Chpt 39 - Dinner at Le Cellier
After lunch, we exited MK and climbed on the bus back to POFQ. It was our 6th straight day in the parks and we were starting to feel the burn. In fact, Tinkershells non-negotiable itinerary had been poking us in the ribs for the last couple of days and suggesting it might be time for a little break. At first, that seems like such a waste of time....think of all the great stuff you're going to be missing while you're traveling back and forth between your resort. It's funny how it starts to seem a lot more reasonable after you've put a few miles on the old legs. I realize I'm probably in the minority here....but when I'm back at home.....I don't normally walk 5-10 miles a day. In fact, I don't normally walk.....because I find it a disgusting habit...and it sickens me just to thing about it. A couple of years back, I thought the whole walking problem had been solved with the introduction of a wonderful device called the segway.....but apparently they're much trickier than they look.....although I'm not so sure what's all that difficult about leaning.
Anyway, back at the resort, the kids did a quick change into their swimming suits and we headed for the pool. POFQ has a great pool....because it's large and full of water.....and it's close. The kids jumped in and headed off to the far reaches of the pool to frolic. Tinkershell and I headed off to the pool-side bar to grab a beverage. Dont look at me.....itinerarys orders. We pulled up a chaise lounge next to a lady who was driving home the next day. She informed us that the entire east coast was getting pummeled with bad weather. Blizzards......power outages....dogs and cats sleeping together...it was pretty bad stuff. Who knew? Thank goodness we were sitting by the pool in Florida.....happy as clams. That's one of the things I love about WDW......it's like you're in a different world.
Our kids are in there somewhere
After pulling our pruny offspring out of the pool, we freshened up in the room and then headed for Epcot for our 5:45 pm ADR at Le Cellier....which I believe is french for The Cellier.....although I cant be sure because I only took a couple of spanish classes in high school. We had just enough time to sneak in one ride....so we headed off in the direction of The Seas with Nemo and Friends. This attraction had been closed on our earlier Epcot day...so now we were desperate to try it......because the forbidden attraction is the sweetest. As we climbed in our clam-mobile, I asked the CM what type of mileage it got.....because it was a fine looking vehicle and it kind of reminded me of my old honeypot. Obviously, you could probably only use it for commuting.......because taking a clam-mobile out on the freeway would be dangerous....since they aren't equipped with airbags...or windshields for that matter. Anyway, it did provide a comfortable ride through the coral reef as we set off in search of Nemo.....and his tiny shriveled fin....which Im a little surprised they couldnt fix.....what with all the advancements of modern medicine.
The last time we had visited Le Cellier had been awe-inspiring....which in turn makes you a little nervous to go back. What if you cant recreate the chemistry and its a ginormous disappointment? Anyway, we were escorted to our table back in a cozy corner of the restaurant. Last time, we had been seated under a brick archway. Somehow, this archway had created an effect where you could hear the conversation from the table at the other end of the archway as clear as a bell.....like it was coming through an air vent or something. It was pretty cool.....except the people at the other table were boooooring, booooooring. I mean, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Was it too much to ask that the other table be somebody like Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie....or maybe Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Lopez....or maybe Jennifer Aniston and Sarah Jessica Parker? Oh, what the heck....just give me Jennifer Aniston and whoever....because apparently she can't get along with anybody.
DS Buddy really isnt a steak guy.....which is not big deal.....it just means hes probably much more popular with cattle than I am. Anyway, there wasn't really anything on the menu that appealed to him....so he was going to see if he could get some chicken strips or something..... but our server wouldnt hear of it. There was not a shadow of a doubt in this young girl's mind that she could find Buddy the perfect item off the menu....and subsequently save him from making the tragic mistake of ordering something he would actually enjoy chewing and swallowing. After an impressive display....which among other things involved sprinkling our son with a mysterious gray powder and then dancing around him while chanting and shaking a type of ceremonial rattle....she declared that he was destined to try the roasted chicken. It was all quite impressive......except Buddy didn't like the chicken.
DD Woobie, on the other hand, is a card-carrying carnivore. If it's meat....she'll eat it. When she was about 3 years old, we were over at a friends house who happened to be making lamb. Now I realize that most kids love lambs......just not necessarily on a platter with a nice mint sauce. Anyway, we gave her a little tasty-bite on her plate....and had barely turned away when we heard...more sheep please. So, Woobie and Le Cellier were a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, when the young lad from the kitchen brought out her meal....he neglected to warn her that the plate was hot....before he plopped it into her delicate little hands. The good news was.....if she ever wanted to become a cat burglar.....she didn't have to worry about leaving any of those pesky fingerprints behind. The bad news was....it hurt like a bugger....and throbbing fingertips do not normally add to your dining pleasure.
Tinkershell ordered the filet with mushrooms...and I had the herb-encrusted prime rib. Both were delicious.....although mine was better by default.....because it wasnt smothered in a vile spore-bearing fungus that you find growing in damp dark places. Did I mention I dont like mushrooms? Anyway, I've got to give Tinkershell the nod for best dessert. I had the chocolate whiskey cake.....which was really good. She got the maple creme brulee.... which ought to be illegal.
When we had booked our Le Cellier ADR, we had also gotten the Candlelight Processional Dinner Package. With the dinner package, at the end of the meal you get tickets for reserved seating at the Candlelight Processional. So with reserved seating tickets in hand, we set off for the America Gardens Theater. We had just crossed over the bridge to France, when we started to see people standing in a giant line. Suckers! If they were smart like us.....they'd be holding reserved seating tickets...instead of bringing up the rear of the world's longest conga line of losers. We were still patting ourselves on the back when we arrived at the theater entrance... and were informed that the line we had just passed was for the reserved seating ticket holders. So we took the walk of shame all the way back to end of the line.....grabbed the hips of the loser ahead of us....and started to conga. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle, kick. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle, kick.
When we were finally seated, they announced a change in our narrator. Instead of the Doogie Howser M.D. that we had been promised, our narrator would be Rita Moreno....whom we had never heard of. Turns out, she was a pretty big deal on Broadway...and had won an Oscar for her performance in the film adaption of West Side Story. In any event, she did an awesome job. The whole Candlelight Processional was amazing.....definitely a must-see. Honestly, if this show doesn't get you in the Christmas spirit....you're probably going to need the full-blown Scrooge treatment complete with all three ghosts......because it's time for extreme measures.
This isn't a camera focus problem....the people actually did look blurry. Maybe I shouldn't have had that last Moosehead.
Next up: Chpt 40 - Our final chance for Wishes
Perhaps I was purposely avoiding the boards because I knew where this story was headed. I can see the attempts of the Panic Attacks to "Move Foreward, it's what Pal Mickey would've wanted", but there is no joy in it anymore. . . please tell me that Pal Mickey had something like his phone number or address written in his underwear, thus resulting in a person calling said number and then you being contacted and a reunion commencing. . . could you perhaps humor me?
There has been no hint of cause for hope. That's a really mean trick if you don't mean it. I'm trying to come to terms with Churro replacing Pal Mickey, but if there's any hope I will continue to resent Churro's usurpation of Pal Mickey's place.
Were you not aware of my scheduled ADTRR? (that's short for advanced dining trip report review, I'm just saying....)
Poor Wooby! 
