#26: Breakfast with the Stars

Tell me if this sounds familiar:

A friend has just flown back from a two-week trek across Spain. She sent postcards from Barcelona, Sevilla and Pamplona, then invited you for coffee when she returned. Now you grab the biggest cuppa you can buy before settling into a cozy couch.

“So???” you gush from the edge of your seat. “How was your trip? I want to know!”

“Incredible,” she says, tucking into her latte. “I really can’t wait to go back.”

When she doesn’t say more, you plead, “But, what was it like?”

“Really, so great,” she says. “I’m so glad I went. You need to go; you’ll absolutely love it.”

Apparently, those are the sordid details—the only ones you’ll hear, anyway. Whatever memories she has she’s keeping to herself, because there’s just too much to say.

This kind of thing drives me crazy. If you’re lucky enough to travel, don’t you owe your recount to people who can’t get away at the moment? If they ask you about your adventures, it’s your duty to unpack your stories and display them with pride and detailed explanations. Share everything you can; don’t be stingy—that’s my thought on the matter, anyway.

So, ask me about my trip to Disney. Really, go ahead. Ask.

It was awesome, thanks. A super time. We really can’t wait to go back.

~*~

(google image: 222.examiner.com)

It’s Tuesday morning—our second day at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. We’re standing at The Crystal Palace entryway when I spy an international celebrity! “It’s Tigger!” I squeal as my boys take an adrenaline lap around the accessibility ramp. Both guys stop in their tracks and press their noses against a nearby window.

O gasps. “It is Tigger!!!” He hops up and down. “And there’s Winnie! H, wook! It’s Pooh Bear!”

They watch briefly as the 100 Acre Woods friends file past in bumbling succession. Then they return to their race around the entrance.

A uniformed man takes a step from the Reservations podium. “Pooh and friends welcome the ____ family for breakfast!”

The boys dash for the entrance, while I signal GB and my mom. So it begins: Our first Walt Disney World Character Breakfast (36×37 assignment #26).

~*~

We’re star-struck, truly. Only Jesus, the Beatles and DJ Lance would be greeted more warmly by our table of five.

Tigger is the first to approach. I’ll tell you, that guy’s a real ham for the camera. First, he’s all “High fives for everyone!” Then, he starts posing. He gives us his left profile, then his right. This one is my favorite.

Eeyore comes next. He shuffles sadly to the table and extends each of my boys a mournful hug. When I compliment the pretty bow on his tail, he perks up and lovingly strokes its pink satin corners.

Piglet is quite shy. His hugs are swift and timid but warm, and he leaves as quickly as he arrived.

Finally, Pooh Bear. Ah, Pooh. People pleaser. Clown. Expert dispenser of bear hugs.

He has a real way with the ladies.

But more importantly, he has a way with children. That’s what counts most.

When Pooh waves his final goodbye and turns his back to leave, I look down at my grinning little boys. “I fink Pooh liked me,” H tells me in confidence. “And I really liked him, too.”

~*~

People talk all the time about Disney—how the lines are a pain, and sometimes it’s too hot, and admission is expensive, and the meal costs are staggering. Let’s be fair—these things are true.

But I’ll tell you this: For five solid days, my kids fell in love with the [Disney] World, and the [Disney] World loved them back wholeheartedly. Chefs talked to them about their food allergies, and made them special meals. Every adult greeted them with smiles and kind words. The bathroom sinks were just the right height, so they could wash their hands without help.

They called their own shots for five days, and navigated adventure after adventure after adventure. For instance, they:

• Climbed the Swiss Family Robinson tree house
• Took a riverboat cruise around Frontier Land
• Flew the night skies with Peter Pan
• Sailed around the world
• Rode a magic carpet over The Land of Make Believe
• Trained to be Jedi masters
• Shrunk to a fraction of their size
• Witnessed a few massive explosions
• Had a 3-D experience with a few million bugs
• Took an African safari
• And, of course, met Mickey Mouse

To me, all of these experiences are worth every penny we spent, as well as the [very] few inconveniences we faced. I wish I could give my boys this sort of equilibrium and sense of confidence every single day.

Maura, GB, O and H in front of Cinderellas Castle

H and Nana in front of Cinderellas Castle

I could say more, but I’ve run out of space, and it seems you’ve run out of coffee. Still, I hope you’ll forgive me if I pepper this space with a few more photos in the coming days. I never thought I’d be a Disney person, but who wouldn’t be, honestly? If I could bottle and sell that brand of Disney happiness, I’d be rich enough to hire Steve Jobs as my butler.

It was awesome, really. A super time. You should go, really; you’ll love it.

~*~ Find me on Twitter: @36×37
~*~ Visit
http://36×37.wordpress.com

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