I will be returning to Portland tomorrow after a few great days with my son’s family. The only real issue of the trip was the need to replace a water heater at his home. Just after we hooked up in Orlando, he got a call from his neighbor, wondering about the water pouring out from under his garage door. Thankfully, that neighbor was nosy, but prevented this from being a much bigger problem, and immediately shut off the main water line just after their conversation. My son is also fortunate to have a handy father-in-law and a good friend who’s a skilled electrician. They were able to provide advice and assistance that is certainly not my forte. My only sacrifices were an injured finger, a cold shower, and some financial support. Even though there is yet some leakage to resolve, I was able to enjoy a hot shower this morning.

We stayed in Orlando for the night, so the grand kids could go to Disney World with me, but I’m certain my son was anxious to find the source of his water heater problem. It was, by far, my cheapest experience in seeing The Mouse. As I pointed out in a recent blog post (See #390), I have had my share of both working with and being a guest of the Disney family. Here’s a few quick memories:

  • I did some Disney character “meet and greets” in Indianapolis in 1992, where I learned that Mickey was a girl, Minnie a smoker, and Goofy a Teamster, along with all the costume performers.
  • I, along with the TV station I represented, was accused of “Whoring with the Mouse” in an Indianapolis Star newspaper article , following our partnership with Disney in conjunction with the 1992 Indianapolis 500 festivities. Mickey and friends unveiled the 1992 Cadillac Allante pace car driven by Bobby Unser.
  • I have a personalized “Thanks for the Mousepitality” poster and gracious note for unexpectedly hosting the massive Disney stage vehicles after they were refused admittance into the Indianapolis 500 grounds where they were scheduled to perform. It turned out to be an oversight by security, the dreaded “yellow shirts” that often make visits to the Speedway a hassle every May.
  • I first visited Walt Disney World in the 1970’s, during the first few years of it’s initial operation, a tradition that was repeated several times every year. We would travel as a family to the Orlando and Plant City area to stock up on house plants for our floral business. A long day of walking around Disney helped my son peacefully sleep in the van throughout the 21 hour drive back home.
  • My family was once trapped inside the It’s A Small World ride for several hours due to an equipment malfunction, and had to wade out of the ride after listening to the song over and over and over again.
  • I was there for Mickey’s 50th Birthday in 1978, for the park’s 25th Anniversary Celebration in 1996, and for my 50th Birthday Party with Eeyore in 2001, where I was stunned to  witness the Jimmy Buffet song Margaritaville played on the harp at Disney’s Victoria and Albert’s Restaurant in the Floridian Resort.
  • My current wife of  nearly 17 years and I have been to the Orlando property together on five different occasions: May of 1999, August of 2000 & 2001, August of 2012, and May of 2014 with the grandkids. I regrettably went without her in February 2017, as part of a trip with my son and his family to the nearby Daytona 500.
  • The May of 1999 trip, our first time there together, was particularly memorable because of my playful creation of “Mouse Ears” everywhere we went.
  • My wife and I also visited Disneyland together in October of 2005 and had each been there on separate occasions before we were a couple.
  • My son and his family have held annual passes to the park for the last four years
  • My wife has a collection of Disney limoges boxes

As you can probably tell, my wife is as big of a Disney fan as I am.  It’s unfortunate that once again this year, I traveled there without her. She simply hasn’t have the vacation time available to join me on my last two retirement trips to see my son, daughter-in-law, and two grand kids. Since we each had children before we were married, she would prefer not to be called “Grandma” until her two daughters have families of their own. She made last year’s trip to the Daytona 500 possible through her ticket sources, but was disappointed that we would also visit Walt Disney World without her. This year my flight was cheaper to come in through Orlando, so the family came over to meet me. It was, by far, my least expensive trip ever to the Magic Kingdom, since they all have annual passes, free parking, and member discounts. It was $113 for my ticket, $70 for lunch, a $15 Thumper and Bambi pin at my wife’s request, and $4 for a Diet Coke. That’s Disney for Five at under $200. Priceless! After all, a typical Disney vacation averages about $500 per person per day when you factor in airline, ground transportation, admission, parking, hotel, food, and souvenirs. No tipping helps, but it’s still a major investment for a family to visit for even a few days.

The rest of my expenses included the airfare to visit, family dinners, a rental car, gas and a new water heater. Disney was a bargain, until the annual pass renewal invoice comes again. They get plenty of use out of living near Disney World and I can use Marriott Rewards points in the area, that includes a breakfast buffet. I guess it’s not so cheap after all, when you’re “whoring” with The Mouse as much as we do!