Trip Reports

Time of Year: Spring
Travel Method: Plane, Rental Car
Resort: WDW Swan
Accommodations: Concierge Room
Ages Represented in Group: Adult, Senior
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Veteran, Rookie
Comments: Patricia's report is certainly NOT the typical blow-by-blow, minute-by-minute WDW trip narrative. Instead, she treated her report as a wonderful collection of anecdotes and observations. This is certainly written in a unique style, but full of full for the veteran -- and useful information for the rookie.

Decided to go on a disjointed thought process, instead of an in-depth report, because, hey, I'm wordy!

Cast: Me (44), my wonderful hubby Mike (45) who has the most *gorgeous* silver hair and infectious laugh, my mother, Alma (75), sister Jude (50), my nephew Shawn (27) and my baby-doll daughter, Jennifer (25).

THE THURSTON HOWELL & LOVEY MOMENT: Mike in his blazer and khakis, me in a flowing tropical print dress, breezing down the hall (picture full skirt floating) on our way out of our Royal Beach Club room at the Swan on our way to `Ohana. We clean up "real nice." (We were also giggling to ourselves ....)

COME RIDE A LITTLE TRAIN THAT IS GOING DOWN THE TRACK TO THE JUNCTION...WILDERNESS JUNCTION: Was told by Ranger John during afternoon tour at Wilderness Lodge that there will be a train station built onto the right side of the Lodge (as you face it) that will connect a steam engine-type train to Wilderness Junction, a new area to be built between WL and Ft. Wilderness, complete with a "frontier-type town and county fair." From the roof, you can see the top of the "station" and it definitely looks like a train station!

WHEN A HOT, WET WASHCLOTH WAS MOST APPRECIATED: Cleaning off my greasy face after eating at `Ohana. Told my daughter I felt like I was smeared from ear to ear (and me trying to appear elegant ....!)

THAT'S THE WAY, UH-HUH, UH-HUH, I LIKE IT, UH-HUH, UH-HUH: Sitting on our balcony the first night at Swan around 1:00 AM, K.C. and the Sunshine Band's lilting tune wafting up from the Dance Hall at the Boardwalk-we're in cozy bathrobes supplied by hotel, had been in the hot tub for an hour, had our anniversary champagne ....you know, it doesn't get much better than that!

THERE'S TWO KINDS OF CLASS ...... Getting up at 7:30 the next morning so we can stand out on the balcony in the very same robes and see my daughter walking between Swan and Dolphin on her way to work. No one else was around, so I whistled through my fingers to get her attention. Her response: "Go back to bed! You two are supposed to be on vacation!" No way ... we can sleep at home!

THE MOMENT I MOST FELT LIKE MARILYN MONROE: Shuffling bare-footed down to the concierge room in my white robe, hair tousled, but with eye make-up applied to get our morning coffee. Met my daughter's friend, Theresa, there who gave me hugs!

THE MOST GRATING PHRASE I HEARD: "Isn't that funny? That's so funny!! Isn't that funny? I thought that was sooooo funny." Woman talking to husband who had obviously tuned her out, but she wasn't giving up that easily. She also went into a harangue at the fact that her husband had given their children "the wrong kind of milk" at breakfast. My husband said he felt sorry for the poor guy-he'd been in the same kind of shoes many years ago ......

FAMILY BONDING AT ITS BEST: Watching my husband taking care of my mother. At Disney, she's definitely wheelchair material (once her pride realized we were right a couple of years ago). He pushed her, sat with her, flirted with her. They were quite the buddy team, including both of them trying the 4-beer sampler at the Rose'n'Crown.

HOW TO GET A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE TO LAUGH: Put them on a ride with my husband. He has the most infectious laugh of anyone I've heard (one of the reasons I fell in love with him-he can get me laughing to the point of tears by just hearing him laugh). He decimated our car on the Tower of Terror-his first trip. By the time we stopped, *everyone* in that car was laughing (more than usual ....) due to Michael's infectious laughter. My mother insisted on riding beside him, just so she "could hear him."

1ST ANNIVERSARY MEMORY: Sitting on our balcony at the Swan, watching the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom-so far, far away but still enough to give me goosebumps.

WORST DISAPPOINTMENT: No fireworks at MGM. Never have seen them.

WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR MOMENT: Sitting in the hot tub Thursday, April 17 around 10:00 and hearing fireworks .... at MGM .... no, it can't be! They continued, so I got my robe and hustled to the walkway at the end of the building. Sure enough, it was "Sorcery in the Sky," complete with the movie-themed music. In my mind I know this was either a test or a 'special' showing, but in my heart, I know they did it just for me.

EVERY LITTLE BREEZE SEEMS TO WHISPER LOUISE, BIRDS IN THE TREES...POOP: (Thank you, Mike Hall, a fellow student in junior high): Going with a group of 5 to Discovery Island and stating that if anyone was going to get pooped on, it would be me. Within a half hour-bingo!!

THE "PHRASE" OF THE VACATION: While on Discovery Island we had the pleasure of meeting George, the cockatoo, who was conveniently perched outside the restroom areas. We tried to no avail to get him to talk. Finally, two cast members came by and George was thrilled to see him. One cast member started bobbing his head up and down and saying, "George, George, George, George"-an immediate hit with George, who continued the process. If you ever want to feel foolish, stand in front of a bird and do this ... and then not have him respond ..... Later, my daughter's boyfriend changed this to, "Jen, Jen, Jen, Jen, Jen" and well ..... we're still doing it, even though Jen's 1000 miles away! (P.S. George also does a 500-pound cat, "mee-OWWW!")

WHAT I DON'T LIKE ABOUT DISNEY (low hisssssss): It's seemed to have turned into one big commercial. While in MGM, we came across Hercules and this nasty looking little satyr-type man lurking behind a statue. They had kids lined up ALREADY to see them .... and the movie isn't even out yet. I made a sharp right turn and went elsewhere.

SMELL-O-RAMA: Smelling the wood smoke from Palio's while sitting on our balcony at night. The oranges in "Horizons" (just had to do it-my husband has NEVER been there and it might not be there our next visit!) Honeysuckle or jasmine, whatever was blooming while we were there. My daughter's hair when I hugged and kissed her when we met up for dinner at the Poly.

SOUND-O-RAMA: Last day we were there, raining, what can we do? We explored the monorail resorts. I had forgotten how much I had missed "Please stand clear of the doors...." The British Invasion singing "Roll Over Beethoven" and "Let It Be" while we were waiting to get in at Rose'n'Crown.

JOY OF VISION: A bank of pink roses towering over a bed of periwinkle mums or asters at the Yacht Club. The *picture* at the ToT (first one I've bought) of me, holding on for dear life and my husband's head thrown bad, clearly laughing delightedly. Purple and blue and gold fireworks at MK and MGM. Golden sun shining behind Barb (aka gardenia) at our meet at Beaches'n'Cream. I knew her the minute I saw her.

JOY OF BEING: Swan hot tub at midnight by ourselves, clear sky, breeze in the palm trees, cool enough to appreciate the warmth of the water. Walking the circuit from the Swan, Dolphin, Boardwalk, Yacht & Beach Club, then the path by the waterway by Boardwalk, up to the road, and back down by the Dolphin and being waved at by people on the boat coming back from MGM. Coffee and newspaper on the balcony at the Swan, the world not awake yet, the water a mirror reflecting the morning back to heaven. Free-falling on ToT to the point I find myself STANDING! WDW with the people I love most in the world: Michael, Jennifer, Alma, Jude & Shawn.

NOW, THAT'S GOOD EATIN': Salad dressing at Rose'n'Crown. Turkey dog with grilled onions and peppers at Sunset Ranch Market (remember when you could only get either A hotdog or A hamburger, no extras, no nuthin?) Huge chocolate-chip macadamia nut cookies at the Swan. Sushi from Goodings in our room at night. Peanut Butter Bet Burger and Parmesan fries at Jungle Jim's. Sample of smoked ribs at the Smokehouse at WL with Chef Rafa.

IT WAS A TOUGH JOB ..... Best libation: Jungle Jim at Jungle Jim's. We seemed to keep gravitating towards that place. 4-7 half price appetizers in bar, drink special every day (huge drink for about $2.50) I have a parade of plastic animals on my desk from all my drinks!

HAS ANYONE EVER TOLD YOU? Barb, after about 45 minutes of animated discussion between her, my husband and me, "You guys are SO cuuuute!" This is what everyone tells us and at 44 and 45 we're proud to be the poster-couple for soulmates who were destined to marry ... even though it took us 17 years and three meetings to realize it!

IT'S A BAH-GAIN AT TWICE THE PRICE!: My Wilderness Lodge Refillable Mug. I declined getting the Swan Mug-it was a large one, but when I got to Wilderness and found one with a small bottom that would fit into a car cup-holder it was an automatic purchase. I got to do my best game-show hostess routine while we were on the WL tour and Ranger John was talking about the refill program. I was the envy of the group. Now, this cup accompanies me to work on days when I *need* that extra magic to keep me going.

CELEBRITY SIGHTING EXCITEMENT: This was my husband's second visit to WDW. We had told him who'd we'd seen in the past. He came out of the cafeteria at the Contemporary, all flustered, "I think MERLIN OLSON's in there! He's BIG enough to be him! I said, 'Well, hello there" and he said, "Hi, how ya doing?" We were going in there for drinks and by golly, it was Merlin Olson.

UNSEEN SIGHT THAT KEEPS PLAYING IN MY BRAIN: We had to sit out the bad storm Wednesday morning, April 23 in a restaurant on 192. We could see the wind and rain blowing horizontally outside. My nephew said he was going to put on his yellow Mickey Mouse poncho and go "hop-gliding" in the parking lot. I keep seeing this 6-foot thin young man hopping and chortling, "I'm sayyyyylling! I'm sayyyyyylling!"

THE MOST WASTED TIME OF THE TRIP: Sitting on the plane, in the terminal, then on the runway for 2 hours. We didn't get off the ground in Orlando until after 9:00 (supposed to leave around 7:20) due to trouble in Charlotte. My various grumblings: "We could be at the radp dinner at the California Grille!" "Let's get off, call Jen, and get jobs!"

"AN IRISHMAN'S BLADDER IS TOO CLOSE TO HIS EYES": Partings from my daughter are always hard. The past couple of times she's taken a very nonchalant approach that gets us through. Last October she met us at Disney Village/Pleasure Island to do a little shopping. She finally looked at her watch and said, "I'm going to work ... you people go on home and I'll see you later." Cut and dried, easy.

This year, sentamentality got us by the boo-boo. She met us for dinner at Jungle Jim's and tried the "I'm going grocery shopping and I've got laundry to do" ploy, but unfortunately, my mother got hold of her and once the hugging started, tears did, too. (As she put it, "It's *Grandma*!") Once I saw her cry, I couldn't control my tears....and once I got her in my arms I knew it was going to be rough. I cried all the way to the airport.

My husband (who cried at our wedding before I did-I was okay until I saw the tears welling up in his eyes!) always says, "It's not our fault-an Irishman's bladder's just too close to his eyes."

FOR PARENTS WHO THINK THEY'RE NOT GETTING THROUGH TO THEIR KIDS: I had my daughter when I was 18. I always pictured her floating around in the ether, just waiting for her first chance to get to earth. She was independent, stubborn, knew exactly what she wanted and you didn't dare get in her way from just about Day 1. She was always this angelic little thing with long, blonde hair, big blues eyes (but my brother's nickname for her was "Adolf"!)

Her daddy never had much to do with her and was gone by the time she was 13. Her high-school years were a terror for me, many head-buttings along the way, but also many, many close, loving times, too. Trips to WDW were highlights for us, whether it meant I had to scrape and save and work extra hours, we took many family trips there. Around 15 she decided this was where she wanted to work. At 22 she left Indiana to move in with two Orlando-ites she had met at WDW at 15. They had kept in touch and knew she wanted to move down there. Immediately after a nasty blizzard that shut down the roads in Kentucky, we moved her and her belongs down there. Within 2 weeks, she had her job.

And, after all the tears, worries, fights, arguments .... I found myself in a concierge level room that she had somehow managed to reserve for us (I thought it would be MY big surprise to my new husband to be just staying at the Swan!), flowers and balloons from her were in the room with a bottle of champagne chilling. (When my husband told her he could get used to this, her reply was, "Don't!") (P.S. Her "take" on my husband, after she'd spent some time in his presence last October, "Mom, you should have gotten him for ME years ago!")

Jennifer, I wouldn't change a moment of the life we've had together. Your stubbornness and determination have gotten you where you are today. I am amazed at how you manage. You're still little and cute and I forget that you're not 16 any more and I guess I'll always think you are "my little girl." You are my pride and joy and I love you to pieces. I wish for you the happiness that I have found, only I hope you find it earlier in life than I did!

And, now.....

THINGS I LEARNED FIRST-HAND:

You *can* talk to strangers (even young teens, as experienced in the hot tub at midnight by our visit from two 14-year old boys from Minnesota who were frolicking like calves in the *warm* Florida night)!
Disney magically let's you lose weight, even when you're eating like an oinker(honest!)
I still do not like beer.
The roof-top visit at the WL may be a thing of the past shortly. Ranger John said "safety people" had been up there earlier in the week and they may stop offering this option. If you can go, it's great!
Laughter sounds pretty much the same in any language.
My legs aren't as young as they used to be, but my soul is younger.
THINGS I LEARNED SECOND-HAND:

Never sneak up on your mother with a rubber snake on Discovery Island after she's been to the Reptile show .....
In the Great Movie Ride, while you are stopped at the "Egyptian Temple" where the guides are "swapped", right before you go into the "mummy room" on the left hand side, there are hieroglyphics that show a stick figure of a man who is *very* happy ... if you catch my drift.
On Tower of Terror for the first time, don't put your baseball cap under your leg. (As my husband put it: "I didn't realize at that first drop, *everything* was going to go loose!" He was amazed to see his cap hovering in front of his face!)
There is no need for a telephone in the bathroom, unless you're Elvis (think about it....)
So until October, so long WDW ...

Patricia B. Sheahan

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