What’s more fun at Disney than a birthday party? Well, maybe staying in the Cinderella Castle Suite? No, Beci’s Birthday Party had to be even more fun.

Recently, my wife Vickie and I were honored to be invited to a surprise birthday party for Beci Mahnken. Many of you know her as the head cheese (I mean, President and CEO) of a successful travel company: MEI-Travel & Mouse Fan Travel. Vickie and I showed up on time at the marina for the Grand 1 Yacht at the Grand Floridian Resort. Our group also included Colleen from MEI and several terrific Disney Cast Members.

We floated over to the Polynesian Resort, where Annette escorted Beci onto the yacht. She was definitely surprised! Annette and Colleen had camouflaged the event very well. We puttered around Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake for almost 2 hours, enjoying the scenery on the shores, including the monorail resorts, Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness, and the Magic Kingdom.

We raised our glasses (whether we drank or not!) and toasted the occasion (I think Beci said it was her 30th, although I wouldn’t swear to it. You know, 20-something and 30-something sound kind of alike if you say it fast.) Beci was all smiles as she opened her (mostly Disney-themed) gifts. Our Disney friends were perfect hosts, and we could’ve partied on the elegant yacht into the Extra Magic Hours. But, alas, no EMH for this yacht! No matter, the party was pure fun, and there’s nothing better than celebrating at Disney with good friends.

There was one “hitch”. At one point, our festive yacht passed by the “shoe tree”. Many of you know about the “shoe tree,” that tree in Bay Lake onto which retiring watercraft cast members toss their shoes. (I’ve heard it called the “Disney Navy,” but our yacht captain referred to his team as “Disney’s Watercraft Fleet”). Anyway, watercraft CM’s that are leaving the fleet tie their shoestrings together and toss the shoes onto the branches of the shoe tree. Any decent boat tour into Bay Lake includes a pass by this unique tree, covered with shoes. Imagine our surprise and dismay when we espied the shoe tree without any shoes! Our yacht captain informed us that someone in Upper Management decided that the shoes had to be removed! The tree, bereft of its badges of honor, looked as sad as we felt. Maybe if we all complain, the shoe tree tradition will return someday. (Or maybe there’s a good reason or two for dismantling the shoe tree. We may never know.)