Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

Each year Anne and I take one (1) road trip to a different part of the United States and see attractions, wonders, and events we didn’t have back home. One thing we rarely do is fly. We’d much rather drive than be flown unless we absolutely have to…or are given some pretty sweet incentives to do so. Fast-forward to December 2022 and a most unexpected opportunity: The Powers That Be at Anne’s rather large place of employment recognized her and several other employees nationwide for outstanding achievements in the field of excellence. Their grand prize was a Disney World vacation! We could at last announce to friends and family, “THE GOLDENS ARE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!”

For Anne it was officially, legally a business trip. Much of the time, she’d have to work…

…and the handlers kept the winners well fed during the employees-only Tuesday night meet-and-greet beach party, Wednesday morning’s mandatory hours-long business-related seminars, and the Wednesday night company dinner party-trap. As you can imagine, we were much more excited to sample concessions and cuisine from the actual Disney World parks on our own recognizance.

While Anne was on the clock Wednesday morning, I wandered EPCOT as a solo act in hopes of tasting all the dishes. Unfortunately their food stands didn’t open till 11 a.m., which kept me starving during my first few hours of walking and light riding. I was much less grumpy once they fired up their heating implements, but I tried to be choosy in my quest. EPCOT’s international themes offered a wide variety of options, but some places sounded pretty much like the ethnic eateries we have back home in Indianapolis. My grazing mostly went well.

Thursday morning we reunited and raced directly to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for near-total Lucasfilm immersion. (Sadly, no love was given to Red Tails or Howard the Duck). That included breakfast at Ronto Roasters, plus subsequent snacking in other areas.

We didn’t eat much at the Magic Kingdom because we were high on Disney World vibes and we’d dug into the cumulative snack piles at our resort room during our two-hour intermission between parks. One dessert was mandatory, though: Disney World’s famous Dole Whips. Before we’d come to Orlando, people kept telling us, “You have to get a Dole Whip! DOLE WHIPS ARE AMAZING! THERE IS NO OTHER ICE CREAM THAN DOLE WHIPS! WORSHIP DOLE WHIPS AT THE CHURCH OF YOUR CHOICE!” We conformed and indulged at a dedicated Dole Whip stand in Adventureland called Aloha Isle.

Dinner was a different matter. In our trip-planning we knew we wanted one (1) certifiably adult dinner at a nice table away from the parks. Seasoned Disney World travelers recommend making your Disney World meal reservations months in advance, so everyone does it. On March 2nd, one short-sighted week before the night we wanted to have our dinner-date, our pickings were slim but by no means bad. The winner was an 8:30 p.m. slot at Kona Cafe, located at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort — the next monorail stop down from our digs at the Grand Floridian.

To make this happen, we had to leave the Magic Kingdom that evening well before the nightly light-show, not to mention the closing-time rush hour. The monorail dropped us off at the Polynesian with plenty of time to spare. We thought it’d be cool if the Kona Cafe would seat us early, which is a pretty silly thought in hindsight. We explored the resort while we waited for our dinner bell. By this time it was too dark to get an exterior shot. I’d tried multiple times throughout the week to get a photo of the large Polynesian mask visible on its roof from the monorail, but failed every time.

To their credit, the Polynesian’s souvenir shops were cheaper than the Grand Floridian’s, and they helped me fulfill my side quest at last: I found a nice Disney-themed shirt in my size. I gratefully bought it and have worn it numerous times since.

At long last came our turn to dine, whereupon we enjoyed sitting down and eating, possibly in that order. Walking the entire length of two theme parks in a single day had taken its toll, but we were nonetheless eager for that agreed-upon adult dinner. Nary a problem was had the rest of the night, except for the part where it had to end.

…and our amazing colossal Thursday drew to a close upon that third night. All that was left was one more wake-up and one last Disney meal before departure. And yes, there were Mickey-heads in it — some more edible than others.

To be continued!

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