You’re a wonderful son.
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Enjoying your report and agree, you are an amazing person. Caregiving is very hard. Your Mom raised a fantastic human, that is for sure!
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you are a very special person.
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gwarsh… thanks for the kind words 
But don’t forget, a lot of this is also thanks to you guys for your encouragement and guidance as I forged ahead with the trip. Sooo… really, WE are a wonderful son. (wait, is that weird? I feel that might be weird? 
)
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Oh man, enjoying your trip report, but being as I was there the same week, the rain was TERRIBLE! My shoes took almost a week to dry after we got home.
I’m impressed you kept frustrations from your mom, caregiving is very difficult.
Can’t wait to hear about the rest of your week! Especially knowing what wicked storms there was! We spent more time in our room than the parks. (Which we didn’t mind, we watched a lot of TV and just relaxed…)
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I love reading about your day…things just never go quite the way we envision them to go. I think that you did a great job with the day. Sorry that your evening did you end the way you wished… hoping for better days to come!
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I need to read reports like yours after days like today. Thank you
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Thanks for sharing this. How wonderful you and your mom could take this trip together! I have enjoyed following along and hearing about your trip. I look forward to reading more about your trip.
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Forgive the slowness of the updates, school and work (and doctors appointments) have been non stop this week. The good news is that mom is now off dedicated oxygen!! WOO HOO!
Day 3 - The forgettable morning
This morning we have 8AM reservations for Be Our Guest so naturally I’m up and wide awake at…4AM. I smile as this happened on my last trip and that is a good indication this will be a good day. With easily 3 hours to kill before the day starts, I shower, dress, and brew myself a cup of coffee and settle down into one of the chairs on the balcony to enjoy Disney at dawn. The resort info channel playing softly in the background so I can just hear it on the balcony.
As I sip my coffee, the morning is cloudy but dry and the sounds of light traffic can be heard as Cast Members make their way to or from work and guests make their way home or arrive early to start their vacation. I look out over the parking lot into the Kingdom and the Castle and Space Mountain are bathed in blue light, which pops especially against the bright yellow parking lot lights of the Contemporary.
Below, I hear a the sound of high pressure water hitting concrete and I look down to find the source of the sound. A Cast Member, dramatically lit by the light spilling out from the welcome area of the hotel, has begun blasting the brick-tiled driveway of the Contemporary. It again dawns on me that I’m really high up as a morning bird passes through my view as I’m looking down. With a grin, I once again recall the scene in the recent Jungle Book where Baloo whines about how high he is “Birds? Tha-a-a-at’s not good.” I decide to take a picture.
After about an hour or so of relaxing on the balcony, I reflect on the trip so far and note that my hands do not hurt at all. I remember someone, somewhere, suggested that I get bike gloves to push mom around in the wheelchair and I pull out my phone to find the post to thank them for that stroke of genius. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to locate the thread or the post, so instead I decided to post an update on the Touring Plans forum in my already-established trip thread. To my shock, I got replies almost immediately. It turns out I’m not the only early riser and start having a conversation with @SallyEppcot and @PrincipalTinker. It’s Wednesday morning…WHY ARE YOU NOT ASLEEP?! 
As I finish the conversation (which was pretty much marked by the emptying of my coffee mug), it’s now getting close to 7AM and the sky is starting to lighten and I hear mom rustling awake inside. I go back into the room and help her get ready for the day. She’s sluggish to move, but this has been normal the past two days, so it doesn’t concern me. I check and pack the POC batteries, and ready the park bag for the morning. This time being sure not to repeat yesterday’s folly and packing both sunglasses and sunscreen.
Soon, we’re off to the Magic Kingdom via the walkway and I am completely energized. Mickey’s voice announcing we’re at “the First Floor!” just adds to the experience. This is my favorite time of day and in the best place. As we walk, I “quietly” hum “Zippidy-do-dah” and force myself not to break into a run for fear of having mom bounce around in the chair due to the bricks in the walkway (and because I know if I run, I just have to sit longer at the gates anyway).
We get to the gates and we’re too early to go into Main Street yet(as expected), but as we approach, a Cast Member asks if we have reservations and I inform them that we do. She gives us a pamphlet and quick directions of where to go once we’re allowed inside. I take the paper and hand it to mom for her reference (as I know exactly where to go) and get into the line and happily we’ve chosen a spot right next to a stone bench that is encompassing a tree, so I not only have a bit of shade, but a place to sit. The weather is proving to be stellar and I couldn’t be happier about it after the rain canceling Fantasmic yesterday.
After a about 15 minutes, the crowd has now grown substantially, and I wonder “and the point of opening Main Street and killing the welcome show was what again….?” Still, we’re soon let in and I move with a bit of purpose toward the castle with the intention of getting into the line as early as possible. However, as we near the castle, I can’t pass up the opportunity for a selfie with mom in this setting, even if it does cost us a few minutes.
I think it was worth it. And the selfie didn’t take nearly that much time, so after a few quick snaps, we then move over to the Liberty Square bridge and greet the two cast members who are scanning magic bands for reservations.
“Good morning!” She says cheerily
“Morning!” I respond, usually trying to match their cheery tone but I think I surpassed it today.
“Do you have a reservation for a meal 00or tour?”
“Reservation for Be Our Guest?” I say, I always form it in a question, I never understand why.
“Perfect! I just need you to touch your magic band to here.” She says, bringing up her iPad and scanning whatever information was on the thing.
She looks it over quickly then nods “Have a great time!” She says and I bid her my thanks as I wheel mom through and onto the bridge.
As we cross the bridge, several people have stopped to take a photo of the castle and I contemplate doing the same. However, I decide that I have used up enough time and I don’t want to risk not being able to sit in the West Wing, so I keep going and start pushing mom up the ramp behind the castle.
It’s a lot easier than I thought it would have been and soon we’re at the back of the castle where only the stone surface is the downside as mom’s chair picks up every nook and cranny of the uneven surface.
We approach Be Our Guest and I check in and then wheel mom down the bridge entrance. We’re not first in line but we’re pretty close. They haven’t opened yet, so it’s a wait. As we do, I take in the surroundings. It is a gorgeous morning now, wispy clouds keep the sun from shining harshly and instead just allows it to bathe everything in warm light. The morning mist hangs lightly in the air as the lightest of breezes gently brush against the skin. As I stand there admiring the view, with a small stream babbling below the bridge, I am reminded why I love mornings, and especially ones here at Disney World.
I finish taking a final selfie with mom just as the restaurant’s presentation begins. Unfortunately, we’re back far enough that I can’t really hear much so I know mom can’t hear any of it. A tad disappointing, but we’re let in and as we enter I suggest to mom to listen to the surroundings, particularly the suits of armor we’re passing.
We make our way to the “study” and confirm the order. Mom had chosen the Croissant Donut where I had gone for my “go to”, the open faced bacon egg and cheese. Once we’re through I give mom a quick tour of the dining hall but head straight for the West Wing. Inside, I find a table and set her up then I go fetch the silverware and napkins.
I bring them back and then ask what she’d like to drink and then I’m off again to get the beverages. I’m not sure why, but I feel extremely rushed and under the gun to complete this as soon as possible. I grab two coffees and an orange juice and carefully make my way back to the table.
By the time I get there, the food has already arrived and mom is chowing down on… the open faced bacon egg and cheese. Immediately, I stopped her as I had been working with the impression she was looking forward to the pile of sugary sweetness that was the croissant and switched plates with her. Apparently, she was enjoying the sandwich as she looked a bit disappointed that I had made the switch. In hindsight, I should have split everything 50/50 so she could fully try both. Though not that any of this would matter soon…
After we switched plates and began eating in earnest, I told mom everything I knew about the West Wing room and what to look out for (like the rose petal falling being the catalyst to all the effects in the room). She didn’t really seem to care about the effects and just nodded or gave me the usual one-syllable responses to my attempts at conversations, and for the most part we ate in silence. Again.
After my plate to cleared and mom was full, we departed with coffees in hand to enjoy my #1 reason to visit Be Our Guest: to walk through a nearly deserted park. We stroll down the walkway toward liberty square and pause behind the castle to finish our coffees. The clouds have returned so photo opportunities are rather slim, so instead we just sit and relax. The welcome show starts and we watch from the distance.
We stay where we are through about 80% of the way through the welcome show when I start to wheel her back up the ramp. For I know as soon as the horde makes it back here, the line for Peter Pan will be insane. So I bring us over to Peter Pan and we stand in the line that has already formed.
Once the fireworks from the show go off, the Cast Members let us into the ride and we start going through the queue. I wish I could take more time in here, but it doesn’t seem possible and we have to move at a continuous pace through the Darling’s house. On the wall in the nursery, I notice that there are shadows of bells on the wall, but no one in front or behind seems to realize they’re interactive. So as I walk through, I raise my hand and they chime, which brings voices of surprise and delight to the party behind me. Mom… doesn’t really notice.
Soon, we’re at the moving belt and they have mom transition to the ship. This is proving difficult for her but we make it and the Cast Member there does the usual “sprinkling” of dust and with a half-hearted snap of his fingers, the safety bar lowers and we’re off to Neverland.
As before, I’m not that impressed with the ride itself, but it is classic. Mom seems to be taking it all in, but says nothing. The ride ends and she’s having a lot of trouble getting off the ship and onto the moving belt. She had just about made it off before the last possible moment when the Cast Members stopped the ride completely so she could finish transitioning to the belt. So… uh… sorry about that. Once back onto the belt, it was a short walk back to the chair and she drops in like a sack of potatoes. I realize that transitioning on rides is no longer an option for a while.
After Peter Pan, I wanted to do a small bit of shopping to hopefully let mom recover from getting off the ride. We stopped into a shop and found a hat that she liked and bought it. I wheeled her over to the castle to take a photo of her in her new hat. After that, it was time for Small World.
I was a little concerned about the wheelchair for Small World, but was relieved when I saw that the ride doesn’t require you to get out of the chair. So we get into line for that and soon we’re boarded and we’re floating. I had really been looking forward to this as the last time I was here, Small World was under refurbishment. So this would be my first ride since I was a kid. As a kid, it was my absolute favorite ride. I never understood why, but the song, all the animatronics and the whole thing just left me with a sense of wonder that stuck with me. When we were here in 1990, I made my parents ride this at least 5 times.
Now, today, I can honestly say that long wait was over and I found the ride to be… so boring. I don’t ever remember the ride being thrills and chills, but I definitely didn’t remember it being this dull. As we go though, I also notice a lot of technical issues with the ride, something I think I’m only picking out because I’m an adult. Things like eyes that don’t fully close on blinks, or the mechanics at time not fully working, even pieces of the ceiling missing. This is a little jarring as I remember last year, while visiting the Tiki Room I was awe inspired by the technical marvel that it was given its amount of throughput of visitors. Here, it was the exact opposite as it was behaving as a ride I would expect given the amount of use it gets.
While I’m observing everything, I happen to notice mom is asleep. That is surprisingly early given the time of day and how long she’s been up. I nudge her awake and make sure she’s ok and she just nods sleepily.
The ride is coming to a close and I see the “good bye” messages and eagerly look for our custom one that I had read about. As I suddenly remember our magic bands were never scanned, I am a little nervous I won’t see one. Thankfully, that looks to not be a factor as I happen to spot our names on one of the signs. Delighted, I nudged mom awake again (she’s been asleep for most of the ride) and pointed it out to her. Apathetically, she nods and I realize her morning was over and it was time to get her back to the hotel to rest. Especially as we were about to head over to Animal Kingdom and mom had never been there before and I wanted her rested and able to enjoy everything.
Leaving Small World, it took us a full 15 minutes to get back to the gate due to the influx of people. Eventually we made it and it was another 10-15 minutes to get back to the room where I helped her into bed and she, no surprise, went to sleep almost immediately.
Relieved she was now resting, I decided to head back out to MK to finish out the rest of my morning. Soon as I’m through the gates, I decide to treat myself to a dole whip float and try out the new mobile ordering system. I LOVE this new feature, but it just essentially created a third (shorter) line where they ask who you are before they make anything. Still, I got my float!
Enjoying my first float (something else that took far too long to achieve this trip), I walked around the Park taking in the transitions of the land as well as everything else as well as a few pictures. I didn’t have any fast passes for here (as all our Fast Passes were set for Animal Kingdom), so there was a wait for every ride. I tried to get onto splash mountain, but by the time I made it there from Aloha Isle, the ride wait went up by 30 minutes. Yikes.
It’s no big deal though, I enjoy walking through the park more than the rides anyway. So I do just that. Very soon, my float is done, and I’m feeling another coffee so I stop at the Cheshire Cafe and order up a cup. I contemplate getting a muffin to, but I see no reason as I’m still pretty full from breakfast (and dole whip). Taking my coffee, I sip at it as I continually make my way through Tomorrow Land.
As I make it down the main area of Tomorrow Land I suddenly have a flash of brilliance and think to ride the People Mover. I don’t know why, but for some reason I feel this is a ride I can bring a coffee onto. That delusion is quickly destroyed once the Cast Member sees me and reminds me that I’d have to lose the coffee. Sheepishly, I thank him for giving me the warning before it was too late and mosey on.
I make my way back to the main hub and finish my coffee. The day is now turning pretty warm and I hope mom is now rested enough to head over to Animal Kingdom. I start to head out of the park, but as I walk down Main Street, I see cast members handing out the buttons. Excited to be able to add a “graduated” button to my collection, I made a bee-line for it. Unfortunately, upon inspection there was no “graduation” buttons anymore. Just "married’, “first timer”, “birthday”, and the generic one. Disappointed, I chose a generic one and wrote on it “graduation.” It did the job but it wasn’t the same. I was really looking forward to the “official” one. Still, I had a button and I continued my way out of the park, catching the Move It Shake It Dance party parade before I did.
I make it back to the room and mom is still asleep. I consider letting her sleep, but there’s a lot planned for the day so I figure I should give her the choice if she wants to do it. I gently wake her up and ask her if she wants and is ready to go to Animal Kingdom. She cheerfully, but groggily, says yup and sits up. After a long yawn, she looks around the room and then back at me.
“I’m sorry.” She said through another yawn.
“For what?”
“I made us miss breakfast.”
I cocked my head to the side. “No, no you didn’t. You’re all good.” I said, now confused.
“No, you wanted to go to breakfast and I slept through it.” She said determined.
It was then I figured she was just a bit confused on the time frame. “No, no, you not only didn’t make us miss anything, you were even there.” I pulled out my phone and brought up the pictures that I had taken. “See?” I said, handing her the phone.
She looked at the phone and started scrolling through the photos and it was then I regretted giving her the phone. I was expecting realization to dawn and her memory to be jump started and a smile to appear as it happened. I expected she would breathe a sigh relief in knowing that everything was proceeding as hoped. I was expecting pretty much everything but what actually happened. Instead, she looked at the phone, then at me and then back down to the phone and quietly said “I don’t remember any of it.”
In a microsecond, I second guessed every decision to come here and everything we’ve done so far and everything we would do the rest of the week. If she can’t remember any of this, what was the point? What was worse, she now knew she didn’t remember something. Imagine coming here for the whole purpose of making memories, and not being able to keep them. I feel I would have been better off saying she simply did make us miss it, but that it was ok as rest was important.
I began recalling out loud some of the events that happened, seeing if any of them could be an anchor for memories… nothing. Earliest that anything clicks is Small World, as she barely remembered that, and she remembered getting the hat, but that was it. Everything else was gone. And since we’ve been back, that has remained true as I have periodically asked her if she finally remembered. So far, she has remembered nothing of this breakfast.
With really no other option than to carry on, I let the subject drop and gave her a quick hug and reassured her that it was OK and that we just have an excuse to do it again. This seemed to barely help the situation so I decided to focus that we’re heading for Animal Kingdom. I said we had to get moving and so we starting making the prep to get over there.
The travel over to Animal Kingdom is uneventful and we’re soon deposited at the front gates. Unlike last time I was here, I knew exactly where to go so I wheeled mom over to the gates and through the tapstyles we went. As we’re passing through, I notice a photopass photographer off to the side taking photos (shocking I know) with a huge Animal Kingdom frame.
I declare to mom that we’re taking a photo and wheel her over and we stand in line. This is actually the first time I will have used the photopass feature of my annual pass(outside of chef mickey’s), so I’m a little excited about how it will turn out.
The photo comes out fine, but it feels… cookie cutter (again, shocking)? Still, I’m happy with the photo so it’s off to Pandora and the Navi River Ride, but before we make it there I get a few photos with mom behind the Tree of Life.
These would also be the last photos for a while simply because it’s tough to take photos while pushing someone in a wheel chair.
We get in the queue and it’s now pretty steamy here in Animal Kingdom. I don’t know what it is about this park, but it always feels like a sauna. We get down to where we scan our bands and the Cast Member grabs moms hand and says in the most serious of tones “Best of luck you.” While I know it’s meant for her, that made me feel pretty good that the Cast Member was that on the ball to offer such encouragement.
Proceeding through the queue is boring. The theming of the queue itself is a solid attempt at trying to immerse you into the world of Avatar, but it’s not nearly as good as Frozen Ever After or Peter Pan’s queue. Still, we’re through soon enough and mom transfers (with difficulty) to the boat and the ride begins.
Truthfully, while I think the ride was technologically impressive, I found it to make little sense in terms of storytelling. Maybe I need to rewatch the movie or something, but I found the ride mostly forgettable because I couldn’t determine what exactly was happening.
The ride ends and we depart and take a longer look around Pandora. I find it pretty interesting with the theming of it all, but mom seems pretty apathetic to the whole thing. I figure she’s probably getting tired based on her one-word responses to my attempts at conversation so I ask if she’s hungry. She says she could eat so I produce a granola bar from my pack and a 5-Hour Energy for her to hopefully boost her energy. She quickly downs the energy drink but nibbles on the granola bar for a bit.
We finish up Pandora and I take us through the Marajah Trek. The rain starts up while we’re in the middle of it but it doesn’t cause any of the animals to exhibit different behavior. In fact, most of the animals were no shows. The most notable experience was seeing the back of a tiger….’s…butt. (lil’ zootopia reference for ya)
Once the trek was over, the rain had subsided so we made our way over to the Dinosaur land area. This was all closed when I was here in 2016 for refurbishment so I was pretty eager to go check it out. The walk toward the land is pretty relaxing. I take paths I swear I wasn’t on before and I’ll admit I got lost. In fact, I was fairly surprised when we came around a bend and found ourselves in front of the Dinosaur ride. Excitedly, I eyed the standby line and it looked to be fairly reasonable at only 15 minutes.
I floated the idea of trying the ride out to mom but she said no, and after the trouble she’d been having with transferring out of the chair, I didn’t argue the point. She said I could park her off to the side and I could go ride, but almost as soon as she said that, it began raining. Even though there were covered areas, they were crowded with other people so I was not comfortable leaving her out here while I rode the ride. So I resigned to try and ride it later and instead we went and toured Dinorama.
While the last time I was here left me unimpressed, this time I was there looking for smaller details now that I had learned the backstory of the area. Knowing the backstory helps a lot, as I was able to appreciate many of the details that were lost on me last time. While I still think it’s a complete mistake to have this here in Animal Kingdom, I do have to give it to the imagineers for creating a carbon copy of a small county attraction.
We started coming up on our 2:45 FPP for Kilamajaro Safari, but mom is once again wiped and is getting irritable. As I wanted her to be rested for tonight’s events of Rose and Crown and Illuminations over in Epcot, I decided to bail on the FPP and we headed back to the hotel. On our way though, we stop by a few gift shops so mom can pick out a t-shirt.
We make it back to the hotel by 3PM and I put mom to bed. As per the norm, she’s asleep almost immediately and, as the rain had completely subsided once again, I’m out the door and back to the Magic Kingdom. I make it there and catch the tail end of the Festival of Fantasy Parade.
I was rather curious to see what they replace Malifcent with and upon seeing Aurora and Phillip dancing on the gazebo, I thought that was a clever substitution (I would later learn this is actually sorta how the parade was to originally go before the need to include Frozen into the parade).
After the parade, a dole whip was calling my name so it was off to Aloha Isle. I spend the time just looking around and not riding anything. I have an urge to go on Space Mountain, but I pass cause I’m a wuss. Really the only things I’m able to do is either eat or walk. I resist eating simply because I don’t want to be full for dinner and because I was starting to become conscious of the remaining funds of the trip.
Around 5PM, it’s about time we get moving for our reservation at Rose and Crown over in Epcot, so I head back to the hotel to grab mom and go. Our reservation is around 6:30, and it takes her significantly longer to get going this time, but eventually we’re out the door and onto the monorail.
Thanks to the elay to get moving, we end up being slightly for our reservation, our last few hundred yards dashing toward Rose and Crown in pouring rain. Once we reach there, the hostess informs us that there’ll be a wait but that we can wait under the canopy out of the rain (pretty sure if there would have been no wheelchair we would have been told to go be somewhere else). Giving her my thanks, I wheel us into a spot where we’re out of the way. We wait only about 10 minutes before a table is ready and we are seated without issue.
Taking a look at the menu, I end up being torn between the classic “Fish and Chips” and “Shepherd’s Pie.” I end up electing the pie after a tense game of “coin flip.” Mom is unsure what she wants and eventually just resolves to have me choose. As I want her to eat a substantial amount(she’s been slacking on that as the week has gone on), and I know she loves mashed potatoes, I order us both Shepherd’s Pies, hoping they’re sizable portions.
The food comes out fairly quickly and it’s delicious, and at a decent size. Mom seems to be enjoying her as well but only makes it about ¼ of the way through the dish before she declares she’s full. Oh c’mon! With her being full and neither of us interested in the desserts, there’s really no reason to stay and keep taking up this table. So we get the check and leave.
It’s still raining when we depart and I am at a bit of a loss on what to do. We finished dinner way faster than I was expecting and we don’t have any fast passes for anything here in Epcot. I was hoping to be able to stroll through World Showcase with a coffee and take some photos, but this rain is making it miserable. What’s worse, mom’s poncho is fashioned in such a way that she can’t put her hood up to keep her head dry.
As we climb the bridge toward France, I remember the ice cream shop and have a flash of inspiration. I quickly wheel mom over and into the store, out of the rain. Hoping we can take refuge in here until the storm passes. Looking at the choices for the ice cream, I want to get something a tad out of my usual “chocolate”, so I opt for a “Candied Peanuts with Peanut Butter Ice Cream.” I ask if mom wants anything, but she declines, and unfortunately there’s no room in here so we can’t stay even though it’s still pouring out. However, I see the France Pavilion store is fairly uncrowded so I take us in there and wait out the storm a bit.
I wheel us over to the far right of store and we take up a position next to a ramp that’s not being used by anyone. I begin eating my ice cream and mom says nothing to me at all. Attempts at conversation are met with one word answers or grunted answers. I start to have some bad flashbacks of early april, as she was acting like this just before she went into the hospital.
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By the time I’m done my ice cream, the rain is letting up and is now “off and on.” Easy to dodge when it gets too bad and so we do. The last hurrah for the rain happens around the time we approach Japan and so we take cover under the overhang and wait it out. While we wait, I check my phone to see how much longer this is going to be and see it’s pretty much done. Illuminations should have no problem tonight.
We proceed over to the America Pavilion and mom mentions she’s cold. As it’s finally clear enough to grab a coffee and enjoy without drinking half coffee/half rain water, I seek out the coffee stop and order us two coffees.
As I finish fixing the coffees, I notice the weather has turned practically perfect. As we walk along World Showcase enjoying the coffee, I’m ecstatic that I am doing this simple thing. We stop and take a few photos, with one in particular in front of Grumpy (mom’s spirit animal or something, I dunno, she’s a huge fan.).
While we’re doing that, a group of ladies noticed us and offered to take a photo for us. Happy for the offer, I accepted and posed with mom. Unfortunately, the photos came out super blurry. No idea what happened. I mean, they tried SEVERAL times to take a photo and all of them came out blurry. I didn’t even know the iPhone allows for blurry shots anymore. It’s funny because there is absolutely NOTHING in focus in these shots.
Upon that, I took it upon myself to take another selfie or two with mom.
We continue to stroll around World Showcase up until a few minutes before Illuminations when suddenly mom wants to go back to the hotel. She’s no longer interested in watching the fireworks. Confused, I check with her several times, reminding her that they are to start any minute (the torches were already lit), but it’s a dead issue. She’s demanding to go back now and is on the verge of causing a scene.
Confused and a bit disappointed, I simply agree and we wheel back to the monorail. As we leave, I stop by the lighted sidewalks in Future World and take a few photos. Once on board the monorail, I hear the first explosion of fireworks. The ride back is long and silent.
As we pull into the Contemporary Station, I see the tail end of Happily Ever After play out. We disembark and head back up to the room. Once there, I put her to bed and then set to work hooking up all the charging equipment for her POC and by the time I’m done, she’s asleep. As I head out to finish tonight’s plan of closing out the Magic Kingdom, I flip on the resort channel so she has calming background music.
Once in MK, I’m a bit peckish so I head over to Pecos Bill’s. Haven’t eaten here yet and I don’t know why, but I’ve been really looking forward to it. I was originally going to get a hamburger, but seeing “nachos” on the menu completely changed my mind and I got that instead. I load up the chip with cheese, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole and find a table to sit and enjoy.
Once that was done, i head out to tour the park. I contemplate riding some rides, but not really feeling like doing any so instead I just walk around and take pictures.
In Adventure Land, I decide to check out the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. Like Small World, this was under refurbishment the last time I was here. This was a lot more fun that I thought it would be and offers some amazing views. I do wish there was something interactive with it though.
After that, I considered doing Haunted Mansion, but I decide against and just rather “be here.” After a little bit, I feel I walked off enough calories to get an ice cream so it down to the Plaza Ice Cream parlor. The line is long and they hand out menus to everyone in line. This is totally wasted on me as I know exactly what I’m going to get: 1 Plaza Sundae with 2 scoops of chocolate, please! After a short wait, I soon have my prize and it’s back out to the garden to enjoy.
After I’m done with my ice cream, I continue taking pictures. Unfortunately, I didn’t think to bring my DSLR with me, and that annoys me a bit as I had specifically purchased it for these night photography sessions, but I am very happy to say the iPhone X was picking up the slack very nicely.
Eventually, the Kiss Goodnight starts and I feel complete and a bit bummed that the day is over. It’s been a day of surprises and trials, but the ending here has proven to be stellar which did wonders for my outlook on the trip. I decide now is a good time to shop for a souvenir until the next showing of the Kiss Goodnight, but, to my surprise, all shops have closed their doors. That’s certainly new.
As shopping seemed to be out and with my feet now letting me know the time of day(12AM) and my photography itch scratched, I figure it’s a good time to call it a night. I’m eager to do this again though, so I check my phone to see when the next “late night” for MK will be and it looks like it’ll be Saturday. Satisfied, I pocket my phone and head out and back to the room (stopping to take one more photo on the way out).
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I really enjoy reading your trip report, and can’t wait for the next one!
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This trip is so humbling. Thank you for writing it
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Sleep is for the weak. It’s currently 4:40 am. 
I love these installments. I know the day was bittersweet, but it seems to me like you did a great job of balancing your experiences with your mom’s needs.
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You are such a good son! And that’s great news about your mum being off oxygen.
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Thanks for sharing. I’m sorry she didn’t/doesn’t remember the morning. {{{{hugs}}}} I’m so glad she has you!
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Your love for your mother shines thru your words. Thanks
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Yeah that was definitely disappointing. The good news is that it wasn’t the only trip to BOG for the week and the others she did remember.
I also hope these aren’t coming off negative. I feel they might be. I definitely DID have a great time and so did she, but there were definite parts where it was concerning or sad. The loss of memory of BOG was probably the most heartbreaking (for me).
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I don’t think your trip review is negative at all. I think it’s very honest. And let’s face it, sometimes, it’s really good to be able to be honest about things that are hard. I love the report, keep it up!
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No! Not negative, real! This is real life and you are doing a great job making sure your mom enjoys herself, doesn’t get too wiped out, enjoying yourself, and staying positive! Quite a balance and you are amazing! Great pictures with the iPhone! Really impressive!
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I’m glad to hear your mom is off dedicated oxygen - great news!
I’ll say it again - you are a terrific son. I am also humbled reading this - you have the patience of Job and maturity beyond your years. Your report is fantastic - as are your pictures. Can’t wait to read more!!
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