Pony Express

Ah, Disney, you've done it again.

Our first day at Disney World found us in Disney Village, an area full of shops all attuned to the magic of the Mouse.

We entered the toy area, looking for possible holiday gifts destined for our nieces and nephews when Sprite was drawn to a low table set up in the middle of the store. On the table was an array of My Little Pony figures and assorted outfits.

"Pony!" Sprite breathed and was hooked. (Of course, this is the same kid who received a My Little Pony for her birthday last year from my sister and played with it maybe a few times before it was dismissed to her toy box.) While she played with the free entertainment and John supervised, I walked the perimeter of the store, finding the source of the Pony mayhem and a birthday gift for Elizabeth. Now, here's where WE were hooked. (Damn them!) For eighteen bucks, the store gives you a box and the opportunity to fill it with up to three Pony's, a bed, mirror, and as many outfits as you can squish into the smallish space. We were also given hints as to how to fill the box by a Cast Member who preferred to remain nameless.

John and I looked at each other while Sprite couldn't contain her excitement with the mountain of "Pony!" related possibilities in front of her. We agreed the price was pretty damn good for A LOT of items. We found every Princess outfit, accompanying shoes, hats, a Minnie Mouse get up, on and on, and filled the box to the rim, barely closing the top, a requirement to get all the items within for the alloted amount.

When we arrived at the register, the Cast Member asked, "Are you sure you got all the items?"

"Well, we could only fit two ponies in."

"You can have three though."

I considered this, "Um, I think two is okay."

She then rifled through the very full box. "You're missing shoes, some barrettes, a teacup.." As she spoke, she tossed more items in. I smiled as I thought of the various choking hazards my vacuum would face when these little shoes and such would be left helter skelter all over my house. (Although Harry would have a field day chewing on colorful plastic pieces.) (I think some of that chewing is in direct retaliation to the number of times Sprite has cornered Harry with a doll brush and rubber hair bands proposing to "do his hair".)

We finally left with Sprite's new fifteen minutes of fun and brought her back to the hotel where she spread her wealth out all over her bed. She formed a quick attachment to the blue Pony.

"What's the Pony's name?" John asked.

Sprite thought about it and then crooked an eyebrow. "Pony."

John rolled his eyes at me. "How about Colby?"

"Colby?" I questioned, fiddling with the Mouse ears barrette on the pink pony's mane. How flipping cute WAS this stuff?!

Sprite tested the name out. "Colby."

This Pony became her new best friend, an even better best friend than the Princess Minnie doll she had declared her love for when we first stepped onto Disney property. The Pony accompanied her to dinner, to sleep, to breakfast the next morning, to the park...

Yes, the park. Sprite had decided to "feed" Colby lunch while at the Character Play And Dine buffet, (which was amazing by the way, I have a post coming out about Disney on a whole for The Locals Love It on September 22 and I will venture further into the variety of diet killers we came across) and when John took her outside for some air while I paid the bill, she accidentally left the Pony on a patio chair in the middle of one of the busiest areas of Disney's Hollywood Studios on one of the busiest days of the year and said nothing about it until we were in the Pre-Show area of The Little Mermaid attraction on the other side of the park when she asked for her Colby.

I looked in her backpack. No Colby.

"Did she leave it at the restaurant?" I asked John, who frowned in response. I thought back to the visual sweep I usually do at a table before we vacate. Nothing noticed.

"No, she brought it outside... outside. Crap, it's probably gone by now-"

"What time is it?" I interrupted.

He looked at his watch. "12:40. The show starts in less than twenty minutes."

"I'll be right back."

I ducked out of the theatre and weaved through the queue, excusing myself and apologizing as I sidestepped others. (Others whose toes I would probably be stepping on once more when Sprite demanded in no uncertain terms to leave the show before Ariel finished her aria.) Once free of the population throng, I broke into an all out run across the main area of the Studios, backtracking to where we had (maybe?) last seen the Pony, still watchful for any familiar bright blue toys with shockingly pink sparkly hair, yet pessimistic that another child would possibly pick it up before I could rescue it and claim it for their own. I could only think of the disappointment and ensuing tears when Sprite realized Colby was never coming back. (And yes, I also thought of the possible second trip to Disney Village I would need to make for Colby to magically reappear that night.) (And how that eighteen dollar deal wasn't looking so good anymore..)

Once in the vicinity of the restaurant, I rushed to the grouping of tables on a lower level of the area and scanned the chairs. Nothing. Damn it.

Then my eyes landed on a Custodial Cast Member standing near the railing overlooking the lake, watching me, smiling, and holding our saving grace in his left hand.

"Little girl?" he asked, as he noticed my eyes light up with excitement and relief. He explained how he had found the Pony about five minutes before and decided to wait for the owner to show up before he turned it into Lost and Found.

I blew out the rest of the breath I was huffing out. "Thank you so much!" I panted, taking back the object of Sprite's affection and the possibility that the day would go well.

I ran back, somehow sure that the very people who questioned my running by the first time now understood my sprint had everything to do with the prize I now gripped tightly in my hand.

Manuevering back into the Pre-show area, I handed Colby over to an unassuming Sprite amid John's surprised "You found it?!".

I wiped the sweat off my brow, bending over to catch my breath. "Can I just tell you how much I love Disney World?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quick sidenote: Sprite hung onto that Pony for the rest of the day and even proudly showed it off to Abigail the next morning when we arrived at the Katz Cradle for Brunch. Of course, she promptly forgot the damn horse again when we left and didn't start moaning about it until we got home. Um, yeah, I couldn't handle a run that far, so the love of her life "Colby" arrived at our home Monday morning through a different kind of Express thanks to another understanding mother. Becca, I owe you.

Oh, and Becca? Did you have to mark the item down as livestock since it is a horse and all?

I'm not sure if it's allowed, but I completely intruded again on Travel Tip Thursday over at Pseudo's! Click the link and check out some other travellers while making yourself increasingly jealous that you can't see the kind of scenery out your window that Pseudo looks at EVERY DAY.
Don'tcha just hate her a little? Maybe you should Spin THAT up..

Comments

[Rachel]

Pony Drama! I love it! So now is Colby still her favorite? Or has she transferred her allegience to Cinnamon? I'm pretty sure that's who visited my house.

[Stacy (the Random Cool Chick)]

I am in awe that you were able to get Colby back - how cool is that?!

Princess Nagger got a My Little Pony for her 4th birthday and did the same as Sprite... played with it a handful of times and then discarded it in the bowels of her toy box. Until around her 5th birthday when a guy from hubby's work sent home a ginormous bag of MLP's that his daughter had outgrown. Suddenly she was all about MLP and hasn't deterred from that love since. When we finally take her to Disneyworld, we'll definitely have to go to that store and get her some new favorites to play with! :)

I'm spinning this week...and not just in my head! :)

http://stacysrandomthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/09/hate-is-such-strong-word.html

[Mary Anne]

There really is no place on earth like Disney . . . They are AMAZING. I'm trying to get my husband to agree to go again before The Girl gets much older. I would go there for every vacation, but he's not buying it.
The Girl fell in love with a little stuffed beaver from the Canada pavilion in Epcot that traveled with us for the remainder of our trip a few years ago and almost got left behind several times. I have a picture of us from her birthday dinner at Chef Mickey's right here on my desk at work, and "Beaverie" is sitting on top of Chef Mickey's hat.
(And kudos to John for stepping in and naming Colby. Everything The Girl named for a while was just the "thing" with a -y or -ie ending, like "Beaverie." Drove us nuts.)

[Laufa]

Glad Becca found it and sent it to you.
Wow $18 sounds like a great deal, I don't know how big this box was, but the salesperson sure was helpful to you.

[Maureen@IslandRoar]

Wow, it really is the place where dreams come true, huh?
Good leg work there, Mom!

[Naomi]

I wanna go to Disney!!!!!

I'm so happy you found the pony, I know the feeling of losing in and having no hope of finding and then actually finding!! Soo greatful!

[Erin@TheLocalsLoveIt]

I'm beginning to love Disney too! Colby needs a tether.

[WickedStepMom]

That was truly awesome that Becca mailed the pony to you. We occasionally lose Pinstripes the Tiger which is followed by a meltdown of epic proportions.

[Erin]

We're going next Friday. In which store did you find the ponies?

[Jan]

I simply cannot believe you were able to retrieve Colby not just once, but twice. The Toy Gods are definitely on your side.

You need to have a son next time, though. There's just nothing like a darling little boy running through the house, screaming, waving about a flaming stuffed chipmunk about. Guess I'll have to blog about that one sometime.

[Nel]

That show would have been TERRIBLE without Colby. How do kids get those instant attachments to toys??? It boggles me.

Disney World sounds like an epic win to me.

[Sprite's Keeper]

@Erin: Going Friday? Lucky you! It's in Disney Village. Look for the toy store with a giant Mr. Potato Head in front of it. (Near the kiddie train..) You really can't miss it. My Little Pony is near the walk in Princess Castle on one side of the store and the play table is on the other side near the Potato Head displays. Here's a hint on filling the box: Take the bed and stuff one of the Pony's into it (it CAN be done) and then also stuff as many outfits and such into those gaps. Put that on the bottom, upside down. Then fill and stuff away. Or just find a cast member who will bend over backwards to assist you. And trust me, they will. :-)

[Arwen]

That custodian deserves a bonus.

[beccabec]

I am reading this while my superhero cape is in the laundry. I had no idea what that little pony went through.

I had to mark it livestock. The post office asked if I was transporting any live animals and I couldn't lie.

Love!

[K]

I love when strangers help you out. I try my best to return the favor.

I totally would have bought it too - I was a huge my little pony fan as a kid.

[The Dental Maven]

And THAT is why Disney is so freakin' fabulous. Where else could you get your pony back? NOWHERE.

[mrsbear]

Disney is all about happy endings. Killing off cartoon moms and happy endings. ;)

Glad you got Colby back, once at least.

[Casey]

Holy crap, I can't believe you found Colby! That custodian deserves a raise, and a day off. And wow, $18 for that much stuff at Disney Village? You lucked out.

[Jenny]

What a lifesaver the custodian was! I'm glad Sprite got her Colby back.

[Captain Dumbass]

Damn. It's a shame I have boys who only play with Star Wars figures and Lego.

My little pony, beautiful pony...

[Kaylen]

My Little Pony is at Disney now?? Those ponies get around.
I love the Colby story. It was truly inspirational and indicative of a mothers love, because really, trying to run through a crowd of parents of small children in line for the mermaid show can be pretty scary!!!

[Keely]

Way to get your exercise on holiday!

Have you seen some of the 'mods' people do to MLPs? It's...disturbing. Considering it's grown adults making the 'artworks'.

[Kristina]

I would have bought the Pony, and all the choking hazard accessories. If she loves it that much, and you're at magical Disney, and, well, why not?

That said, I might have to avoid that store when we take Zoe to Disney World in a few months, just because I know she'll want all the pony stuff.