I Went to Disney World!

     A few weeks ago, during the April school break, my family went to Disney World.   Many families we know have already been, some multiple times.   For us the timing never seemed to be right, and we wanted to wait until both of our girls were old enough to handle the whole experience.  This year the schedules lined up, and we went.  I have never been before and didn’t really know what to expect.  I now understand why they call it the happiest place on earth.

   I booked the plane tickets last summer.  Flying out of the northeast during spring break made this essential.  We decided not to stay in the park.  I know, I know….people say this is a mistake but we had our reasons.  First, my youngest daughter has an internal alarm clock which wakes her up at 6 A.M. no matter how late she stays up the night before.  I knew there was no way we would be up until 10:30 to see fireworks.  Second, the cost of the trip drops significantly by staying outside the park.  I got a great deal through Costco for lodging, tickets to the park, and a car.  We had a 2 bath, 2 bedroom timeshare, with a kitchen, laundry, pools, and other activities.  We were close to the parks, but came home every day to peace and quiet.

     I didn’t plan for the entire year as so many say you have to do.  We decided what we definitely wanted to do, and what we could skip, but I didn’t have an itinerary for every minute. We also decided we could live without character meals and princess spas.  My days of be anxious and worried are over.  We didn’t find it hard to get around, or have the time to do what we wanted.  I think you actually have more fun if you aren’t so worked up about where you need to be. I am also glad that my kids were not so young as to become overly tired, and overwhelmed with the crowd, the volume at the shows, the walking, and the heat.

    We went to the parks 4 days.  We went once to Hollywood Studios, twice to the Magic Kingdom, and once to Animal Kingdom.  We decided Epcot will be visited on a future trip. Going to Disney provides a great opportunity for observing human behavior.  They have crowd control down to a science. Parking lots are not filled with people trying to find the nearest spot.  You drive in and they have you park in an orderly manner.  No choice, no stopping, pull in, get out, and walk to the tram.  Lines for rides and shows have wait times posted.  If you decide to wait, you walk along the maze.  The fact that it keeps moving makes you feel like you are getting somewhere which eliminates the frustration many feel in traffic jams.  The staff is friendly and helpful.  Everyone is smiling which is infectious.  Imagine having pleasant conversations with strangers all day.  Imagine how society could benefit from that.

     The rides are what most people talk about, but the exhibits, shows, characters in the street, parades, marching bands add so much to the experience.  Some is educational, some is pure fun.  The second day in the Magic Kingdom brought back so much of my childhood when Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy were the only characters we knew.  Music, laughs, and stories come to life.  It all lifts the spirit and leaves you looking for more.

     It happened to be the week of the Boston Marathon bombings.  Many people from the northeast had the incident in the back of their minds.  It reminded us that it is important to have experiences that are fun-filled and happy.  It is important to create memories that will last a life time, and that time spent with family will never be forgotten.  My kids had a wonderful time, and my husband and I enjoyed seeing Disney through their eyes.  For one glorious week, the world around us was totally happy.

The Panic Caused by Irene

Article first published as The Panic Caused by Irene on Technorati.

Here in the Northeast, we have been preparing for the onslaught of hurricane Irene.  We have been watching reports of its progress, and have been given the warnings of what to expect.  It has been about 10 years since we have had a storm of this magnitude come through the area but we have dealt with flooding and storm damage many times before.  This is why I am surprised by the behavior of so many people in the last few days.  Why are so many in a panic?

Last spring I bought a Coleman lamp at Costco that cost around 20 dollars and ran on D cell batteries.  I thought this would be good for when the power went out.  I have a good supply of batteries a home as I always keep many different sizes available.  I have an old Sony boom box that runs on batteries as well.  This is the only form of communication I can use since I don’t have a fancy cell phone that allows me to surf the net. 

We had a storm pass through last spring that caused us to lose power for 28 hours.  When you have a house that runs on a septic system, it is not a pretty site.  This taught me to fill up my tub in advance and to keep a certain amount of water available for drinking.  Today I am washing as many clothes as I can in case we lose power for more than a few hours or days. So it surprises me that people are out running around looking for batteries, water, non-perishable food, etc.   When they find it, they are buying large quantities.   Does anyone really drink that much water or milk in a day?  

I am glad that the authorities are taking the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their citizens.  I am also fortunate that I do not live near the shoreline or a river.  I certainly hope that everyone survives the storm and that no lives are lost.  But we have to remember one thing.  We are not a third world country.  We have resources to help those in need.  Should we lose power, we will eventually have it turned backed on.  We can rebuild any structure that becomes damaged.  What I am trying to say is we are not a country like Haiti.  A country that suffered greatly and has not had the resources to help their people.  We all saw what the forces of nature did to those people and the little they had.  We felt sorry and gave donations for about 10 minutes. and then we went on with our lives.  No matter what this storm brings, we will survive any temporary set-back it may cause.  Let us be grateful for that.

Small Cars at Costco

       I went shopping at Costco last week.  The drill is always the same.  I plan to go in for a “few” items, which should only take a “few” minutes.  Well, this never happens but I like to try and fool myself into thinking that someday it will.  The few minutes always turns into at least an hour.  The few items double or triple by the time I get to the checkout.  That is why I would really like to know what you buy when you go to Costco in a small car.

   I buy cereal,  coffee, meat, and breads on every trip.  There are other necessities that get added at times such as toilet paper, juice, cleaning products, aspirin, soap, etc…  Then there are the items that you didn’t know about before you walked into the store.  Here you can find clothing, a CD, a book (even though I already have about 10 unread at home), something for the house, or something seasonal.  I’m not an impulsive shopper, but sometimes those deals are too good to let go.    

  Most items are large, bulky, and heavy.  The toilet paper alone, all 48 rolls, can take up half the cargo space in the car.  Other items can weigh a ton.  I wonder how I got that herniated disk.  In any case, you need space in your vehicle to be a serious shopper at Costco.

   So I wonder how one manages with a small car.  Maybe they are only going in to use the pharmacy.  Maybe they live close by and go more often.  Maybe they are creative in making it all fit.  Here’s a thought.  Maybe they just buy a “few” items.  Much as I would like to believe it, I don’t think that day will ever come for me at Costco.