A Sign Its Saturday

I just recently returned from Walt Disney World, after having spent six magical days with my granddaughter Shelby! I knew going into it that I would be spending more meeting characters than I ordinarily would. Though I will say that my wife and I did visit characters last month without having children or grandchildren as an excuse. It simply goes to show that there is still a child in all of us and it is perfectly fine for that child to spend a little time meeting characters. A great place for this is the Epcot Character Spot.

And here is a tip...

Arrive at Epcot for rope drop and make your way first to The Land and pickup your first Soarin' FastPass. Then quickly return to the Character Spot and spend 10 to 15 minutes with the Fab Five. More often than not you'll find little to no wait. Wait a few hours and that will not be the case.

Over the next few weeks and months I'll share some photos of Shelby and I making the character rounds. It was a good trip - the autograph was filled!

A Pirates Life For Us... or maybe not

It is beginning to be an exciting time around Doc's house. We are approaching Christmas and the decorations are making their way, although slowly, into the decor. But another exciting aspect of this holiday season is an upcoming trip with my granddaughter to Walt Disney World the day following Christmas. And thinking of all the fun we will have has me reminiscing about the fun my grandson and I had last October. With that, I thought I'd share another Character Connection with Devon. I learned a lot from Devon during that trip.

I always look forward to what I learn from my grandchildren. I have lived a few years on this earth and I am amazed at how little I know at times. I am amazed that the people who I think move faster than anyone in my family, my grandchildren, are the ones who teach me to slow down. I am looking forward to learning something from Shelby - to know that it isn't about the rides or attractions, it isn't about the all the photographs. No, it is about the experience of sharing an extended moment in life with one of the most precious individuals in my life. It is about not seeing things through my eyes, but through theirs. Now, I have the opportunity to schooled a bit more; or to borrow a thought from the film Hook, how not to become a pirate but to stay a Lost Boy.

And now that I think about it, isn't that what Walt Disney World is? Isn't it a place where we can become lost? Lost in a time and place where the real world is a place for grown-ups; not for us.

Thanks kids. I appreciate the lessons.

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.

I Want To Be Like You

I grew up with The Jungle Book being one of my favorite films. I remember this as one that my father took me to see. I have several memories of this film but three in particular that I'll share here, now.

I love the song King Louie sings, I Wan'na Be Like You. Louis Prima gave a phenomenal performance. Even now, I'll be walking through the house and every now and then break out with a rousing "Ooh-ooh-ooh, I wan'na be like you-ooh-ooh."

I also like the line that Baloo speaks during the song, once he has gotten caught up in the beat, "I'm gone man, solid gone."

And finally, the vultures. "What you want to do?" "I don't know, what do you want to do?" "Oh, now don't start that again."

While Devon and I were strolling through Disney's Animal Kingdom, walking from Asia to Africa, I spotted King Louie walking along a path to our right. I just couldn't help introducing my grandson to these old favoritesMore to follow...

The Women In My Life

When I was a child going the movie theater was a big deal. I was seven years old in 1964 and there was a new Disney film out. My dad stayed home with my baby sister and my mom took me to the movie. The movie was Mary Poppins.

I wouldn’t say that I developed a boyhood crush for Mary Poppins, or for Julie Andrews. No, that honor was reserved for Vera Ellen. But the character of Mary Poppins was magical. What child would not want a nanny, or a babysitter, who could take you on adventures through a chalk pavement drawing, or serve tea from a tea setting floating near the ceiling. With her charming, but firm disposition, her practically perfect ways and a spoon full of sugar, she managed to transform the Banks children, the Banks household and finally, Mr. Banks himself.

As for Dame Andrews, Mary Poppins was the first in a long line of film successes. Walt Disney was so taken by her performance as Guinervere in the Lerner and Lowe production of Camelot, that he waited until after the birth of her daughter to begin filming. Her performance earned her the 1964 Academy Award for Best Actress. This was only the second time in Academy history that an actress was awarded for their first motion picture role. It happened previously with Shirley Booth in Come Back Little Sheba. It has occurred since with Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl and Marlee Matlin in Children of a Lesser God.

Something else forever linked to the success of Mary Poppins, is the musical score. In the years since the film opened, two songs continue to hold a special place in my memory. Feed the Birds is quite simply one of the greatest songs ever written. The Sherman Brothers crafted a song with a simple, yet profound, message. With 146 words they expressed this truth: it doesn’t take much effort to be kind and to genuinely care for another person. Add to that the image of Jane Darwell sitting at the foot of the stairs of the majestic St. Paul’s Cathedral, spreading her love, mixed with a bit of seed, and you have a beautiful moment in film.

The other song is A Man Has Dreams. The opening two lines could very well serve as an anthem to every man who ever dared to dream.

“A man has dreams of walking with giants

To carve his niche in the edifice of time.”

What man hasn’t dreamt of becoming something more than they are. I have dreamed and continue to dream. But I do so with the understanding that it is matters not what I become, if along the way, I lose the one’s I care most about.

I aspired to greatness and found it. It is, for me, to be a good husband and son, a good father and grandfather, a good brother and uncle, a good man. I have had my whole life to understand that this is who I am and to become perfectly content in that understanding. But, looking back over all these years, I can look to a time when I was seven and an English nanny came into my life and taught me a few things about what it means to be good.

Thank you Mary Poppins.

To Infinity and Beyond

If you have just taken your cruise through the Gamma Quadrant and helped protect the universe from the Evil Emperor Zurg, don't be so quick to set off on other adventures. As tempting as they may, your adventure through Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin may not yet be complete. Upon exiting that universe, be sure to look slightly to your right and ahead. It may be possible that you'll see Mr. Lightyear himself there waiting to congratulate you on a job well done.

Be sure to have your Photopass card handy.

Oh, and just so you know, Devon and I both scored 999,999 on our journey.

More to follow...

Ka-chow!

You know, somedays you're just walking along the Streets of America with your grandson and you turn a corner. You've just arrived in Walt Disney World a few hours earlier, and you are really enjoying a nice late afternoon. Then, you hear some rumbling not too far off. You turn a corner or two, and then you find this.

Character Connection: 1972

Tomorrow, Mrs. Doc and I head down to Walt Disney World for a few days. After attending the Candlelight Processional last year during MouseFest, I thought, my wife has got to see this sometime. When the schedule for the guest narrators was released, I knew this may be the year.

One of Mrs. Doc's favorite actors is Brian Dennehy. He will be narrating December 21-23 and we will be there; for the 21st. Dinner at Tokyo Dining, the 6:45 Processional, then a reserved viewing for IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. Should be a memorable day.

As for me, I will be scouting character photo opportunities. I already have a few in mind for the Magic Kingdom on the 20th. Something I'll write about later. But before we head off down I-75 I thought I would share the first Character Connection I experienced. It was in front of the Walt Disney World Railroad Station, just before entering the park for a day of wonder and amazement. The date? Sometime during the early Spring of 1972.

Mickey and I both were a bit younger then.

Please check my Facebook page and Twitter for updates from the parks.

More to follow...

The Incredibles

Another confession:

I was never a fan of having my picture made with characters. I considered the time spent waiting in line to have my photograph taken, to be time I could be riding a ride, seeing a show, taking a photograph, or perhaps, eating. But, that is changing, thanks to my grandchildren.

During our "Papa's Dream Come True" trip in September, I patiently waited in line in the Judge's Tent at Mickey's Toontown Fair, to have my photograph made with Mickey and Minnie and whole Doc fam. And, I confess, I had a little Doc only time with Mickey and Minnie (see my Facebook profile photo). I couldn't help myself. Then, during the "Papa and Devon Back to The World" October outing, Devon taught me that having your picture made with a few characters is not a bad thing. In fact, sometimes it can be quite fun and you may experience at times little to no wait. So, with my grandson leading the way, I dove in and have begun the quest of compiling my collection of character photo ops.

Now yes, I suppose since it was all started by a mouse, I should start my Character Connections with The Mouse himself, but I am going in a little different direction and beginning with The Incredibles. It is an example of how fun some photo ops can be.

It may be easier to seek out these Character Connections when I have a grandchild with me. But I am going to test the envelop in a few weeks when Mrs. Doc visit Walt Disney World for the Candlelight Processional. Then, it will be the ol' Doc, and perhaps Mrs. Doc, waiting in line without a grandchild in sight.

One must do what one must do.

More to follow...