Poohshoney
<font color=6666CC>Ya-ya sister!<br><font color=gr
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2001
- Messages
- 1,155
The players
Carol (40, British) dangerously Disney obsessed.
Roland (35, German) puts up with me somehow.
Mickey our beanie, on his first trip `home´.
THE PREQUEL
First problem where to start my trip report? I started planning to go to DisneyWorld about five minutes after Walt did. When I was little I was a faithful fan of all the Disney specials at Easter and Christmas (why did they stop them?) and the films, (Jungle Books my favourite), and I KNEW Disney needed me as much as I needed it! Life conspired against me and my dream for a long time (read that as having no money) but I got there in the end.
My first taste of magic was in 1990 when I met Roland, the most wonderful man in the world (theres no use arguing with me on that one chaps) and then things got even more magical when we married in 1996. (Thats when I discovered that you cant really burst with happiness). Without Roland, Disney would all still be a dream.
In July 1997, when we lived in London, I wandered into a travel agents and just `happened´ to see some brochures for Disneyland Paris. I took them home, oohed and aahed at all the pages, saw the prices, felt faint and binned the lot. A month later, I opened a Winnie the Pooh birthday card bearing (couldnt resist the pun) the message, `I cant make all your wishes come true but at least I can this one´ and a folded up piece of paper. Unfolded, this turned out to be a picture of Disneyland Paris. Roland had rescued the brochures my present was a weekend at Disneyland Paris! (Told you he was wonderful). There followed more bursting with happiness. We didnt get there (because Roland wasnt well) until the end of February 98 but it was well worth the wait. The magic of that trip was unbelievable and talking about it always puts a smile on our faces.
In June 98, Roland was sent to a conference in Paris guess who went along too? Well, we were only three stations away from you-know-where! Roland really did have to attend the conference so I went to that wonderful place on my own in the morning (only other person available was a woman who sneered continually about Disney) and Roland joined me in the afternoon. It was every bit as special as we remembered. It was, however, when I realised that even if you can be a kid-at-heart forever, your body doesnt always play the game: halfway round Indiana Jones (and this was before it went backwards) I realised I didnt like roller coasters any more. Great timing.
In September 98, Roland casually mentioned hed been asked to speak at a conference in Santa Barbara the following June. Where? (Geographys not my strong point). Santa Barbara. Its in California. But isnt that where ? I'm sure you can picture the excitement! We went to the conference for a week and then hung two weeks driving round on the end of it. It was a fantastic holiday, we loved it, but it was VERY tiring. By the time we got to the last three days of our holiday you can guess where we were in desperate need of another holiday, something relaxing. What we got was Disneyland at its busiest, during a freak cold and rainy period. Overall we had a good time with some great memories but we were too tired for it. One of us was particularly grizzly (I said he was wonderful, nobodys perfect! And he had done all the driving) and we didnt get as much out of the Californian park as we did the Paris one. Not Disneys fault though.
After we returned, talk turned to my 40th birthday and how and where to celebrate it. Where else??!!
Next - the planning marathon.
Carol (40, British) dangerously Disney obsessed.
Roland (35, German) puts up with me somehow.
Mickey our beanie, on his first trip `home´.
THE PREQUEL
First problem where to start my trip report? I started planning to go to DisneyWorld about five minutes after Walt did. When I was little I was a faithful fan of all the Disney specials at Easter and Christmas (why did they stop them?) and the films, (Jungle Books my favourite), and I KNEW Disney needed me as much as I needed it! Life conspired against me and my dream for a long time (read that as having no money) but I got there in the end.
My first taste of magic was in 1990 when I met Roland, the most wonderful man in the world (theres no use arguing with me on that one chaps) and then things got even more magical when we married in 1996. (Thats when I discovered that you cant really burst with happiness). Without Roland, Disney would all still be a dream.
In July 1997, when we lived in London, I wandered into a travel agents and just `happened´ to see some brochures for Disneyland Paris. I took them home, oohed and aahed at all the pages, saw the prices, felt faint and binned the lot. A month later, I opened a Winnie the Pooh birthday card bearing (couldnt resist the pun) the message, `I cant make all your wishes come true but at least I can this one´ and a folded up piece of paper. Unfolded, this turned out to be a picture of Disneyland Paris. Roland had rescued the brochures my present was a weekend at Disneyland Paris! (Told you he was wonderful). There followed more bursting with happiness. We didnt get there (because Roland wasnt well) until the end of February 98 but it was well worth the wait. The magic of that trip was unbelievable and talking about it always puts a smile on our faces.
In June 98, Roland was sent to a conference in Paris guess who went along too? Well, we were only three stations away from you-know-where! Roland really did have to attend the conference so I went to that wonderful place on my own in the morning (only other person available was a woman who sneered continually about Disney) and Roland joined me in the afternoon. It was every bit as special as we remembered. It was, however, when I realised that even if you can be a kid-at-heart forever, your body doesnt always play the game: halfway round Indiana Jones (and this was before it went backwards) I realised I didnt like roller coasters any more. Great timing.
In September 98, Roland casually mentioned hed been asked to speak at a conference in Santa Barbara the following June. Where? (Geographys not my strong point). Santa Barbara. Its in California. But isnt that where ? I'm sure you can picture the excitement! We went to the conference for a week and then hung two weeks driving round on the end of it. It was a fantastic holiday, we loved it, but it was VERY tiring. By the time we got to the last three days of our holiday you can guess where we were in desperate need of another holiday, something relaxing. What we got was Disneyland at its busiest, during a freak cold and rainy period. Overall we had a good time with some great memories but we were too tired for it. One of us was particularly grizzly (I said he was wonderful, nobodys perfect! And he had done all the driving) and we didnt get as much out of the Californian park as we did the Paris one. Not Disneys fault though.
After we returned, talk turned to my 40th birthday and how and where to celebrate it. Where else??!!
Next - the planning marathon.
