Day 8: MK, EPCOT and Magic
That’s right boys and girls! It’s time for another installment of “Gary Can’t Be Brief to Save His Life!” Join us, won’t you, for:
Rambling!
Run on Sentences!
Redundancy!
Repetition!
Saying Things Over and Over!
Waking up Friday was difficult because we knew that we’d be loading up the car and heading home the next day. That last day is always a tough one. You know that it’s all going to be over soon and you don’t want to let it go. Still, there’s the dog at home and the cat, familiar food and Pepsi Max on the road (it hadn’t been released at home yet and I fell in love). It’s a Bittersweet Symphony, I guess.
Our plan was to repeat our favorite parks, MK and EPCOT. And, of course, I had some magic to find. I had been striking out everywhere. From what I understand, they used to sell it as confetti. However, it is no longer stocked. I suppose when they started judiciously tossing it out as magic it was elevated beyond the mere confetti status. My first few attempts in MK were unsuccessful.
We landed in MK and realized we had not had our obligatory photo in front of the castle. So, we posed, we smiled and did our little dance. Our first order of business was to check the times for Story Time with Belle. Gert had loved it so much and wanted to get there early, because she was pretty sure she knew where to sit in order to get selected. I was ready to do anything because I had recently purchased a pair of Disney Crocs to help mitigate the pain of a blister. I don’t think I’ve worn anything except tennis shoes since my mother forced me to wear Buster Browns with my Toughskins jeans.
We targeted the first show time and headed off to Fantasyland to ride, you guessed it, the Carousel. Mom and Matilda went to Mickey’s Philharmagic. Ultimately we rode the carousel five times that morning. We were able to get off and walk right back on.
But, it was the first ride that was remarkable. As I was going through my usual routine of, “Gee this ride is going round and round and up and down I think I’m going to be sick” that slays Gert every time, we noticed that there was a special guest riding a few rows behind us. None other than Mary Poppins. Yes! We’ll get to meet her.
We hopped off and I started patting around. No camera. No pen. No autograph book. Mom had all of them in Philarmagic. I’m telling you, there is no way we are ever going to get a record of meeting Mary Poppins. Gert, however, decided that even though Mary was high on her list of characters to meet, it was no big deal. So we rode again.
As we chatted about things on the ride she revealed something shocking to me. I thought, for sure, she was buying the magic. That everything was real and she was deep inside the fantasy. Then she looks at me and said, “I think the girl playing Ariel with fins was better than the girl with legs.” Touché, smart little girl, touché. I agreed with her, let her have her intellectual victory and suggested we shop a little.
After finding Mom, we got the camera back and headed for Belle while the other girls headed for the Pixar rides in Tomorrowland. We arrived at Belle early, sat in the exact seats Gert had targeted and noticed that we were sitting next to a Belle superfan. She was the four-year-old equivalent of the Comic Book Guy on the Simpsons. She knew everything and even got up on stage to perform a Beauty and the Beast themed interpretive dance for us. We knew she was going to get picked, we just knew it.
Belle came out and Gert seized the camera to take some photos. She was sitting there with her Pop Princess boutique hair, a little rumpled from sleep, looking cute and pink. Then one of Belle’s friends tapped her and asked if she wanted to help out in the story.
Have you ever seen someone smile with their entire head? Even her hair was involved. She took the CM’s hand and was lead up the stairs grinning from ear to ear. She was cast as Mrs. Potts. I wish she could type and tell the story her way, but it goes something like this:
“First I had to get my costume on and then I had to hold my new friend’s hand. She was Chip. We walked out together and Belle talked about us. Belle touched my shoulder! And then we went to the other side and I couldn’t see you anymore. I didn’t get to do the wolf ears in the story because I was getting my costume on. Then Gaston fell and got splashed and the Beast was on the ground. I became human again and Belle hugged me! Belle was really tan today. I don’t know why. I hope she was wearing sunscreen because mommy said that it’s not good for you to get a sunburn. It was really hot in the theater too. Is Florida always hot? It’s really hot. Can we go get a Mickey Bar? I’m hungry. Then we all went to the end of the stage and bowed.”
Because we were special VIPs, actors you know, we got first dibs on meeting Belle. Gert said she didn’t need a signature this time because we had two already. Belle gave her a big hug and bragged to me about what a great job she did in the show and how proud I should be. (I was, don’t worry.) And we took a picture.
She was really tan, Gert wasn’t joking. In celebration, and because I knew that she was so hopped up on happiness that I knew I wouldn’t be able to catch her walking through crowds, we went and got ice cream. Before lunch, Gert pointed out. This was clearly a momentous occasion.
We found Mom and Matilda and hit the teacups on the way to Toontown. The girls had some characters on their list they wanted to get. Snow White and Pluto were tops on that list. I desperately wanted a hot dog. I do not know why.
One note about lunch. I got my hot dog. But, more importantly, I saw a wheel chair that belonged to someone named Froman. “Abe Froman,” I thought. “Sausage King of Chicago?” So, despite my family’s pleas to “stop being a freak” I took a photo of it. I had to.
Both girls wanted to spend some of their money on face painting. So, with their crazy hair and their faces painted they left a trail of glitter everywhere they went. Mostly, however, on my shirt.
We decided to head on out to EPCOT. As I was walking back down Main Street I started feeling desperate about the magic. So I went back to the Emporium, where I had struck out earlier. I figured the best spot, again, was where the event took place. Gert waited outside with mom, none the wiser.
I waited in line, patiently, trying not to look like some sort of psycho who wanted something weird. Which I was. But I figured I shouldn’t LOOK like it. Better the CM find out slowly. I got to the front of the line and explained my predicament. I don’t know if it was my story or the fact stated, “My daughter lost her magic!”
“Oh, no! If anyone can help you, it’s the Cast Member at the first register on the right, all the way in the front of the Emporium. Her name is McKenzie.”
“I know her,” I shouted like an idiot and bolted to the front of the store. Matilda joined me halfway through and we approached the register.
“Well hello, Princess Leia,” she said to Matilda.
“McKenzie, you’re my only hope,” I said, probably sounding like a nut. I recounted the whole story. “I just need a few pieces.”
McKenzie, without a word, held up one finger and disappeared backstage for a few minutes. When she returned she held out a hand and dropped a handful of magic into my waiting hands. She smiled and put her fingers to her lips, and I nodded, letting her know I’d keep her secret.
I had the magic back! Now to figure out how to return it to her in a magical way . . .
If you ever have a chance to meet McKenzie, tell her she’s the best CM on property. But, really, I should thank all the CMs from CSR, World of Disney, the Boutique, various stores and several friends I called for help. I just couldn’t allow Gert’s magic be one of those lessons.
Continued below . . .
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Thread: Day 8: MK, EPCOT and Magic
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Originally Posted by dpamac
What am I going to do when these trip reports are over?? I am enjoying them so much! Living vicariously through you and your girls is quite fun! 
& Yay, McKenzie! 
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