Chpt 45 - Heading for home (Part One)
Well, its true what they say.....all good things must come to an end......except the Simpsons.....and Dick Clark apparently. I believe it was the great British leader Winston Churchill who said This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. or was that Frank Churchill, the American composer who wrote most of the music for the 1937 Disney movie
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves....I always get those two mixed up. Well, in either case......huh? Because...on the surface it sounds good but......whoop dee do Basil, what does it all mean?
Anyway, we got up the next morning and started to cram all of our scattered belongings back into suitcases. Is it just me......or was packing more fun the first time around? The plan was to take our luggage down to the POFQ bus area and stow them until we returned later in the day to head to the airport. We were flying home on Frontier.....which was one of the few airlines that didnt qualify for resort baggage check-in. Unfortunately, I hadnt realized this until after we had booked the non-refundable tickets. That had been a major blunder on my part.....because I view resort baggage check-in as a gift from heaven. Now, we would just have to check our bags the old-fashioned way.....at the airport.....which I detest.
We still had one days park admission left....because with our Magic Your Way package....the price difference between tickets for seven days versus eight days was like a nickel. Anyway, we decided to use our precious last ticket on the MK.....even though it was a Saturday which is traditionally not good day for the MK.....and even though we could hear a long, sorrowful cry of anguish from Tinkershells non-negotiable itinerary....albeit muffled....because it was already packed away in a suitcase full of tie-dye mickeys.
As we got off the bus at MK, we were greeted by another beautiful day. We couldnt have asked for any better weather on this trip. When we had researched what type of weather to expect at WDW in December.....the feedback had ranged anywhere from short-sleeves and shorts conditions to parkas and snowshoes. Ok.....to be honest....nobody suggested we would need snowshoes. I just wrote that because I liked the mental picture. Anyway, our whole week had been in the 70's and 80's....which was not only a great era for music.....it also made for some very pleasant park touring conditions. So, I guess Tinkershell hadnt needed all of those winter gloves she had packed after all.....or the knit hats......or the snowshoes.
As we strolled up Mainstreet USA, we paused to listen to the barbershop quartet sing Jingle Bells. Honestly......and I realize Im preaching to the choir here....but where else on earth are you going to find this type of stuff? Believe me, I understand that WDW is not for everybody. If theres one thing Ive learned from this crazy little journey called life, its the fact that people come in all shapes and sizes......and personalities.....especially personalities. I know loads of people that have no chance of ever truly enjoying WDW the way that I do. Theyre moving too fast....and their too concerned about impressing the people around them. After a vacation, they want to set up a picture in their office of them scaling a volcano.....or conquering a large fish. Theyre not interested in a framed 8 X 10 glossy of them in a tie-dye t-shirt.....throwing their arm around Goofy like hes and old college buddy. Thankfully, for my family, WDW fits us like a glove. Besides.....with the introduction of photoshop.... Ive got all those cool pictures in my office anyway....plus some even better ones......like me on top of Mt Everest sharing a celebratory cigar with Mini Me and Dr. Evil. I get tons of comments on that one.
Anyway, we were just soaking it all in as we headed for Toontown. For you see, we hadnt been to Minnie or Mickeys house yet....and my mother had raised me better than to enjoy a week at WDW without thanking the host....and hostess. Speaking of Hostess......have you ever tried one of their fruit pies? Im telling you, theyre surprisingly tasty....once you get through that age-hardened pastry shell. You know....it just occurred to me that...in many ways...people are like Hostess fruit pies. They both have an outer shell that you have to work through...in order to get to the goodness beneath. That's about as far as you should take the comparison however. If you try to package a person in one of those air-tight wrappers.....you're going to end up with a fairly unpleasant legal situation on your hands.....because when it's all said and done....people are not fruit pies.
Ok....so where were we? Ah yes....Toontown. First, we took a quick tour of Minnies place. Have you remodeled recently Minnie? Because, I don't remember everything being quite so pink. I mean....would it kill ya to throw in a couple of earth tones every now and again? Honestly....my eyes are watering here. Anyway....after waiting a couple of minutes for our vision to return.... we headed next door to Mickeys house....which I feel incorporates a much more visually pleasing color palette.
I complain about Minnie....yet Woobie is dressed in almost identical colors. Ironic...isn't it.
They told us at the house that Mickey was out back in his big tent. Ive always been surprised by the fact that Mickey has such a big tent in his backyard....it seems a little ostentatious to me....and, therefore, totally out of character....because Mickey comes off as very "down to earth" for such a big celebrity. Anyway, he was kind enough to take a couple of pictures with us....which was nice. In hindsight, I wish I hadn't joked about his tent....and whether he was compensating for something....because he abruptly dismissed us in icy silence. What? Nobody got all bent out of shape when Shrek said it. Anyway, Tinkershell said I've really got to learn to keep my big yapper shut.
A happier time....before security arrived.
Next up: Chpt 46 - Heading for Home (Part two)
, then
, throw in a little
and then 
when you lost Mickey. Your daughter is so cute and your family seems like a LOT of fun!! Loved the gangsta' poses11
I think that would satisfy the angry mob. 
no, only two more chapters and "maybe" an epilogue!?! 
Too bad I was so bleary eyed that I couldn't type without typos though........
