JULY 6TH PART THREE: If You Can't Dance To This You Can't Do Nothing For Me, Baby
That title has absolutely nothing to do with the actual content of this update. I just didn't know what to title it and I'm listening to the Spice Girls right now.
Deal with it.
After Mom and Katie had a run-in with the Yeti, we headed over to Dinoland to visit with some more large-toothed creatures, this time of the prehistoric variety. Were a family that likes to press our luck.
During the walk over there, I started to feel anxious, which, to be honest, I was kind of expecting. The first day at WDW has been known to get a bit rough for me. Im a super anxious person by nature. Mix that with the excitement and sudden adrenaline rush of being at my favorite place in the entire world and you can stick me with the baking soda volcanos at the science fair cause Im about to blow up.
My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest, so I stayed back with Mom while Dad and Katie rode Primeval Whirl. Of course, watching them have fun on one of my top favorite rides only made me feel worse. I wanted to be there with them laughing my head off like I always do (theres just something about all that spinning) but instead I was standing on the sidelines thanks to my anxiety. For the most part, Ive come to accept that anxiety is a part of who I am and I just have to deal with that, but it still really sucks when it keeps me from doing things I love.
I figured getting out of the sun and taking some time to just chill out would be a good idea, so I suggested we go get lunch. Dad and Katie hung back to ride Dinosaur (which bummed me out even more because its another one of my top faves) while Mom and I headed to our usual Animal Kingdom lunch spot, Pizzafari, to order some grub for everyone.
Of course, right as we approached the restaurant, I went into full-on meltdown mode. SIGH. I remember repeating I want to go home! I dont want to be here anymore. Just take me home! to my mother.
Clearly I wasnt in my right mind.
Begging to leave Disney World? Only a person mid-panic attack would say such things.
Mom pulled me over to a bench and let me cry/vent/rant about how much I hate my anxiety/whine about how tired I was/complain about how stupid that one woman on House Hunters was the night before/etc. After letting it all out, I started to feel a lot better. In venting, I realized that I was still carrying a lot of grief and sadness over what happened during our July 2011 trip with my dog passing away suddenly and everything. Deep down, I was terrified something horrible would happen during our trip again. On that random bench outside of Pizzafari, I realized that it was time for me to let all of that residual fear and sadness go.
So thats what I did. I told myself Kara, youre at Disney World. There are people trying to sell Vacation Club memberships like 20 feet away from you. You love laughing at how theres a DVC kiosk at every turn yet they still advertise it as Disneys best kept secret. Turn your brain off, go eat lunch, and have some fun. HAKUNA MATATA, YO.
It turns out Im quite the talented internal motivational speaker.
We went in and got our food. I took pictures, but Im not posting them because theyre terrible. Google "pizza" and "chicken caesar salad" if youre a Martian who has never heard of these things. Also, if you
are a Martian, could you please help
Spirit and
Opportunity find their way to
Curiosity so they can form a cute little rover family? Thanks.
Dad and Katie joined us shortly after (my nemesis, Dr. Im going to yell at you even though Im the one whos actually controlling this Time Rover Seeker managed to get them home) and we all plowed through our meals. DISNEY FOOD! PAPER STRAWS! THE BLANK NAPKINS THAT CAUSED WEEKS OF INTERNET OUTRAGE! It was glorious.
After lunch, we split up again. Dad and Katie went back to Everest. Mom and I went to Camp Minnie Mickey.
There have been all sorts of rumors that this part of the park will be closing sooner rather than later to make room for Avatarland or Pandoraland or Land of the People Whose Skin is the Same Color as a Blue-Raspberry Slush or whatever were calling it. True or not, we wanted to make sure we got in some quality time with Camp Counselor Mickey Mouse before the poor guy loses yet another property to rezoning.
Of course, when we got back there, the line for Mickey was RIDICULOUS and Mom and I were both, like, Heck no! So we got in the far shorter line to meet Baloo and King Louie.
Meeting characters is fun and all, but I think the best part of the whole M&G experience is watching other kids interact with them. A little boy who was there on his Make-A-Wish trip was right before us and it was absolutely adorable. He was fascinated by Baloo and King Louies fur. The little boy was in a stroller, so they got down on his level and let him pet to his hearts content. He had a HUGE smile on his face and it was definitely one of those this is what Disneys all about moments.
When it was my turn, I prayed that my eyes werent all ugly, post-cry bloodshot (because I got a little watery watching that kid) and went up for some serious hug action. The kid had the right idea because Baloo is super soft. Clearly, instead of hunting real animals for their pelts, we should all just start breaking into the Disney costume department to get the good stuff. I will take three Baloo blankets and a Tigger rug, please.
Heres the picture:
Baloo and I were looking at the wrong camera and my glasses are giving off a weird glare thing, but thats cool.
After the M&G, I checked the time and saw that there were only a few minutes until the next Festival of the Lion King show, so we decided to head over and see if they were still letting people in. Which they were. We were actually some of the very last people in. They squeezed us into the Warthog section and just a few seconds after we sat down, *ominous voice* IT. WAS. TIME.
Festival of the Lion King is BY FAR my favorite show in WDW. Heck, its probably my favorite show
anywhere. I dont need Broadway, I just need someone to tell me to clap my paws, stomp my hooves, and ruffle my feathers while I Just Cant Wait to Be King plays in the background and Im good. Really.
Plus, making ridiculous animal sounds is ALWAYS fun. And watching other people embarrass themselves by making ridiculous animal sounds in front of everyone is ALWAYS fun x2. The warthog selected from our section was HILARIOUS. I cant do the guy justice in print, so Im not even gonna try. I just wish I had my camera on when he was doing his bit because I was dying. BRAVO, RANDOM MAN! YOUR WARTHOG WAS AMAZING.
Also, am I the only one who cries during the The Lion Sleeps Tonight sing along? I dont know why Im so attached to that part, but it gives me the warm fuzzies, and as I belt out the hard part with a dumb smile on my face, its inevitable that a few tears fall. I am such a sap.
Here are a few (not great) pictures from the show:
Just ignore the back of that guys head
After the show, we decided it was time to head back to the hotel. I was exhausted after barely sleeping the night before and I really needed a nap. We texted Dad and Katie to see what they were up to, and it turned out they were also ready to head back, so we made plans to meet up at the bus stop.
I was in a really good, half-delirious-due-to-exhaustion mood, so I spent a good chunk of the walk singing and dancing to songs from the show. IN THE CIRCLE. IN THE CIRCLE. IN THE CIRCLE. THE GREAT BIG CIRCLE OF LIFE.
Mom did this:
Shes definitely my mother.
When we got to the bus stop, there was a Brazilian Tour Group waiting and Im quite certain the fam and I all had the same OH DEAR GOD NO look on our faces. At Animal Kingdom, POFQ shares buses with Riverside, so we all hoped they were staying there instead. And they were. Thankfully. There was a dance team later in the week, but that was the only big group we saw at French Quarter.
This tour group filled up an entire bus, so we had to wait a bit, but, hey, we were on vacation. Theres no sense in fretting about how long (or not long) the buses take. Unless youve been standing out there for like three hours. Then you have my fret away approval. Plus, the hotter and sweatier you are, the more sweet it is to kick back in your purple or orange seat when the bus finally does arrive.
Also, you can just think of it as Bus Voice Guy playing hard to get. Thats how I like to think about it at least.
Hahah I don't know what any of this means.
I sincerely hope it was better the rest of the trip.
Get that free trip, girl!
