The Dad and Chad Disney Adventure Report

Dates: January 20-23, 2001

Adventurers:

Jennifer Watson: 32, Disney veteran and co-author of PassPorter Walt Disney World, on her umpteenth trip to Disney (from Ann Arbor, MI)
Tom Anderson (Dad), 58, armchair traveler, first trip to Walt Disney World (from Lansing, MI)
Kim Larner (Sister), 29, 4-mo. pregnant with second child, sixth trip to Disney (from Lansing, MI)
Chad Larner (Brother-In-Law), 28/29, fifth trip to Disney (from Lansing, MI)

Transportation: Northwest Airlines (Jennifer and Dad), Southwest Airlines (Kim and Chad), and Tiffany Town Car

Resort: Fairway Villa at Disney Institute

Parks: Disney's Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, Magic Kingdom, Pleasure Island, and DisneyQuest

Restaurants/Eateries: House of Blues, Restaurantosaurus, Rose & Crown, Hollywood & Vine, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, Whispering Canyon Cafe, and Cinderella's Royal Table.

Other: First experience touring with an ECV.

Updated 06/28/06

Introduction

The Dad Factor
"So, when are you going to take me to Disney World?" grumbled my father during one of my weekend visits. "You know I want to take you there, Dad", I responded patiently. "Maybe this year," I'd said, though I'd been saying that for a few years now. My father had been expressing interest in visiting Walt Disney World since the day I told him about my idea for my book, "PassPorter Walt Disney World." Back before PassPorter was published, my Dad would voraciously read copies of Sehlinger's "Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World" and "Birnbaum's Walt Disney World" that he'd checked out from the library. Once PassPorter debuted, he voluntarily read each edition cover to cover and offered valuable feedback. It seemed my Dad was a true fan of Walt Disney World, even though he'd never set foot in the place. In fact, my Dad had barely been out of the state of Michigan and had never flown in an airplane. What loving (if admittedly busy) daughter wouldn't want to take her Dad to Disney World?

I knew it was time to either "plan or get off the pot." One blustery November day I casually announced to my father that I'd like to take him to Disney. Of course, I hadn't made any plans yet, but I was confident I would be able to arrange a January trip in short order. January is a good month for short order trips. My Dad was thunderstruck by my announcement. After the idea rattled around his head for a few minutes (and probably knocked a few screws loose, in retrospect), he seemed quite happy. We were going to Walt Disney World! Would it live up to his expectations?

The Chad Factor
Fast forward to New Year's Eve: my sister Kim and her husband Chad visited us in Ann Arbor to ring in the new year. After dinner, Dave (my partner and co-author) and Kim graciously did the dishes while Chad and I lolled lazily on the sofa. We began talking about my upcoming trip to Walt Disney World with Dad. Chad expressed concern that I'd be going alone (Dave had elected to stay behind and hold down the fort). I love my Dad very much, but he can be a handful -- patience is not his virtue. Both Chad and Kim wished they could go along with us (they also love Disney), but they are expecting their second child in May and are saving for a down payment on a house.

A couple of days later, my sister Kim e-mailed me about the trip. It seems Chad really, really wanted to go and she'd told him it was impossible. But maybe it was possible after all. As it turned out, I'd planned my Disney trip over the same weekend as Chad's birthday. Kim came up with a great idea: she and Chad could come along with Dad and me as a surprise birthday trip for Chad. Chad is sharp--it would be hard to keep the secret. So as a smokescreen, Kim convinced Chad they were going to frigid Traverse City, Michigan for a weekend getaway. In the meantime, I booked inexpensive airfares and found lodging. The two of us exchanged e-mail almost daily, planning the surprise. We cooked up an entire fake trip to Traverse City to confuse Chad, complete with plans for snowmobile trips and visits to a casino. We even let him overhear our phone conversations, which went something like this:

Jennifer (excitedly): "How about the Fairway Villas at the Disney Institute? I found a incredible deal, thanks to my friend Linda!"
Kim (seriously): "Oh yeah, we're going to Traverse City."
Jennifer (cheerfully): "The Fairway Villas have two bedrooms and a pull-down Murphy bed."
Kim (morosely): "No, I don't think we'll have time to visit Grandpa when we're in Traverse City."
Jennifer (happily): "And the Fairway Villas are huge... over 1500 sq. ft. That should be more than enough room for the four of us."
Kim (regretfully): "I already told Chad we weren't going to THAT casino."
Jennifer (trying desperately not to laugh and failing): "So, do you think the Fairway Villas will work?"
Kim (quietly): "Yeah, it's going to be really cold up there this time of year."

The only time we could talk normally about the trip was while Kim was at work, which presented its own challenges. Our plan was to keep the secret until the day we left, at which time I'd give him a "birthday gift" of a PassPorter, its pockets stuffed with our trip plans. In the meantime, we had several weeks of secrecy to maintain. Can we keep up the ruse, or will we accidentally spill the beans?

Next: Day One

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