Memoirs of a Soon-to-Be Former Fat Guy

Let me start off by saying that 32 years ago, we lost one of the most influential musicians of our time. Rest in peace, John Lennon.

So, I’m back from a wonderful visit to the World. It was great to see people I haven’t seen in months or years, and it was great to be amongst some of the very best friends a person can have. Once again, the folks at Mouse Fan Travel and WDW Today outdid themselves in making magic and memories.

I would be remiss, though, to not mention Deb, Linda, and the rest of the AllEars team for throwing a fabulous IllumiNations dessert party. I was so pleased to find there were fresh fruit options available, as well as a nice cheese selection. It made the night that much more magical.

One of the things people consistently ask me is why we keep going back to Disney. Or I’m criticized because we go there as opposed to Las Vegas or some other more “adult” venue. I often wonder why folks feel they have the right or just the sheer chutzpah to question our vacation choice. I usually give a non answer, something along the lines of the weather, or the food, or asking why said person goes to the same beach year after year. It’s all of those, but there’s a lot more to it. It boils down to two major points. We go for the magic and for our friends.

I realize we’re in the minority… we don’t have children, so why would we willingly go to a place that is filled to overflowing with burbling Mouseketeers? I could talk for days on the way the Walt Disney Company has ruined the experience… ranging from the dumbing down of the attractions, attractions are starting to look run down, the food prices, the naked cash grab that is Duffy the Disney Bear, the need to force certain characters down your throat, changing nearly every nice place to eat into a “Character Dining Experience” just so they can charge more, or worse, letting the princesses invade the castle at every meal, the elimination of park and resort specific merchandise, and the proliferation of cheap light-up shit at every nighttime show, just to extort more cash out of weary parents. I could go on and on, and you’d say, “Brian, if you hate it so much, why do you keep going?”

I keep going because in the midst of all the chaos, there’s still magic to be found. Maybe it’s the ties to my childhood and being totally fascinated with the way the air rifles worked on Tom Sawyer Island. Maybe it’s remembering being under the Magic Kingdom as a teenager, preparing to play in Fantasyland with the school jazz band. Maybe it’s just seeing a child who gets what the magic is all about and isn’t whining about wanting every souvenir under the sun. Maybe it’s seeing that same child’s eyes light up when he/she sees Mickey Mouse for the first time. Maybe it’s getting that top row middle seat on Soarin and losing yourself in the majesty of the music and visuals. Maybe it’s all of the above.

The best time of year to find magic is in the holiday season. The Magic Kingdom offers the Very Merry Christmas Party, EPCOT offers Holidays Around the World and the Candlelight Processional and the Studios offers the Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights:

Normally, the lights are like a big sardine can. Thanks to Beci and her crew at Mouse Fan Travel, we were able to enjoy the lights with a rather small crowd. It makes it so easy to take photos and video and to just walk around seeing the sights and enjoying the snow (yes, snow) falling.

With some of our very best friends, including the guy on FaceTime.

The other draw I mentioned is our friends that we have met through the community. A finer group of people you will not find, and that alone makes we want to return. Where else would you find a group of (allegedly) sane adults crammed into a booth at Beaches and Cream, laughing like crazy as we chat via FaceTime with a friend who couldn’t make the trip? Later the same night I was able to FaceTime the fireworks to the same friend. It’s the wonder of technology, yo.

Speaking of the fireworks, what makes them special is the five minute holiday tag. It’s an amazing amount of pyrotechnics thrown in the air to the accompaniment of the Boys Choir of Harlem singing “Let There Be Peace of Earth”

So, anyway, we had a great time and I’m back in the saddle. I even had my tubby ass at the gym at 8 AM for 45 minutes of cardio. I think I wound up losing a couple of pounds since I was able to walk a lot without a blister (bless you, moisture-wicking socks). I have a dietician appointment on Wednesday, and hopefully I’ll be getting a surgery date soon. I know it won’t be easy, and this is a change for the rest of my life, but it’s what I need to do. I’ve screwed around way too long and abused my body for way too long. It’s time I get on the road and stay on the road.

Have a great weekend, folks!