicolor (http://www.technicolor.com/Cultures/En-Us/Home) in its finest).

[Dizz42]

Oh wow, oh wow, oh WOW!!! I am blown away by the magic of it all! :genie: What a perfect tease that picture is! I want more! Show and tell us more! Pleeeezzzzzeee? :listen:

[bonzie1]

Oh Jane Bond, :cool2: my awesome, respected, most revered mentor, I apologize for breaking the first law I ever memorized from Spy School: ALWAYS, ALWAYS check with Janet, uh, I mean Jane Bond prior to making any press releases!!!

Please put me back in good standing, pretty please :worship: Life just won't be the same without your approval!!!

Gosh, with such a short post, and NO pictures, I sure did get myself into a LOT of hot water! I can assure you my only intent was to whet the appetite (something I learned from Jane) and sprinkle pixie dust. :wizard:

No more... my lips are sealed (or else I'll have to re-take my SPY 101 class!) :faint:

[Janet2k]

Please put me back in good standing, pretty please :worship: Life just won't be the same wtihout your approval!!!

Bonzie1, all is forgiven (and your groveling was marvelous, darling). ;)
Sincerely,
Jane Bond

[scootert]

Cake is one of my favorite things in the world.... thanks so much for sharing. Can't wait for the next installment!!!

[Janet2k]

Franck’s Bridal Studio – Entertainment/Video/Photo/Transportation/Special Effects…


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“PEG”
(click here for audio clip (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=024087301040006900&cid=600111))
Lyrics (http://www.steelydan.com/lyraja.html#track4) & Music by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen

I've seen your picture
Your name in lights above it
This is your big debut
It's like a dream come true
And when you smile for the camera
I know they're gonna love it

I like your pin shot
I keep it with your letter
Done up in blueprint blue
It sure looks good on you
So won't you smile for the camera
I know I'll love you better

Peg
It will come back to you
Peg
It will come back to you
Then the shutter falls
You see it all in 3-D
It's your favorite foreign movie
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With tummies full of cake, it was time to move on to the next item on my Fairy Tale Weddings Vow Renewal Planning Session Agenda:

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Planning Session Agenda:
12:30pm: Meeting with Ceremony Entertainment Manager

Janet & Friends
Janet’s Event Manager, Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Entertainment, Photography & Videography Sales Manager; Disney Event Group

Entertainment Option at the Wedding Pavilion
Videography
Photography
Special Transportation
Special Effects
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This session would be chock-full of information regarding entertainment, videography, photography, transportation, and special effects.

Well, to be perfectly honest, we had covered the topic of transportation (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=cd85&.dnm=c70a.jpg&.src=ph) with my Event Manager during the Cake Tasting portion of the Planning Session. That was when I mentioned that I thought walking from the Grand Floridian (http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/grandflomap.htm) to the Wedding Pavilion would be a lovely way to arrive at my ceremony. However, I told my Event Manager that I was afraid the weather would be uncooperative. He agreed that walking could be risky due to Mother Nature (http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mfl/newpage/FRANCES.html).

My Event Manager asked me how I felt about arriving at the Wedding Pavilion in Cinderella’s coach (http://www.disneyweddings.go.com/site/wed/cus/cer/travel.jsp). I said I thought the coach would be a fun ride for my daughter and my niece, but I would feel awkward in it. He then asked me how I felt about arriving in a limousine. I turned that option down because it wasn’t unique enough for me. He went on to present the vintage car and the horse drawn carriage as more unique modes of transportation. I told him that as lovely as they sounded, they still weren’t quite what I was looking for.

I explained to my Event Manager that after having been married for almost 20 years, I was looking for something a little unconventional. I thought something along the lines of the big yellow taxi (http://a1055.g.akamai.net/f/1055/1400/5h/images.barnesandnoble.com/images/7090000/7098745.jpg) from “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” would be fun. However, I knew the taxi didn’t exist and thus wasn’t an option.

The only thing I could think of that was a bit unconventional and funky was a Grand Floridian trolley (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/a11d&.dnm=ae9c.jpg&.src=ph) (golf cart). Whenever I envisioned the Grand Floridian Resort, I remembered all the times my family had hitched a ride (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=a11d&.dnm=b2bc.jpg&.src=ph) in one of their trolleys. I sincerely felt a trolley would be the perfect mode of transportation for my vow renewal – it was unique, fun, and very personal. My Event Manager told me that it was a most unusual request, but he would look into it for me. I was happy to hear that as crazy as my request sounded, it was being taken seriously.

As we sat in the Merryweather Conference Room finishing the Cake Tasting portion of my Planning Session, in walked the Disney Event Group’s Entertainment, Photography & Videography Sales Manager (I will call him the EPV Sales Manager for the rest of my trip report). I had heard good things about this man over the past few years in regards to the Fairy Tale Weddings organization. It was nice to finally associate a face with a name.

The EPV Sales Manager began our meeting by asking my Event Manager what we had discussed prior to his arrival. My Event Manager had taken excellent notes and had informed him that I was familiar with Disney’s photography service since I had used it twice before for my family’s private events (event #1 (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/album?.dir=6a8c&.src=ph) and event #2 (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/album?.dir=c7e1&.src=ph)). My Event Manager also mentioned that I would be submitting a shot list to the photographers in advance, and that my husband and I would be taking our photographs together inside the Grand Floridian Resort prior to our ceremony. My Event Manager added that I already had the Magic Kingdom Portrait Session (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=679f&.dnm=3340.jpg&.src=ph) booked. As he spoke, the EPV Sales Manager took notes.

With the background information out of the way, the EPV Sales Manager began describing Disney’s videography packages (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=cd85&.dnm=21b7.jpg&.src=ph). He mentioned that there was an option to the video packages that was called Through the Years (http://disneyweddings.go.com/site/wed/cus/cer/video.jsp). If I wanted to add this option, I had to submit 40 still photographs no less than two weeks prior to the date of my ceremony. Those photographs would be turned into a montage on my completed video.

I told the EPV Sales Manager that the Through the Years option sounded wonderful, but that I would have a hard time finding 40 photographs to use because I literally had thousands and thousands of photographs from my Walt Disney World vacations alone (oh, the joys of owning digital cameras). I knew it would be an impossible task for me to complete so I decided not to choose the option (it would be one less thing to worry about in the time remaining before my vow renewal).

Before we moved on from the subject of videography, I mentioned that in the future I thought it would be wonderful if Disney added video samples of their work to a password-protected website. (Note: For those of you who don’t know it, Disney already has a password-protected website for samples of their photographic work.) I stated that if video samples were readily accessible via a website, I could view them at my leisure while I was making my videography decision. The EPV Sales Manager said that he would pass my comments along.

We next began discussing Disney’s photography packages (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=cd85&.dnm=5742.jpg&.src=ph). I was told that proofs of all photos that were taken at my vow renewal would be mine to keep. Those proofs would be 4 x 6 inches in size. I was also told that with any of Disney’s photography packages (http://disneyweddings.go.com/site/wed/cus/cer/photo.jsp), photos from my vow renewal would be placed on a password-protected website for viewing and purchasing by my guests. Since I had already used that feature for my “Haunted Mansion” Movie Set Dinner event and my Summerhouse Dinner Party event, it was reassuring to know that my vow renewal event would be handled in the same professional manner. I was pleased.

The EPV Sales Manager had brought several photo albums with him to the meeting. For the past few years, I had read about those albums. I was especially anxious to see the new artistic photo books that had recently been added to Disney’s repertoire. I was salivating at the thought of holding one of those books in my hands.

Before I was handed any photo album samples, the EPV Sales Manager began describing Disney’s traditional photo albums:

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“The front cover is embossed. There are 16 different color choices for the leather cover. There are 32 different color choices for the lining pages. There are 4 different color choices for the body pages. The wedding couple will choose how many pages to put into their album and what photos to put onto those pages. The couple can even choose the size and placement of their photos.”
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For the album that had just been shown to me, the EPV Sales Manager stated that photographs were not included with it but rather a credit would be issued for a specific amount of money. From that credit would be subtracted the price of the photos that were chosen for the album (each photo had a price).

I asked if this album could be designed on a computer because that was how I had designed photo books in the past. I was sad to learn that it was not an option. I was told that a planning kit would be sent to me, and an Album Coordinator would work with me.

What was shown to me next was what I had been waiting for. It was a contemporary photo album that looked more like a book. It was simply stunning. This was the artistic photo book that Disney had recently added to their wedding photography packages. I couldn’t wait to get my hot little hands on it.

The EPV Sales Manager began describing this photo book:

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"The book may have either a black or an ivory cover. With the black cover, the interior pages come in either black or pastel colors. With the ivory cover, the interior pages come only in pastel colors. It has been noticed that for daytime events, most couples choose the ivory cover with pastel pages; while for nighttime events, most couples choose the black cover with black pages. With this book, 50 photos are included. The wedding couple will choose which photos to use. Disney will send those photos to the book artist who will design the photos’ sizing, layout, and format. The book artist will also add a few artistic touches to the book; for example, tear-away pages that may be turned to reveal photographs beneath. If pastel pages are chosen, the book artist will look for colors within the photographs to match the page colors to. The photo book may be upgraded from a 50-image book to an 80- or 100-image book. The cover may be upgraded to either red or black leather. It should be noted that the pages actually contain real photographs that have been laminated (the photos are not printed on the pages).”
- - - - - - -

I asked if the photo book could be designed on the computer. I was told that it was not an option. ~Drats.~

I should probably stop right here and mention something. For those of you who haven’t met me, I must admit that I am very passionate about a lot of things. My family. My friends. My job. My vacations. The underdog. Life in general. For the most part, I do a decent job with keeping my passion contained. However, there are subjects that always seem to bring out the spunky side of me. One of those subjects just so happens to revolve around technology.

Maybe I should clarify that a bit. I get very passionate about technology that merges my passion for family, friends, and life. Technology that is capable of capturing a moment in time for all of eternity. In the simplest forms, that technology is photography and videography. If the look of joy on someone’s face (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/dbdb&.dnm=a65e.jpg&.src=ph) or the sound of laughter in their voice can be captured and shared with others, the thought of doing so simply brings out the tiger in me.

I must admit that the poor EPV Sales Manager saw that side of my personality as we discussed the videography and photography options for my vow renewal. On several occasions, he was hit full-force with my passion. But he was a real trouper and took it all in stride. Disney had moved into the 21st Century with the stunning photo book that they were offering as part of their photography package. The EPV Sales Manager certainly saw a twinkle in my eye and heard the passion in my voice as I told him that I definitely wanted that photo book as part of my photography package. I was overjoyed with the thought of how I was going to fill the book with the wonderful moments of my 21st Century fairy tale, even if it was a shame that I couldn’t design the book on the computer.

As the ladies and I took one final look at the photo album and book samples, Nutz4dzny asked the EPV Sales Manager if he had been involved with the Food Network’s recent TV special on Disney weddings:

- - - - - - -
Food Network Specials (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_sp/episode/0,1976,FOOD_9994_32807,00.html)
Episode WDSP01

Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings
You're invited to join host Sandra Pinckney for a special hour of Disney Fairytale Weddings. From choosing the reception menu to constructing the cake, tag along as a celebration filled with Disney delicacies comes together.
- - - - - - -

The EPV Sales Manager said he had been involved with the show. WeFullTime, Bonzie1, and I laughed. Nutz4dzny had been asking just about every Cast Member whom we had encountered that day if they had been involved with the show. She finally found someone who had, bless her little heart. We had a real celebrity in our midst. He got a kick out of that.

The topic of which photography package to select came up next. The EPV Sales Manager stated that if we started my photos at 6 PM, and if my party lasted until 2 AM, I would need an 8-hour photography package. That sounded fine to me.

It was at this point that I mentioned that I wanted Mickey Mouse added to my event. Everyone wanted to know if I wanted only Mickey or if I wanted both Mickey and Minnie. I said I wasn’t sure, but I knew I definitely wanted Mickey.

I was then asked what sort of attire Mickey Mouse should wear to my event. I said I was leaning towards the traditional Mickey costume instead of the formal Mickey costume. The EPV Sales Manager asked me to consider Mickey’s sorcerer costume. I asked if I could see samples of all of Mickey’s costumes because viewing them would help me make my decision. The EPV Sales Manager said he had a few photos of costumes with him but not all of them.

My passion popped up again (it’s hard to keep good passion down – it’s kinda like champagne bubbles (http://www.europhysicsnews.com/full/13/article3/article3.html)). I asked the EPV Sales Manager to relay my wishes to Disney that photographs of Mickey Mouse’s wardrobe be placed on a password-protected website for future guests to peruse as they were planning their events. Again, he said he’d pass my comments along.

I was told that Mickey Mouse could only show up inside the Great Movie Ride in one location – the black box (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=5e26&.dnm=858d.jpg&.src=ph) area (that is where the ride vehicles gather together to watch the final sequence of movie clips). Mickey could also show up outside, underneath the Sorcerer’s Hat icon. I said I wanted to go with the outdoor location, weather permitting.

I decided to ask what costume Minnie Mouse should wear if Mickey Mouse was dressed in his sorcerer’s costume. The response was that her traditional costume would probably work best. It was also suggested that Mickey’s director costume might be another appropriate outfit to consider. My Event Manager stated that he would try to get me photos of several of Mickey's costumes: Traditional Mickey (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=c7e1&.dnm=a315.jpg&.src=ph), Sorcerer Mickey (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/dbdb&.dnm=1346.jpg&.src=ph), and Director Mickey.

The topic came back to the amount of photography coverage that I needed. With 8 hours of coverage, I would receive one main photo book and one smaller family book. If I wished, the images could be completely different in each of the two books. I could also forgo the family book and upgrade the main book from 50 to 80 images. Since I had also mentioned my desire for electronic copies of my images, I had the option of receiving them on a high-resolution CD.

It was at this point in time that my brain went on overload (http://www.destinationhollywood.com/movies/2001/quickclip_04.shtml). It had been a long day and so much information had been shared with me that I was suddenly beginning to have a hard time keeping the photography options straight. I asked the EPV Sales Manager if he could put things in writing for me so that I could review it later on (http://www.destinationhollywood.com/movies/gonewiththewind/quickclip_10.shtml). He stated that I had already been sent all the information that he had. My mind was drawing a complete blank because I remembered reading what had been sent to me but it wasn’t described in much detail.

For some reason I couldn’t seem to get my point across that I needed a list in writing of the options that were available to me. I was certain that my sudden communication problems had a lot to do with my current state of mind. Luckily, my Event Manager picked up on my confusion. He simply stated that he understood I would be making a lot of decisions soon and that I was concerned I would forget all the options that had been presented to me. He told me not to worry, that he’d trigger my memory when the time came. He knew that photography was an important part of my life because he had become familiar with me while we were planning my Summerhouse Dinner Party event. His words instantly put my mind at ease, and he was able to communicate exactly what I needed to the EPV Sales Manager.

With things better explained, the EPV Sales Manager also told me not to worry. He said that the options that were presented to me today weren’t the only options that were available. If I could tell him what I ultimately wanted, he could put together a custom proposal for me. I was happy to hear that in case I needed to take that route.

I was also happy when the EPV Sales Manager told me that whatever I decided today, it would not be set in stone. I could change my mind. Boy, that took a load off me. As you folks know, I always try to make my decisions such that I have no regrets in the future. At my Planning Session, I was afraid that whatever decisions I made, they would set me down a path from which I could not return. Both my Event Manger and my EPV Sales Manager assured me that was not the case. My Planning Session was simply a place for me to find out what my options were. When the time came for final decisions and deadlines that set things in stone, Disney would give me plenty of warning. I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Before this portion of my Planning Session ended, the topic turned to special effects. I was shown a nighttime photo of fireworks going off behind the Wedding Pavilion. It looked lovely but for some reason didn’t wow me.

That one photo was pretty much the extent of the fireworks discussion. But as they say, it only takes a moment (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=009404101110006900&cid=600111). I wouldn’t give further thought to this unique touch for a few more weeks; but when I did think of it again, it would lead me down a magical path that I would never forget.

And with that, the Entertainment / Videography / Photography / Transportation / Special Effects portion of my Planning Session had come to an end. The EPV Sales Manager said his goodbyes and was on his way. As you will see as my trip report continues, this wouldn’t be the last of him.

[bonzie1]

Janet, a.k.a Jane Bond :cool2:

Another Great Post! Having Mickey was the perfect... OH NO! I'd better be careful... No, my mouth is sealed, you are the master of details. No more Spy Class 101 for me! :rotfl:

Just kidding of course! Your secrets are safe. I'm enjoying sitting back and enjoying this wonderful journey! :goodvibes

The gift of your writing has blessed all of us. Thank-you! :flower3:

Agent X :3dglasses

[nwdisgal]

Janet2K- I have really enjoyed reading the installations to your trip report and look forward to your next one. You are so thorough and with all the links to the pictures, it has been a great resource on what is available at Disney for special event planning. Also, it has been fun seeing your guests and your family having such a great time at Disney. That inspires me, and makes me feel excited about everything Disney and looking forward to my upcoming trip with my family in March.

[shellybaxter]

Janet,

Thank you for plugging away and continuing your report. I can't believe how much you remember from several months ago. That's what always throws me when I try to write a report. I get back and things are CRAZY and I don't get to sit and write right away. By the time I can write I can't remember any of the details. You're amazing. Thank you for sharing such a special one-of-a-kind expirience with us.

Shelly

[SlightlyGoofy]

Janet, quit your job immediately and hie yourself to DW where you should immediately take up the position of Chief of Publicity. There could not be anyone better. Your passion for detail and all things perfection is awesome!! On second thought, as well as you would do that job, you would probably enjoy helping others plan their events instead. You rock!!

I have a bet, with myself, that you have already started planning your next Super Special Selebration. (grin)

I will save a seat above the train station for our next meet. Or else a seat on the beach at Wilderness Lodge to see the EWP. (my favorite view point)

SG/Linda

[zurgswife]

Thanks janet....Once again I enjoyed every minute...

[gigi1313]

awesome, absolutely awesome! thank you for sharing :flower:

[daisylove]

Wow again Janet. Soo amazing. What really got me was the picture of you and your husband at the castle and the picture of your face when he was kissing your cheek. Just beautiful! Thank you for sharing so much.

[CJK]

When I see a new post from you, I feel like my day has been sprinkled with pixie dust! It's wonderful to 'meet' someone who really gets the Disney magic and spreads the Disney magic to all her family and friends. Thanks so much for sharing! :earsgirl:

[Janet2k]

You guys are too funny! Thanks for the laugh. I really needed it tonight.

This morning I reported to a different group at work. I have been “loaned" for the next several weeks. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I'm told it's a good thing (but only the Shadow (http://www.mysterynet.com/shadow/) knows for sure).

I was feeling good about the “loan” today. However, at 8:30 PM this evening, I ran into a bunch of Management Folks as I was leaving one of our labs. Since I am a night owl at work and know who normally stays late, seeing Management made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Then I heard a whispered sentence and for some odd reason I thought they were talking about me (paranoia runs deep in the late evening hours).

Back to a nicer subject. Well, maybe not. It was hard for me to share that photo of myself (the one where my husband is kissing my neck). It's not the most flattering photo, so part of me didn't want to share it. But the photo perfectly captures a moment in time when my husband caught me completely off guard. After 20 years of marriage, that's pretty hard to do. But thanks to the wonderful Disney Event Productions (DEP) photographers, he was able to pull it off.

You see, we were standing inside the Wedding Pavilion after our ceremony had ended. The DEP photographers were taking some final photographs of everyone before we headed to Disney-MGM Studios for our dinner party. As Rick and I were awaiting instructions for our next set of photos, Rick unexpectedly kissed my neck. It caught me completely by surprise. One of the DEP photographers caught the expression on my face at the exact instant in time when Rick kissed me. I think that photo perfectly portrays the feeling of immense joy that I was experiencing that evening, and thus I made the decision to share it with you folks.

There are many wonderful photos like that in my collection from DEP. I hope to share a couple of really cute ones as time goes on (I will share them in my other trip report). I have some absolutely priceless photos of my Dad. He was quite the dancer underneath the Sorcerer’s Hat in the moonlight that evening, ~sigh.~

[Dizz42]

Au Contraire, Mon Amie, I beg to differ with you! It is a VERY flattering picture! I don't know you personally but I, like lots of others here on the boards, have come to know you through your wonderful trip reports. Your telling and sharing of WDW trips keep us all sighing with reverie and reverence. Oh, yes, that pix of you is just lovely and says so much. It's joy and fun and an adventuresome spirit that shines through like a star! It's wonder and surprise and love! It's the techno-gal, Jane Bond, Disney-nut! It's our story teller and DIS friend! Our Janet2K at a dream-come-true moment! It's magic!

[#1hockeymom]

I am once again awe struck!

Thank you, Jane Bond! :)

Debbie

[Alysa]

I love your photo - you look beautiful and soooo happy!

[melanieewr]

I was soooo excited to see the latest installment in this "epic" fairytale. For me it is a a few moments of escape from the ordinary...simply mesmerizing!

I hope we don't have to wait too long for the next chapter. Does Bonzie1 like chocolates? flowers? jewelry? I think she might could be bribed to "spill the beans". ;) and end the suspense!

[bonzie1]

I was sitting here at work... all the way in NJ (bored to death) and I heard a voice calling me... " Bonzie1, Come Hither Bonzie! C H O C O L A T E...
F L O W E R S... J E W E L R Y..." The voice was SO sweet, the temptation was SO great! :goodvibes

BUT, the Wrath of the Great All-Knowing, All-Powerful Wizzard (oops wrong story!) Jane Bond :smooth: pulled me back into reality :rotfl2:

Believe me, I really don't want to repeat Spy 101!

I can't even see the wonderful picture everyone is writing about :love: . My workplace has denied access to that site :sad2: So... I must wait until I get home to take a peek. The suspense is killing me!

So you see, even Agent X (bonzie1) didn't get to see all the wonderful details of that beautiful evening. You are hearing things only the mighty Agent Jane Bond can share. ;) Alas, I too must wait for the next installment :sad1:

I must admit though, the J E W E L R Y almost pulled me in! :rotfl:

Agent X :3dglasses

[rascalmom]

Janet - your picture is beautiful. It's the type of picture that you will be able to look back on years from now & remember HOW YOU FELT that day. And that's what it's all about.

Thanks for sharing this wonderful adventure with us!

Tonya

[DHSsenior007]

I might be blind, but I can't even see the link for the picture!!! Help me please!!

[melanieewr]

Janet has very loyal friends and I now see that temptations of rich chocolate covered Mickey bars :mickeybar , fragrant roses, and sparklling baubles will not work :rolleyes:...will they? HeHe...one last little attempt from one who does not give up easily!

I will now wait patiently (not a virtue that I have ever had full grasp :blush: ) along with everyone else for every fascinating detail.

THE PHOTO really is precious and priceless :love2:

[Becky2005]

Absolutely awesome report!!!

[LindaBabe]

What I want to know is WHat was ma nagement up to at 8:30 at night and how is it going to impact Janet's future trips to the world?!

[Janet2k]

DHSsenior007, the link to the photo that we were talking about is in my “Part 8” post (just look for the sentence, “If the look of joy on someone’s face or the sound of laughter in their voice can be captured and shared with others…” and you will see the link). By the way, I like the last three digits of your Dis name.

LindaBabe, the Rumor Mill claims they were working on Top Secret stuff that night. As the saying goes in the Spy Business, if they told us what it was that they were working on, they’d have to kill us. ;)

Everyone, until I can get my next post done, I thought I would give you folks something to keep you occupied. Even though the four of us (click here) (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=c53f.jpg&.src=ph) look like your average girls next door, remember, looks can be deceiving. For those of you who think you can find out the details of my vow renewal from the lovely ladies who accompanied me to Florida (click here) (http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/video/videoPlayer/?cid=29306&titleId=493) for my Fairy Tale Weddings Planning Session, well, think again:

Beware of Bonzie1: click here (http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/video/videoPlayer/?cid=32087&titleId=304)...

Be leery of Nutz4dzny: click here (http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/video/videoPlayer/?cid=93698)...

And be afraid of WeFullTime: click here (http://www.elektramovie.com/html/trailers/martialartsfeaturette/large_nna.html)...

[bonzie1]

Agent Jane :cool2:

I hope you haven't blown our covers! :rotfl2:

GREAT, absolutely GREAT post!

Okay, okay... I'll go back to my exotic, glamorous spy role as "the MOST notorious temptress of the 20th century." (Well, somebody's gotta do it... right? ;) )

Agent X :3dglasses a.k.a. Mata Hari

P.S. Agent Jane... can you do something about getting me bumped up to the 21st century? Thanks. I'd appreciate it! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: What's that... a membership in Curves?... Check back in 6 months and you'll consider it?... :rotfl2:

[Janet2k]

Franck’s Bridal Studio – Floral Options…


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Edelweiss”
(click here for audio clip (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=026384201150006900&cid=600111))
Music by: Richard Rodgers
Words by: Oscar Hammerstein II

Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Every morning you greet me
Small and white, clean and bright
You look happy to meet me

Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever

Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Bless my homeland forever
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Visions of beautiful flowers began floating through my mind. Believe me, it was a tight squeeze in there with all the new information that I had acquired that day. Thank goodness the edelweiss were small flowers.

With my brain chockfull of information, I was worried about how I was going to get through the next portion of my Planning Session. I felt like my head was going to burst from all activity that was going on inside of it. I knew this next meeting was going to be a critical one because it would be here where I would make not only the decision regarding what flowers were used (http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/weddings/index?name=FloralDetailWeddingsPage) for my ceremony, but also the decision regarding what decorations were used for my reception venues (yes, more than one venue would have to be decorated due to the progressive nature of my dinner party).

It’s time for some trivia about me. Besides lacking basic kitchen skills, I have a brown thumb. If you knew my family’s ancestry, you would find that little tidbit of information quite funny (I’m sure my ancestors are turning over (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/movies/clips/1808411884/1808528134/?http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=mf_frame&id=1808411884&mspid=1808528134&mfurl=http://mediaframe.yahoo.com/launch?lid=rnv-300-p.1246224-121945,wmv-56-p.1246225-121945,wmv-100-p.1246226-121945,wmv-300-p.1246227-121945,rnv-56-p.1246222-121945,rnv-100-p.1246223-121945&p=movies&f=1808411884&.spid=1808528134&.dist=Walt%20Disney%20Pictures&type=c) in their graves right now). Of course, my husband would love it if I could be the sort of wife who he could be proud of – you know the type (click here (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/movies/trailers/1808411987/1808534456/?http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=mf_frame&id=1808411987&mspid=1808534456&mfurl=http://mediaframe.yahoo.com/launch?lid=rnv-100-p.1251120-122760,rnv-56-p.1251119-122760,rnv-300-p.1251121-122760,wmv-56-p.1251122-122760,wmv-100-p.1251123-122760,wmv-300-p.1251124-122760&p=movies&f=1808411987&.spid=1808534456&.dist=Paramount%20Pictures&type=t)). But when he married me, he knew I couldn’t cook, wouldn’t clean, and couldn’t keep a plant alive. After almost 22 years of being a couple, my husband would grow to call me many things, but Stepford Wife would not be one of them (neither would Domestic Goddess).

When it comes to flowers and plants, there’s no doubt about it, I love ‘em all. However, I don’t know a dang thing about ‘em. Sure, I know what a rose is and how it smells, but that’s about the extent of my floral knowledge. I would be hard-pressed to name a quarter of the flowers that are shown on the following website: click here ( http://www.blossomsweddingflowers.com/The%20Garden.htm ). I would also be insincere if I filled my post with brainiac information such as the following:

- - - - - - - - - -
Leontopodium alpinum (click here for definition (http://onlinedictionary.datasegment.com/word/Leontopodium+alpinum))
Leontopodium \Leontopodium\ n.
A genus of plants including the edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum).
Syn: genus Leontopodium.

Edelweiss \E"del*weiss\, n. [G., fr. edel noble + weiss white.]
(Bot.)
A little, perennial, white, woolly plant (Leontopodium alpinum), growing at high elevations in the Alps. It is the national flower of Austria.
[1913 Webster +PJC]

Leontopodium alpinum
n : alpine perennial plant native to Europe having leaves covered with whitish down and small flower heads held in stars of glistening whitish bracts
[syn: Leontopodium alpinum]
- - - - - - - - - -

Speaking of the edelweiss flower (http://www.edelweissgrowers.com/page2.html), I first heard of it in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s movie, "The Sound of Music (http://www.rnhtheatricals.com/show.php?show_id=36)." Their song, Edelweiss (http://www.rnh.com/realaudio/somedelweiss.rm), told me that the flower was "small and white, clean and bright." However, I had no idea what it actually looked like, and so I turned to my favorite encyclopedia, the Internet. I found the above definitions, plus a few photos: click here (http://www.henriettesherbal.com/php/get.php?id=5976). It’s a beautiful flower and it reminds me of my all-time favorite flower, the daisy (click here (http://www.henriettesherbal.com/pictures/p08/pages/leucanthemum-vulgare-4.htm)). Both are understated, elegant, and fun. Either one would do nicely for my vow renewal, but if I had to pick only one, it would have to be the daisy.

And so I found myself stretching my legs in the lobby of Franck’s, wondering what sort of flowers I should choose for my vow renewal. I knew that question was going to be asked during the next portion of my Fairy Tale Weddings Planning Session:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Planning Session Agenda:
1:30pm: Meeting with Floral Event Manager

Janet & Friends
Janet’s Event Manager, Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Floral Event Manager, Disney Event Group

Floral Options
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Floral Event Manager had a prior meeting with a couple from Japan. This couple did not speak English, and due to the language barrier, their meeting went longer than scheduled. Because of that fact, the Floral Event Manager was late to my meeting.

The couple from Japan should have arranged for an interpreter to be present at their meeting. I shudder to think how difficult my own Planning Session would have been had I been meeting with Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings folks in Japan (click here for movie (http://www.disneyweddingsjapan.com/japanese/dhm/pro/fan/fanmovie.html) – it takes time to fully load). If I thought my brain was on overload after having been through several hours of meetings with people whose language I was fluent in, I can only imagine how lost I would have felt had I not been able to understand what was going on around me (click here for movie (http://www.disneyweddingsjapan.com/japanese/dah/pro/cel/celmovie.html) – again, it takes time to fully load). There is no question in my mind that I would have hired an interpreter. In my humble opinion, nothing as important as a wedding or a vow renewal should ever be left to chance.

As I was introduced to the Floral Event Manager, she stated that she had heard a little bit of my group’s conversation. She mentioned that it sounded like we had already looked at a few chairs and linen samples. My Event Manager replied, "Well, we have a pretty good... Janet has a very good... She knows what she likes, how's that?" I got a big kick out of that.

My Event Manager was definitely right about me. I did know what I liked, even if I didn’t know what that was exactly until someone had placed it before my eyes. But when something caught my fancy, I knew it immediately.

As the Floral Event Manager shook everyone’s hands, she mentioned that she knew we had visited Disney-MGM Studios that morning. She had already been briefed on what we had accomplished over there. I was impressed with the Fairy Tale Weddings’ internal communications network.

We moved into the Merryweather Conference Room and began our meeting. My Event Manager set the pace. He mentioned that one of the objectives of our meeting was to select the bouquets, boutonnières, and corsages. We also needed to select the floral colors for those items.

My Event Manager explained to the Floral Event Manager that I didn’t want to decorate the Wedding Pavilion too much because we wouldn't be inside of it for too long since the ceremony would be fairly short. He stated that if we were going to make an impact with my floral / decorating budget, we had a great location for doing so in the Great Movie Ride. Dinner would be served inside the Western scene, and there were opportunities to jazz up that area. Since the guest list was small, everyone could feasibly be seated together at one large table, à la Roman style. A seating arrangement such as that would make for some great conversations.

He went on to state the differences between my last party at Disney-MGM Studios and my upcoming party. For the “Haunted Mansion” Movie Set Dinner Event, once everyone had been seated, they were seated in one place for the rest of the evening. For the Great Movie Ride progressive dinner party, that would be different. As everyone moved from venue to venue, there would be wonderful opportunities for people to mingle and get to know one another better. The dinner party would start in the Gangster area with drinks and appetizers, move into the Western area for dinner, and then end in the Land of Oz for dessert. After dessert, everyone would move outside for dancing. Knowing how much time the guests were going to spend in each venue, the money could be better spent enhancing specific areas.

My Event Manager was doing a beautiful job in recapping my feelings regarding how I thought my floral / decorating money should be spent. He went on to mention that we didn’t want to take anything away from the ceremony, but since the Wedding Pavilion was so beautiful on its own, it didn’t need much to enhance it. He stated that my vow renewal was a milestone that we wanted to make an impact on, whether that was with a beautiful bouquet or with other embellishments.

It was here where we began discussing the Wedding Pavilion. I stated that since my vow renewal ceremony was only going to be approximately 15 to 20 minutes long, I didn’t feel the need for elaborate floral enhancements. Perhaps if I were getting married for the fist time, or if I were having a long, religious ceremony, I would have felt differently. But since I was renewing my wedding vows, I wanted a simple floral arrangement on the altar. The Floral Event Manager suggested flowers in a vase surrounded by candles of varying height. That sounded perfect to me. Uncomplicated. Understated. Elegant. Exactly the look and feel that I was after for my ceremony.

As our meeting moved forward through the afternoon, there were plenty of times when humor was interjected. I was very glad of that because my head was reeling with information about food, entertainment, transportation, flowers, and decorating enhancements. It was nice to be brought back to Earth from time to time. At one point, the Floral Event Manager said to Nutz4dzny that she loved her fun earrings – they matched the pink table (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=c22e.jpg&.src=ph) in Franck’s lobby. Nutz4dzny and WeFullTime both laughed at the comment. Nutz4dzny stated that they had noticed the exact same thing, and she was ready to sit at the pink table all day long if asked to. The Floral Event Manager laughed and said that table was something new that had just been started. It was a “theme” table that would be changed every few months to incorporate the seasons.

The Floral Event Manger asked me to describe the members of my wedding party. I told her that besides my husband and myself, it would be our son (college), our daughter (grade school), our nephew (grade school), and our niece (junior high school). I mentioned that initially I wasn’t going to have anyone stand up with us since this wasn’t a wedding but only a vow renewal. However, when I mentioned the vow renewal to my sister, she immediately asked if my daughter and her daughter were going to stand up in it. I stated that I hadn’t given that any thought, but now that she had mentioned it, it sounded like fun so we should do it.

The Floral Event Manager then asked me about the color of my gown. I said my Mom had sent me a column dress with a bolero jacket. Both the dress and jacket were made of champagne, almost beige, colored lace. The gown was simple, not elaborate, and was just my style.

The Floral Event Manager pulled out a few books. Contained in one of them were pages of fabric and ribbon swatches. If you look at this picture – click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=56b6.jpg&.src=ph) – you will see what I am talking about. She showed me ribbon samples in both satin and sheer fabrics (http://www.weddingchaircovers.com/content/products/organza.html). She selected a few colors that she thought would go with my gown and asked me which ones I liked. The ribbon that I choose would be used in my bouquet.

As we looked at the ribbon selections, she mentioned that the sheer dijons were soft in color. She pointed to one ribbon in particular and stated that it was frequently used with gowns that were champagne-colored because it picked up a little bit of the gold-tones and not the brown-tones, plus it had a little shimmer to it (http://www.weddingchaircovers.com/content/products/organza/pages/OrgGold_jpg.htm). She then said we could even go with something from both of the families – the creams and the dijons – to pull the color out. The last thing mentioned was that the sheer ribbons had partners in the satin family; everything was color coordinated.

It was time for me to decide upon a bouquet shape. I was shown many photos of wedding bouquets, an example of which may be seen in the vow renewal proposal (click here) (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=cd85&.dnm=68c0.jpg&.src=ph) that I had received from the Fairy Tale Weddings folks. Since I have already stated I am by no means an expert with anything floral, it is probably better if I list below a few of the things that I learned while I was composing this post:

- - - - - - -
Wedding Flowers (click here for full article (http://www.internationalfloraldesignschool.com/WeddingFlowers.html)):

Different Styles of Bouquets
There are different styles of bouquets: round, Victorian posy, trailer, sheaf, crescent, line, and cascade bouquets. Large trailing bouquets particularly suit romantic wedding gowns. An elegant line bouquet is a good choice for a slim fitting gown. A modern style bouquet will suit the contemporary bride.

The Bridesmaids’ Bouquets
The bridesmaid or maid of honor’s flowers should never overshadow those of the bride. After all, it is the bride’s special day. The bridesmaids’ bouquets can be a different style or a smaller version of the bride’s bouquet perhaps using another variety of flowers or in another color.
- - - - - - -

Flowers & Such - Wedding Flower Arrangements (click here for full article (http://www.flowersandsuch.co.uk/wedding-flowers.htm)):

Bride’s Bouquet
There are various bouquet styles available which we can advise you on including:

Wide shower bouquet: The flowers flow from a posy top to a very wide trail of flowers
Teardrop: A posy top with a trail to make a teardrop shape hence the name
Shower: A posy top, flowing down to a single trail of flowers
Formal posy: A perfectly round shape often one type of flower massed together
Informal posy: Not such a strictly rounded shape usually has more foliage than the formal posy, and often has more than one type of flower

Corsages
Corsages are usually worn by principal females including the mums. They are small floral arrangements, usually more elaborate than a buttonhole, and can be worn like a buttonhole or attached to a handbag.

Button Holes
Buttonholes are usually worn by the groom, the couple's fathers, the best man and the ushers. If you wish, you may provide buttonholes for all of your guests. The groom usually wears a bloom that matches the bride’s bouquet. The best man and the fathers wear a different flower allowing the groom to stand out.
- - - - - - -

I’m thankful the Internet is full of wonderful information regarding wedding flowers. I wish I’d researched the topic before I met with the Floral Event Manager. Since I hadn’t, I went into the meeting knowing generally what I liked and didn’t like. I hoped that would be enough. I was afraid that if I overanalyzed things, I would get bogged down in the mire. I decided to stick to the KISS rule: Keep It Simple, Stupid. That rule usually worked well for me.

The Floral Event Manger showed me photographs of a few teardrop-shaped bouquets – some large, some small. The bouquets came with either a slight cascade or a full cascade. I said no to both the teardrop shape and the cascade. They were too elaborate for me. Since I was following the KISS rule, and one of the S’s stood for simple, I settled upon a small, round bouquet that was hand-tied:

- - - - - - -
Hand Tied Style (click here for full article (http://www.blossomsweddingflowers.com/hand_tied_bouquets.htm))
Several specific bouquet names fit into this category. For example, the Posy, Nosegay, and Beidermeir are all hand tied bouquets. So here is a little history on all of the above.

The posy was very popular in the Victorian era, when flowers held secret messages of lovers; each flowers having a specific meaning, and when delivered to the courtier, delivered a message according to the flowers in the bouquet. A Posey is the closest known relative to the hand tied bouquets of today. Posy bouquets are wired with floral wire, and taped completely up and covered with a satin or organza trim ribbon. Thus creating a small dainty handle.

The Nosegay, traditionally a small bunch of flowers or herbs, was a small grouping of lowers, often backed with tulle. It is a beautiful choice for flower girls and Jr. Bridesmaids.

The Biedermeier yet another posy, carefully arranged concentric circles of colored flowers, each ring containing one type of flower. This bouquet originated in Switzerland in the late 1800's

The posy fell out of popularity in the first half of the 20th century, and have very slowly crept back in fashion over the last few decades. Whether you tie the stems loosely with a ribbon, wire them, or wrap the natural stems completely, they all classify as Hand Tied bouquets.
- - - - - - -

I couldn’t get much simpler than a bouquet that was tied with a ribbon. It would be the perfect bouquet for my vow renewal.

The Floral Event Manager asked if I wanted my bouquet duplicated on a smaller scale for my bridesmaids. I said I would like that very much. She asked what the bridesmaids’ dresses looked like. I told her they hadn’t been selected yet. She told me to let her know as soon as they had so she could coordinate the ribbon colors to the dresses. I promised her that I would.

She then asked if I wanted corsages for any special guests. I said that I definitely wanted corsages for my Mom and my Aunt. Two corsages were added to my floral budget.

I knew the next subject that came up would revolve around the color palette for my bouquet. One of the wedding planning books that I had purchased was written with the older bride in mind. The book stated that as an older bride, you should plan a wedding that suits yourself and not someone else’s idea of what your wedding should be. I took that advice to heart and decided that since I loved pastel-colored flowers, I would have pastel flowers in my bouquet. To get a feel for the color palette that I was aiming for, click here (http://www.bridalsilkcreations.com/hpics/springgarden.html) and click here (http://disneyweddings.go.com/site/wed/int/cer/floral.jsp) (bridal bouquet # 1).

When the Floral Event Manager finally broached the color palette subject, I explained that even though my ceremony was going to be in the fall, it was pastel-colored flowers that I desired. I wanted a bouquet that looked and smelled like a springtime day. The Floral Event Manager made a note of that in her file.

She stated that since I wanted a mixture of pastel colors, she could very easily put something together for me. She pulled out a photo of a cascading bouquet and covered up the cascading portion of it so that it looked like a round bouquet. The bouquet was filled with multi-colored flowers. She pointed to several of them and mentioned the colors that she thought would suit my needs: purples and pinks. She then pulled out another photo and stated that she would add soft yellows and lavender tones to the bouquet.

I was told that my bouquet would contain a mixture of roses (http://www.flowers.org.uk/flowers/facts/k-r/rose.htm) and freesias (http://www.flowerbud.com/products.asp?catid=1&prodid=5). I was asked if there were any flowers (http://www.flowerbud.com/instant-alph.asp) that I wanted added to it. I responded that I didn’t know too much about flowers; however, I knew what I liked and that was a bouquet that smelled wonderful. I simply wanted flowers whose aroma I would be drawn to all night long. She made a note of that in my file.

The topic of stephanotis blossoms (http://hibiscus-sinensis.com/tropical/stephanotis.htm) came up next. I had read floral descriptions from many a Fairy Tale Weddings bride who had used stephanotis blossoms in their bridal bouquets. I knew that Disney was famous for adding Hidden Mickey’s to those blossoms. The Floral Event Manager asked me if I wanted Hidden Mickey’s added to my wedding party’s bouquets. Of course, I told her yes. I knew my daughter and niece would love that special touch (and I would too).

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this Fairy Tale Weddings floral tradition, please click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=dbdb&.dnm=e87b.jpg&.src=ph). If you looked at that photograph, you saw three pearls that were grouped together in the shape of a Hidden Mickey head. That Hidden Mickey was placed in the center of a stephanotis blossom (many of the stephanotis blossoms in the bouquet had this unique touch added to them). A Hidden Mickey could also be used to anchor the ribbon on the bouquet’s hand-tied stems. I asked for my bouquet’s ribbon to be anchored that way.

The subject of boutonnières was discussed next. My husband’s boutonnière would have a rose and stephanotis blossoms, while the groomsmen’s boutonnieres would have only a rose. I was then asked if there were any other special guests who should have a boutonnière. I said I definitely wanted one for my Dad. An extra boutonnière was added to my floral budget.

When asked what color the boutonnières should be, I asked my Event Manager for his advice. He said he thought a lavender rose would look nice, so that is what I chose. It was noted in my floral file.

The topic next turned to linens. When linens are used appropriately, they are capable of transforming a venue from the simple to the sublime (click here (http://www.exclusivelinens.com/_mgxroot/page_10491.html)), from the ordinary to the extraordinary (click here (http://www.eventpartyrentals.com/partygallery/partygallery.asp)). It would be interesting to see how this portion of the meeting would unfold.

The Floral Event Manager opened up another one of her books. In it were samples of (http://www.manhattanfabrics.com/catalogue.cgi?lookup=fbtype_desc&lupv=2) fabrics in many colors (http://www.lineneffects.com/IndexPages/IndexSolidColors.html). She leafed through it and stopped on the pages that contained linens that she thought might work well in the Great Movie Ride’s Western area. One of those pages contained a burlap fabric swatch (http://www.hancockfabrics.com/images/us/local/products/viewlarger/711374N_lg.jpg) and a photograph of a table setting that used a burlap overlay and a burlap chair sash. It was odd for me to see burlap used for an elegant dinner party. If she hadn’t shown me a photo of such a table setting, I never would have given burlap a passing thought.

In the book, the burlap overlay was partnered with a chocolate-brown tablecloth. At first the Floral Event Manager thought it might look too dark for my dinner party. Then she realized that we wouldn’t be carrying over any floral arrangements from the ceremony location to the reception location. Because of that simple fact, it wouldn’t matter what color tablecloths were used, be they brown or black (note: black linens were in the standard linen package for the Great Movie Ride).

As to table centerpieces, the Floral Event Manager stated that she could create a Fall centerpiece with pumpkins. Bandanas could even be incorporated into the place settings as either napkins or tied around the napkins. There were many items (http://www.pedersens.com/packages/photos/pkg_van_basics_placeset_300.jpg) that could be used to give more of a Western feel to the dinner venue. The Floral Event Manager said that when it came to a wedding reception, some couples wanted to go over-the-top with their decorations, while other couples wanted to maintain the look of a wedding even though their venue was so unusual. It was up to me to decide what I wanted to do.

One thing that the Floral Event Manager wanted to incorporate into the dinner venue was daisies since they were my favorite flower and fit the Western theme perfectly. She said she could tie each napkin together (http://www.pedersens.com/gallery/photos/table_halloween_placeset_detail_300.jpg) with raffia and then add a daisy to it. She also thought tying a few daisies to the chair sashes with raffia would add a lovely touch. I was definitely pleased with this personal approach.

The conversation moved onto the pre-reception venue. This was the Gangster area of the Great Movie Ride. My Event Manager set the atmosphere. He stated that my guests were going to walk into the venue (http://www.warnervideo.com/gangsters/?frompromo=dvd_maintouts_gangsters) and find it dimly lit, almost eerie-looking. Then they’d bump into the Streetmosphere characters and the venue would come alive. He was very animated as he spoke. I could actually imagine how my guests would feel as they entered this venue.

The Floral Event Manager continued describing the venue. She stated that my guests would find cocktail tables scattered about that were covered with black linens. She thought sticking with a dark color would best suit the mood of our personal speakeasy (http://www.merriamwebster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=speakeasy). One enhancement that she suggested adding was a little color to punch things up a bit. Red was the color of choice because it would allow the atmosphere to stay true to the gangster feel.

Another suggested enhancement would be the addition of candles to the cocktail tables. The Floral Event Manager thought glass cylinders would look good, and she suggested filling them with a gel (http://www.candlewic.com/candle-gel/pop-gels.asp). Candlelight reflecting off a red gel would add a bit more ambience to the Gangster venue.

Keeping with the red theme, the Floral Event Manager found a photo that showed red-on-red striped linens (http://www.atlaspartyrental.com/atlas_data/images/large_red_imp_stripe.jpg). She asked for my opinion regarding whether we should use a red sash as an overlay or a small square of the material as a four-point topper. If we went with the sash, she pointed out that it would carry the color all the way down to the floor.

My Event Manager liked the idea of the sash reaching all the way to the floor. He said it would easily be seen between the chairs. He also suggested that we stick with standard black chairs in order to save a little bit of money. That was nice of him, but in the back of my mind, I had the sinking suspicion that I would add chair covers to the budget when the time came. For now, I kept that tidbit of information to myself since I didn’t want to hamper the decorating ideas that were flowing from my team of experts.

The Floral Event Manager had an additional comment. We could use black satin instead of black linen if we wanted to give the venue a little bit more of a shimmer.

It was at that point that my brain went on overload again. It’s a very scary feeling when you know you have reached supersaturation.

Okay, it’s time for today’s Physics Lesson:

- - - - - - -
Supersaturation (click here for full article (http://dl.clackamas.cc.or.us/ch105-03/supersat.htm)):

Supersaturated solutions are,to me, absolutely fascinating. They are fascinating because they exceed the solubility limit. In a sense they violate the definition of a saturated solution. When people talk about saturated solutions, there is always a temptation to say - "there is an absolute limit as to how much solute will go into the solution and you can't put any more than that in" - but you can, if you do it right.

When you have a solution at its limit of solublity and you add more solute, it doesn't dissolve. That is true. But you can make it dissolve by changing the conditions. Quite often, if you heat up the solution, the solubility of the solute will increase. By heating up the solution more solute can dissolve.

Once you get the "extra" solute into solution then you can cool the solution back down and sometimes keep that extra amount of solute in solution. When that does happen, you have a very unstable situation. The extra solute, the solute that "should not" have dissolved, can crystallize out of solution quite easily. If you add just a little bit of crystal, then the excess solute will crystallize out of the solution. Sometimes, all you have to do is scratch the inside of the test tube or the container that the solution is in, and it will crystalize on the scratch.
- - - - - - -

Boy, that sure described how my brain was feeling. I especially loved this part:

"When people talk about saturated solutions, there is always a temptation to say – ‘there is an absolute limit as to how much solute will go into the solution and you can't put any more than that in’ - but you can, if you do it right."

Disney sure knew the secret to that law of Physics because they found a way to cram more information into my brain than my Physics 007 professor had during Spy Training School.

I wanted to make sure that I was following the trains of thought of both the Floral Event Manager and my Event Manager. I restated their decorating suggestions: “So, right now the Gangster venue comes with black table covers? I think that’s fine because it definitely fits the venue – it’s dark in there. Then you suggested that we throw red sashes over each of the tables in order to add a splash of color. That sounds great.”

The two of them nodded their heads in agreement. Thank goodness for supersaturation otherwise there was no way I would have been able to restate anything for them.

With the enhancement of the Gangster venue out of the way, my Event Manager turned the conversation to the Land of Oz venue. He stated, "Once you move into the next room, your guests will be like, “Oh, my gosh!” It will be a totally different theme from a totally different angle. The Wizard of Oz area is just so over-the-top. I mean, who would ever think that you’d get to eat on the yellow brick road? How fun is that?!"

Oh, how right he was. Never in a million years would I ever have thought that I would not only get to walk through such a surreal venue, but I would actually get to dine there as well. How lucky could a girl get?

The Floral Event Manager began sharing ideas as to what she thought would make an appropriate table centerpiece. Since the Land of Oz venue was very colorful, she suggested a centerpiece made of brightly colored flowers. She showed everyone a photo of a “wild and wooly” centerpiece from the Mad Hatter Tea Party and suggested using something similar to it. To our centerpiece she would add lollipops and nostalgic candy.

She then began describing decorative touches for the table settings. She pulled out another photo and pointed to the table linens. The linens (http://www.weddingchaircovers.com/content/products/poly.html) came in lime green, lemon yellow, and other citrus brights. They looked very fanciful, perfect for the Land of Oz. She described the tablecloths that she would use, the overlays that would top them, and the napkins that would tie everything together. The color scheme that was chosen was whimsical. I couldn’t wait to see what it would look like on the night of my party.

When the discussion turned to the outdoor dance party, the Floral Event Manager pulled out a photo of various colored light-up tables (http://www.socoolevents.com/lighted%20tables.html). She suggested using them for the dance party portion of the event.

My Event Manager stated that the light-up tables could be lit in the color blue to match the Sorcerer’s Hat icon, or they could change colors throughout the evening. I loved the idea of such a dramatic effect. I asked that the tables be added to my budget.

We had finally come to the end of the Floral Options portion of my Planning Session. To say my head was swimming with details would be the understatement of the year. I secretly prayed the Floral Event Manger and my Event Manager had taken good notes because what had been discussed was completely mind-boggling. Even though my post about this meeting is a long one, I can assure you that I have left out at least 90% of the details that had been discussed (I’m amazed at the details that I do remember).

Before I end this post, I should mention something that has probably become obvious to you folks by now. Since my dinner party was a progressive one that encompassed four locations (Gangster, Western, Land of Oz, and Sorcerer’s Hat), any personal touches that were added to my event would increase my budget by more than they would have if a standard dinner reception had been planned.

For example:
Standard Reception = Decorating Cost x 1
Progressive Reception = Decorating Cost x 4

For the most part that simple equation held true; however, there were exceptions.

Case in point:
In the Land of Oz, I paid to upgrade the chairs and add sashes to them. For the other three venues, I stayed with the standard chairs and paid for optional chair covers with decorative sashes.

I must admit that as I sat in the Floral Options meeting listening to all the decorative touches that were being proposed for each of my five venues (Wedding Pavilion included), I began to grow concerned about my floral / decorating budget. I tried not to fret too much because I knew I could rein that budget in if I had to. The venues simply did not need too many decorative touches added to them because they were unique in their own right. Still, in my overloaded mental state, I did begin to worry.

Since I’m on the topic of my budget, I should mention that throughout my Planning Session’s 8-1/2 hours worth of meetings, costs were never mentioned to me. Sure, Disney had already given me a bare-bones estimate when they had sent me the FTW vow renewal proposal (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=cd85&.dnm=1fa9.jpg&.src=ph) several weeks prior. However, during my Planning Session, costs were never stated. My guess is that if I had asked for specific pricing information, Disney would have provided it to me. But I chose to keep quiet since my three friends were with me and I did not want them to be concerned with the cost of my event. I knew that when I received the proposals from each of the groups that I had met with that day, the nitty-gritty costs would be divulged to me not in invisible ink (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_ink) but in stark black and white.

My Planning Session was the conduit for learning what options existed. And I certainly wanted to hear them all. I did not want Disney to hold anything back from me. As I sit here today at my computer composing this post, I feel confident that I got exactly what I wanted. If there were any options that existed within Walt Disney World for a Fairy Tale Weddings vow renewal, Disney surely mentioned them all to me. And if by some chance they didn’t, well, I just have to remember the lyrics to an old Rolling Stones (http://www.rollingstones.com/home.php) song:

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"You Can’t Always Get What You Want"
(click here for audio clip (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=069495201060006900&cid=600111))
Music and Lyrics by M. Jagger / K. Richards

I saw her today at the reception
A glass of wine in her hand
I knew she was gonna meet her connection
At her feet was a footloose man

You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometimes well you might find
You get what you need

And I went down to the demonstration
To get my fair share of abuse
Singing, we’re gonna vent our frustration
If we don’t we’re gonna blow a 50-amp fuse

You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometimes well you just might find
You get what you need

I went down to the Chelsea drugstore
To get your prescription filled
I was standing in line with Mr. Jimmy
And man, did he look pretty ill
We decided that we would have a soda
My favorite flavor, cherry red
I sung my song to Mr. Jimmy
Yeah, and he said one word to me, and that was dead
I said to him

You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You get what you need
You get what you need--yeah, oh baby

I saw her today at the reception
In her glass was a bleeding man
She was practiced at the art of deception
Well I could tell by her blood-stained hands

You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need

You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


Yes, you can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need. I know that I did.

[gjw007]

The food channel ran a one hour show on Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings over the weekend. You might find it interesting. Janet, if I ever plan an event at Disney, I think I'll have to hire you!

[DHSsenior007]

Janet2K: Thanks for the help! I was looking in the wrong post totally! I love the pic!

[Aristocath]

Janet, I keep having to remind myself that this took place in one day. What a FULL day! As much as I have enjoyed hearing about the planning session, I am curious as to what you did that night. Could it be room service and the hot tub? Thanks for continuing your report, Janet. I know it is a lot of work.

Cathy

[HTH]

I just wanted to "drop" in and say awesome report! :teeth:

[zurgswife]

Thanks Janet.....HMMM!! Is robbing a bank illigal???? OK...I'd never go that far but boy would I love to have a vow renewal....

[gigi1313]

once again, over the top awesome!! thanks for sharing janet :flower:

[SlightlyGoofy]

Janet, I was watching the Travel Channel this weekend and came upon the show, mentioned earlier, about Fairy Tale Weddings. Knowing you and having read your reports made it all more special to me. While I would NEVER go to all of this fuss it is so much fun reading of your adventure especially since I know you personally. I just love reading your reports, so many multi syllabic words, mind pictures, proper spelling, and a true sense of wonder. Thank you, once again, for all your hard work and most of all for the imagination to do such an event. Bet the CM's enjoyed working with you and you gave them many new ideas.

Your Slightly Goofy friend, Linda

[melanieewr]

Drats! :rolleyes: I missed that Disney Wedding Show...maybe it will re-air.

Gratefully appreciative of the "dose" of medication today....you see, I am suffering from the dreaded disease "Cannotwaitforthenextinstallment" :hourglass....so thank you Janet!

[Janet2k]

Transportation to Port Orleans - French Quarter Resort…

When the Floral Options portion of my Fairy Tale Weddings Planning Session had come to an end, everyone walked out into the main area of Franck’s Bridal Studio. It was there where we said goodbye to the wonderful Floral Event Manager. I was looking forward to receiving her floral / linen proposal within the next couple of weeks.

The ladies and I decided to take a few final photographs to remember our day by. We each picked up a plate containing a mini-wedding cake and posed for the following photograph: click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=c53f.jpg&.src=ph). We sure looked happy, didn’t we? We then asked my Event Manager to join us for this next photograph: click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=371a.jpg&.src=ph). I should note that upon my return to the West Coast, I had that photograph of the five of us made into a heart-shaped pendant. I actually wore that pendant to my Grand Floridian dessert party on the night before my vow renewal. That pendant has become one of my most precious pieces of jewelry because it reminds me of one of the most magical times of my life – my Fairy Tale Weddings Vow Renewal Planning Session vacation.

After our photographs had been taken, my Event Manager went to retrieve his vehicle. While he did so, the ladies and I headed outside for a few more photographs.

When I saw the Fairy Tale Weddings marquee (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=c5db.jpg&.src=ph)), an odd feeling came over me. In a few months that marquee would announce my vow renewal. But as I looked at it that day, it didn’t announce anyone’s nuptials because the Wedding Pavilion was closed for refurbishment (the roof was being replaced).

With the Wedding Pavilion closed for refurbishment, this was as close as the ladies and I could get to it that day: click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=11b0.jpg&.src=ph). It certainly is a gorgeous series of buildings on a lush piece of land, don't you agree?

And speaking of gorgeous, this may not be Nutz4dzny’s best side, but I love this photo of her nonetheless: click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=bdca.jpg&.src=ph). You see, anytime I am with her, she becomes the designated photographer. Nutz4dzny takes some of the best photographs, and I’m always thrilled when she shares them with me. She truly has a knack for capturing the moment.

When my Event Manager returned with his vehicle; WeFullTime, Nutz4dzny, Bonzie1, and I posed for one final photograph: click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=4ac7.jpg&.src=ph). The next time any of us would be this close to the Wedding Pavilion would be on the evening of my vow renewal in just three short months.

And with that last click of the shutter, the final portion of my Planning Session had arrived:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Planning Session Agenda:
2:30 pm: Transportation to Resort
*** Event Manager to take Janet’s Party to the Port Orleans Resort
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Because my Planning Session had gone well beyond the allotted time, the clock actually was stating 4:20 PM instead of 2:30 PM. It had truly been an incredibly busy day, all 8-1/2 hours of it, and I had experienced far more things than I ever imagined were possible.

Once everyone had found a seat inside my Event Manager’s vehicle, it pulled away from the curb. As I watched the Wedding Pavilion complex fade from sight, the following song drifted through my mind:


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
So Long Farewell
Music: Richard Rodgers
Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II
(click here for audio clip (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=026384201110006900&cid=600111) & click here for video clip (http://www.reelclassics.com/Audio_Video/Videos7s/soundmusic_partysolong.mov))

There's a sad sort of clanging
From the clock in the hall
And the bells in the steeple too
And up in the nursery an absurd little bird
Is popping out to say, "Cuckoo, cuckoo"

Regretfully they tell us
But firmly they compel us
To say goodbye to you

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good night
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu
Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu

So long, farewell, au revoir, auf wiedersehen
I'd like to stay and taste my first champagne
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye
I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye
Goodbye

I'm glad to go
I cannot tell a lie
I flit, I float
I fleetly flee, I fly

The sun has gone to bed and so must I
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Aristocath]

:flower3:

[gigi1313]

awwwww... 'tis beautiful! thank you again and again and again janet! :flower:

[nutz4dzny]

Janet, I just read your latest installment and all I can say is "Thanks for the Memories." You are such a gifted writer. I can't believe the detail and the links that you take the time to post. Disney should hire you!

To everyone on these Boards, I can not tell you how much fun we girls had that day! What a privilege it was to be invited to this planning session. It was truly a once in a life time experience.

Thanks again and the best is yet to come........


Nutz4dzny

[SlightlyGoofy]

Janet, it just gets better and better. They say that the devil is in the details but surely there were angels in yours.

Slightly Goofy/Linda

[dreamflight99]

Wow! What wonderful posts! Count~me~in on the :love: love @ first sight bunch!! "19" heavenly years and counting... :cloud9: we "found" each other the first moment our eyes met. :hug: On our wedding day, DH's best man and friend disclosed this little bit of info to me just before our ceremony: "Your DH spoke w/me on the phone the eve he met you. He told me he had met the girl he was going to marry, the one he had envisioned, and been patiently waiting for his entire life." :goodvibes We still discuss these events every time we all get together. We too...have considered renewing our vows on our 20th @ WDW!! Perhaps, after following all the fabulous details of your event, we'll follow suit. Enjoy!!!

DF99 :wave2:

[Mandy_in_NC]

Janet I am so green with envy. My hubby and I will be having our 15th anniversary in 2012 and after reading this and seeing the special on Food Network On Demand about Disney weddings I am going to start saving now so i can have a wonderful Vow Renewual like you did. I haven't told my hubby that I am planning this for our 15th. He has joked in the past that we would do the Disney Wedding for our 25th anniversary but I don't think I can wait that long! Maybe I will just stash money away in an ING account and suprise him. Thanks for the great posts. It has made these past 2 12 hour night shifts not seem to be so long. Maybe when I go to be in a couple of hours I will dream all about a Disney Wedding. Congrats on 20 wonderful years. May you have 40 more to go with the 20 years you have already had together!

[Janet2k]

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo…

During our ride from Franck's Bridal Studio to the Port Orleans – French Quarter Resort, the conversation in my Event Manager’s vehicle flowed freely. As everyone recounted the day’s activities, the following song came to mind:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo
(click here for audio clip (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=009967501070006550&cid=600111))
Music: Mack David and Al Hoffman
Lyrics: Jerry Livingston

Salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo
Put 'em together and what have you got
bibbidi-bobbidi-boo

Salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo
It'll do magic believe it or not
bibbidi-bobbidi-boo

Salagadoola means mechicka booleroo
But the thingmabob that does the job is
bibbidi-bobbidi-boo

Salagadoola menchicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo
Put 'em together and what have you got
bibbidi-bobbidi bibbidi-bobbidi bibbidi-bobbidi-boo
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

So many things had happened to me that day that I truly felt like a character in a Disney fairy tale: click here (http://www.totaleclips.com/player/splash.aspx?custid=3&playerid=2&clipid=e23466) for the trailer from “Cinderella” (and then select a video player). As they said in that movie trailer, my fairy tale day had been filled with beauty (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=60fb.jpg&.src=ph), romance (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=11b0.jpg&.src=ph), and magic (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=421d.jpg&.src=ph). After almost 20 years of marriage, who would have ever thought such a thing was possible?

Time passed much too quickly during our ride. Before I knew it, my Event Manager was driving his vehicle underneath the Port Orleans – French Quarter's porte cochere. As soon as his vehicle had come to a stop, everyone disembarked. The ladies each gave my Event Manager a hug good-bye. When it was my turn, my Event Manager told me that he would be in touch because there were many details yet to work out for my vow renewal. I said that I looked forward to it.

And so my Fairy Tale Weddings Planning Session had come to an end. As it did, another song came to mind:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Cinderella
(click here for audio clip (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=009967501010006550&cid=600111))
Music: Mack David and Al Hoffman
Lyrics: Jerry Livingston

Cinderella, you're as lovely as your name
Cinderella, you're a sunset in a frame
Though you're dressed in rags
You wear an air of queenly grace
Anyone can see a throne
Would be your proper place

Cinderella, if you give your heart a chance
It will lead you, to the kingdom of romance
There you'll see your dreams unfold
Cinderella, Cinderella
In the sweetest story ever told
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Thanks to every single Disney Cast Member whom I had the pleasure of meeting that day, I knew my dreams would unfold in what would surely be my sweetest story ever told.

As I watched my Event Manager drive out of sight, there was one final piece to my fairy tale waiting for me. Inside the innocent-looking bag (click here) (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=dfc1.jpg&.src=ph) that I held, sat a gift from one of my Disney Fairy Godmothers. When I opened that gift many hours later, I would find that my Fairy Tale Weddings Sales Manager had seen to it that my Cinderella story would be complete. That gift bag contained my very own glass slipper (click here) (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=2c5a.jpg&.src=ph).

[WithDisneySpirit]

I was very pleased to see another installment this am :sunny: What a beautiful gift :goodvibes

[SlightlyGoofy]

Awwww, Janet, just what I needed this morning, a bit of magic and love. Sure hope you checked for pumpkin seeds before putting on your slipper. Would not want anything to marr such a perfect moment.

Slightly Goofy/Linda

[#1hockeymom]

aww, that is just beautiful! The shoe truly fits, Janet! Thank you for adding this installment!

Debbie

[Nanajo1]

I was very late finding this wonderful tale. I've loved every installment.

[PrincessRianne]

Janet- Reading your story has been like reading something right out of a fairy tale. It's taken me two days now, but I've gotten through your story and its absolutely wonderful.

I'm only 19, but trust me, through living your FTW through you, I know that when Im sure that Ive found Prince Charming, we'll be right on Sunset Point(The wedding location at the Poly?) with my family and friends there to boot.

I look forward to your next installments!!

[Janet2k]

I’m Every Woman…

WeFullTime’s husband was waiting for us at the Port Orleans – French Quarter Resort. Since WeFullTime and her husband had plans for the evening, they departed shortly after we had arrived. Before they left, I thanked WeFullTime for spending the day at my Planning Session, especially since it had lasted longer than anyone had anticipated. It was very gracious of her to take time out of her busy life to attend it. I told both WeFullTime and her husband that I looked forward to seeing them in October for the vow renewal. After exchanging heartfelt hugs, they were gone. I was sad to see them go.

Bonzie1, Nutz4dzny, and I had plans for dinner in the Magic Kingdom. We freshened up and then headed for the resort’s bus stop. It was decided that we would dine in Tony’s Town Square Restaurant (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/dining/diningDetail?id=TonysTownSquareDiningPage). In all my years of vacationing in Walt Disney World, I couldn’t remember if I had ever dined there.

The Disney bus dropped us off at the Magic Kingdom around 5:45 PM. Because Bonzie1 was flying home the next day, this would be our last evening together. We wanted to make the most of it.

It was 94 degrees outside. Way too hot for this West Coast girl. Luckily, we had dinner reservations for 6 PM so we went inside the restaurant to escape from the heat. It was nice and cool inside. Ahhhhhh…

It wasn’t long before we were seated. The three of us were hungry but weren’t quite sure what we wanted to eat. We asked our server for a few suggestions. Everything that she described sounded delicious. It was tough making a choice, but we eventually settled upon a few dishes and placed our order.

The restaurant was busy with the summer dinner crowd. The patrons were all having a good time, but none more so than Nutz4dzny, Bonzie1, and I.

Over dinner we discussed our weddings, our ensuing marriages, and our family lives. The three of us even reminisced about when we had met for the first time. It was because of the Dis website that we had done so. None of us ever imagined that Cyberspace would play such an important role in forging three wonderful friendships amongst strangers from different parts of the country. It was truly kismet (http://www.merriamwebster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=kismet) that had brought us together.

While we were dining, Bonzie1 noticed a souvenir mug sitting on another table. She asked our server to bring one to us. She said she wanted to see if it was a different mug than the one she had purchased during a prior visit. Our server was happy to oblige (click here) (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=6e2e.jpg&.src=ph). However, once Bonzie1 saw the mug up close, she sadly determined that she already owned that particular one.

Bonzie1 then mentioned that before we left the restaurant, the three of us should pose for a photo next to the “Lady and the Tramp” fountain. We did as she suggested and here are our mug shots: Bonzie1 (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=7d42.jpg&.src=ph), Nutz4dzny (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=a5f3.jpg&.src=ph), and me (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=f9e9.jpg&.src=ph).

Once our meals were finished, it was time to brave the heat that was waiting for us outside. As we exited the restaurant, we were pleasantly surprised to find that things had cooled down a little bit. It was actually turning into a gorgeous evening.

As the three of us strolled down Main Street, Bonzie1 casually mentioned that she had once read something about voice lessons. She said these lessons were somewhat along the lines of a Hidden Mickey. That is, you could either stumble into them accidentally or look for them on purpose.

"Your mission (click here) (http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/charliesangels2/video/ca_pinkvideo_high.ram)," Bonzie1 innocently began, "if you choose to accept it, will be to find out where the elusive voice lessons are taught."

Well, you didn’t have to ask Nutz4dzny or I twice. Like Bonzie1, we lived for the thrill of the hunt. We quickly took off our Mickey Mouse ears and put on our Secret Agent hats. It was time for us to get to work.

Our mission first took us down Main Street U.S.A. (click here (http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/maps/MK.htm)) and then down one of the side streets. We found some Cast Members standing around and we asked them where the voice lessons were held. They feigned ignorance and claimed they didn’t know what we were talking about.

The three of us slyly sized them up. Were they telling us the truth? Or were they trying to throw us off the trail? It’s always hard to read the face of a smiling Cast Member – they are very good at the art of deception. So, leaving nothing to chance, we decided to check out the neighborhood.

We slowly walked down the street, carefully scanning the second-story windows as we did so. The Magic Kingdom was crowded that evening and the noise from Main Street overflowed to where we were. We systematically tuned out the roar of the crowd.

At the end of the street, we heard something coming from above us. We looked up (click here) (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=62f4.jpg&.src=ph) and tried to figure out what it was that we were hearing. We quickly determined that it was only the sound of piano lessons. Drats! That wasn’t what we wanted to hear.

We stood at the end of the street for a few minutes, trying to decide what our next move should be. For a moment we wondered if we had been led on a wild goose chase or if we had encountered the proverbial dead-end. But as we continued to stand there, Bonzie1 thought she heard something besides a piano lesson. Nutz4dzny and I cocked our ears towards the sound. It wasn’t long before we heard it, too: voice lessons.

Mission accomplished (the three of us hadn’t finished at the top of our Spy School class for nothin’). We took a group photo to commemorate our success: click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=f767.jpg&.src=ph).

With our mission complete, it was time for us to have a little fun. We removed our Secret Agent hats and replaced them with Mickey Mouse ears. We then headed down Main Street (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=5e54.jpg&.src=ph)) and assimilated into the crowd.

Our first stop was Tomorrowland. It was there that we spotted the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (click here (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/attractionDetail?id=TomorrowlandTransitAuthorityAt tractionPage)). We had a ticket to ride.

I mentioned to Bonzie1 and Nutz4dzny that when my daughter and I rode the Tomorrowland Transit Authority during our May vacation, we pretended that it was a thrill ride. I went on to explain that we raised our hands high into the air any time our car moved around a corner at a high rate of speed.

Bonzie1 and Nutz4dzny quickly raised their hands into the air. The three of us giggled as our car gained speed. Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves on that ride (click here) (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=610c&.dnm=ffe8.jpg&.src=ph).

A ride on the Walt Disney World Railroad (click here (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/attractionDetail?id=WaltDisneyWorldRailroadAttract ionPage)) was next on our list of Things To Do. I thought it would be a relaxing ride, but leave it to Bonzie1 to turn it into yet another thrill ride.

Bonzie1 told us, "Mission Number Two (click here) (http://www.mi-game.com/indexFlash.html)," if we chose to accept it, "would be to help find a Hidden Mickey that supposedly could be seen from the train as it rode through Splash Mountain." Nutz4dzny and I cried out in unison, "Bring it on, girlfriend!"

As we rode the train, Bonzie1 taught us a little dance routine (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=f213.jpg&.src=ph)) that she does whenever she hears a certain song on the Walt Disney World Railroad. If you look at that photo, you’ll see that Nutz4dzny was a quick study. I’m going to let you folks in on a little secret: Dance Class 101 is a very popular elective in Spy School (rhythm is essential on spy missions).

When our train approached Splash Mountain (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/attractionDetail?id=SplashMountainAttractionPage), Bonzie1 described where the Hidden Mickey was supposedly located. I couldn’t quite comprehend what she was saying so I asked her to repeat herself. As she did, I suddenly glanced over at the opening to the ride. My eyes darted first to the paddleboat and then to a cloud that was floating nearby. I cried out, "There it is!" But Bonzie1 and Nutz4dzny looked a split-second too late – our train had quickly moved beyond the location. Drats!

They were disappointed that they had missed seeing the Hidden Mickey, but being the excellent spies that they were, they remembered an important rule from Spy School: "If at first you don’t succeed; try, try again." With that rule in mind, the three of us would stay on the train. We felt confident that with our next go-around, the Hidden Mickey would be found.

Eventually our train had traveled full circle. We kept our eyes peeled for Splash Mountain. It wasn’t long before it came into view.

Suddenly, Bonzie1 and Nutz4dzny cried out, “I see it! I see the Hidden Mickey! He’s in the clouds!”

Everyone within earshot turned their head towards Splash Mountain, but because the train was moving too quickly, no one else had caught a glimpse of the Hidden Mickey. The sigh of disappointment in our train car was palpable. We explained to the other passengers where the Hidden Mickey could be found.

[Note: To see a photo of the Hidden Mickey, click here (http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/WDW/MagicKingdom/Frontier/Splash.html) and look for item 43 on that page.]

With Bonzie1’s, Nutz4dzny’s, and my sighting of the Hidden Mickey out of the way, another mission had successfully been accomplished by Mickey’s Angels. We stayed on the train until it reached the front of the theme park. It was there where we disembarked.

We had just enough time to find a place to watch the SpectroMagic Parade. SpectroMagic is my favorite parade, and I don’t think I’ve ever watched it without getting a little misty-eyed. With two of my dearest friends along, I knew tonight would be no different.

Within seconds of hearing the parade’s soundtrack playing over the theme park’s loudspeakers, I got goose bumps. When I caught a glimpse of the first float, a familiar feeling came over me. A feeling of how very lucky I was to be alive and standing in one of the most magical places on earth. I glanced over at Nutz4dzny and Bonzie1. I could see that they were feeling the same thing. The three of us were like peas in a pod.

The SpectroMagic Parade (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/entertainment/entertainmentDetail?id=SpectroMagicParadeEntertain mentPage) is truly dazzling. Disney claims that the parade is comprised of half a million lights and I believe them. The floats are beautiful (click here) (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=6e40.jpg&.src=ph) and come in every color of the rainbow. But what I find even more spectacular than the floats is the music. I could listen to the parade’s soundtrack forever and never tire of it.

When the last float had passed us by, the crowd dispersed a tiny bit. The ladies and I decided to move closer to the castle so that we would have a good view of the Wishes™ Nighttime Spectacular (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/entertainment/entertainmentDetail?id=WishesAMagicalGatheringsofD isneyDreamsEntertainmentPage) fireworks show.

Shortly after arriving in our new location, the soundtrack for Wishes began to play. With the glow from the show’s first fireworks (click here) (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=53ab.jpg&.src=ph) upon their faces, I saw that Bonzie1 and Nutz4dzny were enjoying themselves as much as I was (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=ea3b.jpg&.src=ph)). It was truly a magical moment for the three of us as we stood in front of Cinderella Castle watching the fireworks light up the sky.

[Note: Click here (http://www.wdwinfo.com/wishes-wm-bb.wmv) to view the Wishes fireworks video that is located on the Dis website. For those of you who are old softies like I am, make sure to have your tissues ready before you click on that link. And if you want to see lots of beautiful photographs of the fireworks show, click here (http://www.wdwinfo.com/Photos/Disney-Wishes/index.htm) to see what is found on the Dis website.]

Once the fireworks show was over, we made our way with the rest of the crowd to the front of the theme park. As we walked underneath the train tracks, a team of Cast Members wearing Mickey Mouse gloves waved good-bye to us. They also held up signs that stated, “See ya real soon. Mickey” (click here ( http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=610c&.dnm=7af9.jpg&.src=ph)). The three of us waved good-bye to them. It was just too cute for words.

We continued onto the bus stop, chatting all the way. It wasn’t long before the Port Orleans bus arrived and we boarded it.

Our bus ride passed quickly, and before I knew it, I was back in my resort room. It was at that time that I noticed the pink gift bag (click here) (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=dfc1.jpg&.src=ph) that I had brought home with me from my Planning Session. It was sitting on top of the television where I had placed it earlier that evening. I walked over to it and looked inside. It contained a box, so I pulled it out and opened it up. Inside the box was an item that was wrapped in tissue paper. I couldn’t imagine what it was.

As I unwrapped the gift, I discovered that it was a glass slipper (click here) (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=2c5a.jpg&.src=ph). I began to laugh. My Fairy Tale Weddings Sales Manager had seen to it that my fairy tale was complete – I had my very own glass slipper. What a precious gift. I would cherish it always.

As I inspected the glass slipper, I found that it wasn’t just any glass slipper. No, sir-ee. It was adorned with a heart full of pink crystals (click here) (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=d383.jpg&.src=ph). It was also engraved. One side stated, “Fairy Tale Wedding” (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=a238.jpg&.src=ph)), and the other side stated, “Janet & Rick” (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=4820.jpg&.src=ph)). There was only one fairy tale couple in anyone’s magic kingdom who could ever lay claim to that particular glass slipper and that was my husband and I.

I brought the glass slipper over to Bonzie1’s and Nutz4dzny’s room. As I showed it to them, they both ooh’ed and aah’ed over it. They thought it was the perfect gift. They were right.

It was almost 11 PM by now. Bonzie1 decided to call it a night. Since I was still on West Coast time, the night was young for me (a three-hour time zone change sometimes comes in handy). I love late-night swims so I mentioned to Nutz4dzny that I was going to head out to the pool. She said she’d join me because her back was bothering her and she thought the hot tub would do it some good.

It was 11 PM when the two of us arrived at Doubloon Lagoon. The water temperature was a balmy 88 degrees. That was almost too warm for me. Nutz4dzny took a quick dip in the pool and then transferred over to the hot tub where the water was 106 degrees. That was way too hot for me so I stayed behind in the swimming pool.

There were quite a few vacationers in the pool with me that evening. It was obvious to even the casual observer that a late-night swim was a wonderful way to unwind from a busy day in the theme parks. I couldn’t agree with them more.

As I floated about in the water, I could feel my muscles relaxing. I didn’t realize how overly tired I had become. It had truly been an extremely long day. The swimming pool was the perfect medicine for my weary body. Ahhhhh…

Soon it was midnight and time to head back to our rooms. Once there, we kept the connecting doors slightly ajar in case anyone decided that they needed anything in the middle of the night.

I picked up the telephone and called home. Even though it was after midnight on the East Coast, it was only after 9 PM on the West Coast.

When my children answered the phone, I gave them the condensed version of my day. They stated that it sounded like I'd had an incredible day. Then my daughter asked me if I had relayed to the Disney Chef just how much she had liked last year’s “Haunted Mansion” Movie Set Dinner Event’s lamb dish. I assured her that I did, and that the Chef was pleased to hear it. That made her happy.

I next spoke with my husband. I told him that things had gone well at the Planning session and that we were going to have a beautiful 20th wedding anniversary in October. He said there was no question in his mind that it would be anything but wonderful. We spoke for a few more minutes and then exchanged our I love you’s. When I hung up the phone, I could see that the clock was quickly approaching the 1 AM hour. Where had the day gone?

It took me a little while to fall asleep. My mind had spent such a major portion of the day stuck in full-speed mode, that it was hard for me to convince it to shut down for the night.

As I laid in bed, I marveled at everything that had been accomplished that day. Not only had I enjoyed my Fairy Tale Weddings Vow Renewal’s Planning Session, I had also enjoyed the company of three very lovely ladies – Nutz4dzny, Bonzie1, and WeFullTime. I was honored that they had shared this special day with me. It wasn’t just any woman who would drop everything in her busy life to join a friend in a faraway land. But these weren’t your ordinary women. They were your extraordinary women. And with that final thought in mind, I fell asleep as Chaka Khan’s song played on the radio.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“I’M EVERY WOMAN”
Written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson
Click here for music video (http://www.mtv.com/sitewide/apps/mediaplayer/index.jhtml?vid=46366&type=default&paid=500739&gateway=search&channelID=1&section_1=searchvideoresults.jhtml&adPth=/adsetup/search/&refURL=/search/searchvideoresults.jhtml&adPN=searchvideoresults&orgID=2&section_0=) – Note: You might have
to watch a brief commercial before the music video plays
Click here for audio clip (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=016593701090006900&cid=600111)

I'm every woman, it's all in me
Anything you want done, baby
I'll do it naturally
I'm every woman, it's all in me
I can read your thoughts right now
Every one from A to Z

I can cast a spell
With secrets you can't tell
Mix a special brew
Put fire inside of you
But anytime you feel
Danger or fear
Instantly I will appear, 'cause

I'm every woman, it's all in me
Anything you want done, baby
I'll do it naturally

I can sense your needs
Like rain on to the seeds
I can make a rhyme
Of confusion in your mind
And when it comes down
To some good old fashioned love
That's what I've got plenty of, 'cause

I'm every woman, it's all in me
Anything you want done, baby
I'll do it naturally
I'm every woman, it's all in me
I can read your thoughts right now
Every one from A to Z

I ain't braggin' 'cause I'm the one
You just ask me ooh and it shall be done
And don't bother to compare
'Cause I've got it
I've got it, I've got it, yeah

I'm every woman
[Repeat and fade]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Nanajo1]

Janet,
You had a great day! I'm wishing I had thought about renewing our vows during our upcoming Nov trip. 35 years of wonderful, interesting and scary times! Thanks for all the effort you put in all your reports I really enjoy reading them.

[#1hockeymom]

What a great way to spend a Sunday morning- reading another of your lovely installments! Thank you again!

Debbie

PS WE pretend the TTA is a thrill ride, too!

[bonzie1]

I cried out, "There it is!" But Bonzie1 and Nutz4dzny looked a split-second too late – our train had quickly moved beyond the location. Drats!

They were disappointed that they had missed seeing the Hidden Mickey, but being the excellent spies that they were, they remembered an important rule from Spy School: "If at first you don’t succeed; try, try again." With that rule in mind, the three of us would stay on the train. We felt confident that with our next go-around, the Hidden Mickey would be found.

Eventually our train had traveled full circle. We kept our eyes peeled for Splash Mountain. It wasn’t long before it came into view.

Suddenly, Bonzie1 and Nutz4dzny cried out, “I see it! I see the Hidden Mickey! He’s in the clouds!”
[Note: To see a photo of the Hidden Mickey, click here (http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/WDW/MagicKingdom/Frontier/Splash.html) and look for item 43 on that page.]



Oh Janet! Through your posts you've helped all of us to discover the JOY of the JOURNEY! Even when we see the clouds, we're to take a second, and even a third look.

Something SPECIAL may be waiting there... just for us! :wizard:

Thank-you!

[SlightlyGoofy]

Dear Janet

I believe my dream DW vacation would have to include having you for a traveling companion. You have the gift for finding the magic in everything that you do.

On each and every trip I look for new things to do and have never thought that I might possibly manage to do each and every one and after reading your reports I am more convinced of the fact.

I love the TTA also. My most favorite moment was taking my oldest grandson on there the first time. Poor dear suffers from the same case of Chickenitis that his grandma does so he had wisely decided that he would only ride rides that Grandma would ride. Grandma managed to control her fear of the dreaded Snow Whites Adventures and was much relieved when the TTA came into sight as it was a bit less frightening to this pathetic granny. Poor grandson got a case of the fears UNTIL grandma thought of using her magic circle of love (arms encircling him). His parents shook their heads in diisgust but it was a magical moment that we both remember albeit ten years later. Maybe he will give me the Circle of Love at Snow White if we are ever lucky enough to return together one day. LOL

BTW, if you are not sure that you have ever eaten at Tony's I am convinced that you must not have because I firmly believe that you would not only remember it but every single dish you ate, the waiters name and what particular day it was. :love2:

Slightly Goofy/Linda (your train station buddy)

[JonetteA]

Janet,

I can't wait to hear more. I know I am GREEDY!

[Janet2k]

Hi, gang. This evening as I was looking for the Wishes fireworks' video link, I stumbled into a link that the Dis has for some other video footage. After viewing that other video footage, I suddenly felt awfully guilty, ~gulp.~ I promise to begin working on my trip report again. In the meantime, here is the link to the Great Movie Ride video footage that is found on our favorite website, the Dis: click here (http://www.wdwinfo.com/video/greatmovie.wmv).

[HTH]

Awesome video footage! ^_^

[nwdisgal]

Janet2K, Ace Trip Reporter, we're looking forward to the next install. Don't feel too guilty, though, because all the detail you put into your reports is certainly worth the wait. :goodvibes

BTW, I recentlly read your last install and will have to try the arms in the air trick next time on the TTA.

[Shelby5514]

Great report...I hope to one day have a Fairy Tale Wedding myself...DH mentioned doing a vow renewal at WDW one day...from your report I better start saving for it. I'm off to read your other report.

[Janet2k]

You've Got A Friend In Me…

Shortly after I woke up, I poked my head into Nutz4dzny and Bonzie1’s room. Bonzie1 mentioned that Nutz4dzny had become ill during the night. To my dismay, I didn’t have a spoonful of sugar to give to Nutz4dzny to help her medicine go down: click here for video clip (http://www.reelclassics.com/Audio_Video/Videos9o/marypop_spoonful.mov) (note: the video takes time to load) . I could only offer her something to eat from the food court.

Nutz4dzny said she wasn’t hungry, but I would hear none of it. My Mom hat was firmly atop my head. I told her she was not going to leave her room until she ate a little something. Nutz4dzny laughed, but she could see that I meant business. I grabbed Bonzie1 by the hand and away we went in search of some food.

At the food court, Bonzie1 told me that she would stay with Nutz4dzny and I could head into the theme park. I took off my Mom hat and replaced it with my Jane Bond hat. I told her that since she, a.k.a. Florence Nightingale (http://www.florence-nightingale.co.uk/flo2.htm), had taken care of Nutz4dzny last night, it was now my turn. If anyone went into a theme park today, it would be her.

Bonzie1 reiterated, "You go; I’ll stay with Nutz4dzny." I snarled back at her. Okay, I didn’t really snarl, but I certainly shot daggers at her with my secret agent eyes.

The two of us continued to banter back and forth as we selected breakfast items for Nutz4dzny. Before we came to fisticuffs (http://www.merriamwebster.com/cgi-bin/audio.pl?fistic02.wav=fisticuffs) (or as my husband would like to think of it, an all-out catfight (http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/catwoman/catwoman_lfi_300.asx)), Bonzie1 began to relent. By the time we made it back to the room, I had convinced her that it was my turn to take care of Nutz4dzny.

Once in Nutz4dzny's room, we gave her a platter containing crackers, toast, bacon, and eggs. We hoped that one of the items would appeal to her. Nutz4dzny soon began nibbling on a piece of toast. After a few bites, she claimed her stomach was feeling better and she was ready to head to the pool. I very matter-of-factly stated that she would not leave the room until she had eaten at least one complete piece of toast. Like a good patient, Nutz4dzny nibbled away until she had finished her toast.

With Nutz4dzny feeling better, we kicked Bonzie1 out of the room and towards the theme park of her choice. Bonzie1 put up a good fight but she was no match for us. We told her that upon her return, she would find us either sitting by the swimming pool or relaxing in our resort rooms. With a quick hug goodbye, Bonzie1 reluctantly walked out the door.

About 45 minutes later, Nutz4dzny and I put on our swimsuits and headed outside to Doubloon Lagoon. We stopped by the food court first for something cold to drink.

I was still concerned about Nutz4dzny but the color had returned to her cheeks: click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=476c.jpg&.src=ph). She assured me that she was feeling 100% better. I made her promise that if she began to feel ill, she would tell me immediately and we would head back to our rooms. She vowed that she would.

It was a warm summer day. The weather people had predicted a high of 94, and from what I could tell, they were easily going to get it. I was glad that I was going to spend the day in the swimming pool. I hoped that Bonzie1 wouldn’t melt (http://www.soundamerica.com/sounds/movies/U-Z/Wizard_of_Oz/melting.wav) in the heat of the theme parks.

It wasn’t long before Nutz4dzny and I took a dip in the swimming pool: click here (http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/Multimedia/WindowsMedia/0,,76136,00.wvx). The water was a little too warm for me, but it was perfect for Nutz4dzny.

(Note: To see Disney’s virtual reality photo of Doubloon Lagoon, click here (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/resorts/virtualTourPopup?mediaID=PortOrleansFrenchQuarterV irtualTourMedia) and allow the short Flash video to run its course. Once the menu bar appears, click on the “POOL” photo. Roll your mouse over the image of Doubloon Lagoon to see more of it.)

At first the pool area was fairly empty of guests, but as time moved on, things began to change. It quickly became obvious that the swimming pool was the place to escape from the ensuing heat wave (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=062805301020006900&cid=600111 ).

I eventually got out of the pool and sat down in a lounge chair. Since I had a couple of wedding planning books with me, I picked one up and began to leaf through it. It was an interesting book, but soon I found my attention being drawn to the activity going on around me. My fellow vacationers were way more interesting than anything I could find in my book: click here (http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/Multimedia/WindowsMedia/0,,25975,00.wvx). I also watched some children playing "Marco Polo" (http://www.ehow.com/how_2840_play-marco-polo.html) in the pool. Their antics made me homesick for my own children.

After a while, Nutz4dzny joined me on the pool deck. She mentioned that she was getting a little hungry. That was music to my ears. The two of us decided to head to the food court (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=ae8a.jpg&.src=ph) in search of some lunch.

The quick service food court at the Port Orleans – French Quarter Resort is named the Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory. The official Walt Disney World (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/dining/diningListing?id=PortOrleansFrenchQuarterResortDin ingListingPage) website states the following:

- - - - - - - - - -
Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory Food Court: Celebrate Mardi Gras every day in this converted warehouse setting festooned with festive parade props.
- - - - - - - - - -

For those of you who haven’t seen the food court, it is colorfully decorated. Click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=66b3.jpg&.src=ph) and click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=abb5.jpg&.src=ph) to see Nutz4dzny’s photos of it.

The food court serves a variety of American and Cajun dishes: pizza, pasta, hamburgers, chicken, ribs, meatloaf, and sandwiches. I was in the mood for soup and ordered the spicy chicken gumbo. It was delicious. Nutz4dzny sampled it but determined that it was too spicy for her stomach. She ordered a sandwich and a few beignets. I had never eaten beignets before and only knew that they were some sort of fried pastry. The epicurious on-line dictionary (http://www.epicurious.com/cooking/how_to/food_dictionary/search?query=beignet) describes them as follows:

- - - - - - - - - -
Beignet [ben-YAY]: A traditional New Orleans yeast pastry that is deep-fried and served hot with a generous dusting of confectioners' sugar. The name comes from the French word for "fritter." Savory beignets, such as herb or crab, are also very popular.
- - - - - - - - - -

Nutz4dzny was anxious for me to try my very first beignet, and try it I did. Since beignets are covered in powdered sugar (http://www.crescentcitybeignets.com/beignet.html), I got the powdery white stuff all over myself. Not to be outdone, Nutz4dzny did too. The two of us were quite a sight, and we giggled as we ate the delicious pastries.

Once our lunches had been eaten, we headed to the lobby of the resort. I needed some cash from the ATM machine, and Nutz4dzny needed to check on something at the Front Desk. While we were in the lobby, we met a very nice Cast Member. We chatted with him for a while.

(Note: To see Disney’s virtual reality photo of the lobby, click here (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/resorts/virtualTourPopup?mediaID=PortOrleansFrenchQuarterV irtualTourMedia) and allow the short Flash video to run its course. Once the menu bar appears, click on the “LOBBY” photo. Roll your mouse over the image of the lobby to see more of it.)

Before we knew it, it was time to head back to our rooms. Bonzie1 would surely be back from the theme parks by now since her flight home was in only a few short hours.

Just as we expected, Bonzie1 was in the room and was finishing her packing. She looked up and stated that she had felt guilty all day long because the two of us were stuck at the resort while she was in the theme parks. We told her there was nothing to feel guilty about since we’d had an absolutely lovely day (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=001592101040006900&cid=600111) at Doubloon Lagoon.

Being the good secret agent that she is, she eyed us carefully (http://www.mindspring.com/~tjbayne4/rath3.htm), looking for any traces of betrayal in our demeanor. I think what eventually convinced her that we were telling the truth was the smile on Nutz4dzny’s face. When Bonzie1 saw it, she was won over.

Bonzie1 then sprang a surprise on us. She gave each of us a gift box. She said she’d had a lot of fun shopping for mementos to remember our trip by. Nutz4dzny and I were touched.

My gift box (click here) (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=7a64.jpg&.src=ph) contained a “Lady and the Tramp” magnet. Bonzie1 said that was to commemorate our dinner at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/dining/diningDetail?id=TonysTownSquareDiningPage). It also contained a Tinker Bell pin. Bonzie1 said that was to remind me of the famous pixie who flew down from Cinderella Castle during the Wishes fireworks show that the three of us watched together.

My gift box also contained a specially made key chain (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=7a64.jpg&.src=ph). The key chain spelled out the word FRIENDS and it was anchored by a Sorcerer’s Apprentice hat. Bonzie1 said the key chain was to commemorate our friendship, and the Sorcerer’s Apprentice hat was to commemorate our visit to the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park for my Fairy Tale Weddings planning session. Bonzie1 stated that she’d had a lot of fun making the key chains (she made three identical key chains, one for each of us).

Also included with my gift was a personalized Sorcerer’s Apprentice Hat (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=5176.jpg&.src=ph) postcard from Bonzie1. The sentiments that she expressed on the back were touching. Bonzie1 truly writes from the heart.

Besides the Sorcerer’s Apprentice Hat postcard was a lenticular postcard that contained an image of Tinker Bell waving her wand over Cinderella Castle as fireworks exploded around her: click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=5961.jpg&.src=ph). For those of you who are unfamiliar with lenticular photographs, here are two websites that describe what a lenticular photograph is and how it works: click here (http://www.rwcdigitalgraphics.com/rwcL_1.html) and click here (http://www.shortcourses.com/how/lenticular/lenticular.htm).

I’ve been fascinated by lenticular photographs since I was a small girl. A few years ago I even purchased a special 3-D camera so that I could take my own lenticular photographs. When I developed those photographs, I sent the exposed film to a special photo-processing company that turned my negatives into lenticular images. I always held my breath waiting for those photographs to be returned to me. I was anxious to see which ones turned out the most stereoscopic. So when Bonzie1 gave me a lenticular postcard, I was pleased. Holding it in my hands, and angling it in such a manner that the fireworks appeared to explode over the Magic Kingdom, brought back memories of my own lenticular photographs.

The last item in my gift box was the soundtrack to the Wishes™ Nighttime Spectacular (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/entertainment/entertainmentDetail?id=WishesAMagicalGatheringsofD isneyDreamsEntertainmentPage) fireworks show. Bonzie1 told me that soundtrack (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=26b8.jpg&.src=ph) was to remind me of not only this vacation but also my Summerhouse Dinner Party (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=586647&page=1&pp=15) vacation. I was deeply touched and told Bonzie1 so, as did Nutz4dzny. What an absolutely perfect gift.

After Bonzie1 had finished the last of her packing, it was time for Nutz4dzny and me to walk her to the front of the resort. Bonzie1’s airport transportation would be waiting for her there: click here (http://www.jamesbond.com/mmpr/video.php?cat=gadgets&id=octo&video=3&size=small&format=qt&content=videos&window_height=244).

As the three of us stood underneath the porte cochere, we exchanged our final good-byes. I was sad to see Bonzie1 go. Our two days together had flown by and I couldn’t believe the time had come for her to leave. I thanked her for joining me at my Fairy Tale Weddings planning session. She told me she would send me her notes. I said I would need them in order to remember all the wonderful details that had been discussed with my Fairy Tale Weddings team. After one more hug good-bye, Bonzie1 got into her town car.

As Nutz4dzny and I watched Bonzie1’s car pull away from the porte cochere, a song from the movie "Toy Story" (click here) (http://www.pixar.com/featurefilms/ts/theater/trailer_480.html) began to drift through my head. One verse in particular tugged at my heartstrings: "And as the years go by, our friendship will never die. You're gonna see it's our destiny. You've got a friend in me." Yes, you’ve got a friend in me, Bonzie1. You’ve got a friend in me.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“You’ve Got A Friend In Me”
(click here for audio clip (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=001398501010006900&cid=600111))
Composer: Randy Newman

You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
When the road looks rough ahead
And you're miles and miles
From your nice warm bed
You just remember what your old pal said
Boy, you've got a friend in me
Yeah, you've got a friend in me

You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
If you've got troubles, I've got 'em too
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you
We stick together and can see it through
Cause you've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me

Some other folks might be
A little bit smarter than I am
Bigger and stronger too
Maybe
But none of them will ever love you
The way I do, it's me and you
Boy, and as the years go by
Our friendship will never die
You're gonna see it's our destiny
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Nanajo1]

I'm so enjoying reading about your planning. You tell a great story. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

[nwdisgal]

Yeh! Thanks for the next install in the 2k Series. Beignets are the best, especially washed down with some refreshing iced mint tea. :goodvibes I am glad Nutz4dzny started feeling better.

[off to neverland]

Great installment, Janet. How lucky you are to have such wonderful friends!

[bonzie1]

Great installment, Janet. How lucky you are to have such wonderful friends!

You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
When the road looks rough ahead
And you're miles and miles
From your nice warm bed
You just remember what your old pal said
Boy, you've got a friend in me
Yeah, you've got a friend in me
http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/890PlannersCake-thumb.jpg

Just have to say... It is truly a blessing!
We have a GREAT friend in Janet too!:flower:
I'm sure, for those who only know Janet through these posts, you feel like she's your friend too!!! :goodvibes And she is! :) :flower:

[JonetteA]

Janet,

Where are you and what have you been up to?

[SlightlyGoofy]

I hope that Janet does not mind me answering for her but the poor lady is packing up from her vacation at DL and is now headed for DW. It is a hard job but someone has to do it and who better?? :cool1:

Slightly Goofy

[JonetteA]

That's a hard life. I appreciate her taking one for the team!!! If anyone sees her, please tell her I said hello!

[SlightlyGoofy]

JonetteA, I sent Janet an email and sent your sympathies to her. I do not think she has reached the Internet Connection part of her trip yet but I am sure she appreciates your concern. :love:

Do not think of this as the end of the thread but keep in mind that she is out there doing research for future posts. She is such a loving and giving person. Anything for us, who are stuck in the real world. :love2:

Slightly Goofy

[Janet2k]

SlightlyGoofy is correct, I am now in Disney World (my home away from home) with my kids after having visited Disneyland for the official 50th anniversary celebration weekend (I caught a glimpse of Art Linkletter, Diane Disney Miller, Michael Eisner, Robert Iger, and Govenor Arnold Schwarzenegger) and then the Hotel del Coronado (a.ka., the "Grand Floridian West") near San Diego with Nutz4dzny and her family (what gracious hosts they were).

So far during this trip I have met a few Dis'ers. Together we enjoyed tea at the Grand Floridian, dinner at the Coral Reef (where we watched one of them scuba dive in the tank -- what a hoot!), munchies in the Grand Floridian's Royal Palm Club lounge, and Extra Magic Hour in the Magic Kingdom. I instantly liked each one of the ladies (and their wonderful children) and am so happy that I got the opportunity to meet them. It's always fun meeting folks in person that you have "met" in the ethers.

I will not be writing a trip report about this vacation -- there just aren't enough hours in the day for me to even attempt it (I've learned my lesson). I will, however, be working on this trip report that you're reading right now and the one about my actual FTW vow renewal. Well, at least that's my plan once I transfer over to the Saratoga Springs Resort. Thanks for your patience, everyone.

[gigi1313]

sounds like you are having a wonderful summer... look forward to the rest of the wedding vow renewal reports when you get around to them...

[bonzie1]

SlightlyGoofy is correct, I am now in Disney World (my home away from home) with my kids...

So far during this trip I have met a few Dis'ers. Together we enjoyed tea at the Grand Floridian, dinner at the Coral Reef (where we watched one of them scuba dive in the tank -- what a hoot!), munchies in the Grand Floridian's Royal Palm Club lounge, and Extra Magic Hour in the Magic Kingdom. I instantly liked each one of the ladies (and their wonderful children) and am so happy that I got the opportunity to meet them. It's always fun meeting folks in person that you have "met" in the ethers.



:wizard: KEEP TAKING YOUR DAILY MEGA DOSES OF MAGIC + PIXIE DUST. :wizard:
:wizard: CREATE SOME MORE WONDERFUL MEMORIES. :wizard:

and... go see WISHES for me!!! :goodvibes
I just love the part when the theme from Hercules plays!

[SlightlyGoofy]

Hey Janet!! You are forgiven for not wanting to interupt your fun for filing a report. Don't blame you a tiny bit!!

You are racking enough experiences that you will be able to answer even more questions, for years to come!

I envy the other DISers who are getting to spend time with you. Lucky people. :grouphug:

Back to the salt mines for me, mles to go before I sleep.

Slightly Goofy/Linda

[Janet2k]

Too Shy…

About an hour after Bonzie1 had left for the Orlando airport (http://www.orlando-mco.com/), Nutz4dzny and I had decided that it was time to venture out for dinner. Since we were in no particular hurry and had no particular plans for the evening, we walked to the Port Orleans – French Quarter bus stop.

At the bus stop, we decided that we would begin our evening with a visit to the Animal Kingdom Lodge (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/myVacation/online/index?id=VPKOResortDisneyDeluxeMenuAnimalKingdomPa ge&x=18&y=6&bhcp=1 ). Nutz4dzny wanted to visit with some friends there. We hopped on a bus that was bound for the theme park, and then transferred to another bus that was heading to the Lodge.

Once we arrived at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, Nutz4dzny contacted her friends. Before I knew it, we were inside the Kilimanjaro Club and Nutz4dzny was introducing me to her friends. Everyone was very nice.

While Nutz4dzny chatted with her friends, I took a seat in the lounge and gazed around. I was soon reflecting back (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/resorts/virtualTourPopup?mediaID=AKLVirtualTourMedia) upon my very first stay at the resort. I had no trouble recalling the exact moment that I had fallen in love with it. It happened when I had first set foot in its magnificent lobby (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=c3b6&.dnm=1048.jpg&.src=ph). I was awed by what I saw.

As I sat quietly in the concierge lounge, a woman approached me and asked, “Do I know you? You look very familiar.”

I replied, “I’m sorry, but I don’t believe we’ve met before.”

She looked at me a little quizzically and stated, “But you look so familiar. Are you sure that we’ve never met before?”

I smiled and said, “No, we’ve never met.”

Nutz4dzny had overheard our conversation. When the woman mentioned again that I looked familiar, Nutz4dzny walked over to her and asked, “Do you visit any of the Internet websites?”

With that, the woman stated, “That’s it! That’s why you look so familiar. I’m in the two-bedroom suite one floor directly below the suite that you stayed in when the Animal Kingdom Lodge first opened up. I’m #1hockeymom.”

I need to stop right here and admit something to you folks. I am shy by nature. I prefer to remain in the background and away from anything that resembles center stage.

- - - - - - - - -
"Too Shy"
By Kajagoogoo (http://www.kajagoogoo.com/index.shtml)

VH1 Video: click here (http://www.vh1.com/sitewide/apps/mediaplayer/index.jhtml?vid=28402&channelID=3&orgID=1&gateway=artists&paid=10377&section_0=artists&section_1=az&section_2=kajagoogoo&section_3=artist.jhtml&refURL=/artists/az/kajagoogoo)
Audio clip: click here (http://www.kajagoogoo.com/mp3/Too%20shy%20snip.mp3)
Lyrics: click here (http://www.kajagoogoo.com/White%20Feathers/Lyrics%20-%20Too%20Shy.shtml)

Tongue tied or short of breath, don't even try,
Try a little harder

Something's wrong, I'm not naive you must be strong,
ooh baby try

Hey girl
move a little closer

You're too shy shy hush hush eye to eye
Too shy shy hush hush eye to eye
Too shy shy hush hush eye to eye
Too shy shy hush hush hush

Modern medicine falls short of your complaint
try a little harder

You're moving in circles won't you dilate,
ooh baby try

Hey girl
Move a little closer

You're too shy shy hush hush eye to eye
Too shy shy hush hush eye to eye
Too shy shy hush hush eye to eye
Too shy shy hush hush hush

You're too shy shy hush hush eye to eye
Too shy shy hush hush eye to eye
Too shy shy hush hush eye to eye
Too shy shy hush hush
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Since I am shy, I was embarrassed about being recognized. I wanted to turn into the invisible man (http://videodetective.com/player.asp?PublishedId=4103) and disappear.

Over the years, I had gone to great lengths to remain anonymous. One sure way of doing so was by not breaking any laws either in the United States or abroad. If I was a law-abiding citizen, my photograph would remain out of the local post office and off of the FBI website (http://www.fbi.gov/mostwant/topten/fugitives/fugitives.htm).

Another way to remain anonymous was by not posting any photographs of my family. If I didn’t post photographs of them, then the information that I chose to share about the Walt Disney World events that we had experienced would remain about the events themselves and not become about my family. I wanted to share information strictly for the purpose of sharing information. Nothing less, nothing more. Because of that fact, I always attempted to post photographs that did not contain my family’s faces.

I should note that there were a few occasions when posting photos without my family’s faces in them became darn right impossible. It was during those times when I chose to blur their faces before posting my photos. Sometimes when I did that, a fellow Dis’er would nicely point out that my blurred photos were a little unusual (a.k.a., creepy). They had a point, and so I took a cold, hard look at my photos:
My daughter & husband (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/b977&.dnm=8fa8.jpg&.src=ph)
My daughter & me (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=b977&.dnm=8a31.jpg&.src=ph )

There was no denying it, blurred faces in photos were unnerving. If I didn’t want to continue to creep out (http://images.amazon.com/images/P/630130053X.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg) my fellow Dis’ers, I had to change my ways. But could I? I had expended a lot of energy over the years in keeping my family’s faces hidden.

After a lot of soul-searching, I came to a decision. If I was going to continue to share information about the more unique side of Walt Disney World, I would have to post photos that contained un-blurred faces. And so I took the plunge and re-posted photos of my family’s private VIP Safari at the Animal Kingdom Theme Park. I re-posted photos of my family’s private party at the Grand Floridian Resort. I re-posted photos of the “My Disney Girl Princess Tea Party” at the Grand Floridian Resort. And when I finally shared photos of the “Haunted Mansion” Movie Set Dinner Party, I used Disney Event Productions’ original (a.k.a., un-retouched) photos. It was tough for me to do that, but I honestly never thought anyone would pay much attention to the faces in my photos anyway.

So imagine my surprise as I was sitting quietly (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=9825.jpg&.src=ph) in the Kilimanjaro Club when someone recognized me. I immediately regretted posting photos of my family – yikes! But there was nothing that I could do about that now. And so I smiled at #1hockeymom and introduced myself.

#1hockeymom was as nice as could be and was soon introducing me to her son, her daughter, and her daughter’s boyfriend. We chatted for a bit, and then Nut4dzny said it was time for a photograph (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=610c&.dnm=ad4d.jpg&.src=ph)). After the photograph had been taken, Nutz4dzny took her cue from the artwork upon the wall for another photograph. I tell ya, that woman is truly a free spirit when it comes to photographs (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=610c&.dnm=e557.jpg&.src=ph)).

#1hockeymom soon asked us if we’d like to join her family in their suite. We took her up on her kind offer, and once we were inside, her son gave us the grand tour. He was a wonderful tour guide, and Nutz4dzny let her video camera roll as we took the tour.

As we walked through the suite, I could see that it was basically identical to the suite that my family had stayed in. My old vacation memories came flooding back as I stood on the balcony. I remembered my son standing on our own balcony and stating ”Jambo!” aloud to no one in particular. The two of us were quite surprised to hear ”Jambo!” cried out in return from the Cast Members who were standing below us on the ground. We still chuckle about that to this day.

While Nutz4dzny and I were chatting with #1hockeymom, there was a knock upon the door. It was from Room Service. They were delivering a cake that #1hockeymom had ordered as a surprise for her daughter.

The cake was brought into the suite’s parlor room and placed upon the dining room table. It was beautifully decorated in an African motif (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=f6cc.jpg&.src=ph)) and looked scrumptious. Nutz4dzny took a few photos of the cake by itself, and then of the cake with #1hockeymom’s adorable family surrounding it (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=dc5e.jpg&.src=ph)).

After the photographs had been taken, there was another knock upon the door. This time the knock came from #1hockeymom’s friends – Disbug and her daughter. They were stopping by for a visit.

I should mention that before Disbug arrived, #1hockeymom had showed me some samples of Disbug’s handiwork: Photo # 1 (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=b24f.jpg&.src=ph) and Photo #2 (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=2cb7.jpg&.src=ph). There was no denying it, Disbug was creative. And from what I had been told, wielded a mean glue gun (http://www.glu-stix.com/shop/page/category/Category/d3fe541817796be55d1d2419f65b1a35.html). Martha Stewart (http://www.marthastewart.com/) had better look out because Disbug was more than capable of giving her a run for her money.

Disbug and her daughter were as nice as could be. #1hockeymom and Disbug soon had us in stitches with tales of their latest sorority (http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/video/videoPlayer/?cid=61726&titleId=2184) (as in Sigma-Delta Sorority) antics. I wish I could have experienced some of those antics in person. The two of them were definitely my type of sorority (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_fraternities_and_sororities) sisters – funny, sweet, and wild.

Soon it was time for Nutz4dzny and me to move on with our evening. We said goodbye and told everyone that we hoped we’d get the opportunity to see them again in the future. We truly had experienced a lovely evening at the Animal Kingdom Lodge with our new friends.

Nutz4dzny and I walked outside to the bus stop. We boarded a bus that was heading to the Magic Kingdom. We needed to stop by the theme park in order to pick up some photos that the Disney theme park photographers had taken the day before.

It was after 10 PM by the time we had purchased our photographs and had made our way to the monorail station. We watched the Wishes fireworks show (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/entertainment/entertainmentDetail?id=WishesAMagicalGatheringsofD isneyDreamsEntertainmentPage) as our monorail pulled away from the Magic Kingdom. Since the night was still young, Nut4dzny and I headed to Mizner’s Lounge at the Grand Floridian Resort.

As we walked into Mizner’s Lounge on that Friday evening, I could see that the place was hopping. What I found most interesting was that there were a lot of ladies in attendance. They easily outnumbered the men. I said to Nutz4dzny (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=c92e.jpg&.src=ph) that it must be Ladies Night (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=008671701010006550&cid=600111).

The two women at the next table must have overheard my remark because they asked, “Is it really Ladies Night?” I laughed and said that I didn’t think it was officially, however, it certainly appeared to be that way unofficially. The ladies looked around the lounge and agreed with me. Then they introduced themselves. They were sisters who were taking a bit of an unofficial vacation as part of an extended business trip. They said they hadn’t done that in years.

When our sever appeared, Nutz4dzny and I asked for some drink suggestions. Our server was a wealth of information (http://www.bardrinks.com/). Not only did she recommend a few unusual drinks, she also told us what the concoctions were made of (http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/video/videoPlayer/?cid=28039&titleId=13855). Nutz4dzny and I complimented her on her knowledge. It was then that our server let us in on her little secret: she was a bartender in her spare time. We got a kick out of that.

Once our drinks had been served, it was time for a quick photo. The two of us toasted to our friendship (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=1057.jpg&.src=ph)). As we sipped our drinks, our stomachs began to growl. It was then that we realized we hadn’t had anything to eat all evening long.

We finished our drinks and headed to Gasparilla’s Grill for a bite to eat. As we walked, I asked Nutz4dzny if she wanted to see where my family’s last party (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/album?.dir=c7e1&.src=ph) had been held. She said that she would love to see it, so I gave her a brief tour of the Summerhouse area. I pointed out where Mickey Mouse had arrived via float boat; where our bartender had been stationed; where our chef had been stationed; and where our dinner table had been situated.

The tour continued on to the marina. Once there, I pointed out where the surprise dessert party had been held. Nutz4dzny told me that she was sorry that she had been unable to attend my party. I assured her that there would be other parties to attend in the future.

When the tour had ended, the two of us headed inside Gasparilla’s Grill (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/dining/diningListing?id=GrandFloridianResortDiningListing Page). Since I love their chicken noodle soup, I ordered a bowl of it. Nut4dzny ordered a bowl of soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. I was happy that her appetite had returned.

As we enjoyed our late night meal, we chatted about our day. We couldn’t believe that it was finally coming to an end. What a fun day it had been, and what lovely people we had met.

Once we finished our meals, it was time to head back to our resort. As we walked through the lobby of the Grand Floridian, Nutz4dzny stopped for one last photo (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=a1d3.jpg&.src=ph)). It was after midnight when we asked Bell Services to hail us a taxicab.

We arrived at Port Orleans – French Quarter shortly before 1 AM. When I got to my room, I picked up the telephone and called home. I filled my family in on my busy day, and they filled me in on theirs. After we had exchanged I love you’s, I hung up the phone and watched television until my eyelids were too heavy to keep open.

It was 2:15 AM when I turned off the television. Due to the lateness of the hour, I knew I wouldn’t be getting very much beauty sleep that night. I just hoped that my hair would look a little better than Nick Nolte’s (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/nolte1.html) did if any photographs were to be taken of me the next day. And with that final thought in my head, I drifted off to sleep.

[#1hockeymom]

*LOL* It is too ironic that I love that song, isn't it? I am so glad I got up the courage to walk up and ask you if I knew you that evening! Trust me, it was hard for me, also! I still remember that night and the laughs we shared. I am so glad I was able to once again meet you this summer, and also your non blurry son and daughter!

I would like to add, that Janet made me a copy of a movie that Nutz4disney and she had taken of our room spliced with my son's non-stop commentary, and of previous visits to a their own suite. Through that film, I have memories of our wonderful stay and of meeting new friends. Thank you, Janet!

Debbie

[Disbug]

Janet! What a lovely report! Debbie sent me a link... so now I know "The Rest of the Story!" lol! I Love the way you write with all of the little inserts to click! It makes for very fun reading... (The varsity clip gave me a chuckle). It was indeed a pleasure meeting both you and Nut4Dzny, albeit too brief! SSHH! Don't tell Martha about me... I've always thought that she was an amazing woman. But now that she's been to "the big house"~ she might have, uh, "connections"... JK!

We'll definitely make room for you to come join our "sorority antics" if we are in the World together next year!

Hugs to everyone! :grouphug:

[Janet2k]

[NOTE: To make this post a little more interesting, and hopefully a little more fun, I used links to a myriad of items that were found on the Internet. The bulk of the websites use either Apple Computer’s free QuickTime Player software (click here (http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html)), RealNetworks’ free RealPlayer software (click here (http://www.real.com/realsuperpass.html/?pcode=rn&rsrc=header&cpath=realhomeg&src=realhomeg_20050923)), or Microsoft’s free Windows Media Player software (click here (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.aspx?displaylang=en&categoryid=4)).

As you read my post, please make sure to take your time when clicking on the links – some of them take longer to load than others (for example, the audio & video links are slower to load than the photo links). Enjoy.]


I would like (http://www.moviesounds.com/rhps/journey.wav), if I may, to take you on a strange journey. This journey is regarding the last full day of my Fairy Tale Weddings Vow Renewal Planning Session vacation. Let me preface my story by mentioning that what you’re about to read is true. Yes, true. All of it. Well, at least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. I have no control over the story that Nutz4dzny, #1hockeymom, and Disbug might tell one day. ;)

Let me set the mood with a little background music: click here (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=000083201070006900&cid=600111).

No, that isn’t right. Let me try that again: click here (http://65.24.76.65/sounds/televis/getsmart/getsmart.au).

Arg! That still isn’t quite right. One more time: click here (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=062821401010006900&cid=600111).

Ah, yes. That’s much better.

I don’t remember what time I woke up that morning. I do remember having a rather sleepless night. The harder I tried to fall asleep, the further away the Sandman seemed to stay.

Knowing that I wouldn’t get much sleep made me wonder how bad my hair would look in the morning. Not only did I worry that I’d have Nick Nolte (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/nolte1.html) hair, I also worried that I’d have James Brown (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/jbrownmug1.html) hair, Tommy Lee (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/tleemug1.html) hair, and Yasmine Bleeth (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/bleethmug1.html) hair. The one thing I didn’t worry about, however, was that I’d have Michael Jackson (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/michaeljacksonmug1.html) eyes. I don’t do eyeliner.

There was something else that had me tossing and turning that night. I was concerned about my accidental meeting with #1hockeymom. Had it truly been chance that had brought us together? Did she really recognize me from a few innocent photographs that had been posted on the ‘net? Or was our meeting more than chance? Had someone tipped her off that my alter ego, Jane Bond, was in Walt Disney World for her Fairy Tale Weddings (http://disneyweddings.go.com/site/gate/index.jsp) vow renewal planning session? I wondered.

I decided to take no chances regarding #1hockeymom. Something about our meeting the prior day just didn’t sit right with me. A nagging little voice deep inside my head kept saying: “ Sinister forces (http://wavcentral.com/sounds/movies/pink_panther/ppsinis.mp3) are at work."

Sinister forces? I attempted to decrypt her Dis name:

#1hockeymom (http://www.disboards.com/member.php?userid=28765)
#1 = 001 = Double Agent Number
Hockey = Ice = Cold Water = Freeze = Codename
Mom = Married Woman = Husband is Mr. Freeze

Yikes! Her husband was none other than Mr. Freeze (http://batman.ugo.com/roguesgallery/mrfreeze/default.asp)! I tried to imagine what it was like being married to Mr. Freeze (http://www.eonline.com/shared/Eonline/Features/Live/Batman/Qa/Video/arnold.avi). (Note: Video takes time to load but is well worth it.) How could sweet, little ol’ #1hockeymom be married to such an egomaniac (http://www.merriamwebster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=egomaniac)? It didn’t make sense to me.

And what about Disbug? Was my meeting with her chance too, or was something more sinister involved? I attempted to decrypt her Dis name:

Disbug (http://www.disboards.com/member.php?userid=48455)
Dis = Disney = Double Agent Playground
Bug = Pests = Plants = Poison Ivy = Codename

Yikes! She was Poison Ivy (http://batman.ugo.com/gothamgirls/poisonivy/default.asp), a colleague of Mr. Freeze and his missus! Gosh, how could someone so creative be so sinister? (http://www.eonline.com/shared/Eonline/Features/Live/Batman/Video/ivy.avi) (Note: Video takes time to load but is well worth it.) It suddenly made sense to me why she was so handy with a glue gun (http://www.jamesbond.com/mmpr/video.php?cat=gadgets&id=tmwtgg&video=0&size=small&format=qt&content=videos&window_height=244).

I laid in bed in complete disbelief. I silently cried out to the Heavens Above (so as to not disturb Nutz4dzny who was sleeping in the room next door) to give me some kind of sign that I was wrong about #1hockeymom’s and Disbug’s affiliations with the dark side (http://www.eonline.com/shared/Eonline/Features/Live/Batman/Video/batman_trailer.avi). (Note: Video takes time to load but is well worth it.)

I turned on the television in my room (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=a5b9&.dnm=7703.jpg&.src=ph) and began flipping through the channels. I stumbled into a music video. It was Vanilla Ice singing his old song, "Ice, Ice Baby (http://music.yahoo.com/ar-267872-videos--Vanilla-Ice)" (note: to play video, click on music video link on webpage). Talk about a sign.

How could I have been so foolish as to have let down my guard while I was visiting the Animal Kingdom Lodge the day before? I promised myself that I would remain on my toes for the rest of my vacation. I also decided that I had to alert the authorities to the fact that the wife of a dangerous criminal was vacationing in Walt Disney World. I knew I would never be able to live with myself if anything sinister happened in the Most Magical Place On Earth (http://destinations.disney.go.com/parksandresorts/index).

As ”Ice, Ice Baby” (http://www.vanillaice.com/audio/extreme_01.wma) continued to play, I began rummaging through my luggage. There was something inside it that I was suddenly very desperate to find.

There is a little known fact about me that not even my Secret Agent sisters, a.k.a., Nutz4dzny, Bonzie1, and WeFullTime, know: I oftentimes travel with Secret Agent gear that has been designed by other gadget makers besides the Q branch of M16 (http://www.jamesbondmm.co.uk/q-branch.php).

Yes, I had a gadget in my possession that had been made by a toy manufacturer for DC Direct (http://www.dccomics.com/dcdirect/). To the average Transportation Security Administration (http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=7) (TSA) employee inspecting luggage at the airport, this gadget would look like an innocent toy. But as every Secret Agent knows, looks can sometimes be deceiving. I would use this so-called toy to contact the superhero Batman (http://www2.warnerbros.com/thebatman/). I had to alert him to the fact that Mr. Freeze’s wife (a.k.a., #1hockeymom) and Poison Ivy (a.k.a., Disbug) were presently stationed in Walt Disney World.

For those of you who don’t know how to contact Batman, the following information from the TvAcres.com (http://www.tvacres.com/commun_signals_bat.htm) website should prove useful:

- - - - - - -
Bat Signal – The visual device that alerts crime fighter Batman that he is needed by the Gotham City Police on the cult classic BATMAN / ABC / 1966-68. The Bat Signal is projected into the night sky via a large search light. A silhouette of a bat is placed over the search light thus projecting a large bat onto nearby clouds and buildings. When Batman sees the distress signal illuminating the night sky, he rushes to the Batmobile and proceeds to the office of Police Commissioner James W. Gordon to discover what nefarious deed has been perpetrated.
- - - - - - -

Years ago, an addendum had been added to that. If Commissioner Gordon’s office hadn’t set off the Bat Signal (http://www.millionaireplayboy.com/images/batman/signal/batman_14.jpg ), Batman was supposed to contact M16 (a.k.a., Her Majesty’s Secret Service) to see if they were the ones who had. Since I had already placed a telephone call to my boss M (http://www.jamesbondmm.co.uk/mi6-officials/judi-dench.php) at M16 Headquarters (http://www.jamesbond.com/mmpr/image.php?cat=locations&id=twine&imgkey=15), I knew M would alert Batman to my situation.

I quickly located my Bat Signal light (http://shop.store.yahoo.com/timespacetoys/batbatpropre.html). As I stood on the balcony (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=a5b9&.dnm=f7cb.jpg&.src=ph) in front of my resort room, I powered up the Bat Signal. Since it was still dark outside, I hoped Batman would see my signal light up the night sky (http://superherouniverse.com/superheroes/images/fanart/bingham/jan13-05/batman-begins.jpg).

Within minutes, my telephone rang. It was Batman. He didn’t start his conversation with the normal “Hello,” he started it with a song (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=002230001020006900&cid=600111).

You see, Batman and I go way back. He knows that song always brings back fond memories of many a college night spent with friends at the local showing of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show (http://www.rockyhorror.com/)." But before Batman could break out into his rendition of the "Time Warp (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=002230001040006900&cid=600111)," I stopped him.

“Batman,” I began, “Mr. Freeze’s wife and Poison Ivy are here in Walt Disney World. They are traveling under the aliases of #1hockeymom and Disbug. I’m afraid they might be up to no-good and thus I felt compelled to alert you to their whereabouts.”

Batman asked, “Why are you concerned? I bet they’re just on an innocent vacation with their children.”

I responded, “If they were vacationing in Six Flags (http://www.sixflags.com/) instead of Walt Disney World, it might not seem so odd to me. After all, Six Flags Magic Mountain has two wonderful attractions, Batman The Ride (http://www.sixflags.com/parks/magicmountain/Rides/batman.html) and the Batman Begins Stunt Show (http://www.sixflags.com/parks/magicmountain/ParkPress/bbss05.html). Being in a theme park with those attractions would be a hoot for any villain’s family.”

Batman chuckled. He said he had seen footage from the new Batman Begins Stunt Show (http://xgen.vitalstream.com/mcasx.asx?media=1923749&package=1841015) and thought it was great.

Then Batman tried to put me at ease by stating, “Secret Agent Jane Bond, don’t worry about #1hockeymom & Disbug. I just checked my computer here in the Bat Cave and I see that Mr. Freeze is presently located in Gotham City. I’ve put a tail on him and will let you know if he leaves the city. If he does, you know I’ll be hot on his trail.”

Batman was right. I was worrying about nothing. This was a simple family vacation for the Freeze and Ivy families. My running into the two family matriarchs at the Animal Kingdom Lodge was nothing less than a pure coincidence. I thanked Batman for putting my mind at ease.

As our conversation ended, Batman did the predictable. He began singing the "Time Warp (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=002230001150006900&cid=600111)." And as his singing came to an end, I heard the click of his receiver. What a funny guy that Batman was. If he didn’t look so dang good in tights (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Batmanlee.png), I probably wouldn’t give him the time of day.

It was 4 AM when I attempted to fall back asleep. The Weather Channel had predicted a 93-degree day for Orlando. That would be 1-degree cooler than the day before. Oh, happy day. I truly longed for some West Coast weather as I drifted off to sleep. Six Flags Magic Mountain (http://www.sixflags.com/parks/magicmountain/ParkInfo/directions.html) in Southern California sounded good. Maybe I should have vacationed there instead. After all, I was a closet Batman fan and the theme park attractions based upon his life sure did sound like fun, not to mention the simple fact that there would be no heat and humidity there.

I was startled out of my dreams of Antarctica by the sound of the alarm clock. I slowly dragged my weary body out of bed. As I passed the mirror (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=a5b9&.dnm=6c78.jpg&.src=ph ) on my way to the shower, I cried out in horror as Marilyn Manson’s (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/mmanson1.html) face stared back at me. Thank goodness the connecting door to Nutz4dzny’s room was shut tight. She would have died of fright had she seen my face that morning.

A hot shower quickly woke me up. And after making myself presentable, I finally was prepared to face the world (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B00003CXL4/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/104-6837136-7570362?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=507846&s=dvd). It was a good thing, too, because Nutz4dzny was knocking on the door (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=023157501010006550&cid=600111). When I answered it, she told me that it was time for breakfast.

Since Nutz4dzny’s back was bothering her that morning, she said she’d asked Bell Services if they could give us a ride to the Riverside section of the resort. They told her they’d be happy to do so. I thought that was awfully nice of them.

I debated running my Mrs. Freeze & Poison Ivy theory by Nut4dzny, but seeing as how her back was bothering her, I decided to keep quiet. She had enough things to worry about without listening to any scatterbrained ideas from me.

The two of us walked outside our building (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=a5b9&.dnm=25d6.jpg&.src=ph ). Within a few minutes, our chariot (a.k.a., Bell Services luggage cart) had arrived. Our driver introduced himself and we were on our way (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=224d.jpg&.src=ph ).

The Port Orleans Resort is really comprised of two separate resorts: the French Quarter and the Riverside (click here (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/myVacation/online/index?id=VPKOResortDisneyModerateMenuPortOrleansPa ge&x=43&y=4) for official resort movie). Click here (http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/port-french.htm ) to view a map of the French Quarter, and click here (http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/port-riverside.htm ) to view a map of the Riverside. To view a combined map of the two resorts, click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=a5b9&.dnm=b5e9.jpg&.src=ph ). As you can see, Port Orleans is a fairly large resort.

The Bell Services Cast Member was talkative as he drove us to the Riverside Resort. He pointed out the sights along the way (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=254e.jpg&.src=ph ). The drive was a lovely way to take in the beautiful landscaping. Port Orleans is truly one of my all-time favorite resorts.

Our ride (http://www.jamesbond.com/mmpr/video.php?cat=locations&id=gf&video=0&size=small&format=qt&content=videos&window_height=244) came to an end and we thanked our driver. He pointed out which way (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=c119.jpg&.src=ph ) we needed to go in order to get to the Ol' Man Island feature pool. He said it was a short walk.

Once Nutz4dzny and I arrived at the pool, we found a couple of lounge chairs (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=6806.jpg&.src=ph) and made ourselves at home. After we were situated, we walked over to the Riverside Mill Food Court (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=3251.jpg&.src=ph ) for a bite to eat since the swimming pool wasn’t quite open yet.

After an enjoyable breakfast (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=e298.jpg&.src=ph ), we headed back to the pool to see if it had opened. When we discovered that it had, Nutz4dzny grabbed her inner tube and hit the water (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=687c.jpg&.src=ph ).

For the next couple of hours, we alternated between swimming in the pool and lounging around on the pool deck. It was a wonderfully, relaxing way to spend the day.

Before we knew it, our friend and his wife had joined us on the pool deck. The four of us had arranged to meet for lunch that afternoon. Since I had never met my friend’s wife before, I was looking forward to getting to know her. After a quick round of introductions (http://new.wavlist.com/movies/334/rhps-names.wav), it was decided that we would dine inside the Riverside Mill Food Court. That sounded good to me as its location was perfect (no transportation was required).

It’s time for a little more background information. It’s not widely known that I was recruited into the Spy Industry while I was still in college (http://www.sonypictures.com/cthe/debs/clips/trailer_high.asx). (Note: Video takes time to load but is well worth it.) By the time I graduated, I had received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, along with a minor in Securely Protect Yourself (a.k.a., SPY).

One thing that I didn’t learn until many years later was that one of my Florida friends had also attended the same university. He too had minored in SPY. I was stunned at the revelation. I guess what they say is really true, it’s a small world (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/attractionDetail?id=ItsASmallWorldAttractionPage ) after all.

So there I was, meeting with my old friend Jacques. Since I hadn’t seen him in a few years, I knew it would be an afternoon full of catching up on each other’s lives. I made sure to keep my Secret Agent guard up by nonchalantly glancing (http://virgin.mymovies.net/asx_secured.asp?wmpath=/filmmedia/film/fid1755/trailers/trid597/wm/bb.asz&filmid=1755) around the Riverside Mill Food Court. (Note: Video takes time to load but is well worth it.) Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Jacques was also perusing the food court.

Jacques’ wife and Nut4dzny soon left our table to get some ice water. That left Jacques and I alone for a few minutes.

“Jacques,” I asked, “I know nothing of your wife. Can she be trusted?”

Jacques let out a little chuckle and stated, “Of course, Simone can be trusted. She has recently become one of us and has full Top Secret Clearance.”

With that, Jacques’ wife Simone and Nut4dzny returned to the table. As soon as they were seated, Jacques began describing how Simone had recently been put to the test (http://videodetective.com/player.asp?PublishedId=563774). (Note: Video takes time to load but is well worth it.) Listening to Jacques tell the story, it was obvious to me that Simone was a very smart woman and had passed her spy tests with flying colors.

I probably should tell you a little bit more about my friend Jacques (http://www.pinkpantherthemovie.com/main.html). To the casual observer, he might appear to be a member of the Gray Panthers (http://www.graypanthers.org/graypanthers/history.htm) due to his hair color. However, nothing was further from the truth. Jacques’ mild-mannered persona belied the ruthless spy who lurked beneath. Not only was Jacques a master of disguise (http://inspectorclouseau.com/disguise.html), he was also a man of action (http://mfile.akamai.com/28/asf/mgm.download.akamai.com/28/TRAILOFP_t_300K.asx). He put Austin Powers and James Bond (http://virgin.mymovies.net/asx_secured.asp?wmpath=/filmmedia/film/fid2861/trailers/trid1158/wm/bb.asz&filmid=2861) to shame. (Note: Video will load after MGM lion has roared.) I was awfully glad that Jacques was my ally instead of my foe.

As to Jacques’ wife Simone, I learned that her girl-next-door persona also belied the ruthless spy (http://www.mrandmrssmithmovie.com/trailer/trailer1_large.html) who lurked below. The stories that Jacques told about Simone were truly a treat to hear. What a woman she was. I was awfully glad that she was married to someone like Jacques who could keep her passion under control.

It was fun reconnecting with Jacques. His life over the past few years had definitely not been boring, especially with Simone along for the ride. They had a beautiful marriage and one that would last a lifetime.

Time passed quickly inside the Riverside Mill Food Court that afternoon. Swapping spy stories with Nutz4dzny, Jacques, & Simone (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=610c&.dnm=451d.jpg&.src=ph) had been one of the most enjoyable afternoons that I had spent in quite awhile. It seemed that all of us had experienced some pretty amazing spy missions.

Jacques let us know that it was time to call it a day when he began speaking in one of his many voices (http://www.mgm.com/audiotrax.do?wma=TRAILOFP-CL05_FourOClock.wma&artist=Richard%20Mulligan%20(Clouseau%20Sr.)&title=TRAILOFP-CL05_FourOClock.wma&desc=TRAILOFP-CL05_FourOClock.wma). His impersonations always made me laugh. So with a smile upon my face, I bade him and Simone a fond adieu (http://www.merriamwebster.com/cgi-bin/audio.pl?adieu001.wav=adieu).

As Nutz4dzny and I left the food court, she mentioned that she needed to pick up a few items in the gift shop. We bopped in there for a few minutes of power shopping (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=610c&.dnm=176d.jpg&.src=ph). Once our merchandise had been purchased, we walked over to the marina (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=610c&.dnm=f9b7.jpg&.src=ph) in order to catch a boat to our resort. Within a few minutes, a boat arrived and we boarded it. As it traveled down the Sassagoula River (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=610c&.dnm=59c5.jpg&.src=ph), we recounted our fun afternoon. The two of us truly had a ball.

Soon our boat arrived at the French Quarter. We disembarked and walked along the pathway next to the Doubloon Lagoon (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=610c&.dnm=5d4c.jpg&.src=ph) swimming pool complex. The place was hopping with happy vacationers. Seeing others enjoying themselves made my heart sing. It also made me long for the laughter of my own children, ~sigh.~

As we passed by the main building (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=a5b9&.dnm=4ab6.jpg&.src=ph), Nut4dzny decided that beignets (http://www.cafedumonde.com/beignet.html) would be the perfect snack to tide us over until dinner. She was right, as usual, so we went inside the Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory and placed an order (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=610c&.dnm=2654.jpg&.src=ph). It wasn’t long before we were munching on the delicious pastries.

With full tummies, we headed to our resort rooms. Once inside, it was time for the two of us to pack because we had early flights to catch the next morning. Just thinking about leaving Walt Disney World made me a little sad. It would be tough going back to the real world.

I don’t know why I hate packing, I just do. I kept a stiff upper lip as I placed my personal items into my luggage (http://www.advertisementave.com/tv/windowsmedia.asp?u_file=americantourister-1&server_name=310marathon.com). When I decided that I had spent enough time packing, I hopped into the shower. The rest of my packing would wait until later on that night.

Once Nutz4dzny and I were ready, it was out the door we went. We took a taxicab to the Polynesian Resort (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/resorts/virtualTourPopup?mediaID=PolynesianResortVirtualTo urMedia) because she had made dinner reservations for us at the Kona Café. I hadn’t eaten at the restaurant before and was looking forward to doing so for the first time.

Since we had arrived early, we went to the Tambu Lounge for a drink. There was a guitarist playing (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=610c&.dnm=36aa.jpg&.src=ph). He played many of the old standards: click here (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=026071001070006550&cid=600111) and click here (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=033838201100006900&cid=600111). Nutz4dzny and I ordered a drink and sat down to listen to the music.

As I sat sipping my drink, Nut4dzny pulled out her camcorder and began filming the action (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=610c&.dnm=7baa.jpg&.src=ph) in the lounge. After a few minutes of filming, I was able to convince her to put down her camcorder long enough to pose for a photograph (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=610c&.dnm=1e33.jpg&.src=ph).

It wasn’t long before our table at the Kona Cafe (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/dining/diningDetail?id=KonaCafeDiningPage) was ready. Since I had never been inside the restaurant before, I didn’t know what to expect. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by my surroundings. It was lovely inside the restaurant and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. It made me a little wistful for the company of my own family.

Our server arrived shortly after we were seated. She asked us what we wanted to drink. I said that was a good question and asked her to suggest something tropical for us. Nutz4dzny added that we wanted drinks with cocktail umbrellas (http://www.cocktailumbrellas.com/) in them since we were dining in a tropical resort. Our server assured us that no matter what drinks were ordered, she would see to it that they were adorned with umbrellas. We liked her instantly.

After hearing a list of tropical drinks, I chose something that definitely did not sound appetizing. The drink was called an Algae Bloom. The thought of drinking anything named algae certainly made my stomach queasy, but when I heard the drink’s contents (http://www.bondmovies.com/sounds/sounds/drno/vodka.mp3), it sounded intriguing. I placed my drink order and hoped for the best. ~Gulp~

When my Algae Bloom (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=610c&.dnm=2b64.jpg&.src=ph) arrived at the table, I immediately thought of another one of my buddies, Superman (http://www.dccomics.com/media/covers/1576_400x600.jpg), because this drink was the color of kryptonite. It looked positively radioactive. I was afraid that if I drank it, like Superman, I would become powerless. But since my server had recommended it, I thought I might as well drain the glass. So, with a cocktail umbrella in one hand (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=610c&.dnm=4a1b.jpg&.src=ph), and the actual drink in the other, I raised the glass (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=610c&.dnm=9305.jpg&.src=ph) to my lips and let the green liquid flow down my throat Believe it or not, the drink actually tasted pretty good. I was relieved. ~Phew~

Now don’t go asking me what was in that drink. I honestly don’t remember. It tasted good, so I guess that is all that really matters. I did peruse the Internet, though, in search of an answer. I am sad to report that I couldn’t find the ingredients for an Algae Bloom. However, I did discover what makes up a plain ol’ Algae:

- - - - - -
Algae (http://www.webtender.com/db/drink/2881)

Ingredients:
* 1/2 oz Vodka
* 1/2 oz Melon Liqueur
* 1/2 oz Raspberry Schnapps
* 1/2 oz Blue Curacao
* 2 oz Sweet and Sour
* 2 oz 7-Up

Mixing instructions:
Shake all ingredients over ice and pour into highball glass. No garnish.
- - - - - - -

I wonder why a cocktail umbrella wasn’t called out on the list of ingredients? I guess some people just don’t know how to accessorize.

Now, back to my story. Our salads were served (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=902b.jpg&.src=ph) and they looked good. Before Nutz4dzny could take a bite, I snapped her photograph (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=610c&.dnm=f667.jpg&.src=ph).

After the salad came the main entrees. Mine was the filet mignon (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=4f15.jpg&.src=ph) and Nutz4dzny’s was the stir-fried vegetables in a crispy wonton bowl (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/610c&.dnm=f9a8.jpg&.src=ph). I must admit that I was jealous of Nutz4dzny’s meal; its presentation was unique.

I don’t think the two of us talked much as we ate. Well, maybe that’s not exactly accurate. Quite a few ”Oh’s” and ”Ah’s” escaped from our throats. We definitely enjoyed our delicious meals.

The Kona Cafe was packed that Saturday night. It was filled with lots of folks who were enjoying themselves just as much as Nutz4dzny and I were enjoying ourselves. Since this was the last night of my vacation, I wanted to savor every moment of it. It would be months until I could return and I needed to store up as much of the magic as I could. Nutz4dzny felt the same way and asked for one final photograph (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=610c&.dnm=e45c.jpg&.src=ph) to remember the evening by.

After the bill had been paid, we left the restaurant. Nutz4dzny wanted to go shopping, but the two of us decided that we had to hit the ladies room first.

I bet you’re wondering if I still had my Jane Bond hat firmly atop my head, aren’t you? I hate to admit it, but sometime that evening I misplaced the dang thing. (Note to Fellow Secret Agents: Stay away from the Algae Blooms. That stuff is dangerous.)

As I entered the ladies room, a chill suddenly came over me. Sure, Disney buildings were notorious for being cold, however, something about the temperature in that room was a little out of the ordinary. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t put my finger on why it struck me as so unusual.

It wasn’t long before I knew where the chill (http://videodetective.com/player.asp?PublishedId=6970) had come from. (Note: Video takes time to load but is well worth it.) As the stall door closed behind me, I heard someone call my name.

”Hello, Janet2k! It’s me, #1hockeymom. My kids saw you walk by outside as we were dining with Disbug’s family inside ’Ohana’s Restaurant (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/dining/diningDetail?id=OhanasDiningPage). I just had to find you to say ‘hello.’”

Yikes! When would I ever learn? And why had I misplaced my Secret Agent hat? I instantly swore off Algae Blooms for the rest of my life. If M ever caught wind of my transgressions, well, to put it mildly, there would be hell to pay.

As I sat down on the toilet, my mind began to race. Was #1hockeymom tracking me down just to say ”hello” or was she up to no good? And if Disbug was dining with her, where was she? Was she lurking outside, planning something ominous?

I quickly began mulling over my options. I could put an evacuation plan into play, and once I was safely outside the Polynesian Resort, I could light up the night sky with a signal from my portable Bat Signal flashlight. Batman would see the signal and come save Walt Disney World from the likes of the Freeze and Ivy families.

My plan was a sound one. As I frantically groped around inside my purse for my Bat Signal flashlight (http://www.frightcatalog.com/pZoom.aspx?pn=Batman+Batarangs+and+Bat+Signal+Flas hlight&itm=1314018 ), I suddenly heard two little girls innocently chatting with their mother at the bathroom sink:

”Mom, we had so much fun today at the Animal Kingdom Theme Park. We loved looking at ‘Devine.’ (http://allearsnet.com/tp/ak/ak_art1.htm) She was so beautiful. And when we’re at Blizzard Beach tomorrow, can we go to the Ski Patrol Training Camp? We wanna play on the icebergs!”

Blizzard Beach’s Ski Patrol Training Camp (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/attractionDetail?id=BBSkiPatrolTrainingCampAttPage )? How could I have been so wrong about #1hockeymom? She wasn’t in Walt Disney World to wreak havoc on anyone. She was in Walt Disney World to enjoy a little quality time with her family. After all, what other place offered a more appropriate venue for the Freeze family than Blizzard Beach? They could plunge into chills and thrills (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/parkLanding?id=BBLandingPage) all vacation long in the comfort of their own bathing suits.

As to Disbug, what venue was more appropriate for the Ivy family than the Animal Kingdom Theme Park? They could find all sorts of wild activities (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/parkLanding?id=AKLandingPage) to keep themselves occupied. That place was a proverbial Garden of Eden for a family like theirs.

I quietly slipped my Bat Signal flashlight back into my purse and then flushed the toilet. I exited the stall and walked over to the sink. #1hockeymom and Nutz4dzny were standing there chatting.

As I washed my hands, I told #1hockeymom how good it was to see her again and that I couldn’t believe my luck in bumping into her like this. She smiled back at me. She said meeting us yesterday had been one of the highlights of her vacation.

At the sound of her kind words, the chill instantly vanished from the ladies room. I told #1hockeymom that I hoped our paths would cross again in the future. It truly had been a pleasure to meet both her family and Disbug’s family.

After the three of us had exchanged good-byes, #1hockeymom exited the ladies room. As I stood there drying my hands, I was awfully glad that I had kept Nut4dzny in the dark regarding my conspiracy theories. My silence, luckily, had kept her evening fun and lighthearted, the way that it was meant to be.

Once Nut4dzny had applied her lip gloss, it was time for the two of us to go shopping. We walked to the one of the Polynesian’s gift shops and purchased a few souvenirs for our families. With our new packages in hand, Nutz4dzny asked if I wanted to continue our shopping expedition at the Contemporary Resort. That sounded good to me so we boarded the monorail. As it passed the Magic Kingdom, we watched the Wishes fireworks (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/entertainment/entertainmentDetail?id=WishesAMagicalGatheringsofD isneyDreamsEntertainmentPage) explode over the theme park. (Note: To view a video of the Wishes fireworks show that is found on the Dis website, click here (http://www.wdwinfo.com/wishes-wm-bb.wmv).)

Nutz4dzny and I spent about an hour in the Contemporary Resort (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/resorts/virtualTourPopup?mediaID=ContemporaryResortVirtual TourMedia). I had never shopped there before so I had fun exploring the stores. Once our shopping had been completed, we took a taxicab back to the Port Orleans – French Quarter Resort.

It was after 11 PM when I entered my resort room. Within a minute or two, Nutz4dzny was knocking on the connecting room door. She said she had a present for me. I was touched by her thoughtfulness. When I mentioned that I didn’t know where she had found the time to buy presents for me, she said she had done so early in the morning. I laughed at the thought of myself sleeping soundly while Nutz4dzny was racking up credit card charges in the gift shop.

One of the gifts that Nutz4dzny gave me was a Disney sleep shirt. Since she knew I loved to sleep in big t-shirts, her wish was that every time I wore the shirt, I would be reminded of the magical vacation that we had just completed. What a beautiful sentiment.

Another one of her gifts was a Disney photo album. Nutz4dzny said I would need some place special to store my vow renewal photos come Fall. How right she was. The photo album (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=7000.jpg&.src=ph) that she chose for me was adorable. Its cover was graced by a picture of Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse in their wedding attire. What a perfect gift from my favorite shutterbug. I loved it.

I was truly touched by Nutz4dzny’s kindness. I told her how happy I was that she had taken the time out of her busy life to join me in Walt Disney World for my vow renewal’s planning session. I also told her that it wouldn’t have been half as much fun, or half as memorable, if she hadn’t been there with me. She gave me a hug and simply stated, “That’s what friends are for.” As she headed back to her room, she called out over her shoulder, “See you in October!” And then she was gone.

It was quickly approaching midnight and I still needed to complete my packing (http://www.ehow.com/how_3403_pack-suitcase.html). Arg! (Have I told you folks how much I hate packing?) I turned on the television in an attempt to trick my brain into thinking that I wasn’t packing. The background noise did help a bit and it wasn’t long before I had (begrudgingly) completed my mission.

When I finally climbed into bed, I turned off the television and pressed the sleep button on the clock radio. One of my favorite songs began playing. I fell asleep that night thanking my lucky stars that Nut4dzny was in my life and that she called me friend.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“That's What Friends Are For”
Composed by Carole Bayer Sager and Burt Bacharach
Performed by Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder

VH1 Video Clip: Click here (http://www.vh1.com/sitewide/apps/mediaplayer/index.jhtml?vid=59132&channelID=3&orgID=1&gateway=artists&paid=18755&section_0=artists&section_1=az&section_2=warwick_dionne&section_3=artist.jhtml&refURL=/artists/az/warwick_dionne/artist.jhtml&adPth=/asm/adsetup/artists/az/&adPN=artist)
Audio Clip: Click here (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=012052401010006900&cid=600111)

And I never thought I'd feel this way
And as far as I'm concerned
I'm glad I got the chance to say
That I do believe I love you

And if I should ever go away
Well, then close your eyes and try
To feel the way we do today,
And then if you can remember,

Keep smiling, keep shining,
Knowing you can always count on me
For sure
That's what friends are for

For good times and bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for

I never thought I'd feel this way
Well you came and opened me
And now there's so much more I see
And so, by the way, I thank you

And then for the times when we're apart
Well, then close your eyes and know
These words are coming from my heart
And then if you can remember

Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me
For sure
That's what friends are for

In good times and bad times
I'll be on your side forevermore
That's what friends are for
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Disbug]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid132/pc57d9329aa451d8fb3622a4002891099/f7a1b9db.jpg

We bring you greetings from the Poly and Salute you on your latest installment! We raise our pineapples to you, complete with paper umbrella thingees! (We KNOW how to accessorize!) :goodvibes

[Nanajo1]

[QUOTE=Janet2k], if I may, to take you on a strange journey. This journey is regarding the last full day of my Fairy Tale Weddings Vow Renewal Planning Session vacation. Let me preface my story by mentioning that what you’re about to read is true. Yes, true. [i]All of it. Well, at least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. I have no control over the story that Nutz4dzny, #1hockeymom, and Disbug might tell one day. ;) [QUOTE=Janet2k]


I believe every word without question. You live an amazing life that I can only imagine and hope to read about. Thanks for posting

[WithDisneySpirit]

Well, that sure was fun, Jane Bond :smooth:

[gigi1313]

wonderful installment!! thanks :flower:

[#1hockeymom]

ACK! She found out who we really are! Now what will we do? I really thought when we met up again this summer we had her at a complete disadvantage!

Love the report, Janet! I hate to say it, but you have the Mr. Freeze egomaniac part just right! LOLOL

Debbie
PS Those are not pool hoppers in the above pictures. :)

[Disbug]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid188/p324f9e774cc098ffb413a54613de1cc6/f22976fa.jpg

[Disbug]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid77/p7cc0ca8241121ffb81b0471ea6300fa4/fb3dabdb.jpg

My children are learning how to be Charlies' Angels at SPY CAMP... Jane, did you send your daughter this year?

[Disbug]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid188/p2238c5fbf00f60647fc66f66ce439add/f229676a.jpg

[#1hockeymom]

http://www.marzdistribution.com/images/TREVCO-BM216.jpg
I found our jerseys!

[disneymouse]

janet, i shared this report with my husband and son last night. we all had a great time reading about your adventure!

[MAGICinMYHEART]

I found and started reading this report last Friday...then went on to your other Trip Reports.

Checked back tonight and you had completed this Wonderful Saga after a year in the posting all I can say is "I'm glad I didn't find it earlier I couldn't have handled the suspense."

Thanks for all the information you have shared with us.

Great Job...Jane Bond.

Beckie

[bonzie1]

Great installment... see what I missed by flying back early! ;)

Sooo good to have you back! :Pinkbounc

[Alicnwondrln]

janet2k i love your writing !!!
your reports are soooo great

[NJOYURLIFE]

Janet,
I really enjoyed reading this trip report along with getting sidetracked into reading your May trip report also. You have a wonderful way of writing.

[Thumper's Tara]

I found and started reading this report last Friday...then went on to your other Trip Reports.

Checked back tonight and you had completed this Wonderful Saga after a year in the posting all I can say is "I'm glad I didn't find it earlier I couldn't have handled the suspense."

Thanks for all the information you have shared with us.

Great Job...Jane Bond.

Beckie

I couldn't agree more. I found this thread this week and I have been enjoying it immensely.

Janet, thank you for taking the time to share all of this. Your posts have given me something amazing - I am able to dream about all the different ways to celebrate in WDW. I am already dreaming about having my very own FTW and I don't even have a boyfriend right now :rotfl:

Thanks again!

Thumper's Tara

[mikesmom88]

janet2k

I found your reports last week and have been spending days reading them. They are wonderful and you are so talented. I laugh and cried while reading.

God bless you and your family!

[Janet2k]

No Such Thing As The Real World…

The alarm clock woke me up at 3 AM. There wasn’t much time to waste so I quickly got out of bed and headed to the shower. As I passed the mirror (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=a5b9&.dnm=6c78.jpg&.src=ph), my old friend Marilyn Manson (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/mmanson1.html) stared back at me. As soon as I saw Marilyn’s face, an Aerosmith song (http://launchtoday.launch.yahoo.com/player/default.asp?cid=1&ps=0&vid=2164766&bw=110&tw=LaunchRadioTarget&pv=10&fs=0) immediately came to mind (note: commercial will play first). No matter which way I looked at my face in the mirror, I decided that two and a half hours of sleep was just not enough for me.

After I had showered, dressed, and made myself presentable (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B00003CXD0/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/103-4620387-4038218?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=130&s=dvd), I knocked on the connecting door (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=a5b9&.dnm=8b5b.jpg&.src=ph) to Nutz4dzny’s room. Her flight was leaving later on that morning, and I had promised her that I would say good-bye before I left for the airport.

I didn’t have much time to spare so we quickly exchanged fond farewells. After we had wished each other a safe flight home, I grabbed my luggage and headed out the door. As the door closed behind me, I realized just how much I was going to miss Nutz4dzny. We had grown close over the past year or so.

The Mears bus was scheduled to pick me up at 3:55 AM. I had been told not to be late because the bus doesn’t wait for anyone. I made sure that I arrived at the front of the French Quarter by 3:45 AM. As I glanced around the porte cochere, I saw another family was waiting for the bus too.

Within a few minutes, the bus arrived and four of us boarded it. The bus then headed onto Old Key West where it picked up eight more passengers. The last stop that morning was the Caribbean Beach Resort. Eleven folks boarded the bus there, and then it headed onto the Orlando Airport.

The bus dropped me off at the airport at 4:45 AM. I went inside to check my luggage and get my boarding pass. Due to the early morning hour, the airport was fairly quiet but I could see signs of life stirring. I knew that within an hour or so the place would come alive.

With a boarding pass in hand, I made my way to the security checkpoint. Even though I have a metal plate, eight screws, and a wire in my ankle, going through the metal detector (http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/mf/frame?theme=minfo&lid=wmv-300-s.8904419-0,wmv-56-s.8904417-0,wmv-100-s.8904418-0&id=1808469030&f=1808469030&mspid=1808617789&type=c&a=0,15) was uneventful. I love it when that happens.

On the way to my gate, I stopped at a gift shop and purchased magazines, munchies, and a bottle of water. It would be quite a few hours until I arrived on the West Coast and I needed reinforcements to tide me over.

With supplies in hand, I made my way to the gate. As I took a seat in the waiting area, I noticed a distinguished looking gentleman sitting across from me. He was nicely dressed in a sports jacket and pants, and he seemed relaxed and content. For some odd reason, he looked vaguely familiar. At first I didn’t pay much mind to him. I pulled out a magazine and began to read, but soon I found my eyes gravitating towards him. I didn’t know why.

I went back to reading my magazine, but my train of thought was interrupted by the sound of hushed conversations coming from the ticket agents who were working the gate. I looked over at them and saw that they were conversing about the gentleman who was sitting across from me. I took another glance at him and saw that he was deep in thought. I still couldn’t place him.

I eventually gave up trying to read my magazine. Since I enjoy people-watching, I switched over to that for a change of pace. The waiting area was beginning to get crowded with travelers. Anything that they were doing was surely going to be more interesting than what was found within the pages of my magazine.

While I was people-watching, I noticed that one of the ticket agents had approached the gentleman. I couldn’t hear what she was saying to him but he nodded in agreement. She then walked back to the ticket desk and whispered something to her coworkers. It was then that the light bulb (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=062166301250006900&cid=600111) went off in my head. I had finally figured out who the gentleman (http://www.imdb.com/gallery/granitz/3351/HenryWinkl_Grani_5499231_400.jpg?path=pgallery&path_key=Winkler,%20Henry&seq=5) was.

I couldn’t believe that Henry Winkler had been sitting across from me for over twenty minutes. I wondered if anyone else had realized that a celebrity (http://q13.trb.com/entertainment/foxnetwork/stv-arrested-barry-zuckerhorn,0,2402511.htmlstory?coll=kcpq-default-nav) was sitting amongst us. If they did notice, they never let on.

I was impressed that Mr. Winkler, a.k.a, the Fonz (http://www.nostalgiacentral.com/tv/comedy/happydays.htm), had chosen to sit openly in the waiting area instead of sitting hidden in a restaurant or lounge. I was also impressed that he made no attempt to hide who he was. He could have obscured his face by holding up a magazine or a newspaper, but he did no such thing. He sat in the waiting area like the rest of the travelers, and I found that quite refreshing.

I should note that I had my camcorder in my carry-on bag. I was dying to sneak some video footage of Mr. Winkler (http://www.tv.com/media_player/2350/4/viewer.php&context_type=101&context_id=33530), but I decided that since he had chosen to sit quietly amongst us, I owed him his privacy. My camcorder stayed inside my bag.

Shortly before boarding time, Mr. Winkler was approached by the same ticket agent. Upon her instructions, he stood up and followed her to the gate. She checked his boarding pass and allowed him entry to the plane. She then made an announcement over the public address system that it was time for general boarding for the flight.

When my boarding group was called, I approached the gate and was allowed to board the plane. As I walked down the gangway, I wondered if Mr. Winkler would be sitting in First Class. If he was sitting there, I wondered if he would obscure his face so that the rest of the passengers could not see who he was. I knew it wouldn’t be long until I had the answers to my questions.

When I made my way into the plane, I was pleasantly surprised to see Mr. Winkler sitting quietly in an aisle seat in the First Class section. He made no attempt to hide who he was, and he looked completely approachable. He made eye contact with the passengers as they walked past him. I debated saying something to him as I passed but instead chose simply to smile at him. He smiled back in return. As I made my way down the aisle, I heard a few passengers greeting him. He was cordial in his responses to them. That made me smile.

I found my seat and put my carry-on bag into the overhead compartment. I then put my magazines and munchies underneath the seat in front of me. It would be a long flight to the West Coast. I wanted to make sure that I had everything within easy reach so as not to bother those who would be sitting around me.

Eventually the plane filled with passengers and it was time to push back from the gate. I had mixed feelings about leaving Orlando. My brief stay had been filled with so many wondrous things, that as soon as the plane’s wheels left the tarmac, I was afraid I would never be able to recapture the magic of my fairy tale week. I felt my eyes fill up with tears at the thought of that.

Once the plane was in the air, I realized that I was excited about seeing my family again. It was a shame, however, that this was only the first leg of my journey home and it was going to be a long one. Oh, well. At least I had plenty of magazines to help me pass the time.

About fifteen minutes into the flight, the woman across the aisle from me began speaking to the woman behind her. The two of them were talking about Henry Winkler. She mentioned that he had been in town for a book convention. He was writing a series of children’s books (http://click.real.com/?clipid=94214&pageid=av-summary-results-controller&pageregion=null&rct=0&rctd) for her company (note: commercial will play first).

I tried not to listen to their conversation, but my ears perked up when I heard the woman say that Mr. Winkler was a children’s book author. I never would have guessed that of him. I was impressed. Actor, producer, director, author – a true renaissance man.

The woman went on to mention that the central character (http://a1204.g.akamai.net/7/1204/1401/04111111011/images.barnesandnoble.com/images/8590000/8592204.jpg) in his books was a boy. She said Mr. Winkler had good stories (http://a1204.g.akamai.net/7/1204/1401/05012513011/images.barnesandnoble.com/images/8980000/8987656.jpg) to tell and children would enjoy reading them. She ended the conversation by stating that Mr. Winkler was as nice as could be, a real gentleman. That made me smile. That was exactly the way he had appeared to me in the airport and on the airplane. I made a mental note to look into his books.

The rest of my flight passed uneventfully. I finished reading a couple of my magazines, and before I knew it, my plane was touching down. There were two hours between flights so I was in no hurry to deplane. I let the other folks who had flights to catch go ahead of me. When the plane was just about empty, I retrieved my carry-on bag and made my way down the aisle and out of the airplane.

As I walked by a bank of pay telephones in the terminal, I picked one up and called home. I wanted to let my family know that my travel plans were right on schedule.

I spoke to my daughter first and told her what airport I was at. I then told her that Henry Winkler had been on my flight. As soon as I said that, I realized she would not know who Henry Winkler was, so I asked to speak to my husband. Before my daughter turned the telephone over to him, she asked, “Mama, wasn’t he in ‘The Waterboy?’” I was taken aback by her question. I knew that Adam Sandler had been in “The Waterboy,” but I couldn’t remember if Henry Winkler had been too. My daughter then asked, ”Wasn’t he the coach?” My mind was blank.

When my husband came on the line, he asked me why our daughter was talking about Henry Winkler. I said it was because he had been on my flight. My husband laughed and asked, “Really?” I replied, “Really.”

I then asked my husband if Mr. Winkler had been in the movie "The Waterboy (http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&id=1800026231&cf=pg&photoid=196108&intl=us)." My husband said that he had indeed been in that movie (http://www.eonline.com/shared/Eonline/Reviews/Movies/Clips/w/waterboy.mov). I laughed. How could I have ever doubted my daughter's word? She really was the biggest movie buff in our family.

Before I hung up the phone, I gave my husband the flight number for the next leg of my journey. He told me not to worry, he would be waiting for me at the airport when my plane touched down. That pleased me.

When it was time to board my flight, I gathered my personal items together and made my way to the gate. I handed my boarding pass to the ticket agent and then made my way down the gangway. This next leg of my journey wouldn’t be nearly as long as the last one had been, and for that I was grateful. I was anxious to get home.

I was a little sad that there weren’t any celebrities on my flight, only regular folks such as myself. I found my seat and settled in. I then pulled out a magazine and began to read. I quickly became immersed in it.

The flight was a smooth one and soon the plane was parking at the gate. As I headed towards the exit, I made one final check of my personal items. When I was sure that I had everything, I disembarked and walked to the baggage claim area. It was there where I found my daughter (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=610c&.dnm=9e30.jpg&.src=ph) waiting for me. She was happy to see me. She gave me a big, ol’ bear hug and told me how much she had missed me. I laughed as she squeezed me tightly. I told her that I had only been gone a few days, not a few months.

My husband retrieved my luggage and we piled into the car for the ride home. As he drove, my daughter bombarded me with a myriad of questions. She asked how my Fairy Tale Weddings planning session had gone. I filled her in. She then asked how Nutz4dzny, Bonzie1, and WeFullTime were doing. I told her they were all doing well and that they had sent her their love. She next asked what #1hockeymom and Disbug looked like. I had to chuckle at that question. I imagined that my daughter thought #1hockeymom wore a hockey uniform (http://www.nhl.com/) while Disbug wore an exterminator outfit (http://www.terminix.com/Protection/?menuOn=protect ). I assured her that both ladies were perfectly normal and were very beautiful (http://www.missamerica.org/), just as I was. With that visualization, it was my daughter’s turn to chuckle. ”Mom, beautiful? Yeah, right!” I could hear her little mind thinking.

After my daughter had exhausted her list of questions, I asked my husband to turn on the radio in order to drown out the sound of the traffic. When he did, I heard one of my favorite John Mayer songs playing.

As I began listening to the song, I realized that if I had learned anything at all from the time that I had spent in the company of Walt Disney World’s most creative Cast Members, it was that there was no such thing as the real world – it was just a white lie that I had to rise above. And whoever had told me that I had to stay inside the lines, well, they obviously had never worked with the creative minds of Disney. An entire team of Cast Members had showed me that something better was waiting for me on the other side.

I began to smile as the song continued to play: “I’d like to think the best of me is still hiding up my sleeve.” Yes, with Disney’s help I knew I could pull off the surprise of my life. I couldn’t wait for my twentieth wedding anniversary to arrive, and I couldn’t wait to bust down the double-doors of the Wedding Pavilion. When I stood before my husband on the most magical night of our lives, we would both know what all the time was for.

It was at that exact moment that I knew I had made the right decision to celebrate our marriage with a Fairy Tale Weddings vow renewal in the most magical place on earth, Walt Disney World. I smiled all the way home.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"No Such Thing"
Artist: John Mayer
Album: Room For Squares

VH1 Video Clip: Click here (http://www.vh1.com/sitewide/apps/mediaplayer/index.jhtml?vid=39380&channelID=3&orgID=1&gateway=artists&paid=1220799&section_0=artists&section_1=az&section_2=mayer_john&section_3=videos.jhtml&refURL=/artists/az/mayer_john/videos.jhtml&adPth=/asm/adsetup/artists/az/&adPN=videos)
Audio Clip: Click here (http://www.johnmayer.com/video/NoSuchThingVid90_300.asx)

"Welcome to the real world", she said to me
Condescendingly
Take a seat
Take your life
Plot it out in black and white
Well I never lived the dreams of the prom kings
And the drama queens
I'd like to think the best of me
Is still hiding
Up my sleeve

They love to tell you
Stay inside the lines
But something's better
On the other side

I wanna run through the halls of my high school
I wanna scream at the
Top of my lungs
I just found out there's no such thing as the real world
Just a lie you've got to rise above

So the good boys and girls take the so called right track
Faded white hats
Grabbing credits
Maybe transfers
They read all the books but they can't find the answers
And all of our parents
They're getting older
I wonder if they've wished for anything better
While in their memories
Tiny tragedies

They love to tell you
Stay inside the lines
But something's better
On the other side

I wanna run through the halls of my high school
I wanna scream at the
Top of my lungs
I just found out there's no such thing as the real world
Just a lie you got to rise above

I am invincible
As long as I'm alive

I wanna run through the halls of my high school
I wanna scream at the
Top of my lungs
I just found out there's no such thing as the real world
Just a lie you've got to rise above

I just can't wait til my 10 year reunion
I'm gonna bust down the double doors
And when I stand on these tables before you
You will know what all this time was for
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[gigi1313]

wow, another great installment... thank you janet :)

[roque]

this thread has taken so long that i gave up about 7 months ago

[IASW Rider]

Great installment, as always, Janet! They are so much fun to read, and it's so kind of you to share your wonderful memories with us all! We love reading them and hearing about your adventures! :)

[Thumper's Tara]

Janet - another great installment. Thanks for taking the time to post it. I love reading what you take the time to post. It has been a beautiful story and I can't wait to read it all. I hope you life gets a little less busy soon.

Take care,
TT

[SlightlyGoofy]

Hi ya Janet, finally had some time alone to peruse your writing and it was well worth the wait. I did not want to take a chance on being disturbed and not be able to give it the attention it deserves.

I will give you another vote for being beautiful!!!! :cheer2: Inside AND out!!!

I love Henry Winkler and would have done exactly as you did. I do not ask for autographs or anything from anyone. If I like someone that much they have entertained me fully and do not owe another thing and I would want to give them their privacy as well.

I am delighted to hear that he is writing children's books. There are a whole lot of girl type books and a shortage of boy books IMHO and besides he would write such a 'cool' and interesting book. I will have to check one out when I get a chance.

You have much in common with Dorothy of Oz fame. No matter who wonderful the adventure - There is no place like home AND family!!!

Glad you had a fantastic summer and are resting up for the next chapter in your life. Cannot wait to see what you get up to next. I need to live vicariously right now.

Slightly Goofy (Linda) :love:

[nwdisgal]

Janet2k- Another great installment. Your trip reports are the best! How cool to be on the plane with the Fonz :smooth: I've always been a fan of Henry Winkler's. It is neat to hear he writes childrens books now. :goodvibes

Also, just wanted to say, I appreciate your time posting all your pictures and links - especially in lieu of the fact that you stated you weren't initially real comfortable with being in the public eye. I can relate to that. My only saving grace is I have zero technical skills :rolleyes:, so it never even made it to the point where I could post much of anything that I didn't beg DD to help me with including my horse on the surfboard.

That said, I really enjoy looking at the pictures, the vivid descriptions of all the events surrounding your trip, and feeling like I'm living vicariously through your Disney experiences, even though I'm not really there :flower:

Rock on, Girl. Can't wait for the next installment. :wave2:

[Janet2k]

[...Note: I’m going to post the following in both trip reports regarding my Fairy Tale Weddings Vow Renewal. I thought I would post an update as the anniversary date of my vow renewal draws near. I’d also like to take a moment to personally thank everyone for their kind words over the past year. You’ll never know how much they meant to me...]

Well, it has been a year since my husband and I renewed our wedding vows inside Walt Disney World’s Wedding Pavilion. A lot has happened in that year. Some good, some bad. Here is the Reader’s Digest condensed version:

* Husband continued education
* Friends lost jobs
* Friends found jobs
* Husband found job
* Friends got ill
* Dear friend died
* More friends lost jobs
* Husband lost job
* I lost job on same day as husband
* Son finished another year in college
* Daughter finished another year in grade school
* Reconnected with husband & children
* Rediscovered personal life
* Traveled with family & friends: West Coast, Midwest, East Coast
* Son returned to college
* Daughter returned to grade school
* Friends underwent surgeries
* Friends recovered
* Husband finished education
* Husband found job

It’s been an interesting year. When my husband and I lost our jobs on the same day, I had to laugh at the fickle finger that Fate had pointed at us. What were the odds that both of us, in completely different industries, would lose our jobs within 90 minutes of each other? A million-to-one? I wish I had that kind of luck with Lottery tickets. But as I headed home from work that day, I was proud of what I had accomplished during my time as an employee. There wasn’t anything that I was asked to do that I did not do, especially within the last year. I left work with no regrets. Not one. It was a wonderful feeling to have. Very liberating.

When the gift of time had been given to me, it was important that I didn’t let it slip through my hands before I was ready to let it go. I knew that when I returned to the work force, I would be pulled back into the black hole, only to escape from its clutches every now and then. The realization of how much I had missed my family during the past few years had helped me to decide to stave off that day for as long as I could. I knew there was no time like the present to rediscover my life.

My day now finds me taking my daughter to school in the morning and picking her up in the afternoon. Because she is a talkative child, our walks home are filled with tidbits of information about the “mysterious” lunchroom lady or about the latest grade school fad. When we finally reach home, it’s time for homework. Homework used to be my husband’s task, but now it’s mine. As I helped her with a project recently, I learned more about our National Park system than I ever thought imaginable. Did you know that Lassen Peak in Northern California is one of only two active volcanoes in the continental United States? Or that Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states, can’t be seen from any of the roads on its western side? Yes, I’ve learned much from my daughter. But the most important lesson that I’ve learned is just how much of her life has slipped by me unnoticed. I still find it hard to believe that her brother is in college. I can never recapture the lost years of his youth, but I can certainly attempt to spend at least one small year with his sister. Before I know it, she’ll be in college and won’t have much need for me. Yes, time passes much too quickly. I never realized how quickly it passed until I had more of it on my hands.

That brings me back to this trip report. I started it as a way of documenting a milestone in my life for my children. I wanted them to have at least one tangible memory to carry with them as they passed from childhood to adulthood and then onto parenthood. I felt it was important to give them at least that much. I do plan on finishing my story, but life has reminded me that it will have to happen at its own pace, whatever that pace might be.

Life may have given me a few extra twists and turns this year, but it hasn’t dampened my spirit. When I’m feeling a little wistful, all I have to do is call upon a few memories. Some of my most magical memories happened on October 26th and 27th of 2004. Throughout this past year, those memories have given me faith that the future holds far better things for me.

And that leads me to the following lyrics:

When my life is through
And the angels ask me to recall
The thrill of them all
Then I shall tell them
I remember you

I remember you.. My son and daughter (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/janettwokay/album/576460762326629411/photo/294928803349239440/32) reading a poem together during the vow renewal ceremony.

I remember you… My guests (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/janettwokay/album/576460762326629411/photo/294928803349239925/44) wearing Mickey Mouse ears inside the Wedding Pavilion during the photography session.

I remember you… My husband (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/janettwokay/album/576460762326629411/photo/294928804207139562/92) adding a special message to the cement during the handprint ceremony.

I remember you… My mother and aunt (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/janettwokay/album/576460762326629411/photo/294928803349244833/130) chatting the time away as only sisters can do during the dinner party.

I remember you… My father (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/janettwokay/album/576460762326629411/photo/294928803349249080/176) laughing his heart out beneath the Sorcerer’s Hat during the dance party.

I remember you… My guests (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/janettwokay/album/576460762326629411/photo/294928804384626260/195) standing spellbound during the Kiss Goodnight fireworks display at the end of our magical time together.

Yes, I remember all those wonderful things and more. And someday when the angels come to take me away, those memories will be tucked safely inside my heart for my journey home. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“I Remember You”
Lyrics: Johnny Mercer
Music: Victor Scherzinger

Audio Clip (Diana Krall): Click here (http://www.amazon.com/gp/music/wma-pop-up/B00005N9CV001003/105-3135396-9623621)
Audio Clip (Slim Whitman):Click here (http://www.pcdon.com/-SlimWhitman_IRememberYou.wav)

I remember you
You're the one who made my dreams come true
A few
kisses ago

I remember you
You're the one who said "I love you, too"
I do, didn't you know?

I remember, too,
A distant bell
And stars that fell
Like rain out of the blue

When my life is through
And the angels ask me to recall
The thrill of them all
Then I shall tell them
I remember you
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Disbug]

:grouphug: I need the emoticon with the big hanky, too! Simply beautiful, Janet, simply, perfectly beautiful... going to go hug my kids now.

[WithDisneySpirit]

What a beautiful opportunity, Janet. I know you will cherish these times with your daughter :hug: Thanks for sharing the post and beautiful pics with us :goodvibes

[#1hockeymom]

tearing up.... Another great installment

[nwdisgal]

Ok, someone get out the Kleenex!:sad:

I'm glad you have the time with your DD :hug: You are right. Enjoy the time with her while you can :goodvibes I know I will never regret the time that I took off to be with my kids :cloud9:

[disneymouse]

my little girl turns 2 on october 27th..even though she is a bundle of energy which can be so exhausting i'll remember how time does fly! our family and friends are what truely matter. thanks janet for another great installment!

[MNSusan]

Its good to hear from you, Janet!! I'm sorry about your job loss(es) but it sounds like you're making lemonade from those lemons!

Good luck to you.

[wandap1016]

Hi Janet...what a beautiful installment! Your words are SOOO true and they honestly brought tears to my eyes. I hope you are enjoying the time with your family :grouphug:

[Janet2k]

[...Note: I’m going to post the following in both trip reports regarding my Fairy Tale Weddings Vow Renewal. Again, thank you, everyone, for your kind words…]

Today is my wedding anniversary. In honor of it, I thought I would share a photograph with you folks: click here (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/janettwokay/album/576460762326629411/photo/294928804207175066/66). The expressions on Rick’s and my faces in that photograph pretty much sum up the emotions that we were feeling when we realized our dinner party was about to officially begin.

That particular photograph was taken after Rick and I had enjoyed a very romantic moonlit ride through the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park. Our Hollywood Director for the evening, Lars (seen standing to my right in a beret, sunglasses, leopard shirt, jodhpurs, and boots), had given us a private tour in an open car through the streets of the Studios. That ride was a complete surprise to both Rick and I. And as we were enjoying it, our guests were being led to the Handprint Ceremony's location where champagne and strawberries were waiting for them.

When Rick and I finally arrived in front of the Great Movie Ride’s courtyard, we felt like a couple of movie stars. A red carpet had been rolled out just for us, and our guests were waiting behind red velvet ropes. It truly looked like an official Hollywood Handprint Ceremony was about to begin. It was absolutely darling.

That is how our fairy tale dinner party began exactly one year ago tonight. I promise to share further details soon.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Anniversary Song”
Words and Music: Al Jolson and Saul Chaplin

Recorded by Al Jolson, 1946
Audio Clip: Click here (http://www.jolson.org/ra/dec/d10anivsong.ram)

Oh, how we danced on the night we were wed
We vowed our true love, though a word wasn't said
The world was in bloom, there were stars in the skies
Except for the few that were there in your eyes

Dear, as I held you so close in my arms
Angels were singing a hymn to your charms
Two hearts gently beating were murmuring low
"Darling, I love you so"

The night seemed to fade into blossoming dawn
The sun shone anew but the dance lingered on
Could we but recall that sweet moment sublime
We'd find that our love is unaltered by time
- - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[WithDisneySpirit]

Happy, happy anniversary, Janet and Rick!! :love: That is a beautiful picture of your night and celebration. I love it!

Thank you and I hope you enjoy your special day together :goodvibes

[lurontravel]

Janet,
I just stumbled upon your thread, a dis friend of mine had mentioned the trip report area, and I decided to look. What a whirlwind you have been through in the last 23 years! My fairytale just began a very brief 11+ years ago, and I have so enjoyed reading yours. Keep enjoying every chapter along the way, that is the most special thing that we can do.
Laura

[Janet2k]

[NOTE: I spent the past few weeks wracking my brain in an attempt to find background music for this post. Since the story that I was going to share took place during the last week of July 2004, I wanted to find a song that had the word “July” in it. That sounds fairly easy, doesn’t it? Well, I soon discovered that July was not a good month for song lyrics. I couldn’t find anything appropriate to use.

I next attempted to find a song that had the word “Summer” in it. I found an awful lot of songs that were written about that warm season. However, none of them seemed like a good fit. Boy, finding a song for this post was turning out to be harder than I thought it would be.

I eventually cried “Uncle!” in defeat and decided I would post in silence. But since I hate giving up, I found that I could not bring myself to post without some sort of background music. It was back to the drawing board for me.

After taking another look at the songs that were stored on my hard-drive, I stumbled onto Gwen Stefani’s song, “Rich Girl.” I laughed when I bumped into it. Since this post was going to mention my growing apprehension regarding the cost of decorating the “Great Movie Ride,” I found that song quite fitting. I think it goes without saying that had I been a rich girl, this post would not have been written.]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Rich Girl”
Songwriters: Gwen Stefani, Eve, Dr. Dre, Kara DioGuardi, Chantal Kreviazuk,
Mike Elizondo, Mark Batson, Sheldon Harnick, & Jerry Bock

AOL Music Video: click here (http://mp.aol.com/video.index.adp?pmmsid=1217725)
Amazon.com Audio Clip: click here (http://www.amazon.com/gp/music/wma-pop-up/B00064AEJW001002/105-3135396-9623621)

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na

[Eve]
Come together all over the world
From the hoods of Japan, Harajuku girls
What, it's all love
What, give it up
What (shouldn't matter 4x), what
Come together all over the world
From the hoods of Japan, Harajuku girls
What, it's all love
What, give it up
What (shouldn't matter 4x)

[Gwen]
If I was rich girl (na, na...)
See, I'd have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl
No man could test me, impress me, my cash flow would never ever end
Cause I'd have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl

Think what that money could bring
I'd buy everything
Clean out Vivienne Westwood
In my Galliano gown
No, wouldn't just have one hood
A Hollywood mansion if I could
Please book me first-class to my fancy house in London town

All the riches baby, won't mean anything
All the riches baby, won't bring what your love can bring
All the riches baby, won't mean anything
Don't need no other baby
Your lovin' is better than gold, and I know

If I was rich girl (na, na...)
See, I'd have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl
No man could test me, impress me, my cash flow would never ever end
Cause I'd have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl

I'd get me four Harajuku girls to (uh huh)
Inspire me and they'd come to my rescue
I'd dress them wicked, I'd give them names (yeah)
Love, Angel, Music, Baby
Hurry up and come and save me

All the riches baby, won't mean anything
All the riches baby, won't bring what your love can bring
All the riches baby, won't mean anything
Don't need no other baby
Your lovin' is better than gold, and I know

[Eve]
Come together all over the world
From the hoods of Japan, Harajuku girls
What, it's all love
What, give it up
What (shouldn't matter 4x), what
Come together all over the world
From the hoods of Japan, Harajuku girls
What, it's all love
What, give it up
What (shouldn't matter 4x)

What happened to my life
Turned upside down
Chicks that blew ya mind, ding, it's the second round
(Original track and ting, mmm)
You know you can't buy these things (no)
See Stefani and her L.A.M.B., I rock the Fetish
People, you know who I am

[Eve & Gwen]
Yes ma'am, we got the style that's wicked
I hope you can all keep up
We climbed all the way from the bottom to the top
Now we ain't gettin' nothin' but love

[Gwen]
If I was rich girl (na, na...)
See, I'd have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl
No man could test me, impress me, my cash flow would never ever end
Cause I'd have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
[2x]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When I arrived home on Sunday, July 25th, there was a telephone message waiting for me from Nutz4dzny. Her message stated that she had arrived home safely. I was pleased to hear that. Her message also asked me to give her a call once I got home. I picked up the phone and dialed her number.

After exchanging travel information (her flight home was uneventful, while my flight was shared with Henry Winkler), I thanked Nutz4dzny for joining me in Walt Disney World for my Fairy Tale Weddings Planning Session. I told her how much it had meant to me that she, WeFullTime, and Bonzie1 had shared that incredible day with me. She insisted that the pleasure was all hers. How sweet of her to say that. The two of us didn’t talk for too long since we were tired from our journeys home, so we made plans to speak later on in the week.

A few hours later, I decided to check my e-mail. I was pleasantly surprised to find a very detailed message waiting for me from the Entertainment, Photography & Videography Sales Manager who I had met during my Fairy Tale Weddings’ Planning Session (I’ll call him the EPV Sales Manager for the duration of this post). He had prepared an Entertainment Proposal and a Photography & Videography Contract for my review. I was pleased that he had sent those items so quickly, especially since my vow renewal was only three months away.

The EPV Sales Manager asked me to review the Entertainment Proposal (click here (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/janettwokay/album/576460762326628077/photo/294928803349201458/38)) to insure it included everything that had been discussed during my Planning Session. He then asked me to sign, date, and return it. It was noted that changes could be made to the signed proposal up to 30 days prior to the event. The cut-off date for any changes was Monday, September 27, 20004, at 5:00pm EST (that was two months away).

As to my Photography & Videography Contract, the EPV Sales Manager mentioned that I had chosen an 8-hour photography package. That package included two artistic-styled albums: a small 20-print album and a large 50-print album. He reiterated that I could forfeit the 20-print album entirely, and then upgrade the 50-print album to an 80-print album at no additional charge. If I opted to keep both the 20-print and 50-print albums, I could upgrade the 50-print album to either an 80-print album or a 100-print album for an additional charge. Those two options had been mentioned during my Planning Session and it was nice to see them in writing for my reference.

Also in the e-mail, the EPV Sales Manager asked me to (1) complete the attached Service Order form; (2) confirm my chosen package, pricing, and components; and (3) provide an address where my final images could be signed for upon delivery. The Photo / Video Service Order form (click here (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/janettwokay/album/576460762326628077/photo/294928803349202024/41)) needed to be returned to Disney Photographic, Video, and Creative Services with an additional copy going to the EPV Sales Manager.

There was one more document that I had to finalize – the Requested Shot List (click here (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/janettwokay/album/576460762326628077/photo/294928803349202380/43)). I needed to complete this document and return it no less than two weeks prior to my event. My photography and videography teams would refer to this Shot List in order to ensure that my desired images were captured.

I was also asked to designate someone, either a guest or a family member, who could assist my photography and videography teams with assembling the appropriate people together for various shots. The first person who came to mind was my sister. She was a professional photographer and thus was perfect for the job.

Finally, the e-mail message included a few images of Mickey Mouse. At my Planning Session I had requested photos of Mickey Mouse wearing various outfits. Three images had been sent to me: Traditional Mickey, Director Mickey, and Sorcerer Mickey. When I looked at the images, I immediately flashed back to when I was planning my family’s Summerhouse Dinner Party (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=586647&page=1&pp=15). In my trip report I had stated the following:

"I guess a childhood filled with selecting outfits for my Barbie dolls had grown to this – my wanting to select an outfit for Mickey Mouse. I must admit that it was fun doing so."

Who said when you outgrew childhood you had to leave all the fun and games behind? Certainly not I. And so I looked at the photos that had been sent and tried to imagine which Mickey Mouse would best fit with my party’s theme:
Traditional Mickey (click here) (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/janettwokay/album/576460762326628077/photo/294928803349203108/47)
Director Mickey (click here) (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/janettwokay/album/576460762326628077/photo/294928803349203228/48)
Sorcerer Mickey (click here) (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/janettwokay/album/576460762326628077/photo/294928803349203455/49)

I had used Traditional Mickey at my Summerhouse event (click here (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/janettwokay/album/576460762326646108/photo/294928803349417048/41)). He had worked out well, but since I had already used him, I wanted to select another Mickey Mouse.

My decision was now down to two: Director Mickey and Sorcerer Mickey. Since my dinner party was being held inside the Great Movie Ride, I thought Director Mickey might fit in perfectly with the theme. But then I remembered that there would be a Streetmosphere character at my party who was a Hollywood Producer. Would Director Mickey conflict with the Hollywood Producer? Would one too many high-powered Hollywood types spoil the scene? I wondered.

My attention next turned to Sorcerer Mickey. I was planning on having a dance party following my dinner party. This dance party would be held outdoors in front of the Sorcerer’s Hat icon (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=dbdb&.dnm=f3cd.jpg&.src=ph)). Would Sorcerer Mickey fit in with that location? You’re darn tootin’ he would. But since time was on my side, I decided not to make a final decision just yet. I still had a few weeks to think about it.

The EPV Sales Manager ended his e-mail message by stating that Disney looked forward to hosting my celebration. That was nice to hear and put a smile on my face.

In my e-mailbox was one more message from the EPV Sales Manager. This message contained Disney’s photography packages (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/cd85&.dnm=14ce.jpg&.src=ph)) and videography packages (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/cd85&.dnm=838d.jpg&.src=ph)). I was pleased to have that information for reference.

After I had finished reading the two e-mail messages from the EPV Sales Manager, I spent a couple of minutes reviewing the documents that had been sent to me. Since I was very tired from my journey home from Walt Disney World, I made a mental note to print the documents later on in the week. I would thoroughly review them when I could give them my complete attention.

Bonzie1 had sent me a welcome home message. Even though she had just gotten home from a weekend at the shore, she wanted to take a moment to thank me for inviting her to my Planning Session. How sweet of her to do that. I sent her a brief response:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi, Bonzie1!

I got home a few hours ago. I am exhausted – I still can't believe that I was able to share my FTW planning session with you (and Nutz4dzny & WeFullTime). I am so thankful that God has blessed me with your friendship. You'll never know how much I appreciated your taking time away from your own busy life to spend with me in Orlando. Thank you so much, Bonzie1!

Hugs,
Janet

(PS My daughter loved all the little things that you did for me – she thought the badges were the coolest!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the day finally had come to an end, I went to bed utterly exhausted. As I laid in bed, I was determined to push all thoughts of my vow renewal aside. I needed to clear my head and give my mind a break from the whirlwind pace that it had experienced over the past five days. It didn’t take long for me to fall soundly asleep. Zzzzzzzz…

The next morning was Monday (http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=003078101010006900&cid=600111) and was the start of a new work week. When I got to the office, my coworkers (all males) asked me how my trip had gone. I told them that it had been a mind-boggling trip and promised to fill them in on it over lunch.

When lunchtime rolled around, I gave my buddies the condensed version of my trip. That was good enough for them since our lunch conversations primarily revolve around sports and politics (government & office). And that was fine with me, too, since there was no way that I could ever convey to them everything that had happened to me during my time in Florida.

After lunch, I had a spare moment and checked my e-mail. I found a beautifully, detailed message from WeFullTime that had been sent the night before. I’ll post excerpts of it below:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi, Janet,

I was totally amazed by all the details you are being presented with as choices and possibilities for your special anniversary wedding vow renewal ceremony. Wow! How can you decide? I don't think I'd be able to sleep trying to figure out what I wanted.

Getting to share the sampling of the chef's proposed menu for the event was fantastic. Thanks for allowing me to tag along. I enjoyed every bite!

The appetizer was excellent and I wouldn't change it a bit. The entree was, again, fantastic. I was surprised at how much I liked the venison. I wouldn't have expected it to be so good. I expected by the looks that its rareness would put me off. But that concern was eliminated at the first bite. The duck was sooo good, too. The potato "stack" was pretty, interesting, and tasty. The "tumbleweed" sweet potatoes were a whimsical touch. And the braised greens (I forgot what he said they were) were delicious -- I told you I love garlic!

The cake tasting was lots of fun. I found it interesting that we all agreed on how tasty the strawberry was, but that we all chose the yellow cake with the white chocolate filling.

Now, as for your other presentations, I am overwhelmed. How do you pick and choose and make everything look nice but keep $ in line with "bang for the buck." What a dilemma! And the fact that you are going to have to have table settings and decorations for not one table but 3 separate tables is daunting. The appetizer room, then the entree room, then the dessert room, and then, even, the "outside" room. Whoa! Sure hope they will be able to keep your goals in mind in their proposals.

Oh, one more thing. Upon reflection and discussion with my husband, we wondered how viable the dance set from midnight to 2 am would turn out. I suspect sleepy and stuffed guests might be less than enthusiastic after a short time. Am I way off base on this? My thinking is that at a regular large wedding, with 200 or so guests, at any given time maybe 20 or 40 would be dancing. The rest would be visiting and some may have left early. But, at any given time you would have some people on the dance floor. But, with a group as small as 20, would it seem strange if everyone danced one dance and then were too "pooped" to do anymore? What is to be done for the rest of the time if the guests are really tired and falling asleep? Speaking as one of the "older" folks, I know that I have trouble staying out so late and partying like I did in my younger days! : )

I don't mean to sound negative with any of the comments I have made. Please don't be offended if I may have cast doubts on a part of the event that may be very important to you.

Janet, we are just so grateful for your friendship and your hospitality. Please, please, please don't feel obligated to have us attend. We were thrilled to be invited, but, if you need to keep your guest number lower, don't hesitate in the least to let us know. Since you expect to be in Florida for some days before and after, we could get together before or after the ceremony. So, we are at your disposal, literally! : )

Hugs,
WeFullTime
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I loved having WeFullTime’s input. She had put a lot of thought into what she had shared with me. I was very grateful for that. I also knew there was no way that I was going to un-invite her from my vow renewal. It just wouldn’t be the same if she wasn’t there to share my special day with me. She and her husband were two of the nicest people who Rick and I had ever met. It would be an honor to have them at the vow renewal.

WeFullTime’s e-mail message had touched upon the dinner menu. I was pleased that she had shared her thoughts regarding each of the courses, especially the main entrée. Venison is not a dish that is served every day, and you folks already know that I was concerned about its uniqueness. I was happy to learn that WeFullTime had enjoyed the venison as much as I had, as well as the duck. That put my mind at ease. I was also happy to learn that she had enjoyed the braised greens. If greens had tasted that good when I was growing up, I would have eaten a whole heck of a lot more of them.

WeFullTime had also brought up the one topic that was concerning me the most since my Planning Session and that was decorations. Because most dinner parties take place in only one location, only one location needs to be decorated. But my dinner party was going to be a progressive party that took place in no less than five locations:
* Courtyard Area (click here) (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=5e26&.dnm=87de.jpg&.src=ph)
* Gangster Area (click here) (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=5e26&.dnm=bae1scd.jpg&.src=ph)
* Western Area (click here) (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=e87b.jpg&.src=ph)
* Land of Oz Area (click here) (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=5e26&.dnm=52d1scd.jpg&.src=ph)
* Sorcerer’s Hat Area (click here) (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/cd85&.dnm=b0edscd.jpg&.src=ph)

I was concerned that the decorating bill for my party would be astronomical (http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/about.html). The one thing that gave me some comfort was the simple fact that each of the five locations already came beautifully decorated. Nothing honestly needed to be added to them in order to jazz them up. However, each of the locations did need tables, chairs, linens, tableware, and centerpieces. Costs for those items would add up quickly and that was my greatest fear. [Note: There was one more area on my list that needed to be decorated and that was the Wedding Pavilion (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=11b0.jpg&.src=ph)). That brought the tally up to six locations for decorations.]

There was one area of the dinner party that I was not too terribly concerned about and that was the Courtyard area. The Handprint Ceremony would take place in the courtyard that was located in front of the Great Movie Ride (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=5e26&.dnm=87de.jpg&.src=ph)). During my Planning Session, I didn’t ask for any details regarding this ceremony since I knew it would be brief and would be followed by a champagne toast. To my knowledge, tables and chairs wouldn’t be needed here. That meant a linen package wouldn’t have to be selected and centerpieces wouldn’t have to be ordered. I liked the thought of that, but wouldn’t know if my assumption was correct until after I had received my Floral Proposal. I kept my fingers crossed that my Floral Event Manager would send a proposal that would suit my party’s needs without being too costly. (Note: The Floral Proposal would include pricing for everything from wedding bouquets to table linens.)

I know I have mentioned this before but thought I would mention it again. During my Planning Session, I chose not to define a budget for my vow renewal. I consciously chose this path because I simply did not want to limit what Disney presented to me in the way of ideas. But by not discussing a budget, I suddenly feared that I had created a monster. I knew it was a given that my dinner party would be on the expensive side since it was being held inside a theme park. But would my Floral Proposal be on the expensive side since it was being held inside a theme park, or would it be on the expensive side since I had not defined any monetary boundaries? ~Gulp.~ I would be on pins and needles regarding this until my proposal arrived. It was too late to turn back now (http://www.destinationhollywood.com/movies/allabouteve/quickclip_01.shtml).

The last item in WeFullTime’s e-mail touched upon the dance party. I’ll include excerpts below of my response to her:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi, WeFullTime.

Thank you so much for joining me for the planning session. That day went much longer than any of us thought it would and yet none of you complained. I can’t tell you how much I appreciated having you all there with me – it wouldn’t have been half as much fun if I had done it alone.

Thanks so much for your comments regarding the planning session. I loved reading them and wasn’t offended in the least.

As unique as the dinner menu was, I thought everything blended together nicely. I could always go with a more standard chicken & beef meal, and believe me, I did consider that route, but since Rick & I will be celebrating 20 years of marriage, I thought a more unique meal was in order. Heck, my family dines on standard fare every day of our lives; we can certainly enjoy something a little more flavorful at least once. However, I do know that my Dad will complain (he’s strictly a meat & potatoes kinda guy), but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. My Mom, on the other hand, tends to enjoy more exotic dishes. I think she’ll enjoy this menu.

I am worried about the “floral” proposal (that includes the table linens, decorations, and so on). I’m sure it will be expensive. I have already decided that it is one area where I can easily cut back. I am thinking that if I let Disney go crazy with anything, it would be with the Land of Oz. Depending upon how expensive the Land of Oz proposal is, I may not do it at all and just go with the standard white linen package and votive candles. Keep your fingers crossed that it’s not too insane in pricing.

I originally did not have dancing on the itinerary. I decided to add it at the last minute (that surprised the Fairy Tale Weddings folks on the day of my planning session). I can change my mind again and remove it, but I think I am going to keep it. It won’t bother me if no one dances; it is basically an excuse to move the party outdoors when no one else is around inside the theme park.

A bus will be on standby for anyone who decides to leave the party early. If someone decides to leave, they board the bus and away they go. The bus will take them back to their resort or back to their vehicle.

Rick & I are very excited that you and your husband are going to join us for the vow renewal & dinner party. It should be a very memorable night, especially since the two of you will be there.

Again, thank you so much, WeFullTime, for joining me for my planning session.

Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is true that I had surprised the Fairy Tale Weddings folks by adding the dance party back onto my event. When Rick and I were married the first time around, we had nothing more than a simple wedding ceremony. We decided that 20 years of marriage was worthy of a dance or two.

Late in the day, I received a message from Bonzie1. She stated that she would type up her notes from my Planning Session and send them to me. I was looking forward to receiving them. My Planning Session had been a very long and detail-oriented day. I was on overload by the end of it. It would be wonderful to have Bonzie1’s notes to help refresh my memory.

I sent a response to Bonzie1 that evening, and just like I had done in WeFullTime’s e-mail message, I mentioned my concern regarding the Floral Proposal:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi, Bonzie1!

My flight home was fine (it was fun knowing that I was sharing the same flight with Henry Winkler, even though he was in First Class and I was in Coach). I was so rundown by Sunday morning, that it actually felt okay to (eh gads!) leave Orlando (gasp!). Usually I am very sad when I have to head home, but this time I was actually a little relieved. Of course now that I've had some sleep, I am sad to be back home again (yes, I am very fickle, I tell you). But I'll be in WDW in less than three months, so no complaints here. By the way, three months from tomorrow is the BIG DAY - yahoo!

I am so happy that my vow renewal’s Event Manager is the same Cast Member who had handled my Summerhouse Event. What a great guy. And I still can't believe that the Chef de Cuisine and Sous-Chef did my menu tasting. Wow! I was very fortunate that they rearranged their schedules to pull off that little surprise for me. What an honor to personally know the folks who will be preparing my dinner. And the two of them were as nice as could be (but I knew they would be based upon my brief history with them).

My daughter looked at the magnet on my refrigerator this morning and said, "Bonzie1 is so COOL!" She just loves everything that you did for me (me too!). You are so CREATIVE!!!!

I am still terrified regarding what my "floral" budget will be (that includes all the linen packages & decorations). Yikes! That one will probably give me a heart attack. But I also know it will be a very easy budget for me to slash. I am praying, however, that the cost of decorating the Land of Oz won't be too terribly insane. That is the one area where I feel like splurging a little bit. Keep your fingers crossed for me, will ya?

Thank you so much for taking care of Nutz4dzny when she was so sick. You're a real good person, Bonzie1 (like I have to tell you that, eh?!). I know that Nutz4dzny was so grateful to you for being there for her.

I heard from WeFullTime via e-mail. She said she was happy that she got to tag along with all of us last week. She is very nice and her husband is, too. I'm glad they'll be joining us for the vow renewal.

Well, I'm gonna close for now. Let your husband know how grateful I am for allowing you to join me in WDW for a few days!

Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also that day, I heard from one of my dear girlfriends. She would be attending my vow renewal, so the two of us made arrangements to meet for dinner later on that week:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi, Girlfriend!

It’s good to hear from you and very appropriate considering that I just returned from WDW yesterday. I flew out there last week for my on-site planning session with the Disney Fairy Tale Weddings folks (I took the red-eye on Tuesday night & arrived in Orlando on Wednesday morning; boy was I ever tired). My planning session was on Thursday and it was a marathon 8-1/2 hour day. It was really a lot of fun. I went by myself in order to keep costs down, but a few of my Internet friends were nice enough to join me for a few days so I was never alone. I even got to hook up with one of my favorite people and his wife on Saturday. I discovered that he received his degree from the same university that I did, and his wife’s family has worked for the university throughout the years. What a small world, eh?

I promise to bore you with lots of details when we meet for dinner. I am more certain than ever that my October 27th vow renewal and dinner party will be wonderful. I am very excited about the whole thing, and I’m awfully glad that you’ll be joining us for it! Your room reservation is all set. It will be fun having the bulk of our little group together in one resort, the BoardWalk Villas. My sister is looking forward to seeing you and my parents are, too (my Mom better not be sick this year). I can’t believe that 3 months from tomorrow, we’ll all be together in Florida. Yahoo!

Miss you,
Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes, it would be good to have my dear girlfriend with me in Florida. It was always fun vacationing with her, and I had done so several times over the years. Plus, she had been with me for my 19th wedding anniversary celebration (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=6a8c&.dnm=c83f.jpg&.src=ph) – she’s in the red blouse). It was only fitting that she would be with me for my 20th wedding anniversary celebration, too.

When I got home from work that night, I decided to open up one of the gifts that Bonzie1 had given to me during our vacation – the Wishes fireworks soundtrack (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=26b8.jpg&.src=ph)). I popped the CD into my computer, and as it began to play, the memories from my Summerhouse party drifted through my mind. Before I knew it, I was navigating to the location on my computer’s hard-drive where my Summerhouse photos were stored. I found them and scrolled through them as the soundtrack played.

It wasn’t long before I decided to set a few of the fireworks photos to music. I chose a song from the Wishes soundtrack and got to work. When my simple video slideshow had been completed, I sent it to the man who had made my dreams come true on that vacation – my Event Manager. I thought he might enjoy seeing a little piece of the Summerhouse party through my “eyes.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Event Manager,

This evening I opened up one of the gifts that my friend Bonzie1 had given to me while we were in Walt Disney World together last week. It was the soundtrack to Wishes. I took one of the songs from that CD and set it to the fireworks photos that were taken during my Summerhouse dessert party. I know my little video clip isn't anything fancy, but I thought you might like seeing it.

Sincerely,
Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After I sent the video slideshow to my Event Manager, I altered the opening and closing title pages. I sent this new version of the slideshow to Bonzie1 and Floridafam as a way of thanking them for coming to my family’s dinner party. [Note: If you would like to view the slideshow that I sent to them, click here (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8735633457268912980&q=%22Grand+Floridian+Marina%27s+View+of+Magic+King dom%27s+Fireworks+Show.%22+playable%3Atrue).]

For the next day or so, e-mails went back and forth between Bonzie1 and me. In one of her messages, as promised, she had included her notes from the Planning Session:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Janet,

I was able to quickly put together some of my notes from your meeting marathon. I'm sure things will change over time. I will find the menu and add that in. I wanted to get this to you before I left for the day... the thunder has started... another flood watch for tonight!

Bonzie1

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Rehearsal
* Rehearsal on 10/26/04 – TBD

Vow Renewal
* 10/27/04

Pre-Event Janet + Rick
* Janet + Rick pictures at castle in MK
* Janet + Rick pictures at GF staircase +/- 60 minutes
* Golf cart to Wedding pavilion

Pre-Event Guests
* Pick up from resorts

Wedding Pavilion
* 7:30 PM Guests enter to organ music
* 8:00 PM Ceremony
* 8:20 PM Pictures
* 8:45 PM Staged Exit in front of pavilion – rose petals?

Wedding Pavilion To Be Done
* Readings
* Special Music
* Cost for candlelight – votives?
* Cost for fireworks
* Flower arrangements

GMR Reception

9:00 PM
* Welcome
* Janet + Rick Handprint Ceremony
* Director to greet and guide guests throughout evening in all areas
* Entrance – movie will be playing
* Ride animatronics & soundtrack will be running throughout the event

9:30 PM
* Gangster Area – cocktails +/- 30 minutes
* Photo Ops (gangster car as backdrop)
* Mixed cocktails in mason jars
* Wine in coffee mugs
* Beer in paper bags
* 2 Streetmosphere actors
* Tablecloths – black, perhaps with red ribbon across center, votive, gel candles

10:00 PM
* Western Area – dinner +/- 90 minutes
* 1 long table Janet + Rick seated at center
* Table black drop, red + white checked square overlay
* Option – cover chairs, have a satin ribbon around the back, tie some daisies in the bow
* Centerpiece – hat, boots, hay, lasso
* Options – add bouquet of daisies
* Menu cards
* Trio for music

11:30 PM
* Oz – dessert +/- 45 min
* Round tables
* Tablecloths – tangerine + raspberry
* Napkins – lime green or color with lime ribbon
* Centerpieces – floral with personalized lollipops
* Individual Mickey cakes – black ears for earful tower, individual colors
* Ride will be running, munchkins, witch will appear
* Champagne toast – Asti Spumante

12:00 AM
* Sorcerer’s Hat +/- 120 minutes
* Dancing under the stars
* Mickey + Minnie 30 minutes
* Director, Sorcerer, or Traditional Mickey
* Traditional Minnie
* 5 Round cocktail tables – lit Plexiglas (check cost)
* Tablecloths – blue with silver stars – or – red ties with gold cord (like sorcerer Mickey’s robe)
* Glow ice cubes

Side Notes
* Janet + Rick name
* Poster outside of theater
* Janet + Rick on marquee
* Janet + Rick name in lights near Hollywood sign wall mural
* Janet + Rick name projected on pavement near the Sorcerer’s Hat

Photography
* Decide what photographs are needed
* Decided on 8 hrs of coverage
* Pre-editing session
* CD hi-res
* 2 albums - 1 for Janet +Rick, 1 small for Janet

Cake
* Yellow cake with white icing
* Mini cakes with Mickey ears on top
* Maybe strawberries served with the strawberry icing as a side to the cakes

Floral
* Janet – round bridal bouquet – fragrant with pastels, sheer wrap ribbon to match dress (taupe), single pearl at top of ribbon, some hidden pearl Mickeys in the flowers
* Daughter + Niece – small version of Janet’s bouquet, sheer ribbon (check dress colors); hair flowers? Wait and see
* Mother and Aunt – Corsage mix sheer white ribbon
* Father – White rose
* Rick, Son + Nephew – boutonniere wedding flower + lavender rose

Floral To Be Decided
* Arrangement for altar
* Can these be used in Oz
* Send to rooms of guests after service – Mickey vase
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bonzie1’s notes were even indexed. I was impressed. I sent her a message thanking her for those notes. I knew they were going to be a big help as the countdown to my vow renewal continued.

I should mention that towards the end of June, I had received an electronic sample of Disney’s “Save the Date” letter and envelope. It had been sent to me by my Fairy Tale Weddings Sales Manager. The “Save the Date” letter was actually split up into two PDF files – one file contained the letterhead (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/cd85&.dnm=8c29.jpg&.src=ph)) and the other file contained the personalization (click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=/cd85&.dnm=35b7.jpg&.src=ph)). With two separate files, I had to visualize what the real “Save the Date” letter would look like. I couldn’t wait to see it.

Along with the “Save the Date” information had come a request for my guest list. Since my vow renewal was now three months away, ~gulp,~ I decided it was time to get crackin’ and send that list to my Event Manager. I did so right away:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Event Manager,

Please send “Save the Date” letters to the following list of people (see below). I’m not sure if everyone will attend, but I certainly want to extend an official invitation to them nonetheless. Also, the only ones who will need resort information are Aaa, Bbb, Ccc, Ddd, Eee, Fff, Ggg, and Hhh. As to which resorts to use for my room block, let’s go with the Pop Century (Value), Port Orleans – French Quarter (Moderate), and Wilderness Lodge (Deluxe).

Within the next five minutes I will be FAX’ing to your attention minor corrections that I have made to the “Save the Date” letter and its envelope. Please be on the lookout for it.

Sincerely,
Janet
FTW Vow Renewal: October 27, 2004
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In my guest list I had included my older sister and her family. She had turned down my invitation earlier in the year, but I held onto a small hope that maybe she’d reconsider. I felt it was worth one last try. (Note: She didn’t change her mind.)

When my vow renewal planning had first begun, one of my male friends at work had expressed a special interest in it. He told me that he enjoyed hearing about weddings and party planning. Well, in the final months leading up to my vow renewal, I hope he didn’t grow to regret those words. During the times when I was indecisive and needed a friend’s opinion, he always came through for me. He was a real trouper. He also was the only one at work with whom I shared the nitty-gritty details. I was grateful for his friendship. Here is a message that I sent to him after my Planning Session:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Guy,

Here is a photo of the mini-cakes that will be served to each of the dinner guests at my vow renewal’s dinner party : click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=b852.jpg&.src=ph). I have requested that the chocolate mouse ears be done in black since the “Earffel Tower” inside the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park has black ears atop of it (it is a water tower with Mickey Mouse ears), and my dinner party is going to be held inside that particular theme park. I have also asked if the dots in the shape of Mickey heads on the cakes (and the piped-frosting) can be done in various colors. I’m waiting to hear back from Disney on that. If it can’t be done, then I will request that all the little Mickey-headed dots (and piped-frosting) be done in sliver. I am hoping, however, that Disney will allow my cakes to be done in various colors since those cakes will be served inside the “Land of Oz” and that is a very colorful area.

Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes, it was awfully nice having at least one male friend with whom I could share my ideas. I would do so many times over the following months, and not once did he ever make me feel silly regarding what I was planning for my dinner reception.

Later on that afternoon, I received a message from my Event Manager stating that he had shared my resort choices, guest list, and “Save the Date” corrections with my Sales Manager. He said my Sales Manager would be contacting me soon. Things were moving right along.

I sent Bonzie1 an e-mail asking her for a favor. Since I wouldn’t be receiving the “Save the Date” letter, I asked if she could scan it in and send me an electronic copy of it. I told her I was curious to see what it looked like and mentioned that I wouldn’t be receiving the letter since I was the one who was hosting the vow renewal. Here is an excerpt of one of our e-mail exchanges:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bonzie1,

If you can scan it in and e-mail me a picture of it, that will be enough for me. That way I can add it to an on-line photo album that I plan on sharing when I begin writing about the event.

I will keep you posted regarding all the FTW stuff that was discussed in last week's planning session. I hope to hear something soon so that I can begin budgeting for it. Right now my photo/video bill is over $6K (I had budgeted for $5K so that's right on target when you add the $750 for the Magic Kingdom portrait session). I'm still a little worried about the floral/linen budget, but that will be an easy one to cut back, I just wish they'd send it to me soon.

Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since I had mentioned my concern regarding the Floral Proposal, Bonzie1 sent me a few suggestions to help ease my mind:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Janet!

I am now down at the shore for the next few days. Since my husband was off since Monday, I wanted to come down to spend some time together. Please forgive any spelling errors... I am on a modem, and the keyboard to our laptop has decided to go on vacation while I'm typing to you (ha!)

Send any notes to my home e-mail. I think they'll be easier to retrieve with the laptop.

I'm glad your photo budget is coming in on track! I hope they get you the figures soon. Then you can decide what to do. Just make the event your own. It will be beautiful. I couldn't hear what they discussed as standard chairs/linens. Personally I wouldn't worry about the gangster area, as that should be dark and dreary. Besides, we'll be there for 30 minutes, and the way they'll be serving the drinks sounds so creative with the bags and the mason jars! No one will take time to look at the tables. I really like the table arrangement we saw when we entered the tasting... I guess it was the first appearance that is still in my mind. If I were to splurge on anything, (and I could... smile) it would be Oz. I think the floral dept could get creative for you and pick a basic arrangement filled with just greens... ferns... ivy, etc to be on the altar at the wedding pavilion, and then use those to add the lollipops to in Oz. At any rate, Oz is so wonderful, you really don't need anything else. I know I will keep pinching myself that night to just believe I am there celebrating with you in the GMR! You know, even a basic white tablecloth with various colored napkins spread out as "diagonal placemats" in front of each place may add just the amt of color you want without breaking the budget.

I'm just dreaming as I write (hoping I don't lose my connection).

I will write again, but want to send this off now before I lose anything!

Bonzie1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was right. If my Floral Proposal came in too high and I needed to make cuts, even the Land of Oz area was fine just the way it was. I had to try to stop worrying so much. Oh, but that was easier said than done.

Bonzie1 sent me another letter of moral support:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Janet,

I was running things through my mind as I was driving down the shore (and listening to Wishes). If the budget gets really out of hand for your comfort level (and with WDW, that wouldn't be hard!), I wouldn't be afraid to cutback on the 4th venue... the dancing. The hour will be late (12-2) and you will have already knocked our socks off with the whole party... especially ending up in Oz. Maybe to cap things off as a last surprise, you could do the kiss goodnight (is that what it was called?) with the fireworks down the main blvd. That would be special... just my 2 cents. Don't worry about disappointing anyone without dancing… We will be wowed by attending everything…

Things will start falling into place once they get you that contract!

I'll write again tomorrow! Make a wish, and your dreams... will... come... TRUE!

Good night my friend,
Bonzie1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Like WeFullTime, Bonzie1 had brought up the idea of cutting out the dance party. I had been down that path prior to my Planning Session. However, by the time my Planning Session had rolled around, I had decided to add it back in. With both WeFullTime and Bonzie1 suggesting it be cut in order to save money, I decided to revisit the subject. It didn’t take long before I had come to my decision. I sent the following response to Bonzie1:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi, Bonzie1.

Thanks for the input. You’ve given me much to think about (as always). I am going to leave the DJ in the budget for now because it gives me an excuse to sit outside in the theme park when no one else is around for an extra hour or two (plus, my daughter really wants to dance outside and I do, too).

I still am waiting for pricing on the Kiss Goodnight. I know that 25 seconds of fireworks at the Wedding Pavilion starts at $2,500, so I can only imagine what a Kiss Goodnight inside a theme park costs. Probably thousands and thousands of dollars since it is more involved. I’m sure it will be too expensive for me, but it will be fun nonetheless seeing what those fireworks cost.

Keep those comments coming!

Miss you,
Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes, I admit it. I had purely selfish reasons for wanting to keep the dance party in my plans. At what other point in my life would I have the opportunity to have a theme park all to myself? None that I could think of. And if the weather was beautiful on the night of my vow renewal, just being outdoors in the moonlight with a little music playing would be heaven on earth, ~sigh.~ Yes, I was definitely keeping the dance party in my celebration plans.

There was an old friend who I hadn’t spoken to in several months. I decided to send him a letter in order to bring him up to speed on my life. I composed the following one:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello, old friend!

Well, you haven’t heard from me in awhile, so I thought it was time to fill you in on what’s new with me.

Let’s see… My son recently completed a year of college. He’s in the Computer Engineering program. He did fairly well (Dean’s list the first semester, plus a special English honor). My daughter recently completed another year of grade school. She also just got her Green Belt in Tae Kwan Do the other week. If I can find the video clip of her breaking a board with her hand and her foot during her “promotion” ceremony, I’ll attach it to this e-mail message. I think I have it on my hard-drive because I sent it to my Dad a few weeks ago.

As to me, I’m still at the same place of employment. The company hasn’t changed much since we last spoke…still losing money. I’ve also been without a raise for 4 years now, and have had increasing pay cuts for the past 3 years. Benefits have been severely impacted, too. I don’t know why I’m still here. I recently began giving some thought to moving on. I certainly ain’t gettin’ rich workin’ here, that’s for sure. I’ll keep you posted.

On a happier note, Rick & I will be celebrating 20 years of marriage on October 27th with an evening vow renewal ceremony inside Disney’s Wedding Pavilion. Our ceremony will be followed by a private dinner party inside the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park’s “Great Movie Ride” attraction. The dinner party should be an absolute hoot. Drinks and appetizers will be served in the “Gangster” area, dinner will be served in the “Western” area, dessert will be served in the “Land of Oz,” and dancing will be held outside in front of the Sorcerer’s Hat. I’ve only invited about 17 people to the vow renewal, so it should be an intimate evening. And to help me plan that evening, I flew to Walt Disney World last week for my on-site planning session with the Fairy Tale Weddings’ folks. I traveled to Florida alone, but asked three of my girlfriends from the East Coast to join me for a few days, which they so graciously did. We had a ball – we were ladies without our spouses/children, and because of that fact, were able to relax and enjoy our friendships. I am so grateful they were able to do that for me. I’m blessed with such wonderful friends.

Not much else is new. My parents are doing well (I’ll see them in Florida in October), as are my siblings and their families. Rick’s mom had surgery recently and is recovering.

How is your family doing? I hope your parents are doing well. How is your job? Good, I hope. I also hope you’re making lots of money (it would be nice to think that at least one of my friends was).

Well, I’m gonna close now. I’d been meaning to drop you a line for a couple of months. I hope this e-mail message finds you deliriously happy and utterly content with your life.

Janet

(PS I can’t find the video clip of my daughter because I’m currently logged into my desktop PC here at work and my laptop is downstairs in the Demo Room – the video clip is on my laptop, drats. However, in lieu of the video clip, I will send you a photo of my girlfriends and me from my Florida trip last week. It’s not the greatest picture of me, but who the heck cares anymore – I know that I surely don’t! Click here (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/janettwokay/detail?.dir=9c4e&.dnm=371a.jpg&.src=ph) for photo.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Note: For those of you who want to see the video of my daughter that I spoke of in my e-mail message, click here ( http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2275821087416653085&q=janet ). Since I took that video, my daughter has moved from green belt to blue belt to red belt. Her goal is to make it to black belt. Because she’s a very motivated child, I know she’ll accomplish her goal one day. In the meantime, I need to remember to be nice to her because she can kick my you-know-what.]

One of my dearest friends at work was going to be attending my vow renewal with his wife. I hadn’t really invited anyone from work because I knew how expensive a destination wedding/vow renewal could be for a guest. But when I had talked about my vow renewal at my friend’s wedding a few months prior, he had asked me if he and his wife could attend it. I was honored by his request. I told him they could definitely attend it and that I hadn’t really invited anyone to it due to the costs and logistics that were involved. He said he completely understood my concerns but wanted to be there for Rick and my happy day. I was deeply touched. I sent him the following information:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Friend,

Rick & my 20th Wedding Anniversary Vow Renewal ceremony will be held at 8:00 PM on Wednesday, October 27, 2004, inside Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings’ Wedding Pavilion. Immediately following the ceremony, my guests will be whisked via private bus to the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park for a fun little dinner party. That dinner party will be held inside the “Great Movie Ride” attraction. There will be drinks, appetizers, dinner, and dessert; and after having tasted the dinner menu last week, I can assure you that it will be yummy. After dinner, there will be dancing outdoors to a DJ in front of the Sorcerer’s Hat. Dancing will last until 2:00 AM, when everyone will turn into pumpkins. If anyone chooses to leave the dinner party before it has ended, a private bus will take them back to their Disney resorts. Personally, I plan on hanging out in the theme park until Disney kicks me out. I mean, how many times will I have a theme park all to myself? This will truly be my once-in-a-lifetime celebration, and I am thrilled to pieces that you & your wife will be joining Rick and me for it.

My family will be in Walt Disney World from Saturday, October 23rd, to Monday, November 1st. Our guests are arriving at various times throughout that week: one of my girlfriends arrives on Sunday, my parents & Aunt arrive on Monday, my sister & her kids arrive on Tuesday, my Internet friends arrive on Tuesday, and so on. If you and your wife want to arrive on Saturday, you can certainly hang out with us. We can either relax at the resort’s swimming pool area or hit the theme parks. We’re pretty flexible, you know us.

I am hopeful that the information from Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings’ folks should arrive at your house sometime next week. I am also keeping an eye out for any discounted rates that Disney might be releasing for the vow renewal time-frame. So far Disney has released discounted rates through September only. As soon as they release October rates, I will let you know. The information that you should be receiving from Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings’ folks next week will have some discounted room rates in it. Those rates should be pretty decent, however, if cheaper rates get released, I want to make sure that you get them, thus my keeping an eye out for them (every little saved penny helps, believe me, I know that personally).

Let me know if you have any questions. I want to do everything within my power to make sure that you and your wife join us in October. It will truly be a night to remember!

Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was very excited that my dear coworker and his wife would be in Florida with us. He had been in Florida a few years prior during another one of my family’s vacations, and on that vacation he had gotten my son thrown out of the ESPN Club for being underage. Don’t worry, my son didn’t drink and no ruckus was involved, nor was my son actually thrown out of the ESPN Club. But I like to embellish the story about an innocent high school boy hanging out with a bunch of my wild male buddies inside the ESPN Club’s bar. It’s a fun tale that my son and my friends will never live down.

Just as my Event Manager had promised, I heard from my Sales Manager regarding my “Save the Date” changes. Her e-mail message requested a copy of my guest list. She also sent me a sample “room block” and asked how I wanted it divided up. She said an addendum would be added to my contract and would be sent shortly.

I sent my Sales Manager the following response:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FTW Sales Manager,

Hello! My girlfriends and I had a lot of fun during the planning session. It was an amazing day filled with many wonderful things. Thank you for arranging everything for us. We were especially thrilled that we had the Chef de Cuisine and the Sous-Chef for the menu tasting. That completely took us by surprise. I had only wanted to meet the Chef de Cuisine. I never expected him to prepare my food. And seeing the Sous-Chef again whom I had met briefly during my “Haunted Mansion” Movie Set Dinner Event last Fall was another wonderful surprise. Both chefs were as nice as could be (and the food they prepared was delicious).

The Great Movie Ride walkthrough was simply amazing. What a fun venue. I can only imagine what the vow renewal dinner celebration will be like. I know I’ll be in awe, as will be my guests.

Everyone who I met during my planning session was wonderful. What a fine team of folks Disney has working for them. I’m sure my event will come off flawlessly thanks to everyone’s hard work. By the way, I still can’t believe that Xxxx is my Event Manager. In his capable hands I’ll have the vow renewal celebration of a lifetime.

The room block looks fine. I did fill out the Excel spreadsheet with my guest list. A few of those folks live in Florida, so I imagine they won’t be needing a resort room. I have also added three couples to my guest list who don’t know about my vow renewal yet. I don’t expect them to attend but am holding onto the small hope that one of them just might surprise me (my fingers are crossed). Just about everybody else on the list will be there, which is wonderful. It should be a fun little crowd.

Thank you for the beautiful glass slipper. I guess I am no Cinderella because I couldn’t get the dang thing to fit. Oh, well; at least it has my name on it. (Seriously, I will cherish the glass slipper always – it’s beautiful. What a perfect gift.)

Sincerely,
Janet
FTW Vow Renewal: October 27, 2004
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And so July had come to an end. What an incredibly busy month it had been. I knew August would prove to be just as busy. My Floral Proposal would arrive within the first few weeks of the new month, and with its arrival would come the first of many decisions that I would have to make.

If my Floral Proposal came in at too high of a cost, I would, no doubt, have to cut some items. If it came in at too low of a cost, well, who was I kidding. I didn’t hold out much hope of that happening. After all, there were six venues to decorate and that would come at a price. The question facing me was what price would I be willing to pay? I honestly didn’t know. I was a working girl with a family to feed. I hoped my bank account was rich enough to pay for my dreams. It wouldn’t be long before I found that out.

In honor of the predicament that I was in, I have altered the lyrics to “Rich Girl.” I think you might find humor in the changes that I made.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Rich Girl”
Original Songwriters: Gwen Stefani, Eve, Dr. Dre, Kara DioGuardi,
Chantal Kreviazuk, Mike Elizondo, Mark Batson, Sheldon Harnick, & Jerry Bock

Additional Songwriter: Janet2k

AOL Music Video: click here (http://mp.aol.com/video.index.adp?pmmsid=1217725)
Amazon.com Audio Clip: click here (http://www.amazon.com/gp/music/wma-pop-up/B00064AEJW001002/105-3135396-9623621)

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na

[Bonzie1]
Come together all over Walt Disney World
From the hoods of Japan’s Matsuriza Taiko girls
What, it's all love
What, give it up
What (shouldn't matter 4x), what
Come together all over Walt Disney World
From the hoods of Japan’s Matsuriza Taiko girls
What, it's all love
What, give it up
What (shouldn't matter 4x)

[Janet2k]
If I was a rich girl (na, na....)
See, I'd have all the money in Walt Disney World, if I was a wealthy girl
No event could test me, impress me, my cash flow would never ever end
Cause I'd have all the money in Walt Disney World, if I was a wealthy girl

Think what that money could bring
I'd buy everything
Clean out World of Disney
In my vow renewal gown
No, wouldn't just have one hood
A Hollywood Tower Hotel if I could
Please book me first-class to my fancy house in Celebration town

All the riches baby, would mean everything
All the riches baby, would bring what Disney magic can bring
All the riches baby, would mean everything
Don't need no other baby
Disney magic is better than Disney dollars, and I know

If I was rich girl (na, na...)
See, I'd have all the money in Walt Disney World, if I was a wealthy girl
No event could test me, impress me, my cash flow would never ever end
Cause I'd have all the money in Walt Disney World, if I was a wealthy girl

I'd get me three lovely Dis girls to (uh huh)
Inspire me and they'd come to my rescue
I'd dress them wicked, I'd give them names (yeah)
Nut4dzny, WeFullTime, Bonzie1
Hurry up and come and save me

All the riches baby, would mean everything
All the riches baby, would bring what Disney magic can bring
All the riches baby, would mean everything
Don't need no other baby
Disney magic is better than Disney dollars, and I know

[Bonzie1]
Come together all over Walt Disney World
From the hoods of Japan’s Matsuriza Taiko girls
What, it's all love
What, give it up
What (shouldn't matter 4x), what
Come together all over Walt Disney World
From the hoods of Japan’s Matsuriza Taiko girls
What, it's all love
What, give it up
What (shouldn't matter 4x)

What happened to my life
Turned upside down
Proposals that blew ya mind, ding, it's the second round
(Original track and ting, mmm)
You know you can't buy these things (no)
See Janet2k and her R.I.C.K., I rock the Dis
People, you know who I am

[Nutz4dzny & WeFullTime]
Yes ma'am, we got the style that's wicked
I hope you can all keep up
We climbed all the way from the bottom to the top
Now we ain't gettin' nothin' but love

[Janet2k]
If I was rich girl (na, na...)
See, I'd have all the money in Walt Disney World, if I was a wealthy girl
No event could test me, impress me, my cash flow would never ever end
Cause I'd have all the money in Walt Disney World, if I was a wealthy girl

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
[2x]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Oh, the things I could do if I was a rich girl, ~sigh.~

[#1hockeymom]

Great song choice, even better with its changes! You've once again left no detail unturned or unwritten. Thank you, Janet!

[bear74]

glad to hear the vow renewal was a great success.

[bonzie1]

Janet!

What a WONDERFUL recap!!! Your creativity knows no bounds! An event to remember, and you've kept it alive with your beautiful gift of writing!

THANK-YOU

[nwdisgal]

Another great installment. :flower: :goodvibes

[tubachick]

WOW-- I am not sure why I never read this thread before, but I enjoyed reading all of it now. Belated congrats!!! thanks for sharing all of the details I think they will come in handy for others too!!!!

[SlightlyGoofy]

Janet, you ARE a rich girl. Money is easy to come by, in one way or another but your attitude, love of life, curiousity, eye for detail - not to mention the fact that you are still crazy about that man of yours makes you a wealthy woman in my eyes.

There are many, sitting in mansions, who are lonely, bitter and are not able to enjoy anything that their riches might afford them. I am glad you are not them.

Your roaming friend, Linda

(btw, I shared OUR seat for the parade with a family of five this time and had a lapful of girls)

[lookingforward]

A fantastic installment Janet2k! You have a beautiful family and the vow renewal pictures were amazing. The ideas and planning are so much fun adn I am glad it came together so magically for you!

[Janet2k]

As some of you might remember, in October of 2004, my husband and I celebrated 20 years of marriage with a Fairy Tale Weddings custom vow renewal. It was the most magical night of our lives. Disney and the Fairy Tale Weddings folks did a marvelous job with everything. My husband and I will cherish the memories of our 20th wedding anniversary always.

It is now two years later and I still have two unfinished trip reports regarding that vow renewal. I haven’t touched either one of them in quite a while but hope to rectify that situation soon. However, last week Yahoo changed the way they handled their photo-sharing website. Because of that fact, the links to my personal photos that I have shared here in this trip report no longer work. Sadly, it will take me a while to repair them. Until I can do that, I thought I should share the link to my main photo album: click here (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/janettwokay/albums/). (Note: If the link doesn't work the first time, try a refresh since Yahoo has been having issues.)

If you go to my main photo album, you can search there for the individual photo albums that pertain to my vow renewal. Those albums presently begin with the letters "FTW" (for Fairy Tale Weddings). I haven’t shared all of my photographs yet but have shared some of them. As I continue to work on my trip report, I will share more photos.

Since my wedding anniversary is this week, I decided to create two slide shows for my husband. I had wanted to do this for quite a while but had never found the time, you know how that goes. But once the slide shows were created, I put low-resolution versions of them on the ‘net so that I could share them with my parents. I thought I would share links to them here, too, so that you folks could view them. Hopefully, they’ll give a glimpse of just how much fun my husband and I had at our vow renewal.

The first slide show is of our Welcome Party. We hosted this event on the night before our vow renewal and it was held at our favorite resort, the Grand Floridian. Since Rick and I had actually met on Halloween, our Event Manager gave our party a Halloween flair. That festive flair included all sorts of delectable treats, as well as a Wait Staff who were attired in Haunted Mansion costumes. Here’s the link to the slide show: FTW Welcome Party (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=146648377078682801).

Since the slide show is in a low-resolution format, I thought I’d share a link to the photos that were used in it. That way you could better see what a lovely job Disney did with the event: FTW Welcome Party (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/janettwokay/album/576460762332147676#page1). Please note that I haven’t had a chance yet to create captions for those photos. I hope to begin doing that this evening.

The second slide show is really a conglomeration of two days worth of events. It covers both the day prior to and the day of my vow renewal. The events shown are as follows: Magic Kingdom Portrait Session, Welcome Party, Wedding Party Portrait Session, Vow Renewal Ceremony, Handprint Ceremony, Cocktail Party, Dinner Party, Dessert Party, Dance Party, and Custom Fireworks Display. Here is the link to the slide show: FTW Custom Vow Renewal (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2730185203319841447).

Since the slide show is in a low-resolution format, I thought I’d share a few more links to photographs:
Magic Kingdom Portrait Session (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/janettwokay/album/576460762326628311#page1)
FTW Custom Vow Renewal (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/janettwokay/album/576460762326629411?pm_pageoption=ALL#page1)

Again, I hope to add more photos to my albums as I begin working on my trip reports.

The Great Movie Ride was honestly the most perfect place for Rick and I to celebrate our wild & crazy marriage. I hope what I’ve shared so far has given you a glimpse of that. Please stay tuned.

[Minybear]

Janet2K
This must be around you and Rick's 22nd wedding anniversary. I hope your wedding anniversary is as magical as the one 2 years ago. Thanks for sharing.

Minybear :cheer2: :cool1: :thumbsup2

[Ron from Michigan]

Welcome back Janet and Happy anniversary. :)

[bonzie1]

Happy 22nd Anniversary! :lovestruc

As the days go on, may your love grow along life's pathway, :tink:

through the bumps, pixiedust:

pot holes :flower1:

and scenic routes of life! :car:

Much Love + JOY!!!
:rainbow:

Thanks for sharing your journey with us! :grouphug:

[#1hockeymom]

Bravo, Bravo!! and... Happy Anniversary!

I've said it before... but NOBODY DOES IT BETTER! *goes with your bond theme from earlier!8

[suwoogie]

You did a wonderful job on the videos. I actually got choked up watching them. You and your husband look beautiful! Congratulations.

[Disbug]

CONGRATULATIONS on your 22nd year of :lovestruc wedded bliss, JANET! :grouphug: May every day together feel like SPRING BREAK! :woohoo:

[svalencia1]

I just found this and boy am I glad that I did. I've been considering something like this and your details make me want to pull this off even more. Thank you for sharing.

[Lauralee131]

Janet, Janet, Janet...What an awesome story!! Thank you so much for sharing...I just found this TR early, early this morning and spent all day reading...or should I say devouring...

I hope you have another wonderful 20...40...60 years together!!

I would so love to do something like that someday!!
Thanks again for sharing your wonderful family with us all!! :goodvibes

[debbieb04]

Dear Janet,

Welcome back! I was very happy to see your name on the Trip Report list this morning. You have been my inspiration while planning my own vow renewal in December 2007. My husband and I have an appointment with the Fairy Tale Wedding people next month, I can't wait.

Happy Anniversay!

[DisneyMomOK]

Thank you, Janet. I was hoping to read more of your wonderful FTW and my wish was granted! Happy Anniversary and thank you, again, for sharing your wonderful memories.

Sharon

[LuckDragon]

Janet - I've spent the last three days glued to my computer. I love your enthusiasm, I love your writing, I love your imagination - you name it, I love it! Your slideshows were GREAT and the entire report opened my eyes to all of the amazing things possible if you just believe! We're getting hitched on October 29! Hoooray! Now I'm off to spend the next three days reading your other trip reports...take care until next time!