Disney 2006

We’re headed to Walt Disney World Saturday. Like most families, we’ve taken few family vacations that weren’t visits to some relative over some work-sanctioned holiday. Last year, Anna insisted that we go on a real family vacation, just us and the kids, to someplace fun. She had wanted to go to Disney for many years and basically told me to shove my politically correct concerns about Ariel and the other princesses up my mouse-hole, because we were going anyway. Being wise enough not to argue with someone fighting terminal cancer, I signed on with the proper amount of enthusiasm and gusto. And we actually had a very very nice time when we went last December. I took a drawing class and managed to create a likeness of Tigger that was downright passable, despite my complete lack of visual artistic skills. And the rides and stuff were pretty swell. It was great to go swimming in December. Mostly, we just really really enjoyed one another’s company. Yeah, I still have more than a few gripes about the role models that Walt and friends have provided my daughters over the years, but I hope my girls see me and those in my community walking a far different walk regarding race, gender, and ethnicity. Plus, Disney has customer & corporate policies that do not discriminate against my GLBT friends.

Anna knew that I’m a bit of a slacker and that my ADD gets the best of me sometimes. And she knew she probably wouldn’t be around to kick my ass much more about family vacations. So being the wise woman she was, she had us buy into the Disney Vacation Club. We actually cashed some of our retirement savings in to buy what amounts to a timeshare. This would ensure we had (and had to use) a vacation at Walt Disney World every year. A family tradition started by my dying wife to compensate for my sorry-assed, tradition-impaired self (though I’m quickly taking up the slack on that and a lot of other things I thought I sucked at). The nice thing, too, is that we don’t actually have to go to Disney World. We can use our “points” to go to other Disney properties, Disney cruises, and tons of non-Disney places too (i.e. African safaris, bike trips, eco tours, etc).

So we head out for a week with Anna’s sister (who I enjoy quite a bit, along with the rest of Anna’s family). If I can get online there, I’ll probably post something or another -perhaps what I’m having for breakfast.

Now I just have to find some Disney geocaches to make it really interesting.