Day 6 - The Evening
On Thursday afternoon, I returned to our room triumphant! For I'd finally faced my fear and rode Splash Mountain! I also returned with a developing cold sore on the right corner of my mouth. CARP! So I had to by some over- priced campho phenique from AKL's gift shop. Believe me, I did try to keep my hands CLEAN and away from my face - but I guess some things are bound to happen. So needless to say, as my pride grew that day, SO DID THE COLD SORE! UGHHHH!
That evening, we were going to EPCOT's World Showcase, since this was deemed a good day to go on touringplans. As we rested in the room, I got a call from DISer Antss. She told me that she'd gotten in touch with DISer Klofan, and that he was planning on going to Magic Kingdom (MK) that evening. CARP! I hadn't seen Klofan that WHOLE week. Some of you may remember that we met in December at the Christmas Party.
So now I had a choice to make: Go to the World Showcase, since I didnt get a chance to visit it the last time I was there, OR go back to Magic Kingdom.
I asked my Mother what she wanted to do. She said that she wouldn't mind going back to MK, and that it was up to me. Well, after such a SAD departure moments earlier, I HAD to pick MK! I had to see it one more time, AND I had to see Klofan!
Today we did not have a dinner reservation, so we decided to eat dinner at Columbia Harbor House at MK. While we were waiting for the bus, it started to rain. Then when the bus arrived, everyone who got off looked wet and tired. I looked at my Mother and asked if we should just turn around and go back to the room. She said no, that we should head out, and if it's still raining when we get there, we could turn around and come back.
After we boarded the bus, the rain started comming down in SHEETS! I was sooooo sad. But yet I put on my TinkerBell baseball cap, and my rain poncho, with the hood covering the hat. We bravely got off the bus, and headed into the park.
My Mother's rain poncho was defective, so we headed into one of the shops on Main Street to buy an overpriced WDW poncho for her. While inside the shop, teeming with wet guests, we bumped into DISer PennConn and his BF. They were buying matching baseball caps insted of Ponchos for the rain! He told me that afterwards, they were heading to Columbia Harbor House for dinner. What a coincidence!
On the way over, my Mother loaned them her umbrella, and we braved the rain once again! When we got there. DISer Kat was there, and waiting for Antss to show up. We called Antss to see how close she was to getting there, then ordered our food and got a table. I ordered the Chicken Breast Nuggets & Fish and French fries - $8.19. It was just okay. I think this is the only meal that disappointed me.
Soon Antss joined us. She wasnt hungry, and just hung out with us while we ate. We decided to go to the Haunted Mansion afterwards, where I would be meeting Klofan! Fortunantly, it had stopped raining by the time we went outside!!!! I am soooo glad that my Mother suggested that we keep going!
While standing outside of the HM, I called klofan to find out where he was. Well, he was stuck on Small World! By the time I called, the boat had just started moving again. PennConn and his BF decided to ride HM while the rest of us waited for Klofan. As we were standing around, they were all chatting, so I figured that this would be a good time to
discretely apply my OVER-PRICED cold sore medicine. With compact in one hand, medicine in the other, and mouth stretched at an odd angle, I hear, "She doesn't even see me". I slowly turn around, and there's Klofan and his friend Kristen smiling and waving. What a stellar moment for me - NOT!
Well, neither of them seemed to notice (or smell) the medicine that I was putting on! They were excited that we were finally meeting up again! So soon, we were happily in line for the Haunted Mansion! I think ALL of us love this ride!
Afterwards, talking a mile a minute, we walked over to Thunder Mountain! As you know, this is MUCH better at night! When we got off, I THINK we were supposed to head over towards Main Street to see Spectro. But realizing that these were our first, and last moments together, we skipped it. For Klofan declared, "We HAVE to get Gmax on Space Mountain"!!!! HUH? These people are CRAZY, I'd already hit my thrill-ride quota! But time was "awasting". The park would be closing soon.
So what happened folks? I found myself following FOUR Internet Strangers to die in a space-like enviroment. We dropped my Mother off to see the parade, and was going to meet her, and PennConn afterwards for Spectro. Sadly, I gave my Mother my bag, and wished me a good time as I headed off with these STRANGERS!
Fortunantly, the line was non-exsistant. So I didnt have time for my stomach to hurt while thinking about what was about to happen. Since the seats are back-to-back, I made them promise to put me in the middle of two of them. I did NOT want to be in the front, nor the back. Before I knew it, I was squeezing my 6 Foot Long body, down into a car made for midgets! When I was in there, my knees were so high, that I felt like I was on a Lifetime show about giving birth!
Soon we were off. I PANICKED when my safety bar MOVED! They told me that soon it would click into place. It did. When the car started through a light-tunnel, I was thinking, "OH JESUS". But then I realized I was saying it OUT LOUD! HA! Soon we were engulfed in darkness while the Internet Strangers were laughing, giggling and cheering. The car picked up speed, and we were in space! I think I screamed/giggled the whole time.
Now, for those of you who are like me, and scared to drop, I will tell you the ABSOLUTE truth about this ride. If you like riding Thunder Mountain at night, you WILL like this! There were no drops - there were no "Oh my God why did I get on this" moments. It was like Thunder Mountain, but faster, and darker. That's it! Yes, I faced TWO of my fears in one day, and they both turned out to NOT be a big deal. In fact, what everyone was telling me is true, Expedition Everest is waaaaaaay more intense than Splash and Space Mountain. And EE is only intense because of the backwards part, because the "drop", banks to the left.
After exiting Space, they decided that they didnt have to see Wishes. Afterall, the park was about to close, and we could squeeze in another ride. We met up with my Mother, and called PennConn to tell him our change of plans. Soon, we were once again leaving my Mother (very content) on a bench, as we headed off. Where did they want to go you ask . . .
SPLASH MOUNTAIN!
We excitedly walked back across the park, to squeeze in Splash before the park closed. See? Splash can't be bad, anytime I volunteered to ride it a second time! All I asked was to not sit in the front, and for the person in front of me to keep their arms down so I could see my face in the pic. After all, you all remember what happend when I rode Tower of Terror last year?
As we were riding inside the mountain, I remembered to thank God for this evening. Here I was riding something I have been afraid of for YEARS, with people who I now call friends! I would have never guessed that I would be blessed like this!
Like the first time, I made sure that I had my poncho on so I wouldnt get wet. But this time, I wanted to keep my eyes open wide so I could see the view, and where we were going to land in the drop. The end result: I look like the crazy Internet Stranger you hope to never meet, who just happends to be covered in PLASTIC!
And for even FURTHER embarassment, here's an even CLOSER look:
And with that, I'll bid you all "Adieus".
Go to Page 15!
do ya' need some AL gas? 
I heard from my sis that it is pretty rough over there. No gas, and when you do find it, there is a long line to get it. 
. But seriously, isn't it amazing how so many people from everywhere in the world, from all walks of life, can come together with this common thread and not just get along, but in many cases become friends (and like an extended family, thank you very much). There certainly is still magic in the Magic Kingdom, and we all need to take just a touch of it back with us to our "real" worlds. Ya know, I betcha that could make even our everyday lives better.
Who is this person??? Where's Glenda???
You should be proud!
