Chapter Four
The stench of death was powerful, but not so powerful as to kill our appetite for free food. Cmon.
We made our way to
the only counter service restaurant worth eating at (on that side of the Magic Kingdom anyway), Cosmic Rays. We really enjoy Cosmic Rays, well as much as you can enjoy theme park fast food. Oddly enough, the thing we appreciate about it is the variety. And yet we always eat from the same side. Go figure.
Before we left home, we took a good look at our meal plans. Because we were on the Dinning deal, and my daughter is only three, we choose to share food for a few meals so that we could pool our dinning credits and use them later. At Cosmic Rays, we split two meals. This worked out very well and there was plenty of food. For some odd reason, my daughter doesnt like the bun on her hamburger. Never has. We normally tell people shes on the Atkins diet and watching her carbs. Sometimes people laugh.
Because of her bun-phobia, I ordered a double cheeseburger and my wife ordered a cheeseburger. I gave my daughter the extra patty. We also got some kind of dessert that if I had paid for it I would have demanded my money back. It was held out as carrot cake, but it was neither carrot nor cake. Discuss.
Dinner over, we headed towards Mainstreet to watch Spectromagic. The parade started at 8:00 and we didnt leave Cosmic Rays until 7:45. (!)
I can hear you yelling at me, Are you out of your Vulcan mind?! You cant just go to Mainstreet at 7:45 to watch Spectro!
I was yelling it myself. Actually, I was blaming my wife.
Whenever we do something Disney-stupid it
cant be my fault. I know better. Its because someone else insisted we do something else first. We were showing up too late to find a good spot for Spectro because my wife insisted we first do something foolish like eat.
When we got to the Hub, I considered crossing it and heading towards Frontierland but I didnt want to then have to come all the way back for Wishes. Mind you, we had already circumnavigated the park three times like rank amateurs because we had been trying to lull my daughter to go to sleep. My dogs were barking.
And I had faith.
I knew we didnt need to be on the curb for Spectro, just close enough to see. At that late hour I figured we could probably stand behind the people who were sitting on the curb. We turned left at the Hub and when we got to Mainstreet, we headed down the left sidewalk. They are now roping off a viewing section of the sidewalk leaving a walking section. I think this is a good a development. We hadnt been in Disney World since April, 2004 so this was new to us. We walked a few steps and I saw an opening behind a family. We climbed under the rope and stood behind them waiting for the parade to start. Because Im me, I struck up a conversation with them. Theyre from Gainesville. We still had a few minutes before Spectro started and I noticed no one was sitting in their stroller. The dad was holding his son. I asked if my daughter and I could trade places with the stroller. They were very nice and said, No problem. So I held my daughter and we stood on the curb and we moved their stroller behind us next to ours. My wife manned the camcorder from behind.
This is what is
supposed to happen at Disney World and indeed in the rest of the world. People are supposed to help each other, be kind to one another, treat each other the way you want to be treated. We didnt walk up Mainstreet expecting anyone to move. We walked up expecting to be able to stand behind someone. But as it turns out we met people who, like us, loved their family and loved Disney. They didnt think their empty stroller was more important than us. They could tell we had made a tactical error by arriving late, and although we were willing to pay the consequence of our actions, they were willing to help us out.
There is still a remnant of good-hearted people. People who are not selfish and not rude. People who are good hearted and are willing to bless others. The Gainesville people were kind and generous and selfless. I strive to be more generous of spirit, more selfless. Its so easy at Disney World to have a sense of entitlement, to want everything your way, to be self-centered. Rude. But I was blessed by the simple act of a family moving their stroller. I am comforted to know there are still people in my world who think of other people first.
Man, this chapter is unusually mushy. Wait, it gets worse.
Spectro was, as usual, great to watch. No matter how many times I see it, I will never get tired of it. My daughter really enjoys this parade too. I think all kids must. I enjoyed just holding her, watching her point and wave at the characters. Sure my back was sore, and my left knee was in tremendous pain, but I got to hold my daughter and see her enjoy herself. Ill take every opportunity I have to hold my little girl while shell let me. Shell be 18 soon and I wont get to hold her anymore. But for this night, shes still my little princess.
After Spectro, we started looking for a good spot to watch Wishes. Those of you whove suffered through the Battle for My Wallet II:
Disneyland Boogaloo, know that while watching the fireworks at Disneyland, my daughter realized she didnt like them very much. That was 10 months ago and 10 months is a long time for a small child. So we decided to give it another shot. But we were going to be far enough away that the noise wasnt so intense. And close enough to a store for my wife to hide her in if the noise got to be too much. Earlier this summer, I let my daughter watch a video of Wishes on the internet and she thought it was pretty cool. So we thought maybe she was ready to try fireworks again.
We started walking towards the train station and we noticed a British family (was it MazdaUK? I dont know, I didnt ask) just sort of hovering in the middle of the street. I asked them whether we could just stand there for the fireworks and the lady said, Oh yes. This is a perfect spot to watch them. So we parked the stroller right in the middle of Mainstreet, almost right where the cross street connects. We were right in front of the castle and far enough back so the noise was less intimidating. We were also near a hiding place if my daughter decided the noise was too much.
We now only had 45 minutes to kill.
I watched people crowd in around the Hub and I wondered if they knew something that I didnt. Even though I
knew I had a good spot, there is a natural tendency to follow the crowd. Still, I knew that the Hub was not the best place to watch Wishes because you miss so much of the show from right there. I trusted my instinct and the recommendation of the nice British family which may or may not have been MazdaUK, and stayed put.
Lots of people walked past us and looked at us like we were nuts. Why would anyone just stop in the middle of the road?! they'd ask me with their eyes.
Why would anyone wear flip flops to Disney World? I would ask them with mine.
Soon enough, other sensible people joined us. There was a young couple from Ohio, who pulled up along side us. We started talking to them and I noticed they both had southern accents. Having done time in the south, I inquired where they were from.
Ohio, He said.
Really? You sound southern, I said.
Were from Southern Ohio, she said.
And we watch a lot of Dukes of Hazzard, he said.
That made me laugh. I reckon my sense of humor isnt all that sophisticated. I think a page for Mr. Morrow, Mr. Tom Morrow is funny. And I think people alleging their southern accent is a result of living in southern Ohio is similarly amusing. Sometimes I laugh at Vonage commercials too.
Finally, Wishes was set to begin. We got my daughter out of the stroller and my wife held her and I wrapped my arms around them both. Id been here before in Disneyland, so I knew this idyllic moment might be short lived. But soon enough Tinkerbelle flew and my daughter thought that was really cool. She didnt like the booming noises but she recognized most of the music and she thought the lights in the sky were something neat. I instinctively knew that if we made it to the Hercules section, the mini-climax, she would be ok.
The fireworks cascade up over the castle on both sides as the music crescendos. The crowd cheered and my daughter cheered too. My wife asked me if that was it and I told her there was a good bit more. But my daughter was doing ok. She was actually enjoying it now.
Facing down fear is important. I dont want my daughter to grow up afraid. There are truly scary things in this world and she knows its ok to feel fear and that even Daddy and Mommy sometimes feel fear. For instance, this past Saturday, I was afraid Alabama would not beat Tennessee. But were teaching her she doesnt have to live in fear. Courage isnt the absence of fear, its the ability to face it. Since fireworks cant hurt you and are nothing to fear, we encouraged her to face her fear. We knew ultimately she would really enjoy them.
Turns out she was ready for this challenge. She loved hearing the Genies voice and she loved watching all the colors and the music. And me? I loved holding my wife and daughter and watching a great fireworks show in a place that feels more like home than any place I ever go visit. When it was over and the crowd cheered, I noticed my daughter was cheering too.
But it wasnt the emotional music or the climax of lights and sounds that put a lump in my throat.
It was my daughter looking up at me and saying, Daddy, I did it! I wasnt afraid! I like fireworks now.
Im not embarrassed to say that my eyes watered up as I kissed her on the head and told her I was proud. Youre the one, I said, pointing at her.
No, youre the one, she said pointing back at me.
If you were so inclined, I could offer you my resume and you could see that Ive accomplished a thing or two in my little life. But nothing Ive ever done, no degree Ive earned, case Ive won or accomplishment Ive achieved has been more significant than the little girl who calls me Daddy. Shes the one. And in moments like this, moments when we connect and theres something we enjoy together, I realize how blessed and fortunate I am.
I swiped at the tear in my eye, because although Im not embarrassed to write to abject strangers that my love for my daughter sometimes makes me cry, I am still a man and not all that interested in other people seeing me cry.
Darn contacts. Must be an eyelash or something.
It was an extra magic evening so we headed towards Tomorrowland because we figured no one else would go there. Puppies of Progress was closed so we rode the People Mover. I asked my daughter if she wanted to watch Wishes again.
Wishes! she sang.
Wishes! I sang back to her
Wishes! she sang back to me. Evidently, this was the only word from the show she picked up.
Wishes! I repeated back to her. Evidently, it was the only word Id picked up also.
Paging Mr. Morrow. Mr. Tom Morrow, your party from Saturn has arrived. Please give them a ring.
I laughed uncontrollably.
Wishes!
We pulled back into the station and I asked the CM if we could just stay on. Wishes! my daughter sang out in full voice.
Shes the voice of Wishes, I said.
The CM laughed and let us ride around a second time without having to get off first.
Wishes!
We rode around again and again I laughed at the page for Tom Morrow. For someone who doesnt drink, that shouldnt be that funny.
The Magic Kingdom was more crowded than it had been all day so we headed for the bus. It wasnt that it was scary crowded; we were just tired and waiting more than 10 minutes for a ride seemed pointless. On the way out, we passed the Pennsylvania people again. They looked tired and worn out too. We traded exhausted smiles.
We got back to PORiverside and headed to the Food Court for some late night provisions and free refills. Which is our
right at least until 2042.
Walking back to our room my daughter caught her second wind. Wishes! she sang as we walked. We managed to quiet her down before we crossed the bridge to our building. I explained to the people walking past us that she was the voice of Wishes. They laughed politely but didnt ask for an autograph.
When we got back to our room everybody got cleaned up. I turned on the Resort Channel for background noise and we had a late night snack. I love vacation. We all climbed up on one of the beds and looked through our pictures from the day. Thats one feature of digital cameras I really like. Its fun to be able to relive the magic
as youre still living the magic. We looked at our pictures from the parade and from lunch with Cinderella and her princess friends (and Wendy). The pictures with Minnie Mouse were really good. She was especially animated, no pun intended. She hugged my daughter and rubbed noses with her and danced with her too.
It was a great way to end the day. All snuggled up, orange stains on our fingers from eating cheeze doodles, sipping eternally free pop, graham cracker crumbs all around, looking at our pictures from our day at Disney World. Thanks to our digital camera, we were making memories of looking at the memories we created earlier that day. All that was missing was a reminder from Disney that wed be leaving soon and wed better start planning our next vacation.
Wishes!
Next time: The surrey bike with the bell on top.