A Mousekafreak and her DH do the World! ~*~COMPLETE 8-31~*~

[Linzybrooke]

Act Four:
Scene One:
Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island

The next day dawned early. Chuck and Carmen had to be on the road by 5:30 because Chuck had to work later in the day. Chris and I got up to see them off but I am not ashamed to say we went right back to sleep for a short bit. Our plans for day three of our amazing vacation were simple; Down Town Disney and Pleasure Island for some shopping, food and relaxation. The only plan for the day was an evening ADR at Raglan Road, which I, being a nice Irish girl, was dying to try.

We spent the morning relaxing in our room and were eventually up, showered, and ready to go around 10:30. We decided to try the DVC Ferry to DTD. The ferry was very pleasant. There was a pretty thick cloud cover and the weather wasn’t unbearable so the 20 minutes or so that it took to taxi to Saratoga Springs and then onto the Marketplace were very enjoyable. It was a nice change from the crowded resort busses.

Upon arrival we headed straight to Earl of Sandwich for a Full Montagu, my favorite sandwich ever. Chris got the Scuddeto and we got a bag of chips and a frosted cupcake to share on the DDP. I really do love the Earl of Sandwich…I have yet to find anywhere in the DFW area that has sandwiches even close to as tasty. This time we were lucky enough to beat the lunch crowd. By the time we sat down the line was out the door.

Following our delicious lunch we headed to World of Disney and picked up a collage picture frame, a Mickey ears clock, and some gifts for the family. I debated and debated about buying a shirt but passes, as I have millions as it is. Then we headed to The Basin to pick up some Bath Salts for my sisters lingerie shower and it started to downpour again, and I mean downpour. Everyone ran for cover immediately. After spending more time in The Basin than we had meant to we decided to chance the rain and run next door to the Arribas Brothers store and look around. There was a glass blower doing a demonstration and I’ll admit, if it hadn’t been raining I would have skipped it, but it was amazing! First he made an apple and it was so interesting to watch him roll the glass to get the perfect shape and texture. He used a bunch of different width glass rods to melt into the glass and create the leaves and delicate shape of the apple. Then he proceeded to make an orange, which was just as neat, especially when he did all the dimples on the skin of the orange. Once his demonstration was over we wandered though to Team Mickey to look at golf hats for Chris. He tried on every single one they had before deciding that he didn’t actually want one and we made our way on.

By this time it had stopped draining and we went straight to Days of Christmas to pick up our traditional ornaments and browse the rest of the Christmas goods. I absolutely adore Christmas, and Disney Christmas is even better. We got engaged at the World on New Years Eve 2003 so all the decorations were still up and then honeymooned at the World the first week of December 2004. If I could go every Christmas I would, but alas, the retail world will not allow it. So, now I live vicariously by spending an hour or so in the Days of Christmas store and pretending its Christmas outside as well.

Then it was off to the Art of Disney and Scrapbooking store to browse a little before heading to our favorite…Disney Pin Traders! Chris and I were sucked into the world of pin trading during our Honeymoon where we got a free starter set with out package, and its been crazy ever since. We even have an excel spreadsheet with all our pin information. We picked up some commemorative pins and one jumbo pin and then traded for another jumbo pin with a nice gentleman outside. Our favorite pin of the trip is the Jumbo we purchased with Mickey and Minnie eating Mickey Bars…it is adorable. We also grabbed our Visa exclusive pins and were starting to feel a little hungry. So in the spirit of a Mickey Bar we headed to Ghirardelli’s to split a S’More Sundae before heading back to the resort for a break. It was excellent.

 

[Linzybrooke]

Act Four:
Scene Two:

Following a relaxing hour or so at the resort Chris and jumped back on the Ferry to head to the Marketplace and then browse our way over to Pleasure Island for our much anticipated dinner at 7:00. We wandered through the shops on the West Side. I always enjoy going through that Hollywood Memorabilia shop, they have interesting stuff in there. We also went in all the stores that are just like all the other stores and have all the same stuff…hehehe, that’s what you get at Disney! We browsed through Pleasure Island and all I can say is “What the?” That place is a mess…you would think that if they were going to renovate their adult nightspot they would do it in pieces, not the whole thing at once! It looks terrible! I was glad that Chris and I aren’t really club going people and would therefore skip the rest of the Pleasure Island area and its giant, ugly construction walls. It is worth noting that Jessica Rabbit was still there when we went, but I hear she is gone now.

We checked in for our dinner and were seated immediately. Chris got a Guinness because, well, duh. The atmosphere at Raglan Road is incredible. Now, having never been in an Irish Pub that is actually in Ireland I can’t say how authentic is was but it looked great and reminded me of the pub I had been to in Minneapolis a few times. The dark woods were beautiful and the décor was rich. They had “masterpiece” artwork all over the place, but with a twist. My favorite was the Mona Lisa with a Guinness in hand. We sat is a small room just to the right of the stage and it was very intimate. The table next to us was a large family from England and their accents helped the atmosphere even more, it was great. We had the Drunk Chicken and the Crab Me Silly for appetizer and they were excellent! Beyond excellent!

Appetizers over we moved onto our Main Courses. I had a Chicken Pie in the Sky and all I can say is “WOW!” This pastry was the lightest, flakiest, yummiest pastry I had ever had, and the stuffing had the most scrumptious flavor imaginable. I highly recommend this entree. Chris had the Serious Sirloin Steak and found it a little blah. It was marinated in an Irish Whisky and he makes something that tastes very similar here at home with Shiner. But, his came with mashed potatoes and they were incredibly tasty. We took our time eating and just enjoying the atmosphere and the food.

After a short food break we ordered dessert. The waitress recommended the Bread Pudding and who am I to argue with an expert? I ordered the Bread Pudding and Chris ordered to Baileys Coffee Cream Pot, which is essentially tiramisu in a cup. The Bread Pudding is the chef’s specialty and I can see why. I have never been a huge bread pudding person but this stuff turned me. It had caramel and cream to poor on top of it and it was oh so gooey. The Coffee Cream Pot was just all right. If you have to choose one get the Bread Pudding. I would go back just for the Bread Pudding.

We also got to listen to the live music through dessert. I can’t tell you the name of the guy that sang but he was good. I was thrilled because he sang songs that I knew, including the Unicorn Song, which my Nana used to sing to me when I was little. I think Chris might think I’m crazy because I sang along with him for most of the times when my mouth wasn’t full of Bread Pudding. But, hey! I knew the songs. And I do sing. All the time. Often without knowing it. It is important to note that I sing well, so don’t worry about getting stuck behind me in an enclosed space…hehehe. And no, I do not sing during attractions, but sometimes do during Wishes.

After dinner we picked up some Guinness souvenirs for my dad and then headed towards the ferry only to miss in by a few minutes and thus wandered to the bus stop to OKW to wait for a bus home. All in all it was a very relaxing and enjoyable day. Normally we don’t have a day to just head downtown and relax and now we know we need it. It’s great downtime from the hustle and bustle of trying to get from ride to ride and get to all the parades in one day.

 

[Linzybrooke]

I hope you are all enjoying this as much as I am enjoying writing it!

I would love your feedback!

Enjoy!

 

[BeautyNBeast]

I am enjoying it a lot. Waiting for more!

 

[taylorl25]

Really enjoying your report. I love adult only trip reports and I love reports with pictures, it just brings it alive for me.

 

[Jennifer48]

Really enjoying your report. I love adult only trip reports and I love reports with pictures, it just brings it alive for me.

I second that. You describe very well your experience and the pictures do help!

I am an adult with no children who loves WDW and I enjoy reading adult only trips as well.

Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work!

 

[JennyandMike03]

I second that. You describe very well your experience and the pictures do help!

I am an adult with no children who loves WDW and I enjoy reading adult only trips as well.

Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work!

Same Here! Love the TR! Can't wait to read more!

 

[MARY-IN-OH]

I really am enjoying your TR too! We are staying at OKW for the 1st time in December, I would love to hear more about the resort! We are going with our two older teens this time, and hope that our next trip will be an adults only trip!

Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences and pictures!!
-mary

 

[mikayla73]

Great TR! It sounds like you guys had a great time, I have to remember to throw in a dy of rest when we go to WDW. Having only been to DL, taking in WDW is a different strategy.

 

[Linzybrooke]

Act Five
Scene One:
Location: Epcot

We started the day with a swift change of plans. The tropical storm, which my husband has informed me was Alberto, not Chris, was scheduled to bring the worst rain that day and since Chris was dying to ride Expedition Everest we decided to hold off on Animal Kingdom until the following day and reroute to Epcot instead. We got up to a pretty steady rain and a little wind. It rained on us all the way until we walked through the gates, and then became a very light drizzle. This pattern of heavy rain, steady rain, drizzle, no rain, repeat lasted the entire day. But, we aren’t the type to let a little rain get us down and instead enjoyed the lighter crowds and the cooler weather that come with a little bit of the wet stuff. So we were off on our rainy day adventure at Epcot!

First stop was the traditional photo in front of Spaceship Earth. It was the Monday after the Flower and Garden Festival so the topiaries were still everywhere. The Donald and Daisy at the front were adorable. Then we were off to find our Leave a Legacy tile from our Honeymoon before heading straight to Soarin’.

Chris had never been on Soarin’ and we were blessed by a DVC agent with some Fast Pass credit card thingies that give you automatic, no wait Fast Passes when you put them in the machine so we snagged the first of our sinful passes and walked right on the ride. I think Soarin’ is a genius of a ride. The smells alone are enough to put it in the front of the ride pack for me, but it always makes me hungry for an orange… I have a slight fear of heights but Soarin’ doesn’t bother me at all. The only thing that I get confused by is why we fly over Disneyland at Christmas. This is weird to me since it is only Christmas 2 months out of the year. But I still love it! Chris thought it was incredible and didn’t stop talking about it for the rest of the day. I think we rode it two more times throughout the day.

After Soarin’ over California we headed over the Imagination Pavilion to spend a little time with Figment and then straight over to Test Track to use a couple more of our sinful Fast Passes and then Chris jumped on Mission: Space while I hung out in the gift shop playing with the magnetic rocks. Chris rode the original version and said that while enjoyable he felt a little queasy for the rest of the day. He liked it but won’t do it again.

By this time we were a little hungry and the skies were looking ready to dump again so we made our way to the Electric Umbrella to grab some food. It took forever to find a table and when we did we happily invited a family of 4 to join us (I hate when I see a million people looking for a table and a table for 6 or 8 that’s only half full with their bags in the empty seats). The family we sat with was very nice and we had an enjoyable lunch. And we were right, about the time we sat the down the skies did indeed open up and pour the water down on the park. This time the rain was accompanied by very heavy wind. Everyone was running for cover and if I had thought that the restaurant was busy before, look out! Not being the type to sit and wait it out while others are waiting to sit and eat we darted through the pass-through to Mouse Gear and did a little browsing until it let up just enough to make our way to World Showcase.

 

[DeterminedOne]

I love it! Looking forward to reading how your AK day went.

 

[Linzybrooke]

Act Five:
Scene Two:

So, we donned the Mickey ponchos and headed towards Mexico. Since it was still pouring we decided to hop on the River del Tiempo, otherwise known as the most laughable ride in all of WDW. Seriously, if I was Hispanic I would be embarrassed by this ride…particularly the merchants trying to barter with you in their 70’s-esque attire. May I suggest a renovation? Then we spent some time watching the glassblower make spires for a Cinderella’s Castle. This was even neater than the guy making fruit at DTD. The glass looks like lace as it melts and gets worked into the delicate loops that it takes to create the castle. I have a newfound appreciation for glassblowing as an art. It really is incredible. Then we wandered around the little marketplace looking at salsa before finally deciding to venture our way towards Norway and the dreaded trolls.

By this time the rain had pretty much dissipated again and we paused for a picture before hopping on everyone’s favorite ride, Maelstrom. There was no wait, I know, shocking and we had the pleasure of sitting in front of a little girl who was forced onto the ride by her parents. She cried the entire time and they ignored her the entire time. I felt bad for her; she was terrified. I’m sure they made her go on every ride in the park to get their moneys worth. Anyway, Maelstrom was as enjoyable as usual. Being from Minnesota I guess I have a little appreciation for the history and it certainly beats El River del Tiempo.

From there we went to China where I accidentally discovered the Imagineering Tour through Hong Kong Disneyland. LOVED IT! You see, Imagineering is my dream job. It’s why I got the degree that I did and I absolutely love to read Imagineering books, shows, sketching, and the like. I have sketchbooks of ride concepts and take millions of pictures of scenery details at the parks. Its my ultimate dream. Next trip I made Chris promise me a lunch with an Imagineer at The Brown Derby. So, back to the walk through. The concepts in the park are incredible. They had tons of paint elevations, renderings, models and the mold for the Mulan and Kahn statue that will be in front of the castle. I really hope to someday get to experience the overseas parks, particularly Tokyo Sea and Hong Kong Disneyland. If anyone is there while this exhibit is still up don’t miss it. It’s beautiful.

Then it was off on a whirlwind tour of Germany (love the miniature Romantic Road) to check out the Christmas ornaments, cuckoo clocks and beer and to see if the candy store has any Kindereggs. For those of you unfamiliar with the Kinderegg it is a chocolate egg that is white on one half and milk on the other, and has a toy to put together in the hollow middle. I have a small collection of the little toys somewhere. Now, I know they don’t because they are not allowed to sell them in the US due to the pieces not meeting FDA safety requirements, but I have to check because I fell in love with them when I went to Germany with my choir in high school. I’m always in hopes that they have found a way around the stupid rule and are selling them, but alas it is not so. So its off to Italy to look at the pretty glass stuff then through the US towards Japan to see if the Candy lady it there, which she is not. In all my trips to the World I have never seen her.

By now we are ready for a snack and only Morocco is standing between me and a Crème Brule at Boulangerie Patisserie. It is also raining quite hard again. So, we speed walk through Morocco and jump in the long line at the bakery for a much needed sugar rush. I had my Crème Brule and Chris had a Cream Puff. We snagged a bit of floor next door in the shop and enjoyed them immensely. No trip to Epcot is complete without a stop at the Patisserie. Following our dessert browsed the shops a little until the rain let up to a mist and then decided to make a detour towards the Boardwalk just to check out the sights. But not before I painted a masterpiece in France.

 

[Linzybrooke]

And now its time to go to work! I'll try to post more this evening when I get home, but I don't get off until 11, so no promises!

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Catrin]

I am so glad I found your report again!
I am enjoying your trip very much.... especially your ENTIRE day at MK followed by a relaxing day at DTD - my kind of trip!

Taking hints, as DH and I are going without kids in 5 days!
Catrin

 

[Linzybrooke]

Act Five:
Scene Three:

We headed through International Gateway towards the Boardwalk in a light rain. We decided to go ahead and walk over rather than take the ferry just for fun. Neither of us had been on the Boardwalk since we were kids and we didn’t remember much about it. I have to say that I wasn’t impressed. Now, I imagine that the Boardwalk is an entirely different experience both at night and when the weather is good. With the rain there were no entertainers and it was pretty much deserted. We peaked into the ESPN Club and thought we might venture back later that evening and then wound up spending the next hour or so in the Boardwalk Gift Shop picking up some smaller items. Chris had been eyeing a new wallet/money clip since we arrived and he finally broke down and got it. Next trip we will try to hit it up on a nice day to see what it is that draws everyone to it, since I hear mostly good things.

After our quick outing to the deserted Boardwalk we took the Friendship Ferry back to Epcot and hit up the United Kingdom and Canada before venturing towards The Living Seas. We had a nice discussion with the Cast Members in Canada. They commented on us being the only people they had seen in hours that weren’t covered with Ponchos. We laughed with them about not letting the rain spoil our fun and that the ponchos were usually more trouble than they are worth unless it is just pouring on us. They were really friendly people and I was really glad to see them in such high spirits on such a gloomy day. Most of the CM’s we had encountered that day were pretty blah and cranky. This was a nice change. We also took in some more of the Flower and Garden Festival Topiaries. Then we were off to The Living Seas.

I must say, I really like what they are doing with The Living Seas. Bring Nemo and Friends in is really lightening the place up and bringing the traffic in. However, they really need to figure out what to do with Turtle Talk…the line was wait was almost 2 hours, and as cool as it is I’m not waiting 2 hours, maybe when we have kids. We watched the Dolphins swim for a while and then went to the Manatee talk. I really love the Manatees. My families first trip back in 1994 was right after they acquired the Manatee with the injured fin and his mom, so it has been really neat over the last 12 years to watch their progress. My sister fell in love with Manatees then and I think of her every single time I see them. Then we just wandered around looking at the pretty sealife. The only thing I wish they had is Sea Dragons. They have Sea Dragons at Moody Gardens in Galveston and they are the coolest little creatures I’ve ever seen. Sort of like Sea Horses but they look more like dragons. Write letters. Disney needs Sea Dragons!

Following our underwater adventure we headed towards Spaceship Earth to take some pictures of it without the huge Mickey hand and since the wait was at a walk on we decided to give it a go. And it broke down. Twice. For about 10 minutes each time. But, we were dry and it didn’t break down during the smelly time so it was all good. In fact, it allowed us a little time to plan the rest of our day without any rush. We were going to be back at Epcot the following evening for our ADR at Le Cellier so we would take in Illuminations then so we decided that after we finally got off we would head back to the resort and then over to the DTD day for another dinner at Earl of Sandwich and some more shopping before calling it an early night.

Once at the Marketplace we had our yummy sandwiches, (did I mention earlier that I love the Earl of Sandwich?). Then we bought more pins and broke down and bought a pin binder…we had really been trying to not need one. We met some more pin traders and we met the girl who plays Belle in the MGM show. She was really nice and we enjoyed chatting with her and looking at her pins. Then we browsed the pet shop and bought a bandana for one of our dogs before heading to Goofy’s Candy Company for a couple of Carmel Apples. Then we hopped on the Ferry back home, Carmel Apples in hand, and were a sticky mess before we arrived. We watched the news for some weather updates and decided it would be an early, early day as they were predicting rain around noon and we wanted to make sure we got to Everest first thing.

 

[OhMari]

I know you said you like feed back on your trip report, but a lot of us like to read Trip Reports like a book, without a lot of interuptions. Sounds like you had a really great time, despite the rain. I know if it rained on my vacation it wouldn't slow me down either.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Linzybrooke]

Act Six:
Scene One:
Location: Animal Kingdom, Old Key West, Epcot

The day began surprisingly bright and sunny considering the rain of yesterday. Not being one to tempt Mother Nature we headed straight over to Animal Kingdom so Chris could conquer Everest. We arrived and paused for a few choice photo ops, grabbed fast passes for the Safari and were on our way. And then there we were. Standing in front of the most impressing theme park attraction I’ve seen in a while. It’s beautiful. Joe Rhodes is my idol. He’s an Imagineering God.

Chris grabbed a fast pass with our card and since the standby line was only 10 minutes we hopped in line. Not wanting to miss any more Imagineering masterpieces than absolutely necessary I waited through the que line with Chris and took a bunch more pictures before jumping out at the gate and heading towards the overlook to watch my sweetie conquer the mountain and the Yeti. I actually managed to get a picture of Chris headed up the mountain and coming back down. He was quite excited about it. I wish I had something to say about the actual ride, but alas, I didn’t go on it so I can only assume its as cool as everyone says it is. Here is what Chris had to say, “It was awesome; a classic Disney ride. No details were missed. Everything from the steam coming out of the train to the gigantic Yeti was a true Disney Masterpiece.”

Then we shopped the store a little and picked up an Everest pin on our way to the Safari. We also stopped to watch some monkeys and caught sight of De-Vine. Frankly, she creeped Chris out but I think she’s awesome. Either way I give her props for putting up with the makeup. Having had to wear thick, colored pancake makeup many times for shows I can only hope her skin is well adapted to that nastiness. Shes neat, but I prefer the Living Statue at Epcot and am very sad that she is no longer there.

By this time it was starting to cloud up a little so we were glad we had fast passes for the ride. The Safari is getting a little old. The animals were pretty active this go around and it was fun but I’m ready for a change. We got to see the new baby elephants playing and it was so cute. Also got to see lots of zebras, (my favorite) and giraffes before having to catch the poachers and save Little Red.

From there it was on to Rafiki’s Planet Watch. It started to sprinkle on the way over and drizzled the whole time we were over there. Chris’s brother Andrew worked at RPW during his stint in the college program so we wandered about just see what it was that Andrew got to do. We determined that he had the most boring job at Animal Kingdom. We ventured into the building to look around for a while and talked with a guy about what the animals do to play. Then we sat in the sound room that was the rainforest. Here I have a suggestion for anyone with kids that are skittish…avoid the sound rooms! You are sitting in a room with absolutely no light wearing headphones. All you hear is a narrator every once in a while and other than that its sounds in different ears. In this one I had a poisonous snake hissing in my ear, a tiger or other large cat growling beside me, various animals sniffing around, some breathing in your ear and lots of bug noises. It was really, really creepy and I was very glad when it was over…

 

[Linzybrooke]

Act Six:
Scene Two:

On our way back over to the mainland it started to downpour. We waited a few minutes before deciding to pull out the ponchos and make a mad and desperate dash for It’s Tough to Be a Bug in an attempt to wait it out. Since we still had a bunch of instant Fast Passes left on our DVC Tour cards we snagged a couple and walked right in; but not before we were completely drenched and freezing. This is a cute show, but I have to close my eyes during the spider parts…I’m a weenie. By the time the show let out the rain had stopped completely and the sun was shining pretty brightly so it was off to lunch and Festival of the Lion King.

I love Flame Tree but with the torrential downpour that was occurring we decided to try out Pizzafari on our way to FOTLK since it was both on the way and conveniently indoor. I was very glad to learn that there was more than just pizza on the menu and decided on a very yummy Hot Italian Sandwich, chips, apple pie and a Diet Coke. Chris got the Chicken Parmesan Sandwich, chips, apple pie and a bottle of water. We searched a table for what seemed like an eternity, finally sat down to eat our yummy meal of too much food, dried off a little in the bathroom before heading towards Camp Mickey Minnie for the show. I still like Flame Tree better but this was enjoyable and if weather is a factor I will certainly give it a go again.

Due to the length of time it took to find seating at dinner we almost missed the show, which would have been very, very sad as it is my favorite now that Tarzan Rocks is gone. But, the very sweet Cast Member at the stand was trying to seat about 10 more of us since it was still raining pretty hard. She finally gave us all the go ahead to meet another cast member at the entrance and he sat us during the first song where we all get our animal assignments. We sat in the Giraffe section behind a very cute little girl one vacation with her whole family. She was really getting into the show and I almost enjoyed watching her more than the show! But, back to the show…the Zebra girl is my favorite. That role is one of the many I would want at the World. The list of parts I want to play is as follows; Snow White, Minnie Mouse, Zebra Girl in FOTLK, Ariel in VOLM and Belle in B&B at MGM…I’m too short for Belle though…pooh. Anyway, I enjoy this show mostly because you get to watch the technicians do their thing and since that is another of my many costumes (theatre technician) its fun to watch them at work. I also love the theatrics of the show. It truly is an amazing production for a theme park. The flying alone is incredible and very, very difficult. Not to mention fire spinning in a very small environment with many people in close proximity. I also love when they bring the kids down. I wish I were 7 again! Chris took lots of pictures (no flash!) and here are some of the better ones.

This is the firespinner in the show.

After the show we decided to hop in line to meet Mickey since we had the time. There was hardly anyone in line, probably due to the rain, but as soon as we got up Mickey needed a cheese break. While we waited we talked with the Photopass Photographer who was about our age. He was really funny and seemed excited to be talking to a couple of people his age without kids in tow. He asked if we had been on Everest and when Chris mentioned that he had but I had passed he told me that I was not allowed to wimp out on Dinosaur. He was great. Then we spent a little time with the Big Cheese and decided to head the Photopass guys advice and head to Dinoland.

For now the rain was steady and heavy. We made our way slipping and sliding towards Dinoland and quickly hopped in line for Dinosaur. This is the only ride at any of the Disney Parks that I have ever been told to take my poncho off before going into the building…and as I did….RRRRIIIIIPPPPP. Thus was the death of my poncho from my 2005 trip with my mom and my sister. It was a good poncho… Anyway, Dinosaur is an excellent ride! I have always thought that it was a rollercoaster; I’m not sure where I got that idea, but I’ve always thought that. I enjoyed the preshow with Hodges from CSI and Phylissia Rashad and enjoyed the actual ride completely. The ingenuity of the attraction is incredible. The colors and lighting effects really bring it all together and in the dark the Dinosaurs do look real, and scary. The picture of us that they took was hilarious, and if it wasn’t for the fact that there were so many people we didn’t know in the photo, and that it was 18 dollars or some crazy amount we would have bought it. I highly recommend this ride. If I can do it anyone can do it.

Apparently ripping my poncho told the rain to go away. I guess I should have done that earlier. When we got off the ride it was pretty clear outside. We walked back to Everest so Chris could ride it one last time, but the standby and fast pass lines were really backed up since it had been closed during the rain so we headed towards the exit. We had ADR’s at Epcot that evening and wanted to get back to OKW in time to dry off and enjoy the resort a little bit. We stopped in some shops along the way and got a Stitch clock for my sister and a Tink clock for my mom, and another poncho for me. Then we were out, on the bus and headed back to the resort for a few hours.

 

[Beana9802]

Just joining the TR. Sounds like you two are great people. I am glad you got a chance to meet up with some friends there too! Keep em coming!

 

[Linzybrooke]

Act Six:
Scene Three:

By the time we got back to the resort you would never have known that it had been raining. The sun was bright and hot and it looked like the rain had moved on permanently. I changed into some dry shorts and flip-flops and we walked over to the pool area to throw our shoes in the dryer. There is nothing more uncomfortable than wet sneakers… We didn’t know it, but the washers and dryers at OKW are free to resort guests! Yippee. While we waited for our shoes to dry we wandered around the grounds and took pictures of the resort. Old Key West really is a beautiful resort. The recent renovations to the pool area are simple and classic. The pool slide is adorable. We hardly ever have time to actually take in the resort area so this was a nice change from our last few vacations. We walked to the store and picked up our packages from the prior day and then grabbed our shoes and headed back to our room.

Since we had skipped Innoventions on our real Epcot day we decided to go ahead and get ready to head over to take it in before our 6:40 ADR at Le Cellier. We arrived and decided to pose once again for the picture in front of the ball…only this time Donald and Daisy were gone! Wow, those Disney people work fast to get rid of Flower and Garden Festival stuff. It looked odd because the hearts were still there, but there was nothing with them. But, we had gotten to see them the day before.

We only had about an hour and a half so we headed straight to Innoventions and sent some e-cards to our family back home and played some sort of virtual reality game. I think there were 15 players and I was second to last. Games are not my thing. But, it was fun and we had never done it before. After that we walked around the building and played with some robots that make music with car parts that Chris really enjoyed and then looked at the big fire truck before heading towards the World Showcase.

We arrived in Canada about 10 minutes early and checked in. Then we looked around the gardens while we waited to be seated. I’ve never taken the time to do that before; they really are beautiful.

Then they called our name and we headed into the restaurant. I can’t remember what province we sat in…it was the one that is first on your right when you go in and right by the kitchen. It had a rustic look too it and it felt very warm. Our waiter was funny and sincere and had great recommendations. I started with the cheese soup since it is so highly recommended on the DIS and Chris got the Wasabi Shrimp Cocktail. And of course we had our basket of bread. The shrimp was great. They were large and plump and very fresh. The sauce was spicy but not so much so that it was hard to eat. The Cheese Soup was VERY salty. I’m not a big salt fan so I was a little disappointed, but it was tasty. I enjoyed dipping the bread in it. And yes, the pretzel bread was very tasty but I preferred the sourdough and Chris ate most of the pretzel, mainly due to my dislike for salt. We both ordered the Maple Fillet for our entrée and oh my gosh! It was fabulous! Mine was a perfect medium-rare and it was warm and juicy and flavorful and had no fat and was just melt in your mouth perfection. Simply perfection. It came with delicious mashed potatoes (my favorite food) and they complimented the steak perfectly. Then for dessert Chris ordered the Maple Crème Brule and I ordered the Happiest Celebration Chocolate Cake. The Maple Crème Brule was very tasty, but the maple flavor was a little strong for my taste, but Chris really enjoyed it. I was a little disappointed in the Chocolate Cake. It was a little dry. But, I have a love for chocolate cake, which made it all worthwhile. The chocolate medallion on the top was dark chocolate so I was in heaven with that piece! It was a very enjoyable dinner and we will definitely be returning to Le Cellier on my next trip. My parents would absolutely love it.

Following dinner we headed to the UK and heard The British Invasion warming up in the courtyard so we decided to grab a seat and take in the show. Those guys were really good. It was great to see people of all different ages and nationalities singing along and dancing to the music. We really had a great time listening to these guys perform and will make it a point to catch them again on our next trip to the World.

Then it was off to wander and find a spot to watch Illuminations. We wound up snagging a spot on the right side of the American Pavilion that had a pretty good view. It was an EMH night at Epcot and it was really starting to fill up, so we parked it and waited. The show was enjoyable as usual but I will admit I am ready for a new nighttime show at Epcot.

Then it was off towards Test Track for an interesting experience. The guidebook said that Fast Passes would be available at Test Track so we made our way over to hop in the line to get one. There was already a line at each machine and a cast member had come over to tell us all that the machines would be opened up at 10:00 for distribution. Well, 10:00 came and went and the lady in front of me went and asked again. She was told that they were on their way and would be there shortly. So she came back and let everyone know. So, another 10 minutes pass and I told Chris I was ready to just go. I was fine not riding TT again and we could just head over to the Boardwalk and walk around. He wanted to wait a couple of more minutes so we did. We saw a man in a suit come out and talk to the girl at the ride entrance line (the one who kept telling us they were on their way) and point at us. He then walked towards a phone on the wall of the attraction and announced, via the intercom, that there were no Fast Passes for that night and then walk back into the attraction and disappear from view. It was really hard to hear him over the crowd and the intercom was very muffled. The lady in front of me again went to the CM and asked what he had just announced, then came back to give us all the bad news. To me this was bad show. Not because there was a misunderstanding but because he didn’t have the decency to come over and tell the group of us actually at the machines. It left a very bad impression in my mind and we will probably not be doing any more evening EMH’s since they always seem to be overly crowded and uncontrolled.

We decided to head through Mouse Gear and browse and then head over to the Boardwalk for a little bit to see if anything exciting was going on. We almost went into Jellyrolls but didn’t feel like paying the 8.00 cover per person so we decided to catch the ferry back to Epcot and head back to the resort. Our next day was a Magic Kingdom day and we wanted to be well rested!