It does need to be freshly popped. That’s the most important thing.
1 Like
I will keep trying. I promise. Good popcorn or bust!
1 Like
1 Like
1 Like
As always, I love, love your writing style. I would buy your book 
Looking forward to reading more! Wait, there is more to come, right??!!
1 Like
Oh, my goodness, that is so sweet of you! Yes, yes; there is more. 
3 Likes
Wednesday, November 29
Animal Kingdom!!! Tiffins!!!
We leapt up at the crack of dawn to try to get to the Animal Kingdom before rope drop!!! Amy had already let me know she wasn’t going to be coming with us. That’s OK! Randy was up for it!!!
So we dashed to the Animal Kingdom in the dark and got inside soooooo early! We headed straight for Asia and Expedition Everest, but we were stopped by a rope across the bridge. That’s OK, there’s a bench nearby… and the next thing I knew, Mickey and Minnie in their safari outfits came out for a little meet and greet, which was AWESOME. Someone took pictures, I don’t know who, and I cried. Stupid! First and only character meet of the whole trip! I’ve got to allow more time for characters next time.
Then they dropped that rope and we went for Expedition Everest. How were we not the first people there? I do not know, since we were the only people waiting for the rope at that bridge. Anyway, we walked right on and rode Expedition Everest, and Randy enjoyed it very much!!! Well, why wouldn’t he? It’s an awesome ride!!!
Then we dashed over to Africa and walked right on to Kilimanjaro Safaris. Randy, Wesley, and I were seated in the row behind the wheelchair rows, and Tobin and Woodrow were in the row behind us. Y’all – Y’all, seriously. Are you listening to me? You need to know: It was the Best Safari Ever, because the lion came out and roared a bit and then started chuffing. SO COOL!!! I reached back behind me and grabbed Woodrow’s hand to tell him, “OH, MY GAH, THIS IS SO COOL!!!” And he laughed out loud. We were all just dyin’. That was the coolest safari ever!!
After the Best Safari Ever, we walked through Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, and I remembered why I really don’t like that trail. It’s just so boring to me!!! UGHHHHHH. I got very whiny. Everyone else had a blast, I think. (I much prefer the Maharajah Jungle Trek, but we didn’t make it that far this trip.) I just whined and looked for places to sit down. I was exhausted from rolling my eyes.
Then I think we got something to eat because I was hungry, and then we did Winged Encounters (that’s where the macaws fly in right around the Tree of Life for a super short show), and then we saw Feathered Friends in Flight. At some point we came across Viva Gaia, a dance party show on Discovery Island that Woodrow really enjoys. Randy and I danced with the little kids. Hey, man! When in Rome…!
And we saw part of the Merrie Menagerie, the polar bears and cubs, and some birds on poles, flying around in the air. (Didn’t see the penguins. Boo!) The performers are so happy!!! The music that plays when these puppets are out and about is just gorgeous, and a live steel drummer played along with the piped-in accompaniment. Brings a tear to my eye, just remembering it!
And then Randy left us to go back to the villa. We walked around just a smidgeon, and it was warming up enough to take off jackets. Did you know that if you have your glasses in your jacket pocket and you drape your jacket over your arm, your glasses can fall out? It’s true! Wesley conducted that experiment for us. You’ll never believe how long it took us to figure it out… Shopped a little but didn’t find anything really necessary.
And soon it was time to check in at Tiffins for our lunch reservation. Woodrow had been really looking forward to this meal, and I ended up really enjoying it. We read the menu to Wesley since he suddenly no longer had glasses. The famous bread service was not a win for me, though; most of it was spicy in one way or another. But I had this fabulous tamarind-spiced braised beef dish with a carrot purée and cipollini onions and all kinds of great stuff, nom nom nom. I forgot to take notes about what everyone else got. I think we got a dessert and shared? Oh, no, nope – I checked the menu. We didn’t get dessert; we were all stuffed. No leftovers to carry back to the villa this time!!!
I’m surprised Tiffins doesn’t get more love. Although, really, the Animal Kingdom has excellent quick service and snack foods, I guess I understand why people don’t dine there…? I know I’m sorry I missed getting barbeque at Flametree, and there are so many variations on bowls I haven’t had at Satuli. But I don’t regret one minute we spent at Tiffins that afternoon – and I look forward to going back someday!
Anyway! So then Wesley and I waddled out into the park. Woodrow and Tobin were going to ride Flight of Passage and … some other stuff, I think. Wesley and I were walking out and came across the really pretty mural with the winter animals, so we stopped for a PhotoPass photo. Woodrow and Tobin were still around and saw us getting our photos, so they stopped and Woodrow had his MagicBand scanned to connect the photo to his Memory Maker. Made that easier in the long run!
But then Wesley and I really did leave the Animal Kingdom and went back to the villa. Woodrow and Tobin went off to do their thing. They rode the bus back to the resort soon after we got back.
Took a long nap, drank coffee with Amy, and then we jumped up and went back to the Animal Kingdom because I love that park after dark.
Oh, who am I kidding? I love all the parks after dark!
First stop was at Guest Relations Lost & Found for Wesley’s reading glasses. We had absolutely no hope that they would be there… but they were!!! Reunited with his glasses, we could go on with our magical evening in a near-empty park!
We were headed to Asia to ride Expedition Everest again, but just across the bridge, Woodrow turned left and said, “I need to show Mother something.” And right there in the space in front of the Feathered Friends theatre, there are all these Diwali lanterns and colored lights strung up, and it’s so pretty, and it was so empty, and I cried because it was just so pretty. And Woodrow knew I would, which was why he made sure to show it to me. I took a picture of my people there. I love that place. It is my favorite place in the Animal Kingdom now.
THEN!!! We went to Expedition Everest, and it was a walk-on!!! So we rode it after dark, and it is AWESOME AFTER DARK!!! So much more thrilling, honestly. Highly recommended!
Then I went to the gift shop and picked out a kimono/scarf/wrap thingie. With tassels!!! Woodrow bought it for me, of course, so I could get 40% off, and then he had to go back and buy Tobin something, 40% off. ROFL. We walked slowly back to Africa – through the magical Diwali lights again – and I got a Dole Whip from Tamu Tamu. The one with coconut rum!!! LOL!!! (I have trouble remembering what we did for dinner that night, but I know I had a Dole Whip with coconut rum!!!)
Side note: There was a private Coca Cola executive party taking place at the Dawa Bar across the way, but those partying executives did not begrudge us our Dole Whips or our using the Africa restrooms. Happy people, those execs!
We slowly went back to Discovery Island to watch the holiday projections on the Tree of Life. I shopped in between shows but didn’t buy anything else. I’ve now seen the autumn projections and the holiday projections, and I can not pick a favorite. They’re wonderful shows. Skip the first two or three shows, let the crowd thin out, and then just watch to your heart’s content. They’re wonderful.
We also!!! Saw!!! The Animal Kingdom custodians doing their Wave Goodnight on the bridge from Discovery Island to the Oasis, so if you’re ever at the Animal Kingdom at closing, go give a custodian a high five!!! They’re really awesome people, check 'em out. I’m not just saying that because my baby boy is one. OK, yes, I am! ROFL!!!
We finally left the Animal Kingdom more than an hour after official “closing” time, and it was magical all the way out. I highly, highly recommend the Animal Kingdom after dark.
We actually made it back to the villa before everyone was asleep this night. That was lovely. We hung out, ate Sams Club pizza (Randy bought two and Amy thought, “We’re never going to eat all of this,” but then we did), made some more tags, listened to the Disney Resorts music on the Alexa – er, I mean, the Disney thingie smart speaker doodad. Whatever it’s called. I didn’t watch any TV the whole time I was in WDW. What’s the point? I’m in Walt Disney World!!!
To sleep, to sleep, perchance to dream… what dreams can be better than Disney? Ha! We just needed to rest up for the longest, most walkin’est day of the whole dang trip! And it was, of course, completely magical. Coming up! Epcot!!!
Miles walked: 5.9!!! Only almost six miles. Animal Kingdom is easy!
7 Likes
I love those colors!
I also really want to know the answer to this question.
The only time I’ve ever ridden EE was at night–I agree–amazing!!
3 Likes
Well… aren’t there pre-park-opening breakfasts? Otherwise, I’m stumped.
2 Likes
Maybe that is it. I thought about it and came up with nadda.
2 Likes
Thursday, November 30
Epcot!!! (My favorite park for years’n’years!!!)
Twenty years ago, we scheduled a trip for early November, 2003. We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge, and we scheduled some fun stuff. There was a fireworks cruise for the Magic Kingdom fireworks, and a meal at California Grill. I had saved up a lot of money for my every-other-year Tinker Bell watch purchase, and I was ready to shop, shop, shop!!!
What I didn’t count on, twenty years ago, was that I was going to arrive in WDW with a full-blown upper respiratory infection that was trending toward pneumonia as well as, well, you know, other problems. That whole trip is a very vague memory, except for three things:
- I couldn’t walk around the World Showcase because of the respiratory infection;
- The Tinker Bell watch I bought needed major readjustments by a jeweler; and
- There was a whole day where I stayed in the hotel room and cried while my husband did laundry, hung out in the hotel bar watching college football, and my kids spent the day playing in the Wilderness Lodge swimming pool. Without adult supervision.
On the positive side, that’s the trip when my younger son Woodrow started eating very adventurously after an early lifetime of subsisting on NutriGrain bars, Oreos, and chicken nuggets. Another Food & Wine Festival convert for the ages!
And here we are. 2003 to 2023. What a difference a couple of decades make!
Amy again decided to hang back, but Randy was, as usual, totally game for the game plan. WOO HOO!!!
So this Thursday was supposed to be my last day in the parks this year. I had a plan to order breakfast from the Boardwalk Deli so we could sneak into Epcot from the International Gateway. The five of us – Wesley, Randy, Tobin, Woodrow, and I – piled into our SUV and drove over to the Boardwalk! Smooth sailing! Wesley and Woodrow picked up our breakfasts from the Deli. I briefly fussed at Tobin over his handling of his breakfast sandwich, but Wesley made me chill out. Ugh. Old habits die hard!!! Anyway, we ate bagel sandwiches on the BoardWalk, drank our coffee, and enjoyed the clear, cool sky. Soon we made our way over to the International Gateway without incident. Of course we were all stopped before being allowed into France. While we were waiting, the family next to us asked me to take a picture of them. I happily obliged, and then they pixie dusted me with their very own laser-cut ornament!!! LOL!! Happy people!!!
When the rope dropped, this mass of humanity moved with alacrity and we were soon in the queue for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.
OH. There was this thing. Uch. I’m such an idiot. It’s France, right? And I took French in high school and college, never used it for anything – well, there’s a story from Cherokee, North Carolina, in 1985, when I was a counselor for a girls’ summer camp, and the campers all went into a museum and the counselors were setting up in a park for lunch, and these French tourists showed up, and one of them was gorgeous, and one of my fellow counselors struck up a conversation with him and all the other counselors gathered around me while I translated what the French people were saying…
Right, that’s my one “I used to speak French” story.
So here we are, in the France pavilion, and just like every ride in Disney World, the guy at the loading dock – who is French! – is asking everyone how many people are in their party. And me, thinking I’m all clever and stuff, when it was my turn, I triumphantly yelled, “CINQ!” and held up five fingers cuz we had FIVE people in our party, and CINQ is FRENCH for FIVE!!! HA HA!!! I AM SO CLEVER AND LOOK AT ME, I SPEAK FRENCH!!!
:::cringing so hard:::
And the guy immediately replied in French, and I caught the gist of it, which was, “Wait here and when it’s your turn, I will direct you to one of those numbered lines next to a car,” (like Every Disney Ride Ever) but I didn’t really understand every word and while I stood there, I started worrying, “This guy is going to tell you something in a minute, and you are really not going to understand him,” so I finally 'fessed up. “Hey, um, I’m not really French, I speak English, I’m so sorry,” and he was really nice and didn’t roll his eyes at me for being a doofus.
But here’s the really cool part. When it was my turn to be directed to a car, he looked right at me and enunciated clearly, “Un … et … deux,” and I yelled, “ONE!!! AND TWO!!!” and pointed enthusiastically at the rows he had assigned me. Such a nice guy. He helped me feel like it was NOT stupid of me to try out my rusty old French numbers in the line for Remy’s.
And!!! We totally enjoyed the ride!!!
Well, how could we not? It’s completely adorable.
(I had no tags to give that lovely CM, but I did do a Cast Compliment on the MyDisneyExperience app. He was really – I mean – that’s the kind of CM magic that really makes me love Disney.)
After Remy’s, we headed out. I wanted to find a restroom. Wesley wanted to go back to the International Gateway and rent a locker. (It was already too warm for our jackets!) I had read that the restrooms at the UK pavilion were out of order. (AUCK!) So I went all the way to the restrooms at the thing in the place behind the hedges. ROFL!!! What is the name of that place? Millennium Village? Well, that’s what it was 20-odd years ago. I had never been back there, so I had never experienced those massive, massive restrooms. Wow!!! But I also ran into a few more people who were like, “Are there really any restrooms back here?!” The joint was kind of a maze.
When my group re-formed, we headed straight to The Land pavilion for Soarin’ Over California. So happy!!! OMG, OMG, OMG!!! I loved, loved that attraction in 2006. It’s amazing to me that I only rode Soarin’ Over California maybe 4 or 5 times, and then went 14 years before riding the computer-generated Soarin’ Over the World. I mean, it’s OK, but like the Avatar ride, it’s just fake. Reality on film is so much better.
We asked to be seated in the middle. I waited next to a lovely older lady who had mobility issues. She apologized a lot for how “slow” she was; as far as I was concerned, this just gives one more time to appreciate every detail and experience. She was so nice. I hope she had a great trip. We sat together in the middle and I cried. Sniffle!! Then she reminded me to look for the Mickey on the golf ball. ROFL!!! I had totally forgotten about it!
We were going to do Living with the Land next, but the queue was, like, 20 minutes and filling up fast. Woodrow and Tobin were working Tobin’s DAS pass and had a thing – a LL? – for Mission: Space in a little bit. In the meantime, they all wanted to tour The Seas. (So hard not to call it The Living Seas!!!) I was not interested at all, so I sat outside in the nearly empty stroller parking lot. Well, I was looking for shade.
I read the news on my phone and watched a family eat a very early lunch. They parked next to wall and pulled out sandwiches and baggies of blueberries and grapes, and they ate what looked like lunch. Seemed perfectly happy to be doing it, too! I am a spoiled American brat; I have known since 1996 that it is possible to be frugal in Disney World and carry your own lunch into the parks, but I have never done it, and I am pretty sure I would be a whiny snotwad if I had to eat a bologna sandwich while sitting outside a pavilion with a ton of awesome food offerings. (Hello, Sunshine Seasons is right over there in the Land Pavilion!) But that family was happy. It was a big family. Two sets of parents (I think the dads were brothers, but they didn’t speak English or French, so I’m not really sure), 5 kids, some of whom were still in strollers, and all of them happily monching away on sammitches and booberries. It was awesome!!! Kudos to them! I was whining to myself every time the sun moved so that I was out of the shade and into the sun, so I kept scooching down the wall to stay in the shade. Ugh! How long can 4 people stare at aquariums?!? This was taking forever!!!
Finally, my people came out and found me, and we crossed over to the other side to ride Mission: Space.
I love that ride!!! I’m always a little nervous – well, I’m nervous since our return trip in 2021. I am a lot heavier … and older … than I was when Mission: Space was new. But it’s always so good!!! The weightlessness is just so cool. Highly recommend this attraction!
At this point, we had done everything in Future World that we wanted to do (except Living with the Land, but that was still an hour wait), so we headed to the World Showcase where we turned left and started walking around the lagoon slowly, shopping and watching mariachi bands and whatnot. It was sunny and too hot within about 15 minutes, so I stopped at a stand outside China and bought a little bamboo umbrella. It was cute but impractical and I really just wanted the shade it provided.
By the time we made it to Germany, it was time for the men’s lunch reservation at Biergarten. I don’t actually like the Biergarten. I haven’t been there since 2006, so I should probably acquire an open mind and try it again, but ugh, I look at that price for an adult meal – SIXTY!!! DOLLARS!!! – and I just cannot bring myself to pay that much for a massive meat buffet. Meat, y’all. It’s meat with meat side dishes and a sausage array to defeat any vegetable which might threaten to accost some unsuspecting meat-eating man.
(I asked my people if my memory of the buffet remains accurate, and half of them said that there was salad, SO THERE, but ask them what kind of salad, and you don’t get good answers.)
Since Amy had not come with us, I had cancelled my reservation for Via Napoli much, much earlier. I just didn’t think it was worth it to eat there by myself. I planned to go to Les Halles, but I didn’t make it all the way to France before I got too tired of walking and too hungry to keep going. Instead, I stopped at Spice Road Table in Morocco and dined al fresco with a gorgeous view of the World Showcase Lagoon. I got the bread service (na’an with hummus and stuff) and the sampler, which came with kefta, spiced chicken, another thingy… Everything was fabulous except the lamb kefta. I’ve got to learn to stop ordering it. I just do not like it.
I kept in touch with my people who were stuffing themselves with enough meat and sausages to get the meat sweats, and I went back to Germany and got in line at Caramel Cootchie – er, I mean Karamell-Kuche – to get some by-gum caramel stuff. A woman in front of me was telling everyone around her what to order – she apparently goes there all the time, and everyone was just bowing to her greater knowledge. To be honest, I didn’t think you could really go wrong in there, but whatever. Everyone was having fun just standing in line and making up their minds. I got caramels and a ginger cookie sandwich that had both caramel and buttercream frosting in the middle. There were other things, but I no longer remember what all I got. I do know that when I paid and walked out, I thought, “Dammit, I should’ve gotten the caramel popcorn.” Kicking myself still!!! It smells divine in there!
(The cookie sandwich turned out to be Very! Sweet! I might not get that again the next time I’m there. It was good, of course, just really, really sweet.)
Tobin joined me in that shop (Caramel Cootchie) while I was in line. Wesley and Woodrow were shopping elsewhere. Randy had had enough of Epcot, and he headed back to the villa to hang out with Amy. (I think they were going to go somewhere outside the bubble.) Then it turned out Wesley was getting a shot glass in a German shop where they etch different things on the glassware, and he got a Dumbo shot glass. Cannot argue with that kind of taste!
Then we walked alllllll the way back to the Guardians pavilion and rode Guardians of the Galaxy, which was 6 kinds of awesome. We didn’t get the best song – we heard “Disco Inferno,” which is the second worst song you can get on that ride. (Wesley loathes “September,” but I can handle it more sanguinely than he.)
(The last time we rode, we got Blondie’s “One Way or Another,” which is perfect, but I just really want to hear “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”)
There was some shopping, and Tobin decided to do more stuff in Epcot without the rest of us.
Annnnnnnnnnd… after that, it was time to go back to Saratoga Springs and get some major rest. We were planning to go back for Extra Evening time or whatever they call it now. I wanted to get a long nap and be ready for some late night shenanigans in my favorite park!!!
Before we left, though…
Of course, having parked at the Boardwalk, we had to go back through the World Showcase to the International Gateway. This is just one of the reasons that I walked 11 miles that last day in the parks. Parking at the Boardwalk… and it’s Epcot. Which I love, so I ain’t complainin’.
And, by the way, the walking didn’t kill me. My cardiologist loves my corgi puppy because she ensures that I walk at least – at least! – two miles per day (except on snow days when the snow is actually ice, ahem, January 15-22, 2024). Here’s a picture of Scupper, who keeps me in shape for WDW:
Yeah, she looks manageable like that, doesn’t she? HA.
By the way, I did not like the little umbrella I had bought at China. It was just super cute but not my cup of tea. (I prefer my lavender Totes umbrella. This was Lavender Umbrella’s third trip to Disney World, so it really knows how to shade me when I need it.) So when I got back to the resort, I made a tag that said, “You just found pixie-dusted shade!” and I left that cute bamboo umbrella at the bus stop. I really hope a child found it, but I’ll never know!
A long nap was, indeed, taken that lovely afternoon, and I hung out at the tiny dining room table for a while with my people. I love my people. Amy is my best, best friend, and I dearly love being with her. She is fun and smart. Amy was on “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire” some years ago. She sang “Everything’s Coming Up Regis” (to the tune of “Everything’s Coming Up Roses”) to Regis Philbin. Amy is awesome. If y’all ever get a chance to hang out with her, I do recommend it.
Somewhere around 8:00, I started getting ready to go back to Epcot, and Wesley pulled me aside and confessed that he did not want to go. 
What?! Inconceivable!!! LOL Not really, I totally understood. We had been going like mad for days, and he just wanted to hang out with Amy and Randy. And after all the nice things I just said about my sister, I really couldn’t blame him!
So Tobin and Woodrow and I went to the bus stop and caught a bus back to beautiful Epcot. We had some PhotoPass pics taken in front of Spaceship Earth, but I prefer one that I took.
We walked through the Moana water thingie, and it was sooooo cute. I kind of wish I had spent more time there. I kinda thought I would walk through it again later in the night, but we did not make it back there again.
Then we headed over to Living with the Land to ride the Christmas overlay version. Lovely!!!
I do love that ride!!! I’m sorry Wesley missed it. It’s beautiful at night! And we missed the fireworks while we were in there. Whew!!! I am not a fan of the interim fireworks. I’m still pretty annoyed that Reflections of Earth has ended. I loved that show so much.
I was starving by this time, so we walked to Yorkshire County Fish Shop in the UK pavilion for a much-anticipated serving of fish and chips. I used to always get fish & chips whenever I went to WDW back in the day. (1996-2006, when I first became a Disney freak and memorized the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World.) I had not found time to go here in any of my recent renaissance trips (Sept 2021, April 2022, Oct 2022). (I mean, seriously, y’all, all the food at Disney is so much better now than it was 20-25 years ago.) So I was really, really looking forward to this dinner.
There was hardly anyone else there! It was awesome!!! We found a table on the terrace there, but we hadn’t gotten enough napkins or malt vinegar. Woodrow went back to get them, but when he came back, he stopped at the first table with people and started putting down condiments and utensils, while talking, only to realize that he was talking to strangers. And they!!! Had misunderstood him!!! They thought that he was telling them to leave!!! 
ROFL!!! Tobin and I were calling, “Woodrow! Woodrow!!! We’re over here!!!” We all laughed, it was fun, and then we ate very delicious fried fish and french fries and, oh, I was so happy.
While seated there in the lovely, empty darkness, we discussed what to do next. We looked at the wait times for Ratatouille and Guardians, cleaned off our table, and started walking slowly back toward Future World. Slowly. We encountered a pair of custodians doing water art on the sidewalk, so we stopped and watched that for a while. They drew Donald! My favorite! It was really good, too. We chatted with those guys for a few minutes; Woodrow confessed that he only had one session of learning water art, and he never does it.
Boo! 
Then we walked up the Mexico pavilion to ride the Gran Fiesta Tour, which I haven’t ridden in years and years and years. Seriously. I think it was 1998 or so. I mean, once you’ve ridden it… Y’know.
It was adorable! And there was absolutely no one there!!! We chatted with CM’s and shopped at a leisurely pace in the open shops and kiosks. It was such a pleasant way to pass the time! Highly recommended!
When we finally left the Mexico pavilion, we were – OK, wait, this is a shock, I know, but – we were actually tired. The park was still going to be open for a while, but we were just ready to hit the Creations shop on our way out. I bought the Three Caballeros mug, but there was only one Tinker Bell watch in the whole place. And I mean, we scoured that joint in search of nice watches. There was a big blue Donald watch, but I’d never had a Donald watch. It was always Tink… back in the day… when you could choose from dozens and dozens of watches at all kinds price points. Now you’re lucky to find a half dozen watches in only the biggest stores in the parks.
And the prices… well, that’s changed, too. 
Back to the bus, back to the resort, where I crashed. No upper respiratory infections, no hormonal-imbalance-induced day-long crying jags, no Tinker Bell watches. But! Finally, a chance to sleep late!
Miles walked: 11.4!!!
9 Likes
Found the picture!! Amy on WWTBAM, February or March, 2001 –
8 Likes
Oh wow!!! 
2 Likes
Caramel Coochie 
1 Like
Corgis never are.
It sounds like you didn’t have any trouble parking at Boardwalk which is suprising (but great).
2 Likes
Yeah, it cracks me up, too!!!
I placed a mobile order on our way to the Boardwalk and showed the guard the app on my phone. He was very friendly. We self-parked and moseyed on down to the Boardwalk proper… That’s a lie. I specifically remember speed walking like … competitive speed walkers to get our bagel sandwiches. Wesley and I always try to figure out the shortest walk from self-parking to the Boardwalk, and I usually get it wrong. Go to the convention center? Or aim for the bus stop? I can’t tell! I’m terrible at geometry!
3 Likes
Just discovered this morning that I accidentally deleted the master document where I had written my original 59,400-word trip report. So I’ll have to re-write the entry for Friday, December 1st. Sigh. At least it was a short one since I wasn’t supposed to even go to a park that day. Supposably (as Joey would have said).
3 Likes
Oh no!
1 Like
It’s OK. I had already copied most of it here, so I can just copy my posts here and re-create the doc.
I’m just miffed because Google keeps telling me I’ve used up 90% of my Gmail storage, so I’ve been deleting old emails like crazy, trying to free up some storage. Gmail promised me unlimited storage when I got this stupid account!!! (In 2006…) I want my unlimited storage, dang it!!!
2 Likes
Friday, December 1, 2024
Ale & Compass, …and …?
Right. I accidentally deleted the first attempt at this day’s report, and then I came down with COVID, which, just in case you were wondering, I don’t recommend. I also don’t recommend Paxlovid, particularly, because the side effects are something else. And then… I had rebound COVID. Also not recommended. So I’m finally going to finish this trip report, which will be the first time I’ve ever finished a trip report. Yay, me!
So we slept relatively late on this gorgeous last full day in Disney World. I had an 8:40 ADR for Ale & Compass that glorious morning, so Wesley, Woodrow, Tobin, and I all piled into the SUV and tootled off to the Yacht Club for brekkies. (As the kids would say.)
I adore the Yacht Club. 80 years ago when we first took the kids, our best friends stayed at the Yacht Club with their baby, and we stayed at the All Stars Music with our wild children. So we spent A LOT of time hanging out with our friends at the Yacht Club. Their water view room looked over a gazebo, and one afternoon while our toddlers were napping, my friend Peytyn and I watched a wedding. That was 1996.
Hard to believe that was so long ago.
Anyway, I’ve always told myself I’ll stay at the Yacht Club someday. Hasn’t happened yet, but it still could. I mean, there’s still a lottery. I could win. (I would just have to remember to buy a ticket…)
We checked in for breakfast and were soon seated. Oh, I would like to go back and have that breakfast all over again! I got the dark chocolate waffles (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it); Woodrow had the french toast; Wesley had an omelet, and Tobin got Mickey waffles (because, again, if it ain’t broke…).
It was delicious. We were happy. This was a good morning, and Woodrow and Tobin decided they wanted to go back to Epcot. So Woodrow made a reservation for them, and I decided, hey, if they were going, I could surely use more time shopping in France. It’s just my favorite these days. This is what’s good about having a kid who works at WDW. If he’s using a 3/16 park admission, and just one person is going with him (Tobin), then it’s no trouble at all to add a second person (me). Woo hoo! Time to shop!!!
And that’s exactly what I did. I finally found a regular Magic Band in one of the shops in France – lavender with Minnie – and then I found an umbrella printed with Monet’s waterlilies. Eee!! I had to wait for Woodrow to come back to give me his CM discount, but thank goodness, I was waiting in Epcot. It was just gorgeous.
We stopped for some windy pics –
And then we parted ways. I took the Skyliner to Disney MGM – er, I mean, Hollywood Studios – and caught a bus back to Saratoga Springs.
The remainder of the day is a blur. Packing and ordering Chinese food… Hanging out with Amy … After dinner, Woodrow and I took a bus to Disney Springs (exhausted!) and I looked for a serious watch. We were directed to a store called Ever After, which is where they put the good jewelry now. I could not just pick a watch. They’re so much more expensive now than they were in the 'way back, like 1996-2006, back when I bought a new Tinker Bell watch basically every year. There are so many fewer styles and colors, and they’re so much more expensive. I kept getting distracted by a very large Bulova watch with an early Donald Duck graphic.
And so we wandered around and shopped, while chatting. Woodrow and I bought Ironman socks for Wesley (for Christmas), and we got gelato, too. It snowed at Disney Springs, but the “snow” wasn’t nearly as nice as the “snow” had been at Hollywood Studios a few days before. It was very sudsy “snow”.
When we got back to the condo, everyone else was asleep.
So the next morning, we threw all our stuff in the SUV and left Disney World. Bluh. Don’t recommend leaving. Hmph. But!!! Silver lining: I Finished A Trip Report!!! It was truly a very good trip, even though there were a few hiccups. Final thoughts coming up!
11 Likes