Flower & Garden Solo Shot -- Around the Dapper F&G World in 6 Days - Day 2
WARNING: I tend to write novels when a synopsis would do....
Day 2: Friday, April 27, 2018 -- MK & EPCOT
Cast of Characters: Me, myself and I -- 56 year old kid!!
Set my phone alarm for 6:00AM to give me a shot at making my meetng with Katzateer at the bus to MK at 7:00AM...Amazingly, I am up and feeling pretty decent after a good hot shower. Liking the new 'rain' shower head and the hand held that goes with it!
Since I am on a tight schedule, I forego the food court breakfast and coffee and head over to the buses arriving just at 7:00AM. Wasn't sure who I was looking for, so I sent a text to say that I was at the bus stop and there was an MK bus already there. I got on the bus and found a standing spot just as I got a reply that she was already on the bus. Turned out she was sitting just a few feet from where I was standing and we had a great time chatting on the ride and on into the park itself. We split when I needed to make a stop for coffee and a quick bite to get my day started. (I get to be a real bear without my morning coffee!!!! LOL)
I had morning FP+ options for Haunted Mansion, Tinker Bell M&G, and Peter Pan's Flight. Since we were there for rope drop, it was nice to get to wander around the park for about an hour with light crowds. Wandered counter-clockwise through the park, past 'the purple wall' (which I STILL don't get!) over past Space Mountain to the walkway between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. Stopping at one of the smoke stations, I wanted to take the time to see if I could see any work going on for the Tron ride. Yes, there is plenty of earth moving going on, but I really couldn't see if anything was going 'vertical' yet. I guess when that is ready to open, the smoking areas on that trail will go away...probably leaving ONLY the one past Big Thunder in the whole park. (Yeah, I know most of you will just say "Boo hoo for you!" :smiley: )
Came in from the back side of Haunted Mansion (Fantasyland side) right before 'rope drop' for that area...Didn't need to use the FP+ option. (I hadn't realized that that area wasn't open for morning EMH.) Good ride, but the hitchhinking ghosts (that join you in your doom buggy) were not working at the end of the ride. I told a CM on the way out and they didn't seem to be aware of the problem. Wish they would have given me an instant re-ride (or that I had thought about still holding the FP+ option! D'oh!!!) Anyway, it was time for my meandering to take me back to Main Street USA and check on the queue for Magician Mickey. (I was planning on getting the the queue either before my Tinker Bell M&G or afterward, depending upon queue length.)
Along the way, I spy Princess Jasmine and Aladdin over by Aloha Isle with a short line and decided to hop in and get some pics. I have to tell you that some of the candid shots that the PhotoPass photographers get come out really silly looking, but when you're having fun all you can do is laugh at and about them. Did get some good pics with the lovely couple as well. (This was another of those "wander around, see something interesting, stop...queue too long, keep moving" things.)
Continued on to Town Square Theater...A very short queue, so Magician Mickey it is! This was my first time in this particular M&G and I wanted to do it while the articulated mouth and eye Mickey was still there. In the queue, I got the a nice photo on my phone of the projection of the card on the floor - Minnie as the Queen of Hearts. A quick "Hi, pal! Bye, pal!" with Mickey, it was around the horn and back in queue for Tinker Bell.
Do you ever get that feeling of deja vu in the parks? Well, I got it here!!!! Remember in yeterday's report about my meeting with Alice? Well, either she has a twin playing Tinker Bell, or I happened to get the very same CM playing Tink. Yes, I know it happens, but this was a first for me. The funny thing was that I thought she recognized me as well from the day before. Just the looks and way she 'played' with me during the session...like she knew how I'd react and what she could get away with. A lot of fun!!!!
In the words of Tigger (Tee-eye-double guh-errrr!!!) "Time to bounce!" And off I go, back to Fantasyland for a flight over London and on to Neverland. Peter Pan's Flight might be one of the oldest rides in the park, but it is still one of the most enjoyable. Makes one wish they never had to grow up!!!
NOTE: In case nobody noticed, I break the cardinal rule of park management -- "Don't criss cross the parks." I just like to wander, so being in one 'land' and hitting everything there before moving on is just not my style. Besides, the way FP+ works out, it is near impossible to schedule FP+ options that DON'T MAKE YOU bounce all over the place. Note to Disney (or INTERCOT Engineering): Make a FP+ 'package' that a visitor can select a 3 FP+ selection that has all options within a single area of a park. Make it a 2 hour 'window' and allow the single FP+ selection after this window runs out -- not after all 3 are used. [NOTE: As I was writing this up, I saw the release of the 1 day ticket with 'pre-packaged' FP+ options!!! LOL]
Since the heat was turned up a notch and there were few clouds, I decided to head back to the room before making my way to EPCOT for the evening and a show of Illuminations....Best laid plans....
Well, I got back to the room and started to relax a bit when a knock, knock, knocking came upon my door....It seemed that resort security wanted to come in and make a 'safety check.' Had I not been there, I am sure he would have just let himself in and checked everything and left and I would never have been the wiser. Getting back into relaxation mode, I feel something bad about to happen...calf cramp!!!!!! Dang it! I did not pack the Potassium pills!! Luckily, it was a light cramp and I was able to get right up and go to the food court for a banana and a bottle of PowerAde! That'll teach me!!! Not used to all the walking after a PA winter and overdoing it in the FL sun and humidity. Being 5'9" and 290# with double-curve scoliosis and a ruptured disk in my lower back I should know better than to overdo it in the early stages of a trip, but I never learn!!! Just another trip to the chiropractor when I get home!
Unfortunately, I didn't want a relapse of the cramp, or to make things worse, so I shut it down for the day. Disappointing, again, but I still had plenty of time to hit everything on my 'to do list' for the trip.
