GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes
If it’s still here tomorrow… I may ignore it again
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2007
Chapter 9: The Shutout (Day 6 -Friday)
Part 2: Charting a New Course
You could just pick a direction and start walking. The unknown explorers of the past have done just that and on more occasions then we’ll ever be aware of. That’s why they’re unknown. They randomly chose a destination (known or fabled), blithely set off on some undetermined course and waltzed confidently into terra incognito. Where they promptly vanished form the collective consciousness and ceased to have any impact on the rest of us.
Foolhardy blokes, them…
On the other hand, the “Great Explorers” of the past had something in common. They had a plan. They had a good idea where they were heading before setting out and made provisions for possible setbacks and deviations. Even before making a detour they’d always have a fixed spot to which they planned to return and kept track of where they had gone in relation to that point. Even the most reckless privateer wouldn’t purposely sail into the teeth of an oncoming storm without having a clear idea of where he was headed
(and a reason for doing so).
Of the many things in this world that I can be accused of (being dense as a post looms rather high on that list) lacking a plan isn’t one. Our time aboard the Disney Dream may have ended, but we still had a few days of blessed reprieve from the pain and sorrow that is my day-to-day job. We could head home now, but given our proximity to another spot on the map that piques the interest of every member of my family…
that would have been foolish.
As such… we charted a course toward the west. The great thing about this decision is that the trail from Port Canaveral toward The World has already been blazed and is well worn. You hop onto FL-528… pay a few bucks in tolls… make a gentle turn to port upon reaching I-4, and you almost there.
To those of us that roam these boards there is little more exhilarating then seeing this grand landmark grow in size as we approach the end of our initial journey…
Crossing through that gate just makes every thing a little brighter. It’s like lifting a blanket off of your spirit and allowing it to float away for a little while. Heck… even the otherwise dreary bastions of sameness that are billboards take on a whole new type of magic once you’re actually “On World”.
Yet that enticing bit of marketing illustrates quite succinctly one major aspect of our arrival that was going to be very different from all previous visits to this Nirvana… It was taunting us with images of something that we would not be seeing.
We made a few more course adjustments and came upon another of the storied gates that guard the path to another world…
And again were reminded of realms that we’d not be entering. We had the time to spend in the land of mouse… but not the extra funds needed to take full advantage of it. Due to a fortunate incentive that had been offered, we were able to justify staying on site four a couple of days before heading home. But there just was not enough money left over to add park tickets. This meant that the main reason that folks travel here would not be counted among out destinations this time around. But then again, that didn’t mean we could not explore new lands or discover new delights. No… it just meant that we’d be doing Disney rather differently. And beginning this new exploration at this innocuous looking intersection…
A nimble turn to starboard quickly set us onto a path that is very much unlike most other spots in “The World”…
And one that is utterly unlike anything existing in the rolling southeastern piedmont that I call home.
Welcome to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge!
That is the view that first greets the eye as you round the last curve. Next… the perspective as you’re walking back toward the building after stowing your vehicle for the duration.
Even the plantings and topiaries are designed to transport you to an entirely different part of the world…
Once you approach the main entrance… you’ve left the oppressive heat of the American Southeast, and set foot into a world of vast grandeur.
An voluminous space that transports you into one of the great National Park Service Lodges dotting the expansive canvases of forests and wilderness that make up the American Northwest.
It is absolutely breathtaking. The building is so massive and the stone and wood work so heavy and enveloping that you can hear and even feel a sudden onset of quiet.
Well, no sense in wasting time… let’s get checked in.
Like everything else that Disney does… this place is over the top when it comes to details. First case in point… see that hewn stone pillar over there that appears to be supporting the counter in that last image? Well this little fell’a was making himself quite at home right on top of it…
…just the first of many little details that we’d encounter.
I've stayed at WDW many times, but this was one of the most relaxed and pleasant check-in experiences that I’ve encountered here. The atmosphere was intoxicating, the lines were minimal and the CMs were as charming and helpful as we’ve come to expect (and more so). The “Head Ranger” walked up to us in line and started up a conversation. He told us a bit about the history of the building, it’s architect, some of what we could expect, and made sure to let Max know that it looked to him like: “You’ve got the look of a troublemaker so I’ll be keeping an eye on you” (he saw us several more times across the next several days and made sure to jokingly mention to Max that: “I still have an eye on you”). He made a point to talk to nearly everyone that came though the doors (especially those that were just arriving).
We got through the check-in process in no time at all and were free to take a quick look around before heading on to our room. Right off the main desk you’ll encounter the Mercantile. This is the main gift and sundries spot on the Wilderness map and home to the most famous representation of the Lodge’s mammalian mascot: Humphrey!
He’s the one on top of the geyser there, but at the Mercantile, you’ll find him on the bottom…
of a totem pole that is…
…holding down (or should I say up) a place of honor along with three other members of the Pantheon of Walt. Disney veterans and especially those that have lead charmed enough lives to make regular stops at the WL hold a special spot for this lovable if under appreciated character. It is said that making a quick stop by this particular totem to give ol’ Humphrey’s nose a tweak and a rub will bring a spot of good luck and ensure that your stay at the lodge will be pleasant and eventful. Honestly… I can’t see how any stay at Disney could be anything other then pleasant and eventful, but not wanting to be either a curmudgeon or one to blatantly tempt fate… I made certain that I gave the shinny proboscis of this particular member of the Ursus arctos horribilis species a good squeeze and polish. Actually, this happens so often that the maintenance folks have to repaint his honker on a fairly regular bases…
Another site that you’ll encounter in route to the main bank of elevators is the Spring Bridge.
This wonderful little contemplative spot marks the hot spring that is the source of “Silver Creek”
The waters erupt from the spring and flow under the bridge and out of the lodge forming the headwaters of a creek that flows through the property.
I will be tellin’ y’all a bit more about this picturesque waterway in a while, but for now I think we’ll head on up onto the higher elevations of the lodge and hunt down the spot that will be our domicile for the next couple of days.
While we’re at it, we might as well keep an eye open and see if we can find anything else interesting along the way.