Disbug
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2003
- Messages
- 3,036
Thursday afternoon into evening, January 29th, 2004
I am thinking about Calvin and Hobbes as I wait for the monorail from MK to EPCOT. (It is a particular comic strip of which I am immensely fond.) It tells the tales of a little boy's imagination gone wild. Most of his adventures are conducted with the help of his pet stuffed tiger, Hobbes who comes to life during his exploits... I wonder how many children have sat up front in the monorail and let their imaginations go WILD!? Let's explore that, shall we? I have been swallowed by a giant eel and am being taken to Atlantis... or I am rocketing towards the sun on the EPCOT express. First stop? Spaceship Earth or the Big Ball as we call it!
Well as luck would have it, the co-pilot for MONORAIL PINK must have been late for work that day as the CM's asked me if I would like to take over as co-pilot for the trip over to EPCOT. WOULD I? Does a tree make a sound if it falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it? (This gave the CM pause to think... I went ahead and answered "Of, COURSE it does" before they could move on...
The first test of a co-pilot is to not trip as you step up into the cockpit... passed with flying colors! The 2nd is to not look too excited lest they think this is "fun" as opposed to serious business... I had a little more trouble with that one! One important job of the co-pilot is to impart all important safety information to the passengers. (Bet you didn't know that, did you?) I speak clearly into the microphone to ensure that everyone knows to "stand clear of the doors, please".... "por favor mantengase alejadro...." Boy, my voice sure sounds deep over the PA system (and when did I learn to speak Spanish?)
I try to behave and carry out my co-pilot duties without distracting the PILOT over-much! Did you know that the monorail rides on rubber tires? TRUE! There is even a "caboose", but it is rarely used. The monorail has a "speed limit" and whenever the pilot exceeds that a little horn beeps until everything is back in limit! (I want to order one of these for my DD15 who just received her Learner's permit!) As we approach SpaceShip Earth, I conduct my pre-landing co-pilot duties with aplomb (including asking that all passengers take small children firmly by the hand and exit the monorail when the doors have opened) and am awarded an official co-pilot monorail license at the end of our journey around Spaceship earth! We come in for a smooth landing and after thanking the pilot for a wonderful ride I am off to explore the Experimental Protype Community of Tomorrow!
I am meandering through Future World and find myself in merry old England back in the World Showcase. I really want to take a load off and sit in the pub with a pint of my newly discovered adult beverage fave...Tennent's Lager, but there is nowhere to sit!! This is one busy little pub! In the corner near the restrooms I spy a vacant chair next to a nice looking couple and inquire as to whether this seat is occupied. They say in unison for me to take it. Well, don't mind if I do! Before long we are talking and it seems they are more like old friends instead of kind strangers who have shared their corner with me... Turns out they are staying at the BWI and have stopped in before heading over to Le Cellier for dinner...
When the corner booth next to the door (and right by the piano) becomes available they grab it and insist that I join them. No sooner had we seated ourselves and brought our drinks to the table... then who should walk in but PAM BRODY herself!!
Now for those of you who have never heard of, let alone listened to Pam Brody... you are cheating yourself of one of EPCOT's golden moments! She is a woman with a story to tell.... and believe me, if you come to the PUB she will tell you! She is Gracious, she is witty, she is talented, she is bawdy, she is pure and simple.... FUN! The combination of her personality and bit of the barley, no doubt, subdued our "embarassment index" and before you know it we were all singing... "ROLL OUT THE BARREL AND WE'LL HAVE A BARREL OF FUN"! Pam has a way of turning a song into a story and interjecting funny anecdotes as well! She is particularly adept at remembering where everyone is from! She may not know your name... but she'll point you out and say in her classic British accent "Hey, Albuquerque!"
I was able to learn more about the couple with whom I was sitting during Pam's intermission. It seems THEA and JIM hail from Palm Beach, FL and were here to celebrate JIM's BIRTHDAY... and that particular day was his actual birthday! Of course everyone had to wish him a HAPPY DAY! This couple was so engaging and charming and when another couple walked in and looked like they could use a seat, they invited them to join us! OH GOOD! The more the merrier at our table! It turns out they were from CANADA!
While we were talking I noticed Jim and Thea searching for something at the top of the partition of our booth. Smiling I could not help but wonder at this rather bizarre search... What could they be looking for? Well, it seems they have a rather sweet tradition. Whenever they visit a place that has special meaning for them... they hide a shiny new penny somewhere on the premises, hoping it will still be there waiting for them when they return. They had hidden a penny in that very same spot from their last trip several months ago! And believe it or not?? That penny was STILL there! LOL! I kid you not and they were so cute and excited when they found it... Made them feel LUCKY and you know what... so did I... LUCKY to have met a fun couple who shared their special birthday afternoon in EPCOT with me... Lucky to know people like them exist and who can be more than kind... who can befriend a complete stranger in a pub in ENGLAND for an afternoon!
I left that day with an autographed photo of Pam Brody, (did you know she used to perform with Bob Hope? Well, now you do!).... a mellow glow from my Tennent's Lager (don't worry... I'm not driving the monorail back... I'll take the bus!), a new tradition about hiding shiny copper pennies in places you wish to return.
As I passed Canada's LeCellier ~ I stopped to leave a message with the Reservation Desk about a couple with a PS for 7 PM who would really appreciate something special for a birthday!
I am thinking about Calvin and Hobbes as I wait for the monorail from MK to EPCOT. (It is a particular comic strip of which I am immensely fond.) It tells the tales of a little boy's imagination gone wild. Most of his adventures are conducted with the help of his pet stuffed tiger, Hobbes who comes to life during his exploits... I wonder how many children have sat up front in the monorail and let their imaginations go WILD!? Let's explore that, shall we? I have been swallowed by a giant eel and am being taken to Atlantis... or I am rocketing towards the sun on the EPCOT express. First stop? Spaceship Earth or the Big Ball as we call it!
Well as luck would have it, the co-pilot for MONORAIL PINK must have been late for work that day as the CM's asked me if I would like to take over as co-pilot for the trip over to EPCOT. WOULD I? Does a tree make a sound if it falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it? (This gave the CM pause to think... I went ahead and answered "Of, COURSE it does" before they could move on...
The first test of a co-pilot is to not trip as you step up into the cockpit... passed with flying colors! The 2nd is to not look too excited lest they think this is "fun" as opposed to serious business... I had a little more trouble with that one! One important job of the co-pilot is to impart all important safety information to the passengers. (Bet you didn't know that, did you?) I speak clearly into the microphone to ensure that everyone knows to "stand clear of the doors, please".... "por favor mantengase alejadro...." Boy, my voice sure sounds deep over the PA system (and when did I learn to speak Spanish?)
I try to behave and carry out my co-pilot duties without distracting the PILOT over-much! Did you know that the monorail rides on rubber tires? TRUE! There is even a "caboose", but it is rarely used. The monorail has a "speed limit" and whenever the pilot exceeds that a little horn beeps until everything is back in limit! (I want to order one of these for my DD15 who just received her Learner's permit!) As we approach SpaceShip Earth, I conduct my pre-landing co-pilot duties with aplomb (including asking that all passengers take small children firmly by the hand and exit the monorail when the doors have opened) and am awarded an official co-pilot monorail license at the end of our journey around Spaceship earth! We come in for a smooth landing and after thanking the pilot for a wonderful ride I am off to explore the Experimental Protype Community of Tomorrow!
I am meandering through Future World and find myself in merry old England back in the World Showcase. I really want to take a load off and sit in the pub with a pint of my newly discovered adult beverage fave...Tennent's Lager, but there is nowhere to sit!! This is one busy little pub! In the corner near the restrooms I spy a vacant chair next to a nice looking couple and inquire as to whether this seat is occupied. They say in unison for me to take it. Well, don't mind if I do! Before long we are talking and it seems they are more like old friends instead of kind strangers who have shared their corner with me... Turns out they are staying at the BWI and have stopped in before heading over to Le Cellier for dinner...
When the corner booth next to the door (and right by the piano) becomes available they grab it and insist that I join them. No sooner had we seated ourselves and brought our drinks to the table... then who should walk in but PAM BRODY herself!!
Now for those of you who have never heard of, let alone listened to Pam Brody... you are cheating yourself of one of EPCOT's golden moments! She is a woman with a story to tell.... and believe me, if you come to the PUB she will tell you! She is Gracious, she is witty, she is talented, she is bawdy, she is pure and simple.... FUN! The combination of her personality and bit of the barley, no doubt, subdued our "embarassment index" and before you know it we were all singing... "ROLL OUT THE BARREL AND WE'LL HAVE A BARREL OF FUN"! Pam has a way of turning a song into a story and interjecting funny anecdotes as well! She is particularly adept at remembering where everyone is from! She may not know your name... but she'll point you out and say in her classic British accent "Hey, Albuquerque!"
I was able to learn more about the couple with whom I was sitting during Pam's intermission. It seems THEA and JIM hail from Palm Beach, FL and were here to celebrate JIM's BIRTHDAY... and that particular day was his actual birthday! Of course everyone had to wish him a HAPPY DAY! This couple was so engaging and charming and when another couple walked in and looked like they could use a seat, they invited them to join us! OH GOOD! The more the merrier at our table! It turns out they were from CANADA!
While we were talking I noticed Jim and Thea searching for something at the top of the partition of our booth. Smiling I could not help but wonder at this rather bizarre search... What could they be looking for? Well, it seems they have a rather sweet tradition. Whenever they visit a place that has special meaning for them... they hide a shiny new penny somewhere on the premises, hoping it will still be there waiting for them when they return. They had hidden a penny in that very same spot from their last trip several months ago! And believe it or not?? That penny was STILL there! LOL! I kid you not and they were so cute and excited when they found it... Made them feel LUCKY and you know what... so did I... LUCKY to have met a fun couple who shared their special birthday afternoon in EPCOT with me... Lucky to know people like them exist and who can be more than kind... who can befriend a complete stranger in a pub in ENGLAND for an afternoon!
I left that day with an autographed photo of Pam Brody, (did you know she used to perform with Bob Hope? Well, now you do!).... a mellow glow from my Tennent's Lager (don't worry... I'm not driving the monorail back... I'll take the bus!), a new tradition about hiding shiny copper pennies in places you wish to return.
As I passed Canada's LeCellier ~ I stopped to leave a message with the Reservation Desk about a couple with a PS for 7 PM who would really appreciate something special for a birthday!
