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I have to start taking my own advice.

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When I was younger, I was angrier. There were a whole bunch of reasons for that. But I think one reason in general is just hormones, rebellion, teenage angst, etc. I went to protests and gatherings and yelled and danced and held signs. I did many things.

When I got older there was a Pagan Pride march, and there was a woman who was pressuring me to march. I told her, “I did that stuff already. That’s not where I’m at anymore,” and she got angry and started yelling at me. I don’t think she knew she was yelling. She said that everyone had to march, everyone had to be active, Pagan Rights were violated every day,” etc., etc. And I can’t argue with the latter, they still are.

But I’m thinking now that there are so many ways to be active. There are so many faces to activism…there’s microcosmic, like working with the people in your neighborhood, or even just on your block or street, and there’s macrocosmic, where you try to change governmental policy, or the world.

For me, the marching is best left to younger people. Youth has an idealism and a belief that things can change, while I become tired and frustrated that they never will. Youth has a strength and endurance, while I have a lack of faith. Youth has fire and anger and their lives depend on the future, while I’m in what must be the latter half of my life. (I’m not living to 100 I don’t think. Most people don’t.) When the future happens, I’m only going to have to live with it for a short while.

But there are other things, too. Letter writing, standing up for injustice whenever you see it, discussion with people who are able to listen to reason, even if it won’t change their minds it might open them a little, or expose them to an alternate point of view.

I’m trying a little bit to have internet discussion, but it’s so draining. It’s hurtful. It’s like constantly parrying attacks and coming back with open arms. It takes patience, and an ability to step back and not take things personally that I’m only just learning…I shouldn’t have tested it so early. I’m doing okay on the surface, but I’m waking up with anxiety, I’m crying, I can’t even finish (and this is pretty telling) ONE cup of coffee in the morning without starting to have my body react really quickly with my hands shaking and my heart beating quickly like a caffeine overdose. It’s not the caffeine, it’s me. It’s my PTSD.

I tell other people that not everyone can do everything. That there are many jobs. That we can’t all be good at everything. Last night I was crying on Rob saying that I want to be able to express myself better, I want to be clearer, I feel like I’m failing miserably, I want to make a difference in the world, and I feel like I can’t, like I’m powerless, like I can’t make a difference at all, no matter how hard I try.

Rob said, “You made a difference to me.”

“Look at all these people you helped,” and he listed a few from this month. “You made a difference to them. And you made a difference to me. You changed me and my life.”

I said, “And you love me anyway, even if I CAN’T change anything?”

“Yes. But you can. You do. You have.”

I have to take my own advice. I have to withdraw from these conversations and leave them to other people, they hurt me too much. And I have to stick to the smaller things. I have to do what I can, and stop judging myself for being unable to do what I can’t.

So to all you people that are doing those things, judging yourself for the things you can’t do, fighting things even though it hurts you more in the long run…I just want you to know that I do it, too.

And I’m going to stop. You can too.

STEP 2 – CHOOSE YOUR RESTAURANTS!

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I don’t mean choose your dates and times or anything. I mean make a list of all the places you really want to eat. But why is this next?

Because different restaurants are in different locations in different parks, and sometimes in different hotels. If you want to have a particular dining experience or eat at a particular place, it doesn’t make sense to spend the evening hours in the Magic Kingdom and then rush out to have dinner in Epcot and then run back to see Fantasmic at MGM. It’s just not an efficient use of time.

Dining at Disney is an often overlooked thing. People assume all there is is the fast food in the park. AU CONTRAIRE, MON FRERE! The dining at Disney is AWESOME! It can be quite a bit of money too, so we actually plan most of our budget for food.

Notable restaurants in each park are (and this is not a complete list, just a list of the things that, in my personal opinion, are really notable for being either high quality, unusual, or offering a unique experience).

AK

Tusker House – an African themed restaurant with exotic cuisine

Rainforest Cafe – many animals and animatronics during dinner. Fun, but mostly blah food. We used to have one here in Westbury, so we don’t go there, but if you have a kid, it’s pretty awesome.

MK

Be Our Guest – A Beauty/Beast themed restaurant…we’ll be trying that this trip as it’s new to us

Cinderella’s Royal Table – a restaurant inside the castle. There’s always Cinderella characters there in the waiting room. I’ve met Cindy, which I thought would be the peak of everything, but then I met the Fairy Godmother…awesome!)

Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe which I often confuse with the Diamond Horseshoe – I remember a stage show here, kind of like a mini Hoop-de-Doo Revue, but I especially remember them telling ghost stories during Halloween and having the lights flicker and such. Nothing really scary (lots of children of course) but fun, Thinking about it, maybe that was at the Diamond Horseshoe, I’m not sure now…

Liberty Tree Tavern – serves really good American Food. We like to be there around the Thanksgiving season. They serve all the Thanksgiving stuff and it’s pretty nommy.

The Crystal Palace – character meet and greet during food. I think primarily Pooh focused.

Tony’s Town Square Cafe – themed after Lady and the Tramp, so it’s Italian.

Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe – this is straight up cafeteria style, but there’s an alien animatronic stand-up comedian. Totally worth it.

Oh yeah…another little known secret the smoked turkey legs can be found over in Frontierland. That is totally a cheap lunch. One leg can feed two people, and they taste AWESOME. We usually actually plan this in so we don’t miss it in all our running around. They are also available somewhere in the AK (I want to say over by the Dinosaur playground thing I think) and in MGM near the Rock-n-Roller Coaster entrance. omg….SO GOOD. And a cheap and awesome lunch.

In later steps we’ll be talking about coordinating these dinners with special events (one of the reasons we’re not planning dates yet). This is especially true in the Magic Kingdom, where coming out of the right restaurant at the right time can mean prime viewing seating for something like the fireworks or a parade. But it can apply in EPCOT too.

MGM

– AWESOME food options here too, if you know where to look.

Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant – tables are cars like in Pulp Fiction, but all seats face forward towards a giant screen. Watch classic sci-fi trailers for stuff like “attack of the 50 foot woman” while dining. Waitresses are sometimes on roller skates. Best milkshakes EVAR.

50’s Prime Time Cafe – this is like you live in Happy Days World, and you went over your friend’s house for dinner. You eat in the kitchen (each table is set up so they have their own kitchen, it’s really surreal and very cool) and you’re in a 1950’s mentality…so you help set the table, you don’t use foul language, and you eat your veggies before dessert. They don’t FORCE you to eat the veggies, but if you’re of the playful sort they kind of pick up on it will actually spoon feed you a bit. This place makes the most amazing PB&J shakes…it’s like drinking a sandwich and honestly, if you want to have one for lunch, your stomach won’t notice at ALL that you just skipped a meal, very filling. Oh…and Mom’s Meatloaf is on the menu, too.

Hollywood Brown Derby – This restaurant simulates the “golden age” of hollywood. I can’t get over the atmosphere…you almost expect a movie star in a fox wrap to go and sip soup in the corner. It feels amazing. The food is really good too, but the food and atmosphere together is amazing.

Toluca Legs Turkey Co. – another stop for Turkey Legs. Can’t get enough of them. I wish I could get them here. Really. One leg is enough for two people. Cheap and very very tasty lunch. This is over by the Rock N Roller Coaster.

EPCOT

– Now here’s a biggie. LOTS of REALLY good restaurants in EPCOT.

The Coral Reef (inside the Living Seas)- This is more for atmosphere, I think. When we went the food wasn’t so awesome, but then when we got married this is where we had our reception. The walls are all aquarium, so you get to see dolphins and such swimming by over dinner.

The Garden Grill (inside The Land) – This is one of my favorite places. The veggies and such are grown here and served in the restaurant. (You see that Kristina?) You just don’t get any fresher! Food is generic American fare. Also, Mickey, Chip, Dale and Pluto are usually hanging around, and the whole restaurant revolves.

Biergarten (Germany, duh) – It’s a big ale-type house with an Oompa band (I don’t know what they’re really called, that’s just what we called them when I lived in PA…it’s kind of a one man instrument that doubles as banjo and percussion and bouncy cymbal things….Hard to explain. But anyway…German flair. And of course, seeing as it’s October, we’ll be there for Oktoberfest!

Chefs de France (France, duh) – We tried this on our last trip. I have to say it was the first time that an appetizer did exactly what they say appetizers are supposed to do….make you hungry for dinner and not fill you up. All the food was awesome.

La Hacienda de San Angel (Mexico) – This is new. It used to be an outdoor food stand outside of Mexico, but apparently they built a shelter so you can dine overlooking the Lagoon. I’m betting that the best thing to do would be to time that with the Illuminations fireworks show.

Heeey….this is new, too! There’s now a Tequila Bar in Mexico called La Cava de Tequila! I’m on THAT one for sure.

Le Cellier Steakhouse (Canada) – I love the steak here. The Chocolate Mousse is really good and is actually a moose….but the creme brulee is incredible! It’s a maple flavor kind of a thing.

Restaurant Marrakesh (Morocco) – Not only is the physical atmosphere awesome (It’s really like you stepped into a foreign country, not like they faked it) but the food is really good and there’s a bellydancer during dinner. The restaurant has that intricate complicated tile work all along the floor walls and ceiling and it’s just beautiful

San Angel Inn (Mexico) – this is one of Rob’s favorite places to eat. I love that it’s always late sunset/early evening there, and the view is of the Temple in the distance, while the boat ride passes under you, so there’s always this kind of lazy lapping river noise….very relaxing.

So here’s the often overlooked bit – Restaurants INSIDE the Hotels and other miscellaneous

Inside the hotels are often some amazing dining experiences. Also, some things just don’t fit into other categories. One of these items is the Hoop-de-Doo Revue.

You do not have to stay in a particular hotel to reap the benefits of their dining experiences and shows.

You can take a bus to the Grand Floridian, have dinner with Mary Poppins, and then sod off to the MK via the monorail, if you like. All up to you. We do it whenever we feel like it.

Hoop-de-Doo Revue

(at Fort Wilderness Campground ) – a stage show simulating a wild west kind of comedy show. Live piano player, some improv, and volunteers from the audience are selected. Food is American, Fried Chicken, smoked BBQ Ribs, cornbread, etc. We love the show, and even I don’t mind seeing it over again. For a bonus during the Halloween season, it’s right near the Haunted Hayride where you get chased by the Headless Horseman. Really cool.

Water Parks

I’m not really addressing that. If you eat, you’re not supposed to go swimming for x amount of hours after, so who really eats anything more than a snack at a water park?

The Boardwalk and Downtown Disney

– many restaurants here in many price scales. Some are chains, and some are owned by famous people.

House of Blues is here, as is Bongos Cuban Cafe created by Gloria Estefan (it mimics a 1950’s havana club) and Planet Hollywood and Wolfgang Puck’s.  But my absolute favorite is Fulton’s Crab House which mimics eating on a river boat. It’s high end, but damn…is it good!

AK Lodge

There are several restaurants here, and I really want to go. Staying at the Lodge means waking up on the Savannah…a room with a view means there might be giraffes outside your window in the morning. From what I know of Disney, I’d bet they time their feeding schedule to make sure that happens. Anyway, we’ve never stayed at the AK Lodge, and never even been inside it, though it was designed by the same person who designed the Wilderness Lodge, so it looks beautiful from the pictures. Maybe someday. This is also a dream when I win Lotto. They have a storyteller by a campfire at night that tells African myths and legends. I would SO be there, every night, in my pajamas.

Old Key West

This is primarily for Vacation Club members, so this is where we usually stay. There is a restaurant there called Olivia’s which is my faaaavorite way to start my vacation. I like to arrive late, sleep late, get up late, and stroll over to Olivia’s and have their poached eggs and sweet potato hash…but they have more exotic things too, like a shrimp and conch omelets which I’ve never gotten around to. It’s the Hash, you see. The hash is awesome.

The Contemporary this has kind of a character meet for rich folk.

Chef Mickey’s has a higher end dinner that’s an all you can eat buffet that also has characters that come through.  There’s also the California Grille, which we’ve never tried.

Coronado Springs – one of the conveniences of Coronado Springs is that it’s primarily used as a business convention center…so the amenities there are very nice, but if there’s no convention, there’s no lines and it’s not crowded at all. I liked it a lot. I think it was on the lower end of the mid-range spectrum. There’s not as much theming for children, but with the pool they have, I don’t think they really need it.

The Maya Grill – a nice mexican restaurant. Good food. We were very happy with it and would be willing to go back.

The Pepper Market – this is one of the open-air kind of cafeteria places, but honestly, the food was really good, and in order to keep it more in the Mexican theming, it’s got much less of a “factory” feel and much more of a personal feel. Out of all the cafeteria dining, this place is my favorite.

The Grand Floridian

1900 Park Faire – this place is where you find Mary Poppins and friends when she’s not off doing nanny-stuff. There is a SuperCaliFragiListic Breakfast (I guess it’s not Expi-Ali-Docius) and a Cinderella Happy Ever After Dinner where you are the guests of Cindy and Prince.

Garden View Tea Room – There’s a “My Disney Girl’s Perfectly Princess Tea Party” here, so there’s that. Naturally, we haven’t done that. I may be a big kid…but I’m no princess.

The Polynesian

In addition to having a lovely Hawaiian atmosphere from the moment you step in front of the hotel, some of the food and dining here is awesome. BTW…The Polynesian is the only place that serves Kona Coffee all the time whenever you want. It’s regular coffee in the other hotels.

Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show – this mimics a luau with hula dancing and fire dancing and poi dancing. It’s a good show, and if you time it right you can watch the afore-mentioned water parade from the beach before walking in to the Luau.

‘Ohana’s – for dinner, this is an all-you-can-eat bbq. Everything was really nommy. For breakfast, there’s a Best Friend’s Breakfast featuring Lilo and Stitch. I love Stitch.

The Wilderness Lodge

Whispering Canyon Cafe – This will always be a soft spot for me. This is where we went for photos between our wedding and reception, so we had a light meal here. If you’re playful, everyone gets to ride in on these little pony-on-a-stick things. Our groomsmen came in hooting and hollering like it was The Last Roundup….our friends are awesome. Food was good. Service was fun and playful.

Artist Pointe – Honestly, this was so high end and gourmet that I didn’t really like it. It wasn’t the atmosphere…it was the food. For example, there was a cheese sampler that had a bleu cheese that was so strong and aromatic I couldn’t enjoy it. That is a failing on my part, and not the restaurant. If you’re looking for gourmet fare, this is definitely the place to check out..

= = = = =

Naturally, there’s a lot of places I’m skipping. But what we do is this:

First – we list all the places we definitely want to go and have DINNER.

Second – we list all the places we want to try for new things, or where we just want to have lunch.  Lunch is cheaper and less of a price investment…so if we don’t like the food we don’t feel like we’ve spent an arm and a leg for something we didn’t enjoy.

We then figure out how many nights we have, and whittle down the dinners to the amount of nights. If we have any leftover places, we move them to the lunch choices.

Then we move to Step 3, which is planning Special Events. That will be another note

How’m I doing so far? Is it all making sense?

So far we have chosen DINNER – Ohana’s, the Biergarten, Be Our Guest, the Hoop de Doo Revue, The Tusker House, and the Grand Floridian.

LUNCH – Sci-Fi Drive In Diner, The Plaza (I’m not sure what that is. Mom made that reservation, and I know it’s not too far from Splash Mountain, so I’m guessing it’s over by Pirates of the Caribbean). Other lunches are still being discussed, but Dinners are planned and resolved because of Special Events.