10) Overnight stay at a Disney World resort! Sooz surprised us by upgrading our original day trip plan! The best part was her enthusiasm. She LOVES this place, and wants to share every inch of it with everyone.9) Special Magic Hours. As resort guests, we were able to stay an extra three hours after the official closing of the Magic Kingdom! No waiting in lines for the best rides! No crowds! No blistering heat! We didn’t get back to the hotel until almost 3 a.m. If it wasn’t for a late-night adventure through Splash Mountain, I would’ve nodded off around 1 a.m. But, no worries. No one could be sleepy after getting hit with 20 gallons of cold water. (Why were we always the only ones in the boat to GET SOAKED?! And whose idea was it to take pictures of the guests while they are getti
ng hit with the water? No, I don’t want to purchase that one, thank you.)8) Lounging at the guitar-shaped pool this morning and being surrounded by all those different languages. It’s so cool to be smack dab in the middle of a place that truly draws visitors from around the world for this unique experience. No melting pot, here. It’s like being part of a big, delicious tossed salad (as LB calls it)! I noticed that the path (Route 4) to Disney was littered periodically with cars that had broken down. It strikes me that this place is something that nearly everyone would like to experience—"Disney or Bust!" (Go tourism!)
7) Walking through the Boardwalk Resort (just to see it) and hearing “Welcome Home!” from two different employees there. (Where do I sign up for a m
aster class in marketing by the Disney folks? These people do not miss a beat. Not one.) By the way, of all the hotels I’ve seen here—the Boardwalk really does feel like my kinda home.6) Lunch at ESPN with the boys. I’m wondering if everyone who works there is required to have some kind of coaching experience? Seems like a sporty bunch. Fun. (And surprisingly good food.)
5) A Dream and a free dessert. Somehow the funnel cake booth cash register was shut down/off between when Sooz ordered and when they delivered. They gave it (and a diet Coke) to her with their compliments. “This really IS a place of a thousand dreams!” she said.
4) Going on the Haunted Mansion ride (twice) with the boys. (And watching them run back for one-more-time on their own.) This attraction is my fav and I love that they lov
ed it! I like the Gothic maid and butler costumes and grim faces of the young employees—(and their directions to “step to the dead center of the room”). I love the architecture of the building, the horseless-drawn herse parked in front, the dark Edwardian décor, the superimposed animated ghosts on statues, the dancing spirits, the hand shadow of the skeleton pianist and the hologram face of the tiny figurine that bids you “farewell.”3) Krispie-treats shaped like mouse ears (and dipped in chocolate). These were so cute! I also noticed that you can have pizza for breakfast, h
ot dogs at 3 a.m. or pretty much anything you want at any time of the day or night. (Wasn’t this a theme for the “bad boys” in the Pinocchio story?) So much for that weight I lost last month.2) Magic Fireworks! We learned (upon arrival) that we were going to be privy to the “unveiling” of the all-new, never-seen-before Independence Day fireworks display. After a long wait, we (and about a million others) were absolutely WOW’d with a choreographed multi-media fireworks presentation that was unlike anything we’d ever seen. Cinderella’s castle was covered in dancing red, white and blue stars and stripes; fireworks exploded in rhythm to the music—shaped like hearts, stars, and Mickey-ears. Standing on the bridge to
Tomorrowland, we were surrounded by rockets shooting up from all around us. We were part of the show! Unbelievable!1) When you wish upon a star. As the crowd went wild with applause following the fireworks and headed to the gate, we headed back into the park for our extra magic hours. We took a short cut through the “Garden of Roses” next to Cinderella’s castle and passed a young man, down on one knee, holding the hand of his sweetheart and proposing to her there. She was crying. Her night of a thousand dreams was ours, too.
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Note to self: Save money to stay (at least one night) at the Boardwalk in the next year or so. With its turn-of-the-century décor and music, it’s so very, very Past Perfect.
Note to the girls at the office: Since we’ve already pushed the final weigh-in of our “Biggest Looser” contest back twice, I’m thinking that you won’t mind if I suggest we shoot for Labor Day?? C U soon.
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Note to self: Save money to stay (at least one night) at the Boardwalk in the next year or so. With its turn-of-the-century décor and music, it’s so very, very Past Perfect.
Note to the girls at the office: Since we’ve already pushed the final weigh-in of our “Biggest Looser” contest back twice, I’m thinking that you won’t mind if I suggest we shoot for Labor Day?? C U soon.
