Breakfast With Pooh And Poppins...

19 April 2016. It was our first full day in Orlando and Eddie had booked a breakfast at which we would meet some of the Disney characters at one of the other resorts.

This is the lobby of the Grand Floridian Hotel, where we were to have breakfast and meet up with Winnie the Pooh and Alice and a few others. The hotel looked absolutely the business; luxurious sofas, grand piano on the lobby floor and on the first floor balcony at one end, an orchestra stand. We would not have time to explore today with wanting to get into the Magic Kingdom park, but Fran and I thought it would make a good afternoon's venue for a sit down with a book! And that experience, with a look round some of the hotel's grounds will come later in this series.

But now it's time to head for the restaurant and be photographed and primed to meet a few favourite Disney characters. Grace has over the last year or two ensured that we had revised thoroughly for this task, so as to be able to recognise everyone who might come up to us...

Step up, Pooh Bear! Pooh has the privilege of being the first character to experience a fearless hug from Grace. If anyone not dressed as a Disney character spoke to her she went all shy and tried to hide. But a cartoon character or princess and she was off her chair and running towards them, arms outstretched!

Mary Poppins came round whilst Fran and I were coming back with loaded plates from the breakfast buffet. Fran joined in for a photo!

One of Grace's favourite films is Alice in Wonderland. So Alice had no problems with her being shy and refusing a cuddle. Actually Eddie and I would not have refused either, but for some reason we weren't invited...

Even the Mad Hatter with his rather disturbing nose had no problems getting instant friendship either! Ok, move on, let me have another bite of something...!

When Tigger bounced over to our table he decided to include the wrinklies in the celebrations!

He came to Grace, accepted and returned her hugs and signed her autograph book. Then he started to bounce up and down and she did the same which caused her shoes to sparkle and light up. Tigger got down on his knees to watch and point to her feet which she was really pleased about!

The meal had lasted about an hour and the food was very nice apart from the bacon which was as I remembered from a previous visit to Orlando in 1993. For some reason they like it cut so thin that you can literally read through it and the pieces contain twice as much fat as the tiny strip of meat. You never see the large piece of meat, just the fatty strip to the side of it. In any case, being so thin they cook to a crisp anyway. I always imagine Americans coming here and tasting bacon for the first time and being amazed. Or perhaps our way of cooking it revolts them as much as theirs does me... On a more positive note, the fruit juice was mango and it was so lush I could have drunk gallons of it! But I stopped after seven pints and had to excuse myself...

We came back out into the lobby of the Grand Floridian and made our way back to the first floor (the Americans call the ground floor "first" so properly I should have said second floor) to the Monorail station. We are now off to our first entry into Disney's Magic Kingdom which is where we'll be for the next article in the series.

Disney World Holiday Index

Third Blackpool 1977 Album 3 - The Pleasure Beach

Back to 1977 yet again and a mash-up of several visits that year to Blackpool Pleasure Beach from the latest photo album to make it out of the attic!

Taken on the 21st of May 1977, the Pleasure Beach were in the middle of building a new ride. To be called the Steeplechase, this was the first such ride to be built where riders sat on horses, very like those on The Derby Racer but instead of a round-a-bout, these raced up to three abreast over a course with jumps and hills and dips like a cross-country ride! The sign advertises that the new ride will open later during the year. Later we will see it in action.

Overseeing the action is this fellow... Two such giant figures held up portions of the Monorail track - this was a double-faced clown and the other was a model of Gulliver as seen by the inhabitants of Lilliput.

The Casino Building and tower, seen from the tramway turning loop. I remember once around this time going to an exhibition in the Horseshoe Bar and coming across several members of the George Formby Appreciation Society on a stand. They were all, rather ominously, clutching ukuleles or banjoleles and one asked if we would like a song. Without waiting for an answer, one lady burst (burst??? exploded!!!) into song and one by one the others all picked a different note and joined in. As a musician myself I'm at a loss as to how anyone could join in with a song in several different keys at the same time and not feel the need to stop and maintain a dignified silence... They were all very enthusiastic and great fun though and I resisted the urge to say "Aha! Never touched me!" as my eyes uncrossed and I walked dazedly away.

One of my favourite spots near the south entrance to the park for catching the Big Dipper curving down the third dip before soaring up onto the loop that would start its return journey to the station.

The chain-driven climb of the Big Dipper with its tear-drop finial that had replaced a spherical ball only a few years previously. The sign that the train has just passed says "Do not Stand up" - passengers on the wooden roller coasters at this time were trusted to hold on rather than be strapped in. In those days if you fell off a bridge you were deemed stupid rather than due compensation from the bridge builder. When this stopped being the case people became far more stupid...

A close-up shot of one of the rockets on the Hiram Maxim Flying Machine. Whatever happened to blue skies like that...?

A couple of shots of the Cheshire Cat carriages on the Alice In Wonderland ride. I can't look at photos of this ride without hearing the tune of The Cuckoo Waltz going through my head.

And to finish, I can confirm that the Pleasure Beach did indeed open The Steeplechase in 1977. Lap straps kept you secure on the ride, although the braking system had to be adjusted after a couple of incidents caused minor injuries due to sudden stops. I liked the ride though, the impression of speed with not being enclosed in some sort of vehicle was exhilarating.

In the next visit to Blackpool we'll be wandering about at night again.

Return to Blackpool Pleasure Beach Index Page