So it's been ages since I've made a post and I want to get back to my blogging. No guarantees it will always be about travel though because we have a lot of things on the horizon that I will want to talk about. Maybe more local tourist activities will be underway.
Well an update about last year's trip to Disney.... it was amazing. The biggest news out of that trip was that R proposed at the California Grill atop the Contemporary Resort.
So what to 2 Canadians do as soon as they arrive at WDW on the first day??? With all of the possible attractions, rides, food, and fun characters to see??? Why head over to Epoct and straight to the Canadian pavilion to tell everyone we are from Canada too. We found our first photopass photographer as soon as we got off the boat at the Epcot world showcase entrance.
Other things we enjoyed.....
Spotted a ghost at the haunted mansion
A prince in disguise?
The Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. We trick or treated, had our photo taken with the seven dwarves (very rare) and had fun in our costumes.
The magic photos that we had done with our photopass was really fun. We got to do all kinds of neat shots.
Hi Ho Hi Ho
I told Sneezy that he was my fave because I sneeze a lot too. I think he quickly turned into bashful after that. Pretty fun to interact with all the dwarves at once. We were kind of rushed through this since so many people were waiting but it was still a lot of fun.
Stealing a kiss
R was very very excited to check out Hollywood Studios to ride Star Tours (8 times) and see the Indiana Jones show. We had fun playing with hand prints in front of the Great Movie Ride and waiting (too long) for Toy Story Mania. Tower of Terror was as scary as always but always worth the butterflies. We ate at the 50's Prime Time Cafe, a campy fan favourite (I will pass on this next time) and loved the Fantasmic fireworks show. This was certainly one of our best days.
All ready for our first scene
Happily Every After?
Pooped after a long day on set
We had so much fun that we decided we would return to the scene of the crime and take our honeymoon (Dismoon) back at WDW. This time we will be staying at Port Orleans Riverside (my dream resort) and possibly taking things a little slower. We wont be doing the Halloween party this year but the Food and Wine festival is back and we are excited to do more sampling around the world!
Wow, a trip around The World.... of course I don't mean 'the world', but Walt Disney World, Florida. At first thought this may seem like a frivolous vacation void of any cultural experience... and you may be right. However, I tend to consider Walt Disney World to be part of our own culture, ephasizing North American ideals and entertainment history... awww who am I kidding... I just want to see the mouse.
I have spent an embarrasingly large portion of my life at Walt Disney World. My family would take a vacation every year. I've even performed there. I love it. I am a self proclaimed DisNerd. So when the opportunity came up recently to book this vacation at an insanely affordable price, I just had to.
I cannot begin to explain how much and why I love this place as much as I do. It's a combination of nostalgia, old fashioned charm, and a feeling of homey familiarity that grasps me so tightly.
So here it is, trip number 22 to Walt Disney World Resort, Florida. I am 29, yes I know that is ALOT of visits. And believe it or not, I still have not seen it all. This would have to do mostly with Disney's intent on swaping out attractions fairly frequently (sometimes too their detriment. See: Mr. Toad's Wild Ride). The most difficult thing for me right now is dealing with the anticipation and excitement. I am extremely excitable by nature and I do not wait well. This leaves me on the edge of my seat and with a fairly consistent presence of stomach butterflies. Basically, I can barely stand this wait for several reasons.
1. I love Disney and would/could stand every waking and sleeping hour there.
2. I have not been there in about 7-8 years.
3. First vacation with my love
4. First Disney vacation with a love.
How am I dealing with this anxiety (albeit positive) you may wonder?
1. podcasts: Disney fans LOVE to podcast about the parks and beyond. Some notable favourites are WDW Radio with Lou Mongello, WDW News, and DisneyFoodBlog.
2. YouTube: I have been obsessively watching POV videos of attractions and shows. An added benefit of this is that I can see what I am in for with new ride. I am a tad of a chicken and I experience motion sickness. While this doesnt keep me from riding, I like to know what I am up against.
3. Blog posts: DisneyFoodBlog.com is amazing!
4. Message boards: disboards.com, wdwradio.com, disneyfoodblog.com are all great and full of people eager to impart their wisdom.
5. Park music. I have downloaded all of the park music I could find.
6. Historic Research: This is probably my favourite pre-trip activity. Since I am finally visiting as an adult I am eager to know all of the history behind attraction design, park decor, and Walt Disney himself. I have chosen to research an attraction or feature each day to become more informed. So far the Haunted Mansion has come out guns blazing with amazing history and concept art. Check out http://www.doombuggies.com/ for the best fan website I have found.
7. Guidebook: Now I sincerely think I could write a how-to-do-Disney guidebook, however I still purchased a new one to keep me up to date and feed my pre-trip appetite. I picked up PassPorter's Walt Disney World by the Marx family. This is a FANTASTIC guidebook with handy pockets to store your maps etc in as well as loads of worksheets to plan your days with.
Since every Disney trip, no matter how long your stay, requires an immense amount of planning, a reliable and fun guidebook is essential. More on this guidebook in upcoming posts.
So that is how I am dealing with the wait to board the plane. It's not easy, and I am driving everyone around me batty talking about it. I've even experienced some "why would you go there?", and "why would you go there again?" type questions. It's worth noting that most of these questions come from people who have never been, and therefore cannot understand the feeling of 'arriving home' that can be felt from watching the rope dropping ceremony at the Magic Kingdom early in the morning. So really I barely bother to explain my desire (need maybe?) to return again, and again, and again.
Here is a video of the Rope Drop Ceremony at the Magic Kingdom. Admittedly, it just about brings a tear to my eye.
