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When You Wish Upon A Star…You Are Rewarded With An All-Expenses-Paid “Work Trip” To Disneyland. Apparently.

Disneyland.  The Happiest Place on Earth.  Also–the place of $4-dollar sodas, a million souvenir shops, and several dozen 8-fingered characters that really, as an adult, kind of freaked me out.  (Their gloves only 4-fingers on each hand.  Creepy.)

Coincidentally, as I mentioned yesterday, it is a fantastic place to go on a date, $4-dollar sodas notwithstanding.  Now, I went to Disneyland “for work”.  Really.  I affectionately refer to Vladd, the deaf, diabetic, autistic, vegetarian man I take care of, as My Boss.  Vladd’s brother is my Boss-Boss and two weeks ago he told me to pick someplace warm to take Vladd for a few days.  It had been cruddy, cold, nasty weather here and hey, it would be something fun for Vladd to do, get him out of the house, etc.  I tossed around a few ideas like Tuscon, Vegas and San Diego–but as soon as Disneyland was mentioned I was sold.

My Boss-Boss told me to just book the trip on Vladd’s credit card, and that I should probably stay at the Grand Californian hotel, the enormous, new Disneyland Resort hotel that straddles Disneyland and California Adventure.  Um, sold.  My Boss-Boss also told me that I should book two rooms, make sure they were adjoining, and have a good time.  That was about all the direction I received.  Tickets were purchased, hotels were booked, airport transportation was arranged and in under 20 minutes I had planned a 4-day Disneyland vacation.  It’s amazing how quickly these things happen when you are a) money does not seem to be any real object and b) you are using someone else’s funds.  Twenty minutes, people.  Also, for the record, private chauffeur is perhaps the best way to travel to and from the airport.  Lesson Learned.

Now, I was a little nervous about undertaking such a big responsibility with Vladd.  There is the learning of new American Sign Language signs relating to theme parks and traveling (airplane, airport, x-ray, hotel, roller coaster, train ride, hand stamp, photograph, postcard…the list goes on and on) and there was also the problem of dealing with eating out for several days in a row.  Vladd is diabetic,  he has a pretty particular diet that no chef I talked to in the greater Disneyland area could come close to comprehending.  I quickly learned that it is better to not talk to the chef, they only messed things up.

All that being said, we had a blast.  The park was practically empty, we had one of those fancy line-hopper fast-track passes due to Vladd’s disabled status, the weather was delightful and the dreamy boy, Bulldog A. McGunsmoke, made the 10-hour drive to hang out with me for a couple of days (and then drive another 10-hours back).

Vladd went on every ride I suggested: Indiana Jones, Thunder Mountain Rollercoaster, Splash Mountain, the Matterhorn, Space Mountain (what is it with all the mountains?  Goodness!) Pirates of the Caribbean, the Star Wars ride, the Toy-Story-Rocket-Ride-That-Can’t-Be-Attached-To-A-Disney-Movie, the Finding Nemo/Yellow Submarine Ride, the Autopia Bumper Cars (twice), and the Soar California ride over in California Adventure.  Hello, packed trip.  On the other hand, due to no lines, no crowds and the close proximity of our hotel, there was also quite a bit of downtime.  Vladd took naps and spent a lot of time at the pool.  All in all, it was the perfect vacation.

Getting snuggly in front of Sleeping Beauty’s snow-topped castle…who thought of that?

A bona-fide Monte Cristo sandwich, ham & swiss deep fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar, served with raspberry sauce.  It’s a heart-attack on a plate.  Seriously.

Not sure what, exactly, was so funny…but I kind of love this pic.  A lot.

Whilst stuck on Pirates of the Caribbean (for at least 25 minutes, not moving at all), Bulldog McGunsmoke and I got cheesy with the camera.

Who me?  I’m just happy to be here.

(You will note that while Vladd was on this trip, I will not be posting pics of he and I (or just him) here.  You don’t post pics of your boss on your blog.  Also, a million thank you’s to Bulldog McGunsmoke for taking and editing the above photos.  He makes me whites whiter and my brights brighter…yet another reason to keep him around.)

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