Trip Chronicle - March 2016, Part 5

I've been off line for a couple of weeks, traveling between family venues checking out different places to sleep. I'm now back in Florida for a few days, and caught up on my research. So it's time to offer the final installment of my report on our March trip.

Before I start on the final chapter, a quick review might be in order. In Part 1 I covered the trip south, complete with some personal memories triggered by certain landmarks along the way. In Part 2 I shared some pics of the new Polynesian Vacation Club facilities as well as the indulgent story of how Nancy and I became WDW annual pass holders. Part 3 explored the interesting world of Florida retirement communities where most of the visiting kids are sixty somethings. And Part 4 covered a senior day at theme parks and why it is that such a counterintuitive phenomenon can even happen. We pick up the action the next morning.

Tuesday, March 15 

Day 9.  Though a breach of senior vacation protocol, we decided to return to the theme parks for a second day in a row eschewing the customary "'tweener" day of rest and rehab (sometimes for the sake of family honor you just have to suck it up). The Dyatts were hot to see Harry Potter so they headed up I-4 to Universal Studios. I have no photo history of their day of magic, but I can report that they returned about 8:00 that evening dragging their wands.

Nancy and I, being of a slightly more cautious ilk, opted for a stroll around the World Showcase. This is one of my favorite Disney activities as it seems like everyone there is on "the old man tour". That would be moving leisurely (no fast passes needed), studying the architectures and exhibits offered by the various countries, shopping, and basking in the beautiful surroundings.

After clearing security and flashing our annual passes (:-), we sauntered up past the big golf ball (Spaceship Earth) and through Future World to the duelling gift shops that mark the entrance to the World Showcase. Feeling our roots, we decided to head counter-clockwise on this visit (west) to Canada and Great Britain. We took in the always impressive 360 film in the Canada pavilion and lunched on fish and chips in an authentic London pub. From there we headed around the promenade to France. Here are a couple of shots from the walk. It was a gorgeous day.  

After a little shopping for French wine and perfumeries, we returned to the promenade and ran into these street performers. We watched them build this unlikely tower out of a table and a few chairs. 

If you look closely, you will see that the chair assembly is built on top of four wine bottles. Unbelievable.

We continued our world tour with a little more exploration and shopping in Morocco and Japan. We then found some shade and a couple of scoops of ice cream, before taking in the multi-media show The American Adventure, another uniquely Disney presentation. This review and tribute to the resiliency of the American spirit, as told by life-like recreations of historical figures (Ben Franklin and Mark Twain, among others), is another Burk family favorite. It's refreshing in this day of reality-show politics and social unrest to spend a few minutes reflecting on the longer arc of where the country has come over the last three centuries. Call me mush. But I've always been a big picture guy.

We agreed to call it a day after The American Adventure, and headed out to catch the trolley to our car. Although we did take a brief detour to ride Spaceship Earth as the lines were down to nearly nothing (a good EPCOT tip - always hit Spaceship Earth on the way out, not the way in; it'll save you at least a half hour).

Upon arrival back at the Treehouse we met up with the Dyatt's and shared the day's adventures over cocktails. And agreed that theme parking three days in a row might not be a good idea.

Wednesday, March 16

Day 10. The group surfaced from slumber leisurely and enjoyed coffee and a light breakfast on the Treehouse deck. After recharging up to a range of 100% (Dave) to about 40% (yours truly), we headed off to Disney Springs (formerly known as Downtown Disney) to see the new offerings, have lunch and shop. 

I remember very little of this day, as I was running on reduced power. Several sensory functions were shut down to protect vital systems. But those needed to walk, eat and find places to sit were kept on-line. I do have a vague memory of cruising down Woodward in a convertible with the top down. But the more I think about it, it may have just been that we had lunch in a booth that looked like the back seat of a '57 Chevy. Not sure.

I did manage to take a couple of pics, as I had periodic mini-bursts of energy (solar-generated, I think). This first one I believe was a little after lunch as the girls (Robyn, Nancy and Mary from left to right) browsed some expensive souvenirs. 

Later we returned to the Treehouse for what has become a traditional cookout on Burk-Dyle-Wyatt vacations. Here's a shot of the service crew in full culinary splendor.

After gorging ourselves on BBQ chicken, pasta salad and ice cream drumsticks, we waddled into the living room and slowly fell into dreamland watching Spotlight (I think, but given my level of consciousness it may have been All the President's Men or Citizen Kane; I'm sure it was something about a newspaper).

Thursday, March 17

Day 11. Arising a little better rested (now back up to about 75%), I begged the others to please drag take me to Universal Studios to experience the joy of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The fact that the Wyatts were treating us to tickets had, of course, no impact on my enthusiasm. I am after all a fully qualified Potter nerd, having read the books twice and seen the movies a number of times. So we headed out for what looked to be a very fun day. Little did I know.

The subterfuge was subtle (which I guess is the best kind). The day started out innocently, with a stroll down the main promenade to Diagon Alley, I in my theme park uniform toting the yellow bag.

The first sign that we were approaching wizard country was this secret abode well known to any Potter-phile (12 Grimmauld Place).

Shortly thereafter we found ourselves in the midst of several other familiar edifices two of which are shown below, the latter complete with an escaping dragon.

It was at Gringotts Bank where the sinister plot was hatched. You see Gringotts has a thrill ride within its walls fashioned after the three-rail, high-speed open trolley from the movies. Through a clever combination of live action, surround video and animatronics, riders get to roar their way up, down and through the vault chambers, just like Harry.

Now I'm no expert on thrill rides, as I have previously lamented. But I know rides that put you in a gondola that only has seat belts and/or a safety bar over your lap aren't that bad. The Gringott's bank trolley ride is of this style. So I scrambled aboard. And the ride was fun, keeping the actual twists and turns suffered by riders to a level acceptable for someone of my refined sensibilities. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was being lulled into a false sense of macho.

Feeling frisky from a rush of testosterone way past its best-used-before date, I asked "what's next?" Reigning me back down into my support hose, they told me Hogwarts. To get there we had to take the train.

After we were seated in a fashionable Hogwarts Express compartment, the train pulled out of the station and rolled over the short distance to its destination. The effect was enhanced by a video of passing countryside posing as the window. Very cool.

Upon disembarkation, we headed first to Hogsmeade and the Three Broomsticks for a little lunch. 

Lunch, which for some of us included a little butter beer, was slightly more than light. One could say it was more Hagrid-ish. But it was delicious. However, unbeknownst to me it was all part of the conspiracy. As you will see shortly.

Following lunch was a discussion of the thrill ride inside the Hogwarts castle. Normally I would forego such a ride and spend time exploring and shopping while others took life into their own hands. But having "mastered" the Gringotts trolley, I was pondering (like the hotel commercial) "should I stay or should I go?" So I turned to a (formerly) trusted comrade, and asked if the Hogwarts ride was like the Gringotts ride. 

If I had been on my game, I would have picked up on my comrade's sheepish expression when he uttered, "uh...I...uh...hmmm...sha...sha...shhhhhuuuurrrrr!" Mary did, and promptly sauntered off to protect her sensitive back. I on the other hand, still fogged in by machismo mist, came back with something like, "Well, let's go then." Here's a pic of me pondering my decision as we approached the castle, still trying to defrost the windshield.

Once there, we got in the fairly long line that winds through the garden area and a couple of Hogwarts hallways to the ride entrance. I did note that at a few locations along the line path there were exit doors, through which an occasional potential rider came to his or her senses and bolted. But by the time I figured out what they were doing, we were at ground zero. 

Before I could say Tower of Terror, my wimpy butt had been whipped into what looked like the pilot's seat of an F-14 Tomcat and rendered immobile by the closure of a steel cage around my torso and head. The only thing missing was a helmet with "Maverick" written across the front. It was at that point that I realized I'd been had. I was looking up from the crumb tray of a toaster.

And then life became a blur. I was immediately lifted up and over backwards to the right and rocketed down a series of Hogwarts corridors, out through a stainglass window, high over the castle to the Quidditch field, and...well...I did say it was a blur. All I remember after that was worrying whether I would make it to the end of the ride before my less-than-light lunch made it back up to my soft palate. I think the ride was about an hour and a half. 

Fortunately, my lunch and I both survived this harrowing experience. I even had composure enough to confront the architect of this attack upon my person. But he denied any wrong doing, claiming no memory of his pre-ride assurances (while covering a grin with his right hand and offering me a Tums with his left). 

I will admit that aside from the digestive dilemma, it was kind of fun. The realism of the ride was incredible, and I felt completely safe in my body armor. And I felt I finally had the right to keep the Hogwarts pin (that the kids had given to me the year before) on my yellow bag as a badge of honor. But, I don't think I'll do that ride again soon. Like not in this century.

To restore my metabolism and psyche after my ride on a virtual Nimbus 2000, we took in a few more of the sights offered in the park. Things more my speed, like this. 

And this. A little pirate-guy-meets-pirate-girl acrobatic-fantasy show. Here the bodies flying through the air belonged to other people. Just the way I like it.

Having reached our limit for the day with the pirate pageantry, we gathered our gear and made our escape. We shopped our way out of the park and cruised back down I-4 to the Treehouses. There, we crawled into our respective nests and slept off our third trip to theme parks in the last four days. 

Friday, March 18

Day 12. Our last full day of most vacations is spent resting up from the vacation. This trip was no different. We hung around the Treehouse relaxing, reading, playing online and watching a little TV. A few went to the pool. We were all adjusting our attitudes for the trip home.

Except for me. The day before I had learned that my sister had taken ill, and my mother was in need of some help for a few days in Zephyrhills. So Nancy and I took the the Traverse for the one hour drive to Mom's, picked up my sister's pickup and brought both vehicles back to Disney. That would allow me to return to Zephyrhills on Satuday while Nancy drove home to Michigan to rescue the dog from her temporary quarters and to start on spring house and garden chores.  

We ended the day with our final clean-up dinner (an attempt to devour all remaining foodstuffs that wouldn't travel well) and, of course, a final happy hour. Here's a shot of our group enjoying the closing ceremonies, reviewing the week's activities and making initial plans for the next time. 

Saturday, March 19

Day 13. We packed. We loaded. We left. Thus endeth the trip, and this chronicle.

Post Script. I enjoyed sharing this inside look at our recent vacation, and reliving the adventure again myself. Especially the old memories sprinkled throughout the five posts. 

One of the benefits of writing this blog that I hadn't anticipated are those old memories. What I've learned is that in order to write about something, you have to think about it. Think about it more than when you actually did it. For me, that makes the memories even more meaningful. And writing them down puts them in a place I can find them, and relive them again when I want. It's a hobby I recommend.

Trip Chronicle - March 2016, Part 4

At the end of Part 3, Nancy and I had met up with the Dyles and the Wyatts at Disney's Treehouses resort. We resume with the next morning.

Monday, March 14

Day 8. As this was a theme park day, the crowd stirred fairly early for adults on vacation - 7:30-ish. In the good old days with a passel of kids in tow, we would arise between 6:00 and 6:30 on theme park days, rouse the little darlings, make and pack lunches, pile into the van, and head to the park of choice by 8:00. That would put us at the gates by 8:30 or so just in time for park opening.

Well, these are the good new days. While we stepped lively through the morning routine, it was sort of senior-lively. That means focusing on getting each step of the routine right the first time, to minimize do-overs. And keeping the pack down to just the basics - extra meds (in case of a "silver alert" - I was once lost for a day in the Carousel of Progress), a wrist band with emergency contact numbers (helpful in the event of a hit and run by a double baby stroller), and the usual shawl (those Florida springs can be chilly).

Now I say senior-lively, though the Wyatts are just youngsters in their early 50s. However, to their credit, by hanging out with the Byles so much (that would be the Burks and the Dyles), they have become quite proficient at dropping their keys, accenting their ensembles with foodstuffs, not remembering what they got up and went into the next room for, and dozing off during early evening movies. In short, they've adjusted to the senior lifestyle quite nicely. At least when they're with us.

So, having readied ourselves for the day's adventure, we headed out for a tour of the newly expanded Fantasyland. To get there we drove to the Magic Kingdom parking lot, rode the trolley to the Transportation and Ticket Center, and ferried across the Seven Seas Lagoon. Three rides already and not even there yet :-)

From the ferry dock we cleared security, passed under the WDW Railroad and sauntered up Main Street. Just before Cinderella's castle we bore to the right past the northwestern edge of Tomorrowland, by Cosmic Ray's, the Teacups, and the Grand Prix cars, to the entrance of Fantasyland. Whew. Time for our first break.

This might be a good time to deal with the issue of why I (and many other adults, I think) keep returning to theme parks. This would be in spite of expensive entry fees, large crowds, long lines, and overpriced food. Not to mention those killer strollers (one took my Dad out once - three stitches in his forehead) or occasionally finding yourself in the blast zone of a family in total meltdown (a phenomenon I like to call Survivor Disney). And, isn't it true that the parks hardly ever change? So why go back for the same old thing?

Well, I'm of the philosophy that in life you usually find what you're looking for. So if you're looking to be inconvenienced, overcharged, or bored (or all three), theme parks can certainly satisfy your expectations. But to me, there's more there than potential unpleasantness.

First, there are the memories. Over the years Nancy and I spent many, many hours traipsing around Disney theme parks with our kids. And with rare exception the euphoria of the kids would carry the day. They were so amped just to be there, to see the shows, to be thrilled by the rides, and to enjoy the freedom of what we as parents felt was a safe environment, that they kind of created their own biosphere of joy. Gratefully, we were caught up in it. I can't help but associate the parks with the great feelings I have had there. And those feelings are still with me. Every time I cruise through a theme park gate, they come rushing back. And I feel like I did the very first time.

Then there's the overwhelming variety of things to see and do. Everyone knows the popular thrill rides. At the Magic Kingdom that would be the mountains - Splash, Thunder and Space. At Epcot, you're talking Test Track, Mission: Space, and maybe Soarin' in The Land pavillion. At Hollywood it's Star Tours, the Rockin' Roller Coaster, and the big enchilada - the Tower of Terror. And in the Animal Kingdom there is Dinosaur (formerly the Countdown to Extinction) and the newest roller coaster at Disney World - Everest.

They're all fun (at least that's what my kids tell me). But they're only the glitz. You could hit all of these attractions and not spend more than 30 minutes total (not counting the average of 30 minutes to an hour - depending on the season - waiting in line for each). But what I love is all the stuff you walk through and around to get from one of these thrill rides to the next. The live action shows, the exhibits, the audience participation programs, the Disney character greetings, the street performers, the slow-moving gondola presentations, the themed shopping areas, and even the unique dining experiences (where else can you sink your teeth into a take-out turkey leg, bite into a burger in the back of a Buick, or plough into a pizza in a pachyderm's penumbra). The truth is, there is way more to see, do and digest in each of the parks than can be done in even several visits.

And, contrary to the skeptics, things are changing at Disney all the time. Although it's not always obvious as the big-name attractions and rides are fairly constant. But to the trained eye, one of the most fun parts of a theme park visit is learning of and experiencing those new items. For example, the most popular new item our little group experienced this trip was the new fireworks show at Hollywood Studios. I missed it (as will be explained shortly), but my Bride - a true fireworks enthusiast - said they may be the best she has ever seen, anywhere.

Finally, in addition to the memories and the variety of things to do, there is the physical and mental fitness value of theme parks. I mean it's mall walking on an interplanetary scale. This may seem like a stretch, but you just can't get from here to there in a theme park without blowing out your pedometer. There's also a weight bearing component to the workout due to all the stuff you jam into your backpack to take to the park and the additional souvenirs and tee shirts you buy at the park and carry out.

From a mental health perspective, your brain is in for an active day. You'll find that you're constantly scrubbing neurons and spurring synaptic activity trying to make sense of the little maps Disney passes out at park entrances to confuse newbies. Arguments over the quickest route from where you think you are to where your youngest child wants to be has been known to cause one of those family meltdowns mentioned earlier.

And then there's the team problem-solving activities like "will the left line or the right line be shorter (most Disney rides offer this choice)", "which fast-pass should we get next (you can only have one at a time)", and "should mom or dad contact security to report the missing children". Mentally, a day at a theme park can be very Mensa-esque.

I could go on, but I'll end your pain here. Suffice it to say, to the die-hard Disney-ite it makes perfect sense to get back to theme parks as often as possible. (Remember, my goal wasn't to convince you that my obsession should be yours, but rather to provide you with a first class rationalization for this seemingly odd behavior. I hope I met that standard.)

Time to resume Day 8. When I left off, our little group had stopped for a short break at the entrance to Fantasyland. After a BP and pulse check, we continued into Fantasyland and found Dumbo. Over the years I often heard that Dumbo is the most popular attraction at Disney World, from a ridership perspective. I would believe it based on the historically long lines one finds wrapped around the entrance. To make Dumbo more accessible, Disney has added a second ride (an additional 16 elephants) and an elaborate "big top" playscape that serves as the wait line. Here are a few pics.

First a shot of five well behaved wannabe Dumbo riders, waiting their turn in the playscape "adult" area (we were all too tall to be allowed into the very cool climbing area). 

Having served our time, we were allowed on the ride. Here are the Wyatts (lower elephant) and the Dyles (upper elephant) with huge smiles on their faces as they soar into the pachysphere (I may have put this pic in backwards).

And a shot of me and my Bride in our Dumbo delerium.

Once we came down from our elephantine elation, we were ready for more. This little treasure is next door. Please note the strange dude in the Hawaiian shirt in the lower left corner. Seems like I see him everywhere I go.

The Barnstormer is a rollercoaster for thrill-ride trainees (the 48" rule does not apply). It's also popular on what in our family is known as the "old-man tour" (attractions I used to frequent while the kids rearranged their internal organs on real thrill rides). I think five of us took the 45 second flight with Goofy up over, around and through the barn. (The party who wimped out shall remain confidential - what happens on the senior tour stays on the senior tour).

At this point, our group split into breakouts for independent study and exploration. The Dyles hopped over to the Animal Kingdom to check out a favorite show (Nemo, I think, but my notes are unclear). While the Wurks (that would be the Wyatts and the Burks) meandered over to Tomorrowland for lunch at Cosmic Ray's and a little shopping at Mickey's Star Traders.

We completed our time in Tomorrowland with a spin on the People Mover (formerly known as the Tomorrowland Transit Authority). This ride, another favorite on the "old man tour", is a leisurely second-story run through all of the attractions in Tomorrowland in a gondola powered by linear synchronous motors (like I know what those are). The highlght of this ride is a detour through the dark and eerie confines of Space Mountain, complete with screams and shrieks provided by those high above us "enjoying" their simulated ride through space.

Upon our return to Earth, we headed over to the Fantasyland station of the WDW Railroad for a leisurely ride around the southern end of the park to Frontierland. To accommodate me, actually. You see, I am one of those (nerdy) pin collectors, and I like to acquire the pin for every resort I've stayed at. Missing from my collection was one for the Treehouses.

That particular pin is marketed only to Disney Vacation Club members, and is kept in a drawer with other limited edition selections until asked for by a person with proper ID. And, they are available in only a few places. One of those is the pin store in Frontierland. See where I'm headed with this? Yes, being a Disney nerd has its own special thrills.

After procuring my new pin, we worked our way back through Adventureland, past the Crystal Palace and down Main Street (hitting a few shops along the way) to the park exit. We then trollied, drove and re-trollied our way from the Magic Kingdom to Hollywood Studios. There we treated ourselves to a little ice cream while we waited for the Dyles to rejoin us for a showing of Beauty and the Beast. The plan went smoothly. The Dyles found us right on tme, and the show was as entertaining as always.

One feature of Disney culture that I have not yet commented on is the quality of the performers. They are consistently outstanding, making repeat viewings of the many 30-40 minute live versions of Disney classics found throughout the parks a highlight of every theme park day.

As a follow-up to Beauty, we took in the multi-media Little Mermaid show. This is a part video, part live action and part physical special effects telling of Ariel's quest to grow feet. How romantic can you get. We then moved on to a revisit of the Zootopia short film at the Animation Studio (that Nancy and I had seen the previous week) after which we found ourselves overtaken by hunger.

As we dined on another elegant theme park repast (this one at the ABC Commissary), I realized I was running on fumes. I estimated that I had just enough energy left to make it to the parking lot trolley. And if my calculations were right, I would reenergize during the trolley ride sufficiently to make the walk from the trolley to the driver's side of the car. So I went for it.

Abandoning my park buddies, who were determined to stay and visit the Star Wars-based attactions and see the fancy new fireworks, I headed for the exit. Mary had also reached her limit for the day and decided to join me. I was thankful for the backup.

Mary and I made it safely back to our Treehouse, and even had enough left in the tank to arrange a modest celebration for Dave. It was his birthday. So when he and the others returned later that evening, we surprised him with cake and ice cream. Here's a shot of the birthday boy drooling over his carrot cake (I see that the weird dude in the Hawaiian shirt was still lurking around).

Finally, full of new memories, good feelings, a child's portion of the family brew, and a generous serving of cake and ice cream, we were ready to close the book on another fine theme park day.

I think it's also time to close the book on this post, and publish. See you for the exciting finish to this chronicle coming soon in Part 5.

P.S. There was one other event that happened at the end of the day that was not so wonderful. And in the interest of full disclosure, I feel obligated to share it. While wrestling party materials out of the car, I lost my grip on my cell phone and helplessly watched it tumble end over end until it crashed onto the parking lot asphalt. I had dropped this phone many times before without severe consequences.

But this time, it made a different sound when it hit. Something like a really large bug - Florida grade - hurtling into your windshield at 75 miles an hour. I knew it was bad.

As I slowly reached down and turned the phone over, I found myself the unwilling owner of a strange new piece of art. My display glass was mostly still located in the same geometric plane, but it was way more interesting. It sported I'd say about a linear meter of cracks, masterfully woven into a web-like design that could only be found in nature.

Amazingly, the phone still worked. But the touch screen feature was a little tricky. Fortunately, I travel with band aids.

Grosse Pointe Charles