And I have 3 followers!

...of course, its my husband, my sister-in-law and a dear friend, but who's counting, right?

View of some dude's head and Cindy's Castle

M.K. – Main Street, U.S.A.

            All I can say is “Eeeek!  Shopping!”  If you, like me, are a souvenir connoisseur, then the Emporium is screaming your name.  Actually that might be your credit card screaming for help in your purse.  Whatever, nuances.  Main Street’s whole job is to start you toward the path of eternal Disney bliss.  Thus, it has tons of stores, tons of food, and tons of hidden gems of Imagineering.  Want a Mickey Mouse-shaped Rice Krispie (I mean, MARSHMALLOW) treat?  Look no further than Main Street.  Handy, that they put a shopping Mecca at the only entrance and exit of the entire park.  And all of these stores typically close an hour after all of the other attractions, so even if you sum up the willpower to ignore the call of commercialism now, it may get you later!

            I’m not going to tell you what to buy (Mickey ears, damnit!), but I will let you know you can get everything here with that two-eared icon.  My husband and I decided to make a trip to Florida during December.  Since we are Yanks, we assumed it would be balmy spring weather the whole time we were visiting.  Our first day to the parks, we wore sandals.  BIG mistake.  We happened to visit during one of those weather periods when it is as cold in Florida as it is in the Arctic.  We got to the parks at 11 and by 4, could no longer feel our toesies.  We entered the Emporium and bought the thickest (and cutest!) socks, which made the day that much easier.  Yes, it’s a dumb story.  Yes, you will be getting more of these as time goes on.  I apologize now…

            After your wallet has given up all of the lint it has to offer, the path directs you to the center hub, where Cindy’s Castle is stationed.  I should apologize; I am being a horrible tour guide.  I just read in a travel guide that the official name of the castle is Cinderella Castle, not the possessive Cinderella’s Castle.  There, now that I have imparted some official wisdom, I just want to add this: I would give my right arm to live in this castle.

            There it is.  The real reason I love Disney World.  I have a romantic streak a million times long and Cindy’s castle plays into it.  As you enter the castle, you are treated to some awesome mosaics of the story of Cinderella.  Her evil step-sisters are the two brats in green (for envy) and red (for rage).  If you happen to be one of the lucky few with an Advanced Reservation (very repetitive name), then you can dine in the castle with Cindy and some of her princess friends.  This, however, is basically the smallest restaurant in all of Disney World, so while it means great quality time with the princesses, it also means bookings go fast and space is tight for us big-bellied beauties.  There is also another (you guessed it!) gift shop inside the castle, the Bippiddi-Boppiddi Boutique (I have no idea how to spell that and I am too lazy to look it up).  Princesses-in-training can get a princess make-over for exorbitant sums of cash.  Isn’t Disney great?  And by great, I mean expensive…

            I hope I'm not boring anyone, I have no idea how to go about writing a blog, so I'm more writing as if this was a travel guide...  Ack, get over it.  None of you care anyway.  And if you did, you're all too polite to say anything.  Right?