Mr. Disney’s World, Again
In recent years, it seems that every time Sharon and I manage to make our way to Disney World in Orlando — and every time we receive a nice greeting on the TV inside our resort room — I write a piece on this very blogsite, saying near the top that it might be the “last time” we come. 
Well, this year, I have a different “opener.” It goes like this:
Little did we realize we’d spend part of our second full day here — today, Saturday — in an Urgent Care facility just outside Disney World.
I woke up this morning with a strange rash leading almost all around my left leg, just above the sock line. It did not hurt or itch. But I’d never had anything like this — and because I was still recovering from a surgical procedure in the same area as the rash, we decided to take no chances.
So off to Urgent Care we went. And we’re happy we did, because the doctor there told us I likely was suffering from “Disney Rash.” Yes, it’s a real thing. You can look it up.
And what we had done yesterday — our first full day here — quite likely set it off. We had walked — a lot — in hot, humid weather all around EPCOT. And that, said our doctor, likely triggered my leg to react in a rash-like fashion.
Well, we were looking to have new experiences here this year.
Friends ask us why — nearly every year since we both retired — we’ve returned, again and again. Why not travel “somewhere else”?
And — since we live in Central California — which is demonstrably closer to Disneyland in Anaheim than it is to Disney World across country — why not just go to the site of Mr. Disney’s first great idea — that place in Orange County, California?
The answers: We return to Disney World because we like it — and because it’s actually easier and quicker to catch a couple of flights — the first, from Fresno to Phoenix — the second, from Phoenix to Orlando — than it is to get on Highway 99, drive down to the I-5 near Bakersfield — and then try to wind our way through that horrendous hellscape of bumper-to-bumper, grip-the-wheel-and-hang-on traffic in Southern California.
Trust us. We’ve done both. Travel time to get to Disneyland by car is about the same as flight time to Orlando. And it’s a whole lot less stressful to just get on those planes and land in Orlando six hours later.
But why don’t we fly out of Fresno to Southern California? Because, dear reader, we would still have to rent a car and make our way from any airport we flew into — to reach Disneyland.
Oh — and have I mentioned the weather? On our first full day here yesterday, Friday, Orlando saw 84 wonderful, delightful, absolutely outstanding degrees. We aren’t getting that these days in our part of California. In fact, hardly anyone is getting that these days, no matter where they are.
Okay, enough justification. We’re here. And if everything goes according to plan, we’ll stick around a couple of weeks.
And, of course, we’re not alone. Check out vehicle license plates in the parking lots of our Saratoga Springs resort, and you’ll see an amazingly wide array of states represented. Virginia. New Hampshire. Pennsylvania. New Jersey. New York. Georgia. You get the idea.
Most of those license plates are from east of the Mississippi River — but a few are from Texas and other states way Out West.
We even saw a plate from Quebec. Now, that was a drive for those folks. But they made it, and they’re here.
Some of those cars even have Florida plates. Yes, Floridians enjoy casting their cares aside, as well — so they flock here to Mr. Disney’s fantasy world, just like the rest of us do, to escape that pesky place known as “the real world.”
You know — that place inhabited by politicians and viruses and by all that “bad news” no one wants to talk about when they’re here.
After all, the whole point of “getting away from things” is to — yes, get away. Forget about all of it. And last year, about 24 million visitors showed up here to do just that.
Disney World is, indeed, the ultimate getaway, at least here in the United States. You enter the gates at one of the many resorts or make your way into one of the “kingdoms,” and everything is taken care of for you.
You can buy a meal plan and eat as much as you like. You can buy park passes and go wherever you want.
Getting from park to park is incredibly easy. Buses are constantly making their rounds, and if a sign at one of the stops indicates a bus will arrive at a certain time — trust me, it does.
I’m still a walker (as my experience at EPCOT shows) — and Saratoga Springs gives me plenty of chances to do just that. It has acre after acre of grass, trees, creeks and lakes — all connected by an extensive network of paths.
And the people you meet on those paths are of all ages, and they come from everywhere. Most have smiles on their faces, and why not? They’re not at work, and they’re not thinking about much except having the time of their lives.
To paraphrase the great Jim Harbaugh — the legendary former Michigan football coach and soon-to-be-legendary Los Angeles Chargers coach — “Who has it better than visitors to Disney World?”
The answer: Nobody!
On our first day, Friday, we tried to get over our time-zone lag and get our bearings. We spent half the day at EPCOT — our favorite park. EPCOT has several new exhibits — a wildly creative and interactive water garden, among them — it has a Disney art exhibit at present — and it has a not-to-miss barbecue place.
We partook of all three before we headed back to Saratoga Springs. We were tired. Then it was on to a hot tub.
Up next in coming days: More parks. More food. More “What? There’s a real world out there?”
More, in general, of this favorite place of ours. Yes, we try to return once a year. Well, here we are, and what happens in the future — we’ll see, won’t we?
Especially if I can stay out of Urgent Care.