I've got....a......plan. Yikes!
The devils in the details
At least, thats what my Grandpa once told me
..just before he hired me to rototill his entire, weed-riddled vegetable garden
.for a shiny, new quarter I believe. But remember, back in those days you could buy a 10 oz soda pop for a quarter
..and what boy in his right mind wouldnt be willing to give up his whole Saturday to do back-breaking labor in the hot sun for a single, solitary, icy-cold Coca-Cola?
And, lets not forget about the bottle deposit. Thats another 5 cents
.actually 10 cents if I could just figure out a way to get it to Michigan.
Hey, youre not talking about that Michigan deposit bottle scam again are you?
No, no
..Im off that. I couldnt crunch the numbers. It drove me crazy.
Anyway, it was a figure of speech that I had never heard before. But, I think what my Grandpa was trying to tell me was that sometimes its the small things that you need to watch out for. Unfortunately, I was so distracted with trying to figure this out
..that I dug up a whole row of his prize tomatoes.
But dont worry, he took it out of my salary.
In our household, the same principal applies to planning a WDW vacation. No detail is too small and we love every minute of the process. Well, maybe I shouldnt include our kids in that statement. They pretty much think were crazy
..for this and a myriad of other reasons.
So, I should say that Tinkershell and I love planning. Honestly, its one of our favorite parts of the whole trip. Theres nothing quite like the thrill of sitting down and mapping out the optimum days to visit each park. We look at historical data. We look at forecasted data. We look at qualitative and quantitative data. All of this data is then processed and analyzed for the express purpose of creating the perfect plan. We have a name for this state of scheduling nirvana
..we call it Tinkershells non-negotiable itinerary
.and once its created there's no going back......not ever.
Obviously, selecting your park days is just the first step. Weve still got meals to schedule. Tinkershell is a nut for Le Cellier
..so thats got to fit in there somewhere. Its a little pricey
..but I dont mind going to an upscale restaurant every once in awhile........because its one of the few places where Im called sir without it being followed up by youre making a scene. DD Woobs favorite food on the planet is fried chicken
so obviously 50s Prime Time and Hoop Dee Doo have to be entered into the equation. Neither of our kids is crazy for the buffet in Germany
but do you think that stops me from holding my breath until I get a dinner at Biergarten? No, it doesnt
plus they cant afford to let me hold my breath anymore because, at this point in my life, every last one of my remaining brain cells is a precious commodity.
All of this dining information must then be fed to the itinerary
.which is now beginning to pulse and glow.
And, thats just the tip of the iceberg really. Over the years, weve established the tradition of making shirts for each trip. Granted, our earliest efforts resulted in something that one CM in Epcot described as looking like we were caught in an explosion at a Baskin Robbins factory. Id like to tell you that his assessment was harsh and overly-critical. Thats what Id like to tell you. But, over the years, weve refined the process and now we can produce a shirt that incorporates the fun but leaves out the humiliation and social stigma.
Actually, the shirts didnt look half bad after a couple of these puppies
Also, a couple of months before the trip, we start taking family walks together in the evenings. This is important for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it helps to build the excitement leading up the vacation. Secondly, it we dont do it Im going to be huffing and puffing like Don from Monsters University and lagging behind everybody because Im having a small heart attack. At the end of the walk each night, we top it off by gathering in our kitchen and doing the chicken dance. Our kids thought that this part of the walk was tremendously fun when they were little
..now, not so much. So, for the most part, Tinkershell and I do the chicken dance alone
..while our kids check the house to make sure that all of the blinds are down.
And, when the countdown calendar goes up, then you know youre getting close.
Usually, Pal Mickey is a big help in planning. Its like he was born with an innate knowledge of all things Disney.
He credits his computer chip
but I think hes just being modest.
However, it was during our planning sessions that I first started to suspect Pal Mickey might be up to something. If youve read my previous trip report, you know that we had an unfortunate incident with Pal Mickey on a previous vacation.
FYI, not my fault
..but even so, I do carry some guilt. If you combine this with the fact that Pal Mickey is a chronic prankster, then youve got a perfect recipe for revanche.
"Its called revenge
and its best served cold"
"But it can easily be reheated
in the microwave of evil"
"Well
I think your warranty is about to expire"
"Maybe I got an extended warranty"
"Warranties are invalid
.if used beyond their intended purpose"
"Girls, girls, you're both pretty......can I go home now?"
Next up: Keeping a close eye on Pal Mickey