As I mentioned in my last post I'm not one for sitting around doing nothing while on holiday. I really like to run around and keeping myself busy. So I run around theme parks.
I've mentioned previously why I specifically like the Disney theme parks, but in keeping with the holiday posts which I'm writing this week I'm going to tell you a specific story.
In 1988 I spent the summer living with a family in the USA. During my stay we spent a week in Florida at the Disney World complex. In those days there were only two theme parks, so we did other things as well. But, it was one of the happiest trips of my life.
As I grew older I was determined to go back and experience it again. Of course, I wanted to go there with wife and children, so I kept putting it off. When I moved down to London I was able to go to Paris for my fix (I even had an annual pass for a couple of years, which would easily pay for itself in one trip). So again, it pushed itself back further and further.
What would be just over two and half years ago, I was told that maybe I shouldn't put things off. I made a list of all of the things I wanted to do (I still have the list, you never know I might even put it up some time). I split them into categories as to how likely they were to happen, and began working on the doable. So, I spent a week that May in Florida.
I went on my own, mainly because I didn't really want the company, as I needed to escape from everything for a week. I also couldn't think of anyone who would appreciate that sort of trip (since then it surprised me how many people were interested in the same sort of trip).
I like America, they speak English (OK a bastardised version, but even with my language abilities I can get along), and are very friendly even sometimes it comes across as insincere.
In the almost twenty years, the place had changed immensely. There were four parks rather than two, far more than the original three hotels, water parks and an entertainment area. Things had moved on and I enjoyed myself even more as an adult, than I did as a child. Since then, I've been over there a couple more times, each trip being as good as the last.
So what about the Disney Way, that is after all the point of this post?
If you ever get the opportunity to visit Disney World (and if you go, can I go in your luggage?), you will notice some interesting things. When things are going well, Disney World seems to bring out the utopian in society.
Everyone is really friendly, other visitors as well as cast members (staff to you non disneyites). Travelling on my own, it was interesting to note how many random conversations I had with people while there (I didn't even start half of them). It seemed that if you asked a question, people overhearing it would answer it for you.
There didn't really seem to be any queue jumping, or general fooling around (except for the bloke in the six foot dog costume). In fact, with the exception of park opening (which is a bit of a free for all), everyone seems to behave themselves.
I like what I call the Disney Way. Its the unspoken understanding that you respect where you are and the people around them. If only the world was like that...
Alright, a confession. After a week, I couldn't take much of all of the spontaneous happiness. Yes, at no stage did I burst into song (in a musical sort of way) but it did feel close sometimes. This led to the following conversation.
During my last full day at Disney World I was stopped by a couple of cast members who were doing surveys in one of the parks (Magic Kingdom I think). This was just before the year of a million dreams, and as part of the survey I was asked if there was one thing I could do at Disney World what would it be.
I thought about it for about a minute, smiled at the woman asking me and told her that they probably wouldn't let me do what I really wanted. I told her that I would want them to open a park overnight with all the attractions open with me as the only guest.
My refusal to say what I really wanted, led to her pushing me for what I really wanted. So when pressed on it I said.
"It involves, It's a Small World, ten minutes and a chain saw."
For some reason she stuck to my original answer.
Bye for now