A short work week for me, as I booked two additional days off in order to complete some final activities with my friend Jen, who departs for the airport tomorrow. Her (first?) goodbye and congratulations dinner at California Grill atop the Contemporary was just lovely. We watched Wishes from the table and ate what was probably the best food on Disney property. Yeah. I recommend.
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We put on dresses like proper ladies...
then threw confetti at each other. |
Tuesday, Lesley, Jen, Kyra and I woke up indecently early to watch Magic Kingdom open. I know all the opening songs and needed to see them actually perform. Main Street USA townsfolk sing until the train arrives, bearing Mickey Mouse and the other characters of the park.
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Characters arriving at Magic Kingdom.
Unlike us, they do not sleep on the WDW Railroad. |
Once you get in the park, they sing some more, unless you hope on the horse-drawn buggy to Cinderella Castle, like we did. We had lunch at Crystal Palace with Winnie the Pooh and friends, and ate until we were obscenely full. We managed to tackle almost every attraction, even though it rained, and we found the best rides on which to take naps (TTA Peoplemover, anyone?). We were there for almost 15 consecutive hours, which, if you've ever been, is no mean feat. So much magic!
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Jen, me and Lesley jumped off our of buggy into what I can
only assume is a Main Street USA barbershop quartet. |
Yesterday, we said goodbye to two merchies (Dana and Arden) in the typical merchandise way - a huge group of managers, coordinators, costumed and uncostumed lumberjacks clap and stand in a circle, temporarily forgetting we care about guests, followed by handprints and boot-tossing.
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Canada merchandise cast, July 2012.
The goodbye girls are holding blue folders. |
It was also Jen's last day at Le Cellier, and their tradition is a somber singing of O Canada in the restaurant. Afterwards, a bunch of us went to Hollywood Studios, where, as is the tradition, we rode Star Tours multiple times (and I had the best chicken curry quick service meal ever).
Today was a rare second day of spending a day off at Epcot. Sam, Bailey and I went for lunch the Via Nappoli, the pizzeria in the Italy Pavilion, before catching SouthBound and Company, the Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band performing as part of Epcot's Sounds Like Summer concert series (get it? Sounds Like? Cuz they're all tributes?).
I have one more day off, which I plan to use to recover from my days off, then back to work, with three days of trainer training! Woo?
TTFN,
Note: Don't wear Toms in Florida during hurricane season. Just...don't.
Thanks to: Jimmy and Jami at Star Tours, for doing their spiel in unison by request.
