- Saturday 7/7/07 - We drove to Tampa, Fl in time to see Chris Sligh and the American Idol Tour. Gina's mom and some of her friends were sitting beside us, and Chris R's parents were in front of us. The show started late due to some (apparent) technical difficulty...there were several guys climbing around in the rigging near the ceiling replacing cables. The show itself was actually quite good. Not that I'm biased or anything, but Chris Sligh is amazing! I've heard him sing many times at church, but the power of his voice was remarkable at the show. Our girls were pretty exhausted after the 9 hour drive so by the end of the show, they were totally whipped; but we stayed around to use our backstage passes. We would have loved to have met all the Idol's, but due to the late hour and the exhaustion of the kids, we spoke briefly to Mr. Sligh and headed out to Aunt Mary's house in Lakeland, Fl.
- Sunday 7/8/07 - We attended church with Uncle Jack and Aunt Mary (Victory Church in Lakeland, Fl.) We went to the traditional service since that is the one my aunt and uncle attend. The church is quite large, and seems to be doing a great job. I would like to see the contemporary service--oh well, maybe some other time. After church, Uncle Jack took our family to the pool while Aunt Mary fixed a meal like my Grandma Turner used to cook: Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes with homemade, chicken gravy, green beans, homemade macaroni and cheese, iron skillet corn bread and sweet tea! Wow...it's time to get back on the South Beach diet!! During the entire week, Aunt Mary spoiled our girls ROTTEN!!! Really, I'm glad she did since my Mom would treat them that way every day if she were still living. The girls had a chance to see how Grandma Edith would have loved them--that is priceless!
- Monday 7/9/07 - It's Magic Kingdom day!! I expected to be totally miserable (July, big crowds, heat, tired kids)...but it was great! We were able to use the Fast Pass option many times to our advantage. We saw everything we wanted to see at the park! The worst thing was that when we were ready to leave, we got caught in the parade that passes in front of the castle, and literally could not move! If there was a way out, we couldn't find a sign to point us to it. Now a couple of good things about the Magic Kingdom: 1) You can do almost anything with good lighting. It makes an otherwise simple set come alive (Ex. It's a Small World After All ride). A little black light mixed in just makes everything stand out all the more. 2) Everything worked. I actually looked for burned out light bulbs and moving parts that had stopped moving---but I couldn't find any! Great attention to detail, and investment in maintenance. 3) We had to ask questions from time to time throughout the day, and every time, we were met with a friendly, smiling employee (Cast Member) who was knowledgeable AND happy to help us. That couldn't have been easy in the 100 degree heat. I even overheard a couple of attendants at the Country Bear Jamboree talking about their jobs is glowing terms. They were truly happy to be there. When I asked them how they liked working for Disney, they confirmed everything I had overheard. 4) They seemed to do everything possible to make the waiting-in-line pleasant by having the A/C on!! I'd actually rather be in line than walking around in the heat! 5) The place was clean---really clean...which leads me to 6) Kudos to Terry!! We had reached the point of bathroom desperation, and when we found the restrooms, my expectations were low to say the least. When I walked into the stall, I've never been more pleasantly surprised---it was CLEAN. I mean like going-to-the-potty-at-home clean! Then I noticed Terry--he had a spray bottle of disinfectant on his belt along with towelettes and squeegee. I noticed that as the 'cattle' exited the stalls, Terry went in behind them (without holding his nose!) and sprayed the seat down and wiped it off!! Wow! I spoke to him briefly and discovered that this restroom was his responsibility to keep clean. He stood quietly in the corner waiting to take care of his business after each sweaty Disney patron had taken care of theirs! If you have ever been to a theme park bathroom, you know it's UGLY---but not at Disney! Terry, you made my day!! Lesson from Disney---little things make all the difference--pay attention to detail!
- Tuesday 7/10/07 - Slept in, then drove to Clearwater Beach. It was a great family day at the beach. I brought several books to read, but it really didn't work out because the girls kept wanting me to get in the water with them--it's OK...I can read later! :) Aunt Mary made Spaghetti and Hot Dogs while continuing to spoil the kids (and me)!
- Wednesday 7/11/07 - Arrived at Sea World when the park opened. We saw most all of the shows. 'Pet's Ahoy' was great, and the Shamu show was spectacular as well. I think the kids enjoyed Sea World more than Disney, but I was frustrated. The signage could have been better to help us get around. We never felt that we had our bearings or sense of direction the whole day. It seemed hotter and more crowded, too. The pre-show mime at the 'Clyde and Seymore' show was very funny and helped the last 10 minutes before the show pass quickly. There seemed to be fewer employees running around ready to help.
- Thursday 7/12/07 - Hugs and love to Uncle Jack and Aunt Mary for putting up with us. It was so great to re-connect again. Then the long drive home! Whew!
Based on my experiences on this trip, here are a few reflections on what we can do to make church a better place to be for new people:
- Do more with lighting. Maybe there could be a lighting change every minute during the 5 minute countdown. Also, I wonder what some black lights would do for our set design?
- Who wants to volunteer for Bathroom Attendant?
- Little things matter a lot. You don't have to have everything, just make sure that what you do have is in good working order and not broken!
- Think like a guest, and make the church experience positive for them with friendly, available (not overbearing) people, and effective signage.
Well, tomorrow is going to be another great day at Seacoast, and I'm so glad to be back!
