Day 2 - Saturday, October 25 – Plan: Epcot, Animal Kingdom
Reality -
I really did leap up at the crack of dawn, took my Levothyroxine, and then laid back down for a half hour, trying to go back to sleep. No good! I was sooo excited!!! I was always the “way too excited” about Christmas, the first day of school, camp banquet speech, etc., kid.
I really just wanted to get there already.
I made coffee in the little maker in the room. (Which is not a Keurig.) Tip: Even though it says “for one cup, fill water to the first line,” DO NOT put water all the way up to that first line. That’s way too weak. Just put, like, two-thirds, or three-quarters of a cup in there. It’s still not going to be great coffee – or even good – but it won’t be brown water, which is better than nothing.
I put on make-up and drank the “meh” coffee, and I managed to eat about half of the croissant I’d purchased the night before. Thank goodness, time passed swiftly, and I headed out for the bus stop.
I landed at the bus stop nice and early… just in time for the first bus to leave. ROFL!!! Ah, well, I wouldn’t be in the first group, but that’s OK. I was first in line for the next bus, which came so quickly, I barely had time for another “first queue of the day” selfie!!!
The bus driver for this trip to Epcot was another fabulous one – he noticed my birthday button and made the whole bus wish me a happy birthday – and they *did*! This was turning out to be another magical day in Disney World!
I don’t remember if I’ve mentioned it, but I went to Disney World for my birthday a few years ago, and they were out of birthday buttons. I asked everywhere. No one had any buttons. And… the actual day of the birthday didn’t go well. We went to Hollywood Studios, and we bought the – what were they called? Genie+ or something? I don’t remember. You had to wrestle with your phone about everything, just like right now. It was awful. There was line cutting everywhere, and the Rock’n’Roller Coaster broke down while we were in standby, but they didn’t let us out. It was just a bad day overall, much less a disappointing birthday. Even California Grill was a bummer. I’m so happy that this trip was going so much better. All I had to do was sacrifice a clever Madame Leota quote on a t-shirt to the Zazzle gods, and voila! Nice birthday weekend!
Anyway, the bus arrived at Epcot nice and early. The walk to security was sort of interesting, because a man several feet in front of me decided to fire up a doobie before he went into the park. Um, OK? Really? It wasn’t even 8:00! Made it through security without being pulled aside, and then got in line at the tapstiles. I was not there for long before they started letting us in, and then, voomp! Off to the right for Early Entry. That line stood around a little bit longer. Then they started scanning us in, and we were sent left, and then routed to the right of Spaceship Earth. I twirled around and took a video – how do I post 6 second videos in this forum? This was not my first twirl of the trip, nor the last!
And soon I was in line for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind!!!
YES, I had a LLSP for that very same ride a little later in the morning, but having been deprived of it for the last two trips, I really wanted to ride it. I was (as always) hoping to get “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” a song which came out at the end of my freshman year of college and which holds a special place in my heart.
(So does “I Ran,” but c’mon, y’all, Tears for Fears had better hair than Flock of Seagulls. We can all agree on that, right?)
I have gotten “September” once or twice – Dear Hubby hates that song, but I don’t mind it – and “One Way Or Another” at least twice. I think I’ve gotten “Conga” once, too. But “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”? Oh, no, I just haven’t been that lucky.
But for this day – this Birthday Trip Day – maybe, if I’ve been really good and hold my breath in just the right way, MAYBE I can get ONE play-through of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” if I both rope-dropped the ride AND had a Lightning Lane for it, too.
Maybe.
It’s my dreamiest dream, after all. IT’S MY ACTUAL BIRTHDAY WISH, Y’ALL. Let’s get some Tears for Fears up in this joint!
Soooo… The line was pretty chill. I like that they’ve done away with the actual rope drop and the elimination of the mob stampede. That’s a nice change. We all stood in line outside the building and waited.
A child behind me was facing her parents behind her and bouncing around, lost control, and totally scraped the sole of her shoe down the back of my ankle. Like, SCRAAAAAAAAAAAAPE. I was startled and hurt, so I actually said, “OW,” louder than I intended. Yikes.
The dad pulled the daughter away from me and said, “Sorry,” while the stompy girl looked both ashamed and scared.
I hopped around on one foot for a while until the stinging abated. Soon the line was moving, and I almost forgot about the skinned ankle. By the time we were gathered in the gathering room, I was separated from stompy girl and near a mom and her son, who were excitedly wondering about what to expect. Eventually, they turned to me and asked if it was a fast ride. ROFL!!
I said yes, it’s a very intense ride; it’s probably my favorite fast ride in Disney World.
“Really?” the son asked, maybe 10 years old. “What are your other favorite rides?”
“Well, honestly, I’m, uh, a big fan of the slow, classic rides… but Expedition Everest is a great roller coaster in the Animal Kingdom.”
“What else do you like in Epcot?”
“Oh, seriously, I’m such a loser. I love Living with the Land and Soarin’, and they’re really … slow and … kinda lame…” I felt bad. This was not building a kid up to believe I have any taste at all in fast rides. I had no credibility whatsoever. “Mission: Space is cool! That one’s really cool! Buzz Aldrin said it was the closest thing to really training with NASA!!!”
I could *see* the kid thinking, “Who’s Buzz Aldrin?”
At some point, they told me that it was the boy’s birthday, and I told them to get a birthday button as soon as they could. I also told them that the preshow was cool, and the doors open on the right side of the room, and I would be moving to the left side so I could be last in line. That last bit shredded whatever credibility I had left. I never saw that nice lady and her polite son again. I hope they enjoyed the ride.
As for me, I was *so* gratified that nobody talked back to the screen during the pre-show. Nobody said that Epcottians called themselves drunks, nobody tried to recite the dialogue along with the actors. It was *awesome*. And then I really was one of the last people to get in line, a line which moved *so* quickly.
And then, the next thing I knew, I was loaded into the first car, which of course turns into the last car, next to a strange man, secured my glasses and my umbrella, and the next thing I knew, Gamora was saying, “I think we’re jumping BACK.”
And –
And –
And –
Y’all.
“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” started playing, and I started crying.
Y’ALL. Srsly.
Just teared up again, remembering it!
The guy next to me was a happy guy, and he didn’t seem to mind that I was scream-singing the words along with the song and pumping my arms in the air like a crazy lady.
See? Crazy lady.
I was so, so happy. It was a birthday miracle!!! I didn’t have to wait in a long line; I wasn’t seated next to someone who is easily nauseated; the weather was gorgeous outside; I was riding the best roller coaster in the world, AND I was listening to “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”
Totally cried off half my mascara!
It was the best ride EVER.
When we got off, I went to the elevator with a couple, one of whom was in a scooter. They were both very happy, laughing, having enjoyed the Cosmic Rewind very much. The woman was wiping tears off her cheeks, as was I, and she said, “It pushes the tears out of your eyes, doesn’t it?!”
And I said, “No… well, yes, but I had always wanted to hear ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World,’ and I finally got it, and IT’S MY BIRTHDAY, SOOOOOOOOO…” sob, sob, sob, sniffle, sob, LOL!
And the nice couple shrieked and cooed with great sympathy, and we all laughed. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is the best roller coaster. And I have always loved roller coasters. So I should know.
LOL – still sniffling!!!
OK, this trip report is going to be a novel at this rate.
SO! After that, I was thinking that I needed to get some breakfast or ride Mission:Space or something. I walked toward MS, but it was down, I think. I can’t remember. Maybe the line was too long. I walked past it and went toward Test Track.
I haven’t ridden Test Track in, I dunno, 23 or 22 years. Dear Hubby is not a fan. Was not a fan. “I ride in cars all the time,” he would say, and we would skip Test Track. If I was at WDW with my four friends, and *they* wanted to ride it, I would ride it. That was the original iteration, back when it looked and sounded like a crash-test dummy simulation.
But as I approached this Test Track, I realized that the Single Rider line might be short and quick, so I asked a CM where it was. She pointed behind her and said, “It’s right here!” So I entered right there, and for single riders, it was an absolute walk-on! In no time at all, I was seated in a car, and when I couldn’t fasten my own seatbelt, the lady next to me buckled it for me. Then she buckled her friend’s seatbelt, too! LOL! We were laughing about how she was keeping all of us safe!
So, long story short (too late, I know, LOL), I very much enjoyed Test Track. It’s so much better now! And since they took out the speedometers, you don’t find yourself thinking, “54 miles per hour? That’s not so fast. I go faster than that all the time.” I even told Wesley when I got home that he really ought to try it again. Much better! Good job, Disney!
At that point, I decided I was too hungry to keep looking for rides to ride, and I headed for France. Before I even got to the World Showcase, it was getting hot, so I opened my trusty umbrella and provided myself with some shade. I strolled past Canada and was making my way through England, quite oblivious, when someone touched my arm. I turned, and Alice (of Wonderland) was looking at me with big blue eyes, and she said, “Lovely umbrella you’ve got there,” in a perfect, crisp, posh British accent.
Now, the go-to fun accent in my family is an exaggerated posh British accent, so I replied likewise without thinking, “Thenk you veddy much.” ROFL!!
Then I continued on my merry way to France. Such a pretty pavilion! I went straight to Les Halles and got into the already not-inconsiderable line to get breakfast.
Before too long, lovely Cast Member Mina was helping me procure a ham & cheese croissant (the lauded “best bargain in Epcot”), a strawberry tart (I can never resist!), and a cappuccino. Oh, I wish I could say the cappuccino was good. I was getting desperate for good coffee. Unfortunately, that “cappuccino” came out of one of those terrible automatic machines. Good for American hot chocolate. Not so good for espresso drinks.
While I was waiting for my croissant to warm up, I handed one of my little plastic ducks to Mina, who was charmed. She said she would keep it always! LOL!!! I gave out several of these ducks this trip; and I gave as many Cast Compliments as I could. It’s not always easy to find a CM’s name tag without looking rather, well, creepy!!!
Anyway, Mina was adorable, and I took my tray all the way out of the building and around to the pass-through between shops. There’s a small seating area of tables and chairs close to that pretty Art Deco wrought-iron arch that leads to Remy’s, and I like to sit there and eat my breakfast. There were plenty of tables and chairs when I arrived. By the time I left, I felt it best to give my table to some other hungry sojourner!
In the meantime, that breakfast was delicious.
I texted pics to Woodrow and Dear Hubby.
They were appropriately envious. 
I briefly considered checking Remy to see if the single rider line would get me inside, but my return time for my LLSP at Guardians was fast approaching, and I didn’t want to run all the way back to Future World, so I just started walking slowly back. When I got to Canada, I thought, “Oh! The waterfall is back on!” and I sort of veered to the left, but then I glanced at my phone and realized that it was already 10:30. The window would be closing in 20 minutes!
So instead of going to Canada, I went back to Guardians and got in line.
I was so pleased that the pre-show again was without rowdiness, even though it was more crowded and there were a LOT more people wearing t-shirts about drinking around the World. “I’m making POUR choices,” “World Tour,” “Drinkerbell” – the list goes on and on. It was… a vibe. As the kids used to say.
This second time, the lady next to me asked, “Is it a fast ride?”
“Yes,” I said, “And *such* a good one!!!” Then I paused and asked cautiously, “Are you prone to motion sickness?”
Thank heaven, she replied, “No, not at all!”
“In that case, you will probably love it!”
And she did! The song this time was “One Way Or Another,” and I didn’t cry, but I *did* enjoy it very, very much. It somehow reminded me of riding in the car with my sister, singing “Rip Her to Shreds” at the top of our lungs. (She’s so tall/ Come on, rip her to shreds – Oh, you know her/ Miss Groupie Supreme/ yeah, you know her… Red eyeshadow, green mascara, yuccch! She’s too much!) Aw, man. Who doesn’t love Blondie?
And Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind?! We saved the planet and rock’n’roll in general, and voila! The ride was over and I was back into Epcot.
Now the people pouring into Epcot resembled a tsunami of humanity, and it seemed as if 80% of them were wearing more Drinking-around-the-world paraphernalia. I went to Creations for a little light shopping. A very nattily dressed young woman wished me an enthusiastic “happy birthday,” but I had forgotten I was wearing a birthday button. So I was surprised and was kind of whispering “thank you” when I realized she, too, sported a birthday button. I sputtered, “Oh, happy birthday to you, too!” But I’m not sure she heard me.
Nothing in that store beckoned. I went in search of a nice restroom. (The one on the back side of Creations always smells bad. That’s what happens when thousands of people are dealing with 1982 plumbing every day for 40-odd years, I guess… except it smelled like that back in 1998, too!!!) I crossed over to Innoventions West (old habits, y’all) and soon a juggling act was getting started. So I stopped and watched that act. It was nice. As entertainment, it seemed geared mostly to children, and since there weren’t many children there at that moment, one little girl got a *lot* of attention. I enjoyed the show, though.
On my way out of the park, I kind of paused near Spaceship Earth, but wow!!! A LOT of people were really coming in now. … Well, I thought so! I just checked my selfie, and the time stamp says 11:38.
But what really stands out to me is that either my perception of the crowds was off, or there weren’t nearly as many people as I thought! There’s hardly anyone in the background! I stopped in one more shop in the shade, and then I didn’t stop again until I got to the Joffrey’s cart outside the tapstiles.
There, I procured a Shakin’ Jamaican. It was OK. It was nice and cold, and that was lovely. I love those brown straws. Not sure what they’re made out of; I only know they’re not plastic, and therefore, they’re cool.
I sent another selfie to the hubby and the son:
I think that was the best coffee I’d had since I got to Orlando the day before! And even though I hadn’t gotten 90% of my wish list done, I felt as if I’d had a fabulous morning. It was easy! It was nice! It was stress-free! I heard great music and rode Guardians twice!!! I was very happy, indeed.
Back to the All Stars, y’all! Later: Animal Kingdom and … Hollywood Studios?!
the crying was minimal after that but boy oh boy, did that girl fight her naps. Honestly, she looked about 3 or 4. She might be over the midday naps. DS was by that age.
My DH used to love Quizno’s.
I cried the first time I got this too!!!