Chapter 14: In Which Piper Finds Her Own Most Magical Memory
Full of exotic cuisine and with heavy pockets, we head for Soarin, via the UK pavilion. I want to find Mary Poppins. This is my favorite Disney movie. My kids love to do British accents, so they particularly enjoy any Pooh flicks, and Poppeenz. (Sydneyspeak). And they love for me to repeat the line Close your mouth Michael; we are not a codfish. They walk around with their jaws hanging down just to try to get me to say it. So I would love to meet Mary. I read somewhere (on the DIS, of course!) that she sometimes hangs out at the UK pavilion. So off we go.
We skip on past France. I have never, ever, set foot in the France pavilion. Theres no particular reason for avoiding it, it just never hits the top of the to do list. Or maybe its because of the Maginot Line. Hmm.
In England we go browsing through the shops, looking for Poppeenz . We get to the toy store, which is where shes allegedly been spotted. Unfortunately, the Cast Member on duty tells us Mary wont be in today. No jolly holiday with Mary for us.
So we set to browsing the toy store with more fervor now that theres no practically perfect nanny to distract us. Hmmph. We didnt want to see her anyhow. When all of a sudden
Mommmeeeeeeee! I need to go potty reeeeeeeaally bad!
I look down to see my Piper hopping madly from one foot to the other. I raise one eyebrow and peer at her with my Mom look. I assess the situation. Is she being dramatic? Is the need really so dire? Is it possible to distract her with some little trinket so that our visit to the toy shop isnt so rudely interrupted?
Mommeeeeee! Aaaaahhhhhh! Wahhhhhhhhh! She wails. Ok there are actual tears. She is not bluffing.
I yell across the store to Doug, Im taking Piper to the bathroom! Emergency! and grab her hand and run. I hope he heard me and accordingly keeps BOTH eyes on Conor and Sydney now, since mine are looking for a restroom.
Crap. I have no idea. Im sure theres something back in the garden somewhere, but Im not sure I have time to go poking around. Aha! The Rose & Crown. Bingo.
I scoop up my girl and run with her. While everyone between the toy store and the Rose & Crown hears Huurrrrry, Mummy! Ohhhhhh! Noooooooo!
Just in time. Thats all you need to know.
As we wandered carelessly, no rushing, no running, back into the toy store, we discover that our family has misappeared! (Piperspeak). But we notice that someone else has appeared. Pooh, and Piglet. They are hanging out in the back of the store, alone.
Piper goes on up to talk to them. Thats when I realize
Doug has the camera. Rats!
Luckily, Pooh and Piglet have a PhotoPass buddy with them.
Doug also has our PhotoPass card. Double rats! Oh. Turns out, we can just start a new one. No worries, mates!
So Piper makes small talk and snuggles with the duo from the Hundred Acre Wood. Then Pooh goes over to a cupboard and takes out a large green tennis ball. He tosses it to Piglet. Piglet tosses it Piper. She tosses it back to Pooh, and he misses.
Oopsie, Poohbear. You missed! Piper giggles. I have an idea, she chirps. How about if we all sit down and roooolllll the ball to each other? Then you wont DROP it.
Pooh and Piglet nod that this is a good plan, and the three of them all sit down in a triangle, with their legs out in a V, rolling the ball to each other. I am so wishing that Doug and the others would show up. This is just too precious.
A queue has begun to form as people have noticed there are characters to be mauled. So Pooh hands Piper the ball, and points to the cabinet. She puts the ball away, gives them each one last kiss on the nose, and we make room for others to get their photo and autograph.
As we head back into the main part of the store, we meet up with the rest of the family. And Alice! Busy day at the English toy shop. We chat with Alice a bit; actually the kids just chatter away at her, telling her all about our trip, their lives, and the fact that we got her movie from the library but thought it was boring so we turned it off. She nods her blond head and clasps her hands in front of herself and says Oh, thats luvlay.
Departing the store, Conor wants to know why Alice says luvlay about everything. We tell him its her job.