Alrighty... we got off the monorail at the MK stop and I did NOT tap Sweaty Ripe Guy. Instead I grabbed him... clearly against his will... hugged him tight and told him I would never forget him.
Or did I?
NO!!!!! Way. Jose.
Gross me green.
Tommy and I headed for Guest Services and had a short lil wait in line to change our pass vouchers into... GENUINE DISNEYWORLD ANNUAL PASSES!!!
Baby.
They suited us just fine. And not only because they were grey and purple with The Haunted Mansion and ghosts on them.
B/c it was
MNSSHP.
But...because we are happyhaunts!
Except for when we are unhappyhats.
I showed Tommy his pass but didn't let him put it in his own pocket. I'd be the driver here.
NO KEEPSIES!
I put them safely in my pocket where I had some money and our Keys to the Kingdom. And we went to pay through the NOSE... in U.S. dollars... for a locker in which to stash all our carp. For the day:
And except for only capturing less than 1/2 of our bodies... I really love this picture!
Heh heh.
Then we headed through the tunnel. And came out in the Magic Kingdom.
And felt like we were really, really, truly HERE!
It's the moment of truth. For Me(l).
Crossing under that train station. And coming out into the magic.
And, I'm here to say that I failed. This time. Miserably.
Because instead of feeling my usual rush of excitement and joy. That I've ALWAYS previously experienced.
I felt a little sad. A little blue. So to speak.
I held tight to Tommy's little hand and it all felt just a bit surreal to me. With all the usual sights, colours, sounds, busy happy people and MK smells swirling all around me... I saw that there were some things missing. From the picture.
Three things.
Namely my husband, my daughter and my other son.
And I instantly and strongly questioned my decision to come. Here. Without them.
Just for an instant. Tho. Just an instant.
Because all of a sudden Tommy squeezed my hand most violently, shrieked and pulled me. Forwards.
It was so sudden and unexpected that for a second I thought he'd end up racing across the square. With just my arm. Dragging the wet end.
"MOMMY!!!! MOMMY!!!! IT'S GEPETTO!!!! MOMMY! GEPETTO!! GEPETTO!"
Huh?
Wait... I thought... it's just Gepetto. For crapsake.
But... although it WAS just Gepetto... it was also the first character that Tommy had laid eyes upon. Coming through that tunnel. And OH BOY was he excited!!!!
As he dragged me through the crowd to, possibly, one of the lamest characters I felt much better.
Hey!!! This could be good. This might be great. Or, as Tommy would say, this MAY be great!!
B/c with Beth and Calvin here there's no way in H-E-double hockey sticks... we'd be running off to meet Gepetto. First thing.
Maybe I wouldn't be the driver. After all. Maybe I'd just ride shotgun.
And maybe it would be GREAT!
For both of us.
And, you know what?! We didn't have to wait in any sort of a line to meet Gepetto.
Gepetto is not a FASTPASS.
TFI.
But it didn't matter. Tommy was thrilled and got his picture taken a bunch of times. He got a hug. And he got to give one back.
And then we headed over to that bench with the Goofy Statue sitting on it.
We took the obligatory Human With Statue Picture.
We have to.
It's not unlike the LaLas' Human with Giganto Snarling Stuffed Rabid Bear Picture.
It just must be done.
We happyhaunts also like to take a LOT of pictures of our feet. And thumbs. Too.
And. THEN!!!!
I SAW HIM:
Flowerschild!!!!!
I recognized him immediately from pictures that he has posted on the Disboards. Of himself.
And here he was. Just mere STEPS away from Me(l)!!!!
Just standing there. All alone. Still. Just like the Goofy statue.
Get this: He wasn't literally vibrating... or goodvibing... or whatever you want to call it.
As I would have thought he'd be.
Actually... I was the one who was literally vibrating.
I think.
So... I grabbed Tommy and we headed off to accost our first REAL Disboard Celebrity!!!!
Me(l): Excuse me?!
BUT... are YOU Flowerschild? From the Disboards?!!
FC: Hi. Yes I am! Who are you?
Me(l): I'm Mel happyhaunt.
On the Dis.
FC: Oh. Nice to meet you. What boards do you post on?
Me(l): The Trip Reports Board. Mostly.
FC: Well... I'll look for you. Send me a PM if you want to.
Me(l): Thanks, and you can PM me too. If you want. But, I've got to warn you that I'm really bad at cleaning my inbox out. Just so you know.
(Then we made some Dis smalltalk. There was slicing and dicing. I think. And I also complimented him on his shirt. I believe.)
We had a Dismeet. Is what I'm sayin'.
Then I asked him for a picture. He complied:
Then I asked him for a picture with Tommy. And sad, "Tommy can you pose for a picture with this fellow?" And scootched Tommy towards him. And stepped back to take the picture. Tommy refused. For some reason.
Perhaps... and I feel stupid just writing this sentence... perhaps: Flowerschild had scared him?!!!
Or... maybe it was my vibrating. Could'a been that.
But... he'd have none of it. And so I gave up.
And we said our fond farewells. And, you know what? Flowerschild WASN'T shy! Like I thought he'd be. He was fairly normal. Polite. And friendly enough. And he didn't talk like he writes on the Disboards. Either. FBI.
Then, again. Neither do I. Talk. Like. This. Double FBI.
After our goodbyes we headed up towards the Castle.
Stopped for another half-butted picture:
HOWEVER... looking at these pics... I got to thinking that MAYBE we DID, in fact, capture the image of ANOTHER Dis Celebrity. In it. NOZ.
Heh heh.
We continued on. Until Tommy stopped me and said, "Mommy. you're talking to alot of strangers today. Those guys on the monorail. The people you asked about our tickets. And the tall guy in the skunk shirt. You shouldn't talk to strangers because something bad will happen!"
WELL!!!
I NEVER have told him this.
I said, "Tommy have I ever told you that?"!
He said, "No.".
So I asked him what sort of stuff I HAD told him.
He said, "Don't get near or in a stranger's car."
And, "Adults never ever need to ask kids for help."
And, "Don't call 911 when you really want 411." Not that we know anyone who has actually done that. I think.
And, "Don't call the police on the meter-reader guy." Not that we know anyone who has actually done. That. Again.
Calvin.
And, finally: "Don't get near or in The General's car. When she's driving."!
Right. Tommy.
But... the talking to strangers thing is crap. Because if we, as parents, are supposed to teach by example... well... we do it ALL THE TIME.
It's necessary. And, sometimes, it's necessary for kids too.
It's one of those things that our kids are told over and over again. That is complete literal crap.
B/c it's too broad.
Like: It's not important if you win or lose.
And: You can be anything or anyone you want to be.
Also crap.
I know this because my whole freakin' life I've wanted to be Winston Churchill. But without the speech impetiment. NOWC.
My dear Dad had quite a thing for Winston Churchill. And spoke and read to me as a child, at great length, about him.
In fact, mostly everything in my life that I've need to know... I learned from my Dad. And Winston Churchill. And, okay, SOME STUFF from my beloved dreaded General. Too. I give.
How can you not follow the wisdom and teachings of a man who said:
"I like a man who grins when he fights!"
"History will be kind to me for I intend to write it."
And, my personal favourite WC quote (besides the rum, sodomy and the lash one) is:
"One ought never to turn one's back on threatened danger and try to run. You do that and you double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you reduce the danger by half."
Yep.
A good motto. For life. My Dad also followed that one. And taught me the same. Amongst many other things.
Loved HIM!!!
A terrific man. Imperfect. Funny. Witty. Human. Charismatic. And... all the rest.
Just like Winnie.
Cheers, Mel happyhaunt
moped.
Moped. It's the new 3D guy.
