My PO-RS, GF, and BCV Vacation With A Disability

[jennymouse]

It sure would be nice to read that next installment since I'm here babysitting my new grandbaby on New Years Eve. She's asleep and I don't have a thing to do.......

 

[Janet2k]

You folks are too funny! I tried, I really did, to get Part 3 done before the clock struck midnight this evening and the New Year officially began. But, alas, my coach turned into a pumpkin and I had to run all the way back home from the ball before my edits were finished. I promise to try my best to finish those edits and post Part 3 before January 1st ends. (Keep your fingers crossed that I can pull it off.)

By the way, everyone, Happy New Year.

 

[pixiechick]

Originally posted by Janet2k
But, alas, my coach turned into a pumpkin and I had to run all the way back home from the ball before my edits were finished.

Please!!! No running! The last thing you need is another cast!


By the way, everyone, Happy New Year.

Right back at ya'! And to everyone else as well!

 

[KayleeUK]

Wonderful report, wonderful photos.....just wonderful

 

[jennymouse]

Originally posted by pixiechick

Please!!! No running! The last thing you need is another cast!

Yes, no running for you little lady! You just sit right there in that chair and EDIT AND POST!LOL Happy New Year to you too!

 

[Janet2k]

You folks already know that had it been up to me to plan the “Haunted Mansion Movie Set Dinner” event menu, my guests would have been dining on hotdogs and fries. But luckily for them, the Disney Studios folks had created a unique menu.

I had received a phone call during my vacation from the Chef de Cuisine of Catering for the Disney-MGM Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom theme parks. He wanted to know if I needed any last minute changes made to the menu. I assured him that everything was perfect with the final menu that he had sent to me during the prior week. As I’ve stated before, Disney knows way more about the planning of a special event than I will ever know. The fate of my dinner party was safely in his hands. I hadn’t a care in the World (Disney, that is).

As I sat in my wheelchair inside “The Making of the ‘Haunted Mansion’ Movie” attraction (click here), I marveled at how stunning my surroundings were. The ballroom set was the perfect place to hold my anniversary dinner party. With such a unique venue, I wondered how the food would compare. Would the attention to detail be similar to the attention to detail that the movie set enjoyed? Would my guests find the dinner memorable? It was time to find out.

For dinner, the lighting on Soundstage 4 had been changed. Oh, sure, we could have dined in full light (click here). Or even in medium light (click here). But with the lights turned down just a little lower, the entire mood had been altered to something befitting dinner inside the haunted Gracey Manor (click here).

As you’ve just seen, the Disney Studios folks used lighting to help effect a certain atmosphere for my intimate dinner party. The rest of the atmosphere was set by music from the Phantom Manor theme park ride at Disneyland Paris. That music ranged from the sublime (a haunting music box melody) to the dramatic (an elaborate orchestral piece with choir). Their choice of music was interesting and really quite fitting. Of course, I did not know how fitting it was until I had seen the “Haunted Mansion” movie several weeks later. The music in the movie also ranged from the sublime (a haunting music box melody) to the dramatic (an elaborate orchestral piece with choir). I don’t know why the “Haunted Mansion” movie’s music was not used during my dinner party, but if anyone is planning a “Haunted Mansion Movie Set Dinner” event of their own, please consider using the movie’s score. It is beautiful. (Note: The overture from the movie is presently found on a CD entitled “The Haunted Mansion Haunted Hits (Music From and Inspired by the Film),” and if you click this link, please listen to the movie’s beautifully haunting overture on Track 14.)

And so, with the mood set by both lighting and music, it was time for dinner to be served (click here). It was exactly 8:30 PM when everyone found a place at the dinner table (click here).

There was no doubt about it – the ballroom set was dramatic and enjoyed being the center of attention. However, our dinner table certainly was able to hold its own (click here) amongst the beauty and splendor of the movie set.

The long table was covered with a floor-length, black tablecloth. There was a white, table runner laid down the center of it. Rose petals were scattered across the table runner (click here). Upon the table sat two candelabras, one at each end. A colorful floral arrangement sat in the dead-center of the table. The table really was beautifully set and certainly played second-fiddle to no one. That is, of course, if you ignored the cobwebs on the candelabras (click here) and centerpiece (click here).

Each place setting (click here) was comprised of the following pieces: a faux-marble charger plate, a dinner plate, a bread & butter plate, various pieces of silverware, a cloth napkin, a wine glass, and a water goblet.

The water goblet was unique in that it contained not only ordinary ice cubes but also two very special “ice cubes.” If you look at this photograph (click here), you will see two lines of glowing water goblets going down the length of our dinner table. And if you look at this photograph (click here), you will see the special ice cubes floating in the water goblets. I was pleased that the Disney Studios folks had used them for my dinner party. Their glow added a little something extra to the ambience of the night (and gave my daughter something to marvel at).

(Note: I don’t know where Disney purchases their glowing ice cubes, but I did find several vendors listed on the Internet. If you go to this webpage - click here - not only will you see a close-up photograph of a red-glowing ice cube, you will also see how to turn it “on” and “off” - the usage directions are animated. Before my vacation, I had never seen those ice cubes before.)

Also found at each place setting was the evening’s dinner menu. Each menu had been individually singed around the edges (click here). The singeing of the menus was just another one of those special touches that Disney is legendary for. Many of those touches were used throughout my dinner party. Each one of them truly made an already special event even more unique.

Our dinner menus stated the following:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gracey Mansion
November 1874
Tonight’s Menu (click here)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sundried Tomato Napoleon (click here)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spiced Fois Gras with Seasonal Apples, Verjus and a Caramelized Shallot Tarte (click here)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Crystal Ball” of Miniature Greens, Goat Cheese and Black Pepper Terrine (click here)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blood Orange Sorbet in an Ice Skull (click here)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Creole Spiced Rack of Lamb with Marchand du Vin Sauce (click here)
Bourbon Marinated Quail with Blackberry Glaze
Yukon Gold Potato Tarte and Haricot Vertes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bananas Foster Crème Brûlée (click here)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friandise in a Chocolate Coffin (click here)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
​

​

​

You folks already know that I am no connoisseur of fine food (I think when I mentioned that I was considering putting hotdogs on the dinner menu, that pretty much gave me away). I am not going to attempt to describe the dinner menu in detail or each course’s ingredients. Let me just state here and now that everything was delicious. Each course was flavorful and beautifully presented. The Disney Studios’ catering folks did a beautiful job with the entire meal. I should also mention that some of the dinner courses evoked an unexpected response from my guests. You’ll hear a little bit about that as I continue on with the description of the dinner.

Nutz4dzny began the dinner party with a beautiful toast (click here). It was completely spontaneous and she did a lovely job with it. I secretly wished I could have stood up for it but I was afraid that I would topple over (not the way I envisioned starting the evening).

When we sat down, our first course was waiting for us. That course was ”Sundried Tomato Napoleon” (click here). I am a big tomato fan so I especially enjoyed this course. I’m fairly certain the chef chose this particular course for a few reasons: it was both tasty and colorful. A napoleon is normally “an oblong pastry with a filling of cream, custard, or jelly.” (Since I am food-illiterate, I had to find that definition in the Merriam-Webster dictionary.) In place of the pastry, the chef had chosen to use pieces of sun-dried tomato. The tanginess of the sun-dried tomato was offset by the creaminess of the cheese concoction (okay, I promise that is my last attempt at a food description). The redness of the tomato contrasted nicely with the blackness of the faux-marble charger plate, and it also blended nicely with the red glow from the ice cubes in our water goblets. Like I said, I’m pretty certain the Disney Studios‘ catering staff specifically chose this first course for effect, both in taste and in sight.

While we were enjoying our napoleons, the “Making of the ‘Haunted Mansion’ Movie” video began playing on the overhead screen (click here). This video is played during the regular theme park hours. Since none of us had visited the attraction before, it was nice getting the opportunity to watch the video during our dinner party. The brief video was hosted by Don Hahn, the producer of the “Haunted Mansion” movie. It contained pieces by Rob Minkoff (Director/Executive Producer), John Myhre (Production Designer), Mona May (Costume Designer), Rick Baker (Special Effects Make-Up Designer), and Jay Redd (Visual Effects Supervisor).

Shortly after the video had completed, thunder and lightning struck outside the windows of the ballroom set. It was the perfect effect for a dinner party that was being held inside the ballroom of Gracey Manor. Once again, Disney’s attention to detail was truly amazing.

I thought it would be fun to compare images of what the dinner table looked like as the Evers family dined inside Gracey Manor, to what the dinner table looked like as my family and guests dined inside Gracey Manor. This is what the Evers family saw - for image from “Haunted Mansion” movie preview, click here. Now compare that to what we saw on Soundstage 4:
Photo # 1 (click here)
Photo # 2 (click here)
Both the Gracey Manor dinner table and the Soundstage 4 dinner table looked divine (of course, I’m partial to the Soundstage 4 table).

Our dinner party’s wait staff was excellent. They were unobtrusive and yet attentive (click here). The same went for our Disney Event Productions’ photographer. He blended into the background as he took candid photographs throughout the evening. There were also some other Disney Cast Members in attendance during our dinner party. I’m not sure who they were or why they were there but my guess was that since we were the first ones to hold an intimate party in that venue, they were there to make sure that everything went well (and probably also to take notes about what to modify/add/subtract for future dinner parties).

As to libations, both red and white wine were part of the offerings. For those folks who did not drink, the beverage choices were soft drinks, juices, coffee, tea, milk, and water. If I would have been thinking, I would have added champagne to the drink selection. Here I sit, over one month later, and this idea just popped into my head right now. I guess you can tell that I am not a big drinker. With that said, I do love champagne. How could I have forgotten to have had champagne served for the anniversary toast? Shame on me. I will make a mental note to not forget that little detail for my future anniversary parties.

The second course of the night was “Spiced Fois Gras with Seasonal Apples, Verjus and a Caramelized Shallot Tarte.” This was a beautifully presented course (click here).

The dinner menu stated the following for the third course: “’Crystal Ball’ of Miniature Greens, Goat Cheese and Black Pepper Terrine with Champagne Vinaigrette.” Crystal ball? Huh? Well, take a look at what was placed before us (click here). Our salad was served inside a miniature crystal ball. And the crystal ball was foggy with moisture from the ice-cold miniature greens contained inside of it. This course was a big hit with my guests and received a round of applause. WeFullTime stated: “They are so creative.” And Nutz4dzny’s husband said, “Where’s the chef at? That is awesome.” I asked, “So, how do we cut the glass?” (I told you I was food-illiterate.) Then Nutz4dzny’s husband said, “That is too wild. It even looks like her (Madame Leota) – mine has a little head in here. It’s talking to me. Wait a minute – is it supposed to do that?!” Yes, my guests thoroughly enjoyed the “Crystal Ball” course. It definitely was a unique one. Bravo to the Disney Studios folks for adding it to our menu. I should mention that it also tasted as good as it looked (the miniature tomatoes were delicious, as was the champagne vinaigrette).

I absolutely love this photograph of our group enjoying dinner on the “Haunted Mansion” movie set (click here). It has become one of my all-time favorite vacation photographs. I feel it shows both the grandness of the ballroom movie set and the intimacy of our dinner party. That’s exactly how I feel whenever I think about any of my Walt Disney World vacations – they’re both grand and intimate. Truly a little something for everyone. ~Sigh~

How could the third course be topped? If your name is “Disney,” it’s an easy feat to pull off. With much anticipation on my part, the fourth course arrived (click here). As I’ve mentioned before, I had kept this course a secret from my dinner guests. That is, however, until they read their menus during the party. Those menus had stated: ”Blood Orange Sorbet in an Ice Skull.” It was fun watching everyone’s reactions when that course was brought out.

It did not escape anyone’s attention that the ice skulls were bathed in a dry ice-induced fog (click here). As this course was placed before my guests, it gave off an eerie red glow (click here). The glow matched the color of the blood orange sorbet, and it also matched the glow of the ice cubes in the water goblets (click here).

The ice skull course was both delicious and amusing (click here). My guests were adorable as they marveled at this course. Minybear said, “Hmmm… It’s staring back at us!” And since the sorbet was placed in the cranial portion of the skull, WeFullTime stated: “This is brain food.” To which my daughter replied, “So we can think.” Then Nutz4dzny said, “Our compliments to the chef,” and her husband added, “I hope he or she comes out to talk to us.” Then WeFullTime exclaimed, “I bet this is always the big hit!” Yes, everyone enjoyed the ice skull course (click here). If you take a close look at that photo, you will see most of my guests staring at the course in amusement. What that photograph does not show, however, is the rousing round of applause that the ice skull course received. Bravo, Disney Studios folks. Another perfect course.

The fifth course, the main entrée, was brought out next (click here). This course was comprised of three main items: ”Creole Spiced Rack of Lamb with Marchand du Vin Sauce, Bourbon Marinated Quail with Blackberry Glaze, and Yukon Gold Potato Tarte and Haricot Vertes.” String beans were also included with the entrée. Now I don’t want you thinking that this course was without its own special Disney touch. If you take a close look at the twice-baked potato in that photograph, you will see a slice of sweet potato in the shape of a tombstone that was engraved with “RIP” (the acronym for Rest In Peace). What an amusing touch.

Here’s another photo of the main entrée (click here). I must say that this was my favorite course of the evening. The quail and potato tarte were delicious, but it was the lamb that stole my heart. It was mouthwatering and my taste buds were in heaven. It was the best lamb that I had ever eaten. My young daughter loved it, too, and she had never eaten lamb before. I was really worried that she wouldn’t like it (she’s a grilled-cheese kind of girl), but the lamb was so tender and the marchand du vin sauce so flavorful that I should not have worried. It was scrumptious.

The sixth course was ”Bananas Foster Crème Brûlée.” I love crème brûlée and my husband loves bananas so this dessert (click here) was the perfect union to celebrate our perfect marriage. Okay, so maybe I’m pushing it by calling our marriage “perfect,” but take my word for it, the dessert really was comprised of the perfect marriage of bananas and custard. It was yummy and my husband finished the whole thing (how he found room for it in his stomach after eating the previous five courses was beyond me). Berries and whipped cream accompanied the bananas foster.

The seventh and final course was ”Friandise in a Chocolate Coffin” (click here). Immediately after I had first spoken with the Chef de Cuisine of Catering for Disney MGM Studios, I had to check the dictionary for the meaning of the word “friandise.” (As stated, I am food-illiterate and had no idea what that word meant.) I found the following definition: “Friandise [free-yawn, -DEEZ]: A French term for confections – such as TRUFFLES, mints or PETITS FOURS – served after the dessert course.”

When this course was placed before me, I immediately saw that once again Disney’s attention to detail was amazing (click here). Not only was it coated with cobwebs (don’t worry, they were only spun-sugar), it was also backlit by an eerie red light (are you noticing a theme here with the red lighting?). As everyone sat there discussing the spun-sugar topping on the chocolate coffin, Nutz4dzny’s husband took the coffin’s red light and placed it in his mouth (hey, kids; do not try this at home ). It was a fun way to cap off the final course (too bad the Disney photographer didn’t capture it on film).

Once everyone had the final two courses before them, the Sous-Chef appeared (click here). I secretly hoped he had heard our applause during a few of the dinner courses. As he stood at the table, we thanked him for the scrumptious courses and the wonderful attention to detail that had been lavished on each dish. For anyone who thought the venue would be the only star of the evening, I can honestly say that the meal stole the show. It truly put our event over the top. I was very happy that we had the chance to personally thank the chef for such a memorable meal. It was a treat having him stop by to say hello.

After the chef had left us, I asked a Cast Member for some to-go boxes for the chocolate coffins since everyone was too full to eat them. Within a few minutes the boxes were produced. My guests then took a few moments to take some final photographs of the movie set before we headed back to our resort.

It was almost 10:25 PM as we exited Soundstage 4. We were accompanied by several Disney Cast Members. Once outside, we heard the theme park music playing through the loudspeakers. When we reached the transportation pick-up point, our vehicles and drivers were waiting for us. We boarded the vehicles and our mini-caravan was driven back to the Beach Club Resort. Our magical evening had officially come to an end.

I can’t think of anything that I would have changed that night. It was a wedding anniversary that I shall never forget. And quite fitting considering that my husband and I had met on Halloween night many moons ago. And before that first night was through, my husband had told me that we were going to be married one day. Of course, I did not believe him; I was not naïve. But had someone told me that after many years of marriage I would have been celebrating my wedding anniversary on the set of the “Haunted Mansion” movie, well, I wouldn’t have believed that either. As they say, magic happens when you least expect it.

 

[IloveDMB]

That dinner sounded absolutely magical! I'm glad all of your planning played off and I am really enjoying reading your wonderful reports!

 

[pixiechick]

Wow! The food looks and sounds amazing! The presentation of each course was incredible.

What a wonderful night you all must have had.

 

[Minybear]

Janet2K

Thanks for the fantastic memories.

The event you arranged for all of us was fantastic but it seems like a dream that I do not want to wake up.

 

[tammydel]

Wow!
What a wonderful anniversary.

I love planning my Disney trips, but I think you have opened my eyes to a world of other possibilities!

Thank you so much for taking the time to share with such detail. I'm am sure it is quite a lot of work, but it is MUCH appreciated.

Tammy

 

[jennymouse]

What a wonderful dinner! Disney never ceases to amaze me at thier attention to detail. I agree, the food stole the show at this event. And you couldn't have asked for better company with minybear and nutz4dizny! Did you notice how nutz4dizy's hair sort of fit right in too!LOL Just kidding, nutz4dizny! Love ya, mean it!

Thanks so much for sharing with all us DISer's, Janet. You could've easily kept this intimate event to yourself, but instead you took your time and effort to present this excellent report. It's the unselfish contributions like your's that make the DIS such a great resource for planning our WDW vacations. Who would've known that such an event was even possible. Thank you.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

Janet,I sent you a PM.
Misty

 

[nutz4dzny]

jennymouse - You are too funny!!! I never noticed that but you are right! I blended in quite nicely! LOLOLOLOL!

Also your point about Janet2k is right on the money. I have never met such an unselfish caring person as Janet. She is one of a kind and I am lucky to have her as a friend! She HAS contributed so much to these Boards with information and pictures and such!

We better look out because if someone from Disney is reading these Boards they might snatch her up and hire her to work for them!

Thanks again Janet for all the hard work and HOURS you put in writing this report to share with others!

Renee aka nutz4dzny

 

[jennymouse]

Originally posted by nutz4dzny
jennymouse - You are too funny!!! I never noticed that but you are right! I blended in quite nicely! LOLOLOLOL!

Also your point about Janet2k is right on the money. I have never met such an unselfish caring person as Janet. She is one of a kind and I am lucky to have her as a friend! She HAS contributed so much to these Boards with information and pictures and such!

We better look out because if someone from Disney is reading these Boards they might snatch her up and hire her to work for them!

Thanks again Janet for all the hard work and HOURS you put in writing this report to share with others!

Renee aka nutz4dzny

Thanks for taking it my ribbing in the loving way in which I meant it. I'm a strawberry blond myself, and love your red!

NO, Disney can't have Janet, she's our Princess, all ours!

 

[pixiechick]

We just came in from seeing the movie. DS had been nagging us for a while. We finally gave in! :happy1:

I spent the entire movie checking out the sets and scenery! I now appreciate the magnitude of the environment even more, if that's possible! WOW!

btw, the movie was only so-so, imho. BUT, DS liked it and I had fun because of Janet's amazing event!

 

[Janet2k]

Thanks, everyone, for your kind words. Sharing the Haunted Mansion Movie Set Dinner event was a lot of fun for me. I hope I did the event justice.

I have seen the “Haunted Mansion” movie twice now. The first time I saw it, I saw it with my son (my son did not attend our family vacation due to his college schedule). When I saw the movie that first time, I was primarily only interested in viewing the movie sets (I wonder why? ). Then I saw the movie again two weeks ago. This time I saw it with my husband, my daughter, and my dear friend from home who had joined us on vacation (that was the first time the three of them had seen the movie). It was a lot of fun sitting in the theater and watching their reactions anytime the ballroom set was shown. I really enjoyed the movie that second time around.

I spent a good portion of today updating all my posts in this thread. I have (hopefully) fixed all the broken links to my photos that were caused by Yahoo’s recent changeover of their on-line photo albums (and I was happy when they restored my albums that had “disappeared” during their changeover). I have also fixed all the links that were broken when Disney recently changed their own website. With that said, if anyone finds a link that is still broken, please PM me and I will fix it.

I still have a few more things to share regarding my vacation: a manatee-sighting excursion on the Crystal River, courtesy of WeFullTime & her husband; a group dining reservation for Disney’s New Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show with Minybear & her husband, Nutz4dzny & her husband, my dear friend from home, and my family. I will try to find the time to share those memories soon.

Again, everyone, thanks for your kind words.

 

[SueM in MN]

I just read your Haunted Mansion feast (I'm a little behind). I have to say that I thought your other adventures were amazing and could not be topped - I was wrong. That sounds like it was one very special dinner!

 

[CarolynFH]

Janet2k, I have really enjoyed reading your trip report. And I also appreciate your making it one long thread, instead of posting each entry as a separate thread! Made it so easy to read everything without having to search for consecutive entries and remember which number I read last! I can hardly wait to read the rest.

Thanks for sharing your family's trip with us!

Carolyn

 

[Janet2k]

With the Haunted Mansion Movie Set Dinner event just a wonderful dream behind me, I reluctantly dragged my sleepy body out of bed. The entire prior day had been so full of action that I was truly bone-tired (and I’m not just talking about my broken leg, either). But I was excited about what the new day held in store for me – my family was beginning it with a boat outing, and ending it with the Spirit of Aloha dinner show. I felt confident that it was going to be another magical vacation day.

My family had been invited to join WeFullTime & her spouse on a Gulf Coast boat outing. They were kind enough to invite along my dear friend from home, too. Also joining the outing would be Nutz4dzny & her spouse. I was looking forward to this outing because I was hoping to catch my very first glimpse of a manatee in its natural environment (I’d only seen manatees in aquarium settings).

After I had showered and dressed, I woke up the other two lazybones in my Beach Club Villas resort room – my husband and daughter. After thirty minutes or so, we were ready to go. My dear friend came down to our room, and then the four of us headed outside into the early, morning sunshine.

We took a taxicab over to the Animal Kingdom Lodge, where we joined up with Nutz4dzny and her spouse. They drove us over to WeFullTime’s place, where we joined up with WeFullTime and her husband. Since there were eight people in our party, we needed two vehicles to transport everyone to the Gulf Coast. WeFullTime’s husband drove the “boys” in his vehicle, while Nutz4dzny drove the “girls” in her vehicle. Well, that was the plan until my daughter decided that she wanted to hang with the boys. WeFullTime allowed her to switch vehicles under the condition that she promised to “spy” on them for us. My daughter happily agreed and our mini-caravan was on its way.

My husband and daughter had their first visit to the Gulf side of the state during the prior week when we had visited my Aunt. But because it had been raining that day, they never really got a good look at the Gulf of Mexico. Since today was a sunny day, I knew they’d finally get a good view of it. My dear friend had also never been to Florida’s Gulf Coast before, so she was looking forward to her first glimpse too.

It took less than three hours to reach our destination – Crystal River, Florida. If you’d like to see where Crystal River is located, please click here. That’s a nice map because it gives you an idea of how far Crystal River is from Orlando. And for information regarding Crystal River and its manatee population, please click here.

WeFullTime and her husband had arranged for a pontoon boat to be waiting for us upon our arrival (click here for photo). Everyone boarded the boat. My husband quickly scanned the waterway around us in hopes of catching his first glimpse of a manatee (click here for photo). With Nutz4dzny’s help, my daughter put on her life preserver (click here for photo). Once everyone was situated, we shoved off.

Being a West Coast girl, I had never heard of the Crystal River area, but I had certainly heard of the West Indian manatees. Those lovely creatures are almost as famous as the Mouse. What I did not know, however, was that “Manatee Season” begins in October and runs through March. WeFullTime and her husband had graciously taken on the responsibility of being our Tour Guides and they shared with us that information. They also shared with us the fact that manatees come into the inland rivers during the colder months in search of warmer waters. The Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge hosts the largest concentration of manatees in Florida pretty much year round. It was wonderful having two such knowledgeable folks as WeFullTime and her husband as our hosts for the day.

For those of you who are unaware of what a manatee is, it is basically an aquatic mammal with a large body that is full around the middle and narrows to a paddle-shaped tail (click here for description and drawing). For all sorts of information about this creature, please check out the Sea World / Busch Gardens Animal Information Database (click here). I found information on that website that leads me to believe that if manatees could walk, they would be the perfect Walt Disney World guests: “Manatees are nonaggressive, nonterritorial herbivores that spend most of their time feeding (six to eight hours per day) and resting (two to twelve hours per day). The remainder of their day is spent traveling; curiously investigating objects; and socializing by mouthing, rubbing against, and interacting with other manatees.” Okay, so forget the “mouthing” and “rubbing against” parts, but everything else sounds like the makings of the perfect Walt Disney World guest, don’t you agree?

The Crystal River waterways are beautiful (click here for photo). Many lovely homes sit along its banks. We hoped to catch our first glimpse of a manatee in those waterways because the water is shallow and thus warm and inviting to a manatee. WeFullTime’s husband told us what to look for as we peered into the murky waters beneath us. Everyone carefully looked for anything resembling a large, seal-like blob. Eventually WeFullTime’s husband spotted something (click here for photo). Could it be a manatee? He inched our boat closer (and made sure to be ready to raise the motor if he thought the manatee was going to swim underneath us so as to not injure it with the propeller). Closer… Closer… Closer… Yes, it was a manatee (click here for photo). Nutz4dzny and I got our cameras ready (click here for photo). We wanted to take a few photos of it. What a thrill it was to see this creature swimming alongside our boat (click here for photo).

As you folks already know, I normally don’t leave the Walt Disney World property while I am on vacation. I was really glad that I had decided to do so today. It was so much fun spending the day out on the water with WeFullTime, Nutz4dzny, and their spouses. They are such wonderful people, and my family and dear friend truly had a ball all day long. By the way, even though we weren’t on Walt Disney World property, I’ll give you one guess as to where our hearts still lied (click here for answer).

As we rode along the waterways, besides doing a little manatee-watching, we also did a little bird-watching. Bird-watching wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Can you spot the bird in this photograph (click here for photo)? I couldn’t either at first, but WeFullTime’s husband pointed out its location to me (click here for photo).

Being in the warm, Florida sun for a few hours sure made everyone hungry. There were munchies and drinks onboard the boat, but WeFullTime and her husband had a heartier meal in mind for us. They drove our boat right up to the dock of Cracker’s Restaurant and moored it there (click here for photo). I didn’t have my wheelchair with me, so with the help of my husband and others, I was able to cautiously hop down the dock and inside the restaurant.

Since it was lunchtime, the restaurant was literally hopping. I could tell that this was a popular place with the locals. Once I took a whiff of the aromas that were wafting from the kitchen, I immediately knew why. Everything smelled yummy.

We were quickly seated at a large table and drinks were ordered. WeFullTime recommended some dishes from the menu and everyone placed their orders. Soon our meals were placed before us and we dug in. Boy, was the food good. I think the conversation at our table came to a complete standstill for several minutes as everyone filled their bellies. Cracker’s was a perfect choice for lunch, and I was so thankful that WeFullTime and her husband had taken us there.

Once our plates had been licked clean, it was time to go. WeFullTime and her husband graciously picked up the lunch tab for our group. What a lovely and unexpected gesture. Not only had they treated us to a fantastic boat outing, they had also treated us to a scrumptious lunch. What wonderful hosts they were.

We all got back on the boat and away we went. WeFullTime’s husband let my daughter take the wheel for a minute (click here for photo). She was a natural skipper (or so she thought). With WeFullTime’s husband safely back at the helm, we cruised the waterways for a little while longer. Eventually we had to head back into port because we had the Spirit of Aloha dinner show waiting for us back at Walt Disney World.

Once the pontoon boat had been returned, everyone boarded their prospective vehicles in our mini-caravan. But before we headed back to Walt Disney World, WeFullTime’s husband took us to the Gulf of Mexico so everyone could catch a glimpse of that beautiful body of water (and also a snort-full of the fresh, sea air). With that mission successfully accomplished, our mini-caravan was soon on its way back to Orlando.

It had been a wonderful, wonderful day. We had gotten to see a manatee in its natural habitat; we had gotten to eat a yummy lunch at a darling, local hangout; but better yet, we had gotten to spend the day with our new friends. It just does not get any better than that.

 

[WeFullTime]

Boy, you sure made our outing sound just as fun as it really was! We had a wonderful time with the gang that day and were so happy that a manatee followed us around on our trip on the water. Since we were so excited watching the manatee, not one of us managed to get a picture of its head above water. So here's a recent photo of a friendly manatee coming right up to our friend's kayak. Looking forward to more of your trip report!

Cindy and Dennis Henderson
Fulltime RVers, wintering in Florida at the Encore SuperPark Orlando