You see... Paintbrush Day was originally supposed to be on Wednesday, May 10th. I was gonna meet up with a fellow DISer and her hubby. There on Tom Sawyer's Island. To say "hey" and compete with them for paintbrushes. And, most importantly, to KICK their butts. At the bloodsport we happyhaunts call: "We GET the PAINTBRUSH, NOT YOU!".
But. Then.
My DH, Mellyman, decided foolishly to read my last trip report. He printed the whole thing out. And read it on the Go-Train to work. And back. He read it all. Including the comments, my responses and everything else that was posted AFTER my trippie was completed. Before it got locked down. And he realized I had a little plot goin' to meet this lovely lady and her hubby. Who posted plenty to that trippie.
He was ENRAGED.
Well... not really. But he didn't want us to be meeting DISboard peeps. There. On our vacation. That's the way he is. He is pretty private. A little bit cautious. And a big 'ol stick in the freakin' MUD. Shhhhh. Don't tell DH.
(Hi, Honey! Love you! Making porkchops for din din. Tonight.)
Anywho... he insisted I change our itinerary. For that day. So I put Paintbrush War up a day ahead. Of what I had originally planned.
That's the back-story. For ya.
When we went to bed the night before I set the alarm early. And told the others that we had to be in the MK for 9:00am. For sure. For the opening of Tom Sawyer's Island.
Of course... I KNEW that it wouldn't be opening at nine. I KNEW it would open later than the rest of the park. At 9:30am or 10. Likely. But... I had to get those lazy people out of bed early.
So... I lied. But, heck, it's not a lie if you believe it! Right? (And if you can tell me where you've heard that before I'll give you a million dollars.)
Heh heh.
So... because we are the competitive happyhaunts... we were all looking forward to this. Little game. Of us against other happy young families on vacation. We meant to CRUSH THEM! DESTROY THEM! YADA BLAH BLAH.
Send them home in tears. With a little of the happyhaunt "magic". To remember us by.
I'm kidding. Of course.
I think.
Anywho... when that alarm went off at 7:30am... we all blasted out of bed. Like Apollo 13. Bumping into each other. Running to pee. Off the balcony. And to the washroom. Making coffee. Stirring our oxygen tanks. And experiencing a small explosion of "something". In the washroom. Which was NOT an oxygen tank. TFI. Unfortunately.
And, like Apollo 13, I MADE it BACK! From the washroom... to rate our meal at Le Cellier. I was forced to abort the lunar landing.
So... on the PeptoB scale.... Le Cellier was: FIVE HAPPYHAUNT THUMBS UP!
WAY UP! To the moon. I did not get "sick". Exactly.
All systems were GO. We were GO. For paintbrushes.
I threw, literally, clothes at the kids. Told them to dress themselves. Properly. Mellyman got dressed and made coffee. I got washed, dressed and slammed my hair into a ponytail. Threw, literally, cold Poptarts at the kids for the ride and we were off.
Our dirty stroller, my DVC bag and five frozen water bottles, too. All along for the ride.
We hurried to the Valet. Waited impatiently while he sent someone for our car. Very impatiently.
I was on a mission. And... I hate to wait around. So I had to distract myself. Or else I'd go CRAZY. Waiting for the car.
I played with matches.
And then the car came.
We all hopped in and sped off. To the Magic Kingdom. My favourite park. Of all.
We parked and were close enough to walk to the front gates. We headed up the ramp to the Monorail. And waited. Calvin sat up on the rail. Thingie. And was cautioned to get off. Down. And not do that again. By a Castmember who was waiting for the Monorail too. We got talking. Her and I. And I asked her if we could ride up front with the driver. She thought that we probably could. So did the other Castmember who was working the platform. He said he'd ask when the train pulled in.
The train pulled in.
He asked.
The driver said he'd take FOUR of us. Yep.
We made Tommy ride alone.
Heh heh.
WE DID NOT! I rode alone. Not really alone, though. But without my family.
Who were all pretty happy. That I was NOT with them. On this particular day.
We call it the: Castle Cry Day.
I got in the monorail and sat down by myself. With all our crap. In the empty stroller. And proceeded to have myself a good cry. When we rounded the bend past the Poly and could see the Castle in the distance. Now, I didn't wail and hitch my breath. Or anything like that. But I got all choked up and tears started slowly trickling down my face. Like always. I always do this. The first sight of the Castle make me feel like a little kid again. Like I am eight years old. With my parents. Going for the first time. I feel EXACTLY the same. Everytime. EXACTLY. I also, at the same time, feel a huge longing for those past days of innocence. And for... my Dad. And I always close my eyes for a second and pretend he is sitting beside me.
But... enough... of this crap. Sorry.
The couple sitting across me noticed me crying. The nice lady sad, "Are you alright?" To me.
I said, "Yeah. I just lost my kid. In the parking lot."
Heh heh.
But then... I winked and laughed. Tears dried up fast. And told them that my family was riding with the driver. And THAT'S why I was crying.
I didn't feel like explaining my emotional baggage. Today. To strangers.
Like everyone who is reading this TR.
Hummm...
Let's carry on. Shall we?
We got off in front of the Train Station. Got our passes out and went through the gates.
Mellyman: Did you have your Castle Cry, honey?
Me: No. I'm over that.
Mellyman: Yeah. Right. Was it a big cry or little cry.
Me: No cry... niet cry.
Mellyman: Pants on FIRE!
Me: Heh heh. A little one. If you really NEED to know.
Mellyman: Hey kids! We missed the cry! Say it with me:
All the happyhaunts: YAHOOO!!!!
Geez.
Family. Can't live with 'em. Can't love... without 'em.
We passed through the tunnel and emerged on Main St. U.S.A.
And I FINALLY, FINALLY felt like we were in DISNEY. FINALLY!
Forget being in the AK. Or Epcot.
The Magic Kingdom is what the magic is all about. It's the BOMB. I say.
That is the heart. Of Disney.
And it is where I feel Disney. Too.
In my heart.
To be continued. Up next: PAINTBRUSHES are US! We RULE! We get stuck in Frontierland. Again. And eat in the Liberty Tree Tavern.
