January 26, 2013: What's up Doc... Hudson?

In previous blogs I have spoken about my love for movies and, particularly, my love for the Garden Theater in my hometown of Louisa, Kentucky during my childhood. One of the movies that I saw multiple times at the Garden was Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. One day when I was home with my daughter (she was sick and home from school), I rented Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and we watched it together. That same week we drove by a McDonald’s restaurant that had a sign out front promoting their salad dressings. Allison said, “Dad, that’s the guy from the movie.” Of course, the “guy”, was Paul Newman.

Paul Newman was born on this day in 1926. Newman is one of the actors that I have enjoyed at every stage of my life and, with my kids, loved Paul Newman as Doc Hudson in Cars. Newman repeated the role in one of the Tow Mater shorts. To many younger folks who may not realize who voiced Doc, they only know Newman as the salad dressing and pop corn guy. All the profit from the food company goes to charity. Probably the best way to honor Newman at Walt Disney World is to visit the Cars quadrant of Art of Animation, a resort so fun you might mistake it for an attraction. Well, I guess it actually is an attraction.

Wow, Ellen DeGeneres is three years older than me, and we’ll leave it at that. We love Dory and we all feel like Dory sometimes. You also have to admit, no matter how absent minded she seems, she also seems happy. Now you can visit all the things at Walt Disney World that have connections to Finding Nemo but don’t forget that Ellen has her own attraction, Ellen’s Energy Adventure. Ellen falls asleep during this attraction and so do I, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s good to relax at Walt Disney World.

Today is Spouses’ Day. Do something nice for your spouse, you share a house, you may share offspring and hopefully you share a heart. Love is a beautiful thing and so is Victoria and Albert’s at the Grand Floridian. Victoria and Albert’s is especially nice for your spouse because the kids, under 21, are not allowed. If they’re over 21, they can pay their own way or go to Casey’s and leave you guys alone for a while. Hey! You took them to Walt Disney World they should lighten up.

Just as a footnote, in 1954 ground breaking began on Disneyland. I know it’s not Walt Disney World but you can’t have one without the other.

Remember, your best excuse is always: waiting for your dreams to come true.