Goofing Around

Now of all the highlights of our vacation none stand out quite so much as the evening we went to eat at Chef's Mickeys at the Contemporary Resort.  It's a buffet dinner where all the main Disney characters come around and visit your table while you are dining.  They'll visit with the kids animatedly, sign your autograph books if you have them, and then take pictures with you.  Between the two families we had two 12 year old boys and two 15 year old boys, so perhaps this experience wasn't an ideal fit but it was probably a better fit than the Disney Princess dining experience we nearly made them all attend.  And don't underestimate the characters, these cast members spend their time suited up and silent so they gotta get their kicks somehow.

We were seated, ordered drinks, and then went to pile on our first plates.  Justin, the first to leave the buffet, noticed Goofy entering the area and exchanged a quick glance with him before making a hasty retreat.  On his way back, however, Justin felt a presence dogging him and every couple of steps he'd peek back over his shoulder and see Goofy hot on his tail.  Goofy clearly sensed the sheer terror of a teenager on the verge of enjoying himself in this place of youthful fantasy.  You know how the loss of one sense usually heightens the remaining senses?  In costume I bet sight (peripheral), hearing, touch, and smell are all impaired.  Meaning they can see straight through your shit and taste victory before you know you're gonna crack.  Attempting to feebly escape into the comfort of his plate Justin sat down and pretended Goofy was not there as he was prodded and poked for a reaction of near-human proportions.  Exactly who was the entertainment here?  Justin continued eating and Goofy finally conceded the 1st round leaving him to his mac & cheese.

The rest of us knew nothing about this spectacle as we sat down with our plates but we were given a brief recount by Justin who was obviously happy he had escaped serious embarrassment.  How very short-sighted of him.  We continued eating and the characters started making their rounds.  I had the camera as Donald came to the table and I forced the others to pose for pictures, and then the same with Minnie.  After getting up to fill another plate I returned to find Mickey at the table and my buddy Jim holding my camera with a smirk.  My turn to pose and then back to eating.

When Goofy walked up to the table everyone had a sense that something was about to happen.  Somehow he electrified the air in the immediate vicinity and with a grand flourish he broke stride grinding to a halt.  Snapping his head he locked his gaze on Justin and, with the flair of John Travolta in Saturday Night Live and the feverish desire of Uncle Sam, Goofy pointed his finger at him.  We all cackled collectively (and it truly was a cackle of evil delight) as Justin turned a deep shade of red.  His time had come!  Furthermore, he had finally been broken.  The rise and fall of his shoulders from a deep breath were all that he showed as he stood up to take his lumps.  Oh how Goofy hugged him and kissed him on the head!  And as we took pictures Goofy continue to paw at him and stroke his well-coiffed hair.  There wasn't a straight face to be seen.

It was the highlight of buddy Jacque's vacation to see Justin so deeply embarrassed and though Justin handled it pretty well (I'm proud to say) it stung him just a little to see so many enjoying themselves at his expense.  So when Pluto came around and was next to Jacque he saw his opportunity for retribution as Justin pointed and shouted, "Kiss Him!"  This did not have the effect he'd hoped for.  Now I don't know if Goofy talked to Pluto in passing but inextricably (and without the precursor) he reacted to Justin the same way Goofy had, honing in on him like a "Happy Time" cruise missile.  Pluto came at Justin so quickly that in his haste to escape all Justin could do was backpedal his way out of his chair and onto the floor next to me.  What in the hell just happened? I imagined him asking himself as all comprehension and reason left him.  Now in puddle form I poured Justin back into his chair so Pluto could fawn over him, his hair was a big hit.  His previous manhood had left him apparently at his outburst and now all he could do was bury his head between his arms until Pluto was done lapping up the attention.

So if you ever have the opportunity for a character experience at Disney and you think to yourself that you are too old for such things you may be passing up something much greater.  An opportunity to feel young again.