joedisney
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2000
- Messages
- 70
It's just over a year and five months and this trip report is officially complete. I bet there are more than a few that thought I would never finish. For those that have stuck with me, I hope it was worth the wait. For those not so patient, below are the links to the previous chapters. As a reminder, at the time of the trip the cast of characters: Joe - the dad at 41, Kathy - the mom at 37, Christopher - the map boy at 11, Connor - without a nickname at 8, Alex - the octopus at 4 and Caley - the sassy princess at 2.
Chapter 1: Birth
Chapter 2: The new arrival
Chapter 3 (Part 1): Through sickness and in health
Chapter 3 (Part 2): Through sickness and in health
Chapter 4: A day of rest
Chapter 5: Moving Day
Chapter 6: Time is Money
Chapter 7: Tackling the great unknown
Chapter 8: Don't cry over spilled milk
Chapter 9 (Part 1): The circle of life
As our trip nears its end, it seems like a lifetime has past since I put the finishing touches on the plan that would guide us on our ten-day trip. That "everything is right with the world" feeling has been suddenly replaced by that "oh my gosh it's almost time to go home" feeling. Where did the time go? We did all of the parks, most of the rides, overcame our fears, we ate, we played, we changed hotels, fought sickness, entertained relatives, spent a lot of money, worried about spending a lot of money, we sat in milk, we remembered the past and most of all we got the opportunity to spend some time with the ones we love most. But it's not quite over yet, we are still in Disney and life is good.
Friday, January 23, 2004
It is our last full day at Disney, but it is much too nice of a day to give it much of a thought. We are spending the entire day at Epcot. We start with breakfast in our room and are soon on the short walk over to Innoventions. As the kids play, I run over and get a Fast Pass for Test Track and make Priority Seating reservations for Mexico. The Cast Member at the information center is from Italy and begins to give me a hard time as soon as he sees me walk in wearing a Patriots sweatshirt. It turns out that he is a big Buffalo Bill's fan. I give him my condolences and he threatens to cancel my reservation at Mexico. Before I leave, I thank him for taking Drew Bledsoe off our hands. We are both laughing as I leave the building. By the time I get outside, I am wondering if he was only joking about the reservation. Innoventions is a strange place. Christopher loves it, Kathy hates it and I am not sure whom I am inclined to agree with. After spending about an hour exploring both the East and the West, we head over to ride the Test Track. This will be the first time for both Connor and Alex. As expected, they both love it. We sometimes refer to Alex as our puppy dog. Yes, somehow the boy has both the qualities of an octopus and a puppy. He has these huge blue eyes and will often walk over and rub up against your leg. He has that playful, lovable dog quality that complete strangers seem to pick up on immediately. His love for everything he does just seems to overflow to everyone around him. His cousin once told me that he would, "love to just follow Alex around all day just to watch what he does." A nice older gentleman sat next to Alex and got to experience the little guy first hand. The man was chuckling as he watched Alex during the entire ride. Typical Alex.
After the Test Track we found the girls and went to search for passports. I had told the boys about the passports at Epcot and they seemed interested. I figured it would be a good way to keep everyone busy as we explored the countries. We ended up with two passports for the big boys and masks for Alex, Caley and Kathy. The passports have stickers and a spot to get stamped at each of the countries. The masks, which I had never heard about, get decorated with trinkets as you explore each country. Both were a huge success. I got to spend a decent amount of time at each of the countries and the kids had a great time meeting the various cast members and learning a little bit about each country. Soon after we began, however, it was time for our lunch at Mexico. We checked in, got one of those light-up beepers and were told the wait would be about 15 minutes. Perfect, just enough time to ride the boat. About half way through the ride, our beeper lights up. It was all I could do to prevent the octopus from jumping in and swimming ashore. Lunch at Mexico was fun. The food was just OK, but everyone loved eating under the starlit skies of Mexico.
After lunch we were all charged up and ready to explore Epcot. We stopped and explored every country along the way including Mexico, China, Germany, Italy, the United States, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom and Canada. China was definitely a highlight. The cast member was so friendly and wrote each of the kid's names in Chinese. We also found out which animals represented each of our birth dates. Mine was a tiger, very cool. Christopher was a monkey, Connor a pig, Alex a rabbit, Caley a snake and Mom's was a horse (I am sure there's a joke here, but I'll just leave that one alone). We had such a great day exploring the countries. Along the way we were able to keep up our strength by eating ice cream, popcorn (too salty) and Kaki-Gori (shaved ice from Japan). After our tour of the countries, we stop and get Mom and the kids dinner at the Electric Umbrella. With other plans for my dinner, I just nibble on a few fries. After they eat, the boys talk Kathy into trying the Test Track. Kathy is not a thrill ride kind of gal and has never been on the Test Track. I assure her, that it is not that bad as she heads off with the boys while Caley and I start out in the opposite direction looking for a good spot to watch Illuminations. Along the way, I stop for my dinner at the Rose and Crown. I get the fish and chips and a nice cold glass (ok, plastic cup) of Bass Ale. Gives me a thrill just thinking about it now. We find the perfect spot on the bridge by the International Gateway. Caley and I share the fish, chips and some wonderful conversation. Caley is our little spark plug. By almost anyone's standards, our boys are pretty mellow. Caley is anything but mellow. Words like spicy, saucy and prickly have often been used to describe this girl. Her dark brown eyes expose her precocious personality as soon as she enters a room. She's loud, strong willed, filled with attitude and cute as a button. I can't think of too many people that I would rather be sharing my fish and chips with right now. Soon the crowds begin to swell around us. Luckily, I have positioned the big stroller lengthwise, saving a good spot for the rest of our crew. As expected, Kathy liked the Test Track and we all have a great time watching the show.
As we take the short walk back to our room at the Beach Club, we decide to complete our perfect day with some extra large sundaes from Beaches and Cream. Mom takes the little ones back to the room while Christopher and I get the Sundaes. Watching Alex eating a sundae is pretty funny. Actually, watching Alex eat almost anything is amusing. Give the guy a cookie and I swear that if I could put together what ends up on the floor, it would make at least four or five cookies. At the end of the day, you can easily figure out everything that this boy had to eat just by looking at the roadmap of food on his face. As we reach the bottom of our sundaes, I savor the moment as Alex gives me a huge chocolate covered smile. Not wanting the day to end, I tell the boys that they can stay up as late as they want. Twenty minutes later, we're all asleep.
Saturday, January 24, 2004
It's our last day and we are strong. We don't leave until the afternoon, so we have breakfast, check out of our room and head off for one last tour of the Magic Kingdom. It's a picture perfect day as we enter the gates. We start with Peter Pan and after the ride a strange thing happens. The kids claim to want to go on It's a Small World. Even Christopher! Something is very wrong here. I know these kids. They hate It's a Small World. As I'm about to say something, I get a little nudge and a knowing smile from Kathy. Sure, the kids have been guilted into it, but I take them up on their offer and we finally get to ride Small World. I have the privilege of sitting next to Connor on the ride. Connor is our gentle, caring boy with an air for the dramatic. He has an artistic touch that is aided by his sharp-eyed attention to the details. Connor sees things that others don't notice. Although Christopher would disagree, I am sure Connor has found the most Hidden Mickeys. Connor is afraid to try new things, but usually loves them when he eventually does. He has an infectious chuckle and a limitless imagination, both of which he will share with the select few people that he feels comfortable with. Although he and Christopher are blocking their ears as we ride, I know that Connor is taking it all in. With "the song" now firmly stuck in our heads the seeds of Disney magic are safely tucked away to be shared with future generations.
Next, we do Thunder Mountain and with no lines, we decide to ride again before going over to Tom Sawyers Island. After running around the island for a while, we ride the train back to Main Street. Time is running out as we take the bus back to the hotel to wait for our ride to the airport. We are all very quiet as we eat our last meal by the pool. It's eighty degrees and sunny as we watch other families splashing away in Storm Along Bay. OK, I admit it, right now I hate these people. Our ride is on time and soon we are boarding the plane for Boston.
It's just about 8 a.m. on that Tuesday morning of October 6th 1992. I just left my wife and newborn son at the hospital and am on my way home to shower before attending my father's funeral. I pass by the funeral home and somehow feel as though I am floating outside of my body as I check out the large collection of cars outside of the building. Only moments ago, I had experienced the single greatest joy of my life, the birth of my son. Now, as I drive by the funeral home, the harsh reality of the single worst moment of my life comes crashing down upon me. I literally laugh and cry as I drive by the funeral home. The feelings I experienced that day encompassed the worst and the best that life has to offer. A day before he died, my Dad woke for an instant and asked, "is it a boy?" Somehow, I think he already knew. It has always bothered me that my Dad missed meeting his grandson by three days. He would have been so proud. Christopher is a lot like my Dad. A budding mathematician with a strange mix of creativity, sensitivity and need for structure. Like my Dad, Christopher has a hard time reeling in his emotion, quick to tear up at the slightest provocation. Both are true family men. My Dad surely would have been proud of his grandson.
In many ways, life is like a trip to Disney. A mosaic of experiences that starts with the plan and ends when that plane touches back down in your home state. The birth of your vacation begins with a limitless set of expectations. Endless planning with the hope that preparation can somehow surround us with enough magic to keep things going smoothly. Reality, however, can hit at almost any moment. During delivery, a cancelled flight, lost luggage or a late pickup at the airport, quickly remind us that life is anything but predictable. Safe arrival, however, brings back that feeling of endless joy. That first blast of Florida sunshine opens the book on whole new set of experiences. This year, our trip was totally different and yet not that unlike those that have come before it. Filled with its own set of ups and downs that make this trip like no other, yet similar enough that even complete strangers can compare our experiences with some of their own. Life is funny that way. As the vacation forges on the newness matures into a familiarity. Much in the same way a teenager discovers adulthood, your vacation kicks into high gear. Just as things settle in and you're enjoying the most of what Disney has to offer, the end comes into view on the horizon. It starts as a pit in your stomach and evolves into the realization that the end is inevitable. Before you know it, you are sitting back at your desk wondering what happened. The circle of life, however, must continue. A boy is born only days after his grandfather has passed away. The sadness of a vacation complete is soon replaced by the anticipation of a future trip. Shortly after returning from our trip Kathy asks, "how about a birthday cruise on the Disney Magic?" Let the planning begin.
Chapter 1: Birth
Chapter 2: The new arrival
Chapter 3 (Part 1): Through sickness and in health
Chapter 3 (Part 2): Through sickness and in health
Chapter 4: A day of rest
Chapter 5: Moving Day
Chapter 6: Time is Money
Chapter 7: Tackling the great unknown
Chapter 8: Don't cry over spilled milk
Chapter 9 (Part 1): The circle of life
As our trip nears its end, it seems like a lifetime has past since I put the finishing touches on the plan that would guide us on our ten-day trip. That "everything is right with the world" feeling has been suddenly replaced by that "oh my gosh it's almost time to go home" feeling. Where did the time go? We did all of the parks, most of the rides, overcame our fears, we ate, we played, we changed hotels, fought sickness, entertained relatives, spent a lot of money, worried about spending a lot of money, we sat in milk, we remembered the past and most of all we got the opportunity to spend some time with the ones we love most. But it's not quite over yet, we are still in Disney and life is good.
Friday, January 23, 2004
It is our last full day at Disney, but it is much too nice of a day to give it much of a thought. We are spending the entire day at Epcot. We start with breakfast in our room and are soon on the short walk over to Innoventions. As the kids play, I run over and get a Fast Pass for Test Track and make Priority Seating reservations for Mexico. The Cast Member at the information center is from Italy and begins to give me a hard time as soon as he sees me walk in wearing a Patriots sweatshirt. It turns out that he is a big Buffalo Bill's fan. I give him my condolences and he threatens to cancel my reservation at Mexico. Before I leave, I thank him for taking Drew Bledsoe off our hands. We are both laughing as I leave the building. By the time I get outside, I am wondering if he was only joking about the reservation. Innoventions is a strange place. Christopher loves it, Kathy hates it and I am not sure whom I am inclined to agree with. After spending about an hour exploring both the East and the West, we head over to ride the Test Track. This will be the first time for both Connor and Alex. As expected, they both love it. We sometimes refer to Alex as our puppy dog. Yes, somehow the boy has both the qualities of an octopus and a puppy. He has these huge blue eyes and will often walk over and rub up against your leg. He has that playful, lovable dog quality that complete strangers seem to pick up on immediately. His love for everything he does just seems to overflow to everyone around him. His cousin once told me that he would, "love to just follow Alex around all day just to watch what he does." A nice older gentleman sat next to Alex and got to experience the little guy first hand. The man was chuckling as he watched Alex during the entire ride. Typical Alex.
After the Test Track we found the girls and went to search for passports. I had told the boys about the passports at Epcot and they seemed interested. I figured it would be a good way to keep everyone busy as we explored the countries. We ended up with two passports for the big boys and masks for Alex, Caley and Kathy. The passports have stickers and a spot to get stamped at each of the countries. The masks, which I had never heard about, get decorated with trinkets as you explore each country. Both were a huge success. I got to spend a decent amount of time at each of the countries and the kids had a great time meeting the various cast members and learning a little bit about each country. Soon after we began, however, it was time for our lunch at Mexico. We checked in, got one of those light-up beepers and were told the wait would be about 15 minutes. Perfect, just enough time to ride the boat. About half way through the ride, our beeper lights up. It was all I could do to prevent the octopus from jumping in and swimming ashore. Lunch at Mexico was fun. The food was just OK, but everyone loved eating under the starlit skies of Mexico.
After lunch we were all charged up and ready to explore Epcot. We stopped and explored every country along the way including Mexico, China, Germany, Italy, the United States, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom and Canada. China was definitely a highlight. The cast member was so friendly and wrote each of the kid's names in Chinese. We also found out which animals represented each of our birth dates. Mine was a tiger, very cool. Christopher was a monkey, Connor a pig, Alex a rabbit, Caley a snake and Mom's was a horse (I am sure there's a joke here, but I'll just leave that one alone). We had such a great day exploring the countries. Along the way we were able to keep up our strength by eating ice cream, popcorn (too salty) and Kaki-Gori (shaved ice from Japan). After our tour of the countries, we stop and get Mom and the kids dinner at the Electric Umbrella. With other plans for my dinner, I just nibble on a few fries. After they eat, the boys talk Kathy into trying the Test Track. Kathy is not a thrill ride kind of gal and has never been on the Test Track. I assure her, that it is not that bad as she heads off with the boys while Caley and I start out in the opposite direction looking for a good spot to watch Illuminations. Along the way, I stop for my dinner at the Rose and Crown. I get the fish and chips and a nice cold glass (ok, plastic cup) of Bass Ale. Gives me a thrill just thinking about it now. We find the perfect spot on the bridge by the International Gateway. Caley and I share the fish, chips and some wonderful conversation. Caley is our little spark plug. By almost anyone's standards, our boys are pretty mellow. Caley is anything but mellow. Words like spicy, saucy and prickly have often been used to describe this girl. Her dark brown eyes expose her precocious personality as soon as she enters a room. She's loud, strong willed, filled with attitude and cute as a button. I can't think of too many people that I would rather be sharing my fish and chips with right now. Soon the crowds begin to swell around us. Luckily, I have positioned the big stroller lengthwise, saving a good spot for the rest of our crew. As expected, Kathy liked the Test Track and we all have a great time watching the show.
As we take the short walk back to our room at the Beach Club, we decide to complete our perfect day with some extra large sundaes from Beaches and Cream. Mom takes the little ones back to the room while Christopher and I get the Sundaes. Watching Alex eating a sundae is pretty funny. Actually, watching Alex eat almost anything is amusing. Give the guy a cookie and I swear that if I could put together what ends up on the floor, it would make at least four or five cookies. At the end of the day, you can easily figure out everything that this boy had to eat just by looking at the roadmap of food on his face. As we reach the bottom of our sundaes, I savor the moment as Alex gives me a huge chocolate covered smile. Not wanting the day to end, I tell the boys that they can stay up as late as they want. Twenty minutes later, we're all asleep.
Saturday, January 24, 2004
It's our last day and we are strong. We don't leave until the afternoon, so we have breakfast, check out of our room and head off for one last tour of the Magic Kingdom. It's a picture perfect day as we enter the gates. We start with Peter Pan and after the ride a strange thing happens. The kids claim to want to go on It's a Small World. Even Christopher! Something is very wrong here. I know these kids. They hate It's a Small World. As I'm about to say something, I get a little nudge and a knowing smile from Kathy. Sure, the kids have been guilted into it, but I take them up on their offer and we finally get to ride Small World. I have the privilege of sitting next to Connor on the ride. Connor is our gentle, caring boy with an air for the dramatic. He has an artistic touch that is aided by his sharp-eyed attention to the details. Connor sees things that others don't notice. Although Christopher would disagree, I am sure Connor has found the most Hidden Mickeys. Connor is afraid to try new things, but usually loves them when he eventually does. He has an infectious chuckle and a limitless imagination, both of which he will share with the select few people that he feels comfortable with. Although he and Christopher are blocking their ears as we ride, I know that Connor is taking it all in. With "the song" now firmly stuck in our heads the seeds of Disney magic are safely tucked away to be shared with future generations.
Next, we do Thunder Mountain and with no lines, we decide to ride again before going over to Tom Sawyers Island. After running around the island for a while, we ride the train back to Main Street. Time is running out as we take the bus back to the hotel to wait for our ride to the airport. We are all very quiet as we eat our last meal by the pool. It's eighty degrees and sunny as we watch other families splashing away in Storm Along Bay. OK, I admit it, right now I hate these people. Our ride is on time and soon we are boarding the plane for Boston.
It's just about 8 a.m. on that Tuesday morning of October 6th 1992. I just left my wife and newborn son at the hospital and am on my way home to shower before attending my father's funeral. I pass by the funeral home and somehow feel as though I am floating outside of my body as I check out the large collection of cars outside of the building. Only moments ago, I had experienced the single greatest joy of my life, the birth of my son. Now, as I drive by the funeral home, the harsh reality of the single worst moment of my life comes crashing down upon me. I literally laugh and cry as I drive by the funeral home. The feelings I experienced that day encompassed the worst and the best that life has to offer. A day before he died, my Dad woke for an instant and asked, "is it a boy?" Somehow, I think he already knew. It has always bothered me that my Dad missed meeting his grandson by three days. He would have been so proud. Christopher is a lot like my Dad. A budding mathematician with a strange mix of creativity, sensitivity and need for structure. Like my Dad, Christopher has a hard time reeling in his emotion, quick to tear up at the slightest provocation. Both are true family men. My Dad surely would have been proud of his grandson.
In many ways, life is like a trip to Disney. A mosaic of experiences that starts with the plan and ends when that plane touches back down in your home state. The birth of your vacation begins with a limitless set of expectations. Endless planning with the hope that preparation can somehow surround us with enough magic to keep things going smoothly. Reality, however, can hit at almost any moment. During delivery, a cancelled flight, lost luggage or a late pickup at the airport, quickly remind us that life is anything but predictable. Safe arrival, however, brings back that feeling of endless joy. That first blast of Florida sunshine opens the book on whole new set of experiences. This year, our trip was totally different and yet not that unlike those that have come before it. Filled with its own set of ups and downs that make this trip like no other, yet similar enough that even complete strangers can compare our experiences with some of their own. Life is funny that way. As the vacation forges on the newness matures into a familiarity. Much in the same way a teenager discovers adulthood, your vacation kicks into high gear. Just as things settle in and you're enjoying the most of what Disney has to offer, the end comes into view on the horizon. It starts as a pit in your stomach and evolves into the realization that the end is inevitable. Before you know it, you are sitting back at your desk wondering what happened. The circle of life, however, must continue. A boy is born only days after his grandfather has passed away. The sadness of a vacation complete is soon replaced by the anticipation of a future trip. Shortly after returning from our trip Kathy asks, "how about a birthday cruise on the Disney Magic?" Let the planning begin.
With 4 kids my guess is you got a lot of use out of that washer and dryer. And as for the moment that you walk your little princess down the aisle, be forewarned that it just might happen at Disney World. I did that to my poor father, and I think he still has the urge to clutch his wallet shut every time he thinks about it. 
