And now for something completely different ... in which there is no food or booze.
You have been warned.
I had this great, sappy post written about the reasons that Jay and I enjoy spending so much time vacationing at Walt Disney World ... then I re-read it, promptly gagged on my own bile, and hit the delete key faster than you could ask, "Who farted pixie dust?" The truth of the matter is that we visit WDW so often because we have ridiculous fun and are able to spend time with great friends there, all the while drinking like fools and eating like pigs.
Ahem.
But sometimes, when you least expect it, a wee bit of magic creeps into your trip. The most wonderful surprises, some very small and others capable of taking your breath away, can fall into your lap at any given moment ... even the laps of snarky old curmudgeons like us. Which leads me to the the tale of how, while enjoying a leisurely stroll around Crescent Lake one beautiful evening, Jay and I were approached by a cast member who worked at the Yacht Club Marina.
"Hey guys," he said with a smile. "Do you have any plans tonight?"
Well, that certainly got our attention. A number of thoughts zipped through my mind including: "I shouldn't have worn the 'I Don't Bite' t-shirt ... this dude thinks we're swingers!" Luckily Jason was much more calm and rational than me; he shrugged and replied, "We're just out for a stroll to enjoy this amazing weather."
"Would you like to take an Illuminations Cruise?"
Whaaaaaa - ?
For years one of the fondest wishes of my greedy little vacation heart has been to take an Illuminations Cruise, but like so many WDW specialty tours they are expensive; Jay and I usually opt to spend our vacation funds on items of a more chewable and drinkable nature. We looked at each other again while the cast member waited for our answer and then I blurted out, "Sure we'd like to take an Illuminations Cruise, but how much will it cost?"
Crass, yes; but better to know the toll upfront than to find yourself out in the middle of the lake $350 (plus gratuity!) short and with no way to access your ATM.
"No charge; it's free."
This time Jay and I exchanged the raised eyebrow look with each other, the one that means: you're not falling for this, right?
The cast member laughed. "There's no catch, I promise. The family that had the cruise booked for this evening called us and said they were too tired to keep their reservation. Since the boat's ready to go it's yours if you want it."
Jeebus pleezus ... of course we want it!
And just like that, with a whole lot of "wow, thanks!" and "really? we can't thank you enough!" we were boarding a pontoon boat that seats up to ten guests and pulling out of the marina into the middle of Crescent Lake on our way to Epcot. We obviously weren't prepared for picture taking, so the few photographs I have to share aren't the best quality but they do offer a glimpse into what it's like to experience an Illuminations Cruise. I don't know why this cast member honed in on Jay and me when there were so many people wandering around the marina and boardwalk that evening but we will always be grateful for the gift he gave us. Illuminations has always been our favorite fireworks show and having the opportunity to watch it on the lake together like this was amazing - we will never forget this night and the good karma that was visited upon us by the great and glorious vacation gods!
Pinch us!
It's the Boardwalk ...
Following the Friendship into Epcot ...
I think that's the bridge between England & France!
Yep; definitely the bridge. And the other boats left us a parking spot!
You better pinch us once more ...
England ... the lower tier of the Rose & Crown
More England ... sucks to be on land, huh?
This is way cooler than being at home getting ready to go back to work!
The globe ...
The after-effects with all the fireworks fallout in the air.
13 comments:
wow! how amazing for you! by the way, i followed you over here from the disboards since you have such amazing adventures...i'm living vicariously through you!
So happy for you! and totally jealous!!!
I am so jealous! How gloriously wonderful! I know why they picked you guys, you radiate the best vibes in the world. I think it's all that single malt scotch!
Any dining reviews from this trip coming?
Wow, just wow! I've been waiting for your trip report and reviews!
It had to have been obviously to the employee that you were a very special and deserving couple, I am so happy you were the "chosen one."
thanks for all the lovely comments - it was really a great surprise and we had a great time.
As for WDW reviews ... I will be posting a few things here but nothing like what I've done in the past on the DIS. Most of it would just be a repeat and honestly, they don't really want me over there anymore.
I hope you will all still check up on us as time permits ... I'm always planning some kind of trip that involves food & booze that I want to share with my friends!
Fantastic story Brenda!! Wow, what a cool way to dole out some extra magic. Glad he picked you guys and that you had fun!!
(Yes, there was a typo in my last one, so I had to delete it. I hate the lack of an editing feature here!)
This happened to my lil family a couple of years ago -- it a Wishes cruise, tho. Pixie dust all around!
I thought I might have seen you and your hubs at EPCOT on 10/8 or 10/9 -- can't remember which day. Methinks it was near Germany, maybe sometime before noon? Can't remember the specifics now...too much wine.
I greatly enjoy your blog posts!
Hi Cookiecrisp! I am sure you saw us at Epcot on both the 8th and the 9th ... I think the only day we weren't at Epcot was the 7th because we were too busy being celebrities of the day at the Brown Derby over at MGM! You can read about that here very soon!
Next time you see us please say hello ... we're usually pretty friendly, especially if we've been drinking! ;-)
Awesome Brendy! (this is Disneyjunebug from disboards) Love it when some Pixie dust filters over someone! Found your blog a couple of months ago and zoom this way occassionally. I've finally caught up all the way through present. Love them all!
Junebug! Long time no see! So glad you came over to pay us a visit and thank you for your kind words! Hope you and yours are doing well - don't be a stranger. :-)
Post a Comment