Day 8 - TSM bests Le Cellier in Disney Contest!
According to my original plan made months ago, today was to be my rope drop Epcot day, with lunch at Le Cellier set for noon. I figured by then I would have conquered Future World and need to take a break before moving on to WS. Today the true depths of my TSM depravity were revealed. I wanted to go back to the Studios for an early morning round of TSM to get in as many rides as possible during this advantageously slow time and this looked like the best morning to fit in this activity. I also found the idea of Epcot a little daunting in the heat. It seemed like a looooooong walk through highly cemented unshaded areas to get anywhere, and the Studios seemed more manageable. Once I had showered and had some coffee I decided to commit to the Studios and canceled my Le Cellier reservation. The CM I talked to could hardly believe it. I hope I made some weary travelers in search of lunch extremely happy.
After strawberries, watermelon and coffee I walked out to the beach to enjoy the early morning light. The Tokelau longhouse was a sweet spot. The stairwell end on the lagoon side afforded great views of the Magic Kingdom the moment I stepped outside and the walk to anywhere down the beach screamed “I’m on vacation!!!!”
The Polynesian God of laughing until you pee in your pants.
As I walked to my car the monorail was coursing around the beam, carrying happy dreamers to character breakfasts and the opening of the MK day. I walked in from the HS parking lot in time for a short wait at the turnstiles and then a hold at the rope for the Streetmospherists to open the park.
Then it was the as fast as we all could walk without actually not being walking anymore trip to TSM. I secured a FP first then walked through the standby line. I took more pictures in the happy childhood setting, had more fun shooting and laughing and twirling from game to game to the cheerful music and ended up being able to ride four or five times before the line got unmanageable. Once I was sent in through the accessible queue so got to see another perspective on the set.
I picked up another FP and then headed out into the rest of the park.
Minnie and Daisy were having a meet and greet by the hat and I joined the short line for a photo with two of the leading ladies of the World. I had on the shirt I had made with the cutest picture in the world of me and Minnie from another trip and Minnie made a huge fuss about it. Then the photographers got into it and had us recreate the pose on the shirt. I suppose now I’ll have to get another shirt made with this photo of us with the original photo and then find Minnie on the next trip, eventually layering us into infinity and beyond! Wait, that’s somebody else’s movie...
After the love your outfit fest with Minnie and Daisy I walked past the Chinese Theater and the Commissary toward Star Tours and the Muppets. As I passed the Sci Fi Dine In I realized I was more than ready for lunch.
I had a couple of truly lousy lunches here before giving up on it in the distant past, so I hadn’t been here for some years. I had heard there were some menu updates so I stopped and checked it out, thinking it might be time to give it another chance. They could seat me right away, and there was a pasta dish that caught my eye, so I waited for a few minutes in the lobby and then followed my roller skating host to my car. I wish we could all have roller skates here too! I would even eat bad food if I got to skate.
I was seated near the back of the theater in the back of a car which had a family already launched on lunch in the front seats. I was already committed to the pasta dish, but was toying with the idea of some onion rings. The serving seemed a little expensive so I asked my server how large of a side it was. I decided to indulge in a chocolate milkshake instead of the rings so I was surprised when not long after I ordered my server came by with a little complimentary mini order complete with blue cheese dipping sauce. Glorious, wonderful CM! They were fine onion rings, but I must confess I’ve never met an onion ring I didn’t like. I enjoyed the kitschy drive-in setting with the candy colored cars and movie posters on the faux fence around the perimeter. The shorts, cartoons and previews took us all on a tour of B-movies and the fifties view of the future as I nibbled my rings and sipped my shake.
My pasta arrived and was leaps and bounds better than anything I’d had here before. There are no pictures as there wasn’t enough light to do much without the flash and I didn’t want to impose a food porn shoot on the other people in my car. The bow tie pasta with shrimp, feta cheese, artichoke hearts, spinach, capers and sun dried tomatoes was flavorful with a nice tang from the capers which complemented the sharp cheese and sweet tomatoes. I watched the whole run of the show and then headed back out into the heat of the day. Since I was right at Star Tours I caught a star speeder for some intergalactic adventures and then crossed back over the park to use my FP for TSM. It was hot hot hot by then so I headed out of the park, stopping for some photopass fun on the way, then headed out to pick up a few things at the drugstore.
DTD was on my way back to the resort, so I stopped to stock up on rice crispy treats and pretzel rods all glammed up with chocolate, M&Ms and Peanut Butter Cups. The pretzel rods are my new favorite treat and I planned to have enough to enjoy them little by little until my December trip rolled around.
I walked through the World of Disney and took time to look up and appreciate the character set pieces, and cruised the big Pin Traders shop despite Donald’s intimidating stance.
I drove my chocolate treasures back to the hotel and walked through the gardens back to my room. It was pool time again!
I packed a beach bag, helped myself to generous servings of SPF 60 sunscreen and headed off to the beach and pool. I called about the bounceback offer for free dining from my lounge chair. Free dining doesn’t make as much sense for me as for some people since I eat a lot of 2 table service dinners but at least I had some numbers to consider. I had a few delightful hours sunning, swimming, and floating blissfully on some swim noodles thoughtfully provided by the lifeguards. The arrival of a sudden downpour was good cause to run into Captain Cook’s and order a snack. I got the kid’s meal grilled cheese with pudding, carrots and water. By the time my food was ready, the rain had stopped as suddenly as it had started so I went back out to the beach and enjoyed my little meal al fresco. The grilled cheese was plain old grilled cheese which was exactly what I wanted. The pudding was chocolately and cool but the carrots had seen better days. I wanted to keep the Mickey head meal container but I made myself throw it away. I took one final swim and slide down the big slide as time rolled around to go get ready for my final
MNSSHP.
