WDW Trip Report - Day 0 - Can I Just Be There Now?

I've never written a trip report, but I thought it would be fun to chronical our trip on my blog. We (my sister, LaRae; my brother-in-law, Randy; my 6 year old niece, Katelyn; my 3 year old nephew, Joshua; and me, Joanna) braved Walt Disney World for Thanksgiving week 2010! We got there the Friday before Thanksgiving and left the Saturday after. This is our trip:

I’m going to call this Day 0 and go ahead and give my travel day a mention. For starters, LaRae, Randy, and the kids’ flight left much earlier in the day than mine, so I got up and drove them to the airport around 6 am! After dropping them off, I ended up spending the time before my flight running errands: getting medication from the acupuncturist, having an adjustment with the chiropractor, buying a camera tripod at Best Buy, buying a better tripod at WalMart along with Post-It Notes to foil the plans of the Toilets of DOOOOOOOM, and cuddling with Sprinkles before I headed to the airport around 1 pm myself.

The whole traveling day I kept wishing I had an earlier flight, but the day was pleasant enough. LaRae checked my baggage with her, so I’d be sure it was at the resort when I got there, so I was lucky enough to travel with just my small carry-on shoulder bag. I had a layover in Atlanta, but it was short. All in all, I spent about 7 hours traveling. The one item that made traveling so much easier: my iPad. I had a HUGE collection of books at my fingertips to read, and I loved traveling without extra baggage.

The closer I got to Walt Disney World, the more I texted LaRae. Randy said her phone went off a lot, but I thought I was being careful to not text too much. When I arrived at the Orlando Airport, I quickly checked in at Disney’s Magical Express and was able to board a bus immediately. Within about 20 minutes of landing, the bus was pulling away and taking me to “The Happiest Place on Earth”!

I asked LaRae to keep the kids up until I got to the resort, so I could give them their custom pillowcases. She did, and they were over the moon about them! Joshua unfolded his and exclaimed, “WOW! I’ve been wanting one of these forever! What is it?” He was still excited when he heard it was a pillow case. ;-)

Our room at the All-Star Music Resort was a family suite. The master bedroom had a queen size bed, TV, chest of drawers, a desk, and door that closed it all in. Outside of that was a small kitchenette with microwave and refrigerator, and past that was a bathroom. The other room (no door leading to it) had a couch, large chair, and ottoman that all unfolded into beds for me and the kids. There was also a TV, chest of drawers, table, and chairs in our room, and we had our own bathroom. Both bathrooms had curtains that closed the sink area outside the toilet/shower area off from the room, so that was really nice. The kids shared the bathroom with their parents, so I had my own private bathroom.

That night I grabbed dinner at the food court and ate a late dinner in LaRae & Randy’s room before I headed to bed. Aside from the bed really needing a new mattress, the room size was perfect for us.

Tomorrow: We head to Hollywood Studios only to find out we're not actually in Walt Disney World (no one was more surprised than we were)!

Things I've Never Done at Walt Disney World

I was going to tweet a short list of things I've never done at Walt Disney World, and then I made the list... It's surprisingly long. So long that 140 characters just won't do it justice. So here's my list. Prepare to be shocked. I sure am!

I've never been to Animal Kingdom, so I didn't bother making a list. I want to do it all!

Magic Kingdom

• Astro Orbiter (waited until a friend told me he felt secure in it despite the height)
• Liberty Square Riverboat (betting this is kinda dull)
• Main Street Vehicles (you know the horse drawn cars)
• Splash Mountain (in high school I didn't want to get wet; in January it was too cold; in May I would have had to ride alone. This time I have an elaborate plan involving ponchos, so the ride will be fun and dry.)
• Stitch's Great Escape (one of the only things on this list I refuse to do)
• Hall of Presidents (It was closed in January and May to add Obama; I think my parents drug me in it when I was little.)
• Magic Carpets of Aladdin (It's Dumbo on a carpet... no need to ride but will)
• Tom Sawyer Island (can't wait to go!)
• Tiki Room (eager to see this show)
• Also eager to go to the Swiss Family Treehouse since I haven't been since HS. The idea of carrying Joshua through it last year was enough to make us not go in.

EPCOT

• Captain EO
• Ellen's Energy Adventure (not sure it was open when I was there)
• Test Track (the only huge attraction at EPCOT I have not ridden - it was always broken when we went by on both trips)
• Lots of shows/movies: American Adventure, O Canada, Reflections of China, and Impressions de France
• IllumiNations (yes, I've seen Wishes, Spectromagic, and Main Street Electrical Parade - in HS - but other fireworks shows and parades in parks other than MK I've totally missed)

Disney's Hollywood Studios

• Mostly I've missed shows and tours here:
• Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular
• Journey Into Narnia (is it closed now?)
• Lights, Motors, Action!
• Playhouse Disney Show
• Sounds Dangerous (think it was closed before)
• Studio Backlot Tour
• Voyage of the Little Mermaid Show
• One Man's Dream
• Fantasmic! (have dinner reservations to go see it this year sans kiddos)

All in all, I'm planning for my trip (in 2 weeks) to be a blast and a trip of lots of new discoveries. There's a whole area of the World Showcase that I haven't explored well since high school. There are shows to see and afternoon parades that I've missed.

So how about you? Anything you've missed that you hope to try sometime? Anything I've missed that is one of your favorite "must dos"? :)

What is Wrong With Me?!

Soooooooooooo.... I've been chonicling my issues with headaches on Facebook and Twitter for over a month now, so I figure this is the easiest place to update everyone on what was found. About a month and a half ago I had a really bad sinus infection. It was treated with steroids and antibiotics, but after about a week, I started noticing I was having daily headaches above my eyes. Because of the location, I thought it was still the sinus infection so, I went back to the doctor. Another round of steroids and antibiotics, and I still was having headaches, and now pressure in my cheeks and dizziness.

I went back to her on Friday, and she sent me for a sinus CT. Today I got the results of the CT. Aside from a deviated septum and some sort of cells in my sinuses (neither of which are causing a blockage), nothing showed as wrong.

She's recommended that I go see an ENT, and she gave me a prescription for migraine meds, an anti-dizzy med, and a light narcotic. I'm highly uncomfortable with medicating for something we don't know. She also mentioned that she thinks I'm stressed. No crap. Yeah, I'm more stressed at work than ever before (which I won't go into detail about on the internet). She also recommended a week's vacation... yeah... I can see that going down well. More stress to take one than to stay at work.

I'm hesitant to go straight to the ENT because of the tests they'll run, so I've scheduled an appointment at the chiropractor. I'm going to see her tomorrow and see what she says.

Right now I feel pretty hopeless. I feel like I need to cut anything extra from my responsibilities to see if that relieves stress. I've always taken on leadership roles and headed commities and such, and I've felt that was a God-granted talent, but now I see myself having to put that on the side. I know I'm internalizing stress, but what else do I do with it? Shove it down or.... I don't even have some sarcastic remark or joke to put there.

So here's what I need:
1. Prayers. Lots of them. For things to get easier. For the pain to stop.
2. To continue to find the ability to smile and laugh despite all this. Today I've been crying for about an hour now because I'm so frustrated. I like smiling and don't want to lose that. I joke when I'm stressed. I like people around me laughing. :D
3. Friends who love me when I whine and watch my non-verbal signals. I don't have the ability to joke at my expense right now. Usually I do, but right now I can't. Read the signs people.
4. Support me when I say "no".
5. To figure out how to decrease my stress without stopping my life. I do internalize a lot, but the biggest part of the issue is that I care A LOT. I put my heart and soul into my work. I love deeply. I work hard. I share too much. ;-) I'm passionate, and I think that passion has become a zeal that has put too much stress on my plate.

That's all. What's wrong with me? According to my CT: nothing that should cause these symptoms. According to my head: everything and nothing all at once.

What a Girl Wants

What a Girl Wants (by Kristin Billerbeck) caught my eye years ago on the fiction shelf in the Christian Bookstore. The front cover looks a bit similar one of my favorite series: Shopaholic (by Sophie Kinsella), and it had this line: "All I want is a cute Christian guy who doesn't live with his mother - and maybe a Prada handbag." I bought it on a whim and immediately saw myself in the main character, Ashley Stockingdale. When I say "I saw myself," I mean it was shockingly me... as if some paparazzi cared enough about my life to follow me around, read my thoughts, and write a book about me. Creepy thought but cool series. I ended up buying and reading the entire series.

That was about 5 years ago. I was fresh out of college, depressed that the Harding Marriage Factory had failed me (or I had failed it), and I needed a book to speak to me. It did, and then it gathered dust on my bookshelf.

Tonight I picked up the book for some bubble bath reading, and again it struck me how me the main character is. I'm not trying to be vain, but it's funny how a book can practically scream "this is your life!" at you! See, Ashley is a young, just turned 30, single, Christian woman. Her life is fulfilling. She has family and friends in her life, a job she works hard at, a life balanced with work and play, and the whole "busy" thing going for her. However, she feels like she's missing something in not having a husband. Don't get her wrong, her life is complete and she loves it, but she has this sneaking suspicion that there could be more.

The first book starts with her looking around her singles' group (ok I don't have one of those) and asking herself basically what her "fatal flaw" (my words) is. You know... the flaw that stops you from being with someone. It's something you can't see yourself but it's obvious to everyone else or at least the men who don't want you.

A couple key paragraphs have already "spoken" to me, and since I don't have a highlighter handy, I decided to post them to my blog.

There's single for a season, and single for a reason. My singles' pastor used to say that and laugh like staccato Spongebob. I remember thinking it was hilarious until the day I turned thirty. Then my thoughts turned much darker, like hey, maybe I am single for a reason. That's a depressing day, when you realize Prince Charming isn't riding in on a white horse, and J. Vernon McGee is starting to sound awfully handsome on the radio.

While I'm not 30 yet (I'm 27.5), I totally understand this paragraph. I'm constantly asking myself "am I single for a reason? What the heck is the reason?!"

The next one is a bit longer, and it takes a little set up, but I really like it because it's flat out what's going on in the mind of most single women when this exact thing happens. The singles' minister gets up and announces that he and his wife are expecting. This is what follows:

Everyone claps. A polite round of applause that implies joy for the new gift of life, yet an irritable jealousy that no one wants to feel, but who can help it? Everytime someone gets pregnancy it's just another reminder: There's Absolutely No Chance of That Happening in My Life Anytime in the Near Future. Unless God is planning another Immaculate Conception, and I'm thinking He's done with that kind of miracle.

So I clap a bit more than the others, and smile. It's one of those plastered, fake smiles, but it's all I can manage. I am happy for them, really I am, and I know that envy is a sin, so I force such feelings away. But when I help throw another shower, and when I hold their perfect bundle of joy, it will hurt - and I hate that I feel that way.

I don't want a baby. I mean eventually, maybe, but not tomorrow. That last sentence though, that's how I feel. I hate that feeling, I do, but it's the truth. It's why there are times when I step away and am not a shower hostess or I don't attend a wedding/baby shower or I don't attend a wedding... because sometimes that feeling that I hate can't be pushed down to where it's not visible on my person. I am joyful for my brothers and sisters' joys, but at times, the fake smile isn't possible. Maybe that makes me a horrible person.

It all reminds me of Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City talking to her friends: Think about it. If you are single, after graduation there isn't one occasion where people celebrate you... Hallmark doesn't make a 'congratulations you didn't marry the wrong guy' card. And where's the flatware for going on vacation alone? Maybe that "rant" is for another post. Actually I think I've had that rant before but it wasn't really a rant. :)

Just thinking and enjoying my book. Hope you all have a great week!

What's on your mind?

Facebook keeps asking me that stupid question like it cares about me or something. *ugh* Thing is... lately... one thing has been on my mind. In fact, my mind has been screaming the same thing over and over in this ridiculous chant until I feel the need to put it out there, so maybe it will stop, and I can move in a positive direction.

Before I do so, I feel must say this: I'm putting this out there because it's bugging me. I'm not looking for your pity. I'm not looking for your advice. I'm not trying to make anyone feel bad. I'm saying this for me because, dang it, I'm struggling, and this is MY blog. (Oh, and yes, I realize "27 is young by the world's standards" and all that stuff.) Now I shall proceed.

I'm going to die alone.

That is all.

Technology Sojourn

The warning went across my Twitter and Facebook feeds last night near to midnight: I would be taking a 12 hour break from technology on Wednesday. From 8 am to 8 pm, I would not use my iPhone, my laptop, or my TV. Later I added that radio and CD player in my apartment were also off limits. Thought it might be nice to share how this "journey" played out.

I guess I should start with why I would do such a silly thing. First, my iPhone had become a permanent part of my body. Seeing as how I'm not a cyborg, and I should be relaxing during the summer, I figured it was time to cut the apron strings so to speak. Also, I answered a work email from my iPhone, from my bed, when I randomly woke up at 3 am the other day. My iPhone and I needed a break.

Second, I was becoming obsessed with some stuff, and honestly I was upset about some junk that I had no real reason to be upset about. Being online was just feeding that obsession. I'll speak more on that in a bit.

Finally, I just needed to unhook for a day. My life is run by my technology instead of me running it, and that's not ok with me. No one needs to be plugged in all the time, and I really don't need to be constantly available.

So how did it turn out? I'm going to try to take some pictures in a minute to add to this (camera battery was dead and is now charging - ain't technology grand?) and hopefully share what surprised me in a way that's interesting enough that you won't want to throw away your laptop to get away from my blog. ;-)

I woke up at 7 am, so I could check Twitter, Facebook, and email (all 3 accounts including work). Went back to sleep until 8:15. Drat it to heck! 8:15 meant I couldn't make one last check!!! I went ahead and turned off my iPhone *sigh* and went back to sleep for a while longer.

First surprise of being unavailable for texts and calls was that my plans with friends for the day had to be very firm. No cancelling or being late on either end. Tracy and her daughter showed up, as planned, at 9 am swim and/or help me finish off my card table that I'd been refinishing. Since Tracy wouldn't be able to call and cancel if the weather was iffy, she had to come no matter what. She helped me put the chandelier on my table (that sounds insane, but there are pics lower down), and we went swimming. (No pics of the pool because that falls in the same category as taking pics of me before 10 am... just don't.)

No iPhone = no clock. My watch batteries are all dead, so I was constantly asking Tracy what time it was. Pool was great. I braved it with no sunscreen for an hour or so, and then the sun came out regular enough that I had to admit defeat and sunblock it up. Side note: thanks to swimming almost daily, I am TAN! I know I don't *look* tan to those of you who have seen me, but for me, I am super tan (and freckly) right now. My tummy is so pale that you can see the tan when I hold my arm next to it, but that's frowned upon in public.

I was supposed to pick Paul up at noon for us to go get our comics. Inconvenience again: my pull list for comics is on my email on my cell. Thankfully I'd printed my pulls from my spreadsheet last night before bed. (Yes, I'm that neurotic, but that's for another post at another time.) Comics went without a glitch though, and it was nice to have another human interaction.

That leads me to a side rant though. When did "our" plans become so nebulous? When did it stop being "we'll meet for coffee at 7" and become "we'll meet for coffee around 7, but I'll text when I'm close, and we may switch to drinks around 8 if you want, but we'll text around 5 to make sure"? Texting has really effected how I make plans with friends. It was really refreshing to have firm times and places that I could count on today. Not to bash plans that change because I don't mind that, but there was something soothing about knowing what was going on today.

By the way, I went to the comic shop and then took Paul (whose car is broken) to Target and stopped in Starbucks. I felt a little lost not checking in to FourSquare. In fact, I internally lamented the points I was losing during my tech-free day. How can you walk in anywhere without checking in when you're in an intense FS competition like I am?! Won't the world stop spinning? The answer is no. It will not stop spinning. In fact, since I was looking up as I walked in the store, I knew where my car was when I came out. To use a friend's celebratory word: *HUZZAH!* I give up on FourSquare this week. My points are so low I can't make a comeback.

On the drive home I almost turned out in front of someone. I wasn't texting and driving or even talking and driving. I was completely focused on the road. Surprise - cells are always to blame! Another surprise, I suddenly realized I didn't feel comfortable driving without my cell phone with me. What if I got in an accident? The only numbers I know by heart are my parents' home in Georgia, LaRae's home number, and my ex's cell phone. None of those would necessarily be the best to call in an accident for numerous reasons. Also, what if my car broke down, how would I get help? Funny how years ago we drove without cell phones, but now being without one is scary! Even more funny: my first cell was only for emergencies, and I shared it with my mom. It had 60 minutes a month!!

Got home around 1 pm, and I saw my iPhone sitting on my nightstand. It looked so sad and lonely. Actually, that's a lie. It looked happy because it was face down, and the Mickey sticker on the back was smiling at me, but I knew its true feelings of rejection. Yep, surprise, my iPhone is so phenomenal that it has its own human emotions! ;-)

OK back to the real world. I did look at my phone and want to pick it up and check what everyone was doing, but I knew I needed to stick to this "thing" and follow through. Instead I headed out to the garage to put the last clear coat on my card table top. The lawn guys were coming by with their leaf blowers of doom, so I had to close up the garage super fast to keep the table from getting ruined. As the door went down, I dove out of the garage, rolled across the driveway, and jumped to my feet. No one saw, but it was some amazing acrobatics, let me tell you.

When I came inside, I couldn't decide what to do. Sprinkles wanted to play a bit, but he fell asleep soon. I couldn't watch TV or listen to music, so that meant I was alone with my thoughts. Scary place to be at times especially in the mood I've been in for the past 3-4 days. Laid on the couch and just reflected. Cheesy, I know, but it helped me sort through some stuff that's been bugging me. It also helped me to come to terms with things that aren't in my control.

I still have 10 items on my summer to-do list. It's full of organization projects and such, and I want to get them done before I head to Georgia, but today was not the day to mess with those, so I decided to take an epic 3-4 hour nap. (Yeah, that's why it's almost 1 am, and I'm blogging instead of sleeping.) Last night I had some fairly vivid and disturbing dreams, so I didn't sleep well. In fact, I'd totally tell you about my dreams, but I couldn't get on Facebook this morning to post about them, so I forgot them. :-( Note to self: You need a real journal with paper and pen by your bed.

After my nap I ran out to the garage to check on my table. Thank you rain for holding off long enough for me to get the table in. Pic is the table with two of the newly re-covered chairs. Other pic shows dining room chairs. Now my dining room chairs and card table chairs match, so when I pull them all out, they look like they belong together. I know the table is a bit whimsical, but it's only out for fun occasions, and I like it! I don't like the clear coat, so I'll be redoing that in August when I have more time to do it right. This project took me 2+ days to fully complete.

Table done and 1.5 hours until the VBS work night at church. This was my breaking point. I was going into technology withdraw. I kept thinking that if I just checked email, Twitter, and Facebook, no one would know but me and who would it hurt. I rationalized that I had proved my point, and I could go back to the land of the living. Then I realized if I couldn't go 12 hours without my precious technology, I needed help, so I took a shower instead.

Do you know how fast I can get ready without messing with my iPod or checking junk on my iPhone??? Holy crow! I took time to blow dry my hair instead of pulling it back in the typical summertime ponytail. Good thing because the rain I walked through on the way to my movie later gave it this neat poofiness and swoopy bangs look that I was *totally* going for! (Please please sense the sarcasm.) Did my make up. Dressed cute. Whole nine yards. Took under an hour. Whoa. (Speaking of "whoa" my hand looks huge in that pic! Guess that's 1 am photography for you!)

Got to the work night early. Got "my" project done with Melissa and Tracy and was able to head to the movie early. Oh and I got it all done without distractions. Did not turn on my iPhone until we pulled up to the theater. Immediately got 14 texts, 2 voice mails, and 27 emails. I sorted through it fairly quickly, replied as needed, and tweeted and facebooked a few quick messages before LaRae, Tracy, and I headed in to see "Eclipse". (I'm not giving commentary on the movie here, but eventually I'll let my opinion be known. I will say quickly that being Team Edward in a theater full of Team Jacob left something to be desired.)

To sum up my day:

Things go faster without technology getting in the way or being a distraction.

Plans become firmer without the "out" that cell phones offer.

You have to enjoy the silence when your "stuff" is off. That means being ok with what's in your head. Sometimes the happy little text message tones and tweets drown out your own voice.

Music being off makes life quiet but not necessarily better. No more music bans for me.

The world keeps spinning when people can't get in touch with me.

Will I keep having technology-free days? Yes and no. I'm going to take time where everything is off, so I can be real with myself and reflect a bit. I'm going to make myself unavailable at times for my own sanity. I'm not ditching my computer or stopping checking in on FourSquare, but I might not tweet or facebook as much (maybe). Even if I turn off my iPhone, it will go in the car with me. It was a nice experiment, and I feel like I can do things without my iPhone glued to my hand now. I can recommend that everyone try it for a day if it's possible in your life. :)

Now if you'll excuse me my Tap Resort needs some attention, and I'm sure I'll beat Addiction Solitaire *this* time for sure!

Disney Confessions

This blog post is inspired by a thread on the DIS called “What is your Disney shameful secret”. Even an uber Disney fan like me ends up with some things that she must confess from time to time, and I thought it might make for an interesting entry here. :) Not all of these are shameful really.

1. I have never ridden Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom. It was always too cold to get wet, or I didn’t want to walk around in wet jeans on all my previous trips. I have an elaborate plan involving numerous ponchos for riding it in November without getting wet.

2. A Dole Whip has never passed my lips. In fact, I’d never even heard of them until I started reading the disboards where people were raving about them. Sounded like something I’d like to try until I read what they are. I’m not even mildly interested in trying one.

3. A few of you know this, but this one is huge: Haunted Mansion scares the ever loving heck out of me. I ride it every trip hoping *this* will be the time that I’m not holding back screams of fear, but each time I’m still scared stiff. I know it’s meant to be funny and campy, but the graveyard at the end really gets me. I think it’s the stuff that pops up there. I rode this ride alone on my last trip and wanted to die. To prep for November, I’ve read the entire Doom Buggies site and am fairly sure I can ride HM this time without fear.

4. I love the It’s a Small World ride but only recently. You would think that riding it over and over with Katelyn and Joshua would make me go insane, but it did quite the opposite. Getting to see it through a child’s eyes as they adore each part of the ride and point out things like “Look! It’s those silly geese that Aunt Joanna loves!” makes it into pure joy. Besides, that ride is so busy that even on the 10th ride of the day, you still see things you didn’t see before. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized the white room at the end was a mega mix of all the countries. Maybe that’s more because I didn’t pay attention. IaSW isn’t cool to enjoy when you’re a teen. I’d love to learn the song in all the languages on the ride.

5. Snow White’s Scary Adventure made me cry so hard when I was a 5 year old child that I never wanted to ride it again. In fact, I’m not sure it had the “this ride is super scary” warning on it when I was a child. I think that’s a good addition. I rode this one alone as an adult and once again, I had to look for the “happy” stuff, so I wasn’t curled up in a ball in the back of the car! That was more mental than actual fear though, and I ended up really liking the ride.

6. As a child I cried through Epcot. I cried so much that my father had to carry me through that part. Everything scared me. (Maybe that’s because we went the day after I’d been through the horrors of HM and SWSA!) As an adult, Epcot is typically my favorite park. (Depends on the day, sometimes my fave is MK.) I could spend days there exploring the countries.

7. I could spend all my snack credits in the Boulangerie Patisserie in France. This time I’m going to try School Bread in Norway though.

8. I went on Dumbo with Katelyn and Joshua and was secretly relieved that our Dumbo wouldn’t go up and down. When we went up high automatically I realized that Dumbo not having a door that shuts makes me have irrational fears of falling out. Despite this, I want to ride the Astro Orbiter in November. You have to take an elevator to get up to it, and it’s Dumbo in space ships basically. I kinda think I might come off of it white knuckled, but if I can make myself concentrate on how awesome the view is, I might be ok.

9. I fell off a horse on Cinderella’s Royal Carousel (now Prince Charming Regal Carousel). Maybe fell is the wrong word. Did you know the horses on the outside ring go higher than that ones in each concentric circle moving toward the center of the carousel? I didn’t know that either until I placed Katelyn on a horse in the middle and took the horse on the outside for myself.

Just my luck, my horse stopped at the end of the ride at the highest point it could be. Katelyn ended up watching Aunt Joanna make a fool of herself while waiting to be helped off of her own horse. I held on to the pole and “dismounted” from the horse only to realize I was dangling at least 2 feet from the ground. Ended up letting go and more or less falling not so gracefully to the floor. Could not stop randomly giggling over it once I got off the ride. Pic below is me before the fall. :D

10. I’ve never been to Animal Kingdom. I know it’s not a zoo, but when I love the other 3 parks so much, I can’t see myself going to AK. LaRae and Randy didn’t like it that much on their honeymoon, so with that glowing recommendation, I’ve been less than eager to head over there. I’ll go in November, and I’ll give it a fair shot, but if I’m not in awe by the end of the day, I’m not likely to return.

11. When I read news stories about people dying from brain hemorrhages and such after riding a roller coaster, it makes me panic, so each time I get on Rockin’ Roller Coaster I say a prayer and hope it isn’t my last day on Earth. That doesn’t stop me from riding though. At Hollywood Studios I make a small circuit riding RnRC and Tower of Terror over and over again!

12. Some family out there has a picture of themselves on Tower of Terror with me in the side of the car fixing my bangs after a drop. I love sudden drops, but I apparently was more worried about my hair when the picture was taken! :D I kinda wish I’d bought that one.

13. Looking at my list, I realize I scare easily (but really it’s just unsecured heights and things jumping out at me). Last one that mildly scares me at WDW? Characters. Face characters I can handle, but I never really know quite what to say to them. Characters (kids over your ears) in costumes give me a bit of a panicky feeling right in the pit of my stomach. Have I told you about my Baloo the Bear experience from high school?! We found him in a dark corner in Adventureland without a handler. When I went to have my friends take a picture of me with him, I walked up and held his hands. He turned me around in his arms to where my arms were crossed in front of me, so I was wrapped in a big bear hug. After the picture was taken, he absolutely would not let go. My friends, not reading the freaked out smile on my face, thought I wanted more pictures taken, so they took more (which I still have)! When I muttered “ok seriously not funny! Let me go!” he finally released me. You never know who’s in there. Now I just let the magic take me into the right frame of mind, run up to characters with my niece and nephew, and get photos with the real deal characters. I mean *that* was Stitch, right there!!!

14. I love the “boring” rides like Carousel of Progress, the Magic Kingdom Express, and especially the Tomorrowland Transit Authority and Living with the Land.

15. I didn’t know there was a ride in Mexico in Epcot until January of 2009. However, now that I know it’s there and think it’s hilarious, I could ride it over and over!

16. As a math lover and Disney fanatic, I’d love someday to make a model of Spaceship Earth.

17. Final confession: Walt Disney World is my happy place. When I’m stressed at work or tired of my life, I day dream about being at WDW. It’s the one place where I forget my life outside, and I let the pixie dust take me into a world of magic and joy. There is no work. There are no angry parents. I don’t have too much to do and not enough time to do it. I just have this moment, this place, and this childlike wonder that puts a goofy smile on my face and a song constantly in my heart.
I have more, but I’ll stop here. Maybe I’ll do a second installment after I get back from my next trip. Hope you enjoyed some of those. More than that, I hope that you have a happy place like I have at WDW. When I say I’m going to WDW, and you say “again??!!” my answer will always be a dumbfounded “well yeah”. If I’m not at WDW, I’m planning my next trip there, and that, my friends, is a wonderful thing.

**Editor’s Note: Pardon my look in these pics. They are old, and I look quite a bit different now. :D