Tag Archives: Walt Disney World

The Most Magical Place on Earth or: The List

01 Tuesday Oct 2019

Posted by in Life as We Know It, The Less Desirables Network

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Salutations™!!

First, let me say the “list” is now published. I am talking about The Man Who Ate the Town’s Top 10 Burgers in WSNC (ish). I talked about it on the podcast yesterday but the actual list was published today. You can read all about that here. You can listen to the podcast episode here.

Magic-kingdom

Magic Kingdom, October 1, 1971. @not assumed

So, now, I want to talk about something else. Today is October 1st.

On October 1, 1971, Walt Disney World opened. “The World” consisted of Magic Kingdom (no article “the”), The Polynesian Resort and Contemporary Resort. Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground opened in November of that year. Shades of Green (formerly known as The Golf Resort), a golf course and resort that is exclusive to US military past and present opened in 1973 and is now owned by the Department of Defense. In 1974, Discovery Island opened and until 1999, it was open to guests as an attraction, where they could observe its many species of animals and birds. You can still see that if you’re on any boat in Bay Lake. In 1975, Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village opens. They changed the name to Walt Disney World Village in 1977, Disney Village Marketplace in 1989, and Downtown Disney in 1997. In 2015, it became Disney Springs. In 1976, Disney’s first water park (a freshwater park, which to me sounds totally gross), Disney’s River Country opened and closed in November 2001. That was “The World” until 1982.

Then, on October 1, 1982, my official “favorite place in “the world” (and “The World”), EPCOT Center, opened. EPCOT (an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) Center was a concept of Walt’s in the 1960s to be an urban city center, residential areas, and a series of mass transportation systems that would connect the community. Once Walt died in 1966, this concept was abandoned. Spanning 305 acres  and more than twice the size of the Magic Kingdom Park, Epcot (as it became known as in 1994) is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, namely technological innovation and international culture, and is often referred to as a “permanent world’s fair.”

There are two parts of Epcot: Future World and World Showcase.

Future World is highlighted by Spaceship Earth, a geodesic dome that houses a dark ride that goes through the span of time and showing globalization and communication. Future World also addresses space travel, innovation and conservation.

World Showcase opened with 9 countries represented: Mexico, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, United States, France, the UK and Canada in 1982. In 1984, Morocco opened and in 1988, Norway opened.

A lot of things have changed since the park opened on that day 37 years ago. New resorts, two more theme parks, new restaurants, and more.

On July 31, 2011, I asked The BCPF to marry me on the World Showcase Lagoon, on a boat, under the fireworks show, “Illuminations: Reflections of Earth.” That fireworks show started on October 1, 1999. Last night, September 30, 2019, was that show’s last ever performance. Tonight at 9pm “Epcot Forever” started its tenure as the nightly firework show. I have fond memories of “Illuminations” and it will always have a place in both The BCPF’s and my hearts.

So, happy 48th birthday Magic Kingdom and happy 37th birthday Epcot. I love you both.

Until tomorrow, keep the magic going…
Scorp out!

—
“To all who come to this place of joy, hope and friendship, welcome.

Epcot is inspired by Walt Disney’s creative vision. Here, human achievements are celebrated through imagination, wonders of enterprise and concepts of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for all.

May EPCOT Center entertain, inform and inspire and above all, may it instill a new sense of belief and pride in man’s ability to shape a world that offers hope to people everywhere.” — E. Cardon Walker

Seven Years In or: The Engagement Story

31 Tuesday Jul 2018

Posted by in Life as We Know It

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Salutations™!!

As is requisite for me and the anniversaries that The BCPF and I have, I’m giving you ample warning that this will probably be mushy, with loads of PDA and other romantic mumbo-jumbo. If you are susceptible to nausea, you may want to look away now. I think that covers it.

Now, I’ll admit that I’m a trifle lazy here but I looked back on the post I wrote in 2015 and last year and I liked what I wrote about our “Engagement Story.” It’s not just lazy, but it’s hard to capture it better than I’ve already said it. So, I’m reusing the 2015 version where I may change some things for this, our seventh. So, brace yourself. Here it is…

Dear Reader, if you’re not into the sappy, then I’d recommend just skipping to my closing, signature, and quote and I’ll see you tomorrow. There will be a three-second pause… Okay. Let’s back up even further. We “started” dating on July 21, 2010. My 74582-the2bringbirthday is in November; the 20th. That was my FORTIETH birthday and she arranged for friends of ours to meet and just organized a wonderful time. I had known for a while that this was absolutely the best thing for me and I loved her immensely. That was a Saturday. So, on Monday, I legitimately just so happened to be at the mall. I was doing something for Ma Mère, I think. I just so happened to stop by Marks & Morgan Jewelers (before they closed that store; they’re owned by Kay). I fell in love with a specific ring and couldn’t pass it up. That was in November 2010, remember. Fast forward to July 31, 2011.

I was finishing up my stint as a college student (yes, very late) and knew that my gift to myself was a trip to Walt Disney World. It’s my favorite place in the world and I hadn’t been in almost 5 years at that point (way too long for me). Also, growing up, I had always been somewhat jealous of the folks that I saw in the boats on World Showcase Lagoon during Illuminations: Reflections of Earth, the fireworks extravaganza at Epcot. By golly! I’m doing that, too. It just so happened that it was a great place to get engaged.

I’ll admit, outright, that when I’m on vacation, I don’t care about looks, etc. because I’m not going to see any of these people again and I’m not entering myself into the fair. So, at least at Disney World, I wear a fanny pack. I need all my stuff with me and I don’t need it coming out of my pockets on rides and such. I wear big shirts so usually, you can’t see it. If you don’t like it, well stuff it! ANYWHAT! I had the ring in the fanny pack at the airport and was afraid they’d rat me out going through security, but the worst I got was a wink from the female machine attendant. I don’t know if that was because she liked my fanny pack or because she could see what was in it.

We got to MCO (that’s Orlando) and get on the DME (Disney’s Magical Express) and The BCPF had to wipe tears from my eyes because, yes, I really was crying. I feel that strongly about that place. They take us to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge where they quickly showed us to our room. We had our passes and made our way to Magic Kingdom first because I always like to start my visit with a hot dog from Casey’s on Main Street USA. We sat and talked about the Ibis (birds with thin, straw-like beaks) that were wandering about the eating area.

We then went to the Swiss Family Treehouse inspired by the film Swiss Family Robinson. No line, just walk through and look. We then went to Jungle Cruise, no real line, maybe a five-minute wait. That was great, too! Pirates of the Caribbean was next and we were on the front row of the boat. Hall of Presidents, no wait. Haunted Mansion, minimum wait. It’s a Small World, front row of the boat (so we didn’t have to deal with the idiots that take flash pics on the ride), Peter Pan’s Flight, minimum wait. Got on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority’s People Mover and relaxed. Stitch, minimum wait.

It was time to head over to Epcot, where we had dinner reservations at 5:40, or so I thought. We get to Epcot via the monorail and of course, we stop at Spaceship Earth and again, minimum wait. We then wandered about Future World and onto World Showcase (my personal favorite spot in “the World”) and to Mexico Pavilion to ride Grand Fiesta Tour with the Three Caballeros (I still like the old name “El Rio del Tiempo” better) and again, in the front row of the boat. On to Maelstrom (RIP Maelstrom, (sad face)) where, yep, you guessed it, another front row seating. What’s going on here!? To China to watch the Circle-Vision 360 film “Reflections of China.” I looked at our watch and saw that it was about 5:10. We didn’t have time to stop for much more so we needed to get to the Italy Pavilion to eat at Tutto Italia and we made it at 5:20. Turns out our reservations were at 5:25 and not 5:40, so we just made it. I’ll honestly say that that meal was the only less-than-stellar part of the day. It was just “okay” and we’ve not been back since. I miss Alfredo’s that used to be there. Afterwards, we had just a bit of time before our 8:00 dock time for the boats for Illuminations. So, we made a run to Canada Pavilion because the Circle-Vision 360 film, “O Canada” had recently been changed and I have a place in my heart for the old one, so I had to critique it. I cried, but it was of joy. They did a great job of it.

So, then it was time to get to Disney’s Yacht Club where we were meeting the boat. You get there from where we were via the International Gateway located between the France and UK Pavilions. We make it over there and… there’s no one there. WHAT!? I get my phone out to call the 800 number on the signage. Literally, and I mean literally as I was about to hit the send button, a door on the back of the Yacht Club opens up and a line of five boat captains and one clerk come marching out onto the dock, each pulling a rolling cooler. A boat captain by the name of “Captain Ron,” who looks and sounds like Uncle Fester from Addams Family, asks, “Who’s from North Carolina!?” I raised my hand and said that we were. He directed me to go over and pay the clerk in the kiosk. As I did, she winked at me and said have a good sailing. Caveat: they all knew what was going on because I called ahead to plan it.

After waiting a bit for the weather to decide what it was going to do, we got the all-clear and boarded our boats. Captain Ron steered us around Bay Lake giving us a history of how it came about and how long it took to fill (it was man-made). He stopped in front of Disney’s Hollywood Studios and told us some facts about that (I knew most of them… hey! I’m a Disney specialist). He would pause intermittently at some “picturesque” locations. I would just hold my girl tight and do nothing. We eventually made it around to the World Showcase Lagoon and we tethered to the four other boats in preparation for the fireworks spectacular. I sat regularly in the boat bench seat and The BCPF sat with her feet in the seat leaning up against me, my right arm around her. We sat and talked about stuff, what I really can’t remember and I don’t think she could either, now. The show starts and I unzip my fanny pack (see you’d already forgotten about the fanny pack) and took the ring and box out, set it on the bench cushion, opened the box and straightened it up to look just right.

Part way through the showcase, The BCPF asked if I’d like to move to the other side. We stood up and I passed the ring box behind my back to the other hand and placed it beside me as we resumed the position on that opposite side. After about three minutes, Captain Ron came over and said, “You know… the view is really better from the other side.” Thanks a lot, Captain Ron. So, we repeated the process and I again maneuvered the ring behind my back and once more, resumed into position. The BCPF turned her head to me and said, “You know, this day has been perfect,” and my reply was, “it certainly has.” Just as the fireworks show was ending and the announcer came on and said, “On behalf of Walt Disney World…” I told her, “Today has been perfect. There’s only one thing I can think of to make it more perfect,” and proceeded to stand up. I got on one knee and asked, “will you marry me?” She stared at me, and yes I could still see her eyes in the dark from the flames of the cauldrons lining the lake, and she reluctantly asked, more than answered, “yeah?” Maybe five seconds of silence before she asked if I was serious. I looked down at the ring and back at her and I said, sheepishly, “I got a ring.” To which she replied, “yes!!”  Captain Ron announced that I had proposed. One of the boats was full of two older women and three daughters so the women all had to know what happened. I stood up and at the top of my voice yelled, to anyone within earshot: “SHE SAID YES!!!” Applaud. Applaud. Captain Ron offered to take us not back to the dock but to Hollywood Studios because it was right where the bus station was to take us back to our resort – it was shorter.

On the trip back I told her about the few people that knew about it, how long I’d had the ring (remember November 22 until July 31) without her knowing. How I’d called her brother and asked him permission, how I’d had to chase her mother down and ask her on the phone; both of which said they couldn’t guarantee she’d say yes and how I’d gone to the grave of her father and older brother and promised them that I’d take care of her. A few other people knew and it somewhat threw her for a loop. Mind you, she still hadn’t seen the ring; it was dark. We stopped under a light but she couldn’t really tell. It wasn’t until we got on the bus and under those bright lights could she see it.

We got “Just Engaged” buttons from the hotel gift shop and wore them the whole week. People gave us free stuff like a dessert in one location, and other things and would call to2631c-just2bengaged us from across the promenade just to congratulate us. It was a great week and it has been a great life the whole time. Life has given us ups and downs but she and I have never had a problem. We’ve really only had one or two real arguments. Life’s short don’t waste it “being right.” Okay, this went on a lot longer than I had expected and I apologize, but it’s very important to me. I believe she even considers the engagement ring the “greatest gift she’s ever gotten.” If I’m misquoting, I’m sorry. But, happy engagement anniversary, baby!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“My mother says I didn’t open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw was an engagement ring. I was hooked.” – Elizabeth Taylor

 

The Proposal or: Magical Moments

31 Monday Jul 2017

Posted by in Honeymoon, Life as We Know It, Travel

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Salutations™!!

Yeah, I tell this almost every year and yeah, it gets mushy and yeah, probably to you, Dear Reader, it gets old. The truth is, however, I never tire of telling it and if you don’t like my mushy stuff, this would be a good time to check out. If you don’t mind or are reading it for the first time, then read on! A bit of warning, though, it will be long.

The BCPF and I got up on July 31, 2011, and were driven to Charlotte to get on a plane. It was our first plane trip together and it was the first time that we were going to go to my favorite destination in the world, Walt Disney World. It was to be the first time that I had been there in six years and we were going to celebrate the fact that I, after many years since my last collegiate foray, had finished my degree. My gift to myself was this trip and I was taking my best girl with me.

Whilst I know it is a fashion faux-pas, when I travel to WDW, I wear a fanny pack. I like having my stuff with me and I don’t want it falling out while I’m being jostled about on rides. This day was a bit different, though. Yes, I had the fanny pack but it was the contents of the pack that was different. I put it on the x-ray belt and hoped that the scanning officer didn’t alert anyone to the pack’s contents. It passed inspection, we moved on, got on the plane, and headed to the “most Magical place on earth.”

We got on the shuttle and were whisked away to Wilderness Lodge, our “home away from home.” After getting in the room, the first thing I like to do when I get to WDW is to go to Magic Kingdom and have lunch in the form of a hot dog at Casey’s Corner on Main Street USA. Being as Wilderness Lodge is on Bay Lake, the same body of water that surrounds Magic Kingdom, we took a boat over and made it through security with no alerts to my fanny pack’s contents. We had to wait as it was before 11 am and Casey’s Corner wasn’t yet open. We had our dog and conversed about the Ibis that populate the courtyard.

We then moved to Swiss Family Robinson’s Treehouse and had no wait. We walked through that with no resistance, no people rushing or pushing past us. We moved on the Jungle Cruise and unless you’re the first person, first thing in the morning, there’s no way to miss a crowded line here. But, it was minimal. We got on the ride and were given prime seats (toward the front of the boat in the middle so you see everything with little craning of the neck). I held her hand and we enjoyed the boat ride through Asia and Africa and under Switzer Falls (named after someone named “Falls”). From there it was Pirates of the Carribean. The line was minimal and we were seated at the front of the boat. 216852_10150326463895490_8196672_n

One thing to note is that it was July 31 and we were in Central Florida. But, it was only in the mid-80s. Not too hot at all, which was surprising, but definitely welcome. We walked our way around to Haunted Mansion and had virtually no line. Since The BCPF and I are history folks, we had to do the Hall of Presidents, especially since we’re both fans of Obama and his presentation had just been added to the script. All of this, you have to realize, was seventh heaven to me. I was getting to be a tour guide of the place I love with the woman I love.

It’s a rite of passage for anyone going to Magic Kingdom, or WDW at all, to have to ride It’s a Small World. Yes, that song is annoying as all get out, but you have to ride it. Again, short line (which never happens) and we were put in the front row. By this time it was almost 3 pm and it was time to make our move to Epcot, as we had rezzies for dinner at Tutto Italia Ristorante at 5:40 pm and sometimes that trip can be time-consuming. But, getting to the Monorail was no problem, getting on the Monorail was no problem and the trip to Epcot was easy-peasy-George-and-Weezy!

We wandered through the gates and since The BCPF had no bag, no purse, no anything, I sent her through the “No Bags” line as I got my fanny pack checked (plus I didn’t need her to know its contents and didn’t want to take a chance). The first ride you encounter from the Monorail is Spaceship Earth. No wait and no halting in the middle of the ride, which anyone who’s ridden that ride can attest, that is rare. We moved on to the World Showcase since that’s where the Italy Pavilion is and you choose the left path or right path. Italy is in the left middle but certainly in the middle so we took the left path. That brought us to Mexico Pavilion first and we rode the boat ride, Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros and were given the front row of the ride, with no other riders on the boat with us.

Next was Norway and the Maelstrom boat ride (RIP, it’s now Frozen Ever After – BOO!!!!!!!) and yes, minimal line and, again, front row. Next, China and their Circle-Vision 360 film, Reflections of China. That took a little bit of time and it was about 5:15 pm. I knew we had no time to do anything else, so we decided we’d be early for our rezzie. We traveled two countries in about five minutes (we were booking it) and got to the restaurant to find that our reservation was 5:25, not 5:40. We were five whole minutes early, whew! The meal was pretty good. We finished and it was about 6:30.

What I’ve failed to mention up to this point is that my entire adult life I’ve gone to WDW and have seen people on boats on the World Showcase Lagoon watching Illuminations: Reflections of Earth fireworks show. Again, this was my celebratory trip and I wanted to do that, so I booked it. But, that happens at 8 pm each night. We had time to kill and I wanted to see “O Canada!” a Circle-Vision 360 film that had recently been upgraded and since it was one of my favorite attractions, I had to see how it had changed. It was good and I was pleased. We had timed it right and had no wait to get in, other than hearing the spiel from the cast member that should be heard. After the film and some wandering about, we went to the Yacht Club, just outside of Epcot to get on our boat!

We get there and the boat house is closed!! What the heck!? It was 7:45 and it was closed. I had many plans that needed to happen and this is not what I needed to happen. The BCPF tried to calm me down. “We can do it another day,” she said. No. No, we couldn’t. There was a number to call for questions and literally as I was about to hit send on my cell, a door pops open from the back of the Yacht Club and (yes this could be in my mind and not what really happened) a line of five boat captains came marching out in single file, each pulling a rolling cooler and singing or chanting something Disney-like. It was surreal.

A fellow that looked and sounded a lot like Uncle Fester from Addams Family came over to us and the other groups that had gathered for their own boat rides and asked: “who’s from North Carolina?” I raised my hand and acknowledged it was us. He introduced himself as “Captain Ron” which I thought was funny. We were having to watch the weather as a storm was rolling around the area. We couldn’t take the boat ride if the storm came through. Luckily, it didn’t and we could get on the boats.

Cap’n Ron drove the boat around Crescent Lake telling us its history and the history of the resorts around it, and then the theme parks that are located on its shores. He paused in a few spots to let us “take it in,” although I knew what he was doing. We worked our way back to the Yacht Club, Beach Club and Boardwalk Inn area and moved our way through the channel into the World Showcase Lagoon. Checking with Control Central we were able to move farther into the lagoon to view the awesome fireworks display.

I sat on the pontoon boat’s seat normally and The BCPF leaned in on me, her feet up in the seat. The fireworks started. I sneakily took the item I’d been hiding from my fanny pack and adjusted it to prepare for the coup de grace that was about to happen. The BCPF said she’d like to sit on the opposite bench. Okay. I had to maneuver the item for her to not see it. After about 2 minutes, Cap’n Ron said that we’d see better from the side we started from. Okay. Maneuver number two. We assumed the positions again. The BCPF leaned back and said, “you know, today has been perfect.” I nodded with a “yep.”

And it had been perfect. A nearly flawless flight. A quick and easy shuttle ride followed by a quick and easy check-in at the resort. The boat ride to Magic Kingdom. The hot dog lunch with the Ibis. The short lines. Every ride with the option gave us front row. The dinner. This boat ride and the fireworks to end all fireworks. As the glittery display came to an end and the announcements started, I said, “you know, today has been perfect. There’s only one thing I can think of that would make it more perfect.” I rose took the item in my hand, dropped to one knee, and exposed the contents of the item I had been hiding for nine months. I asked her, “Will you marry me?” She stared at me blankly and asked, “yeah? Are you serious?”

2011-08-01_22-42-30_75I looked down at the box and the faintly sparkling stones sitting within it and said, “I got a ring…?” She finally said, “yes!” Whew, I thought I was going to fall over. I thought I had all this figured out. I thought there was no way she’d say no. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. She said yes. Yes. YES! Cap’n Ron announced what had happened. We were

Cap’n Ron announced what had happened. We had been tethered to four other boats in the lagoon and the one right next to us was full of seven women and they wanted to know what she said. I stood and at the top of my lungs yelled, “SHE SAID YES!!!!” People were looking over the rails of that same bridge where I had stood several times and watched the people in these boats observe the fireworks. We were congratulated a lot. We were taken back to Hollywood Studios because it was easier to get to the buses to get back to our resort. Along the way, I told her the few people that actually knew this was coming and the people who didn’t. Some really surprised her. She didn’t get to see the ring, which she calls her “precious” in a very un-Gollem-like voice, until we got on the bus.

Once back at the resort we went to the mercantile to grab some beverages and asked about something to commemorate the engagement. We got badges and wore them around the park the entire week we were there. People congratulated us constantly and cast members of WDW would yell congrats to us from across the promenade if that’s where they saw the badge. I don’t think we paid for any desserts during that week (we realized we needed to keep those badges on the entire time). It was the perfect trip.

It was the perfect trip. The entire week, with the exception of one day, the weather was near perfect. We had fun. We ate well. We loved each other and we loved, and still love, our time together, no matter where we are. We have many anniversaries that we celebrate, which is probably overkilling it, but we’re disgustingly cute and don’t care to show it. This, to me, is the second most important after the wedding anniversary.

To The BCPF, Stephanie, I still love you as I did that day, but the magnitude has grown infinitely exponentially. I fall in love more and more every day. Good. Bad. Indifferent. We always have each other and have a love that I defy anyone else to match. This is our fairy tale and I am not ashamed, afraid, or reluctant to scream it from the mountain tops, roof tops and this danged blog. Happy sixth engagement anniversary my baby. I love you.

Sorry, Dear Reader for the 2200+ word explosion. I did warn you.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Yes!” – The BCPF

Cone of Uncertainty or: Hoping for the Best

07 Friday Oct 2016

Posted by in Life as We Know It

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Salutations™!!

I don’t know why but I love the term “cone of uncertainty.” I don’t like when we need to use it. I used to pay little to no attention to the weather. It was just something that happened and if what I had planned got rained out, well, I’d stomp my feet a bit and be done with it. Around 1997 or 1998, there was a rash of tornadoes and very severe thunderstorms that ripped through the area over a period of many months. I lived in a rickety old log cabin that was built in 1930 and the house rocked when the wind came through.

That changed my outlook on weather and really, I never recovered from it. I get anxious when there’s a threat of really severe thunderstorms or tornadoes or even snow and ice max_web_trop_atl14_swath_1280x720storms. Now, to be 100% honest with you, I think it’s really the prospect of losing or being stuck without power for any period of time. My life is almost completely reliant on electricity. Anything that I do to make money, I have to be online. I have to have my devices working. I work from the moment I wake until the moment I fall asleep. The BCPF says she hears me setting meetings and making deals in my sleep, so, in essence, I’m 24/7. Therefore, I am so reliant on technology that without electricity, I go into panic attacks and really freak out. I have to have my connections, my availability.

When I go on vacation, that’s a little different. But, still, in the evenings, I have to catch up. I can’t write a blog without internet connectivity and being as I write up to 5 different blogs, I need it.

This brings me back to my initial point: I love the term “cone of uncertainty” but don’t like the need for it. Beyond the technology and business and lifestyle problems, the people of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and now, potentially North Carolina are in danger of not only being put off, but put out and in some (hopefully rare) cases, lose everything they have, including their lives or the lives of their loved ones.

I was in Florida in 1999 when Hurricane Floyd churned off the coast for two days waving at us, menacingly, threatening harm to everyone until he decided to move up the coast and attack North Carolina. That was surreal. The first time, ever, that Walt Disney World closed and my ex-wife, Ma Mère, sister, ex-brother-in-law, infant nephew and I were holed up in a time share resort with everyone here and in WV begging, no demanding, that we leave and come home. I stepped out and I-4 was a parking lot. We sheltered-in-place and played cards and such. There was beer, although, at the time, my sister had no idea that Bud Light was a bad thing… The power was off for maybe 4 hours; not too bad.

I know Hugo did a lot of damage this far inland ten years prior to that. I remember it was pretty bad. This, though, with Hurricane Matthew, is the first time in a while that the anticipation of a hurricane has captured my attention so much. Probably because I was affected, indirectly, by it. I know the aftermath of other hurricanes have kept my attention, but not the anticipation, usually. The cone of uncertainty has pretty much become the anticipated storm track. It’s not looking to actually hit land but to graze it all the way up the coast. Then, it’s going to circle back and take another shot at Florida and the Bahamas, or so it appears.

Many thoughts and positive vibes go out to the fams of the nearly 500 people that lost their lives and even more that lost everything they had in Haiti. And, again, to all in the predicted path of Hurricane Matthew, be safe, get out if you can, hunker down and shelter-in-place if you can’t. The sun will be up, soon. Weather this storm.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“This storm will kill you.” – Florida Governor, Rick Scott

Silent Sunday or: The Exact Opposite of…

31 Sunday Jul 2016

Posted by in Life as We Know It, Silent Sunday

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Salutations™!!

I saw that I wrote this on my Facebook page three years ago. It was some good writing, I’ll admit, so I’m just going to repost it here. Today is the fifth anniversary of me asking The BCPF to marry me. So, here it was…

“I got on a plane, a plane with a beautiful girl. Man, she was gorgeous. Flew to my favorite place, Walt Disney World. Free Magical Express ride to my favorite resort in the “World,” Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. We were greeted like we were family; I love that. No hesitation, on to Magic Kingdom. Had lunch at my favorite hotdog stand, Casey’s and looked and debated whether these birds were Ibis or not (they were). Swiss Family Treehouse, no waiting… check. Jungle Cruise... check. Pirates of the Caribbean, front row… check. Hall of Presidents, yes. Haunted Mansion, yes. 74582-the2bringIt’s a Small World (damn, I hate that song but love the ride), front row, indeed. Peter Pan’s Flight, flying high.
Wow… Gotta get to Epcot, easy access to the monorail. Jump off and send her through the “no bags” line as I manipulate my fanny pack through check-in (yes, I said fanny pack). Stop at Spaceship Earth to hear how Dame Judy Dench does it; still prefer Jeremy Irons, but no waiting. Go to Mexico and ride El Rio del Tiempo, front row seats. On to Norway and ride on Maelstrom, again front row seats. Make our way and eat an early dinner at Tutti Italia in Italy. After eating a great dinner with this magnificent woman, we go to Canada to see the new rendition of ‘O Canada’ and I’m not disappointed.
The scare of the day, going to Yacht Club to get on a boat and the place is shut up – closed. About to dial 911, or at least the 407 number to find out why and out pops a slew of boat captains. Uncle Fester, or Captain Ron takes us on a boat and tells a brief history of the way the World Showcase Lagoon and the Crescent Lake were made and how long it took to fill; also a history of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We finally tether to the other 4 boats on the lake and watch some of the 2631c-just2bengagedgreatest fireworks on the planet, Illuminations: Reflections of Earth. I had a lovely lady leaning on me while we watched bombastic light explosions and she turns to me to say, ‘Today has been a perfect day.’ I agreed and smiled. The show went on and I held her tight. At the end I had said ‘Today HAS been perfect. There’s only one thing I can think that would make it more perfect…’ As soon as the sparkle in the sky was over, I presented the sparkle in a box, which ended up on her finger with a surprised ‘yes’ whispering from her lips.
That was 2 years ago, today. I love that woman. I love that woman. I love that woman. And yes, she’s still gorgeous.”

I’m a lucky man and I absolutely know this. This is number two of the three anniversaries we celebrate, whether that’s juvenile or not, we know that this, our second time around (each) that we’re very lucky to have what we do and I love that we basically shout it from the rooftops.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
” Love isn’t something you find. Love is something that finds you.” – Loretta Young

What in the World or: Hop in and Go!

02 Monday May 2016

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Salutations™!!

It’s been a while since I have talked about travel. Specifically, I’ve not talked a lot about Disney travel and that is the whole reason I’m even a travel professional. There’s so much going on in Disneydom that it’s really hard to keep up with everything. That’s why I’m here, though: to help you wade through the mucky-muck. Let’s talk a bit (this is all about Walt Disney World in Florida):

You can get a FREE Dining Plan when you buy a non-discounted 5-night/6-day package that includes a room at a select Walt Disney World Resort hotel and ticket with Park Hopper or Water Park Fun & More Option! For arrivals most nights Aug. 23-Oct. 1, Nov. 15-21, Nov. 26-28 and Dec. 10-21, 2016. The Disney Dining Plan is a fantastic way to try food all over “the World” when you’re at WDW. You get to choose from a seemingly endless array of different cuisines spanned across the entire resort complex, including some of the resort hotel restaurants. It should be noted, however, that many of the 4.5-5 star restaurants require TWO entitlements. The majority of the restaurants, however, just use up one. The Dining Plan is a “length-of-stay-only” feature, so you can’t just get the Dining Plan for 3 of the 6 days, it’s for all 6 days. The other “fine print” here is that it’s not for the “Value” category of hotels. It’s for the “Moderates (Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Port Orleans, etc.),” “Deluxe (Wilderness Lodge, Contemporary Resort, Grand Floridian, etc.)” and “Deluxe Villas (Villas at many of the Deluxe)” categories. If you do stay at the “Value” level resorts (Pop Century, any of the All-Star resorts, Art of Animation), you will get the “Quick-Service Dining Plan” which is only good at counter-service restaurants. To me it’s not worth it, go big and I’m not saying that to get you to spend more money. I’m saying it because of the value within.

Beginning today at Walt Disney World Resort, you can enjoy half-price savings off a child’s ticket for La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil at Disney Springs when you purchase an adult ticket for shows May 31-July 23, 2016! Bring your family to a place where imagination rules!! Child-price tix start as low as $24 for Category 4 seats. Math shows that that probably makes the adult tix $48 per. La Nouba was made by the Cirque du Soleil company specifically for Disney and you won’t see this show anywhere but at Disney Springs (formerly known as Downtown Disney) and it’s a hot ticket, truly.

Soarin’ over the World is set to premier on June 17 and for anyone who’s familiar with Soarin’ over California (even in Florida), this will be a big change. The old footage was just captured over California, but this new film takes the ride’s passengers to whole new parts of the world. Get there early and make sure you get your rezzies with the FastPass+ system when you book your package (see two paragraphs above) as it will fill up before you even get to the park, most likely. Here’s a video preview of some of the new portions, courtesy of Disney Travel Agents:

This is just the Disney part of current travel goodies. I can send you anywhere in the world.You can go to my website and contact me there, book travel there (although you should email or call me to get more in depth service) or hit me up here or on Facebook. Let me help turn your dreams into memories.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“Awaken Summer” – Disney Travel Company Promotions

But, the Manneken Pis or: Pensées de Belgique

22 Tuesday Mar 2016

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Salutations™!!

Another terrorist attack and in another city that I’ve spent a little time. We all remember this past November when there were attacks in Paris, probably my favorite city dans le monde. Brussels is home to NATO and the European Union so it’s a very important city, not just from an historic angle but for financial, humanitarian and political angles, as well. It’s the capital city of a beautiful and mostly docile country.12794359_10207848998577380_2288901122513598825_n

I’d like to say that I have fond memories of the city, but truthfully, I really don’t. Well, that’s not exactly true. There were parts that I really liked. The Grand Place (pronounced grahnd plah-s) is as beautiful and welcoming as any large-scaled, historic city in the world. It is like stepping into Fantasyland in Walt Disney World every time you step into and out of  any store or just when you open and close your eyes.The Manneken Pis (which really does mean what you’d think it would; see the pic, right) is classic and, really, it’s funny. It has other points, but overall, my thoughts of Brussels is that it is a dirty, miserable city. And, we’ve been there twice.

The first time The BCPF and I were there, it was March, 2013. We had just gotten there from Amsterdam, which we loved. It was exciting getting to Brussels; cool and sexy. Then we got out of the train and it was like a cloud was just on the city. It didn’t help that it was kind of cold at that time. We stayed at the Crowne Plaza and that hotel was quite nice. We made the mistake of asking the concierge about where we should eat and they basically sent us to the European version of Shoney’s. A place called Chez Leon. I had mussels there, which is kind of a specialty in Brussels. Well, The BCPF had one style and I had another; can’t remember which is which. Whatever the case, I got sick, she didn’t. I think mine was food poisoning.  It’s a good thing that our room was nice and comfortable because I was laid up all that night and most of the next day. The bathroom, I must say, was pristine! I swore that I’d never eat any food that rhymes with the city I eat it in again. In fact, I’ve probably had about 3 mussels, total, since then.

The second time, we got there in 2014 for the last night of our honeymoon; we had just been in Bruges in the northwest of Belgium, that was one beautiful (and plentiful on the beer) city. It was important to be in Brussels to catch our flight home and yes, we were leaving from the very airport that was involved in the attacks this morning. That one night we stayed at the Sofitel Brussels and I have to say it was one of the nicest hotels that I’ve ever stayed in and I’ve stayed in some nice ones. That night, too, we decided to have dinner in the hotel’s restaurant, BE Café Marché Jourdan which is an awesome and quite fancy restaurant. I think one of the best meals I’ve ever had was at that restaurant.

So, the hotels (especially the ones that I sell there) are fantastic and food was hit (in BE Café Marché Jourdan, at least) or miss (Chez Leon). It’s just that the rest of the city is dingy and gray and dreary. The people, for the most part, were polite and helpful, but there’s just something about the city itself that I don’t care for. All that being said (and I know it was a lot), I truly feel for the people because I do feel a twinge of kinship with the city. It’s just like the cousin that I really don’t care for. I do like all my cousins, by the way. But, that whole area of Europe is near and dear to my heart. The fact that yet another country is hit hard by these selfish, ungodly monsters is enough to hurt your heart, no matter how you feel about the town. These Belgians are human and deserve to live without fear of this craziness, but right now, especially today, they aren’t afforded that luxury. I hope they rest well and come back stronger. My thoughts and positive vibes to them. And, here’s hoping that Brussels, as a city, brightens up after they’re back on their feet.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“L’union fait la force!” – Belgian motto (Unity makes strength)

Let’s Get Yours or: Stuck Inside and Talking Travel

23 Saturday Jan 2016

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Salutations™!!

I know there’s usually a Movie of the Week post on Saturdays but there wasn’t a Movie of the Week (which would have been brought to you by a/perture cinema, the Official Movie Sponsor of The Less Desirables), but I have something else to talk about. Here it is, your periodic reminder of something that I do the “other half” of my days. By other half I don’t mean half of the days of the week I do the podcast/media stuff and the other half I do this. I mean every day I do the podcast/media stuff and the this all through the day. Each is “half” of my day and that also includes evenings. I’ve talked a good bit about the media stuff so I’ll focus on the other in this post. So, I know I’ve talked about it before and Thursdays are supposed to be Travel Thursday but I’ve kind of gotten away from that. So let’s talk travel, shall we? First, I’m a travel professional, a travel agent, an itinerary advocate. I have my own agency, called Bee On Your Way Travel. It’s part of a larger national agency so I have access to a lot of travel products.BOYWT

Do you bypass a real person to go to an OTA (online travel agent) like Travelocity, Expedia or Priceline? I hope not but if you do, there are two ways I can look at this. First, why not use a real travel agent? Email them, call them, IM them, send them smoke signals. It doesn’t matter what you do, contact them. They (we) want that business. There are three excuses I get from people (including my very own family, which kills me), the most, as to why they don’t use me: 1) “I didn’t want to bother you,” 2) “I just wanted to look it up and it was there, so I bought it,” 3) “I didn’t know you did that!?”

Okay. Looking at #1, that’s offensive. I know you’re not necessarily telling the truth; albeit perhaps not on purpose. You don’t ever not contact me at 9:30pm for just chatting or wanting to talk about someone else or get me to do something for you. I think it’s really one of two things. It’s either that you don’t like the thought of your friends (or family) making money off of you or you think you’re going to save money by using one of those OTAs instead of me. Look, I get it, it’s money and it’s hard to come by and we want to save what we can. The fact of the matter is, in most cases, you’re not going to spend much (if any) more using me than an OTA. I have access to stuff that an OTA isn’t going to present you. I also offer you a human aspect that you certainly aren’t going to get from an OTA. And, you’re putting food on my family’s table. OTAs are putting money in the big-wig’s pockets and not individual families (beyond that). You want your friends to succeed, right? You don’t like seeing them down. This is my job. This is what I do. I need to feed my family. Help your friends when you can.

#2. You spend a lot of time and effort working to earn your money. You work 40+ hours a week. Why in the world would you go home and work 10+ more hours on your vacation? That seems counter-productive, doesn’t it? You have insurance agents to handle your insurance, you have finance agents to handle your investments. Why not let your travel agent manage your free time and leisure money? I get the need to research what you want, but even the online world is going to mislead you at times. What is TripAdvisor going to give you that a travel agent’s expertise won’t? Honesty. I’m a senior writer at TripAdvisor so I’m for it, but there some people that only want to find negative things to make them look like they know what they’re talking about. Or, they just want a check on their count so give 5s and it means nothing. Even if we’re not experienced in a certain spot, our vendors are. They succeed from you being happy so they’re not going to steer you wrong. We succeed from you being happy and we’re not going to steer you wrong. If you have questions, ask me. If I don’t have the answer, then I will find that answer. Our answers are for your benefit, not just for us to see our name on a website. Use us! And, chances are, if you find it, we can get it for you at a great price, don’t impulse buy travel products. It usually isn’t worth it in the long run.

#3. (facepalm) I know that I don’t update my Facebook “travel professional” page every week, but I have 2200+ friends on Facebook and I’m talking about travel all the time and I talk about it on here, as well. I know I have readers because you talk to me. What more can I do? I’m open to suggestions. I DO “TRAVEL!” See!? I shout it at the top of my textual lungs! Now, you know!

So I said earlier, Dear Reader, that there is two ways to look at this, right? Well the other way is that if you’re just in need to go to an OTA really quick and buy a flight and hotel for this weekend and it’s 2am (I’ll admit I won’t usually answer you at 2am), there’s still a way to do that and still support your buddy (that’s me). I have my very own website that is just as feasible, works the same way and is comparable in prices with any of the big OTAs. Hotels, flights, cruises, rental cars, packages, even insurance. They’re all available to you right there. The one difference, I’ll tell you up front, is that you have to register to get any pricings. There’s no commitment in doing so and it’s absolutely free. The idea is that I can offer you everything you need in travel at a competitive price that you don’t need to “shop;” you’ll find it here. To be clear, I’d much rather talk to you and work on things for you as I still can get access to things that even my website can’t. It’s more personalized service and, in most cases, I don’t require any deposit to work with you. Also, I only get paid after your trip is done. So, that’s never a concern. Travel, have fun. That’s what I care about. The website can be found here.

All that out of the way, let’s talk one more thing. The human vs. OTA aspect part deux. If you book with OTAs or http://www.IBuyCheapTravel.com (that’s made up, I think) or whatever, then you may get the bottom dollar cost on “budget” travel. That means you’re showing the places you’re going that you don’t care about their location, only what you can get from them cheap. Usually, that ends up being exactly what kind of vacation you get: cheap. Even when there are things and amenities included with these you’re getting as little as they can give up for that price. Plus, they see that you didn’t necessarily pick them for their product. Human interaction allows me to take in information, make suggestions and give advice so that we make sure we get the most bang for your buck. Never in anything else in life does it mean so much to say, “you get what you pay for!” than in travel. You pay for a Motel 6 (not that there’s anything wrong with that) then you are going to get a Motel 6. Perhaps not in the resort, etc., but in the overall experience. And if something goes wrong? Call an OTA and see what happens. Call me and I will work to get you satisfaction. I can’t promise magic but I will do what I can to make you as happy as possible. You can find ALL my contact info on the website.

I know Edinburgh, London, Bruges, Brussels and Costa Rica, to some extent because of my experience and traveling there. I really know Paris and Walt Disney World because I study them and have spent adequate time there. It’s more than where to stay. It’s how to get around, what to expect in the ambiance, the currency, the weather, everything. You read on TripAdvisor, “it was awful, it rained the whole time.” C’mon. They can do better than that. Let me get you the best info for your trip. Trust me with your trip. I have been doing a good amount of cruises as of late. It’s very popular as of late. Let’s get yours. All inclusive in Caribbean? Let’s get yours. Riverboat cruising through Germany? Let’s get yours. Let’s do this.

The bottom line here? I want to help you. I want to feed my family. I want you happy. I simply offer you better and more practical service than websites, other than my own; I still service those customers. My tagline has always been that I help turn your dreams into memories. Let’s make that happen. Come to me before you do an OTA. You won’t be sorry. Let’s get yours. I hope this sheds a little light on what I do and how I can help you. I could write another thousand words plus on this and I’m sure I will in the next bit, but at fifteen hundred words, this is probably too heavy, already. I’ll end it here, then.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“I look my best when I’m totally free, on holiday, walking on the beach.” – Rosamund Pike

A Smile Means Friendship to Everyone or: The First Resort

03 Thursday Dec 2015

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Salutations™!!

I’ve been a travel professional for almost four years, now. I became one because of my knowledge of Walt Disney World. I do much more than that, but that’s the origin. Lots of clients, or potential clients, ask about staying on property vs. staying off. Isn’t it less expensive? Oh, I don’t need the dining plan. I’m only in the room to sleep. The list goes on. This video, whilst cheesy, does a pretty good job at explaining why. Enjoy.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” – Walt Disney

In Peril of the Sea or: An Island of History

12 Thursday Nov 2015

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Salutations™!!

When I was much younger, let’s say twelve or so, on a family trip to Walt Disney World, I watched the film Impressions de France in the France Pavilion in Epcot (then called EPCOT Center). All of that was new at the time and I hadn’t really seen any films about foreign countries. I wasn’t much of a watcher of stuff back then. That is, unless it was cartoons or football. But, this film was amazing. It started a love of foreign adventure that I never realized until I was in my forties.

One of the things that I saw in the film was an island that looked like it had a castle on it. I didn’t know what it was but it was magical. At least it looked that way. I mont saint michel 1was mesmerized by it. I told myself: I will get there someday. Oh yes! I will get there someday. We went back to WDW for Christmas in 1989 and at 19 saw it again. This is way before Google or Wikipedia. I still didn’t know what it was and I truly didn’t think to ask one of the young French cast members about it. Again in 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2012. It should be obvious that I like going to WDW. Anywhat!

I was watching one of the travel shows (such as Rick Steves, Rudy Maxa, etc.) and it was showing monasteries around Europe. I saw this remarkable and longed for island fortress and it had the name on the screen. I had truly forgotten about it until I saw it here sometime in 2012 (probably recouping from heart surgery) and a rush of excitement slapped me in the face. I knew what it was! I knew its name! Its name: Mont Saint-Michel (St. Michael’s Mount). I reiterated to myself: I will get there someday. Oh yes! I will get there someday.

Fast forward to 2013 when a FAM (that’s a familiarization trip) to Europe came my way this included finishing in Paris. I was able to add a few extra days there and was able to take The BCPF, as well. Whilst scheduling what was going to happen, I inquired about Mont Saint-Michel and there was a day excursion to the attraction. I jumped on it. It was a fourteen hour round-trip day excursion, too. We were on a bus for four hours both ways and then spent time at the visitors center a few miles away from the island where we had a fancy omelet and other local delicacies. We then jumped on a shuttle and went to the island.

I stood at the base of the island and, I’m not afraid to say, cried. I had waited just about all my life to see this; something I swore I’d see and visit. It was a long and not-so-easy trek up the stairs to the top. We had a tour guide that spoke to us in French, Italian, Spanish and English through a transmitter/receiver system (she seemed to never skip a beat in switching between the languages).

Mont Saint-Michel, a wonder of Gothic architecture, was first built upon in the 8th Century AD and is located in the Normandy region of northern France, at the mouth of the Couesnon River. The structure as it stands now started in the 10th century and was completed in the 16th century. It’s almost 250 acres and boasts a population of around 44 residents in addition to the 11 practicing monks that are permanent occupants of the monastery (those are number accurate to the time of our visit in 2013). There are hotels, shops, restaurants and museums on this magnificent mountain. At the top of the monastery is a beautiful cloister with a medieval garden that looks out over the water as well as other parts of the structure and is where the monks actually meditate.

There’s landings and platforms that allow for glorious views of the bay. At the very top, there’s a spire with a statue of St. Michael at the peak. It also still operates as an active church. There are crypts and choirs, tunnels and chambers. Architecture here is some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. And, I mean ever.

mont saint michel 2One of the most unique aspects of this “island” is that when it’s low tide, you can walk on the sea bed. This was an important facet over the millennial history of the edifice. Pilgrims would cross via foot at low tide from the mainland. If they waited too long, they’d be stranded on either side of the bay until the next low tide or until they hired a boat. At the same time, it helped in the fortification of the compound. It would create a difficult target because ships would have to wait until high tide, giving the inhabitants of the island time to prepare. Or, if at low tide, the opposition could trek across the seabed but would have to be quick or get stuck on the island and at the mercy of its people. It wasn’t always a church/monastery, it also served as a prison (because of its fortification and the reverse) and it withstood two English sieges due to the reinforcement.

When we were there, the causeway was being removed in favor of a bridge that would allow the mount to return to an island. That didn’t take away from the glory that is Mont Saint-Michel. I hope to return another day to see this again. How about you, Dear Reader? Have you been there? Do you want to go see it; experience it? I can certainly send you there. I can assure you that you’ve never seen anything like it. Contact me to ask me how you can get there. I’ll help you. All of France is definitely worth being in. But, this, even to a non-spiritual person, was very spiritual.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“An ageless symbol of France, Mont Saint-Michel. Proud, full of grace and symmetry. Rooted firmly to the ground, yet dedicated to the spirit.” – Impressions de France, Epcot, Walt Disney World