I am putting together this blog entry in 2024, by memory as best I can recall it. I had it in blog form, but foolishly erased it after getting complaints from the folks back home it was taking too long to load. It was my first winter getaway following Gwen's death in 2009, so I really want to get something down before my memory faded all together. I did not bring my kitties with me this trip; Dawn was kind enough to look after them.
This was all about Orlando; the thought of spending winter in Fort Myers hadn't occurred to me yet. I started out in Kissimee at a cheap motel (I think it was a Motel 6) because I wanted to be close to all the Disney Parks, and reasonably close to the mid-winter NAWCC Regional. I paid for the room by the week to save a little money and was able to get a room with a 'fridge and a microwave oven.
One of the restaurants I remember during my time here was Tarentino's, an Italian place in Kissimee. They had a cute hostess named Leilani (or something like that) who was charming. They had the best chicken Parmesan.
Curt and Karen visited me during this time, and one of the places we visited was "Orange World, which sold citrus and lots of Disney crap. I bought a small plastic bowl there that pictured some artwork from "Finding Nemo" that apparently didn't sell well. It was only a buck, and I still have the bowl in my junk drawer to store miscellaneous objects.
The NAWCC regional was good, though I don't recall much about it. When done, I started exploring the Disney parks, starting with Epcot. I had purchased a seasonal Disney pass because I knew I would get my money's worth, versus pay ala carte. Spaceship earth was great. The "Land" pavilion was also entertaining, with the growing of hydroponic vegetables which were distributed in the various food venues at Disney Parks for guests to eat. The "Soarin'" ride is also there, which was awesome. A total immersion ride, including breezes and scents. Then, over to the "Sea" pavilion which included a simulated dive to an undersea laboratory. The GM Racetrack ride was also fun.
Then, onto the World Showcase, the other part of Epcot, where you get to experience the culture and foods of about nine different nations. I enjoyed the pavilions at Mexico, Canada, Norway, Germany, China, and France. Had lunch at the Mexico pavilion. Dessert at France with all the delicious pastries.
I stayed for "Illuninations," the nightly fireworks show, and that was terrific as well. Then, back to the motel.
After the Mid-winter, I scoped out a room to let at a home near the Magic Kingdom owned by "Grant,"
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| Grant's house, aka Disney Dorm. |
a Disney cast member who looked about 12. He played numerous cast members, including Peter Pan, one of the Chip 'n' Dale chipmunks, due to his diminutive size. His house was just south of the various Disney parks, and he had several other roommates, including Leah, a painfully beautiful raven-
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| Leah |
haired girl who played Snow White and various princesses. I remember Grant had a lot of Robert Kincaid ("Painter of Light") paintings on the walls (one is behind Leah).
Another gal is seen below at left.
Another roommate of his was "Greta." She was a heavy gal, and some would call her a "Fag Hag," slang for a heterosexual woman who spends much of her time with gay men, i.e., Grant. Greta was a sometime Disney Cast member, but also played in various plays put on by cast members to keep in practice and justify their theater majors. I recall Greta played in "Into the Woods" a 1986 musical, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
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| Grant and "Greta" |
Other cast members would drop in and out. I recall one night, Grant invited me to dinner and drinks with several cast members. There was one fellow there who was a race-car driver for one of the Disney attractions. He was beautifully muscled and had a gorgeous girlfriend. Here we all are the restaurant (below, left).
My time at the Disney Dorm was fun for most part, but there was some trouble when Grant decided to install some patio blocks to make a small patio for his barbecue grill. He and Greta started pounding away late at night, and I finally had to get up and ask them to stop. There was just no sense of time on their part, and no conception that an "old fart" like me needed his sleep. Here is my bedroom at Grant's place (left).
Also, during my time in Orlando, I volunteered with a local animal shelter. My "boss" was Patsy Porter, and I went through an orientation session and earned my badge. I worked mostly with cats and kittens, though occasionally worked with dogs when the need arose. I recall one afternoon I worked with a bull terrior who nearly knocked me over when I let him out of the cage to leash him and let him run around in the exercise pen.
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Our "gang" from the Disney Dormatory out for dinner. "Big
Schlong" and his girlfriend, seen earlier with the cat, are to my left.
The next park I visited was Disney Hollywood Studios. They were completing construction on the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The attraction is inspired by Rod Serling's anthology television series, The Twilight Zone. The attraction places riders in a seemingly ordinary hotel elevator, and present a fictional backstory in which people have mysteriously disappeared from the elevator under the influence of a supernatural force.
Tower of Terror
I understand the Tower was renamed because too many people associated the name with the World Trade tower collapse of 9/11/2001.
Anyway, I remained at Grant's house through the winter, returning home some time in late March or early April. A great time.
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