Although the whole project was initially set up as "in lieu of a party," I ended up having a bit of party, which was initially billed as the 50th thing -- and did, in fact, include some folks I'd wanted to do a "50 for 50" with (Hi Cousins Shawn and Dash!); but I've been hesitant to actually write it up and call that one the 50th thing, because they were a bit particular with numbers of people, and I wasn't able to invite everyone I'd done a (local) 50 for 50 with, and it didn't seem right at all to put a cap on the project with a party to which I hadn't been able to invite everyone I wanted to invite (apologies).
So, I've spent at least 6 months staring at the few items remaining on the list and puzzling over how the HELL I've had this project open for a coupla years and still haven't managed to find a friend to go to Disneyland with me (well, a friend who didn't already do a 50 for 50) and then fate intervened and, fuck it: Lecie, you did my last 50 for 50 even though you didn't know it. And we certainly didn't plan it.
I 'splain.
Here's me in London. I've booked a weekend in Disneyland Paris. It's the night before I take the Eurostar over and I take a peek at Facebook. Lecie has posted one of those "I'm at the airport with my mom" status thingies, and it says she's going to Paris.
Relevant Things I know About Lecie: She's fun. She likes Disneyland.
I drop her a message: Hey, you're not going to Disneyland Paris, are you?
She IS. The exact same days I am.
We plan (in a broad, general sense) to meet up.
Honestly, I don't know exactly how much time we're going to spend together. I'm totally horning in on her Vacation With Mom at this point, but figure we should at least say "hi" and see what's up.
We're arriving at Disneyland Paris at more or less the same time, although I beat her on account of train lag being a lot less intense than jet lag. I send her a text and ask if she wants me to make a dinner reservation. (Implicit: Hey, are we gonna get dinner together?) We are. We are so gonna get dinner together.
We are actually going to spend most of the weekend together -- although we're at different hotels, so we breakfast on our own. And there's that large chunk of Saturday when we split up so I can try to ride everything on the Ultimate FastPass (spoiler: I can't) and she and her mom can meet Maleficent (sorry, "Malefique") and ride Small World (I'm a hard pass on Small World). But, mostly, we hang in Disneyland Paris together, and have pretty much the same goals.
We LOVE the statues they've got set up all over Adventureland for Coco/Day of the Dead.
We also love the dragon under the castle, the view of the Disneyland entrance at night, and the Alice in Wonderland Maze.
At one point, I'm trying to find the FastPass Entrance to Phantom Manor (spoiler: There isn't one; don't let the fact that the Ultimate FastPass actually includes Phantom Manor throw you off)... ANYWAY, I'm on my own and wandering the path by the side of Phantom Manor (because I will gnaw off my own foot before I ask a French person for directions) and I discover the "cemetery" just goes ON, and ends up in "Boot Hill" which is the intersection of the Frontierland concept with the Phantom Manor concept, and there's actually a little raised area with "tombs" you can walk among. The sound effects are creepy as hell, especially when "Big Thunder Mountain" isn't running (which it wasn't) so there aren't any screams of joy in the background, just the whooshing of air through what sounds like an abandoned space. And I think, "I've gotta bring Lecie and her mom back here." So after we meet up for dinner on Saturday night (an adventure best left un-recounted), we took in the Eerie, and Lecie took lots of pictures of it (but she's a photographer and I forgot to).
And one thing the three of us really wanted to do was have a nice lunch at Bistrot Chez Remy. Our first day there, Lecie braved the phone call with the Disney Restaurant Reservation People (FFS, put this on the app), who lived up to every negative stereotype of French people dealing with Americans -- the lady told her they were fully booked all weekend and hung up on her. When I was FastPassing it up the next day, I rode the Ratatouille ride (which is largely interesting for how the trackless vehicles move more than any actual fun factor), which let out right next to the Bistrot, so thought I'd pop in and inquire. Do you happen to have any reservations available for lunch tomorrow? Mais oui.
So, before we had to leave for our respective trains, we got to tuck into some really tasty food cooked by an imaginary rat. To say this was the best food I'd ever eaten in an amusement park is faint praise (although true). It may well have been the best food I've ever eaten in France -- that probably says more about where I've eaten in France than Remy's cooking. The dish of the day was a lamb shank, which was just super flavorful and fall-off-the-bone tender and did I mention super flavorful? I kind of inhaled it.
Lecie's mom and I bonded over the inability to get a decent cup of tea pretty much anywhere in Disneyland Paris. (Well, the French seem attached to a green tea with mint, which isn't bad, but isn't great if you're looking for something in a get-you-going strongly caffeinated beverage.) I assume the inability to find a decent cup of English Breakfast Tea on this side of the Channel is the French still being miffed about the 100 Years War. But, seriously, with all the English tea suppliers just a hop, skip and a boat away, Disneyland Paris gave their exclusive tea contract to LIPTON. And then half the restaurants don't even have standard Lipton Black Tea, just herbal stuff. It's a travesty. (Particularly given that the target audience of Disneyland Paris is Brits on holiday.) What are we supposed to drink with our chocolate mousse?! (And don't get us started on the green creme brulee at the Steakhouse.)
But, mostly, I just got to know Lecie a bit better as we laughed and smiled and tried to stay dry in the Happiest Place in France. She's definitely one of those people who is good to travel with -- easily changes plans on the fly, enjoys the adventure, and approaches new experiences with a sense of wonder and joy. I'm glad I got to experience Disneyland Paris with her.
And it's also fitting to close out the 50 for 50 with Lecie -- she's a new friend, someone I'm not sure I'd even met when I started this project. Especially with missing 49 with Meg, wrapping this up by cementing a new friendship is SATISFYING. Overall, I've had more fun than I could've possibly imagined when I started the project, and I've been reluctant to actually end it. This (unexpectedly) ended it on the right note -- with all the childish wonder of a Disney park, the grown-up ability to dump a lot of money on a really nice meal, and the serendipitous nature of us randomly being at the same place at the same time, 5600 miles away.
I'm ready to sweep up and call it a day.
