Nailing Jell-O to a wall!

Blogging from Bruce
Vonda Keon

January 18, 2009

I NEED a vacation. Not just a few days off so I can stay at home and clean house or read a book. I mean a REAL, pack a bag with t-shirts and blue jeans, get into the van and drive somewhere, vacation.

Ain’t nothing going to break my stride once I get started doing something. So far 2009 has been very busy for me and mine. My work schedule has been pretty tight with all the babies that have been coming into the world.

It’s a mad dash up to the floor to get all of a newborn’s information and to get the mom and dad to fill out the work sheet so I can type up the birth certificate. It gets even more hectic if the parents haven’t picked out a name or are arguing about what to name their child. Then I have to explain that the child has to be named before leaving the hospital and that one or both of the parents has to sign the birth certificate after I type it. Some days I make several phone calls and trips up to the fourth floor before I get everything I need. I may be frustrated some days but no body is going to hold me down. I’ve got to keep on moving and typing. I wore a pedometer one week and found out I was walking over 5 miles a day! I get my exercise mentally and physically. The mental is why I NEED a vacation!

So that is why we are planning a trip for the Exchange Students. Disney World is our destination and trying to get everything just so and within a tight budget is like nailing Jell-O to the wall! Between talking on the phone with the Disney folk to get the best possible package we can for as little money as we can and rounding up which kids will be going with us and getting their trip money and information, it’s a wonder that Scott and I have any hair left.

Donna Williams, our Ayusa contact had approached us early on about taking several of the kids to Disney World in our white whale people mover. At that time, someone elsewhere was supposedly coming up with the trip package. First we heard one price and then another and then when it looked like the whole thing was going to be called off, I did what I always do…I jumped in. When it comes to going to the land of The Mouse, I get really ferocious. Besides I had already gotten my hopes up and I have an appointment with Tinkerbell! So I took over.

When we plan a trip, we look at location, price of rooms, does it come with a refrigerator and microwave and hairdryer and can we get suites to sleep 6 to 8 people with a kitchenette. Then we look at the gas prices (the van will have to make several stops to fill up and the passengers need to stretch and grab a bite to eat). Do we want to stay on Disney property or not. Do we want to do 4 days or 5 days? Do we want park hopper passes and meal deals? Are we going to drive straight through like we have always done? The ‘do we’ list goes on and on. But it is going to be nailed down this week if we want to go at Spring Break.

Getting that idea across to the Exchange Students is actually the Jell-O part. They don’t comprehend the need to plan so far ahead and pay up front to lock in the deals part of the trip. Unfortunately that is what has to happen when planning a trip to the ‘Mouse House’.

I thought it would be nice to see something we have never seen during our previous trips there. The Hoopity Doo Revue at Fort Wilderness is booked 1 year in advance so I scratched that idea off my list. Catching breakfast with some of the Characters is much easier than that. Except in Cinderella’s Castle. Old Cindy is booked up well over a year in advance. The last time we visited in June of 2000 we lucked up on a Character Breakfast in Animal Kingdom that didn’t have enough people so we got in. Perhaps that will happen again. Not only is the breakfast buffet all you can eat, there are all sorts of larger than life Disney characters that come around to your tables and you can get their autographs and take pictures. When at a character breakfast remember, don’t chase them around because they will ignore you. If you sit and wait they will come on over and visit for a while and they like ‘old’ kids just as well as little kids. Good thing since lots of ‘older’ graying folks like me like to go there.

Whenever we have gone to Disney World in the past, I always take my old autograph book. My game plan is to get autographs of as many characters as I can. I have dusted the books off and I am ready for round 4. The girls will be trying to out do me this time since they can get off on their own. We will just see how many autographs each of us can get. Donald and Daisy Duck and Ariel are pretty hard to find. My goal this year is to get the ‘princesses’ and the ducks.

Scott and I have always taken a backpack in with us with a bottle of water for each of us and little snacks to keep the energy level up. We are going to suggest strongly that each one in our group has a backpack. I noticed the other day that there is now a mesh one and that will be good for several reasons. When going into the parks, all bags are checked. Since 9/11 that is just a reality, so a see-through backpack would speed up the process. Plus it will be a lot cooler on the back. And in the case of a sudden Florida rain shower, I can find my trusty little plastic poncho pronto!


Hopefully by the end of this week I will be humming “When you wish upon a Star!” as we finally nail that wiggly Jell-O to the wall.