Disney...Till Next Time

Sunday we went back to Animal Kingdom, where we went on another one of those thrill rides....Expedition Everest. Why do we keep doing this?!?! Towering nearly 200 feet high and occupying a 6.2-acre site, Expedition Everest is basically a roller coaster ride. At one point you go through a cave where up ahead the tracks have been broken and tangled by the Yeti. The train stops, then reverses and you’re plummeting backwards through darkness for about 16 seconds. Between the speed, not being able to see and the unexpected turns, you never know which way you’re heading, but then you are hurdling forward again. The entire ride only takes about 3 minutes, but we're definitely ready to get off when it's done!

Next, needing to regain our senses, we watched "Finding Nemo - The Musical", which merges puppetry with live performance. The characters are in puppet form, and the actors who handle them supply the voice. While you might think that it's distracting, it really isn't. We had seen it on our last trip and were really impressed. They basically cover the whole movie in about 35 minutes. Whoever did the casting did a great job of matching up the actors with the characters.

Then we headed to another one of our favorite shows, "It's Tough to be a Bug!" This is a 3D show based on the movie "A Bug's Life", which we had never seen before seeing this show for the first time. At the very beginning Flik appears from the ceiling to address the audience and get the show rolling. The attention to detail is vintage Disney as an announcer even reminds you "to refrain from buzzing, chirping and stinging throughout the presentation." It is a definite must see!

Dinner was at Les Chefs de France in Epcot, and Russ discovered he doesn't like rare tuna! He actually did something I've never seen him do...he returned his dish and re-ordered another meal (upon the insistence of our server). The roasted duck was definitely more to his liking. We were seated in the room where the dessert bar was located, and the pastry chefs were busily churning out delicious delicacies. We definitely had dessert!

Having found out that Monday was the 25th anniversary of the opening of Epcot, we decided to extend our stay one more night so we could attend some of the festivities including the special IllumiNations production at the end of the evening. (Besides we still had 5 counter service and 3 snack credits to use!) We tooled around Epcot for a bit getting a retro guide map the park distributed and viewing the displays that had been put together in the exhibit hall reflecting Epcot's first 25 years. Below are some of the photos:

Then we decided we were going to catch Otis Day and the Knights 7pm performance at the Eat to the Beat venue, but a few minutes into their show, the skies opened. They continued performing until lightning made them stop. As you might remember, Otis Day and the Knights are best known for "Shout!" from the movie Animal House. The rain finally slowed, and we sat at the theater with many others waiting for the 8:15 show, which was an absolute blast! They really had the place rockin'!!

Shortly after the show, it started pouring again, and we weren't sure whether or not the special fireworks show was going to happen. But it did though about 15 minutes late. We actually got to view it from a special VIP section of the park, which had been closed off for an invitation only group. Shortly before they were to start, we were standing nearby and talking with one of the cast members who was guarding the entrance. When he learned we were recently from Baton Rouge, he told us he had moved recently from Louisiana, too, and invited us to go in. What a small world!! And this spot is definitely the best viewing spot for IllumiNations! The extra four minutes they tacked on for the anniversary celebration were incredible and only added to the original phenomenal fireworks experience.

Tomorrow we leave the place "Where Dreams Come True" and head to the Florida Keys for three days of relaxation with a stopover at Lake Okeechobee.