Mike Jones
<font color=993300>....nothing clever to say... ju
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2003
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- 1,372
The Cast: Mike (39/40) & Scott (43), temporary escapees from their respective families.
Day 4 Tuesday 15th June 2004 Boma Breakfast, Animal Kingdom. Magic Kingdom, Downtown Disney, Planet Hollywood & Jellyrolls again!
Weather: Clear, blue start, hot and sunny until late afternoon, then odd downpours.
Option A: Slimfast version
Up at 0600, Boma at AKL for breakfast, transferred to Animal Kingdom, on to Magic Kingdom, Downtown Disney for shopping (shudder!), Planet Hollywood for dinner, hotel for showers and back to Jellyrolls for the night. Hot & sunny, with odd, late afternoon showers.
Option B: Boma, all-u-can eat Buffet Breakfast version
The long days are starting to catch us up now, and I sleep like the dead until the alarm goes off. I find myself beating the **** out of my mobile phone at 6:00am unable to stop it bleeping, until remembering that I actually set the hotel radio-alarm last night!
I left Scott snoring and fixed coffee before having a shower. When he rose, we repeated our underpants number on the balcony - took some photos of a wicked sunrise.
We left the hotel at 0650 - it's pleasantly warm, (76 degrees according to the Sebring thermometer,) sunny and blue, although there's a lot of surface water around from yesterday's downpours - and we drop the top for an easy 5 mile drive to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. A very pleasant lady security guard has a cursory look at our ID and gives us a 3 hour guest pass to display on the dash. We self-parked a few rows away from the top of the lot and walk up the steps to the dramatic, covered entrance.
This is a stunning hotel. We walk through the automatc doors into that incredible lobby and take a seat on one of the oversized sofas. Scott's impressed! I'll have a job convincing him that he should pick a villa for his family holiday at this rate! (Mind you, he's Scottish, so when he finds out how much it is to stay here...!!!)
We haven't long before breakfast, so we walk across the floor to the right hand side of the vine window, exiting to the covered veranda overlooking the savannah. We take plenty of pics, but the only animal we can see is a giraffe in the distance. There's a beautiful African chant coming from somewhere and it wouldn't take too much imagination to believe you were in Kenya!
We take the stairs down to the pool area which is still empty at this time of day, although we stumble across a couple in one of the spas! The other viewing areas at the edge of the pool complex are explored and photographed, but again, there are few large beasts on show - perhaps it's feeding time?
We enter the Boma lobby from this level and are given a pager, which goes off at 7:28am - not bad for a 7:30 PS! We are shown to our table towards the window area and Kelly, our server explains the regime - it's simple enough: she'll bring fruit juice and coffee, and we should graze the food stations and stuff ourselves silly! If we want eggs other than scrambled (we do) or toast, the chefs will make it fresh at our request. Lovely!
We proceed to the counters to get our money's worth - our selections included maize porridge, bacon, eggs, pork loin, pizzas, waffles, pancakes, stawberries, melon, pain au chocolat, raisin cinnamon bread, 2 cups of coffee each and 2 lovely, mixed juices. Burp! There were as many other things available again! the quality was first class and the choice excellent. The theming of the whole resort is outstanding, and the interior of Boma delightful, full of warm coloured hangings and fabrics. It's getting a bit busier now, but nothing like the crowds we saw here for dinner at Christmas.
Kelly left the check discreetly and told us to take our time, and go round again if we desired...it would have taken a fork-lift truck!
I drained my second glass of juice and was making notes as Kelly walked by and asked if she should take "this" away? Thinking she meant my glass, I said: "sure" .. so she picked up the bill folder and walked away! We manage to get her attention, apologise, and explain that it's empty!
Paying quickly in case she comes back again (or is frightened to!) we find a bill for $31.93 - we leave $40. With a bit of luck, we won't need to eat again before dark! We catch the elevator up to the lobby, as the stairs are temporarily beyond us! We take a mooch around the shop and then set off carefully for the car.
It's an easy 2 or 3 minute drive to Disney's animal Kingdom from here, and we park in Peacock row 4, arriving about 8:40. Now, this is late in the extreme for Mike, but I want to try something... we approach the gates to see huge crowds, filling the entrance area and spreading around the ticket booths, waiting for the off. I guide Scott to the left, and we enter the Rainforest Cafe store, walking straight through to the garden at the back (please be open, as otherwise I'll look silly!). No problem - it's open to the shop, so we carry on, past the elephant fountain to the 'back-door' entrance at the far end. There are 4 people in front of us, and a CM standing ready at the turnstile. t exactly 8:55 she admits us, and we are already part way up the Oasis, ahead of all the crowds! As I expect, there is a rope drop at the junction with the access to Discovery Island, but we are at the front and on the (correct) left-hand side! Within moments a character bus arrives and goes through the usual opening pantomime, before setting off at walking pace towards Harambe.
We follow at a sedate pace, aware of the crush behind us, and make our way through the delightfully themed village to Kilmanjaro Safaris. We walk straight to the boarding point and get seats on the second bus to leave! Result!
Quite a good safari - it's all relative to your experience, I suppose, but after 5 or 6 times you do tend to hope for plenty of close-up sightings.
The grazing mammals were all visible, and both a lion and lioness prominently displayed on their (air-conditioned!) rocks. Scott videoed the whole thing (he'll probably find it mostly junk when he gets home, due to the shaking of the truck and the thick foliage - why is it that all the good animals are always on the other side of the bus?!!) Oh, and we rescue Little Red...again!
Back in Harambe it's 9:25. We bear left at the junction, towards Asia and walk fairly quickly to the Kali River Rapids - I've been before when the whole of Asia was 'closed' until 11:00am, and I failed to get a map/guide as we came in, so am pleased to find that it's open for business!
It's a complete walk-on, and we are seated in a raft with a South American family - well, I got away lightly at Christmas - we get soaked! Good fun, this one (although the conservation message is a bit depressing) but the ride could do to be a bit longer. Never mind, we're off to IOA tomorrow, and we'll get our full fix on Popeye & Blutos Bilge Rat Barges!
We return to Discovery Island intending to get a FastPass for Its Tough To Be a Bug, but theres no line and we walk straight in. Now we discover the disadvantages of riding the wet attractions too early the air-conditioning causes us to shiver in our waterlogged gear!
Id forgotten how good this show is! Brilliant, funny, startling and definitely not for young kids! Several are escorted from the theatre part way through, screaming or in tears! We exit, gratefully, into the hot sunshine at 10:10am and walk across the bridge to Dinoland USA. It seems busier here, but as we bear right and present ourselves at Dinosaur (Countdown to Extinction) there is no line to speak of. Typical of most WDW attractions, the entrance and queuing areas here are very well designed and themed, and the pre-show sets the scene well. The ride itself is a bit chaotic and may again be one for the young and nervous to avoid.
Its now 10:35 and the standby line for Primeval Whirl is showing 10 minutes, so we join the queue. Its more like 5, and we are soon climbing into our Waltzer-style car they area supposed to seat 4, but Scott and I pretty much fill one!
I like this ride its a decent introduction to coasters for nervy kids, and reminiscent of the Mouse Trap ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, although PW doesnt leave bruises! For anyone whos not ridden, the car proceeds up the usual chain assisted slope, before starting to descend a number of tight hairpins. At this stage the undercarriage is locked, and you face forwards all the time. After a fair drop the wheels unlock, and as well as threading its way through dips and hairpins, the car spins randomly for best effect try squeezing the weight too one side! I videoed the whole ride and it came out great!
As we leave the ride and head for the bridge back to Discovery Island the crowds have grown again.
Its hot, but hazy and I doubt we will be dry all day! At 11:00am we are back on the Island and all the headliners are under our belt. I want to catch the 11:30 Flights of Wonder Show at the Caravan Stage in Asia, and we should have time to grab coffees first from the Tusker House Bakery. The walk back is more crowded, and Harambe is bedlam! Theres a large line outside the bakery window so we enter the Restaurant and queue at the counter there are only two parties in front of us. However, the first one, a British lady and kids, appear to be buying up the whole stock of cakes! Each one is considered and discussed in detail between them before they consent to purchase! Come ON woman! Then, to top it off, the CM tells her the total (about $40!) and, as if surprised that they expect her to actually pay for all this stuff, she starts looking for her purse! I want to grab her by the throat and scream into her rapidly bulging eyes Couldnt you have anticipated this and had your money ready you dozy cow?!, but of course I dont! She eventually finds the money, hands it over and then holds us up again by asking for milk etc. The CM is softly spoken and the customer doesnt appear to hear her. Im just ready to lead her by the elbow to the condiments stand when she gets the message and bogs off. This pantomime has taken 10 minutes and by the time we finally get our coffees (shade grown espresso for Scott and a regular coffee + SGE for me) we have only a few minutes to get back to the FOW theatre. We do a quick detour through my favourite quiet corner, the courtyard on the corner of Harambe and the Asia road, behind the character greeting area, and walk quickly back towards the stage. It never rains but it pours, and of course we then encounter a complete logjam on the walkway a large crowd has gathered around DeVine who is draped sinuously across the light standard beside the road. We force our way through without hospitalising anyone and get to the FOW show with seconds to spare. And rest! Phew! That was hard work!
Ive seen this show several times now, and it always appeals! The underlying story about the lost tour guide whos frightened of birds is a bit weak, but the birds are the real stars. The show reckons to demonstrate mostly natural characteristics, enhanced by training, so no motorcycling budgies here! The stage set is attractive, a naturalistic representation of a ruined temple complex, and the CMs are keen and informative. We are treated to a full range of bird behaviour and tricks, with several fly-bys just over our heads! Great fun!
The show ends at 11:50 and we make our way to the exit. The tram is pretty efficient and we are soon driving over to the Magic Kingdom well the TTC actually, but you know what I mean! The weathers closing in a bit 92 degrees, hot and humid, with increasing cloud. We park in Sleepy 76 and catch the tram to the TTC proper. We elect to ride the Monorail and arrive at the gates of MK at 12:50 12:50? .. I cant believe its taken an hour to swap parks! This is another tick on the minus side for my mental MK assessment test. Ah well, were here quick (perfunctory and totally useless) security check and in we go. I visit the restroom to the left of the square and off we wander up Main Street, taking the obligatory pics of each other.
Its pretty crowded everywhere by the look of it, and it seems likely that we will be queuing more here than weve done everywhere else combined.
Now, before the trip I obtained a bespoke Touring Plan from the Unofficial Guide, listing the attractions I wanted to visit, based on the late start time, no meal breaks etc. The first port of call was supposed to be Jungle Cruise, but when we see the 45 minute standby time I am reluctant to play weve been spoilt so far, and the only way were going to get all these rides done is by spending most of the next 5 hours in lines. We bin the plan, seek out the lowest line time nearby, which turns out to be Pirates of the Caribbean, and join the 25 minute queue. Once inside the building at least its cool!
Im starting to notice more while standing around the parks, particularly in lines of more than 10 minutes or so. With no children to distract me, its quite clear that many people are going through the motions simply to get their moneys worth. The number of weary, sad faces seems to outnumber the happy smiley type today parents whove probably been here for a couple or three hours are starting to snap at their offspring, whose sulky responses frequently cause further tongue lashing from mum or dad. By this time of day, with my kids and wife, we would be leaving the park or at lunch before leaving the park, having had a reasonably pain free morning after an early start. By 1:00pm, especially here at MK, the heat and the crowds are not conducive to happy thoughts.
Right back on thread it actually takes 25 minutes to get to the boats and the ride is pretty good, as per. We exit to find that it has rained heavily but seems to have stopped for now. We make our way through the crowds, past Splash Mountain (45 minute standby) to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad where we get FastPasses for 3:15-4:15 return. It starts to rain again, light at first and then progressively heavier. Heading for Haunted Mansion, we take the boardwalk path which is less congested, and arrive to find a standby wait of 50 minutes! Bin that, then! Well, I think we realise its going to be like this all day now, so we discuss priorities and decide that Mickeys Philharmagic is essential.
We pass through into Fantasyland (like a footy crowds just let out!) and fight our way to the end of the 35-minute standby line. Its 1:45pm.The weather assists a little, by starting to really hammer down, and a lot of the crowd dissipates as people run for cover. We put our ponchos on, but are soon under the canopy of the waiting area and take them of again.
The line moves slowly in fits and starts about a show length apart. By the time we are ready to enter the theatre proper (and does anyone else think the outer area should have a decent pre-show created?) its 2:30pm, a 45-minute wait. I didnt realise I was that patient! A teenage couple in front of us at the inner doors cause considerable offence by virtually eating each other and stroking their partner in suggestive ways not quite the ticket in front of all these children! We catch sight of them inside, a row or two in front, settling in for another tonsil-swapping session get a room next time, guys!
The show commences and is superb! Brilliant content, enhanced by excellent 3D effects! My only complaint is the brevity of the presentation could it not have been a few minutes longer? Well, I suppose I would only have moaned about longer queues if that was the case!
We leave the cool, A/C interior to jump back into the hot soup of the outside world.
We lurk to the right side of the Castle and phone home, before deciding to do the BTMRR FastPass and then quit the park for DTD and some essential bribes, sorry gifts for our loved ones. As we leave Fantasyland I realise weve cocked up its parade time and the walkways around Liberty Square are jammed solid! We end up in a single file, trying to squeeze through a narrow gap with strollers and bodies resisting us from the opposite direction. An apparently terminal log-jam occurs when a lady with two kids in a tandem buggy gets stuck against the kerb in front of us. Try as she might, she cant lever the wheels high enough to get by, and the crowd pushing her from behind dont allow her the room to try a different angle of attack. I motion that I will help by lifting the front wheels over the kerb, and, seeming to get assent, I do so. What do you think she does? She lets go of the handles! The inevitable result of her 60lbs or so of bags hung from the handles and me lifting the front end up is that the stroller does a credible impression of a seesaw it tips over backwards, spilling her baby and toddler onto the ground at her feet! This while the crowds press us both from opposite directions! We manage to recover the two children, both bawling lustily, and replace them in their ride vehicle! No permanent damage done, we get the jam sorted and press on! Finally, after about 10 minutes (during which time the parade has arrived next to us, and even the people trying to progress to Frontierland are stopping to gawp) we arrive at the path down to the boardwalk and pop out like corks from a bottle! Phew! That was a pain!
The rest of the walk to BTM is fine, and we bypass the 40 minute standby line to ride almost immediately. Great fun, and I see odd new details even after a dozen or more visits!
On leaving the ride we see that the wait time for Splash is now only 25 minutes thats do-able, we think and so we join the line. It does seem awfully long and slow moving, so after about 5 minutes I ask the CM at the gate whether its realistic or not. Nope, he says, reckon on double! Say no more, sunshine, were off!
It takes us nearly 15 minutes to get to the exit, with a quick stop at the First Aid post to grab some more free band-aids for my not-quite blisters the old ones are rubbing or washing off with the rain and sweat!
Its stopped raining for now, but remains grey and sultry. We collect a hand-stamp in case we want to come back for WISHES tonight, (although weve had a bit of a bellyful of the crowds and transfer times here already today, and think it unlikely,) before heading for the ferry back to the TTC. This is pleasant, with a refreshing breeze off the lake. We board the tram at 4:00pm, reach the car and drop the roof, driving off by 4:10 headed to Westside, DownTown Disney. About 5 minutes in to the journey the rain starts to fall in huge drops like mini water bombs, and we pray for a red light so we can stop and put the top back on! We manage it before the deluge starts in earnest, to the amusement of adjacent car occupants!
Parking near La Nouba, we have a quick look at the Virgin Check-in facility for Thursday, before starting our shopping tour. First stop is the Virgin Megastore where I find a Lynrd Skynrd CD for Heather. We go to Sosa Cigars next for Scott to buy a large cigar for his nephew. Recalling Steve/mapmans maggotball with some fondness, we tour Magnetron but they are fresh out of them! Shame!
Next is a movie/showbiz memorabilia shop I forget the name of, where we stare, open-mouthed at the prices on some of the goods who the heck goes to WDW with $50,000 -$100,000 spare? We make our way right down to the Marketplace end now, and check the Disney Art shop for anything suitable as a gift for Scotts GF. Nothing grabs him, so off to the Winnie the Pooh store, where we have more luck Scott gets nearly everything for his WTP mad daughter and I get mine the Tigger shed asked for. Following this triumph we pop into the nearby Guest services to buy Disney dollars for Chris/Earthbound & Angie/peanut. First time Ive seen these close up, and they are just like real currency! You can buy up to $50 worth on a credit card, or unlimited with cash. They come in different denominations so I get a mix of 10s, 5s and 1s to bulk them out a bit for their kids.
Its 5:30 now and were doing pretty well. Scott and I have almost exactly the same view of shopping its a necessary evil that is best performed without children and wives/GFs in attendance! Get in, get bought, get out! If you dont actually want to own something then what are you picking it up for?!!
I call in Pin Central while Scott has a ciggy, and pick up a lanyard and pins for Beth, plus a couple more lanyards for Angie. One more stop (Mickey Sports store for a plain-ish baseball for DS, Adam) and then, the big one. Its no use, it has to be faced ..The Disney Store! Right, buddy, we need a proper plan of attack here, otherwise youll be going round and round the seemingly identical rooms all day, wondering if youve seen this one yet! Deliberately confusing layout, IMO! We get our bearings in one corner, do each of the three rooms in one plane first, and then progress to the next three. I dont think we get lost more than once or twice, and we find almost everything we want to complete our families wish lists! The gift I like the most is a coin collection with an example of currency from each of the countries in the World Showcase at Epcot, plus one from Malawi I presume this represents the Trading Post. We get one each for our sons.
Fairly happy, we start to wander back to our distant car. Passing Planet Hollywood we ask the CM what the wait time is for two, and are encouraged by her reply 15-20 minutes, our shortest wait at present.
Well thatll do then! We go in and take station in the bar on level 2 at the left side. We dont manage to get seats but two Millers and a lean against the wall refreshes us somewhat! The wait is about 20-25 minutes, and we look down into the restaurant trying to judge best value (biggest!) from the dishes being served to diners! Actually they all look good! We discuss our plan for the evening: the consensus is that we are too weary for the marathon transfer ritual required to return to MK for WISHES (and Ive soured even more towards WDWs flagship after the crowds today) so well get cleaned up after this meal and see how we feel then were leaning towards Jellyrolls again.
We listen to the rock music and then are called to the hostess near the entrance just a quick point PH have a good system for alerting guest: they ask for your first name and the first letter of your surname When the PA announces Scott D, party of two it is a lot clearer than just the surname or first alone.
We are guided to a table against the far wall, on the lowest level, below the enormous circular video screen. Our server, Andi (female) is chatty and takes our drinks order (2 more beers) before leaving us to study the menu. Scott finally gets his steak (ribeye, well-done) and I have a mushroom Swiss burger with fries (medium).
We admire the chaotic scenes above our heads, with all the vehicles and items suspended from the high, domed ceiling. Other terraces of tables are arrayed towards the front wall must try for a seat up there next time.
The food arrives at 7:30 and we declare it excellent. My burgers about 5 inches high and I have to strip it down for consumption!
The table next to us provided some entertainment when we arrived it was occupied by a middle-aged couple, who were ordering dessert. When it was served they were horrified Mr had a pile of ice cream and something about 6 inches deep that covered a 10 inch plate and Mrs was staring at an ENORMOUS slice of gateau either dish would have fed two families! They picked away at them for about 5 minutes but it was clear that they were over-faced and embarrassed. They snuck off after eating a small fraction each!
When the table was cleared our new neighbour appeared. The attentive among you will note I said neighbour. Singular. Think Woody Allen, or better yet, Mr Bean. As he sat there, all 5 stone of him, pushing his thinning hair back over the bald patch, looking through his NHS spectacles at the menu, Scott and I made eye contact. I thought we were going to make it, but then Scott mimed a tiny cake and started singing, sotto voce, Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me .. we cracked! I couldnt finish my burger for fear of choking!
We ask for the bill - $43 (with tip $50) and take our leave. Walking along the pavement to the rear of Westside, Scott (keen guitarist) spots the Guitar Shop and we wander in to gawp at the $20,000 Fender Strats! We dont linger long, and are soon back at the hotel. Its 8:10pm. Executive decision time: shower and Jellyrolls!
The skies have more or less cleared as we leave the hotel at 8:50, and its warm-hot still. We ask reception to call us a cab, which appears within a few minutes. We must be tired, as we forget to do the Peter Kay sketch! The driver deposits us at the Boardwalk entrance , charging us $11 ($13 inc tip) for the privilege. I stop to take some night-time piccies of the illuminated entrance before we walk through the lobby, down the steps and onto the Boardwalk.
We can hear the Illuminations fireworks exploding as we leave the hotel. As its pretty early for Jellyrolls, we head right to the bakery where we get two coffees, a Banana Cream Pie for Scott and a Cheesecake Brownie for me. These are devoured on a bench facing the Flying Fish Café and I spend a few minutes taking pics of the sign, trying to get it when it is full!
As we finish our coffee, a trio of entertainers walk towards us and set up station just to our right. There are two musicians (banjo player and a percussionist) accompanying a lady artiste who proceeds to spin a pair of six-guns! Its quite lively, but when she progresses onto lasso twirling and asks for assistance from the audience, we slope off towards Jellyrolls. The BW is a lot busier tonight, due no doubt to the improved weather, and as we enter JR its clear that the venue is nearly full! We cant get seats on the floor but the right-hand raised counter overlooking the stage has a few empty stools and we make camp there. It seems to have a couple of advantages over the tables below firstly the view of the pianos is slightly better, and, when they ask What time is it? we dont need to stand up to participate, (they bully, cajole and embarrass anyone who remains seated at the tables!) so our aching feetsies get a rest! Scott wasnt mad about the beer last night, and asks for a Smirnoff Ice. I have an Amber Bock, which I didnt spot yesterday. $9 a round we leave $10 each time.
The players are in full swing we enter to Buttercup, followed by We Will Rock You. The first two pianists are new to us, but they change at 10:00pm and its Ponytail and his buddy from Monday.
A medley of tunes is performed to raucous approval We Are The Champions, Twist & Shout, Get Back! they dont even break for applause! Under the Boardwalk is naturally received with joyful enthusiasm! Mamas Got a Squeezebox and Roxanne complete the first set. I am trying to sing along, but my voice is still wrecked from last night!
At the first pause Ponytail announces that its a guys 30th birthday and they drag him (reluctantly) up on stage. When they announce that hes just back from a 9 month tour in Iraq, the crowd go bananas! When the whooping and cheering finally abate (slightly!) the audience (& victim) are compelled to do the tree dance! The soldier then has to perform it alone! Great fun!
The very next song God Bless The USA (aka Im Proud to be an American) nearly blows the roof off. I dont know what the capacity of Jellyrolls is, 200- 300 at a guess? but almost every one of them is standing, right hands across their chests, joyously screaming the lyrics:
If tomorrow all the things were gone I'd worked for all my life, And I had to start again with just my children and my wife, I'd thank my lucky stars to be living here today, 'Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can't take that away.
I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free, And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me, And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today, 'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land God Bless the U.S.A.
From the lakes of Minnesota to the hills of Tennessee, Across the plains of Texas from sea to shining sea. From Detroit down to Houston and New York to L.A., There's pride in every American heart and it's time we stand and say:
I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free, And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me, And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today, 'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land God Bless the U.S.A.
Just copying these lyrics brings the stirring melody to mind and sends a bit of a shiver down my back I have never seen or heard a reaction like this from a Brit audience at home .
They soon lower the tone again with an interactive rendition of Chuck Berrys My Ding-a-Ling!! Apparently the boys are a bit louder than the girls tonight! Brown Eyed Girl next, followed by the Hand Jive still impossible at the end!
11:00pm changeover the new boys are back. First song The Devil Came Down To Georgia! brilliant! They play a busy selection of tunes we dont recognise next, although the US contingent laps them up! The atmosphere is superb, and spontaneous dancing erupts at several places around the club. Next song I recognise is Living On A Prayer followed by Shout! and Johnny Cashs Ring Of Fire. We have had several drinks by this time, and one look at Scott tells me hes as knackered as me, and sadly its time to go. We have another early start tomorrow, and a busy schedule (well theres a surprise!) so, reluctantly, we head for the exit.
The air is lovely and fresh outside still warm, but calm and not as humid. It wakes us up a bit, so we sit for a while, smoking, on a bench overlooking the lake, the lights of the Y&B Club twinkling gently before us, and reflect on our day. One of our thoughts is along the lines that, if we had an Anthem anything like God Bless The USA! our national pride would double in an instant! We try to compose an alternative, but end up with a light, but patronising and probably insulting ditty about how the rest of the world are basically our colonies! This causes us to dissolve into fits of laughter, and verse two goes on to describe how Scott and Mike are found in a WDW lake wearing concrete boots!
We wander back to the lobby and catch a chequer cab back to the Best Western, arriving about 12:15. It costs $8.75 + tip, so he gets $11.( I remembered to try Peter Kay on the driver but he was a bit uncommunicative!)
Shattered! Goodnight!
Mike
(Tomorrow: transfer to Royal Pacific Resort, Universal Orlando, and LOADS of FOTL!)
Day 4 Tuesday 15th June 2004 Boma Breakfast, Animal Kingdom. Magic Kingdom, Downtown Disney, Planet Hollywood & Jellyrolls again!
Weather: Clear, blue start, hot and sunny until late afternoon, then odd downpours.
Option A: Slimfast version
Up at 0600, Boma at AKL for breakfast, transferred to Animal Kingdom, on to Magic Kingdom, Downtown Disney for shopping (shudder!), Planet Hollywood for dinner, hotel for showers and back to Jellyrolls for the night. Hot & sunny, with odd, late afternoon showers.
Option B: Boma, all-u-can eat Buffet Breakfast version
The long days are starting to catch us up now, and I sleep like the dead until the alarm goes off. I find myself beating the **** out of my mobile phone at 6:00am unable to stop it bleeping, until remembering that I actually set the hotel radio-alarm last night!
I left Scott snoring and fixed coffee before having a shower. When he rose, we repeated our underpants number on the balcony - took some photos of a wicked sunrise.
We left the hotel at 0650 - it's pleasantly warm, (76 degrees according to the Sebring thermometer,) sunny and blue, although there's a lot of surface water around from yesterday's downpours - and we drop the top for an easy 5 mile drive to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. A very pleasant lady security guard has a cursory look at our ID and gives us a 3 hour guest pass to display on the dash. We self-parked a few rows away from the top of the lot and walk up the steps to the dramatic, covered entrance.
This is a stunning hotel. We walk through the automatc doors into that incredible lobby and take a seat on one of the oversized sofas. Scott's impressed! I'll have a job convincing him that he should pick a villa for his family holiday at this rate! (Mind you, he's Scottish, so when he finds out how much it is to stay here...!!!)
We haven't long before breakfast, so we walk across the floor to the right hand side of the vine window, exiting to the covered veranda overlooking the savannah. We take plenty of pics, but the only animal we can see is a giraffe in the distance. There's a beautiful African chant coming from somewhere and it wouldn't take too much imagination to believe you were in Kenya!
We take the stairs down to the pool area which is still empty at this time of day, although we stumble across a couple in one of the spas! The other viewing areas at the edge of the pool complex are explored and photographed, but again, there are few large beasts on show - perhaps it's feeding time?
We enter the Boma lobby from this level and are given a pager, which goes off at 7:28am - not bad for a 7:30 PS! We are shown to our table towards the window area and Kelly, our server explains the regime - it's simple enough: she'll bring fruit juice and coffee, and we should graze the food stations and stuff ourselves silly! If we want eggs other than scrambled (we do) or toast, the chefs will make it fresh at our request. Lovely!
We proceed to the counters to get our money's worth - our selections included maize porridge, bacon, eggs, pork loin, pizzas, waffles, pancakes, stawberries, melon, pain au chocolat, raisin cinnamon bread, 2 cups of coffee each and 2 lovely, mixed juices. Burp! There were as many other things available again! the quality was first class and the choice excellent. The theming of the whole resort is outstanding, and the interior of Boma delightful, full of warm coloured hangings and fabrics. It's getting a bit busier now, but nothing like the crowds we saw here for dinner at Christmas.
Kelly left the check discreetly and told us to take our time, and go round again if we desired...it would have taken a fork-lift truck!
I drained my second glass of juice and was making notes as Kelly walked by and asked if she should take "this" away? Thinking she meant my glass, I said: "sure" .. so she picked up the bill folder and walked away! We manage to get her attention, apologise, and explain that it's empty!
Paying quickly in case she comes back again (or is frightened to!) we find a bill for $31.93 - we leave $40. With a bit of luck, we won't need to eat again before dark! We catch the elevator up to the lobby, as the stairs are temporarily beyond us! We take a mooch around the shop and then set off carefully for the car.
It's an easy 2 or 3 minute drive to Disney's animal Kingdom from here, and we park in Peacock row 4, arriving about 8:40. Now, this is late in the extreme for Mike, but I want to try something... we approach the gates to see huge crowds, filling the entrance area and spreading around the ticket booths, waiting for the off. I guide Scott to the left, and we enter the Rainforest Cafe store, walking straight through to the garden at the back (please be open, as otherwise I'll look silly!). No problem - it's open to the shop, so we carry on, past the elephant fountain to the 'back-door' entrance at the far end. There are 4 people in front of us, and a CM standing ready at the turnstile. t exactly 8:55 she admits us, and we are already part way up the Oasis, ahead of all the crowds! As I expect, there is a rope drop at the junction with the access to Discovery Island, but we are at the front and on the (correct) left-hand side! Within moments a character bus arrives and goes through the usual opening pantomime, before setting off at walking pace towards Harambe.
We follow at a sedate pace, aware of the crush behind us, and make our way through the delightfully themed village to Kilmanjaro Safaris. We walk straight to the boarding point and get seats on the second bus to leave! Result!
Quite a good safari - it's all relative to your experience, I suppose, but after 5 or 6 times you do tend to hope for plenty of close-up sightings.
The grazing mammals were all visible, and both a lion and lioness prominently displayed on their (air-conditioned!) rocks. Scott videoed the whole thing (he'll probably find it mostly junk when he gets home, due to the shaking of the truck and the thick foliage - why is it that all the good animals are always on the other side of the bus?!!) Oh, and we rescue Little Red...again!
Back in Harambe it's 9:25. We bear left at the junction, towards Asia and walk fairly quickly to the Kali River Rapids - I've been before when the whole of Asia was 'closed' until 11:00am, and I failed to get a map/guide as we came in, so am pleased to find that it's open for business!
It's a complete walk-on, and we are seated in a raft with a South American family - well, I got away lightly at Christmas - we get soaked! Good fun, this one (although the conservation message is a bit depressing) but the ride could do to be a bit longer. Never mind, we're off to IOA tomorrow, and we'll get our full fix on Popeye & Blutos Bilge Rat Barges!
We return to Discovery Island intending to get a FastPass for Its Tough To Be a Bug, but theres no line and we walk straight in. Now we discover the disadvantages of riding the wet attractions too early the air-conditioning causes us to shiver in our waterlogged gear!
Id forgotten how good this show is! Brilliant, funny, startling and definitely not for young kids! Several are escorted from the theatre part way through, screaming or in tears! We exit, gratefully, into the hot sunshine at 10:10am and walk across the bridge to Dinoland USA. It seems busier here, but as we bear right and present ourselves at Dinosaur (Countdown to Extinction) there is no line to speak of. Typical of most WDW attractions, the entrance and queuing areas here are very well designed and themed, and the pre-show sets the scene well. The ride itself is a bit chaotic and may again be one for the young and nervous to avoid.
Its now 10:35 and the standby line for Primeval Whirl is showing 10 minutes, so we join the queue. Its more like 5, and we are soon climbing into our Waltzer-style car they area supposed to seat 4, but Scott and I pretty much fill one!
I like this ride its a decent introduction to coasters for nervy kids, and reminiscent of the Mouse Trap ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, although PW doesnt leave bruises! For anyone whos not ridden, the car proceeds up the usual chain assisted slope, before starting to descend a number of tight hairpins. At this stage the undercarriage is locked, and you face forwards all the time. After a fair drop the wheels unlock, and as well as threading its way through dips and hairpins, the car spins randomly for best effect try squeezing the weight too one side! I videoed the whole ride and it came out great!
As we leave the ride and head for the bridge back to Discovery Island the crowds have grown again.
Its hot, but hazy and I doubt we will be dry all day! At 11:00am we are back on the Island and all the headliners are under our belt. I want to catch the 11:30 Flights of Wonder Show at the Caravan Stage in Asia, and we should have time to grab coffees first from the Tusker House Bakery. The walk back is more crowded, and Harambe is bedlam! Theres a large line outside the bakery window so we enter the Restaurant and queue at the counter there are only two parties in front of us. However, the first one, a British lady and kids, appear to be buying up the whole stock of cakes! Each one is considered and discussed in detail between them before they consent to purchase! Come ON woman! Then, to top it off, the CM tells her the total (about $40!) and, as if surprised that they expect her to actually pay for all this stuff, she starts looking for her purse! I want to grab her by the throat and scream into her rapidly bulging eyes Couldnt you have anticipated this and had your money ready you dozy cow?!, but of course I dont! She eventually finds the money, hands it over and then holds us up again by asking for milk etc. The CM is softly spoken and the customer doesnt appear to hear her. Im just ready to lead her by the elbow to the condiments stand when she gets the message and bogs off. This pantomime has taken 10 minutes and by the time we finally get our coffees (shade grown espresso for Scott and a regular coffee + SGE for me) we have only a few minutes to get back to the FOW theatre. We do a quick detour through my favourite quiet corner, the courtyard on the corner of Harambe and the Asia road, behind the character greeting area, and walk quickly back towards the stage. It never rains but it pours, and of course we then encounter a complete logjam on the walkway a large crowd has gathered around DeVine who is draped sinuously across the light standard beside the road. We force our way through without hospitalising anyone and get to the FOW show with seconds to spare. And rest! Phew! That was hard work!
Ive seen this show several times now, and it always appeals! The underlying story about the lost tour guide whos frightened of birds is a bit weak, but the birds are the real stars. The show reckons to demonstrate mostly natural characteristics, enhanced by training, so no motorcycling budgies here! The stage set is attractive, a naturalistic representation of a ruined temple complex, and the CMs are keen and informative. We are treated to a full range of bird behaviour and tricks, with several fly-bys just over our heads! Great fun!
The show ends at 11:50 and we make our way to the exit. The tram is pretty efficient and we are soon driving over to the Magic Kingdom well the TTC actually, but you know what I mean! The weathers closing in a bit 92 degrees, hot and humid, with increasing cloud. We park in Sleepy 76 and catch the tram to the TTC proper. We elect to ride the Monorail and arrive at the gates of MK at 12:50 12:50? .. I cant believe its taken an hour to swap parks! This is another tick on the minus side for my mental MK assessment test. Ah well, were here quick (perfunctory and totally useless) security check and in we go. I visit the restroom to the left of the square and off we wander up Main Street, taking the obligatory pics of each other.
Its pretty crowded everywhere by the look of it, and it seems likely that we will be queuing more here than weve done everywhere else combined.
Now, before the trip I obtained a bespoke Touring Plan from the Unofficial Guide, listing the attractions I wanted to visit, based on the late start time, no meal breaks etc. The first port of call was supposed to be Jungle Cruise, but when we see the 45 minute standby time I am reluctant to play weve been spoilt so far, and the only way were going to get all these rides done is by spending most of the next 5 hours in lines. We bin the plan, seek out the lowest line time nearby, which turns out to be Pirates of the Caribbean, and join the 25 minute queue. Once inside the building at least its cool!
Im starting to notice more while standing around the parks, particularly in lines of more than 10 minutes or so. With no children to distract me, its quite clear that many people are going through the motions simply to get their moneys worth. The number of weary, sad faces seems to outnumber the happy smiley type today parents whove probably been here for a couple or three hours are starting to snap at their offspring, whose sulky responses frequently cause further tongue lashing from mum or dad. By this time of day, with my kids and wife, we would be leaving the park or at lunch before leaving the park, having had a reasonably pain free morning after an early start. By 1:00pm, especially here at MK, the heat and the crowds are not conducive to happy thoughts.
Right back on thread it actually takes 25 minutes to get to the boats and the ride is pretty good, as per. We exit to find that it has rained heavily but seems to have stopped for now. We make our way through the crowds, past Splash Mountain (45 minute standby) to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad where we get FastPasses for 3:15-4:15 return. It starts to rain again, light at first and then progressively heavier. Heading for Haunted Mansion, we take the boardwalk path which is less congested, and arrive to find a standby wait of 50 minutes! Bin that, then! Well, I think we realise its going to be like this all day now, so we discuss priorities and decide that Mickeys Philharmagic is essential.
We pass through into Fantasyland (like a footy crowds just let out!) and fight our way to the end of the 35-minute standby line. Its 1:45pm.The weather assists a little, by starting to really hammer down, and a lot of the crowd dissipates as people run for cover. We put our ponchos on, but are soon under the canopy of the waiting area and take them of again.
The line moves slowly in fits and starts about a show length apart. By the time we are ready to enter the theatre proper (and does anyone else think the outer area should have a decent pre-show created?) its 2:30pm, a 45-minute wait. I didnt realise I was that patient! A teenage couple in front of us at the inner doors cause considerable offence by virtually eating each other and stroking their partner in suggestive ways not quite the ticket in front of all these children! We catch sight of them inside, a row or two in front, settling in for another tonsil-swapping session get a room next time, guys!
The show commences and is superb! Brilliant content, enhanced by excellent 3D effects! My only complaint is the brevity of the presentation could it not have been a few minutes longer? Well, I suppose I would only have moaned about longer queues if that was the case!
We leave the cool, A/C interior to jump back into the hot soup of the outside world.
We lurk to the right side of the Castle and phone home, before deciding to do the BTMRR FastPass and then quit the park for DTD and some essential bribes, sorry gifts for our loved ones. As we leave Fantasyland I realise weve cocked up its parade time and the walkways around Liberty Square are jammed solid! We end up in a single file, trying to squeeze through a narrow gap with strollers and bodies resisting us from the opposite direction. An apparently terminal log-jam occurs when a lady with two kids in a tandem buggy gets stuck against the kerb in front of us. Try as she might, she cant lever the wheels high enough to get by, and the crowd pushing her from behind dont allow her the room to try a different angle of attack. I motion that I will help by lifting the front wheels over the kerb, and, seeming to get assent, I do so. What do you think she does? She lets go of the handles! The inevitable result of her 60lbs or so of bags hung from the handles and me lifting the front end up is that the stroller does a credible impression of a seesaw it tips over backwards, spilling her baby and toddler onto the ground at her feet! This while the crowds press us both from opposite directions! We manage to recover the two children, both bawling lustily, and replace them in their ride vehicle! No permanent damage done, we get the jam sorted and press on! Finally, after about 10 minutes (during which time the parade has arrived next to us, and even the people trying to progress to Frontierland are stopping to gawp) we arrive at the path down to the boardwalk and pop out like corks from a bottle! Phew! That was a pain!
The rest of the walk to BTM is fine, and we bypass the 40 minute standby line to ride almost immediately. Great fun, and I see odd new details even after a dozen or more visits!
On leaving the ride we see that the wait time for Splash is now only 25 minutes thats do-able, we think and so we join the line. It does seem awfully long and slow moving, so after about 5 minutes I ask the CM at the gate whether its realistic or not. Nope, he says, reckon on double! Say no more, sunshine, were off!
It takes us nearly 15 minutes to get to the exit, with a quick stop at the First Aid post to grab some more free band-aids for my not-quite blisters the old ones are rubbing or washing off with the rain and sweat!
Its stopped raining for now, but remains grey and sultry. We collect a hand-stamp in case we want to come back for WISHES tonight, (although weve had a bit of a bellyful of the crowds and transfer times here already today, and think it unlikely,) before heading for the ferry back to the TTC. This is pleasant, with a refreshing breeze off the lake. We board the tram at 4:00pm, reach the car and drop the roof, driving off by 4:10 headed to Westside, DownTown Disney. About 5 minutes in to the journey the rain starts to fall in huge drops like mini water bombs, and we pray for a red light so we can stop and put the top back on! We manage it before the deluge starts in earnest, to the amusement of adjacent car occupants!
Parking near La Nouba, we have a quick look at the Virgin Check-in facility for Thursday, before starting our shopping tour. First stop is the Virgin Megastore where I find a Lynrd Skynrd CD for Heather. We go to Sosa Cigars next for Scott to buy a large cigar for his nephew. Recalling Steve/mapmans maggotball with some fondness, we tour Magnetron but they are fresh out of them! Shame!
Next is a movie/showbiz memorabilia shop I forget the name of, where we stare, open-mouthed at the prices on some of the goods who the heck goes to WDW with $50,000 -$100,000 spare? We make our way right down to the Marketplace end now, and check the Disney Art shop for anything suitable as a gift for Scotts GF. Nothing grabs him, so off to the Winnie the Pooh store, where we have more luck Scott gets nearly everything for his WTP mad daughter and I get mine the Tigger shed asked for. Following this triumph we pop into the nearby Guest services to buy Disney dollars for Chris/Earthbound & Angie/peanut. First time Ive seen these close up, and they are just like real currency! You can buy up to $50 worth on a credit card, or unlimited with cash. They come in different denominations so I get a mix of 10s, 5s and 1s to bulk them out a bit for their kids.
Its 5:30 now and were doing pretty well. Scott and I have almost exactly the same view of shopping its a necessary evil that is best performed without children and wives/GFs in attendance! Get in, get bought, get out! If you dont actually want to own something then what are you picking it up for?!!
I call in Pin Central while Scott has a ciggy, and pick up a lanyard and pins for Beth, plus a couple more lanyards for Angie. One more stop (Mickey Sports store for a plain-ish baseball for DS, Adam) and then, the big one. Its no use, it has to be faced ..The Disney Store! Right, buddy, we need a proper plan of attack here, otherwise youll be going round and round the seemingly identical rooms all day, wondering if youve seen this one yet! Deliberately confusing layout, IMO! We get our bearings in one corner, do each of the three rooms in one plane first, and then progress to the next three. I dont think we get lost more than once or twice, and we find almost everything we want to complete our families wish lists! The gift I like the most is a coin collection with an example of currency from each of the countries in the World Showcase at Epcot, plus one from Malawi I presume this represents the Trading Post. We get one each for our sons.
Fairly happy, we start to wander back to our distant car. Passing Planet Hollywood we ask the CM what the wait time is for two, and are encouraged by her reply 15-20 minutes, our shortest wait at present.
Well thatll do then! We go in and take station in the bar on level 2 at the left side. We dont manage to get seats but two Millers and a lean against the wall refreshes us somewhat! The wait is about 20-25 minutes, and we look down into the restaurant trying to judge best value (biggest!) from the dishes being served to diners! Actually they all look good! We discuss our plan for the evening: the consensus is that we are too weary for the marathon transfer ritual required to return to MK for WISHES (and Ive soured even more towards WDWs flagship after the crowds today) so well get cleaned up after this meal and see how we feel then were leaning towards Jellyrolls again.
We listen to the rock music and then are called to the hostess near the entrance just a quick point PH have a good system for alerting guest: they ask for your first name and the first letter of your surname When the PA announces Scott D, party of two it is a lot clearer than just the surname or first alone.
We are guided to a table against the far wall, on the lowest level, below the enormous circular video screen. Our server, Andi (female) is chatty and takes our drinks order (2 more beers) before leaving us to study the menu. Scott finally gets his steak (ribeye, well-done) and I have a mushroom Swiss burger with fries (medium).
We admire the chaotic scenes above our heads, with all the vehicles and items suspended from the high, domed ceiling. Other terraces of tables are arrayed towards the front wall must try for a seat up there next time.
The food arrives at 7:30 and we declare it excellent. My burgers about 5 inches high and I have to strip it down for consumption!
The table next to us provided some entertainment when we arrived it was occupied by a middle-aged couple, who were ordering dessert. When it was served they were horrified Mr had a pile of ice cream and something about 6 inches deep that covered a 10 inch plate and Mrs was staring at an ENORMOUS slice of gateau either dish would have fed two families! They picked away at them for about 5 minutes but it was clear that they were over-faced and embarrassed. They snuck off after eating a small fraction each!
When the table was cleared our new neighbour appeared. The attentive among you will note I said neighbour. Singular. Think Woody Allen, or better yet, Mr Bean. As he sat there, all 5 stone of him, pushing his thinning hair back over the bald patch, looking through his NHS spectacles at the menu, Scott and I made eye contact. I thought we were going to make it, but then Scott mimed a tiny cake and started singing, sotto voce, Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me .. we cracked! I couldnt finish my burger for fear of choking!
We ask for the bill - $43 (with tip $50) and take our leave. Walking along the pavement to the rear of Westside, Scott (keen guitarist) spots the Guitar Shop and we wander in to gawp at the $20,000 Fender Strats! We dont linger long, and are soon back at the hotel. Its 8:10pm. Executive decision time: shower and Jellyrolls!
The skies have more or less cleared as we leave the hotel at 8:50, and its warm-hot still. We ask reception to call us a cab, which appears within a few minutes. We must be tired, as we forget to do the Peter Kay sketch! The driver deposits us at the Boardwalk entrance , charging us $11 ($13 inc tip) for the privilege. I stop to take some night-time piccies of the illuminated entrance before we walk through the lobby, down the steps and onto the Boardwalk.
We can hear the Illuminations fireworks exploding as we leave the hotel. As its pretty early for Jellyrolls, we head right to the bakery where we get two coffees, a Banana Cream Pie for Scott and a Cheesecake Brownie for me. These are devoured on a bench facing the Flying Fish Café and I spend a few minutes taking pics of the sign, trying to get it when it is full!
As we finish our coffee, a trio of entertainers walk towards us and set up station just to our right. There are two musicians (banjo player and a percussionist) accompanying a lady artiste who proceeds to spin a pair of six-guns! Its quite lively, but when she progresses onto lasso twirling and asks for assistance from the audience, we slope off towards Jellyrolls. The BW is a lot busier tonight, due no doubt to the improved weather, and as we enter JR its clear that the venue is nearly full! We cant get seats on the floor but the right-hand raised counter overlooking the stage has a few empty stools and we make camp there. It seems to have a couple of advantages over the tables below firstly the view of the pianos is slightly better, and, when they ask What time is it? we dont need to stand up to participate, (they bully, cajole and embarrass anyone who remains seated at the tables!) so our aching feetsies get a rest! Scott wasnt mad about the beer last night, and asks for a Smirnoff Ice. I have an Amber Bock, which I didnt spot yesterday. $9 a round we leave $10 each time.
The players are in full swing we enter to Buttercup, followed by We Will Rock You. The first two pianists are new to us, but they change at 10:00pm and its Ponytail and his buddy from Monday.
A medley of tunes is performed to raucous approval We Are The Champions, Twist & Shout, Get Back! they dont even break for applause! Under the Boardwalk is naturally received with joyful enthusiasm! Mamas Got a Squeezebox and Roxanne complete the first set. I am trying to sing along, but my voice is still wrecked from last night!
At the first pause Ponytail announces that its a guys 30th birthday and they drag him (reluctantly) up on stage. When they announce that hes just back from a 9 month tour in Iraq, the crowd go bananas! When the whooping and cheering finally abate (slightly!) the audience (& victim) are compelled to do the tree dance! The soldier then has to perform it alone! Great fun!
The very next song God Bless The USA (aka Im Proud to be an American) nearly blows the roof off. I dont know what the capacity of Jellyrolls is, 200- 300 at a guess? but almost every one of them is standing, right hands across their chests, joyously screaming the lyrics:
If tomorrow all the things were gone I'd worked for all my life, And I had to start again with just my children and my wife, I'd thank my lucky stars to be living here today, 'Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can't take that away.
I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free, And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me, And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today, 'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land God Bless the U.S.A.
From the lakes of Minnesota to the hills of Tennessee, Across the plains of Texas from sea to shining sea. From Detroit down to Houston and New York to L.A., There's pride in every American heart and it's time we stand and say:
I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free, And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me, And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today, 'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land God Bless the U.S.A.
Just copying these lyrics brings the stirring melody to mind and sends a bit of a shiver down my back I have never seen or heard a reaction like this from a Brit audience at home .
They soon lower the tone again with an interactive rendition of Chuck Berrys My Ding-a-Ling!! Apparently the boys are a bit louder than the girls tonight! Brown Eyed Girl next, followed by the Hand Jive still impossible at the end!
11:00pm changeover the new boys are back. First song The Devil Came Down To Georgia! brilliant! They play a busy selection of tunes we dont recognise next, although the US contingent laps them up! The atmosphere is superb, and spontaneous dancing erupts at several places around the club. Next song I recognise is Living On A Prayer followed by Shout! and Johnny Cashs Ring Of Fire. We have had several drinks by this time, and one look at Scott tells me hes as knackered as me, and sadly its time to go. We have another early start tomorrow, and a busy schedule (well theres a surprise!) so, reluctantly, we head for the exit.
The air is lovely and fresh outside still warm, but calm and not as humid. It wakes us up a bit, so we sit for a while, smoking, on a bench overlooking the lake, the lights of the Y&B Club twinkling gently before us, and reflect on our day. One of our thoughts is along the lines that, if we had an Anthem anything like God Bless The USA! our national pride would double in an instant! We try to compose an alternative, but end up with a light, but patronising and probably insulting ditty about how the rest of the world are basically our colonies! This causes us to dissolve into fits of laughter, and verse two goes on to describe how Scott and Mike are found in a WDW lake wearing concrete boots!
We wander back to the lobby and catch a chequer cab back to the Best Western, arriving about 12:15. It costs $8.75 + tip, so he gets $11.( I remembered to try Peter Kay on the driver but he was a bit uncommunicative!)
Shattered! Goodnight!
Mike
(Tomorrow: transfer to Royal Pacific Resort, Universal Orlando, and LOADS of FOTL!)
