Where Have You Been?

I will, today, disclose our secret life. Our second childhood has taken the form of an addiction. We try to break away. We tell ourselves we spend too much money pursuing this fetish. But alas, we must admit to being Disney Freaks! This has been going on since we first bought annual passes to DisneyWorld. At that time we lived just thirty minutes away from FantasyLand, Epcot, and MGMStudios. We had a very nice home right on the green of a par three hole on our club golf course. Problem was, the only excitement was a duffer lofting a golf ball to the top of the house or into our bushes. We took to just popping down to DisneyWorld for lunch or dinner or just to stroll around and people – watch. We did all the rides, shows, and exhibits. We took backstage tours. We gradually felt a part on the whole operation.
About ten years ago, it became apparent we should move into a lifecare facility. At that point we had been driving down to Palm Beach County about once a month and spending a couple nights at the Airport Hilton while we visited the daughters that live in this area. After we moved down here to the Hyatt Classic, we found it easy to reverse our former itineraries. We stayed in motels near Disney until we were seduced into staying at the on-premise Disney hotels.They really know how to run a hotel that caters to all ages. We have settled on our “favorite”, but venture afield to check out new hotels as they are opened. (Animal Kingdom Lodge is great.)
Quite rightly, Disney Parks are thought of as having been conceived of for children’s enjoyment. Disney planners are no fools, however. They realize that children are accompanied by parents and often grandparents. They make sure that “old-folks” have good and easy times while the kids are entertained. Double entendre reaches an art form within Disney. They know well what they are doing at the mature level too. As my walking ability and endurance deteriorated, I took to renting an electric wheelchair to get around the parks, but it was a struggle to get inside the parks to pick one up. I finally asked, while making a hotel reservation, if I could rent an electric go-go mobile (my name for them.) right at the hotel. I was told, “Sure, we can give you the phone number of a company outside the park that provides that service.” The hassle to get one of those things onto or off a bus, a boat, the monorail, or into your hotel room overnight to recharge the beast; is tough. Disney makes it possible, but they pass the responsibility along to the people that rent you the machine. Disney assumes pride on the “in-park” beasts they provide and can control . Smart. As for me, I am back to struggling into the parks. Once inside I cruise around like Jeff Gordon on a tear.
I’ll come back to this obsession in the future. Right now I must guide the astronauts down safely.