Advertisement
Mark and I had reached a defining moment in our relationship – we were planning a day at Disney World. Through his work connections, Mark scored a pair of Disney park hopper tickets. Within an hour, I had dinner reservations made in the park. This was going to be awesome.
Part One – Hollywood Studios Donning Star Wars t-shirts, Mark and I headed off to Hollywood Studios. Since he’s not too much of a ride guy, I thought Mark would enjoy the shows and character experiences in HS. Our first stop, however, was just for me. Like a gentleman, Mark walked with me through the queue of my favorite HS ride, the Tower of Terror. I love the lobby, expertly covered in dust and cobwebs. We parted at the loading platform, where he was escorted down a flight of stairs to the ride exit area, and I boarded my elevator to the Twilight Zone. I was grinning the whole time – it was a fantastic way to jump start the Disney day.
We had an hour to kill before our next fastpass, so we headed over to the Star Wars Launch Bay to meet
Kylo Ren (he doesn’t give autographs) and play some video games. I think the games were rigged so folks at any skill level could win, because somehow I scored as many points as Mark. Our next stop was the Beauty and the Beast musical. Maybe it was Mark’s experience watching the full version musical, or maybe it was this particular show, but it was a lot cornier than I remembered. During the “don’t die, beast!” scene, I made a joke and Mark laughed out loud. Oops, sorry to all those taking the death scene seriously.
Lunch in HS was a challenge. Most options were fast-food style. Mark’s veggie wrap was pre-made that morning and very soggy. My tomato and mozzarella sandwich was tolerable. Next time we will pack our own lunch. Drinking water was not a problem – we brought the Camelbak filtering water bottles and just refilled throughout the day. It was extremely convenient.
After lunch we met Chip and Dale, Sorcery Mickey, the Green Army Men, Buzz, and Sheriff Woody. Since we were wearing our “happily ever after” pins, we got some great engagement photos with some of the characters. Our last
show in HS was the Indiana Jones stunt show. It was definitely enjoyable, but admittedly I spaced out during the down times between stunts.
Part Two – Magic Kingdom It was the hottest part of the day when we arrived at the Magic Kingdom. It took a car ride, a parking lot tram, and a monorail to get there. The park was more crowded by this time as well. Haven’t I learned my lesson? Do the important things at the beginning of the day, and drift lazily in the afternoon. Next time I’ll be ready.
To escape the heat, we basked in the air conditioning of the Tiki Room and the Hall of Presidents. I sang along to the Tiki Room song, I just love it! We were also able to get two fast passes – Ariel’s Undersea Voyage and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. Mark really enjoyed the Buzz ride, earning the rank “Space Ace,” while I maxed out my score at 999,999 and was ranked “Galactic Hero.” I rule!
Dinner was the highlight of the evening. We were worn out and had played tourist enough for the day, and
dinner was a nice way to relax. Our reservations were for 6:40pm at the Be Our Guest restaurant. We checked in 10 minutes ahead of time and requested a table in the ballroom. Within 15 minutes, we were seated under the glorious golden chandeliers. It was easy to relax with a glass of wine and the candlelit mood lighting. Each of us ordered something we’ve never tried; Mark had the ratatouille, and I ordered lamb. Both were delicious, though I would probably try something else on another visit. And of course, for dessert I tried the grey stuff – it was delicious. We explored the other dining rooms, the West Wing and Library, before queueing up to meet our host. The Beast was dressed in his blue forma suit and was very gentlemanly.
It was a busy, exhausting, magical day.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.083s; Tpl: 0.015s; cc: 7; qc: 24; dbt: 0.0444s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1mb