Three Petals + one stem = Many plants are not heat-tolerant, Day Three

[IvyandLace]

Date: May 10th, 2003
AM Plans: Epcot to enjoy Flower and Garden Festival
Breakfast: Princess Storybook at Norway with PS at 8:30am
PM Plans: Animal Kingdom to see Jammin’ Jungle Parade;
To Magic Kingdom to view Spectromagic, Fantasy
In the Sky and E-night
Dinner: Crystal Palace with PS at 6:30pm

When Mickey wakes us up at 6:45am for another magical day, we take a bit longer to get out of bed today! We three petals are soon decked out in our matching red Pooh T-shirts and denim overall shorts complete with glitter and princess crowns (though we have to nag “Mum” a little about wearing hers), and we are on our way to Epcot, dragging “Pete” with us. We all have fun talking to other people on the bus (it’s becoming a WDW tradition-we love spreading the magic! )....and then we see it! The Epcot ball! Yippee!

We speed through security-we are pros, you know! -and snap bunches of pictures as we take in all the special Flower and Garden Festival topiaries on our way to World Showcase. “T” Rose and “Pete” put their walkie-talkies to work complete with code-names (can’t tell you or would have to…well, you know! ) as we three petals speed on ahead. We have a meeting with the princesses and can’t keep them waiting! We are so shocked and wonderfully surprised at the amount of flowers and displays that Disney has created. Beautiful! We especially love the fact that WS is completely empty and so squeaky-clean, awaiting a brand-new day. Everything seems to sparkle with Disney magic. “Pete”sneaks up behind us and catches the three petals in our matching outfits dancing and laughing to “Bibbidy Bobbidy Boo” playing over the still park. (It’s classic video material!)

We walk right into our PS at Norway and since it’s a new breakfast for all of us, we immediately take everything in with wonder in our eyes. We really like having the family style breakfast, and the mini pancakes are a hit! The orange juice is really good here too. Even though we spot the “usual” Snow White, Jasmine, and Belle, we are thrilled to see Sleeping Beauty and our favorite, Mulan! How neat! Of course, we snag a million pictures and fawn over them all. This breakfast has a much more peaceful atmosphere to it, but there are plenty of kids here too!

It’s so fun that we don’t want to take our crowns off, but “Mum” insists…she makes a good point as we are headed to Test Track. (“Wouldn’t want your crown smacking someone in the head, now would we?") We grab fastpasses (FP) and head to the singles’ line exchanging quips with a CM at the entrance who remarks that “Pete” should have dressed to match us girls. (Imagine our TT photo! ) We are on the ride before we know it-“Pete” and I together and “T” Rose and “Mum” in separate cars.

We sprint around, and it’s time for our FP-woo hoo! I look down at my overall bib to check on my overflow pins-yes, I’ve run out of room on my lanyard! -and…Oh no! My brand-new Nurse’s Day 2003 pin is missing! I’m heartbroken, but “Mum” insists that we “retrace our steps”, sure that it fell off in my TT car. I sniffle my way forward and am momentarily pacified to find the same CM we joked with earlier now leading the security check of our seatbelts. He recognizes us (hard to miss us, actually!) and after a sneak peek at his nametag, we plot together and yell out, “Thanks, Drew!” after his job is done and we are speeding up that first hill.

We like to pose for pictures on rides and so this time we all look like we are asleep (except “T” looks a little…umm…morbid with her head cocked like that!) Everyone laughs when they see it. (We know they’re not laughing at us…right?) We manage to spot the now infamous Drew on our way to our picture, and so I stop and sniffle on his shoulder about my pin. He takes down my information, and we make plans to check back later in the day should anyone find it in their car.

Appeased, we head to all the cool cars they have on display after snubbing our noses with disgust in the direction of the Dreamchaser, and I am coaxed into a sporty yellow car. Nothing better to raise the spirits, “Pete” promises. As I get out with a smile back on my face, Drew comes up and says quietly, “Don’t leave without seeing me…I’m going to have something special for you!” “T” immediately tears up and “Mum” reverently whispers, “Disney magic at work.” We spend time talking “cruise-talk” with another TT CM until Drew appears (magically?) and says with flair, “With a little pixie dust and some fancy footwork, we at Disney are proud to present you with a coupon for a brand-new Nurse’s Day pin!” Much applause and hugging ensues, and I even pose with Drew for memory’s sake. Needless to say, we are all touched and will never forget Drew! How I love Disney magic!



We all skip light-heartedly toward the Pin Traders store (near the Innoventions Fountains) for some good old-fashioned pin collecting. I not only get my new Nurse’s Day 2003 pin but also my Flower-and-Garden Festival pin and some good pin backs (that lock!) “T” Rose, “Mum”, and “Pete” get a Flower-and-Garden Festival pin, special AP pin (just released), and Disney Club “Pirates of the Caribbean” pin (just released) respectively. Wow! We stop and load our lanyards/Passporter pouches with our new acquisitions and decided, on impulse, to attend a special Flower-and-Garden Festival seminar just ready to start. “T” Rose takes off with her walkie-talkie to spend some time at Innoventions (sneaky girl…she sends me a video postcard!) while “Mum”, “Pete”, and I enjoy “Great Garden Color” in Innoventions West. We sure wish we could attend all the seminars! (Note to self-next year, plan more days for seminars!)

After meeting up again with “T” Rose, we view Journey Into Imagination with Figment with glee and suffer through Honey, I Shrunk the Audience-the worst 3-D movie Disney has to offer, in our opinion. We love the “Doggone Maze”-“Mum” thinks Lady needs a haircut! -and roses along the way to Canada-beautifully fragrant! Somehow we even manage to just miss a butterfly release in the butterfly garden. We are thrilled with all the butterflies that surround the plants there. Of course, “Pete” is snapping away in usual “Pete” style! We buy up some frozen blueberry and lemonade drinks that hit the spot on a day like today (it HAS to be over 100 degrees F), eat crunchy “Ch-Cheroos” (as “T” calls churros), soak in the Innoventions fountains playing to a very moving patriotic musical arrangement and love life at Epcot.

All too soon, it’s time to head to Animal Kingdom. We just HAVE to show the Jammin’ Jungle Parade to “Mum” who missed out last time. (In planning, this was her “must-do”!) “Pete” is our master positionalist when it comes to parades and fireworks and is always on the lookout for the best spot. Because of this, we manage to snag great seats-just before the entrance to Asia/bridge, there is a small alcove perfect for sitting! “Pete” is thrilled when CMs come up to congratulate his choice of seating. “T” Rose and I go off to enjoy It’s Tough to Be a Bug-love that “churro” remark to the stinkbug! -while “Mum” and “Pete” wait for the parade and then smile our way to Pizzafari for a snack. We have never been inside Pizzafari, and we find it beautifully themed with colorful carved insects and small animals-just another one of those Disney themed areas that probably doesn’t get noticed as often as it should! We hurry to buy a small cheese pizza and large drink because we can hear the parade beginning! On our way back to “the spot” we have a number of hungry thirsty people ask us about our meal-we could have made some serious money!

The parade starts as we munch contentedly on pizza. “Mum”, “T” Rose and I have the 100 Years of Magic CD and so know all the words to the parade (and “Mum” hasn’t even seen it yet!) Some of the CMs in the parade let us know how impressed they are that we are able to sing along and that makes us feel like VIPs! We absolutely love this parade, and our spot lets us have a great view all the way down the street. So fun!

After seeing a Disney parade, we can’t help but dance and hum our way to Kali River Rapids. Once again, even though there is no line (we have never had one here), I make myself slow down and enjoy the exquisite theming in the que. This is really what sets Disney apart from other “theme” parks! Even though we are desperate to cool off, “Mum” and “T” Rose get a bit too drenched. We call them “Soggy Bottoms” for the rest of the evening!

Since we missed Dinosaur yesterday, we decide to try to ride it before park closing. It is so loud this time-I plug my ears the whole ride and still manage to hear everything fine. In typical Dinosaur fashion, our picture shows us three petals cowering in different positions as Pete just calmly stares at the Dinosaur as if to say, “So…what’s the big deal?”

It’s hard to believe that we still have a long night ahead of us-we have never toured in such heat before, and it makes it so much more exhausting! The group decides to recharge with a ride in the front of the monorail. It’s so nice to watch the castle come into view (our first glimpse this trip!) as we glide along the track, in and out of the Contemporary (Hi, Chef Mickey’s!), past the sparkling lake with the ferry chugging along and Main Street eagerly anticipating our return. How we love Magic Kingdom!

We check in at the Crystal Palace and after waiting a brief 10 minutes, we waltz in through the doors, the air conditioning cooling us immediately. (“T” Rose and “Mum” will have icicles hanging from their overalls by the time we’re done!) I’ve never done CP for dinner and, although the food is good, the overall experience is a little disappointing. The kids here are CRAZY, and our table is placed in a crowded spot. (Note to self-don’t go here expecting a quiet meal!) We also noticed that the characters here don’t spend as much time with us “big kids” as they do with tables of little ones. We do get into the napkin waving, and “Mum” has her traditional “backwards dinner” (dessert first!)

After dinner, we take a picture of the castle with the four of us and head to Pirates of the Caribbean to ride because “Pete” really really likes this ride. (Well, we do too!) We don’t want to ride too many rides tonight because we have E-night to look forward to! We also notice how crowded Magic Kingdom is getting-crowds and heat…not a good mix. We decide to skip more rides and head to our traditional Spectromagic viewing spot (the raised platform in front of the Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade), but there are already people there! Rut Row! “Pete” comes to our rescue when he snags a bench from a nearby corner and proceeds to place it behind the people already on the edge of the platform. Double tiers-good thinking, “Pete”! People are shoving and squeezing in where ever they can. Boy, are we glad to get our spot when we did!

I pull out my “surprise” of the day-neon green glow necklaces for all of us! We are a hit (or maybe people are just wondering why “Pete” is wearing his on his head!) Actually we had a couple people wonder where they could buy them! They work out so well later on too as we just have to look for our necklaces in the dark to keep track of our group.

It seems as though we have been sitting here for awhile when an announcement finally blares through the park. Cool! It seems that we get to hear two different marching bands before Spectromagic starts. (P.S. I’m a marching band junkie.) It is really a nice surprise-definitely don’t get that in the fall. The glow necklaces must have leaked radiation into our systems because we’re soon pretending to know someone in the band. I even spontaneously yell out, “Go Bearcats!” as they march on by. Maybe no one else gets this, but it puts us in stitches! (“Mum” always encouraged us to “amuse” ourselves. Little did she know…!)

We didn’t realize that Spectromagic has been pushed back to 9pm with a showing of Fantasy in the Sky (originally scheduled for 9:15pm) at 9:30pm. That means E-night doesn’t start until 10pm…and lasts ‘til 1am! Wow! We gain an extra hour of park time unexpectedly! (You know what they say about the “best laid plans”.) As always we love Spectromagic and all those millions of twinkling lights. Such a magical parade…perfect for MK!

We decide to watch the fireworks in Toontown-just cuz we don’t want to jockey for position amongst the throng! Watching the fireworks there is great! Wow! Toontown is empty, and I love the feeling that these fireworks are going off just for us. (I know, I know…the hallucinations!) The only thing I miss is watching Tink’s flight.

Afterward, we do some shopping in the big store in Toontown (a girl at work has commissioned me to buy something “special” for her 3-year-old son and 18 month old daughter), and then it’s time for E-night to begin! We exchange our tickets at the Space Mountain arcade and ride Space and Buzz a number of times. It’s amazing how the crowds thin out! We actually feel…well, sorry for a family without wristbands that are turned away from riding Buzz. Then we make our way to Splash, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Haunted Mansion. I feel compelled to uphold tradition and surprise people with my infamous scream at the HM-it was actually pretty good and I’m impressed with my skill! We have a pretty “into it” HM CM who likes to stare eerily at people and follow them around. I love when the CMs get into their characters!

We end the day meeting up with…who else?…the Mouse Himself. “Mum” is thrilled and nearly pushes everyone else out of the way to get to him. Needless to say, we hold her in check and snap a classic photo of them together. Chip (or was it Dale?) decides to take me for a little stroll away from my family, arm-in-arm. We even get to goof around with Goofy!

There’s something wonderful about walking down Main Street as the clock strikes 1 am! We are tired, but…oh! What a magical day!

Weeds-go away!

1. The heat! (“Wow, it’s hot!” becomes a favorite saying)
2. Losing my pin!
3. We are so tired but we want to do everything!
4. Getting soaked at Kali River Rapids in denim
5. Crystal Palace
6. All the pushing and and shoving before the parade (Where’s the love?)

Blooms of the day

1. The wonder of WS in early morning!
2. All those colorful topiaries
3. Princesses (especially Mulan)
4. Drew at Test Track!
5. All those wonderful pins
6. Flower-and-Garden Festival seminar
7. Jammin’ Jungle Parade (love that music!)
8. Marching band/Spectromagic/Fantasy in the Sky
9. E-night!
10. We saw Mickey!

 

[Minniespal]

Thanks for sharing ~ Wonderful reviews!!!!!

 

[Marla Hellwig]

A very long but fun day for all - thanks for posting!