Good Things Come to those Who Wait

“Good things come to those who wait”.  That is an old adage  many of us have heard or said.  But sometimes life proves to the contrary.  If you wait to pay your car note, you might end up using public transportation.  Life demands prompt responses, it’s part of the adult reality. “He who hesitates, is lost” is more the modern day mantra. 

However, at Global, we recognize that there are times when you are planning a vacation that you simply have to wait.  We live in uncertain economic times.  Often we have unplanned and unexpected trips,  that require making quick decisions.  I have the pleasure of working in the Reservations Department at Global, and there are many times that I recieve a phone call from a guest who has to leave that very night , or by the end of the week.  In many of those cases, the guest is frantic, because it can be unnerving trying to find decent accommodations at a reasonable price, especially when it hadn’t been accounted for in the guest’s budget.  There are other times, when a guest receives an unexpected bonus, or just decides on a whim to surprise their loved ones with a Disney trip.  No matter the situation,  Global  offers big discounts on last minute Orlando resort stays for arrivals within the next 14 days.   You can actually reserve a 4 bedroom 3 bath home with a pool and spa, for only $79 dollars a night!!!  That’s more than a 50% discount!!!  We even have a 3 bedroom 2 bath condo in the gated Windsor Palms resort for only $60 a night, that’s a 63% discount.

For Global guests, it is true, that good things are still available to those who wait.  But don’t wait too long,  these deals are for a limited time only.

Sea World’s Spooktacular Halloween!

My family had the most amazing day at Seaworld’s Spooktacular Halloween event.  I wasn’t even aware that SeaWorld offered this incredible Halloween event,  I was already familiar with Disney’s “Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween”, and Universal’s “Halloween Horror Night”s and many of our guests come down at this time of year to take part in those events.  But SeaWorld’s Spooktacular Event was an unexpected surprise.

I’ve been to SeaWorld in the past, and have always loved this theme park.  I love the interactive aspect of SeaWorld.  The opportunity to feed dolphins and stingrays.   Children and adults alike experience such a thrill having  a hands-on-approach with nature.   The shows at SeaWorld are a combination of Broadway-meets-Cirque de Soliel–meets-Animal Kingdom.  We have always been enthralled by the acrobatic skills of the performers, as they dive from platforms high above our heads, and by dolphins that jump, flip, and spin to music,  while watching beautiful tropical birds in harmonious synchronized flight  all at the command of their trainers.

The Spooktacular event was just as enthralling .  The park was filled with children dressed as pirates,  superheros,  princesses, I even saw one child dressed as a cloud with rain!! The performers were a colorful array of customed mermaids,  sea fairies, octopuses , giant fish, and other sea creatures.  The children picked up candy bags at the park and could trick-or-treat at designated locations.  My 3 and 4 year old daughters were in complete awe with all the music and dancing, and of course, the unlimited candy.  My 10 and 12 year old, had just as much fun, filling their bags with candy and joining in the dances with the cast members.  At the end of the day,  we decided, that the SeaWorld Spooktacular would be part of our family’s Halloween tradition. 

For more information visit Seaworld’s Spooktacular Halloween page!

The Origins of Halloween

October signifies to me the beginning of the official “Holiday” season.   Halloween has become synonymous with everything autumn, such as pumpkins, red and orange colors and harvest time.  But it is sometimes viewed as a controversial holiday.  A holiday that glorifies evil and darkness.  I used to be one such proponent of boycotting this holiday.  In fact, as a sophomore in college, I decided to write an entire thesis paper on the origins of the Halloween traditions, it’s associations with Druid worship and witchcraft.  My paper was well written, thoroughly researched and extremely biased, and so was I.

I carried my biased opinion throughout my early adulthood.  I refused to participate in the office Halloween party, would not eat any Halloween candy, and on Halloween nights I turned off my lights and hung a big sign on my front door that read “WE DON’T CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN.  Not surprisingly, my home and car were targeted on more than one occasion for an occasional egg washing with a toilet paper accent.

I was adamant in my “anti-Halloween” sentiment, until I had children.  For the first five years of child rearing, it was easy, until that one fall afternoon when my 5 year old daughter returned home from school, with a wild look of excitement in her eyes as she declared she was going to be a “Princess Angel” for Halloween.  Her three year old younger sister piped in that she too was going to be an angel.  Then they looked at me with innocent, thought provoked eyes and asked the question I feared would be asked, “What’s Halloween?”

Suddenly, my thesis on the evils of Halloween seemed so inappropriate and totally irrelevant.  Certainly, my children weren’t evil, nor their classmates, nor teachers, nor MOST of my neighbors.  We weren’t going to draw a circle of fire in the backyard, recite ancient incantations, and sacrifice our puppy. 

“What’s Halloween?”  I realized it’s a time of imagination, pure fun, and an excuse to eat an unbelievable amount of candy in one day.  It’s also an American tradition, as American as apple pie, baseball, and Thanksgiving.

My personal convictions, still keep me opposed to the ideas of blood and gore, I won’t purchase the “hatchet in the back” costume, nor do I enjoy an “Angel of Death” wielding a bloody knife chasing me down a corridor.  For me, life is full of things to be afraid of, natural disasters, diseases, Wall Street needing government assistance, and my bank going bankrupt?!!!…. So to willingly make myself afraid isn’t my idea of a good time.  But that’s my personal choice and I understand now that other people have the right and freedom to think and feel otherwise.

I’ve also discovered that there are local churches that offer alternative options for celebrating Halloween minus the fright.  One such church is Real Life in Clermont FL.  This Halloween, the church will have a “Fall Festival” where children can dress up like Biblical or Historical characters, enjoy hay rides, roast marshmallows, listen to live music, and yes partake in eating immeasurable amounts of sweets.  This church is one of many in the Central Florida region that offer fright-free Halloween fun.  Next week, I’m taking my family to “SeaWorld’s Spooktacular” which is a month-long celebration of Halloween, and another fun and safe alternative.  I will be sure to write about that experience, from a child and adult’s perspective.  Happy Halloween!