Mike and Suzy's Honeymoon at Disney World

[DisneyJo]

Had to come and read your TR after reading your hilarious food review and this is even more hilarious, I love your writing style

 

[DISNEYmooner2008]

Joining in on the fun!! We also honeymooned at Disney and had a great time!

 

[Momof2princess]

As always great installment

Keep them coming.

 

[krismom]

Congratulations and great report! I'm off to find the dining one now...

 

[hjohnson6]

Great trip report! I can't wait for the rest of the installments.

 

[MikeR]

The next day Mike and Suzy went to the Magic Kingdom for the “Keys to the Kingdom” tour – a long backstage tour on just how the Magic Kingdom operates. As Suzy is an engineer, Mike thought she might find it interesting. Here she is waiting for the guided tour to start:

After the standard sit-around-and-wait-and-people-watch-while-other-people-are-people-watching-you, the tour group congealed like Jell-O in a luke warm fridge and a dozen or so tourists headed down Main Street, listening to a guide explain how the magic came about i.e., how Disney removes its garbage without any guests seeing it (pneumatic tubes);

The guide was . . . not that good to tell the truth. In theory a backstage tour of the Magic Kingdom could be a lot of fun, but it really depends on who your guide is. To make it interesting you need a guide who is lively, can tell interesting stories in an entertaining manner, and can shepherd crowds like a border collie. Mike and Suzy’s guy just wasn’t up to snuff. He pointed out some interesting things, like the meaning behind the names on the shop windows;

But he didn’t have a very exciting or lively personality, and that really makes or breaks these things. There were some fun parts of the tour, such as when they went backstage and got to see the actors preparing to go out and perform “Woodies Round-Up.” They really have to work out and stretch because it’s a rather physically demanding job;

After taking a backstage tour through the Jungle Cruise, Mike and Suzy, as part of their “Keys to the Kingdom Tour” got a “free” lunch at the Harbor House;

The sandwich was, and everyone say this with me, just a sandwich. Like any you could get in a million other places. Mike and Suzy split it because they wanted to have an empty stomach for their big meal that night;

Suzy also got a salad which was shockingly, just a salad;

The food was so-so, and at this point Mike and Suzy decided to just give up on the tour. It wasn’t worth there time, so they made some polite excuse to the tour guide, and wrote the whole thing off as a bust;

Looking for things to do, the duo decided to check out the Enchanted Tiki-Tiki-Tiki Room, where the bird sing songs and the flowers croon. Neither Mike nor Suzy have adult memories of the original Tiki Room, so they can’t comment on the changes, but it was a quick entrance and an amusing few minutes of fun;

Afterwards the couple was _tired_. They had been zooming all over the place for a solid week at this point, and did not get a good nights rest the night before. So when they hopped on the boat ride that they thought was going to take them to Tom Sawyer Island but instead just floated them around the park in a very lazy manner, Suzy fell asleep for a bit;

After she woke up, Mike took her to that most exciting of all Disney rides, the Hall of Presidents;

Back in the day, the line for the Hall of Presidents used to be as long as Space Mountain is today, but Mike and Suzy just walked in. Despite the dated animatronics it is still a hoot for a history buff to see those fellows get up and talk;

 

[MikeR]

Continuing the trend of nonstop, don't-wanna-miss action blowout fun Mike and Suzy went to the Swiss Family Robinson Tree house;

When Mike was a kid he used to wish that he was shipwrecked. Now as an adult he wishes he was shipwrecked . . . on an island with a nice hotel and good wi-fi;

When Mike was a young tike he went with his friend Zach to Disneyland. They were having a Sword in he Stone celebration and were asking for volunteers to try and remove the sword. Mike, trying to be a good boy, oh-so-patiently and politely raised his hand and kept quite. Zach on the other hand, jumped up and down and yelled, “Pick me! Pick me!” They picked Zach and Zach got to be “King of Disneyland” for the day. Seriously. The dude got his photo taken and everything and kept it in his room like a shrine for a decade. Not that Mike is bitter. So, when Mike saw the sword just sticking out, he had to give it a try to see if he could be King of Disney World

Ugh. It’s a tough sword;

Almost there;

So close . . . ;

One more yank:

Ah, forget it. That sword is not going anywhere. Mike decided to try something a little less intense, like going to Pooh’s House. Mike wasn’t really that into Pooh until he was a teacher in Japan for a few years. Pooh is HUGE in Japan, and his students fondness for the little bear rubbed off on Mike:

There was some very yummy honey to eat there too;

Since they visited Pooh’s house, it was only fair to check out Mickey’s House. It wasn’t as cool as Pooh’s Corner, because lets face it, Mickey just isn’t as interesting a character as Pooh. But one fun moment came when Mike and Suzy spotted some books in the far corner, but couldn’t read what the title was. Mike then used his new digital camera to take a picture, then zoomed in on that picture to read what the title was. Their grandkids will probably ask why they didn’t just use a holographic data collector, but for now Mike and Suzy still get a kick out of our clunky 2008 tech;

Speaking of clunky tech, it is doubtful that we will every romanticize our current technology like the way we have that of the steam age. Mike and Suzy caught the train back to the exit from the park and it was just as crowded as ever. There is just something that kids love about trains;

Even if those trains do prohibit people from doing any crazy dancing;

Mike and Suzy then went to a workout. Yes, really. They try to get regular workouts at home, and even though they had done a lot of walking, they had yet to really break a sweat on the trip so they used the spa at The Grand Floridian to get in a quick workout before dinner, all the better to spur their appetites;

Afterwards they showered and putt on their fancy clothes;

Because it was time for one of the highlights of their vacation, dinner with wine pairing at the Chef’s table at Victoria and Albert’s!;

 

[hjohnson6]

I am looking forward to hearing about Victoria and Albert's.

 

[DisneyJo]

What a shame about the tour and you not pulling the sword out

 

[pooh'smate]

Loving your tr so far. Can't wait to hear about V&A. Now I am off to find your food reveiw.

 

[OhMari]

I'm trying to decide if Victoria and Alberts is worth it, please come back and finish.

 

[MikeR]

Way back in the Honeymoon phase Mike did extensive research on what the happy couple would be doing in Disney World and in his reading he came across a little dive restaurant called Victoria and Albert’s. There was the regular V&A experience which merely required calling a mere three months ahead of time to get a reservation, or there was the insanely expensive Chef’s Table which could best be reserved by having signed letters of recommendations from the President, the Pope, and two of the top five Primordial Forces of the Universe. Without those one would have to do what Mike did, get your patootie up at 3:53 in the damn morning and push a zillion buttons to try and be the first caller of the day so that one could get the 1 (one) spot they had for that day.

The first day Mike tried this he didn’t get it.

The second day Mike tried to do this he still didn’t get it, although he got better at the button pushing.

Third day, ditto.

Fourth day, same.

Fifth day, same and he was getting really cranky at having to wake up so early. That night he said to Suzy that he wasn’t sure if he should continue trying or not, and maybe they could do something else. Suzy said that if Mike didn’t at least continue to _try_ he’d regret it. Maybe not that day, and maybe not the next, but come the vacation he’d wish he had tried one more day to get the reservation.

So Mike got his *** up one more time, and he got the reservation! Ah victory . . . thy name is reservation!

Now, Mike had long since ditched MickeyD’s as a choice of sustenance, and has been slowly developing a more complex and refined (I.E. expensive) pallet over the last two or three years, but he had never gone to a meal as extravagant as Victoria and Albert’s Chef’s Table with Wine paring..

As soon as you walk through the entrance to Victoria and Albert’s, you know you are in a classy joint. Another way you know that you are in a classy joint is that if you refer to it as “a classy joint” while there, then people will look at you as if you were something they scrapped off of their shoe;

The main chef was not in that day, so Mike and Suzy were shown around by the assistant chef. He was a nice guy and did a great job at explaining all the dishes and making the dining experience even more special;

First up was the bread and butter of the meal, literally;

The bread had the perfect mix of crunchy outer layer and soft inside while the butter was so rich and creamy that you wanted to go out personally thank the cow that produced it;

The first course was a selection of Amuse Bouche, Smoked Duck Under the Glass, Celery Breleee and Parsley Root, Deviled Quail Egg with Tsar Nicolai Caviar, with a wine paring of Heisieck Monopole ‘Blue Top” Brut Champagne NV;

Looking back on that dish the memory of how it tasted can best be brought forth by chanting nom-nom-nom-nom-nom-nom-nom-nom-nom-nom-nom-nom!

It was also pretty interesting to what the cooks making all the meals for ourselves and the other patrons. No on seemed to have any talented rats underneath their hats though;

 

[k_reile]

wow...it would be really cool to eat there...but I am soo picky that I do not think they would want to make me chicken fingers... so I guess V&A is out for DH and I. Our wallets will probably thank us

 

[MikeR]

Let us talk about wine for a bit;

One can buy a bottle of Two-Buck-Chuck and chug it out of an old jam jar while munching on a bugger from Fuddruckers and that is a “wine paring” only in the same sense that a chicken is a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

What Victoria and Albert’s does with matching wine with food is difficult to describe, which makes the job of describing it rather difficult (funny that). Each course is well-thought out and perfectly harmonized with a wine that compliments the dish while not overpowering it.

And really, what more could one want from a wine? Other than to get a good buzz going down, another thing which these wines excelled at by the way.

The dishes, like the Chorizo Crusted Gulf Shrimp with Garbanzo Beans, Albequina Olives and Banyuls Vinaigrette with wine paring of Cantina Del Taburno Falanghina, Campania 2005, are all fondly remembered in the abstract from this gastronomical vacation from a vacation;

Yet describing a meal that one had four months ago is rather difficult. Does the memory of taste really last in the same way that the memory of sight or sound does? Can you really recall a great meal in the same way you recall a great game you played in or a great concert you heard? Is it just that we are trained to remember our other senses more than taste, or is it some biological factor? If someone says that they had Monterey Abalone with toasted capers and mey lemon Alaskan stablefish with petite French lentils, winter corn and saffron foam with wine paring of Frank Family Vineyards Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2005;

Does that draw forth memories in the same way that describing a lone beach at midnight on a summer night in which a solitary owl can be heard hooting in the distance? And how many questions can a foodie post pose anyways?

But while the questions may stop coming the courses at V&A never seemed to. The waiters expertly delivered dish after dish to the happy couple;

Who ate them all with relish. A multi-course meal is very different from more traditional meals. The food arrives in a slow steady stream rather than in a giant log. This allows you more time to savor and enjoy the experience and talk between courses. Much like the exact taste of the food (other than “it was good”) the specifics of the conversation also remain out of reach, yet fondly remembered.

Both the Ballotine of Pulet Rouge with Chicken Consomme, Scottish Chanterelles and black truffles with wine paring of Pere Fils Christian Moreau Chablis 2004.

and the Kurobuta Pork Tenderloin and Belly with Banana Squash Ragout, 100 Year Balsamic with wine paring of Carol Shelton Rocky Reserve Zinfandel, Dry Crekk Valley 2004

made the mouth experience flavors that fail at being adequately being put into words.

Now the next dish may be a little controversial as it was Pan Roasted Foie Gras with Fuji Apples and Mostarda did Cremona with Royal Tokaji Azsu 5 Puttonyos, Mad Tokaj-Hegyalja 2003.

Now Mike had heard horror stories about how Foie Gras is made, but before he went to his honeymoon he actually saw a documentary on how the ducks are fed, and how the composition of their necks makes it so that it is not as uncomfortable for them to be fed in that manner as one might suppose.

And Foie Gras tastes sooooooooooooooo good. So very very good.

The tasting of the Japanese Wagyu Strip Loin and Australian “Kobe” Tenderloin with Oxtail Jus with wine paring of Beaulie Vineyard Tapestry Reserve, Napa 2004 went very well and the beef just melted in their mouths;

Mike had some small worry that the various meats would not mix well in the stomach, but this proved not to be a problem.

The Fourme D’Ambert Cheese and Fondue, 4 Year Aged Gouda and St. Marcellin was fantastically rich and succulent;

Suzy started to get a little chilly so she began bundling up before the chilly desert courses;

Which consisted of Wild Strawberry Sorbet, Mango-Yogurt Panna Cotta and Miniature Banana Gateau with wine paring of Paolo Saracco Moscato D’Asti, Piedmont 2006.

As well as the Tanzanian Chocolate Pyramid, Hawaiian Kona Chocolate Soufflé and Peruvian Chocolate Ice Cream and Puff Pastry

Which was followed by the exciting act of the “Celebes” Coffee brewing, a type of brewing the Suzy had never seen before and as an engineer she had lots of questions to ask about it;

For Mike it was enough that it produced a cup of coffee, and that was all he needed to know. He was not and is not a big coffee fan, but he drank most of his cup for the experience of it, and also because he could probably have used a caffeine jolt by then;

The two did drink a fair amount that night;



But Mike still had time to play with his camera settings;

As the night wore to a close the happy couple was presented with chocolate candy treats and a polite invitation to vacate the premises as they and one waiter were the only ones left, all other cooks and patrons having departed;

As Mike left the facilities he happened to notice a tray of booze just sitting in the hallway and also noticed the curious fact that no one else around. But he most certainly did not get a nightcap from it of Pearl Brandy before leaving. Because that would have been wrong;

Total cost for the nights dinner? A lot. The tip alone was more than Mike has often spent for a nice dinner and lets just leave it at that. Weeks later Mike would talk about the dinner with his Dad and not only was it the most expensive dinner Mike had ever had, but it was also more expensive than any dinner his Dad had had, and his Dad is not a poor man.

But was it worth it? On the whole, yes, in that it was their honeymoon and it was nice to get all dressed up for a grand and memorable dinner, but they are unlikely to do anything like that again for a long time.

And of course it can be considered all worth it when Suzy thanked Mike for the lovely dinner;

The happy couple took the monorail home;

Said goodnight to their blanket-animal pal, and went to sleep because they had another busy day tomorrow;

 

[MikeR]

If you were to have an eight course meal paired with eight glasses of wine, what would be the event you want to do the next day? Why, take surfing lessons before the sun had rose of course! Mike and Suzy were going to follow this brilliant plan out of need, not desire. Because it just happened that the only day they could do the Chef’s table at V&A was followed by the only day they could take surfing lessons at Typhoon Lagoon. They hemmed and hawed but decided that they might as well seize every moment of their honeymoon, so this day found them dragging themselves very slowly out of bed and making their way to Typhoon Lagoon in the early morning;

They had been a little worried about the weather as it was cold for the first days of the new year, but luckily for the honeymooners it warmed up rather nicely. Their was a brief wait at TL, but eventually the instructors arrived and let Mike and Suzy, as well as the others in the group, into the park a few hours before opening. The group was going to have the world’s largest wave pool to themselves for a few hours to learn how to surf;

Now surfing is not an easy sport. You might think, “Oh, all it is, is paddling forward while pushing a heaving wooden board in time with a wave of water that has a random amount of force behind it, and then standing up on that board while keeping the correct balance necessary to stand on water, how hard can that be?” Very hard. Extremely hard. Putting a camel through the needle of a pin while the camel is doing the Macarena hard.

Mike had tried it while in Japan. He was in a perfect spot with a good board and he tried to catch wave after wave after wave. He did not succeed. He did, however, get exceptionally sun-burned. So that was a nice consolation.

The surfing lessons at TL make it somewhat easier in that the waves are regularly timed and have a regular amount of force behind them. This makes standing on a board on a body of water that is moving a slightly easier task.

The instructors gave us a number of good tips. They were just basic instructions, but you really can’t expect too detailed advice when you are with a group of people.

The last time Mike went surfing he never even waxed the board. He doesn’t know if that would have made any difference or not, but at least it was something to do while waiting in line for a wave.

Eventually it was go time, and go they did. Suzy did an excellent job of catching her first wave and trying to stand up;

When it was Mike’s turn he did better on his first try then he ever did out on the real ocean. He didn’t fully stand up, but he came close;

You have to paddle back after you first wave to catch your second wave, oh the horrors one puts up with on vacation;

Suzy stood up! She was literally surfing for a bit! Mike was so proud of her.

Of course, there is no glory without the risk of defeat, and both Mike and Suzy had many a wipeout that day;

But Mike got up to! He was fully riding the waves for a bit. Granted he later biffed it and crashed into the water, but for a moment he was standing tall. Woot!;

After a few waves the personal lesson was over and Mike and Suzy had to leave the park because it was time to go back into the park because they wanted to explore everything it had to offer;

Now Typhoon Lagoon is a great water park. Like all of the Disney parks, it has a theme to it, mainly that a big old typhoon splashed over a lagoon (see the clever naming scheme now?) and resulted in everything becoming topsy turvey.

And Mike and Suzy got Free Mickey Hats! Now Mickey Hats are of limited use when one is in a water park, getting wet, but it was the only thing they received from the Dream Teams that wonder around giving free stuff, so it was kind of cool;

Besides the largest wave pool in the world, the most attractive part of Typhoon Lagoon is probably the ridiculously steep water rides which feel as if you are falling at a 90 degree angle;

After doing all the exciting rides (which really didn’t take that long, Mike and Suzy decided to relax a while on the Lazy River and just soak up some sun for a while;

It was crowded at times which kind of detracted from its relaxing atmosphere, but still not a bad bit or relaxation;

 

[DisneyJo]

The surfing looked great fun and you both stood up, that was fantastic

I've never heard of the dream team at a waterpark, those ears must have got soaked

 

[LovintheLodge]

Yeah! Back for another installment. I have really enjoyed your trip report...love your writing style!

 

[MikeR]

As the noon day sun beat down upon their backs, Mike and Suzy decided that it was time to get away from the cool refreshing water park and go tramp around under the baking sun in the largest park in DW, Animal Kingdom;

They had just enough time to take pictures of a few strange plants;

And animals;

and interesting fossils;

Wasn't Disney lucky that so many animals and creatures were fossilized where they decided to build their park?

They also had time for "It's Tough to be a Bug!"

Which was a pretty darn good 3-D experience. When Mike first saw it many years ago, he had no idea of the various surprises that the show springs on you. When the animatronics came on he was blown away. When the "acid" was sprayed he was blown again. And when the bugs crawled under his but, again he was blown.

Watching it again didn't have quite the same experience, but was still enjoyable. It still might be the best 3-D show at DW.

Mike and Suzy left earlier than they needed to because they didn't know the travel times to get from the Animal Kingdom to the Animal Kingdom Lodge;

They arrived a little early but that was OK as it gave them time to check out some of the attractions at the lodge;

If you've got to kill time waiting for a reservation, there are definitely worse places to do it than the AKL;

Heck, even the waiting tables were pretty spiffy;

Finally it was time for Boma;

The staff was helpful;

and very friendly;

and quickly showed the newlyweds to their seats;

The menu was very intriguing. Mike loves to explore when he is dining and does not have that much experience with African food so other than Victoria and Albert's, Boma was probably the place he was most excited about eating at;

A quick rundown of the menu;

African Breads
Mixed Field Greens:
Mango Vinaigrette, Paw Paw Vinaigrette,
Chili Cilantro Vinaigrette, Balsamic Vinaigrette
Potato Salad
Fresh Fruit

Pasta Salad
Watermelon Rind Salad
Kool Slaai
Chicken Salad with Chili Cilantro
Moroccan Seafood Salad - Couscous, mussels, scallops and shrimp

Avocado, Grapefruit, Papaya, Curry Cucumber Salad, Spinach and Beet Salad

Macaroni and Cheese
Saffron Rice
African Soups and Stews:
Chicken Corn Porridge
Smoked Tomato Soup

Sweet Potato Pancakes
Vegetable Lentil Kofta
Pap
Braised Greens
FuFu
Potatoes with Afritude

Durban Spiced Roasted Chicken
Malabu Pepper Steak
Grilled Seafood
Wood Roasted Meats

Vegetable Skewers
Chicken Pepper Pot
Coconut Curried Chicken Soup
Curried Coconut Seafood Stew
Couscous Marrakesh

Chicken Tenders
Spaghetti and Meatballs

Wonderful Dessert Buffet including:
Zebra Domes
Simba Paw Prints
shows that their was much food to explore;

and;

explore;

they;

did;

And of course they got their customary free honeymoon desert;

It has been over half a year since Mike last ate at Boma, so remember any specific likes and dislike is rather difficult for him. He remembers being very pleased with the overall experience and devouring a number of dishes, but he can not recommend any exact ones. So try them all!

 

[MikeR]

After a night at Boma the couple wasn't very hungry. They just got a standard breakfast at the standard All-Star cafeteria, and after standing in a standard line, the standard breakfast was standard;

Then off to Animal Kingdom, home of the big wooden fort;

Animal Kingdom is by far the most beautiful park. Everything is surrounded by such a lush greenness that one can forget that there are 20,000 other people walking around trying to soak up the lush greenness. There is really no park in Disney World that one can go to in order to relax, but Animal Kingdom probably comes the closest. Mike really enjoyed the various strange flora and fauna. He can't even get a blueberry bush to grow in his front yard without strange brown spots appearing on the leaves slightly before the bush explodes and shrivels into a raisin sized ball. Disney on the other hand;

They can transport trees that appear to be from the Planet Zaxon-Five and gets them to grow in a climate that could be described as Tropical – With Occasional Freeze Spells On Your Fricken Honeymoon, and not only grow but thrive;

One of the great things about AK is that much of it is more like a zoo than an amusement park. There are many different animals which you can just look at for a while without having to wait in line for. One of animals the Happy Honeymooners came across was a meerkat, which failed to dress in drag and do the hula;

Given that the couple had walked five minutes and hadn't eaten in almost an hour, it was time for a snack. You know, when you think about it, eating a Mickey shaped food is a little weird. Your symbolically eating an anthropomorphisized rodent. Perhaps it wouldn't have seemed so weird if Mike hadn't screamed, "I'm eating your head Mickey! Resistance is futile, I will consume you and you will provide nourishment for me! Mwa-ha-ha!"

AK is a pretty big place, with tons of places to explore and wander. Here are Mike and Suzy on a path to nowhere, or possibly adventure;

Kilimanjaro Safaris was probably the best part of AK. Reality is just plain cool, and while the animals are not in their natural environment, they are still read living breathing animals and to have them so close that your tour is held up for a wildebeest crossing is spiffy keen;

Let alone being held up for a rhino crossing, which is super-extra-spiffy-keen;

There were also plenty of colorful side acts to watch as you were walking from one ride to the next, like this jumping act. If the African nation this troop is from is ever invaded by an alien race of hoops that can only be defeated by jumping through them at increasing speeds, who-boy, those aliens are _doomed_;

When Mike and Suzy went to Expedition Everest they had the toughest decision of their honeymoon so far, weather to go in the singles line or not. The singles line was about 1/4th as long and moved twice as fast, so if the math is right then that means that they would arrive in San Diego at 11:35 PM on train B. But taking the singles line would mean that they would be separated for a whole two minutes, possibly even three, which in Honeymoon times roughly translated to three weeks of normal married couple time. In the end, they did split up and went in separate rides. Mike avoided shouting/singing "Near, Far, Wherever you are, I believe that the heart does go onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!" by the slimmest of margins.

Overall the ride was pretty fun. It was a roller coaster ride. It went fast. There was nice stuff to look at it. If it had been ridden earlier in the vacation it might have wowed them more, but they were beginning to be a little ridded out by now;

Ridded out! How could it be! Perhaps they just hadn't gone on the right rides yet. Yea, that was the ticket. The couple knew that they really wouldn't get hurt on any of the rides so their was no element of danger. They needed some risk, or some thrill, or some chance that things wouldn't go as planned. Hmmm . . . they had an activity to do in about and hour and a half, and it would be really bad if they arrived to it soaking wet, so yea, they should go on the Kali River Rapids and put their faith in the gods that they would not get wet! That would be a smart move.

So that is what they did. The couple kept exchanging nervous glances at each other as they passed people who looked like they had just got out of a shower that they for some reason took with their clothes on, and when they passed a sign that said, "You will get wet, you may get soaked," they came close to turning around, but almost close only counts in horseshoes and thermonuclear weapons so they got on the ride.

They buckled in with two other couples. Round and round the tube went, spinning like a roulette wheel to determine who would get soaked and who would merely get splashed. Big drop 1 – couple to their left got soaked. Big drop 2 – couple to their right got soaked. And on and on it went. Every time Mike and Suzy thought they were about to get soaked they merely got sprayed and some other couple got the brunt of the water.

At the end of the ride they were wet, but nothing that couldn't get dried off in an hour and a half. Everyone else in their tube was absolutely drenched though. Sometimes the bread lands butter-side up.

In celebration of their victory over water, it was time for a ceremonial devouring of a turkey leg. Now, last time Mike was in Disney World (at the turn of the century) he was a little puzzled why all these people were just walking around with big slabs of meat on bones munching on it like they were Fred Flintstone. Yet by the end of the trip, he really wanted to get one, but time and chance proved too much for the lad and no turkey leg was had.

But this trip, oh this trip he was determined to taste turkey-flesh! And taste it he did. He savored it, and munched it, and gobbled (gobbled, get it? Get it?) it;

And once the Turkey was defeated he raised it and shouted "Victory!" like he was Johnny Drama;

 

[MikeR]

Sometimes when you are on vacation you get so wrapped up in doing things and "having fun" that you stop having fun because you are trying so hard to "have fun." When you feel yourself in that situation sometimes it is best to just stop and relax for a while;

And that's what Mike and Suzy did. They had a nice nap in the shade on a sunny faux-beach.

After refreshing themselves with precious precious slumber, the happy honeymooners went to engage in an activity that is almost a sport, golf!

Suzy had been to a driving range and a putting course (one without windmills) before, but she had never played an actual game of golf before so it was up to this guy to teach her;

Doesn't that face just fill one with confidence? Isn't that the guy you'd want to be driving around what is an essentially oversized go-cart with walls at the highest speed it would go?

Especially given that he was partaking of some adult liquid refreshments at the local snack shack before starting;

Mike began his lesson by giving her a brief history of Golf. Golf is a game that is almost 40 years old! It was begun by a group of Japanese soldiers on a remote pacific island who never learned that WWII ended. These poor guys had nothing to do on their tropic island but hunt wild geckos for their dinner. While doing so, one spotted a group of albino geckos and swung at them with a stick. He brought back his prey and when his companions asked how many he got, he said, "Four" Thus the sport of golf was born.

It's come a long way since then, and who knows where it will go in the future? Perhaps someday men will even shoot golf balls into a sand trap shaped like Mickey Mouse. But that day is many years away;

Suzy whiffed a couple of times at her first shot, but she eventually made contact with the ball (woo-hoo!) and the couple slowly advanced down the course. At the second hole, a group of around fore players showed up and said they were trying to get in one last round. Mike told them to go ahead and play through, but they said that since there were four of them, they didn't feel right in doing so. Mike explained that he had chosen this time so that they would be the very last people to play because this was his wife's first time out. Before the final syllable had left Mike's mouth, the foursome sprinted up to the green to get ahead of the happy couple.

The game progressed slowly after that. Mike has played golf a couple of times, but isn't very skilled at it. But it was a fun exploratory game. One advice to any golf balls out there who happen to be reading this.

If this man comes up to hit you;

Fly straight and true or the next time he will hit you so hard that _this_ will happen to you;

And if you are a golfer, beware of this lake for it has a monstrous appetite for balls that can be satiated;

The happy couple played about five holes of golf and then were played out. It was getting dark, and they had had their fill. It wasn't that they didn't have fun doing it, but five holes was enough and the point of a vacation is to relax and have fun, not to feel like you have to do something.

After golf, Mike and Suzy ran to Epcot to grab dinner at Teppan Edo. They had time to spare so they got in a quick ride at the Spaceship Earth, which turned into a long ride as their speaker was broken so at the end of the ride they got put in a cart and did it all over again. Watching the scenery with no background music or explanations was a bit of a bizarre experience. It was like being shanghaied by a drunk time traveler who kept showing you slideshows of his vacation without any explanation of what they were or why you should care;

Afterwards there was a very cool interactive game where you push around circles of light to various cities to generate more and more power. Mike and Suzy watched another couple, and figured out that team work was the key. They did pretty good and it was a lot of fun, but even after two tries they couldn't get the top spot;

Watching the fountains at night was also a nice little treat;

As was the obligatory alcoholic slushy;

Finally it was dinner time. Mike and Suzy's chef was very helpful and friendly;

And performed all the usual tricks of a hibachi restaurant;

Mike and Suzy's meal was good overall. They had . . . . er . . . um . . . hibachi food! Well what do you expect? This trip report is being written almost a year after the trip. The author can't remember what they had really, but the food was pretty standard hibachi food. If you've ate at Benihana's you've eaten at Teppan Edo.

At least the couple got their, by now, obligatory free desert;

And now, your moment of Zen;