Buying the Last Vacation Mile
February 23, 2023 – Anaheim, California, USA
The Lim family walked out of Disneyland looking and feeling exhausted. Michael Lim wanted to get his money’s worth so they arrived as soon as the park opened and stayed until seven-year-old Kalyon and five-year-old Sadie refused to walk any farther. Michael chose a middle-of-the-week day in February and pulled his kids from school to avoid any crowds.
“I just want to go back to the hotel. My legs hurt,” Kalyon said in a whiny voice.
“Me too,” Sadie echoed. “And you promised we could eat pancakes.”
“We will. But first we have to meet Grandpa and Grandma in Downtown Disney,” Michael said, drawing deep from his energy reserves in order to sound enthusiastic. “They drove a long way to see you.”
The kids acted like they were being asked to give up sugar for a week. Michael and his wife, Vicki, tried to make Downtown Disney sound fun, but their children were unconvinced. The family trudged through the equivalent of a Disney-themed outdoor mall, passing stores selling the same merchandize they had seen inside Disneyland.
“I still don’t understand why your parents couldn’t just meet us in the park,” Vicki said to Michael. “They would have liked watching the kids on the rides.”
“You know how my dad is. There’s no way he would spend a hundred bucks for admission. He’ll drive the 45 minutes to see us, but only if it’s free.”
When Michael finally spotted his parents walking toward him, he was afraid Kalyon and Sadie were going to act like grumpy brats when greeting their grandparents. To his surprise, they ran forward and wrapped their arms around Grandpa and Grandma’s waists.
“Did you have fun? What was your favorite ride?” Grandma asked.
Kalyon and Sadie quickly listed their favorite attractions and described going through Space Mountain in the dark. When the kids finally ran out of words, Grandma said, “Sounds like a perfect day. You’ll probably remember it for the rest of your lives.”
“Except that Dad wouldn’t get us any ears,” Kalyon replied.
“Ears? What do you mean ears?”
“He’s talking about Mickey Mouse ears,” Michael interjected. “They kept nagging me for the hats with the ears and I said no.”
“I’m sure they were very expensive,” Grandma said with a disappointed smile.
The family strolled aimlessly as they talked about the day in the park and freeway traffic. Michael walked next to his father and they discussed how Michael’s garage door repair business was doing. As usually happened during their conversations, Michael found himself defending his move to Bakersfield. Then he wanted to justify the family trip.
“We’ve been saving up all year. It’s really the only vacation we’re taking so I wanted to make it special. That’s why we’re splurging for the waterpark hotel.”
“Sounds nice if you’ve got the money for it,” Grandpa said.
“We do. Like I said, we’ve been planning this for a long time,” Michael replied in a slightly defensive voice.
When Kalyon and Sadie wandered into one of the stores selling stuffed animals and clothing, the rest of the family followed. They were soon standing in front of a rack of mouse-ear hats. Kalyon picked up a hat and said, “Please Dad. Everyone else has one.”
Sadie copied her brother and added, “I’ll wear it all the time.”
“I told you no,” Michael replied in frustration. “We already spent a truckload of money on admission and food. You should feel lucky you got to go.”
Grandpa picked up one of the hats and looked at the $20 price tag, which included an embroidered name. “How about if I buy them?”
Michael’s head flinched backward like he had been slapped. “You? Why would you buy them?”
“Nice memory for the kids.”
“Go ahead, if you want.”
Grandpa paid for the hats and then took pictures with his grandkids as they hugged and kissed him. “Oh, thank you Grandpa! This is the best day ever!” Sadie cried.
Michael gave his father a sour look as he mumbled to himself, “Where’s my thank you? I spent a lot more money than he did today.”
Michael’s vacation plan called for his family to spend the entire next day enjoying the indoor waterpark at their hotel – the Great Wolf Lodge. He woke his wife and kids up early so they would have time to get their money’s worth on all the waterslides and surf simulators. They were waterlogged and exhausted by the afternoon when Grandpa and Grandma stopped by the hotel for another visit.
“Oh, you look like you had another fun day,” Grandma called as she stroked Kalyon and Sadie’s still wet hair.
Kalyon sped through a description of the waterslides he rode by himself and those that required an accompanying adult.
“Sounds like the perfect place to stay if you love the water,” Grandma concluded.
“Yeah, but Dad won’t let us get wands so we can go on quests,” Kalyon replied.
Michael rolled his eyes and spoke up. “The hotel has figures and scenery that move and light up if you wave one of their wands over it.”
“Like magic,” Sadie added. “You can find treasure and watch the pixies and dragons fly around.” Sadie pointed toward two kids waving wands at a window while the objects behind the glass came to life.
“It’s just another way for them to get more of your money,” Michael said dismissively.
Grandpa acted very interested in what was going on behind the glass window. “Do you get to keep the wands?”
“Yeah, you take them home,” Kalyon answered.
“How much are they?”
“Twenty dollars.”
“I could probably buy a couple wands.”
Kalyon and Sadie cheered and hopped up and down. Michael glared until Grandpa added, “But only if your dad thinks it’s okay.”
“Please Dad! Say yes!” cried Sadie. “It’s Grandpa’s money, not yours.”
“Fine. Whatever he wants to do,” Michael snapped in reply.
The kids got their wands and waved them happily around the hotel’s displays and play areas. Kalyon grinned from ear to ear when he said, “Thanks Grandpa. This is the best place ever. It’s not just waterslides, it’s magic too.”
“Just waterslides?” Michael mumbled to his wife. “Having waterslides inside the hotel isn’t good enough for him?”
“He’s excited about the wand. That’s all he means,” Vicki replied.
“My dad shows up and pays $20 for those wands and he’s some kind of hero. What about what I’m paying for us to stay here?”
Vicki smiled and shrugged her shoulders sympathetically.
The vacation’s third and final day included more water sliding and then a show at a dinner theater called Medieval Times. The Medieval Times castle was built around a jousting arena. As visitors ate dinner, knights on horseback showed off their riding and fighting skills during an elaborate pageant. When Michael made dinner reservations for his family, his parents agreed to join them.
As they overlooked the action on the dirt floor of the arena, Kaylon and Sadie remained convinced the swordplay and choreographed fighting were real. Their section of the arena was supposed to cheer on the red knight and the kids shouted ferociously for him to win the tournament. They were awestruck by the prancing horses and wanted to find a stable and try riding themselves when they got home to Bakersfield.
At the show’s conclusion, the audience exited through a giftshop. Walls and display cases were filled with medieval-themed souvenirs. Replica swords ranged from expensive metal blades to wooden toy models.
“Can we get swords?” Kalyon asked. “Everyone else is getting one.”
“I want a sword too,” Sadie added.
“They’re a waste of money. You’ll forget all about them when we get home,” Michael replied.
“No, we won’t. Please Dad! I want to be a knight,” Kalyon replied with a pleading voice.
Michael looked around at the other adults for support. “Why do they have to make you walk out through the gift shop? It’s such a scam. They know it’s going to make kids beg until they get something.”
Grandpa chuckled and picked up the nearest wooden toy sword. “Fifteen dollars. I can probably afford that for them.”
Michael’s shoulders sagged. Then he pulled his father away from the other members of the family. “What’s with you? I’m trying to show my kids they can’t have everything they want. You’re stepping all over me and spoiling them.”
“I didn’t mean to. And I don’t want them to be spoiled, but if you’re on this trip to make good memories, I don’t want the kids thinking about what they didn’t get. You’ve already spent hundreds of dollars, you might as well spend a few more. It’s like you’ve run 25 miles of a marathon. Might as well finish.”
“If I bought everything they wanted, I’d be broke.”
“Ah, a little something here and there won’t hurt. And they’ll look at it for years and remember what a good time they had.”
“I can’t believe you’re saying this. You’re telling me to spend money. You never spent anything on us when we were growing up.”
“That’s what you think. We went on plenty of family trips, but I had the habit of saying no every time you wanted an ice cream or some toy. Now that’s all you remember, not the money I spent on hotel rooms. We should have stayed home and spent the money on all the ice cream you wanted. Then you wouldn’t think of me as being cheap.”
Michael stayed quiet as he sifted through all the memories in his head. Then he walked back to his kids and picked up one of the toy swords. “If Mom and Dad buy this for you, do you promise to remember how we went on this trip?”
“Yes!” Kaylon and Sadie cried together.
“And do you promise not to hit each other with them?”
“Yes!”
Michael nodded toward his father and carried two swords to the check-out counter. He sighed to himself as he paid for the final mile of his vacation marathon.
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