Disney Day 5 and 6

Ok, so these are long blog posts- I'm sorry! But, I love having this medium to record memories, so here we go with the next part of the trip!

Day 5

This was scheduled to be our Epcot day, and, you guessed it, we were on the 8 am bus to usher in the opening of the park! Epcot is honestly one of my very favorite parks, and I haven't been able to see very much of it on our last 2 trips. One of these days, Jason and I are going solo to Disney so that we can take in all of the World Showcase!

Anyway, we planned to follow our wonderful touring plan that worked so well during previous mornings. The girls were set to head to Soarin', while Jason and Danny collected fast passes to Test Track and Soarin' (thus enabling us all to ride Soarin' twice). However, it seemed like the ENTIRE park was headed to Soarin', so after a rough patch in getting there, we decided to skip it until later and fill in with the Nemo ride.

While the Nemo ride is pretty neat, projecting animated images into actual aquariums, I think it is the Seas exhibit that is the thing to see. There are dolphins, sharks, rays, colorful fish and sea turtles. Turtle Talk with Crush is also very cute, and Crush actually interacts with the little dudes in the audience. Super cute and very funny!

Soarin' was next on our list- one of my very favorite Disney rides. I can't help but smile through the entire experience, and I never fail to stretch my toes out toward the waves as we glide over the surfers below. This ride always makes Jason long for California.

After a quick lunch at Sunshine Seasons Terrace ( a counter service option with fresh, delicious food and wonderful desserts), our party split up for the afternoon with plans to meet up at the pool after naps. Jason and I took the girls to ride Spaceship Earth on our way out of the park. This ride is housed inside the big ball, and it tells the story of modern man's history. Caitlyn loved the "people ride", and Lorelei slept through the entire 16 minute journey (and the bus ride back to the resort).

After our break, we all headed back to Epcot for some pretty exciting dinner plans. The Grammies and the girls were headed to the Princess Storybook dinner (an event for which I sewed up, rather dismally!, two rainbow princess dresses), while the parents were headed to Le Cellier for a quiet evening of spectacular food!

We had just enough time before dinner to take a turn on Test Track, which is true to Disney in thrill and theme.

Our dinner at Le Cellier was magnificent- the best of the week, in my humble opinion. Pretzel bread, cheddar cheese soup, a perfectly cooked, tender filet, mushroom risotto, maple creme brulee and Canadian beer . . . what's not to love? I almost literally licked my plate clean.

After a hilarious dinner, in which Amanda and I discovered that Danny and Jason are both shameless packrats who apparently will have enough junk to one day open museums in tribute to themselves, we met back up with the kids.

We could tell, from a long way off, that dinner must have been an adventure. Apparently, none of the girls wanted anything to do with any of the Princesses, Lorelei kept both Grammies busy keeping her in food, and it was just an all-around chaotic dinner. Grammie and MeMe handed over the kids and left to ride Soarin', leaving us with instructions to have very large margaritas waiting when they got back!

While we were waiting, we took the girls to ride Maelstrom over in Norway- billed as a Viking boat ride through stormy seas. We had no crying at all on this ride, which was funny considering that we saw attacking polar bears, three-headed trolls, and plunged backwards into the middle of a storm. Maybe the girls were worn out from their fun at the Princess dinner?

And so ended another day!

Day 6

Animal Kingdom seems to be the most under-appreciated park at Disney World, and I'm not sure why. I've heard people complain that it is just a glorified zoo, but I'd counter that "glorified" is a bit of an understatement. This park is like no zoo, or theme park, that I've ever been to.

As per our usual routine, Danny and Jason went to get fast passes as soon as the park opened (Expedition Everest and Dinosaur), while we walked quickly over to Kilimanjaro Safaris. The line moved much more quickly than we expected, so we ended up having to wait for the boys before we boarded. This ride is set up like a safari tour, and you are able to see so many animals up close and personal. Sometimes there are no fences between you and the creatures, and sometimes clever Disney design only makes it look that way! Giraffes, hippos, rhinos, lions, gazelles, ostriches, elephants- if it roams in Africa, chances are it roams at Disney, too.

After this, we headed to Expedition Everest, where Grammie and MeMe quickly decided this ride was not for them. They took the girls to Dinoland, while the parents rode. Much more mild than Rockin' Rollercoaster, Everest proved to be a blast, and I loved this one.

We met back up with the others, we took turns riding Dinosaur (NOT for kids!), and then ate a quick lunch before Nemo: The Musical. Nemo is amazingly beautiful, and even Lorelei never took her eyes off the stage for the 40 minute show, which I think is pretty telling.

Sadly, it was time for the Broussard/Underwood clan to head back to the hotel to gather their things for the flight home. We had so much fun with them, and Caitlyn was so sad to see Rylee leave. She continued to go to their old door everyday, asking about Rylee.

Mom and I left the girls with Jason to ride the rapids ride, during which we watched everyone else get absolutely soaked. Fate was with us for once, and we walked away pretty dry. Jason and I went to ride Everest again, and Grammie took the girls to play in a nearby fountain before we also decided to head back to the hotel.

Dinner was over at the Beach Club for Cape May Cafe's clam bake. I know I talk about the food a lot, but every meal we had was really good! The fare here was no different- steamed clams and mussels, peel and eat shrimp, ribs, potatoes and so many other yummy things.

My mom and I decided to test our luck when we decided, despite Caitlyn not having a nap and having been awake since 7am, to head to the Magic Kingdom for the extra magic hours. Caitlyn is always such a trooper (and so is Lorelei!). She rarely complains, even when it is hot and crowded. She is pretty considerate of others, and she doesn't often throw a fit. It is a testament to her amazing character that she hunkered down in an abandoned rental stroller to watch the fireworks from the overly crowded curb at 10pm. What's more, she fell asleep during the finale, and we elected to carry her onto Haunted Mansion.

When she woke up 40 minutes later, she cried for 30 seconds, but was then ready to hit Fantasyland. Caitlyn was exceptionally good, and we were able to ride several things, including her very best favorite ride, Dumbo.

We finally got back to the hotel around 1:30 am, with Caitlyn still in a great mood, ready for a sleepover at Grammie's. And yes, I know just how lucky I am!