Since the last two days were DisneyPark oriented, I just lumped the days together so I can concentrate on reactions to the stresses, and fun, of the days. As always, there are plenty of blogs and websites that talk about the parks and attractions, so check those for basic info.
This is an entrance picture to the Cafe. The fish are fascinating to watch, and this time we watched a diver cleaning the inside of the tank. I guess somebody has to.
So into the Kingdom. The park is spacious so there would be a lot of walking involved. I brought my portable walking stick (slim trim version of the regular one), but didn't really need it as the ground is fake dirt with leaves and foot prints impressed in it. We decided we would not do any of the more hectic rides, such as Expedition Everest (I just closed my eyes anyway), Dinosaur, or Kali River Rapids (which I actually like) and settled for the mundane Kiliminjaro Safari...
and the bird show...
A cup of tea, a few shops and we were outta there. I'm glad that Kiliminjaro dropped the hokey "let's get the bad poachers" game and allowed us to see and admire the animals without getting the sledgehammer message pounded into us. Yes, we understand the need to protect these animals, these fellow beings on the planet, but to the guy with a wife and three kids from Indiana, there's little he can do, except hope his kids get the message as well. Respect for all life, because it is so precious. If nothing else, maybe you'll smile at someone more.
So what I found was that anyone with MS, or any disease that affects the limbs, going to Disney World and staying on the property should really think about assuring their rooms have a jacuzzi. What a neat relaxing feeling to sit in that warm water and let it circle around the throbbing or numb muscles, getting some small relief. My wife and I compared legs. Her legs are soft and pliable, mine are brick like. So I laid there in the swirling tide until it was time to dress for dinner.
Dinner at....
Rarely do I eat a lot of meat loaf, or a lot of meat, but meatloaf was just all over the place, and I could not resist. Our lucky streak continued as a delay in dinner resulted in free drinks. And home for the World Series.
Friday was the last full day and we compromised on a short visit to the Magic Kingdom before hitting EPCOT. We have our favorites and I knew this would not take long, so I was not worried about walking. It's 70 dollars a day to rent a scooter from Disney, so I'm glad it was not neccessary for me, but for a lot of others it seems, yes.
You know, you hear on the news about obesity and you can see when you walk around Disney, and any place the public gathers, how fat some folks are. Now I'm overweight for a guy 5'6" by about 20+ pounds, but it used to be worse, and I should not judge, and I'm not trying not to, however I have Multiple Sclerosis and have difficulty walking (you may have picked up on that) but I can still move, in fact I insist on it. I know I have a serious medical problem and am trying to adjust to it. That does not mean I won't have a Coca Cola on a hot day. Food is not that big with me (the weight is from earlier days), so whatever Jackie and I (or just Jackie) decide upon is fine with me, and I limit my intake. I do not miss out on things, though. Life is too short, and I do enjoy myself some, but life is also too short to screw around with it. Why make things worse by adding unneeded pounds? I'm borderline on sugar, etc., and I'll need to look into that more, but we really need to be more aware that we're hurting ourselves. And Disney and company DO NOT HELP BY CONSTANTLY PLACING HIGH SUGAR CONTENT DRINKS AND FOODS before us, especially children. This is a place that is allegedly dedicated to families, and yet it continues to shove high priced sugar laced beverages at the public all the time. And don't get me started on turkey legs. (Full disclosure - I have had one. All I needed.) The Farmer's Market in Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom offers fresh fruits for snacks, as well as Doritos and energy drinks. Guess which they sell more of?
But on the fantasy front, there's nothing like the music from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies on the ride - and there has been some slight changes in music and characters since last year.
The above is just a favorite scene of mine from the ride, with the wind and rain lashing the ghost ship. You can hear the music, right? Dead men tell no tales.
After that a quick stroll through Frontierland - not quite able to handle the rides there anymore, thank you, and the Haunted Mansion line was too long. We do the Mansion each time we're here, so no biggie to miss it. The Hall of Presidents is always enjoyable and we wanted to see it as this might be the last "Obama speech" one. Every in office President says the same thing about Liberty since Bill Clinton in 1993. President Obama added the Presidential Oath (done correctly) in 2009. Oddly, there is very little in the way of American History souvenirs in the souvenir shop, Heritage Hall. It is mostly Halloween. Don't get it.
We did a quick run of the shops on Main Street and then left, but not before admiring the Castle. I may have my criticisms of Disney, but there is nothing to touch the child in your heart than to take that turn on to Main Street and see the castle.
And I can not wait until I see it again.
OK, on to EPCOT. A negotiation occured here about how we wanted to proceed, and whether I needed a break to head back to our rooms for a bit. But I know this disease, and if I got back to that room and the comfy couches and books, I would not move. So we compromised (we've been married 27 years for a reason) that we'd take a back way to EPCOT (through Disney's Boardwalk) and a short stroll and we entered EPCOT.
OK, I gotta put the iconic EPCOT Spaceship Earth in as it is Jackie's favorite ride, and we've done the ride for years and years.
Now....
we entered near Great Britain, and noshed and drank our way around. I freely admit to three desserts and two glasses of wine. A fast walk, or as fast as I can manage,through Future World and we departed as the winds of Sandy picked up and rattled even the strongest walls. The bus back, dinner at Wolfgang Puck's, and we packed to come home. The jacuzzi called my name, but once I laid down on the bed, I was not moving.
Sandy knocked the plane around a bit on Saturday, but we arrived back no worse for wear. And vacation ends. It's now Sunday and we're in catch up on the laundry and go grocery shopping time.
While on the plane, Jackie and I talked about what future Disney trips may entail. More on that in the next post. I hope you enjoyed this series as much as I did. Disney World means a lot to us, but, as Dorothy said, there's no place like home.
