We're All Ears (Among Other Things)

I have been thinking about this for a while now. The question arose when my Magic Kingdom compatriots and I posed for this picture.


So you tell me... why is it that wherever else we go, most of us fight to conform, to fit in? My husband's favourite line is, "You should always blend into your environment." (honestly, the man should own shares in every camouflage clothing line on the market... but I digress.)

So even before we stepped through the gates into Walt's World we noticed this.

Grown men & women wearing all types of hats and headgear. Grandmothers and grandkids wearing t-shirts & sweatshirts with goofy dogs and grumpy dwarves on them. I saw one man with so many pins on a lanyard around his neck that I had a flashback to Mr. T. and the A Team. I am quite certain that not one of these people would show up to work the next week wearing Mickey Mouse Ears that glow in the dark.

And this phenomenom is not restricted to theme parks. Have you seen what people wear to sporting events? Crazed fans carry banners with questionable phrases on them and they paint their faces in irridescent team colours. My friend told me about a trip that her and her husband made to the Nascar races in Las Vegas. When they arrived they scoffed at the "attire" of most of the attendees. By the time they left they each were quite in the spirit, sporting plastic Jimmy Johnson visers and two very "loud" t-shirts.

So this time I am looking for answers and opinions. What happens when I swipe my ticket and walk through those gates? What happens to logic and reason, not to mention any trace of dignity? You tell me.

144,564 Steps!

I have been to the Magic Kingdom eight times now, each time cramming as much into 5 days as humanly possible, so just for fun I thought that this time I would wear my pedometer... to see how far I would actually walk in 5 days.

Can you believe it?... I walked 88 kilometres! 144,564 steps! That's like walking from Langley to Hope! No wonder my feet felt like they belonged to someone else!

You have to understand that we've been there, done that a few times now.... so our trips to Disneyland aren't exactly like they show you in the brochure, we don't "see" Disneyland like we used to. This time I tried something new and did some geo-caching in and around the Park (I found 7)... that took me to places in Disneyland that even I hadn't been to before. We went on every major attraction at least 3 times each. We watched Aladdin, Billy Hill and the Hillbillies and Steve Martin. We chatted with Cast Members, got soaked on Splash Mountain till we got just the right picture and wearing our Ears was mandatory when entering the Park. We gave Disneyland tips to other tourists (apparently our Ears gave us away) and we rode in the cockpit of the monorail (you just have to ask).

It was all I imagined it would be and then some. Was it worth the the tired feet, exhausted bones and blisters? Was it worth 144,564 steps! You bet!