Disney World 2022 day 4, August 5- Rumpus Room-pah

 The McGinley/ Luer Family Disney miracles continued.

Filled with Disney Magic (also likely filled with caffeine and sugar following four days of this) we assembled at our bench FORTY minutes before Park opening due to the longer ride to the Magic Kingdom, made it to our favorite Park, and through our usual security turbulence before the Extra Magic Hour Half Hour began.
 
Filing around the right side of the Castle and behind it- straight into Fantasyland- got us a minimal wait through the new (or still new to an old and crusty Disney fan like myself) interactive line for Peter Pan.

A lovely ride was had by all. (Naturally, it’s Peter Pan, duh.)
Even Anabelle who had to deal with the other eight of us telling her where the Lost Boys were.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!! 

Functioning at high speed as the Where Will We Go Next Guy and checking current wait times versus my research on where they normally built up to, I suggested a Fantasyland cross over to Winnie the Pooh!

On the garden part of the line, for reasons, yet again, that no one else will ever know, Aurora tried to convince Anabelle that beets were not a real thing. This continued throughout the trip and beyond.

Ignoring that oddness, a short pass through the honey filled playground and we were surrounded by Heffalumps and Woozles once more.
YAAAAAAAY! 

The “Not Cinderella” princess line was minimal, and since there are multiple family members with bonds to both Rapunzel and Tiana, that location was next as we continued the successful strategy of hitting nearby things instead of running through entire lands like lunatics for distant, low wait targets.
Sometimes, our ideas do actually work, amazing as that may seem
 

Rapunzel talked a lot about flying, since that’s how we had to get there and she has the ability to do anything. Tangled is really good, plus Kim got into its sequel television show (don’t judge us) meaning much fun was had by all.

Over at Tiana, Aurora’s culinary concentration in High School ended up featuring in a food based conversation. Her movie is also awesome, especially the music. The new Splash Mountain overlay is going to swing.
(No our Aurora does not have a movie. I meant The Frog Princess. Try to keep up.)

 
Our goal was Adventureland, but we had to pass the Haunted Mansion to reach it, and…
It’s us.
Come to think of it, those two words are the best explanation for all the deranged things that happen on these trips, aren’t they?
 

Jeff’s Disney World Philosophy:
Disney almost always overestimates wait times, especially for rides. (Characters can be harder to guess, given variable out of control emotional response based interaction times.) It was on this trip we figured out why this exaggeration is more extreme for the Haunted Mansion than other attractions. Right before getting on the Doom Buggies is a back and forth, chain separation line. The wait time covers everything before the Doom Buggies. Therefore, the Portrait Room and the Haunted “Is this room actually stretching” Room are both included in the listed wait time. Any human being with the tiniest amount of Disney Magic in them will believe they are already “on” the Haunted Mansion by that point. Very clever Disney, very clever indeed.
 
We forced Grandma to wear her Happy Birthday button that day, and the maudlin faced Cast Member at the gate gave her a deadpan congratulations for “Surviving another year.”
The Cast Member at the door was uncharacteristically cheery, which made it far creepier than usual for this location. 
 

Grandma pointed out the man standing on the TNT barrel in the Stretching Room painting was wearing Grandpa’s boxing shorts/ silly bathing suit. This would be incredibly relevant if the time I actually first drafted this thing was anywhere close to when it got released, since the videos of his use in a boxing game went live as I typed this paragraph.
 

Finally, it was time to enter Adventureland. 

YAAAY! 

As I stopped to check the map yet again, I was talking to Grandma about always getting lost in my favorite section of the Magic Kingdom. She pointed out the recent (remember we are old and crusty Disney people) audacity of placing the mostly dull addition of the Aladdin Flying Carpets smack in the middle of the Land was throwing me off.
 
I had been keeping an eye on the Jungle Cruise wait time since the Park proper opened. It had bounced all over the place, but by the time we got there had settled on about an hour, which was standard for it. As it is another old school ride with no way to improve throughput without negatively affecting the experience, that was the best we could hope for.
Alas.
 
We separated for various reasons on the way to the Cruise. As we arrived in clumps, we had to balance out line etiquette with practicality.
 
Jeff’s Disney World Philosophy:
It is true that a minority of a group cannot get on line and have the rest push through the crowd to catch up. This would be flat out rude and unmagical. However, a couple people are allowed to leave long lines for a rest room break and then return. Therefore, we felt that with only two of us left to catch up (due to that kind of break) the rest of us could get on line, while the stragglers hopped over the chain when we crossed paths.
 
The wait ended up being only three quarters of the listed hour. (Because, as stated, Disney is awesome.) The wait felt shorter to me, Grandma and Kim as we discussed remembering that terrible feeling rounding the corner to the “back room” of the line and seeing it winding and filling the entire section. This time, it only went around that room’s gag filled edge. 

We stopped to wave to local ducks on the river side, and I pointed out how fantastic the animatronics are, because I am hilarious. Anabelle felt the line was longer than posted because Aurora thought it would be fun to serenade her by making random bird noises directly into her face as we waited. Aurora is also hilarious.
(“Neither of you are.” – Anabelle)
 
So it was kind of a fiasco, but somehow it worked out anyway.
 

We got an older gentleman as Skipper with a dry sense of humor and an old school approach to the attraction. (That is, mostly classic lines and no jokes in the “spooky” Asian temple.) He was excellent at his job. 

Some gags I was unfamiliar with:
 
The most frightening plant in the jungle-
Bam- BOO!
 
And leading us all in a cheer for the required “back side of water:”
“Oh two aich! Oh two aich!”
 
Oh, how I love this ride. 

Speaking of old rides with corny jokes: the Country Bear Jamboree was a brief pass through to Frontierland from our location. Naturally, we had to go. Rosa, Anabelle and I also had to take the traditional picture of our feet near all the claw marks on the floor. Then, we lost the picture. Honestly, there are Disney traditions we ourselves don’t know why we do anymore at this point. 

The Cast Member settling us in told us to put on our 3D glasses, and after a confused pause yelled: “Made you look!”
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
 
Veronica was having a reaction to something (more great reporting there, Jeff) and took a Benadryl. That meant while we waited on the Frontierland street for the noon parade, after singing along with yet another show, and several members of our party made various runs, she sat in the shade, leaned on Aurora and passed out. 

Just before the first of the floats reached us, I was talking about how this may be the last ride for my Pirates baseball hat. Aurora asked why since it seemed to be holding together fairly well. I pointed to the back and said, “This was black when I bought it.”
Aurora’s eyes widened and she gasped, “I thought it was brown!”
 
Standing in the heat, and reflecting on all we had done, the girls were commenting on which rides beat on their “Old Man Bones,” cementing it in our trip dictionary. Aurora and Veronica referenced the Rock n’ Roller Coaster specifically.
 
The Festival of Fantasy parade came and was a wonderful spectacle. (YAAAAAY!) It was filled with the interaction that has made all the new parades and cavalcades a vast improvement over the past. (See? We do not always piss and moan about Disney changes. Now, you kids get off my lawn.)
 

Anna and Elsa were up front. I noticed Anna had been working out, Anabelle expanded that explanation by saying, “She’s ripped!”
While Aurora finished summing it up nicely with, “She could lift a fridge!”
 
Prince Charming was noted as “He waved badly” for reasons no one can remember.
 

On the Tangled float, Aurora led the women in our group screaming for Eugene. He was facing the other way most of the time but did wave eventually. They were very upset that they did not get a smolder and made plans for future parades, as one does in that situation.
 

Donald spotted Anabelle’s little Donald on her fanny pack from the float and they had an adorable mime conversation.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
 

Ariel waved at Anabelle, which took a tiny amount of the sting out of her not being available to meet in her Grotto.
 
There was an additional ridiculous amount of interactions with all of us. I can’t catalogue it all (or remember it all because I have an old man brain to go with my Old Man Bones) but since I was standing directly behind my frantically waving and cheering wife, I can say she got waves, points or other notices by:

Belle, Chip and Dale (naturally), Pluto Tinkerbelle (a pout), Snow White, the Mad Hatter, Philip, Peter Pan, serval Lost Boys, Pinocchio, Goofy, Minnie, a hook point from Captain Hook, and a long stare from the Raven Dude moving the Dragons tail. 

Everyone else had similar interactions, because Disney is awesome…
And also because they were all screaming at the characters like the Disney lunatics we are.
YAAAAY!
 

Stinky stopped dancing and posed for Kim to take a picture of him.
For those who haven’t been following these family Disney World adventures since my daughter was a toddler and therefore didn’t know we called Mr. Smee “Stinky”…
I guess there is a great deal of catch up reading to be done. 

My Where Will We Go Next Guy plan to get to the Castle for lunch involved following the parade a bit after it ended, and then veering into Fantasyland when the Festival of Fantasy crossed the bridge onto Main Street. The flaw with this plan is that Liberty Square is MUCH larger than I always think it is. I guess just because we don’t spend much time in restaurants and attractions other than the Mansion there, it doesn’t actually reduce its size. Go figure.
 
We did make it to the Castle with plenty of time to explain our two reservations for one group yet again.
 
So it was kind of a fiasco, but somehow it worked out anyway.
 
The adults were seated separately from the children, which didn’t matter since there were no characters upstairs. They were only a table away, and we got called upstairs to be seated almost immediately, making the divide matter even less.
 

Meeting Cinderella was special as always. She was patient with our accomplished Photo-ninja moments. Anabelle had changed into the shirt Rosa made with the Cinderella image from the MET Disney Art Exhibit. Cinderella said, “I see blue is your color too.” She was very appreciative when Grandma leaned in behind her and whispered,
“I’m seventy-six years old and you’ve always been my favorite princess.”
 
Disney Magic…it’s a wonderful thing, ain’t it?
 
Lunch in the Castle was, of course, Amazing. Sir David was serving that day, but alas, we were not in his area. His beard growing during the plague times did come in nicely. We had the Lady Lynn and the kids had the Lady Rachel to wait on us. However, due to their interactions, the kids quickly upgraded Rachel to “Queen” status. Lady Lynn also complimented Grandma on her Mickey shirt. There has never been an exception to getting a Magically Wonderful server in the Castle.
 
For some reason our table came with no accessories. When Dave asked Lady Rachel for the salt and pepper he also asked for a candle. He suggested we didn’t have one due to Anabelle catching on fire, but that was in another location.
(“I heard that!” – Anabelle)
 
Just about everyone got the beef. This trip happened on what was definitely a good period for Disney beef. Then again, any time is always a good period for Disney food in general. Morgan and Aurora got the chicken with the Tangled Pasta. (Bwa ha ha! I love Disney menu humor.)
 
I was excited when I heard the fish of the day was Grouper. (Because even with Disney Magic, I am old and boring sometimes.) I was excited enough that I didn’t realize the British “in the paper bag cooking method” meant that was the way it was served as well. It was a truly strange experience having to tear into a soggy paper bag in order to enjoy a meal that good.
 
I stuck with the Clock Strikes Twelve dark chocolate mousse thing for dessert because it is outstanding. Rosa had the Coffee Pots de Crème concoction. (Good thing I have my menu lists or I’d never remember, never mind be able to spell, all these items.) There was a flower on it, and based on far too much Food Network viewing, and what Aurora learned in class, everything on a plate must be edible. 

I beg to differ.
 

Grandma was panicked that she couldn’t pay for the kids’ table extras, since it was a different server. Lady Lynn reminded her the meal was not only prepaid with tip, but the kids were unlikely to have an alcohol bill, unlike the tasty, fancy, castley beers Dave and I had.
 
Grandma was also concerned that we didn’t see the kids get wands and swords. Worried that they were too old she asked if they could get them. Lady Lynn told us they were distributed down in the lobby after the meal now, adding as she walked off,
“And I get hit a lot less, now.”
 
That’s Disney, always thinking.
 

Anabelle supplied notes from their interactions with Queen Rachel
She had to work with Morgan to help him decide what he wanted. (And hooray for my menu print outs again.)
Veronica decided the best description for those with vulnerable Old Man Bones was “Bonerable.”
 
The appetizers were a bit confusing leading to the exchange of:
“What is that?”
“I don’t know… charcuteries?”
For more reasons no one knows, they used Anabelle’s cilantro from her mussels to garnish their drinks.
Oh yeah, I had the mussels as an appetizer too, they were excellent.
Mmmmmmm, Disney food.
Veronica built an ice tower at one point.
And Aurora horded a bunch of onions.
They were basically “Garnish Gremlins”
Those who had it agreed the tenderloin was “bussin’”
(No, I do not know what that means either.)
 
For dessert after going back and forth, three of them went over to the kid’s menu and ordered the build your own cupcake. Anabelle had the coffee thing and felt she would have been better off joining the other three in their regression. However, throwing the flower around added to the festive spirit at their table.
YAAAAAY!

Queen Rachel came by when Veronica was straight up eating the sugar supplied with Aurora’s iced tea. Everyone else told her to take it away and Queen Rachel just went with it.
That and the cupcake decorations led to teeth chattering sugar highs for most of them, yielding almost no identifiable change in behavior.
 
Queen Rachael also appeared at the table when the kids were washing and pocketing the tiny decorating spoons, leading them to wonder why she always walked over during the worst times.
 
When Queen Rachel brought over the signature cards from Cinderella she sat down with them and double checked that she didn’t need to charge extra for any of them getting a beer.
Awesome Happy Disney people are so fun!
 

We finished up in the Castle with Grandma insisting she take the picture of me next to the suit of armor she always takes a picture of me next to, going back to my childhood Dungeons and Dragons days. We are very old Disney guests with a strong sense of tradition. Additionally, we drag anyone we can into our traditions, meaning Grandma took a picture of Dave there too. 

Passing through the Castle (YAAAAY!!) we turned left into Tomorrowland for the always hilarious Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor. On the way, we were able to share the joy with some folks who had never seen the Cinderella Mosaics inside the Castle before. It’s always cool to relive flashback moments like that with first timer Instant Disney Friends. 

I guess the Laugh Floor show’s humor doesn’t translate. Rosa’s never really been a fan. She took a spin on the People Mover instead.
 
Dave was picked as the guy buying Churros for everyone, YAAAY!
(This turned out to be an accurate prediction of the final day.)
 
We met up afterwards for the Carousel of Progress. I was between Rosa and Grandma, nudging them both awake regularly. Eventually I gave up, figuring they needed the sleep, (as did we all) and I was sure we’d be back there at some point. (We were. YAAAY!)
 
The next idea was a plan to hit the People Mover as a group, to continue the idea of staying in one Land, and possibly waiting longer instead of running across the Park for shorter lines.
 
Then everyone decided a twenty-five minute wait for that ride was too long, and the small world had a short wait. Throwing our well-constructed and overarching plan to the breeze, we crossed into Fantasyland together…ish. 

Actually, it was much like herding drunken ducks riding cats between bathroom stops and people playing with the spinny, wet, black, sphere thing. Our Disney seasoned kits were trend setters by demonstrating it was interactive to the throngs. Eventually we reached the small world…which also had a twenty-five minute wait by the time we reached it. However, everyone agreed that for the small world, the wait was worth it. 

So it was kind of a fiasco, but somehow it worked out anyway.
 

The other eight members of my family informed me I was insane and that the moon with people sitting and singing on it was not new, and had always been there. On the consistency side, the last goose with Anabelle’s favorite Goose Girl in the white room was missing. (Given her track record, she was lucky they were all there the first day.) One Hula girl in every group was broken as happened every single time we (or anyone else, I’d wager) rides this cruise.
 
Because we were in Fantasyland again, and we were us, (not again, we’re always us… See?) we went to Filmore’s Magic.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
 

Following our sing along, most of Kim’s family and Grandma were going to go on the Horse Tornado…a new and surprisingly accurate name for Prince Charming’s Regal Carrousel. Grandma changed her mind when she saw the ride had shut down. It only shut down briefly, meaning the five-minute line was unchanged.

Patience is not a strong point in any generation of our family group.
 

We adopted Aurora and went into a store. Apparently, I did ballet in there for reasons I’m not sure of. The plan was to meet up over at the top of Main Street for the Adventure Friends Cavalcade. On the way around the Castle, Rosa and I took pictures together in our Beauty and the Beast shirts, because we’re disgustingly cute. 

Questionable, but not actually rainy weather delayed the Cavalcade. Kim brought her kids down a couple of blocks for their required silhouettes and Anabelle did some shopping in that area as well. 

Whoever cared about it, and wasn’t busy hiding in shady areas from the blazing sun, showed up for the stage show. (It was hot and I was tired, I can’t keep track of everyone.)
 
Elsa still headlined it, and Mickey of course, but Rapunzel and her drunken barbarian friends were a great deal more fun, as usual.

Finally, they announced the Cavalcade was coming. We were prepared on the Plaza side of Main Street near the Circle. Before the scheduled event, a Brazilian marching band (with a lot more pizazz than the typical American one has) came salsaing down Main Street.
YAAAAAAAAAAAY!
 

While squinting towards the Cavalcade entry point, I realized I had again forgotten to put on my sunglasses. Aurora said, “I wish I could.”
My excessively hot and tired answer, “I thought you did have them…”
*overly long pause*
“Oh crap, yeah…sorry.”
This exchange led my loving daughter to ask, “Why are you the stupidest man on Earth?”
Adding to the mental strain I had given her, Aurora dropped her phone during one of the pre Cavalcade intervals, cracking the screen.
Alas.
 

The Cavalcade came, but it was the Mickey and Friends one. Therefore, the information supplied to us that the one we had come to see was “delayed” until this time was a bit off. It was flat out cancelled and the Mickey one was supposed to be at this time. The girls happily danced along with Mickey and friends, but proclaimed they would wait until tomorrow if they had to in order to see Mirabel.
 

Weather based luck was with us this time, and they did not have to wait that long. The Adventure Friends Cavalcade with all the most awesome characters came down the street. It included Mirabel (who pointed at her own glasses and then to Aurora and Anabelle), Merida, Miguel, Moana, Pocahontas, Mulan, Woody, Mary Poppins, Bert!! 

Marie, Jose Carioca and Panchito Pistolas, plus many others that sent us all into an overly excited state. (Above and beyond the considerably over excited state Disney World sends us into all on its own.)
 
The three girls (and Rosa) went absolutely insane, cheering and dancing.
 
When Max passed Anabelle, she was caught up in her own hyper extended overly excited state (including interactions with Jose). She yelled “GOOFY SPAWN!” out loud, getting a puzzled stare in return. 

After the Cavalcade passed the four of them shot down Main Street, dodging crowds on the sidewalk, and crossed in front of the Mini Parade to see it from the other side.
 
Mirabel recognized them, having a quick mime and shouting discussion as to how they got there so quickly.
“We ran to see you!!!!!!”

Getting a picture of Merida is what triggered Aurora to run, and she was thrilled the Scottish Princess saw them and waved this time. Marie excitedly saw herself on Anabelle’s shirt, and Mary Poppins winked at them all in recognition. 

Excessively hot and exhausted already, their impromptu sprint down Main Street meant it was time for dinner.
 
Based on the awesome idea of waving to small world riders, Anabelle’s report on the excellent chicken nuggets and the menu of flatbread pizzas, most of the family went to Pinocchio Village Haus. There Morgan, Grandma and Kim confirmed the excellence of nugget based rumors my daughter spread. Anabelle went in a different direction and developed a bond with the gyro based flatbread, and Aurora began an unhealthy attachment to the baklava. They also all had an excellent time waving to, playing rock paper scissors with and otherwise interacting with the small worlders.
YAAAAAY! 

Rosa wasn’t sure about the quality of gluten free flatbread or the “cheese” that went with it. (Those quotes will get you every time.) I was balancing my stomach on a vacation diet and didn’t want to risk a cheese (or “cheese”) overload. Instead, the two of us curved around by the smelly Speedway to Tomorrowland. In the next door store, we ran into Miss Jenny, former student teacher and classmate of the girls from Danceworks. She was working there on a college program. Then, in Cosmic Ray’s, Rosa got a seat near the master showman Sonny Eclipse while I waited for her gluten free hot dog and fries and my Impossible Burger to the Moon. Foreshadowing time: the Village Haus crowd was not the only one to develop and unhealthy connection to a Magic Kingdom Counter Service food this evening. I was on line with a guy named Stanley- always a positive sign. 

After about sixteen phone calls and texts as to who was going to meet whom and where, Rosa and I walked over to Fantasyland, and we all figured out where everyone was.
 
Someone pointed out Pirates had a short wait. I have no idea who but I certainly wasn’t going to argue with them.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!
On the way there and into the ride, the girls were skipping and dancing along like little kids.
Because Disney World is magic.

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!
Take what you can, give nothing back!
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! 

Dude, someone knocked over the skeleton stalemate chess game and lost the reference on how to set it up. How sad!

Due to:
A) Plans
B) Miss Jenny
C) It’s us (There it is again!)
 
We crossed the entire Park from Adventureland to Tomorrowland.
 
Jenny wasn’t there (of course) but came out from the back as we were about to leave. She gave us advice for the Guardians of the Galaxy ride. After her description, and knowing our family, I’d have put the over/ under on motion sickness at seven to eight of us easily. 

This was one of those end of the night split ups where a few of us had bursts of sanity. Not many but a couple.
 
Grandma went back to the hotel.
 

Rosa went to see the fireworks and projection show and then went back to the hotel. It was the Fiftieth Anniversary show, not Happily Ever After that would have attracted more of us. Having that new show only when we were there, and switching back to the one we like a while after we left was darn inconsiderate. On the way to the show, Rosa was unable to score the always in demand and notoriously difficult to find a reasonable wait for- Rapunzel Toilet PhotoPass. Instead, she took a picture by Prince Eric’s Castle, which I will invariably mistake for Rapunzel’s tower, explaining why I have mentioned that Latrine Based PhotoPass spot twice while we still have no pictures there. 

Rosa stopping for PhotoPass pictures when separate from us was akin to Uncle Dave finding alcohol in each Park. The moments of peace were likely the reason she didn’t kill us all on the trip. The McGinley Direct Blood Line Disney Genes are unique and sometimes require extra means for maintaining mental health during long term exposure.
 

On her way home, Rosa’s adventure continued. Somewhere on Main Street or the bus, her Dunkin’ water bottle fell out of the Fairy backpack. It had an unrelated pink top on it for ease of identification to prevent gluten contamination. We replaced it with an emptied Sprite bottle the next day. (I know, no one cares, but I need to remember this whenever I wonder why my pink water bottle at work now has a blue top on it.)
 
The bus ride home was far longer than it should have been due to an accident that looked like another bus fell over. Rosa checked to make sure Grandma was not one of the “Fallen Over” at home before going to our room.
 
At some point over this day, Anabelle learned the actor Matt Cornett was in the Parks.(Promoting a zombie show which neither her or Aurora had seen nor cared too, but that seemed to be irrelevant since he appeared in High School Musical- the new one with the foolishly long title.)  He had been in both EPCOT and MGM on this day, causing them to miss him by one day in each direction. There was much complaining.

 
The rest of us who did not have a burst of sanity went to the far end of Tomorrowland for Space Mountain…except Dave. He sat at a table to wait for us with a huge collection of backpacks. Impressively, he was able to move them all from one table to another while we were in there. 

As we got on the line, Kim was checking a pimple in Veronica’s ear that somehow made me think she was trying to get on the Lightning Lane. (Hot and Tired.)
 
The part of the line that looked like a Space Port moved very slowly. This had nothing to do with the cool interactive games that had been shut down for plague related reasons. It was because several teenaged girls of the other variety of “space cadet” were so absorbed with their phones that they forgot to walk when the people before them advanced far away from them on multiple occasions.
 
I was complaining that Space Mountain has the old style of lines where you feel like you are making progress, and then suddenly you’re in a confined area with a huge amount people packed into the back and forths. The kids were giving me a hard time for complaining. I attempted to say, “Pshaw” and blow a Bronx Cheer simultaneously. My mask became stuck in my mouth and instead I made a very horse like noise. None of the children let me live this down for the rest of the trip, constantly referring to my hooves making it hard to walk or fit places, and call outs to my “horse brethren.”
 
Plbbbbth.
 
We randomly waved to some of the guests going on the ride, and one super excited guy flashed the horns back at us. Fun!
 
I had stopped riding Space Mountain for a long while, because I didn’t fit in it back in the day you’d squeeze multiple people into one seat. Because we ride it very rarely, as it isn’t worth regularly enduring the wait, I forgot why I had also stopped riding it after they redesigned it.
 
I fit into the single seat easily with plenty of leg room on either side of the bump.
 
Then I pulled the Safety T-bar directly down onto my crotch and remembered why I usually avoided this thing. Sure, the space stuff is pretty, and it has decent turns and dips.
However, placing my manly bits between a mortar and pestle during those turns and dips is nowhere near my idea of a fun experience. 

When we got off there was talk of both Splash Mountain, of which I am not a fan of the drop, and Big Thunder Mountain, of which Anabelle is not a fan at all. The Splash Mountain wait time was listed at forty-five minutes. However, we knew if we got on line before the Park closed, they’d have to let us ride. Disney is cool like that.
 
Yes, we ran across the whole Park again at the end of the night after spending thirteen and a half hours there.
Of course we did. It’s us. (Once more!)  
What else would we do?
 
Anabelle was suggesting I ride the coaster I liked while they went on the flume. I instead went with them citing that Space Mountain had shaken (and ground) me too much. Also, this version of Splash Mountain wouldn’t be around next time we came.
 
We now pause for the real reason.
 
Jeff’s Disney World Philosophy.
No, I am not the biggest fan of Splash Mountain. Yes, Big Thunder Mountain is probably my favorite Disney coaster. However, my enjoyment of Disney comes not only (and not mainly) from the attractions and locations (and the food, good gravy I love the food) but from who I’m sharing it with. Therefore, I got infinitely more enjoyment going on a ride that isn’t a favorite but sharing it with my daughter and family than I would have gotten going on a favorite attraction alone.
And that made it totally worth it.
 
The wait dropped to fifteen minutes when we got on the line and we whipped through the (oddly over air conditioned in sections) labyrinth. It was a little sad to think about all the broken boats that weren’t going to be fixed in their briar patch forms.
 
We had a fun, laugh filled and soggy ride getting one last look at those creepily lit, somewhat terrifying “Not Really Song of the South, Honest” based animatronics. I may have to agree with Anabelle’s assessment that the fishing Crocodile has eaten a child at some point.

Normally, my ability to pose correctly for ride pictures was defined as “lacking.” For the drop, I timed it right and everyone’s goofing around combined to yield the best PhotoPass Ride Funny Faces collection ever!
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! 

On the way out of the Park, the security guy got very excited over my “vintage” Disney Beast shirt. The Shirt Grid aims to please!
 
We noticed the Electric Water Pageant in the distance, and waved. However, we were far too burned out to stop and look at it on the way to the bus.
 

A giant accordion bus picked up the whole All Star Movies crowd.
It had no air conditioning.
 
We met Parker and his mom on the bus. He was two. He was also, unquestionably the star of the insanely hot bus. His sagging and complaining about the heat, mixed in with thrilled flashbacks of his day in the Magic Kingdom summed up how we all felt perfectly.
 
It is a distinct possibility that someone stole my phone, as there was a note that said:
“Anabelle and Aurora are so much fun to be on a bus with and they are my favorite people woohoo.”
 
The 85 degree with 90% humidity Florida night air felt positively cool and refreshing after exiting that transport.
 
The cafeteria was getting ready to close and there was no hot chocolate…
Alas.
 
I got both of them a Sprite, and had three glasses of PowerAde to replenish all of the bodily fluids I lost on the furnace level hot bus ride.
 
We turned in to rest up for the first day in the one Park we hadn’t made it to yet.
 
20489 steps 7.8 miles

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