Back to Reality

Doesn't it suck, my friends?

Knowing that your wonderful WDW vacation is over and you had to come back home to real life. While some parts of my every day to day life are great, like my pets, my bed, Netflix, and my family, I honestly miss Disney like crazy... and I've only been away for less than a week.

Currently, I'm at home writing on my blog because I have caught an awful cold. Maybe it's from the plane. Maybe it's from public restrooms. Maybe it's from the filthy little youths running amuck at Disney World (I kid, I kid). While it could be any of those things, I'm going to put my money on my body totally rejecting real life.

I had such a wonderful time on my vacation... especially the last few days. There are so many funny stories and memorable moments that I hope I'll always remember. I still have to edit the majority of my pictures, but I think you guys might like to hear about some of the more memorable experiences of my recent WDW trip.

• I was gifted the lovely experience of a private security screening at Detroit Metro Airport. Yes. Groping at the airport is something that I had never experienced until this trip. My Express Portofino shirt had studded pockets which set off the screening machine. The TSA agent had to pat down my chest area (AKA, touch my boobs). No biggie. The TSA agent asked to go through my belongings (which was just my purse), as well as do a hand swab. Again, I just assumed it was protocol and didn't think much of it. At this point Barbara, Ben, and Matt all found this funny and watched as the woman swabbed my hands and looked through my purse. Soon after she opened up my purse, the computer displayed the results of my hand swab... "EXPLOSIVES DETECTED." She sighed and told me it was because of my lotion (glycerin is a common ingredient in explosives), and that she'd have to do a private security screening. At this point, it was just getting funny. Two female TSA agents took me into a back room, and one of them proceeded to politely feel me up. By the end of the pat down I was talking to both agents about doing theater and performing. As I walk out of the screening room, there's Barbara snapping pictures of me on her phone. Even though we almost missed our flight, and we didn't get to stop for coffee (the only sad part of this story), it was a hilarious (and educational) experience. 

• During our visit to Be Our Guest Restaurant in the Magic Kingdom, a man walked up to me as I was grabbing napkins and silverware and asked if I was a cast member. I told him that I wasn't, but I'd like to be. He told me that he saw me during the park opening show, and asked how I knew the words to the song. Uhh... I just listen to the song nearly every day at work, and anytime that I feel like a need a pick-me-up. He didn't like my response. The man said, "Are you sure you're not a cast member?" Yes, sir. I'm sure. The man said, "So, you just listen to the song a lot? That's it?" Yep...pretty much. 

• I'll go into more detail of our pretty rough dinner at 'Ohana in another blog post, but let me just say that it was without a doubt, the worst dining experience I have ever had on Disney property. It really didn't have much to do with the food. It had to do with the many issues that we had, and how they were not addressed properly. It was the first time I've ever had to speak with a manager at a restaurant. 

• We experienced a very strange version of the Indiana Jones show at the Studios. There was a big technical difficulty mid-show that they didn't seem to know how to handle. At first I thought that it was just a new part to the show that I hadn't seen before, but when the actors started to obviously try and stall until a solution was determined, I knew something was going wrong behind the scenes. Pretty much everything after the opening scene of Indy and the boulder was different. They even said that they had to improvise the next stunt scene. After that, the show ended and the theater was cleared out. 

• I finally got to conquer the Kitchen Sink at Beaches and Cream! It was one of my favorite dining experiences I've had at WDW. Ever! In the end, the bowl was a sloppy melted mess of ice cream and whipped cream. For an extreme ice cream lover such as myself, it was a dream come true. I was the last man standing, and the bowl had to be pried out of my grip before I'd stop eating. I regret nothing.

• Spice Road Table was absolute perfection. We loved it so much that we actually ended up eating there twice during our vacation. Nadia, our first waitress that hailed from Morocco, is easily one of the best Disney cast members there is. She really gave us a cultural dining experience that I will not soon forget.

• After Matt's birthday dinner, us ladies wanted to just take a cab back to Pop Century. The boys insisted we save some money. Not realizing that the Studios closed early that night, our plan to take the boat to the Studios and then hop a bus to Pop Century was foiled. We got a cab at the Beach Club, and proceeded to have one heck of an experience thanks to our crazy ass cab driver.  Barbara kept saying awkward things to him. One question being, "So...what are you up to tonight? Any big plans?" The cab ride ended with the guy insisting we pay him in cash, and then giving us his business card and explaining his name is, "Khan...like Chaka Khan." Exiting the cab, we all turned to each other as I asked, "Did he just say Chaka Khan?" 

• Barbara and I had an epic battle of bar seating with three fellow guests at Tambu Lounge. We went there to get a drink after dinner at Captain Cook's. Every seat was taken at the bar, so we patiently waited for something to open up. After about ten minutes, this girl that looked a few years younger than us along with her two guy friends came into the area and waited for seats as well. We see three seats opening up at the bar right in front of us, and as we approach the seats quickly, this other girl swoops in and sits in one of them. She gives us a very dirty look as we sit in the two seats next to her. Clearly, she had assumed her two friends deserved those seats. They were all dolled up and obviously thought they were too cool for school. After the dirty look we received, it was on. We anxiously awaited two more seats at the bar to open up, or a nearby table in the 'Ohana waiting area. Whispers were exchanged, more crappy looks were thrown, but eventually, we won and got two seats on either side of us after the girl and her friends gave up.

• After we left the airport on Thursday, I was hungry. We made a stop at Del Taco for the first time. It. Was. Awesome. We paired that with a few episodes of New Girl and had one heck of a night. 

Once I get my pictures edited, I promise I'll share some of them with you! Thanks to all of you that followed along during my vacation on Twitter, Instagram, and/or Facebook. It's almost like you were right there with me. :)