DAY SEVEN
THURSDAY
NO MATTER HOW LONG THE NIGHT, THE DAY IS SURE TO COME. AFRICAN PROVERB
Early to bed, early to rise!
Having rested the night before, eschewing a sweet little trip to Victoria Falls, and gone to bed disappointingly sober, I was up with the giraffe by 6:45 AM, and that meant we were at our first Epcot rope drop in ages. Regularly staying at the Epcot Resorts - BWV or, better yet, BCV, we are used to being penned behind the International Gate until exactly 9 AM.
At the front gate by exactly 8:45 AM, they let us in the park and then held us at the fountain until 9 AM, at which time the CMs and characters came to greet and lead us to the Land,
where we all wanted to ride the same exact ride SOARIN at exactly the same time. Although the crowd was miniscule, I still tried a bit of misdirection to thin the lines even a bit more, walking right at the front of the pack, arm raised high, shouting, This way to FIGMENT!
Needless to say, I was hardly successful, very few people stopped in their tracks to double check their maps, but nevertheless it was a thrill when the flight attendants announced that our group was officially the first ride of the day! Yeah!!!!
We were also standing in row 2 for the very first time, the occasion of which made me a bit apprehensive when I considered the notorious Hanging Feet, not to be confused with the other Florida staple of the notorious Hanging Chad.
Imagine my surprise, therefore, when Gwen and I agreed, after the ride, that we PREFERRED row 2 to row 1, vastly enjoying the experience of being ever closer to the action, with our delightful toes barely skirting the treetops and our glider threatened by the pounding surf! Woo-Hoo! Soarin Times, indeed!
Exiting our exhilarating ride we picked up a fast pass and did, in order, because, why NOT, the following rides/attractions:
1. THE CIRCLE OF LIFE: I love this, really! But its message that primitive living is wiser than modern life was a bit challenged by a USA article that morning on the Masais poisoning of so many lions, who are preying on their goats and cattle, that Kenyas lion population may go extinct within the decade!
Oh, and while we are on the topic, the films major theme is that in the circle of life there are just too many human beings, which is only true if you believe in limited resources on the other hand, I say UP with the space program and planet or not, lets go mine Pluto!!!
2. JOURNEY INTO THE IMAGINATION WITH FIGMENT:
Which I rate as 2 notches above the TIKI ROOM, which I rate one notch above STITCHS GREAT ESCAPE.
3. SOARIN: Second ride of the morning and this time, spurred on by a great sense of adventure and a new-found fascination with podiatry, we volunteered to sit in aisle 3. A wonderful choice and, really, who does not enjoy an early morning view of so many naked piggies?
4. TURTLE TALK WITH CRUSH: Which was SUPER DUDE, at least 5 turtle shells above FIGMENT.
5. YUP, SOARIN AGAIN: Where, quite to the chagrin of the CM, we REQUESTED row three, a decision which was only slightly marred by its placing us next to a elderly gentleman who was literally scared to death of heights! I tried to embrace this guy, but my misgivings increased when he started crying out for the MERCY button!!!
All ended well. It was a terrific morning and it was, by then, 11 AM, and you know what that means? Yes, indeed, a lost afternoon in Mexico!!!