TLinden16
Scotty and Ray at Jelly Rolls are the best!
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2002
- Messages
- 16,243
Day 2--Friday, January 27, 2006
After just a couple of hours of sleep, I was up and eager to get a start to my day. I was so excited to be walking up at Walt Disney World on my actual birthday!
And then it hit me. A migraine headache. Not what I was looking forward to or expecting on my birthday. I had a busy day planned, and a migraine did not fit into those plans. I stayed in bed a little longer, and it felt a bit better, so I decided I would go out in search of some good breakfast.
As I started to walk over to Spoodles for breakfast, I hit a wet spot on the Boardwalk, and my Crocs slip-slided from under me. And I went down on the Boardwalk, scraping and bruising my knee pretty badly. Happy Birthday to me! Ugh.
But I got up, and continued walking to Spoodles. I was seated right away, and ordered a breakfast platter, which featured scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, french toast, and home fries. I knew I needed a relatively decent meal because of my headache. But I didnt have much of an appetite, so I only ate a small portion of it. But what I ate was excellent. I dont usually eat big breakfasts, but the breakfast at Spoodles is fantastic, and an excellent value.
After breakfast, I tried to reach Starrin, a DISer I had invited to join me to ride on Expedition Everest. We had plans to meet at 9:00, but I was hoping to reschedule because of my headache--I just couldnt get on a bus that morning. I left him a message, hoping I would be able to reach him before they headed over to the Animal Kingdom.
It was a little chilly this morning, and I was wearing jeans. Now, when I travel, I often bring old clothes with me and just throw them out when Im down there to free up some room for souvenirs on the trip home. I was wearing a pair of worn jeans with a hole in them. The hole went from pretty small to very big, and I knew I wouldnt want to wear them all day. When I got to the room, I took of the jeans, and folded them and put them back in my suitcase. I grabbed my good jeans from my suitcase and got ready to put them on, and realized I had grabbed my denim shorts by mistake (now remember, I had a migraine headache, and migraines make me a bit of an airhead). So I go back to the suitcase, and grab my good jeans, and put them on.
I then brush my teeth, close up my suitcase, and walk over to the Dolphin, where I will be staying for the remainder of my trip. My room was ready when I arrived, so I brought my bags up to the room. Starrin called me back, and I plopped down in a chair. As I plopped, I felt my jeans rip! I couldnt believe it! I brought two pairs of jeans with me, and they were both ripped! My migraine brain was thinking, What am I going to do? Its chilly. My jeans are ripped. And worse, I have to travel back up North in two days to weather that is a lot colder. I cant do that in shorts!
After rescheduling with Starrin, I opened my suitcase, and figured Id change into shorts since I couldnt walk around Disney World wearing ripped jeans! And then I realized what I had done. When I went back into my suitcase after mistakenly grabbing the shorts, I mistakenly grabbed the bad jeans out of the suitcase and put them back on! I told you that migraines turn me into an airhead!
After resting a bit longer, the headache seemed a lot better, so I decided to walk down to Disney/MGM Studios, and testing my head on the Tower of Terror and the Rock N Roller Coaster. Normally Id each of them several times, but considering I woke up with a nasty headache, I figured once each would have to be enough for the day. The walk in the fresh air worked wonders, and my headache was gone by the time I arrived at Diseny/MGM Studios (it lasted three hours, just like my doctors warned me they would).
I grabbed a birthday pin at the Studios. I told the cast member how I have seen many people over the years wearing them, and I try to wish them a Happy Birthday when I see them. Now, it was my turn to wear a birthday pin, and I did get many Happy Birthdays from cast members and guests.
I grabbed a fast pass for the Tower of Terror, and went on the Rock N Roller Coaster. I decided that the Rock N Roller coaster would be a better ride to test my head on than the Tower of Terror. It was a good ride, and my head made it through just fine. I was tempted to ride again, as there was only a few minutes wait, but decided I didnt want to push it. I then went and road on the Tower of Terror. The cast member noticed my birthday pin, and before the elevator doors shut, she made everyone say Happy Birthday to me.
After the Tower of Terror, I headed out of MGM with plans to head over to the Magic Kingdom to try to continue my thrill ride marathon. By the time I arrived at the Magic Kingdom, the line for Space Mountain was 50 minutes, and the fast pass return time was too late for me. So I grabbed a spicy cheese pretzel, and started to walk towards Thunder Mountain.
As I walked, I heard someone call my name, and saw my new friends from Atlanta that I had met on the bus. I had run into them the night before as well. They were laughing because I had told them I would run into them. The kids seemed to be having a great time, and their parents were excitedly telling me how much they had done that morning!
I then made my way over to Thunder Mountain. Along the way, I stopped to watch the workers work on Splash Mountain. It was interesting seeing the logs in the ride without any water. I changed my mind about riding Thunder Mountain, and wound up leaving the park to head to the Polynesian to have lunch at Kona. The boat was just getting ready to leave, so I hopped on it for the ride to the Poly.
I was seated right away, and got several Happy Birthdays! I ordered some sticky wings and a beef teriyaki salad. The sticky wings were very tasty--I usually prefer boneless chicken wings, but I love the wings at Kona (and the ones at Ohana too). Remember how much I enjoyed having lunch here with my DIS friend Goofy4Tink in December, I set aside a couple of wings in her honor. The beef teriyaki salad was excellent as well. The beef was tender and flavorful, and the dressing was excellent.
At the end of my meal, the server brought me a koko puff on a plate that said Happy Birthday in chocolate. She even sang Happy Birthday to me! I had been too full to get a full dessert, but one koko puff was just enough.
After lunch, I took a bus over to the Animal Kingdom. Scotty called and told me hed be at the Animal Kingdom in about a half hour, and we agreed to meet near the Tree of Life. I walked around a bit, and located the entrance to the area of the park where Expedition Everest was so I would know where I was going when Scotty arrived. I then walked back towards the Tree of Life, and sat down on a bench. A really nice couple from Naples, Florida sat down next to me, and I enjoyed talking to them about Expedition Everest and the park.
Actually, they told me a funny story. The husband was 16 when the Magic Kingdom opened, and him and his friend went to the park for opening day. Mickey was marching down Main Street leading a parade, and the husbands friend started running to Mickey, screaming, I love you Mickey. The security guards quickly grabbed the kid, and took him into the utilidors. The husband finally found his friend and they left the park. I guess they had a memorable opening day.
I spotted Scotty walking by, and called his name. I said good by to the couple I had been chatting at and walked over to Scotty. He asked me who I was talking too, and I told him, Random strangers. He just started laughing.
As we walked towards Expedition Everest, I heard someone call my name. It was my DIS friend KarenNY! I knew she was coming, and was hoping I would run into her. I introduced her to Scotty, and she made me laugh when she said to Scotty, I didnt realize how tall you are. I guess Ive only seen you sitting at a piano. Scotty is 64 tall, and Karen is about 28, so he really does tower of her. (OK, so Karen is really taller than 28, but Im taking some poetic license here--Im allowed, it was my birthday).
KarenNY told me she was with SueEllen and her adorable son, and my DIS friends from back home, MackeyMouse and her DH, and Zarr aka Joe. It was so nice to run into so many of my DIS friends, and to chat with them for a few minutes. And SueEllens little boy is just the cutest little thing, and I always enjoy seeing him. We chatted for a few minutes about Everest and Jellyrolls, but Scotty and I were eager to get to Expedition Everest so we said our good byes pretty quickly.
Scotty and I then walked over to Expedition Everest, and got in line. There was only about a 20 minute wait. As we were waiting, Scotty asked me if I planned to ride it more than once, and I told him that the first time doesnt count because you are just taking it all in. He was glad I said that because he was thinking the same thing.
Scotty and I rode on Expedition Everest three times, and we both loved it. It was very exciting and pretty intense for a coaster with no big steep drops or inversions. We road in the second row, the second last row, and the middle row, and we both agreed that the ride was better from near the front or the near the back of the coaster vehicle. The ride in the middle was a bit less intense.
Now, Im going to go into some great detail about Expedition Everest here, so if you do not want to read about it, please do not read the section between the stars:
*********************************************************
The queue line for Expedition Everest was very interest. It was neat to take a look at all of the Everest related pictures and artifacts while we walked through the line. I continue to be amazed by the attention to detail that Disney puts into every aspect of the attractions. Scotty and I were really just soaking everything--we were both pretty amazed by the detail of the queue area.
When we arrived on the platform, we were sent to a row in the middle of the coaster. I was surprised by the roominess of the seats. Sometimes the ride vehicles can be a bit squishy, but there was plenty of space, and there was plenty of leg room for a tall guy like Scotty. There was a small black pouch at each seat to store small bags, hats, glasses, and any other lose items. Larger bags would have to be kept at your feet, but there was plenty of room if you had to have a backpack at your feet.
The ride brings you to a small drop almost immediately, and the vehicles pick up some pretty decent speed. There is a wide turn to the left as you get ready to head to the lift to take you up the mountain. Be sure to look to your left and right as you are going up the mountain. The view is amazing. To your left you can see Epcot, MGM, and some of the resorts. To your right, you can see the Tree of Life. Its really amazing. Just as a side note, the view from the front row the first time they stop you is amazing. I wish I had my camera out when I rode in the front.
Once you are at the top of the incline, you go down a bit to pick up some speed and go barreling through a misty tunnel towards a broken track. And your vehicle stops for a few seconds. A bird flies from beside the mountain to the left.
And then, your vehicle starts going backwards, and you speed back through the misty tunnel and into a second, dark tunnel. Youre not quite sure where you or going or when it will stop. As you are going backwards, you almost sense you will do a loop when your vehicle stops again, and you are met by the shadow of screeching Yeti. He growls at you for several seconds before your vehicle starts speeding forward, twisting, turning, and falling. You suddenly encounter the enormous Yeti, and he growls as he swings his fist at you and you go hurtling down a final drop.
Overall, I loved the ride. It was very exciting. The special effects were fantastic, and the detail on the mountain and in the queue was amazing. It was interesting to be in the front and notice the tracks turn over between the transition from backwards to forwards motion.
*********************************************************
One thing Ill say about Expedition Everest is that it will make the Animal Kingdom a park I will visit on every trip, rather than just a once in a while thing for me. Im not an animal person, so I never spend more than a half day of a trip at the Animal Kingdom. That will change with Expedition Everest.
After riding Expedition Everest, Scotty and I started walking out of the park. We stopped a nice woman and asked her to take a picture in front of the mountain. We continued to walk and found another spot to take a picture. As we looked around for someone to take a picture, we spotted the woman who had taken our picture before. Scotty asked her to take another picture of as, as she had done such a great job before. We joked that we were going to follow her around and have her take our picture. She laughed and told us she was heading over to MGM.
Scotty and I said goodbye at the buses, and both of us were grateful for the unexpected afternoon we got to spend together.
I then took a bus back to the Dolphin. I stopped by my room for a bit, and headed over to Epcot to grab some dinner at LeCellier. I was still somewhat full from lunch, but the lure of cheddar cheese soup was too much to keep me from skipping my reservation for LeCellier. I was seated pretty quickly, and ordered cheddar cheese soup, and the petite filet mignon in a maple barbecue glaze. I had just a little bit of pretzel bread to dip into my cheddar cheese soup, which was as delicious as always. The filet was very tender, but not as flavorful as it has been in the past--they didnt put very much glaze on it I guess. The mashed potatoes were awesome. I was too full for desert, but my server brought me a small serving of chocolate mousse in a dark chocolate cup with a strawberry and blueberry. The mousse was delicious, very rich and creamy.
After dinner, I walked to the monorail. One had just left, so I asked if I could wait for the front row (it was my birthday--I deserved it). I road in the front with a really nice family of three from New Jersey who were on a Make A Wish trip. I enjoyed listening to the little boy talk excitedly about his trip, and the mom and dad were very impressed by the Give A Kid the World Complex (I hope I got the name right). She said that everyone from the complex, and at Disney treated them like gold all week, and they had a very special and memorable trip.
Once we arrived at the Ticket and Transportation Center, I said goodbye to the family, and headed to catch the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. I stopped at the Virtual Magic Kingdom shop to log on to buy some of the items that came out that day, and say hello to some of my VMK friends.
As it got close to the time for Wishes, I started to walk up Main Street to find a spot to watch from. I ran into three really nice cast members, who wished me a Happy Birthday. One of them told me that I had a phone call waiting for me, so we went to a store, where I got a phone call from Goofy wishing me a Happy Birthday--he even sang to me.
I then went to watch Wishes. I really love this show, and happily sang along to all of the songs. After the fireworks, I joined the maddening crowded exiting the park. I hopped on the ferry boat to the Ticket and Transportation Center. As I boarded the boat, the driver sitting in the booth on the second level spotted my birthday pin and wished me a happy birthday over the loud speaker.
When the ferry arrived at the Ticket and Transportation Center, I couldnt help but laugh at the people running for the trams and the monorail to Epcot. I walked to the Epcot monorail, and got on the same monorail the runners got on.
When I arrived at Epcot, I road on Spaceship Earth, and then headed over to the Land to meet up with TravelinTigger and PandyPaws. We were hoping to ride Soarin but the line was ridiculously long, so we skipped it. We got drinks and food at the food court, and chatted for a while.
We then headed over to the World Showcase, where we road the boat rides in Mexico and Norway. I have to say that Extra Magic Hours at Epcot just dont seem to work that well when one of the major attractions is closed. We never went over to Mission: Space and Test Track was closed, but the line for Soarin was ridiculous.
We then headed out of the park. Travelin Tigger and PandyPaws decided to head over to Jellyrolls, but I was pretty tired from my very busy day (and Scotty wasnt playing), so I decided to head back to the room and go to sleep. Yes, you read that right--I skipped going to Jellyrolls on my birthday. But I knew my beloved Ray and Scotty would be working the next night, and I would have more fun if I waited until then to go.
After just a couple of hours of sleep, I was up and eager to get a start to my day. I was so excited to be walking up at Walt Disney World on my actual birthday!
And then it hit me. A migraine headache. Not what I was looking forward to or expecting on my birthday. I had a busy day planned, and a migraine did not fit into those plans. I stayed in bed a little longer, and it felt a bit better, so I decided I would go out in search of some good breakfast.
As I started to walk over to Spoodles for breakfast, I hit a wet spot on the Boardwalk, and my Crocs slip-slided from under me. And I went down on the Boardwalk, scraping and bruising my knee pretty badly. Happy Birthday to me! Ugh.
But I got up, and continued walking to Spoodles. I was seated right away, and ordered a breakfast platter, which featured scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, french toast, and home fries. I knew I needed a relatively decent meal because of my headache. But I didnt have much of an appetite, so I only ate a small portion of it. But what I ate was excellent. I dont usually eat big breakfasts, but the breakfast at Spoodles is fantastic, and an excellent value.
After breakfast, I tried to reach Starrin, a DISer I had invited to join me to ride on Expedition Everest. We had plans to meet at 9:00, but I was hoping to reschedule because of my headache--I just couldnt get on a bus that morning. I left him a message, hoping I would be able to reach him before they headed over to the Animal Kingdom.
It was a little chilly this morning, and I was wearing jeans. Now, when I travel, I often bring old clothes with me and just throw them out when Im down there to free up some room for souvenirs on the trip home. I was wearing a pair of worn jeans with a hole in them. The hole went from pretty small to very big, and I knew I wouldnt want to wear them all day. When I got to the room, I took of the jeans, and folded them and put them back in my suitcase. I grabbed my good jeans from my suitcase and got ready to put them on, and realized I had grabbed my denim shorts by mistake (now remember, I had a migraine headache, and migraines make me a bit of an airhead). So I go back to the suitcase, and grab my good jeans, and put them on.
I then brush my teeth, close up my suitcase, and walk over to the Dolphin, where I will be staying for the remainder of my trip. My room was ready when I arrived, so I brought my bags up to the room. Starrin called me back, and I plopped down in a chair. As I plopped, I felt my jeans rip! I couldnt believe it! I brought two pairs of jeans with me, and they were both ripped! My migraine brain was thinking, What am I going to do? Its chilly. My jeans are ripped. And worse, I have to travel back up North in two days to weather that is a lot colder. I cant do that in shorts!
After rescheduling with Starrin, I opened my suitcase, and figured Id change into shorts since I couldnt walk around Disney World wearing ripped jeans! And then I realized what I had done. When I went back into my suitcase after mistakenly grabbing the shorts, I mistakenly grabbed the bad jeans out of the suitcase and put them back on! I told you that migraines turn me into an airhead!
After resting a bit longer, the headache seemed a lot better, so I decided to walk down to Disney/MGM Studios, and testing my head on the Tower of Terror and the Rock N Roller Coaster. Normally Id each of them several times, but considering I woke up with a nasty headache, I figured once each would have to be enough for the day. The walk in the fresh air worked wonders, and my headache was gone by the time I arrived at Diseny/MGM Studios (it lasted three hours, just like my doctors warned me they would).
I grabbed a birthday pin at the Studios. I told the cast member how I have seen many people over the years wearing them, and I try to wish them a Happy Birthday when I see them. Now, it was my turn to wear a birthday pin, and I did get many Happy Birthdays from cast members and guests.
I grabbed a fast pass for the Tower of Terror, and went on the Rock N Roller Coaster. I decided that the Rock N Roller coaster would be a better ride to test my head on than the Tower of Terror. It was a good ride, and my head made it through just fine. I was tempted to ride again, as there was only a few minutes wait, but decided I didnt want to push it. I then went and road on the Tower of Terror. The cast member noticed my birthday pin, and before the elevator doors shut, she made everyone say Happy Birthday to me.
After the Tower of Terror, I headed out of MGM with plans to head over to the Magic Kingdom to try to continue my thrill ride marathon. By the time I arrived at the Magic Kingdom, the line for Space Mountain was 50 minutes, and the fast pass return time was too late for me. So I grabbed a spicy cheese pretzel, and started to walk towards Thunder Mountain.
As I walked, I heard someone call my name, and saw my new friends from Atlanta that I had met on the bus. I had run into them the night before as well. They were laughing because I had told them I would run into them. The kids seemed to be having a great time, and their parents were excitedly telling me how much they had done that morning!
I then made my way over to Thunder Mountain. Along the way, I stopped to watch the workers work on Splash Mountain. It was interesting seeing the logs in the ride without any water. I changed my mind about riding Thunder Mountain, and wound up leaving the park to head to the Polynesian to have lunch at Kona. The boat was just getting ready to leave, so I hopped on it for the ride to the Poly.
I was seated right away, and got several Happy Birthdays! I ordered some sticky wings and a beef teriyaki salad. The sticky wings were very tasty--I usually prefer boneless chicken wings, but I love the wings at Kona (and the ones at Ohana too). Remember how much I enjoyed having lunch here with my DIS friend Goofy4Tink in December, I set aside a couple of wings in her honor. The beef teriyaki salad was excellent as well. The beef was tender and flavorful, and the dressing was excellent.
At the end of my meal, the server brought me a koko puff on a plate that said Happy Birthday in chocolate. She even sang Happy Birthday to me! I had been too full to get a full dessert, but one koko puff was just enough.
After lunch, I took a bus over to the Animal Kingdom. Scotty called and told me hed be at the Animal Kingdom in about a half hour, and we agreed to meet near the Tree of Life. I walked around a bit, and located the entrance to the area of the park where Expedition Everest was so I would know where I was going when Scotty arrived. I then walked back towards the Tree of Life, and sat down on a bench. A really nice couple from Naples, Florida sat down next to me, and I enjoyed talking to them about Expedition Everest and the park.
Actually, they told me a funny story. The husband was 16 when the Magic Kingdom opened, and him and his friend went to the park for opening day. Mickey was marching down Main Street leading a parade, and the husbands friend started running to Mickey, screaming, I love you Mickey. The security guards quickly grabbed the kid, and took him into the utilidors. The husband finally found his friend and they left the park. I guess they had a memorable opening day.
I spotted Scotty walking by, and called his name. I said good by to the couple I had been chatting at and walked over to Scotty. He asked me who I was talking too, and I told him, Random strangers. He just started laughing.
As we walked towards Expedition Everest, I heard someone call my name. It was my DIS friend KarenNY! I knew she was coming, and was hoping I would run into her. I introduced her to Scotty, and she made me laugh when she said to Scotty, I didnt realize how tall you are. I guess Ive only seen you sitting at a piano. Scotty is 64 tall, and Karen is about 28, so he really does tower of her. (OK, so Karen is really taller than 28, but Im taking some poetic license here--Im allowed, it was my birthday).
KarenNY told me she was with SueEllen and her adorable son, and my DIS friends from back home, MackeyMouse and her DH, and Zarr aka Joe. It was so nice to run into so many of my DIS friends, and to chat with them for a few minutes. And SueEllens little boy is just the cutest little thing, and I always enjoy seeing him. We chatted for a few minutes about Everest and Jellyrolls, but Scotty and I were eager to get to Expedition Everest so we said our good byes pretty quickly.
Scotty and I then walked over to Expedition Everest, and got in line. There was only about a 20 minute wait. As we were waiting, Scotty asked me if I planned to ride it more than once, and I told him that the first time doesnt count because you are just taking it all in. He was glad I said that because he was thinking the same thing.
Scotty and I rode on Expedition Everest three times, and we both loved it. It was very exciting and pretty intense for a coaster with no big steep drops or inversions. We road in the second row, the second last row, and the middle row, and we both agreed that the ride was better from near the front or the near the back of the coaster vehicle. The ride in the middle was a bit less intense.
Now, Im going to go into some great detail about Expedition Everest here, so if you do not want to read about it, please do not read the section between the stars:
*********************************************************
The queue line for Expedition Everest was very interest. It was neat to take a look at all of the Everest related pictures and artifacts while we walked through the line. I continue to be amazed by the attention to detail that Disney puts into every aspect of the attractions. Scotty and I were really just soaking everything--we were both pretty amazed by the detail of the queue area.
When we arrived on the platform, we were sent to a row in the middle of the coaster. I was surprised by the roominess of the seats. Sometimes the ride vehicles can be a bit squishy, but there was plenty of space, and there was plenty of leg room for a tall guy like Scotty. There was a small black pouch at each seat to store small bags, hats, glasses, and any other lose items. Larger bags would have to be kept at your feet, but there was plenty of room if you had to have a backpack at your feet.
The ride brings you to a small drop almost immediately, and the vehicles pick up some pretty decent speed. There is a wide turn to the left as you get ready to head to the lift to take you up the mountain. Be sure to look to your left and right as you are going up the mountain. The view is amazing. To your left you can see Epcot, MGM, and some of the resorts. To your right, you can see the Tree of Life. Its really amazing. Just as a side note, the view from the front row the first time they stop you is amazing. I wish I had my camera out when I rode in the front.
Once you are at the top of the incline, you go down a bit to pick up some speed and go barreling through a misty tunnel towards a broken track. And your vehicle stops for a few seconds. A bird flies from beside the mountain to the left.
And then, your vehicle starts going backwards, and you speed back through the misty tunnel and into a second, dark tunnel. Youre not quite sure where you or going or when it will stop. As you are going backwards, you almost sense you will do a loop when your vehicle stops again, and you are met by the shadow of screeching Yeti. He growls at you for several seconds before your vehicle starts speeding forward, twisting, turning, and falling. You suddenly encounter the enormous Yeti, and he growls as he swings his fist at you and you go hurtling down a final drop.
Overall, I loved the ride. It was very exciting. The special effects were fantastic, and the detail on the mountain and in the queue was amazing. It was interesting to be in the front and notice the tracks turn over between the transition from backwards to forwards motion.
*********************************************************
One thing Ill say about Expedition Everest is that it will make the Animal Kingdom a park I will visit on every trip, rather than just a once in a while thing for me. Im not an animal person, so I never spend more than a half day of a trip at the Animal Kingdom. That will change with Expedition Everest.
After riding Expedition Everest, Scotty and I started walking out of the park. We stopped a nice woman and asked her to take a picture in front of the mountain. We continued to walk and found another spot to take a picture. As we looked around for someone to take a picture, we spotted the woman who had taken our picture before. Scotty asked her to take another picture of as, as she had done such a great job before. We joked that we were going to follow her around and have her take our picture. She laughed and told us she was heading over to MGM.
Scotty and I said goodbye at the buses, and both of us were grateful for the unexpected afternoon we got to spend together.
I then took a bus back to the Dolphin. I stopped by my room for a bit, and headed over to Epcot to grab some dinner at LeCellier. I was still somewhat full from lunch, but the lure of cheddar cheese soup was too much to keep me from skipping my reservation for LeCellier. I was seated pretty quickly, and ordered cheddar cheese soup, and the petite filet mignon in a maple barbecue glaze. I had just a little bit of pretzel bread to dip into my cheddar cheese soup, which was as delicious as always. The filet was very tender, but not as flavorful as it has been in the past--they didnt put very much glaze on it I guess. The mashed potatoes were awesome. I was too full for desert, but my server brought me a small serving of chocolate mousse in a dark chocolate cup with a strawberry and blueberry. The mousse was delicious, very rich and creamy.
After dinner, I walked to the monorail. One had just left, so I asked if I could wait for the front row (it was my birthday--I deserved it). I road in the front with a really nice family of three from New Jersey who were on a Make A Wish trip. I enjoyed listening to the little boy talk excitedly about his trip, and the mom and dad were very impressed by the Give A Kid the World Complex (I hope I got the name right). She said that everyone from the complex, and at Disney treated them like gold all week, and they had a very special and memorable trip.
Once we arrived at the Ticket and Transportation Center, I said goodbye to the family, and headed to catch the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. I stopped at the Virtual Magic Kingdom shop to log on to buy some of the items that came out that day, and say hello to some of my VMK friends.
As it got close to the time for Wishes, I started to walk up Main Street to find a spot to watch from. I ran into three really nice cast members, who wished me a Happy Birthday. One of them told me that I had a phone call waiting for me, so we went to a store, where I got a phone call from Goofy wishing me a Happy Birthday--he even sang to me.
I then went to watch Wishes. I really love this show, and happily sang along to all of the songs. After the fireworks, I joined the maddening crowded exiting the park. I hopped on the ferry boat to the Ticket and Transportation Center. As I boarded the boat, the driver sitting in the booth on the second level spotted my birthday pin and wished me a happy birthday over the loud speaker.
When the ferry arrived at the Ticket and Transportation Center, I couldnt help but laugh at the people running for the trams and the monorail to Epcot. I walked to the Epcot monorail, and got on the same monorail the runners got on.
When I arrived at Epcot, I road on Spaceship Earth, and then headed over to the Land to meet up with TravelinTigger and PandyPaws. We were hoping to ride Soarin but the line was ridiculously long, so we skipped it. We got drinks and food at the food court, and chatted for a while.
We then headed over to the World Showcase, where we road the boat rides in Mexico and Norway. I have to say that Extra Magic Hours at Epcot just dont seem to work that well when one of the major attractions is closed. We never went over to Mission: Space and Test Track was closed, but the line for Soarin was ridiculous.
We then headed out of the park. Travelin Tigger and PandyPaws decided to head over to Jellyrolls, but I was pretty tired from my very busy day (and Scotty wasnt playing), so I decided to head back to the room and go to sleep. Yes, you read that right--I skipped going to Jellyrolls on my birthday. But I knew my beloved Ray and Scotty would be working the next night, and I would have more fun if I waited until then to go.
