off to neverland
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2004
- Messages
- 703
Cast:
Me, 34, mom and wife
Dix, 43, Great husband and dad
Boo, 5.25 year-old son
Sis, 2.25 year-old daughter
Dix was irritated, I could tell. From the beginning of our trip planning, he had made it clear that he would rather not deal with a rental car in Orlando. However, when he had learned that we could get a very cheap rate of $35 for a one-day rental and save $15-$20 over a town car service, he had relented. Now, after having lugged the kids two car seats and suitcases through the airport and into the hot car rental garage, he was having serious second thoughts about this decision.
I was too, but I wouldnt tell him that.
I told the kids they could pretend to drive in the front seat of the car while I helped Dix load the suitcases. He stood staring at the open trunk, muttering about the bags probably not fitting. Theyll fit, I reassured him. He then muttered that he had forgotten to go to the bank before our trip and didnt have American money for the toll road.
His demeanor was none too cheerful.
Why dont you go find a cash machine and Ill load the bags? I suggested. He agreed to this, and as he walked away, I resisted the urge to tell him to cheer up. Hopefully hed come back in a better mood on his own without my nagging.
I looked at the trunk and the bags. The Honda Dealership that sold us our Honda Pilot had given us two large rectangular suitcases as a thank-you-for-your-patronage gift. When I had reserved a mid-size car, Dix had been concerned that those suitcases wouldnt fit in the trunk with the kids double stroller. In my excitement over the cheap rental price, I had assured him they certainly would fit. What, you dont think Honda would give us suitcases that wouldnt fit in a standard-size car, do you? I had argued. Hell, those bags are probably the ultimate space-savers, being from Honda and all.
Now, looking at the bags and trunk, I wasnt so sure. Was this really a mid-size car? It looked more like sub-compact to me! I imagined myself sitting in the passengers seat with one of those giant rectangular suitcases sitting wedged between the windshield and me.
Oh, please, please, please fit!
I started to lift the double stroller into the trunk when Boo came around next to me. Mommy, I have something very important to tell you. I think this is the very same car we had last time we came to Disney World.
I hoisted the stroller into the trunk and told him there was no way we would have the exact same car since there were thousands of rental cars in the Orlando airport.
Mommy, Im way serious here. The color is the same, and even the seats look just like the last car. Look, Mommy, look!
I put down the stroller and stepped back to look at the car. Wait a second, Boo was onto something. It DID look like the same car! Same eggplant color, same make, same rental car agency. I opened the door and looked at the side of the seat where Sis would have sat. Sure enough, on the bottom side near the door there was a tiny pink spot where she had dropped the lip-gloss we had given her the last trip. It was very hidden and hard to see and unless you knew it was there, you wouldnt notice it.
I shook my head in disbelief. I wondered what the odds were that wed have the same car two trips in a row, three months apart. Would it be one in a thousand? One in a million? One in ten million? I then reminded myself that I knew very little about statistics. In fact, the only thing preventing me from the several degrees I had nearly completed in college was Statistics 101 class. Thats right, folks, Statistics 101 was the only thing standing between me and a double degree in Political Science and History and a minor in Spanish. I have had more college education than some people with doctorates, and yet I am missing that friggin Statistics 101 class.
Why was I standing in that hot garage thinking about odds-making and University degrees, instead of focusing on getting the bags in the trunk? It was procrastination, pure and simple. I was pretty sure those bags wouldnt fit.
Why, oh, why hadnt we just hired a towncar service?
I lifted, pushed, tugged, and finagled all our belongings in that trunk. Stroller first, then bags. Nope, that didnt work. I unloaded the bags and then started again with the bags first, then stroller. Nope. It just wasnt going to work.
I was frustrated. I wanted to have everything loaded by the time Dix came back so the experience of dealing with a rental car would be as stress-free as possible.
I studied the car.
Aha! I had the perfect solution! If I could manage to squeeze one of the suitcases into the front seat, I could sit between the kids in the back! Problem solved!
I moved Sis into the backseat and then began the very physical job of moving the red suitcase into the front passenger seat. I could hardly lift it, let alone shove it at the same time so I balanced the suitcase on one knee while I used my elbows, hips and other knee to shove it completely into the passenger seat. It was really tight, but it worked. Part of the bag crossed over the middle console into Dixs elbow space, and he surely wouldnt be able to see out the passenger side, but hed have to deal with that.
Happy with my solution to the problem and the fact that I'd been able to manhandle that bag to where I wanted it, I proudly slammed the trunk door in a moment of silent victory.
Then, in a flash, I thought of the car keys and realized I wasnt quite sure where they were. In a moment of worry, I quickly patted my back pockets to check for them. Not there! Oh no!
Now I was getting very worried. I patted my front pockets, this time much harder and quicker than I had the back ones. As if that would help to make the keys appear .
I smiled when I felt them. What relief, I had the keys! Maybe patting harder and faster does help!
I glanced over and noticed one of the National Rental agents walking by and trying not to laugh at me. Yes, I know, watching someone do the frantic key pat on all their pants pockets is pretty funny. Ive seen it myself a few times.
That parking garage was hot, and I knew the kids were getting heated in the car. I told Boo to get in the backseat with his sister, but he begged me to allow him to keep playing with the buttons and dials in the front seat. Nope, I replied. Time to get into your seat so we can start the car and turn on the air conditioning.
You can turn the air conditioning on while Im in the drivers seat, Boo assured me. I wont turn it to warm, I promise.
I laughed at this and told him I was more worried hed put the car into drive and drive away than I was about him changing the cold air to hot.
Dix arrived shortly after I had started the car, and as I had hoped, he had a smile on his face. Dix can do one of the best self talking-tos of anyone I know, and had obviously done it on his walk to the cash machine. He jumped in the car and pretended not to notice the mutant-size rectangular bag taking up most of the front seat. No more grumpiness here, honey, he told me. This is all going to work out great!
I sucked in my belly and slid over Sis in her carseat and into my seat in the middle. The two car seats took up quite a bit of room, but I was able to sit fairly comfortably as long as I folded my shoulders in and held my hands on my lap. I thought I noticed Dix laughing at me in the rearview mirror but when I tried to study his face for a smile, he quickly turned away and looked out his window at the parking garage.
Once I managed to buckle myself in, I tried to buckle Siss belt. She was determined she would do it herself, but experience had taught me that it takes Sis a good ten minutes to get herself completely buckled in. We just didnt have that kind of time, so I overruled her and pinned her hands down while I forcefully buckled her in myself.
She was absolutely furious.
She started screaming her angry howl/scream/bellow thing. "AAAAAAHHHHH," she wailed. "SISSY SELF! SISSY SELF! AAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Dix stepped on the gas in hopes that the car movement would distract her.
Nothing doing. She opened her lungs and screamed with all her might. Boo hunkered down in his seat and covered his ears and I tried to reach my arm over to pat his leg in sympathy but it was too tightly jammed next to his car seat and I couldnt reach.
We had to stop at the car rental security booth to show the security guard Dixs drivers license. As Dix rolled down his window to hand his license over, the security man recoiled back from the sound of Siss furious screaming.
How-ah-ooh-aay? The security guards voice was muffled by Siss screaming.
Whats that? yelled Dix.
The guard leaned out the booth window and slowly mouthed the words, HoW ARE . YOU . TODAY?
Oh, great, great, Dix yelled back. Having a little trouble with the little one back there, but were great!
I could tell the security guard couldn't make out a single word Dix had said.
I nudged the back of Dixs arm with my big toe to remind him to ask the man if his computer screen showed us getting car rental points or airline points for this rental. We really preferred car rental points.
Dix nodded in understanding and leaned out his window toward the man and yelled, Hey, any chance you can tell us if were getting car rental points or airline points?
The man looked at Dix blankly. He was trying to decipher what Dix had said but Sis had kicked it up another decibel.
Dix leaned farther out the window started to say it again. ANY .. CHANCE .. YOU ..CAN ..
The more Dix talked, the louder Sis screamed, and I nudged him with my toe again. Give up, Dix. No amount of points is worth this! That girls screams were exceeding the sound of a jet engine by at least ten decibels and we needed to get out of there.
Dix understood and was more than happy to give up. He waved at the guard and took off, and as we pulled away I looked behind to see the guard laughing at our car as we drove away. We must have been quite the sight. Im sure that with our luggage bags, we weighed that car down almost to the ground.
The guard waved at me and I gave him a backward head nod since my arms were pinned between the two car seats and I had only my big toe in which to communicate.
Tchau, baby!
We finally calmed Sis with promises that she could buckle herself the next time, and we all fell into a content silence. Dix didnt really need to the map to find his way to WDW since he remembered it from our trip in January. The kids and I sat back and watched the road and helped Dix navigate to Wilderness Lodge once we arrived on Disney territory.
I get an intensely calm and happy feeling when Im in the Wilderness Lodge lobby, despite the overwhelming awe factor that presents itself every time I go through the main doors. Theres a quiet comfort zone there for me. My parents built a very large log house when I was fourteen, so perhaps the log feel is comforting to me because it reminds me of home. Or maybe its because that incredibly high, massive ceiling sucks up the noise from the hundreds of people in the lobby and recycles it into a gentle drone that compliments the darkness of the room. Whatever the reason, that lobby has a very strong peaceful emotional effect on me.
This time was no different. As the automatic doors opened to present the lobby and all its splendor, I held my breath. The kids followed me through the front doors and immediately stopped when they saw the massive lobby before them. They tilted their heads back to see the top of the ceiling. They seemed frozen in their tracks.
I bent down next to Boo. Its incredible, isnt it, son? I whispered.
My voice seemed to snap him out of his trance. As if he had just been jolted with a dose of raw electricity, his feet started to gyrate and wiggle in place and his whole body seemed to vibrate. WOW! he yelled. This is AMAZIN! CMOM SIS, LETS EXPLORE!
The quiet, awe-inspiring moment was gone, and I grabbed his arm to prevent him from running around like a maniac. Sis caught his wild bug and started the giddy dance too, and I grabbed her with my other hand to keep her from taking off. No, no, no, I said. NO RUNNING!
Dix smiled and headed for the check-in desk. He was happy now; Wilderness Lodge is his happy place, too, and he often tells me that of all the places he has stayed in the world, this is his favorite.
He feels good there.
I was excited to take the kids to the corner of the lobby and show them the babbling brook and bridge that they had loved so much a year-and-a-half ago during our very first WDW trip. It had absolutely delighted them! Boo had just turned four, and Sis had just turned one, and they had spent a countless amount of time crossing back and forth over the bridge. Sis had just learned to walk, so she was unsteady on her feet and I had to help her a bit. I can still close my eyes feel her tiny hand in mine as she toddled in her little blue dress over that bridge behind her brother.
That memory is one of my strongest and sweetest of all our time at WDW. It was during those walks over the bridge that I had realized I had absolutely fallen head over heels in love with Walt Disney World.
As we walked up to the bridge, I hoped Boo would remember it from the last time. I threw my arms out to the sides and said, Ta Da! This is it, guys! The bridge you loved so much when we were here the last time!
Boo was staring at it earnestly. I studied his face for some recognition of what had been his favorite thing the year before. Finally he spoke. His voice was soft but serious. This is a baby bridge, Mommy.
What? A baby bridge? I tried to reason with him. This is not a baby bridge, Boo! Its a cute little bridge in the middle of a hotel! How many hotels have an actual bridge inside them, huh, Boo? You loved it the last time!
I know, you told me that already. He looked at in scorn, as if he couldnt possibly see the attraction of walking over a tiny bridge a bunch of times. What was the fun in that?
Sis studied his reaction carefully and then shrugged and stuck her nose in the air. If he wasnt impressed with the bridge, neither was she.
I had to laugh, they were right. It really was a short little baby bridge, but I saw it as big, awesome and great because it held a huge amount of special memories for me. Id have to hold those memories close to my heart, and let the kids make new ones while we were here. They didnt have to love that baby bridge, but I did.
Boo turned his attention back to the gigantic ceiling and instantly eyed a very obscure set of stairs that zigzagged all the way to the top floor. He squinted his eyes like he does when being grown up and serious. Hey Mommy, see those stairs? Theyd be way funner than this baby bridge. I could climb those stairs all the way to the top. Im five now so I can do Way Dangerous Things!
I relented to Boo that yes, at age five, he probably could do a lot of Way Dangerous Things but THAT particular Way Dangerous Thing would have to wait until after we were settled in our room. I could see Dix coming toward us with a smile on his face and keycards in hand. It was time to see our room.
We enjoyed the covered walk to the DVC villas. The DVC lodge exceeded my expectations. I thought it would be a rectangular building with floors of rooms. Instead, it was an octagon shaped building that went straight up five or six floors. Though of a much smaller scale, its like the Wilderness Lodge lobby in that you can stand on the ground and look straight up at all the floors.
We stared up and Dix and I immediately noticed the octagon shape. We had to get my dad in here when he arrived! He was in the process of building a round log guest cabin, and we both knew hed be very interested in seeing how this one was designed.
This being only our second trip as DVC members, we hadnt stayed in a studio before, and I thought the studio was very nice. Bigger than the regular Wilderness Lodge rooms, but smaller than a one bedroom, of course. The microwave and fridge would come in handy. It would suit our family fine until my parents and siblings joined us and we all moved to bigger accommodations at Beach Club.
We didnt spend long in the room because we were all hungry and wanted to eat dinner at Whispering Canyon, the fun restaurant that sits open in the Wilderness Lodge lobby. We all changed into clean clothes and headed to dinner. We were about forty minutes early for our reservation, so I asked the hostess if she could squeeze us in earlier. She thought she could get us in within the next fifteen minutes and gave us a pager. I had hoped the kids would enjoy playing with Lincoln Logs while we waited, but Boo was set on climbing those Way Dangerous Stairs to the top of the building and Dix was willing to take both kids on the exploration. I was hesitant about this because I didnt want them to get too far away in case the hostess found us a table. There was no sense in asking her to seat us early and then not be available when it was time.
I asked Boo and Dix to watch me carefully from the Way Dangerous Stairs for any signs that we might be seated soon and then to skidaddle quickly back to the restaurant when it was time. They promised, and only made it about four stories up before I gave them a sign and they hustled back to the restaurant.
Boo was not happy that his climbing expedition had been cut short and came back with a pout on his face. I wished he wouldnt start our fun dinner off with a pout. He had been so excited about this dinner when we planned it because he still remembered our server throwing napkins and straws at him a year ago when we had eaten there.
Unfortunately, our server that night must have been having an off night. He spoke softly, so we could barely hear him, and he made little eye contact with the kids. This didnt sit well with Boo. His pouty attitude changed to sheer grumpiness, and I got caught up in it and found myself feeling rather grumpy too.
When the server politely handed him a straw, Boo almost had a meltdown. Hes supposed to throw it at me, Mommy! he said when the man had left.
Dix and I ordered the All-You-Can-Eat skillet, which had the most delicious cornbread and pot roast Ive ever had. I broke my three-month long low-carb diet and had the server bring me two additional cornbread helpings.
Sis loved all the food as well, but Boo claimed he wasnt hungry and showed no interest in his burger and fries. Dix and I pointed out the funny shenanigans going on at the other tables, but Boo was not interested in these either and barely noticed what was going on around him. Dix and I decided that the kid needed two things: food and rest. It had been a long day on the plane, and he hadnt eaten well in the airport. We forced him to eat his hamburger and fries.
Its amazing how a little protein can perk up that child. The minute that burger hit his stomach, Boos entire demeanor changed. He was a happy, excited little boy, and just in time for the stick horse race.
Sis and Boo mounted their stick horses at the same time, but Boo ended up finishing in the front, while Sis kept a steady, slow pace toward the rear. The kids behind her were too patient and polite to pass her and she and her crew were far behind the first wave that had already arrived at the finish line. Sis was just beginning to lead the remaining group of kids down the long home stretch when one of the Cast Members grabbed the microphone and yelled, LOOK AT THAT CUTE LITTLE PONY GO!
Everyone in the restaurant applauded and cheered for Sis. She beamed. She knew everyone was watching her so she stood straight and tall, and picked up the pace from a walk to a super slow trot. Happy and proud, she led the final pack of kids to the finish line while people whistled, cheered, and rejoiced in her adorable pony trot.
For those ten seconds, she was the princess in the spotlight.
Dix couldnt take his eyes off his little girl, and while he clapped for her, he kept nudging me to point out all the beauty, grace, and sweetness behind those little blonde curls. She was absolutely beautiful.
That moment made up for the tension that had been at our table with Boo and the lack of fun in our server. We could walk away from that meal with a happy memory.
After dinner, Dix took Boo and Sis on a complete Way Dangerous Exploration of the stairwell. I browsed the pin kiosk and realized that collecting pins was a very expensive, frivolous habit and one that I would probably get into anyway. I then went into the gift shop to debate whether we should buy a Pal Mickey for the kids. It sure seemed like it would be a fun toy, but I worried that they would have trouble sharing just one. Wed probably need two in order to keep the family peace, but at over $60 apiece, I could hardly bring myself to even buy one. I decided against it for now, and would talk to Dix about it later.
On our way back to our room, we walked by the quiet DVC pool. It was starting to sprinkle rain, so swimming and watching the Electric Water Pageant wouldnt be an option this night.
I grabbed Siss hand as we walked. It felt much bigger and stronger than it had a year ago when she could barely keep her balance. Now she walked confidently next to me, and I looked down at the rain sprinkling on top of her light curls.
I quickened my step.
I didnt want my princess to get too wet.
****************************
Next Installment:
Part 2...The Good, the Bad, and the Magical...
Me, 34, mom and wife
Dix, 43, Great husband and dad
Boo, 5.25 year-old son
Sis, 2.25 year-old daughter
Dix was irritated, I could tell. From the beginning of our trip planning, he had made it clear that he would rather not deal with a rental car in Orlando. However, when he had learned that we could get a very cheap rate of $35 for a one-day rental and save $15-$20 over a town car service, he had relented. Now, after having lugged the kids two car seats and suitcases through the airport and into the hot car rental garage, he was having serious second thoughts about this decision.
I was too, but I wouldnt tell him that.
I told the kids they could pretend to drive in the front seat of the car while I helped Dix load the suitcases. He stood staring at the open trunk, muttering about the bags probably not fitting. Theyll fit, I reassured him. He then muttered that he had forgotten to go to the bank before our trip and didnt have American money for the toll road.
His demeanor was none too cheerful.
Why dont you go find a cash machine and Ill load the bags? I suggested. He agreed to this, and as he walked away, I resisted the urge to tell him to cheer up. Hopefully hed come back in a better mood on his own without my nagging.
I looked at the trunk and the bags. The Honda Dealership that sold us our Honda Pilot had given us two large rectangular suitcases as a thank-you-for-your-patronage gift. When I had reserved a mid-size car, Dix had been concerned that those suitcases wouldnt fit in the trunk with the kids double stroller. In my excitement over the cheap rental price, I had assured him they certainly would fit. What, you dont think Honda would give us suitcases that wouldnt fit in a standard-size car, do you? I had argued. Hell, those bags are probably the ultimate space-savers, being from Honda and all.
Now, looking at the bags and trunk, I wasnt so sure. Was this really a mid-size car? It looked more like sub-compact to me! I imagined myself sitting in the passengers seat with one of those giant rectangular suitcases sitting wedged between the windshield and me.
Oh, please, please, please fit!
I started to lift the double stroller into the trunk when Boo came around next to me. Mommy, I have something very important to tell you. I think this is the very same car we had last time we came to Disney World.
I hoisted the stroller into the trunk and told him there was no way we would have the exact same car since there were thousands of rental cars in the Orlando airport.
Mommy, Im way serious here. The color is the same, and even the seats look just like the last car. Look, Mommy, look!
I put down the stroller and stepped back to look at the car. Wait a second, Boo was onto something. It DID look like the same car! Same eggplant color, same make, same rental car agency. I opened the door and looked at the side of the seat where Sis would have sat. Sure enough, on the bottom side near the door there was a tiny pink spot where she had dropped the lip-gloss we had given her the last trip. It was very hidden and hard to see and unless you knew it was there, you wouldnt notice it.
I shook my head in disbelief. I wondered what the odds were that wed have the same car two trips in a row, three months apart. Would it be one in a thousand? One in a million? One in ten million? I then reminded myself that I knew very little about statistics. In fact, the only thing preventing me from the several degrees I had nearly completed in college was Statistics 101 class. Thats right, folks, Statistics 101 was the only thing standing between me and a double degree in Political Science and History and a minor in Spanish. I have had more college education than some people with doctorates, and yet I am missing that friggin Statistics 101 class.
Why was I standing in that hot garage thinking about odds-making and University degrees, instead of focusing on getting the bags in the trunk? It was procrastination, pure and simple. I was pretty sure those bags wouldnt fit.
Why, oh, why hadnt we just hired a towncar service?
I lifted, pushed, tugged, and finagled all our belongings in that trunk. Stroller first, then bags. Nope, that didnt work. I unloaded the bags and then started again with the bags first, then stroller. Nope. It just wasnt going to work.
I was frustrated. I wanted to have everything loaded by the time Dix came back so the experience of dealing with a rental car would be as stress-free as possible.
I studied the car.
Aha! I had the perfect solution! If I could manage to squeeze one of the suitcases into the front seat, I could sit between the kids in the back! Problem solved!
I moved Sis into the backseat and then began the very physical job of moving the red suitcase into the front passenger seat. I could hardly lift it, let alone shove it at the same time so I balanced the suitcase on one knee while I used my elbows, hips and other knee to shove it completely into the passenger seat. It was really tight, but it worked. Part of the bag crossed over the middle console into Dixs elbow space, and he surely wouldnt be able to see out the passenger side, but hed have to deal with that.
Happy with my solution to the problem and the fact that I'd been able to manhandle that bag to where I wanted it, I proudly slammed the trunk door in a moment of silent victory.
Then, in a flash, I thought of the car keys and realized I wasnt quite sure where they were. In a moment of worry, I quickly patted my back pockets to check for them. Not there! Oh no!
Now I was getting very worried. I patted my front pockets, this time much harder and quicker than I had the back ones. As if that would help to make the keys appear .
I smiled when I felt them. What relief, I had the keys! Maybe patting harder and faster does help!
I glanced over and noticed one of the National Rental agents walking by and trying not to laugh at me. Yes, I know, watching someone do the frantic key pat on all their pants pockets is pretty funny. Ive seen it myself a few times.
That parking garage was hot, and I knew the kids were getting heated in the car. I told Boo to get in the backseat with his sister, but he begged me to allow him to keep playing with the buttons and dials in the front seat. Nope, I replied. Time to get into your seat so we can start the car and turn on the air conditioning.
You can turn the air conditioning on while Im in the drivers seat, Boo assured me. I wont turn it to warm, I promise.
I laughed at this and told him I was more worried hed put the car into drive and drive away than I was about him changing the cold air to hot.
Dix arrived shortly after I had started the car, and as I had hoped, he had a smile on his face. Dix can do one of the best self talking-tos of anyone I know, and had obviously done it on his walk to the cash machine. He jumped in the car and pretended not to notice the mutant-size rectangular bag taking up most of the front seat. No more grumpiness here, honey, he told me. This is all going to work out great!
I sucked in my belly and slid over Sis in her carseat and into my seat in the middle. The two car seats took up quite a bit of room, but I was able to sit fairly comfortably as long as I folded my shoulders in and held my hands on my lap. I thought I noticed Dix laughing at me in the rearview mirror but when I tried to study his face for a smile, he quickly turned away and looked out his window at the parking garage.
Once I managed to buckle myself in, I tried to buckle Siss belt. She was determined she would do it herself, but experience had taught me that it takes Sis a good ten minutes to get herself completely buckled in. We just didnt have that kind of time, so I overruled her and pinned her hands down while I forcefully buckled her in myself.
She was absolutely furious.
She started screaming her angry howl/scream/bellow thing. "AAAAAAHHHHH," she wailed. "SISSY SELF! SISSY SELF! AAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Dix stepped on the gas in hopes that the car movement would distract her.
Nothing doing. She opened her lungs and screamed with all her might. Boo hunkered down in his seat and covered his ears and I tried to reach my arm over to pat his leg in sympathy but it was too tightly jammed next to his car seat and I couldnt reach.
We had to stop at the car rental security booth to show the security guard Dixs drivers license. As Dix rolled down his window to hand his license over, the security man recoiled back from the sound of Siss furious screaming.
How-ah-ooh-aay? The security guards voice was muffled by Siss screaming.
Whats that? yelled Dix.
The guard leaned out the booth window and slowly mouthed the words, HoW ARE . YOU . TODAY?
Oh, great, great, Dix yelled back. Having a little trouble with the little one back there, but were great!
I could tell the security guard couldn't make out a single word Dix had said.
I nudged the back of Dixs arm with my big toe to remind him to ask the man if his computer screen showed us getting car rental points or airline points for this rental. We really preferred car rental points.
Dix nodded in understanding and leaned out his window toward the man and yelled, Hey, any chance you can tell us if were getting car rental points or airline points?
The man looked at Dix blankly. He was trying to decipher what Dix had said but Sis had kicked it up another decibel.
Dix leaned farther out the window started to say it again. ANY .. CHANCE .. YOU ..CAN ..
The more Dix talked, the louder Sis screamed, and I nudged him with my toe again. Give up, Dix. No amount of points is worth this! That girls screams were exceeding the sound of a jet engine by at least ten decibels and we needed to get out of there.
Dix understood and was more than happy to give up. He waved at the guard and took off, and as we pulled away I looked behind to see the guard laughing at our car as we drove away. We must have been quite the sight. Im sure that with our luggage bags, we weighed that car down almost to the ground.
The guard waved at me and I gave him a backward head nod since my arms were pinned between the two car seats and I had only my big toe in which to communicate.
Tchau, baby!
We finally calmed Sis with promises that she could buckle herself the next time, and we all fell into a content silence. Dix didnt really need to the map to find his way to WDW since he remembered it from our trip in January. The kids and I sat back and watched the road and helped Dix navigate to Wilderness Lodge once we arrived on Disney territory.
I get an intensely calm and happy feeling when Im in the Wilderness Lodge lobby, despite the overwhelming awe factor that presents itself every time I go through the main doors. Theres a quiet comfort zone there for me. My parents built a very large log house when I was fourteen, so perhaps the log feel is comforting to me because it reminds me of home. Or maybe its because that incredibly high, massive ceiling sucks up the noise from the hundreds of people in the lobby and recycles it into a gentle drone that compliments the darkness of the room. Whatever the reason, that lobby has a very strong peaceful emotional effect on me.
This time was no different. As the automatic doors opened to present the lobby and all its splendor, I held my breath. The kids followed me through the front doors and immediately stopped when they saw the massive lobby before them. They tilted their heads back to see the top of the ceiling. They seemed frozen in their tracks.
I bent down next to Boo. Its incredible, isnt it, son? I whispered.
My voice seemed to snap him out of his trance. As if he had just been jolted with a dose of raw electricity, his feet started to gyrate and wiggle in place and his whole body seemed to vibrate. WOW! he yelled. This is AMAZIN! CMOM SIS, LETS EXPLORE!
The quiet, awe-inspiring moment was gone, and I grabbed his arm to prevent him from running around like a maniac. Sis caught his wild bug and started the giddy dance too, and I grabbed her with my other hand to keep her from taking off. No, no, no, I said. NO RUNNING!
Dix smiled and headed for the check-in desk. He was happy now; Wilderness Lodge is his happy place, too, and he often tells me that of all the places he has stayed in the world, this is his favorite.
He feels good there.
I was excited to take the kids to the corner of the lobby and show them the babbling brook and bridge that they had loved so much a year-and-a-half ago during our very first WDW trip. It had absolutely delighted them! Boo had just turned four, and Sis had just turned one, and they had spent a countless amount of time crossing back and forth over the bridge. Sis had just learned to walk, so she was unsteady on her feet and I had to help her a bit. I can still close my eyes feel her tiny hand in mine as she toddled in her little blue dress over that bridge behind her brother.
That memory is one of my strongest and sweetest of all our time at WDW. It was during those walks over the bridge that I had realized I had absolutely fallen head over heels in love with Walt Disney World.
As we walked up to the bridge, I hoped Boo would remember it from the last time. I threw my arms out to the sides and said, Ta Da! This is it, guys! The bridge you loved so much when we were here the last time!
Boo was staring at it earnestly. I studied his face for some recognition of what had been his favorite thing the year before. Finally he spoke. His voice was soft but serious. This is a baby bridge, Mommy.
What? A baby bridge? I tried to reason with him. This is not a baby bridge, Boo! Its a cute little bridge in the middle of a hotel! How many hotels have an actual bridge inside them, huh, Boo? You loved it the last time!
I know, you told me that already. He looked at in scorn, as if he couldnt possibly see the attraction of walking over a tiny bridge a bunch of times. What was the fun in that?
Sis studied his reaction carefully and then shrugged and stuck her nose in the air. If he wasnt impressed with the bridge, neither was she.
I had to laugh, they were right. It really was a short little baby bridge, but I saw it as big, awesome and great because it held a huge amount of special memories for me. Id have to hold those memories close to my heart, and let the kids make new ones while we were here. They didnt have to love that baby bridge, but I did.
Boo turned his attention back to the gigantic ceiling and instantly eyed a very obscure set of stairs that zigzagged all the way to the top floor. He squinted his eyes like he does when being grown up and serious. Hey Mommy, see those stairs? Theyd be way funner than this baby bridge. I could climb those stairs all the way to the top. Im five now so I can do Way Dangerous Things!
I relented to Boo that yes, at age five, he probably could do a lot of Way Dangerous Things but THAT particular Way Dangerous Thing would have to wait until after we were settled in our room. I could see Dix coming toward us with a smile on his face and keycards in hand. It was time to see our room.
We enjoyed the covered walk to the DVC villas. The DVC lodge exceeded my expectations. I thought it would be a rectangular building with floors of rooms. Instead, it was an octagon shaped building that went straight up five or six floors. Though of a much smaller scale, its like the Wilderness Lodge lobby in that you can stand on the ground and look straight up at all the floors.
We stared up and Dix and I immediately noticed the octagon shape. We had to get my dad in here when he arrived! He was in the process of building a round log guest cabin, and we both knew hed be very interested in seeing how this one was designed.
This being only our second trip as DVC members, we hadnt stayed in a studio before, and I thought the studio was very nice. Bigger than the regular Wilderness Lodge rooms, but smaller than a one bedroom, of course. The microwave and fridge would come in handy. It would suit our family fine until my parents and siblings joined us and we all moved to bigger accommodations at Beach Club.
We didnt spend long in the room because we were all hungry and wanted to eat dinner at Whispering Canyon, the fun restaurant that sits open in the Wilderness Lodge lobby. We all changed into clean clothes and headed to dinner. We were about forty minutes early for our reservation, so I asked the hostess if she could squeeze us in earlier. She thought she could get us in within the next fifteen minutes and gave us a pager. I had hoped the kids would enjoy playing with Lincoln Logs while we waited, but Boo was set on climbing those Way Dangerous Stairs to the top of the building and Dix was willing to take both kids on the exploration. I was hesitant about this because I didnt want them to get too far away in case the hostess found us a table. There was no sense in asking her to seat us early and then not be available when it was time.
I asked Boo and Dix to watch me carefully from the Way Dangerous Stairs for any signs that we might be seated soon and then to skidaddle quickly back to the restaurant when it was time. They promised, and only made it about four stories up before I gave them a sign and they hustled back to the restaurant.
Boo was not happy that his climbing expedition had been cut short and came back with a pout on his face. I wished he wouldnt start our fun dinner off with a pout. He had been so excited about this dinner when we planned it because he still remembered our server throwing napkins and straws at him a year ago when we had eaten there.
Unfortunately, our server that night must have been having an off night. He spoke softly, so we could barely hear him, and he made little eye contact with the kids. This didnt sit well with Boo. His pouty attitude changed to sheer grumpiness, and I got caught up in it and found myself feeling rather grumpy too.
When the server politely handed him a straw, Boo almost had a meltdown. Hes supposed to throw it at me, Mommy! he said when the man had left.
Dix and I ordered the All-You-Can-Eat skillet, which had the most delicious cornbread and pot roast Ive ever had. I broke my three-month long low-carb diet and had the server bring me two additional cornbread helpings.
Sis loved all the food as well, but Boo claimed he wasnt hungry and showed no interest in his burger and fries. Dix and I pointed out the funny shenanigans going on at the other tables, but Boo was not interested in these either and barely noticed what was going on around him. Dix and I decided that the kid needed two things: food and rest. It had been a long day on the plane, and he hadnt eaten well in the airport. We forced him to eat his hamburger and fries.
Its amazing how a little protein can perk up that child. The minute that burger hit his stomach, Boos entire demeanor changed. He was a happy, excited little boy, and just in time for the stick horse race.
Sis and Boo mounted their stick horses at the same time, but Boo ended up finishing in the front, while Sis kept a steady, slow pace toward the rear. The kids behind her were too patient and polite to pass her and she and her crew were far behind the first wave that had already arrived at the finish line. Sis was just beginning to lead the remaining group of kids down the long home stretch when one of the Cast Members grabbed the microphone and yelled, LOOK AT THAT CUTE LITTLE PONY GO!
Everyone in the restaurant applauded and cheered for Sis. She beamed. She knew everyone was watching her so she stood straight and tall, and picked up the pace from a walk to a super slow trot. Happy and proud, she led the final pack of kids to the finish line while people whistled, cheered, and rejoiced in her adorable pony trot.
For those ten seconds, she was the princess in the spotlight.
Dix couldnt take his eyes off his little girl, and while he clapped for her, he kept nudging me to point out all the beauty, grace, and sweetness behind those little blonde curls. She was absolutely beautiful.
That moment made up for the tension that had been at our table with Boo and the lack of fun in our server. We could walk away from that meal with a happy memory.
After dinner, Dix took Boo and Sis on a complete Way Dangerous Exploration of the stairwell. I browsed the pin kiosk and realized that collecting pins was a very expensive, frivolous habit and one that I would probably get into anyway. I then went into the gift shop to debate whether we should buy a Pal Mickey for the kids. It sure seemed like it would be a fun toy, but I worried that they would have trouble sharing just one. Wed probably need two in order to keep the family peace, but at over $60 apiece, I could hardly bring myself to even buy one. I decided against it for now, and would talk to Dix about it later.
On our way back to our room, we walked by the quiet DVC pool. It was starting to sprinkle rain, so swimming and watching the Electric Water Pageant wouldnt be an option this night.
I grabbed Siss hand as we walked. It felt much bigger and stronger than it had a year ago when she could barely keep her balance. Now she walked confidently next to me, and I looked down at the rain sprinkling on top of her light curls.
I quickened my step.
I didnt want my princess to get too wet.
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Next Installment:
Part 2...The Good, the Bad, and the Magical...
! Can hardly wait to hear what you thought of Beach Club.
