Poohshoney
<font color=6666CC>Ya-ya sister!<br><font color=gr
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2001
- Messages
- 1,155
Saturday, 6 December. Day 7 I knew just how those characters feel
The Cast:
Roland (37, German) Worlds best husband.
Carol (42, British) Trying to live up to him.
I'd been a bit disappointed with Mousekeeping when we got home last night. The stuffies were exactly as wed left them. When we went in the bathroom, however, we found a mini-mountain of soaps and shampoos. I took that to be a token of appreciation and cheered up a bit. Its nice to be appreciated! I mean, just because youre a Mousekeeper, doesnt mean youre naturally blessed with creative ability or the time to mess about with stuffies and towel animals!
I thought I'd try again today and came up with my favourite scenario of the whole trip Stuffies Go Cirque. I had Mickey and Moosey `holding up´ Little Twinnie who was lying on her back with her legs straight up and Ghostie balanced on her feet. Wonderful, if I say so myself!!!
Today was the coldest day of the whole trip and thats not just me whining, thats official! Even Roland was cold. And so was everyone else we spied. I felt quite justified in wearing my jeans, a top and a fleece and much cosier!
We thought wed go back to Epcot. Yep, again! This was partly influenced by things I'd read during my last-minute `planning´. Everything I read said WDW was going to be bursting to the seams that weekend. It was Walts birthday weekend, there were cheerleaders, a teddy conference and I think some golf and car stuff as well. The boards had been full of dire warnings of full hotels and predictions of parks closing five minutes after they opened.
I was sure if they did, Epcot would be best at dealing with the crowds and the last to close. So Epcot, again, it was! I was also a woman on a mission. A Mission:Space. We were due to meet some Disers in the evening I was sure theyd all have been on MS and wed be the only ones who hadnt, even though wed been there the longest I didnt want to look like a wimp now, did I!
We got to Epcot quite early, I think about 9:30. I'd expected to see heaving masses blocking the entrances. Nope, all was calm and moving nicely. When we got through, the place looked pretty empty. Hmmmm .
Pet peeve of the holiday coming up. What, you thought I'd mentioned them all already? Nooo, those were all just minor irritations compared with this one. The loos were dirty. And some of them were more than dirty they were disgusting- The cleanest ones we found were at MGM but the standard was so low everywhere else. I went to loos in Epcot and AK that were blocked and very yucky and STILL were, hours later. Up to nine hours later!!! So if anyone from Disney just happens to read this do the World a favour and buck your ideas up, its important!
Off the soapbox and back to Saturday. And all in the twinkling of an eye! Your eyes were twinkling, werent they? Well, when I went to the loos this time, it was funny - because the man in front of me just followed the woman in front of him. Into the Ladies. Yikes! I immediately recognised the Spanish for `Not in here you fool, yours are round the corner´. And thats even though I dont speak a word of Spanish. His face, poor bloke. A lighter shade of lobster.
Once together again, I subtly moved Roland over towards Mission:Space, only to discover he didnt feel up to it. Hed a feeling it would be lose-breakfast-time if we went on it. I tried very hard to hide my disappointment (unfortunately, I have one of those faces you can read like a book, especially if youre not married to me, but I did try!) So we moved on to plan B. Innovations.
I cant remember which side we did first. Obviously, logic would say the side nearest to MS but I'm not known for moving logically. I do know it was the side without the house of the future. And I do know we werent very impressed. A lot of the exhibits we tried to play with werent working. And as both of us spend a lot of time in front of computer screens, maybe we werent all that receptive to Innovations anyway. Basically, we were only in there because we didnt do it last time, not because we were really enthusiastic. Anyway, we were through it very quickly. This was helped by it being almost empty really, no joke. The promised crowds werent in there.
Sooo, over to the other side. We liked this a little more because of the house of the future. We thought that was interesting. I, (and dont anyone faint at this or try to have me committed), like ironing, I find it very therapeutic, so I wasnt too impressed with the idea of hanging everything in a cupboard to iron itself. And if anyones thinking sexist thoughts, I inherited the love of ironing from my father!
Everyone in our group seemed very impressed with the TV in the bathroom. I really don't want one. I'm a bookaholic baths are for books! Its my absolute favourite place to read. I've consulted all my bookworm friends and have met with the same horror at the idea of a giant telly next to the bath. So whoever makes those tellies, sorry but we dont want one!
Our guide round the house was Corey. He was a nice guide. And he got in our good books before we even started the tour. He asked everyone where they were from and when he got to us, promptly told everyone not to be fooled by Epcots Germany as, pretty as it was, it wasn't really representative of the whole country. It was mostly Bavarian (I said that!) and they really should travel to Germany and see all the beauty it had to offer. Nice one Corey!
I think Coreys favourite part of the presentation was the wheelchair at the end. It was very impressive. It was capable of raising itself up on its back wheels, enabling its owner to be face-to-face with other people. Definitely a good development! Rolands boss when we lived in London was in a wheelchair we saw first hand some of the frustrations being half everyone elses height can cause. I hope they can eventually turn these beauties out at an affordable price.
Once wed left Innovations, Roland said the magic words. I think I'm feeling ok now, do you want to do Mission:Space? After some cross-questioning Perry Mason would have been proud of, I was happy that he really did feel better and we could do it. Yey!!!
Now being an optimistic little soul, I'd got us fastpasses when wed been there earlier. If we hadnt been able to use them, I knew I'd enjoy giving them to someone who could its nice to see a happy face! But if we did come back, I knew I wouldnt want to wait in standby. As it was, we got there nicely within our timeframe and walked in.
We were bombarded with safety warnings. We both began to worry. I think if we had have been in standby, we might have backed out of it. But as we were through quite quickly, we were still at the debating stage when we were moved in.
Neither of us found it claustrophobic. I was worried that being strapped into a small space might not be pleasant but we were both fine. And then it was time for lift-off. Roland has very vivid memories of the G-force on his face. I don't remember a bit of that. I think I was concentrating on the screen ahead too much to notice. I was sooo determined not to be sick!
So what was our verdict? Brilliant!!! We were both affected by it, but we lived to tell the tale. Roland really wanted to go back on again sometime but sadly, we never did. He didnt feel sick at all but he did feel very strange for a good hour afterwards. He found it unpleasant, but not enough to stop him wanting to do it again.
I felt pretty good for the first three minutes it was the Mars landing that did me in. But it was just short enough to be able to cope. I felt very strange afterwards. We had to sit down on a bench as my head was so funny. After about half an hour, we rode The Land (which had almost no wait where were those crowds?). If youve read our first day, youll know that concentrating on the TV screen during the turbulance sent me to sleep. Well, the experiment was repeated. I slept through almost all of the ride and felt better for it. Maybe I've found a cure for insomnia?
My biggest disappointment of the holiday was that the Behind the Seeds tour wasn't operating. It was the perfect weather for it that day (I've been told hot days are very uncomfortable in the greenhouse) so that was a double-blow. Oh well, next time
Despite the cold, we took the time to watch the dancing fountains for a while next. Theyre a lovely addition to Epcot, I wonder if they were in Walts original conception. They seem very Waltish, somehow. Then we thought wed been in Future World long enough lets move onto the bit we really like! We just drifted round again, amazed at how busy it wasn't. I dont know where all the crowds were, if there were any, but they were't at Epcot with us. Yey!!!
We knew wed be having a meal in the evening so we didnt want too much for lunch. Again, I'd gone off the idea of fisn and chips so we settled for some truly exotic food chicken strips in the Liberty Inn. Well, its foreign food to us! Believe it or not, weve never seen a chicken strip over here. Not one single one.
The Liberty Inn was pretty busy, but then it was lunchtime, and most of the servers seemed stressed and/or miserable. We struck lucky. We got a little gem. Having been asked if I wanted sauce, and said no, I changed my mind. To tell the truth, I hadnt really understood the question when it was barked at me. At such times, I always find no to be the safest reply! Only waiting for our order, I worked it out and decided I might like sauces after all. Bravely, I asked the rushed off her feet CM if shed mind telling me about the sauces. She was such a sweetie! She explained in great detail, I chose, she gave me a handful. Then she saw Roland behind me and gave me another handful! Then she went back to being rushed off her feet. And we enjoyed our meal all the more for her kindness.
When we got out, I discovered that we hadnt long to wait before the Monkey King told his holiday tale in China. When we got there, there was just one other couple and they were sitting as far away from his stand as it was possible to sit. I checked the leaflet; nope, I hadnt got the time wrong. So we sat down.
If wed thought we felt funny on our own, it was nothing to the Monkey Kings reaction. He couldnt believe there were only two people there! Just as he was saying how we were about to see the best private show in Disneyworld, the other couple stuck their hands up and said they were waiting too. His Highness immediately made them move closer very regal he was with his commands. Get over here! Sheepishly, they moved closer and he began. He was an excellent storyteller, great fun, and by the time hed finished, quite a little crowd had gathered. But we got special treatment all the way through he never forgot that wed been the only ones there!
More leaflet consultation revealed that there wasnt all that long till the Dragon Acrobats put on their next display. We wandered around the gardens for a little while, then went back. A bigger crowd was gathering for the acrobats and I worked out that if we went back to our original seats, wed have people standing in front of us or have to stand ourselves. But, if we sat on the benches outside Japan, the ones along the hedges, wed only see the acrobats from the back but wed be seated with nobody in front of us. I got it in one. Ok, so we didnt see the display from the front but we were still very happy with our choice. And we had our own little pre-show. The hedge was full of industrious insects that were intriguing to watch!
The acrobats were very talented. But they need a new manager. And no, I definitely wouldn't want the job! The girls need to look as if theyre enjoying it the girls NEED to enjoy it. As it was, watching them from the back revealed an awful lot of expressions that werent very Disneyish. At a guess, I'd say teenage hormones were in full swing. Nope, managing thems definitely not a job I'd want
We thought wed stroll back now. We needed to pick up our warmest stuff for tonight our Boardwalk meet! Back at the ranch, sadly, the stuffies were still Cirqueing. But we now had the biggest pile of towels two people have ever had. We had a stack in the bathroom and one in the room, plus the ones on the rails I think we had twelve in all. All clean. I took it as another token of appreciation! But what with the all the smellies and the towels, getting a shower was a crowded affair.
This is where we made our biggest mistake. We should have gone for a walk round the grounds. But wed been walking all morning and wed be out for the evening and it was chilly. Sooo.. we thought wed read some of that holiday literature we hadn't even opened yet. Big mistake. Especially with the heating on full blast. (I wonder who could have done that?). Yep, we fell asleep. Without a Mickey call booked. Whoops
I woke up ten minutes before I wanted us to leave. Instant panic followed by headless chicken antics. We were falling over ourselves trying to get ready as quickly as we could. We both wear contact lenses and theyd dried and I couldnt find things because I was panicking. Like you do. Oh well, at least I didnt have time to worry about whether I looked fat or how bad my latest outcrop of spots looked. (Pre-menopusal, the doc thinks. I know I'm just stuck in puberty )
We did well, we were only ten minutes late setting off. And as I'd calculated plenty of time, wed still be ok. Yeah, right. There followed the longest wait for a bus weve ever had. I loathe being late so I was a complete nervous wreck. I cant even tell you how long we waited I think I was hyperventilating. Beth and Dave would soon be waiting for us at the Boardwalk bridge and we were still here!!! (I cant !!! enough about this!) When the bus finally arrived, we found out that theyd had trouble with a wheelchair. It had got stuck. Poor soul who was stuck in it, that's much worse than me being late.
We got to Epcot at 5:55 we were due to meet up at six. Roland insisted he wasnt going to run, he said he just wasnt up to it (low BP again). So we didnt. I fretted as we walked as quickly as we safely could. At one point I spotted a phone so made a beeline for it to ring Beth. Hmmm Please insert $1.75. Riiiiight. Hmmmm I reckoned by the time I'd worked out which coins constituted $1.75, we could be at the Boardwalk and back. (Which reminds me of our California trip and our favourite money story. Roland needed a certain coin and the cashier very kindly explained that it was easy, he just needed the one with Jefferson on it. Roland waited till we got outside Who on earth is Jefferson? He asked, completely baffled. And hes still impressed that I knew it was a former president.. We still dont know what he looks like, though. I bet Jeffersons turning in his grave.)
Huge sigh of relief Beth and Dave were still waiting for us at the bridge! And they were both very sweet about our being late. They make such a lovely couple and Beth has definitely struck pure gold in Dave! Now I have to tell you here, I'm the shyest thing on the planet. Roland holds the silver medal. Hes very quiet, whereas I'm usually quite gabby, but its only because my mouth moves into automatic pilot. I'm sort of a Piglet trapped in a Tiggers body. So most people don't guess how shy I am Beth knew. Beth and I had emailed for months about it. So was I shy meeting Beth? Nope, didnt have time to be! You see, everything happens for a reason. We just cant always see it
It was freezing on the bridge, Beth and Dave did well to wait for us there. We were due to meet Betty, Karen and her family at the Big River Grille, so after a little chatting, we moved that way. I'd begun to calm down a little, which meant I remembered about being shy and nervous again. I neednt have worried. I can honestly say that I have never felt at ease with a group of people I've never met before as on that night. I can also honestly say that its an awful long time since I've laughed that much as well!
We were put at two tables so Karens hubby, Tom, very generously offered to sit at one, leaving us gals plus Dave and Roland to get acquainted. Dave cunningly reorganised the seats so that he and Roland were sitting next to each other a very wise move as it turned out. Well, you know what women are like for chinwagging! It seemed so strange, facing people who had only ever been words on a screen before. But it was a nice strange!
The meal was quite good, too. Wed chosen there as I'd found somehting I could eat. That was the meatloaf. Only I was still full of chicken strips and all of aflutter from the powerwalking. So I wasnt hungry. Problem solved, I had a burger. Now youre probably thinking, How boring, whys she mentioning that? (I hope youre not thinking that too often!) Because, dear reader, it was my first EVER American burger! And it was absolutely delicious. I've never had one like it before, ever. Dave had one too and pronounced it ok, but not the best, so I'm looking forward to trying some more next time were over the pond.
Everyone else was happy with their food, too. I resisted swiping the large amount of green beans the ladies didnt seem to be eating. I adores my beans! But you have to have some table manners. On the first meet at least!
Wed just finished eating and taking lots of photos (I took Little Twinnie with us to the meet, Jennifer took her little Twinnie to another one. I took lots of photos of LT with Karens completely adorable little boys, Patrick and Ryan, and was sooo thrilled when they let `Aunt Carol´ hug them for some photos too. Aunt Carol is my second favourite role in life, after wifey) when the word came through that Jodie and Marilyn had arrived! Theyd been to see Fantasmic with Jodies two, Caitlin and David. So out we beetled.
Oooh, but it was cold out there. Real brass monkey weather. Bejabbers but it was cold. Marilyn and Jodie said Fantasmic was wonderful, as always but cold! So, being that it was so cold, what did we do? We hung around outside on the Boardwalk! We talked about it later, none of us knew why we didnt go somewhere warmer. But we didnt, we stood and chatted. Jodies smile was as warm as on her photos and Caitlins inherited it! Marilyn and I joked about who was looking after Seany whilst we were there. (Sean Connerys our cababna boy, didnt you know? No, well were not sure if he does, either!) All the smaller menfolk wanted to play the games so off they todlled. I think David won something. I know Patrick and Ryan won one thing and then some nice lady gave them another one so they had one each. Hooray for random acts of kindness!
We also had a photo shoot. All the Yaya ladies in a row, including Little Twinnie, wearing the Yaya sweatshirts Beth very kindly made us. Then they took photos of Roland and me, being as we were a real novelty to their meets! We even had a Chuck and Di kiss, I think that might just have been my idea. Never let a moment for a good smooch sneak by, thats my motto! Heaven only knows what the BRG diners thought was going on. But with all the shouts of Kiss him again, my flash wasnt working, and the like, I knew just how those characters feel
By the time we were completely frozen solid and all our teeth were chattering. It was time for Karen and family, Jodie and family and Marilyn to leave. Sad, but everything comes to an end. I hugged everyone (including all the smaller menfolk thankyou David, Ryan and Patrick, I loved you for it!) and took one last look at Caitlins beautiful radiance, hugged the Sistahs goodbye and we fled to the warmth of the Boardwalk Inn.
Wow That place is SO gorgeous! It is VERY firmly on my list of where to go when I've won the lottery (for when I start playing the lottery!). We were down to Betty, Beth, Dave, Roland and me. A small but select group. And we were still giggling. I swear we never stopped that night!
Having had a good look at the gingerbread village (cute!) in the foyer, we started to take some photos. There was a lovely fireplace I wanted to snap but a family of three were hogging it for snaps. I waited a long time but they never stopped. Betty said theyd be taking them for their Christmas cards how many were they sending?! I admitted defeat and we moved further into the Inn it just got prettier and prettier. Wow We ended up in a bar. A very nice comfy bar with squishy sofas and armchairs. And that was where Elaine found us. Surprise, surprise, she looked just like her photos, too! Shed been to a Dis meet and very kindly left them to join us. So the six of us sat round the table and jawwed for a couple of hours. The staff were lovely, nobody told us to laugh a little quieter or buy more drinks. And we laughed a lot Betty has the driest wit there is. She could almost be a Brit! I cant remember everything we talked and laughed about but I do remember one thing. We had a wonderful time and I will always treasure the memories of that night.
The others all had it easier than us. They were staying at the Boardwalk or the Swolphin. We had to get back to Riverside. Roland was worried about that but I knew what to do catch a bus to a park, then one to Riverside! And it worked beautifully. In spite of the bus driver who worried the heck out of us It wasnt a MVMCP evening so he mithered about taking us to MK, saying he was only picking up from there, and then mithered about it probably being closed and that we probably wouldnt be able to get a bus. When we arrived, the joint was still jumping and there were plenty of buses. Silly man for worrying me. In fact, the first bus was full and we had to wait for another one all of five minutes.
We got off at Fultons, which was packed, and got some milk. The piano player (sorry, I've forgotten his name) was on in the bar but we were just too tired. Shame, it was the only time we saw him. By the time we got back, we were sleepwalking. I fell asleep with very sweet dreams and an aching jaw from all the smiling I'd done. It was lovely, I'm so glad I didnt let my inner Piglet put me off meeting up!
The Cast:
Roland (37, German) Worlds best husband.
Carol (42, British) Trying to live up to him.
I'd been a bit disappointed with Mousekeeping when we got home last night. The stuffies were exactly as wed left them. When we went in the bathroom, however, we found a mini-mountain of soaps and shampoos. I took that to be a token of appreciation and cheered up a bit. Its nice to be appreciated! I mean, just because youre a Mousekeeper, doesnt mean youre naturally blessed with creative ability or the time to mess about with stuffies and towel animals!
I thought I'd try again today and came up with my favourite scenario of the whole trip Stuffies Go Cirque. I had Mickey and Moosey `holding up´ Little Twinnie who was lying on her back with her legs straight up and Ghostie balanced on her feet. Wonderful, if I say so myself!!!
Today was the coldest day of the whole trip and thats not just me whining, thats official! Even Roland was cold. And so was everyone else we spied. I felt quite justified in wearing my jeans, a top and a fleece and much cosier!
We thought wed go back to Epcot. Yep, again! This was partly influenced by things I'd read during my last-minute `planning´. Everything I read said WDW was going to be bursting to the seams that weekend. It was Walts birthday weekend, there were cheerleaders, a teddy conference and I think some golf and car stuff as well. The boards had been full of dire warnings of full hotels and predictions of parks closing five minutes after they opened.
I was sure if they did, Epcot would be best at dealing with the crowds and the last to close. So Epcot, again, it was! I was also a woman on a mission. A Mission:Space. We were due to meet some Disers in the evening I was sure theyd all have been on MS and wed be the only ones who hadnt, even though wed been there the longest I didnt want to look like a wimp now, did I!
We got to Epcot quite early, I think about 9:30. I'd expected to see heaving masses blocking the entrances. Nope, all was calm and moving nicely. When we got through, the place looked pretty empty. Hmmmm .
Pet peeve of the holiday coming up. What, you thought I'd mentioned them all already? Nooo, those were all just minor irritations compared with this one. The loos were dirty. And some of them were more than dirty they were disgusting- The cleanest ones we found were at MGM but the standard was so low everywhere else. I went to loos in Epcot and AK that were blocked and very yucky and STILL were, hours later. Up to nine hours later!!! So if anyone from Disney just happens to read this do the World a favour and buck your ideas up, its important!
Off the soapbox and back to Saturday. And all in the twinkling of an eye! Your eyes were twinkling, werent they? Well, when I went to the loos this time, it was funny - because the man in front of me just followed the woman in front of him. Into the Ladies. Yikes! I immediately recognised the Spanish for `Not in here you fool, yours are round the corner´. And thats even though I dont speak a word of Spanish. His face, poor bloke. A lighter shade of lobster.
Once together again, I subtly moved Roland over towards Mission:Space, only to discover he didnt feel up to it. Hed a feeling it would be lose-breakfast-time if we went on it. I tried very hard to hide my disappointment (unfortunately, I have one of those faces you can read like a book, especially if youre not married to me, but I did try!) So we moved on to plan B. Innovations.
I cant remember which side we did first. Obviously, logic would say the side nearest to MS but I'm not known for moving logically. I do know it was the side without the house of the future. And I do know we werent very impressed. A lot of the exhibits we tried to play with werent working. And as both of us spend a lot of time in front of computer screens, maybe we werent all that receptive to Innovations anyway. Basically, we were only in there because we didnt do it last time, not because we were really enthusiastic. Anyway, we were through it very quickly. This was helped by it being almost empty really, no joke. The promised crowds werent in there.
Sooo, over to the other side. We liked this a little more because of the house of the future. We thought that was interesting. I, (and dont anyone faint at this or try to have me committed), like ironing, I find it very therapeutic, so I wasnt too impressed with the idea of hanging everything in a cupboard to iron itself. And if anyones thinking sexist thoughts, I inherited the love of ironing from my father!
Everyone in our group seemed very impressed with the TV in the bathroom. I really don't want one. I'm a bookaholic baths are for books! Its my absolute favourite place to read. I've consulted all my bookworm friends and have met with the same horror at the idea of a giant telly next to the bath. So whoever makes those tellies, sorry but we dont want one!
Our guide round the house was Corey. He was a nice guide. And he got in our good books before we even started the tour. He asked everyone where they were from and when he got to us, promptly told everyone not to be fooled by Epcots Germany as, pretty as it was, it wasn't really representative of the whole country. It was mostly Bavarian (I said that!) and they really should travel to Germany and see all the beauty it had to offer. Nice one Corey!
I think Coreys favourite part of the presentation was the wheelchair at the end. It was very impressive. It was capable of raising itself up on its back wheels, enabling its owner to be face-to-face with other people. Definitely a good development! Rolands boss when we lived in London was in a wheelchair we saw first hand some of the frustrations being half everyone elses height can cause. I hope they can eventually turn these beauties out at an affordable price.
Once wed left Innovations, Roland said the magic words. I think I'm feeling ok now, do you want to do Mission:Space? After some cross-questioning Perry Mason would have been proud of, I was happy that he really did feel better and we could do it. Yey!!!
Now being an optimistic little soul, I'd got us fastpasses when wed been there earlier. If we hadnt been able to use them, I knew I'd enjoy giving them to someone who could its nice to see a happy face! But if we did come back, I knew I wouldnt want to wait in standby. As it was, we got there nicely within our timeframe and walked in.
We were bombarded with safety warnings. We both began to worry. I think if we had have been in standby, we might have backed out of it. But as we were through quite quickly, we were still at the debating stage when we were moved in.
Neither of us found it claustrophobic. I was worried that being strapped into a small space might not be pleasant but we were both fine. And then it was time for lift-off. Roland has very vivid memories of the G-force on his face. I don't remember a bit of that. I think I was concentrating on the screen ahead too much to notice. I was sooo determined not to be sick!
So what was our verdict? Brilliant!!! We were both affected by it, but we lived to tell the tale. Roland really wanted to go back on again sometime but sadly, we never did. He didnt feel sick at all but he did feel very strange for a good hour afterwards. He found it unpleasant, but not enough to stop him wanting to do it again.
I felt pretty good for the first three minutes it was the Mars landing that did me in. But it was just short enough to be able to cope. I felt very strange afterwards. We had to sit down on a bench as my head was so funny. After about half an hour, we rode The Land (which had almost no wait where were those crowds?). If youve read our first day, youll know that concentrating on the TV screen during the turbulance sent me to sleep. Well, the experiment was repeated. I slept through almost all of the ride and felt better for it. Maybe I've found a cure for insomnia?
My biggest disappointment of the holiday was that the Behind the Seeds tour wasn't operating. It was the perfect weather for it that day (I've been told hot days are very uncomfortable in the greenhouse) so that was a double-blow. Oh well, next time
Despite the cold, we took the time to watch the dancing fountains for a while next. Theyre a lovely addition to Epcot, I wonder if they were in Walts original conception. They seem very Waltish, somehow. Then we thought wed been in Future World long enough lets move onto the bit we really like! We just drifted round again, amazed at how busy it wasn't. I dont know where all the crowds were, if there were any, but they were't at Epcot with us. Yey!!!
We knew wed be having a meal in the evening so we didnt want too much for lunch. Again, I'd gone off the idea of fisn and chips so we settled for some truly exotic food chicken strips in the Liberty Inn. Well, its foreign food to us! Believe it or not, weve never seen a chicken strip over here. Not one single one.
The Liberty Inn was pretty busy, but then it was lunchtime, and most of the servers seemed stressed and/or miserable. We struck lucky. We got a little gem. Having been asked if I wanted sauce, and said no, I changed my mind. To tell the truth, I hadnt really understood the question when it was barked at me. At such times, I always find no to be the safest reply! Only waiting for our order, I worked it out and decided I might like sauces after all. Bravely, I asked the rushed off her feet CM if shed mind telling me about the sauces. She was such a sweetie! She explained in great detail, I chose, she gave me a handful. Then she saw Roland behind me and gave me another handful! Then she went back to being rushed off her feet. And we enjoyed our meal all the more for her kindness.
When we got out, I discovered that we hadnt long to wait before the Monkey King told his holiday tale in China. When we got there, there was just one other couple and they were sitting as far away from his stand as it was possible to sit. I checked the leaflet; nope, I hadnt got the time wrong. So we sat down.
If wed thought we felt funny on our own, it was nothing to the Monkey Kings reaction. He couldnt believe there were only two people there! Just as he was saying how we were about to see the best private show in Disneyworld, the other couple stuck their hands up and said they were waiting too. His Highness immediately made them move closer very regal he was with his commands. Get over here! Sheepishly, they moved closer and he began. He was an excellent storyteller, great fun, and by the time hed finished, quite a little crowd had gathered. But we got special treatment all the way through he never forgot that wed been the only ones there!
More leaflet consultation revealed that there wasnt all that long till the Dragon Acrobats put on their next display. We wandered around the gardens for a little while, then went back. A bigger crowd was gathering for the acrobats and I worked out that if we went back to our original seats, wed have people standing in front of us or have to stand ourselves. But, if we sat on the benches outside Japan, the ones along the hedges, wed only see the acrobats from the back but wed be seated with nobody in front of us. I got it in one. Ok, so we didnt see the display from the front but we were still very happy with our choice. And we had our own little pre-show. The hedge was full of industrious insects that were intriguing to watch!
The acrobats were very talented. But they need a new manager. And no, I definitely wouldn't want the job! The girls need to look as if theyre enjoying it the girls NEED to enjoy it. As it was, watching them from the back revealed an awful lot of expressions that werent very Disneyish. At a guess, I'd say teenage hormones were in full swing. Nope, managing thems definitely not a job I'd want
We thought wed stroll back now. We needed to pick up our warmest stuff for tonight our Boardwalk meet! Back at the ranch, sadly, the stuffies were still Cirqueing. But we now had the biggest pile of towels two people have ever had. We had a stack in the bathroom and one in the room, plus the ones on the rails I think we had twelve in all. All clean. I took it as another token of appreciation! But what with the all the smellies and the towels, getting a shower was a crowded affair.
This is where we made our biggest mistake. We should have gone for a walk round the grounds. But wed been walking all morning and wed be out for the evening and it was chilly. Sooo.. we thought wed read some of that holiday literature we hadn't even opened yet. Big mistake. Especially with the heating on full blast. (I wonder who could have done that?). Yep, we fell asleep. Without a Mickey call booked. Whoops
I woke up ten minutes before I wanted us to leave. Instant panic followed by headless chicken antics. We were falling over ourselves trying to get ready as quickly as we could. We both wear contact lenses and theyd dried and I couldnt find things because I was panicking. Like you do. Oh well, at least I didnt have time to worry about whether I looked fat or how bad my latest outcrop of spots looked. (Pre-menopusal, the doc thinks. I know I'm just stuck in puberty )
We did well, we were only ten minutes late setting off. And as I'd calculated plenty of time, wed still be ok. Yeah, right. There followed the longest wait for a bus weve ever had. I loathe being late so I was a complete nervous wreck. I cant even tell you how long we waited I think I was hyperventilating. Beth and Dave would soon be waiting for us at the Boardwalk bridge and we were still here!!! (I cant !!! enough about this!) When the bus finally arrived, we found out that theyd had trouble with a wheelchair. It had got stuck. Poor soul who was stuck in it, that's much worse than me being late.
We got to Epcot at 5:55 we were due to meet up at six. Roland insisted he wasnt going to run, he said he just wasnt up to it (low BP again). So we didnt. I fretted as we walked as quickly as we safely could. At one point I spotted a phone so made a beeline for it to ring Beth. Hmmm Please insert $1.75. Riiiiight. Hmmmm I reckoned by the time I'd worked out which coins constituted $1.75, we could be at the Boardwalk and back. (Which reminds me of our California trip and our favourite money story. Roland needed a certain coin and the cashier very kindly explained that it was easy, he just needed the one with Jefferson on it. Roland waited till we got outside Who on earth is Jefferson? He asked, completely baffled. And hes still impressed that I knew it was a former president.. We still dont know what he looks like, though. I bet Jeffersons turning in his grave.)
Huge sigh of relief Beth and Dave were still waiting for us at the bridge! And they were both very sweet about our being late. They make such a lovely couple and Beth has definitely struck pure gold in Dave! Now I have to tell you here, I'm the shyest thing on the planet. Roland holds the silver medal. Hes very quiet, whereas I'm usually quite gabby, but its only because my mouth moves into automatic pilot. I'm sort of a Piglet trapped in a Tiggers body. So most people don't guess how shy I am Beth knew. Beth and I had emailed for months about it. So was I shy meeting Beth? Nope, didnt have time to be! You see, everything happens for a reason. We just cant always see it
It was freezing on the bridge, Beth and Dave did well to wait for us there. We were due to meet Betty, Karen and her family at the Big River Grille, so after a little chatting, we moved that way. I'd begun to calm down a little, which meant I remembered about being shy and nervous again. I neednt have worried. I can honestly say that I have never felt at ease with a group of people I've never met before as on that night. I can also honestly say that its an awful long time since I've laughed that much as well!
We were put at two tables so Karens hubby, Tom, very generously offered to sit at one, leaving us gals plus Dave and Roland to get acquainted. Dave cunningly reorganised the seats so that he and Roland were sitting next to each other a very wise move as it turned out. Well, you know what women are like for chinwagging! It seemed so strange, facing people who had only ever been words on a screen before. But it was a nice strange!
The meal was quite good, too. Wed chosen there as I'd found somehting I could eat. That was the meatloaf. Only I was still full of chicken strips and all of aflutter from the powerwalking. So I wasnt hungry. Problem solved, I had a burger. Now youre probably thinking, How boring, whys she mentioning that? (I hope youre not thinking that too often!) Because, dear reader, it was my first EVER American burger! And it was absolutely delicious. I've never had one like it before, ever. Dave had one too and pronounced it ok, but not the best, so I'm looking forward to trying some more next time were over the pond.
Everyone else was happy with their food, too. I resisted swiping the large amount of green beans the ladies didnt seem to be eating. I adores my beans! But you have to have some table manners. On the first meet at least!
Wed just finished eating and taking lots of photos (I took Little Twinnie with us to the meet, Jennifer took her little Twinnie to another one. I took lots of photos of LT with Karens completely adorable little boys, Patrick and Ryan, and was sooo thrilled when they let `Aunt Carol´ hug them for some photos too. Aunt Carol is my second favourite role in life, after wifey) when the word came through that Jodie and Marilyn had arrived! Theyd been to see Fantasmic with Jodies two, Caitlin and David. So out we beetled.
Oooh, but it was cold out there. Real brass monkey weather. Bejabbers but it was cold. Marilyn and Jodie said Fantasmic was wonderful, as always but cold! So, being that it was so cold, what did we do? We hung around outside on the Boardwalk! We talked about it later, none of us knew why we didnt go somewhere warmer. But we didnt, we stood and chatted. Jodies smile was as warm as on her photos and Caitlins inherited it! Marilyn and I joked about who was looking after Seany whilst we were there. (Sean Connerys our cababna boy, didnt you know? No, well were not sure if he does, either!) All the smaller menfolk wanted to play the games so off they todlled. I think David won something. I know Patrick and Ryan won one thing and then some nice lady gave them another one so they had one each. Hooray for random acts of kindness!
We also had a photo shoot. All the Yaya ladies in a row, including Little Twinnie, wearing the Yaya sweatshirts Beth very kindly made us. Then they took photos of Roland and me, being as we were a real novelty to their meets! We even had a Chuck and Di kiss, I think that might just have been my idea. Never let a moment for a good smooch sneak by, thats my motto! Heaven only knows what the BRG diners thought was going on. But with all the shouts of Kiss him again, my flash wasnt working, and the like, I knew just how those characters feel
By the time we were completely frozen solid and all our teeth were chattering. It was time for Karen and family, Jodie and family and Marilyn to leave. Sad, but everything comes to an end. I hugged everyone (including all the smaller menfolk thankyou David, Ryan and Patrick, I loved you for it!) and took one last look at Caitlins beautiful radiance, hugged the Sistahs goodbye and we fled to the warmth of the Boardwalk Inn.
Wow That place is SO gorgeous! It is VERY firmly on my list of where to go when I've won the lottery (for when I start playing the lottery!). We were down to Betty, Beth, Dave, Roland and me. A small but select group. And we were still giggling. I swear we never stopped that night!
Having had a good look at the gingerbread village (cute!) in the foyer, we started to take some photos. There was a lovely fireplace I wanted to snap but a family of three were hogging it for snaps. I waited a long time but they never stopped. Betty said theyd be taking them for their Christmas cards how many were they sending?! I admitted defeat and we moved further into the Inn it just got prettier and prettier. Wow We ended up in a bar. A very nice comfy bar with squishy sofas and armchairs. And that was where Elaine found us. Surprise, surprise, she looked just like her photos, too! Shed been to a Dis meet and very kindly left them to join us. So the six of us sat round the table and jawwed for a couple of hours. The staff were lovely, nobody told us to laugh a little quieter or buy more drinks. And we laughed a lot Betty has the driest wit there is. She could almost be a Brit! I cant remember everything we talked and laughed about but I do remember one thing. We had a wonderful time and I will always treasure the memories of that night.
The others all had it easier than us. They were staying at the Boardwalk or the Swolphin. We had to get back to Riverside. Roland was worried about that but I knew what to do catch a bus to a park, then one to Riverside! And it worked beautifully. In spite of the bus driver who worried the heck out of us It wasnt a MVMCP evening so he mithered about taking us to MK, saying he was only picking up from there, and then mithered about it probably being closed and that we probably wouldnt be able to get a bus. When we arrived, the joint was still jumping and there were plenty of buses. Silly man for worrying me. In fact, the first bus was full and we had to wait for another one all of five minutes.
We got off at Fultons, which was packed, and got some milk. The piano player (sorry, I've forgotten his name) was on in the bar but we were just too tired. Shame, it was the only time we saw him. By the time we got back, we were sleepwalking. I fell asleep with very sweet dreams and an aching jaw from all the smiling I'd done. It was lovely, I'm so glad I didnt let my inner Piglet put me off meeting up!
- I also get very flustered if I'm late!)
