Old Grudges

My innocent  little traitor 

I remember moving to L.A. as a kid and thinking  about the immediate access I'd have to Disneyland. I'd been to Disneyland as a visitor from Oregon a time or two before that but, when I moved there, it became just one more stripe on my sleeve of pride. I also remember when Walt's brother Roy had the bright idea to finalize the plans and open Disney World in '71. In Florida. A bigger Disneyland in Florida??? Blaspheme!!

I must have more of a competitive streak than I know because I've always been a "better than" kid. Oregon is better than Washington. Portland is better than Seattle. LA is better than San Francisco. California is better than Florida. Disneyland is better than Disney World.  Weird but at least as an adult I can admit to this defect of character.

Fast forward 40 years. So here we are in the depths of winter looking for a getaway. Wouldn't you know it, Disney offers a ridiculously well priced all inclusive for 3 nights and 3 days of fun in……..in Florida! Hey. It's winter. We're frozen. It's cheap.

We spent only part of one day in The Magic Kingdom, the Disney World equivalent of the original Disneyland. That visit really leaves me with just two things to say: First, as much as I initially felt like a traitor walking down Mainstreet USA in Florida, I quickly realized I could care less. Disney is for kids (and those adults who still like to see themselves wearing mouse ears and Disney Character clothing). Secondly, when it's 21 degrees in Michigan, it's nice to be anywhere in these United States where it's sunny and 71 degrees.

All things being equal, though, I'll still take California. It's just better than Florida.