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John's Blog

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Thursday, May 24, 2007

M; I See...

Gee, does it really count as having visited Disney World if you never really set foot in the park? Naw, I didn't think so either. Having spent the last three days in a Disney Resort, held captive in meetings that lasted from morning till night didn't leave me with any free time to experience the Disney magic, or even to blog for that matter. So in lieu of a real blog effort, a few random observations from the last few days:

  • Although a terrific meeting by most standards, the organizer insisted on asking the crown "isn't this fun?" Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my job, and enjoyed the conference, but don't ask me to categorize any of this as "fun", a term I reserve for leisure time activity. But then maybe I had an attitude, knowing that the "real fun" was just down the road.
  • I used to be one of those "anti-Disney" types until the wife drug me kicking and screaming to visit Disney for the first time. And then I bought into the magic. But even that has it's limits. Being greeted at the airport by a Disney person wearing a giant Mickey hand wasn't the least bit cute, and in reality just gave me a giant craving for Hamburger Helper. But I really had to draw the line at giving a "standing-O" to a person wearing a Mickey costume who showed up at the one session. What, am I ten years old or something?
  • Good Lord; Florida has some really big assed bugs! I've got no idea what they were, but as I was going to my room, I found myself covered with these huge, black things that I've never seen before. I guess that explains all the giant screened in structures I saw in people's yards that looked like circus cages.
  • To move up from one ballroom to another, they used people riding Segways ringing a chime. Kinda like wimpy cowboys rounding up the herd. Nothing better than being treated like cattle.
  • Our landing in Orlando was one of the worst I've ever experienced. I should have know we were in for trouble when the pilot gave us the landing speech and said "there's not a cloud in the sky" yet I could see tons of clouds through the window. When the plane hit the ground, we bounced back into the air, and rebounded violently from wheel to wheel a few times making us glad for seatbelts. I was beginning to think that the child who had spent most of the two hours we were in the air screaming in terror had the right idea. Since I wasn't able to visit "The Tower of Terror" this will have to do.
  • I still get a childlike sense of amusement looking out the plane windows. I was actually able to identify landmarks as we ascended, and was able to see the neighborhood were I live as we flew over it! And another simple, yet dramatic highlight was when I was staring out the window and saw another jet go whizzing by in the opposite direction. Although you know you are going fast, it seldom feels like it without a point of reference that a "fly-by" like that provides.
  • And I'm not quite sure about the goes into the TSA screening standards. I can't take more than three ounces of liquid in a carry-on container, but other items that might be a threat seem to be not a problem. On the return flight home, without doing an exact head count, there were at least 15 people on board that had all been to the same meeting. And I know that we all received the same "goodie bag" one of the items being a 12" fry pan, and I'm sure most of us packed it in our carry-on. Like that wouldn't be a powerful weapon if all of us ran up the isles waving them about?
    • Tags:
    || JM, 10:38 AM

    5 Comments:

    Sounds like you had a nice time. :)
    Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:33 PM  
    Yes, it certainly could have been more torturous, but a little more time for "fun" would have been nice. But, hey, it sure beats a regular day at work.
    Blogger JM, at 7:38 PM  
    I can picture you now - the leader of the frying pan brigade. I think that is what Air Marshalls are packing instead of pistols! Glad you got away even if it was just to hang out next door to the castle. Sorry I wasn't there to greet you or at least throw confetti.
    Blogger Peacechick Mary, at 11:30 PM  
    Not to sound like a real downer, but I can't stand Disney World. It is the epitome of commercialism and the sell is invoked at all times. Everything is overpriced and it represents corporate America to me.
    Blogger STP, at 9:05 AM  
    I would usually echo each and every point you make on the negative elements of commercialism that it represents, and did until the first time I went there. But once you're there it's so easy to be seduced by the totality of the experience they create it's easy to forgive those sins. Sure, $2.50 for a can of soda from a machine is highway robbery, but you usually don't go there for bargains. And it's not like the "bait 'n' switch" say that a vote for "Dubya" and his minions buys 'ya.
    Blogger JM, at 6:15 PM  

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