The Dream Book

On my desk at home is a book that I call, The Dream Book. It is a black spiral bound scrapbook actually. Some people would say it is a Bucket List. But for me, it is The Dream Book.

In a way it was inspired by Ellie. It isn't only a scrapbook for things I have done, but also an idea book and scrapbook of the things I want to do. I have not made much progress in filling the book, or in realizing all the dreams; life continues to have a way of getting in the way of even the best laid plans. But, life does not, and can not, stop the dreaming.

From time to time I'll open the book and make a note of something I dream of doing. I'll stick in a post-it note reminding me of the name of my favorite pub in London; just so I don't forget to drop in on my next visit back. Perhaps there is a small picture of one of the hotels I want to stay in when we drive cross-country. You see, I dream of driving along Route 66 as much as I can someday soon. I have pasted in a few maps here and there.

There is a map of the Inside Passage from our cruise in Alaska, along with a few postcards. That was a dream fulfilled. My wife's dream actually, but one I am happy she had and that we worked to accomplish. Alaska is simply spectacular! Breathtaking!

There is so much more to dream about. Like a train trip through the northwest, a cruise on a Disney ship, renewing our vows on our 25th wedding anniversary in Walt Disney World, and we've got a few more grand hotels we need to stay in. Mrs. Doc has never been to Nantucket and I feel she needs to enjoy a picnic lunch during the Daffodil Festival there.

The dreams keep coming and the list keeps growing.

And there is another dream I have. It is a dream I've dreamt for many years; that of one day retiring and working at Walt Disney World. I dreamt that one day I'd be taking tickets at the Epcot turnstiles. Maybe someday that dream will come true. Whether it does or not, it is going in the book and I am going to continue dreaming about it. And if I am not at the entrance of Epcot, well, perhaps they can use a "child at heart" somewhere else in the World.

That is not a bad dream I suppose.

"Remember, we must always believe in our wishes, for they are the magic in the world."

- The Blue Fairy, Wishes!

More dreams to follow...

P.s. How about you? What is in your Dream Book?

Where In The World

It didn't take much time at all for April Baker of Scrapping the Magic to chime in and tell us that the 03.15.10 photograph was of the Totem at the entrance to the Canada pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase. Congratulations April and everyone, stop by her site.

You know, when I think of the Canada pavilion, one word comes to mind. That word? "Sweep!"

Alright, once more into the breach.

Something On A Sunday

Room Decor - Sunset Inn - Lake Junaluska, N.C. - 07.19.08

A Sign It's Saturday

There are times when you need to give something special to that special someone in your life. When that time comes, pay a visit to...

if i lived in central florida i'd...

...run over to the Magic Kingdom after work this afternoon for Dole Whip and then hang out around the hub to watch Wishes!

How about you?

In Doc's World - The Nightstand

Earlier in the year I wrote of the things I would like to accomplish this year. Like most resolutions, some are on the way to fulfillment while others have slipped to the wayside; either through disinterest or by circumstances. One resolution that is still being pursued is number six on my 01.01.10 list, which was to begin working my way through the Everyman's Library "Essential 100". I completed Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and have begun Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. I must admit that the going's on of the Dashwood women has been placed on hold to read a 1975 edition of Christopher Finch's The Art of Walt Disney.

What does this have to do with a nightstand? Well, in addition to bookcases, coffee tables, and in some cases, corners of rooms, nightstands are a place to find books. My nightstand currently includes: the Peter and the Starcatchers quartet, the two volumes of the Kingdom Keepers, J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, and P.L. Travers Mary Poppins.

Thinking of books conjures up a lot of memories. I think of family vacations spent on the beach with my mom and dad reading while my sister and I played on the beach or jumped waves in the Gulf. I remember how books offered an escape that allowed me to get away from whatever it was I was going through at the moment. They were also the portal to people and the course of history that I want to understand, or at the very least be familiar with.

And in a odd way, perhaps, a nightstand reminds me of something I once read in Melvyn Bragg's, Richard Burton: A Life. Burton has long been one of my favorite actors. In my opinion, he was a powerful screen presence hampered by inconsistent choices of film projects to be involved with. Yet, regardless of the quality of the final product, the voice was always superb. It was, and perhaps still is, one of the great voices of the 20th century. Burton was also a ferocious reader. He once said, "Home is where the books are." When travelling, part of his luggage was one suitcase full of books. He was never without them.

Richard Burton died at his home in Celigny, Switzerland on August 5, 1984. He was 58 years old. Bragg writes, "When the guests had gone from that funeral at Celigny and Sally had her first few hours of quiet and her first intimation of the encroaching loneliness, she began to tidy up. On Richard's beside table, she came across his scribble pad. He used a red pen to write on it, often waking in the middle of the night to jot down a thought. These lines had been jotted down on that last night.

"The multitudinous seas incarnadine,

Making the green one red.

"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow...

"Our revels now are ended...

"Cap a pi...

"The last line is unfinished.

"The blood vessels burst and flooded into the brain and there were no more words."

Thank you for your indulgence. Books play an important part in my life and they may do the same in yours. I will have more to say about books in the weeks and months to come. But for now, I wanted to share a little more of my world and reflect just a moment on a life that had some amount of influence on me.

More to follow...

Richard Burton: A Life, Melvyn Bragg, Little Brown, 1988, pg. 486-487

Disney World After Dark: Serenity

Being a seasoned visitor to Walt Disney World, I can confidently say that a visit to the parks can be as busy or as leisurely as you wish it to be. There have been times when I would be among the crowds waiting for rope drop and the stay through the very last minute of Extra Magic Hours. Then, there have been times when I would visit without having much of an agenda - meaning there were not many things I considered "must do" for the day.

Either way you choose to visit is alright; obviously it is a personal choice. I have relished the sense of accomplishment that comes from looking at my trip plan and seeing most everything checked off. Then, I have savored those occasions when I find myself walking slowly through a park and simply enjoying being there. There is a certain something that we repeat visitors feel from just being there. It is that something that keeps us coming back and at the same time, makes us misunderstood.

Whether you spend your day racing from one place to another, or rambling through all that has been provided for your senses, there will come a time when you may wish to break away to a quiet place. You will want a place that is not too crowded. If you happen to be on the World Showcase, I recommend China.

The Imagineers have created a pavilion that is at once bustling and tranquil. If is bustling that you want, visit Yong Feng Shangdian. But if it is tranquillity that you desire, find a quiet place to rest in the garden near the Temple of Heaven. As Jeff Kurtti writes of the China Pavilion in Since the World Began, "a calming serenity seems to permeate the space." A selection of traditional music playing in the background will add to the peace you'll find in this place.

Enjoy the quietness of China. And, while you're refreshing yourself, might I recommend the Peach Iced Oolong Tea from the Lotus Blossom or perhaps, the Mango Green Tea from the Joy of Tea.

Since the World Began, Jeff Kurtti, Hyperion 1996, pg. 109

Something On A Sunday

Sleep In A Wigwam - Cave City, Kentucky - 08.17.08

A Sign It's Saturday

Deep dish, pan or thin crust. You'll find something for your appetite at...

Where In The World

Okay, let's congratulate George Taylor of Imaginerding for knowing that the porthole comes from Min and Bill's Dockside Diner. Ever wonder about the diner? It is named for the 1930 film Min and Bill starring Marie Dressler and Wallace Beery. Min owned a dockside hotel and Bill was captain of a fishing boat. Oh, and Dressler won the 1931 Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

And the adventure continues. Where In The World do you think you'd find this?

Something On A Sunday

A Little Bach - East Nashville Guitars - 12.28.08

A Sign It's Saturday

Ever need to get away? Stop by...

...for you travel needs.

if i lived in central florida i'd...

...spend a day in the Magic Kingdom collecting FastPasses for Peter Pan's Flight. Then, towards the end of the day, I'd ride it over and over. Yes, I like it that much.

How about you? Leave a comment and tell me what you would do.

The Liberty Belle Riverboat

There are times when you need to get away. When those moments occur there are places in the Magic Kingdom that you can go. The Rose or Fairytale Gardens come to mind as does Tom Sawyer Island. But this morning, let's consider the Liberty Belle Riverboat.

The Liberty Belle is a real steamboat in that it turns water to steam which in turn drives the paddle wheel. Previously known as the Richard F. Irvine, the riverboat makes it port at Liberty Square. From the dock there, you can board the 450 passenger steamboat for a 17-minute journey on the Rivers of America.

So the next time you find yourself in a crowd and you need to take a short break, come aboard the Liberty Belle Riverboat and let Mark Twain share stories of life along the river.

It's An Adventure

In honor of Up winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, today, we pay a little visit to Carl, Russell and Dug.

Something On A Sunday

Candy Store - Gatlinburg - 09.02.07

A Sign It's Saturday

For the month of March, A Sign It's Saturday, will look at window signage along the Streets of America in Disney's Hollywood Studios. Ever wish you could live in the parks? Well, if you could, this street could be your home and the Treasure Chest may be where you pick up a few furnishings and such for your domicile.

Where In The World

I prepped this Where In The World photograph in advance of my recent trip to visit friends in Walt Disney World. At the time I wrote it there were no new guesses to the photograph that I posted on 01.31.10 and then revisited on 02.15.10. So, that means I don't yet know who to congratulate for correctly identifying the location.

But, not be deterred from my appointed task, I add another photograph for your identification pleasure. Where In The World would you find this?

Hint: It is kind of easy.

Two Hundred

It appears like this blog may be around for awhile. Mind you, it may have taken me longer than others to reach the 200 mark, but reached it I have. And with a renewed sense I will keep on.

The resolution I made for myself seems to have taken hold as I continue to plug away. Recapping 2010 so far, I had 11 posts in January and I ended February with 15. Mind you, it isn't all Disney all the time (the sacrilege). But I read somewhere that a "blog is a personal journal with reflections and comments" - thank very much Mr. Webster - so I do not feel so bad about including the non-Disney items here from time to time. But as I said I would do, I am trying to write here with more regularity. Having a calendar to follow and scratching out a little focused time during the month seems to help.

As I plod along, getting older from one day to the next, I feel I need to make an effort to experience more and different things. I may also find myself sharing a bit more of the life that has gone before. Either way, I persevere.

So today, we pause to celebrate 200 posts. Tomorrow, we get back down to business.

More to follow...