BEYOND THE THEME PARKS

ANITA ANSWER
Archives

8/24/09
--Anita's Mini Blog for 8/24/09
--Space Mountain's Seating Configuration: Has It changed?
--Which Direction Was the Wand Set?
--Booking Accommodations for Six Online?

8/17/09
--A Brief History of Castaway Cay
--Name That Restaurant!
--The Morse Code Message in Spaceship Earth
--Answer to the 8/10 Trivia Question

8/10/09
--What Castle Served as the Inspiration for Cinderella Castle?
--The "Hotel" in the Canada Pavilion
--What About the Original Back Lot Tour?
--Anita's Mini Blog for 8/10/09

8/3/09
-- Anita's 8/3/09 Mini Blog
--What Was This Old Ride?
--Backlot Tour Bet
--Base Tickets and Extra Magic Hours
--Answers to Trivia Questions and Doctor Who Challenge

7/27/09
--Anita's 7/27/09 Mini Blog
--What Was the Name of This Ice Cream Shop?
--Square Footage of the New Treehouses
--When Do the Holiday Decorations Come Down?

7/13/09
--2009 Dates for Epcot's Candlelight Processional
--Using Music's Bus Stops When Staying at Movies?
--How Old Is Too Old for the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique?
--Answer to the June 29 Trivia Question

7/6/09
--A European Trip Blog
--The Difference Between B and C Tickets?
--A Lounge with Live Music?
--No Car, No Grocery Stop. Where to Get Alcohol?

6/1/09
--Where is the Randy Pausch Plaque Located?
--What Was This Old Store in the Studios?
--Rod Serling and the Tower of Terror Pre-Show
--Answer to the May 25 Trivia Question

5/25/09
--Is Christmas Really That Crowded?
--Adult or Child Ticket When Child Turns 10 in the Middle of the Trip?
--Which Was the First Disney Vacation Club Resort to Open?
--Answer to the May 18 Trivia Question

5/18/09
--Will Pirates and the Haunted Mansion Be Closed In June?
--Where Would Anita Stay and Dine?
--What Are Those Stone Things at Epcot's Entrance?
--Answer to the May 4 Trivia Question

5/11/09
5/4/09
--The Mural in the Contemporary
--Showers at Old Key West's Pool
--A Flashing Light above the Blue Bayou Restaurant
--The Wasps' "Sting" in Tough to Be a Bug
--Answer to the April 27 Trivia Question

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August 31, 2009

Anita's Final Farewell

Dearest Readers and Friends,

Well, here we are. This is the final Anita Answer column. I can scarcely believe I've been writing this little corner of the Interwebz for six years now. How many quiet Sunday mornings have I spent at the keyboard, making use of the time before the rest of the house awakened, listening to some of my favorite music from the UK (today's selections are Franz Ferdinand, Paul Weller and of, course, the Proclaimers) and typing away? I'm not even going to try to count the days, and as my regular readers know, math is not a skill I have mastered well anyway.

It's a bittersweet moment, this morning is. Over the years, I've had more fun doing this than you could imagine, and it has literally opened up new worlds for me. If I was able to help someone settle a bet, solve a mystery or have a better vacation, all the better! Because of this column, I've made so many new friends from all over the world, and reconnected with a few old ones too. This past week, more than 300 well-wishes poured in from not only the U.S., but Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France, Italy and more. To all of you who took the time from your busy lives to wish me well, know that your notes and messages touched me very deeply and mean more than I can say. I'll miss every single one of you, and that is the truth. You are the main reason I did this for so long, and you are the aspect of it I will miss the most.

Along those lines, I also wanted to say thanks to Heather Mc. whom I heard from this week. Long story involving snow at the New Orleans airport, but if not for Heather, I wouldn't have gotten to MouseFest '08 on time. Heather, I had the BEST time on that crazy ride through the snow, and it ranks high on my Anita's Greatest Memories list. Hope to see you again sometime, girlfriend. George S., I'm going to miss your Disney stories a lot! They brightened my mailbox every week! Gloria M. that tea we shared is another stellar moment in Anita History. I'll never forget it. Keith S. you helped make my London visit be so memorable. I also hope to catch up with you again the next time I'm over. You all are just a handful of the wonderful people I've met and corresponded with and befriended. You just rock, that's all!

I certainly can't leave without thanking the incredible All Ears team. I love you all and you know that, I hope. Most of all, I have to thank the lovely and talented and unsung Ditto, aka Dotti Saroufim, who has stuck by me through all six years, and kept my punctuation on the correct side of the parentheses or quotation marks -- a herculean task! Ditto, you are the Punctuation Queen, and thanks for keeping my grammar and syntax in line with a whip and a chair. I couldn't have done it without you, which you of course already know or else you wouldn't have stuck by me all these years, right?

Anyway, we need to move on to the questions before I run out of space, don't we?

So, as you may have guessed, most of the questions I received this week revolved around what I plan to do next, what will happen to the column, etc., so that's what I'll be talking about in this last hurrah. Here goes...

Q. Why are you leaving?
A. I summed this up last week, but in a nutshell, I've taken this column about as far as I can go with it. Everything has its time and place, and this part of my life is coming to a logical (to me, anyway) conclusion. As difficult as it is to leave here, I need to move on to the next chapter and see what else awaits me.

Q. What will happen to the column? Will someone else write it?
A. To my knowledge, no one will be taking over the column, at least not in the near future. Never say 'never' though; anything can happen. The archives will remain live as long as they contain viable information.

Q. What are you going to do next?
A. When I told her of my plans to leave AA behind, my dearest BFF Flo reminded me that when one door closes, another eventually opens, and she was more correct than either of us could have imagined. I already have a couple of intriguing irons in the fire (how many clichés can I fit into one small answer, anyway?) and I'm either happy to say, or sorry to say, depending on where you're standing, that you haven't seen the last of me. You just need to know where to look. My friend Bill and I are developing an idea for a humorous blog about That Other Subject and there is something else very big and exciting on the horizon for me. Besides that, I may continue to do the occasional blog or feature at All Ears, and I'm thinking of starting an informal email list for all of us Disney/That Other Subject crossover fans to talk about our two favorite subjects. If you wish to keep up with me, (be careful what you wish for, I'm just sayin'...) say hi, or goodbye, or whatever strikes your fancy, drop me a line at either the Anita Answer mailbox (anita_allears@yahoo.com) which will remain live for the next month or so, or at DiscoverWDW@yahoo.com, which is my own private address. Last, but not least, if you see me in the parks, don't be shy and come say hello. My next trip is in mid-October.

Q. Why don't you compile all of your tips and write a book?
A. Does the world, or the World for that matter, really need another WDW guidebook? Writing a book is a very difficult endeavor. Read: I'm too lazy for this undertaking at this particular time. Maybe I'll revisit it later. Never say 'never'!

And now, for the absolute funniest, best question I've ever gotten in all six years of my Anita career. Who knew I'd receive it on my very last week on the job? Reader, you know me too well, and you have hands-down made me laugh harder and longer than any other reader ever has with this question. I mean, I laughed for a full 30 minutes, and then again every time I thought about it later in the week. I'm still laughing after five days. Thanks for ending my time here on such a funny and light note. Without further ado, I present Anita's Best Question Ever:

Q. When you regenerate, will Matt Smith be taking over the column for you?
A. Only in his wildest dreams could that young whippersnapper take over for me or anybody else he might have designs on. (Kidding! I wish MS only the best as he tries to fill those sizable Chucks. By the way, love the tweed, boots and bowtie, hon!)

Well, that's it. Time to sweep the floor, hit the light switch and carry that last box of stuff to the car. It's been the best six years of my life, and I wouldn't change a thing. Think of me fondly.

Anita (aka Andrea McKenna)