The Never-Ending Vacation: Will I Ever Go Home??

[ememtingle]

I subscribed to your thread! I can't wait to read all about your trip. I also love Belle and Gaston. i am also from NC too! i'm from western North Carolina, and I'm not the biggest fan either, haha.

 

[aacvacation]

Day 2, Part 4

After a fabulous and very filling dinner at Coral Reef, I started to feel as if I had overstayed my welcome. After all, Epcot was closed at this point. I was excited to get out and get some pictures of Epcot in the dark, and completely empty!

Well. As it turns out. I'm not so good at pictures in the dark. I only got a few decent ones, though there is evidence of many attempts. For some reason they all come out really grainy? I need to take a class or something...

Not a great photo, but I just love this set up at night!

Also super 'eh' but who can resist these glittering tiles? I danced around on these with a family and their adorable children, to the futuristic sounds of Epcot. It was too fun.

As I mentioned in my DR, I had started having an extremely enjoyable conversation with a good, old friend of mine via FB messaging while at dinner, that had carried on as I strolled through Epcot on my way out. I expressed to him that I absolutely did NOT want to go back to my resort yet! I was just having too much fun inside the parks. So, to satiate me, he suggested that I get on the monorail, as it was 9:50 and nearing the time for Wishes, which I'd be able to see while riding around.

So..I did just that!

Now...little side note. I don't know why I do this, and I can't even recall when it started, but I have gotten into the habit of, every night, watching this really beautifully captured HD video of Wishes fireworks on YouTube. I just love the music very much, and I, of course, love the fireworks themselves. The whole thing just makes me feel good. And truth be told, when I started doing that, I realized I had never actually seen Wishes head on with Cinderella's Castle in view before. I always admired them in passing as I ran to the next ride. I promised myself that on this trip, I would see them the way they were meant to be seen.
However, tonight was not the night for that, as I didn't have Park Hopper. But as I sat messaging away on my phone, in an empty cabin on the Monorail, singing along on my own to the fireworks, Smith sent me the message, "Just go to the Magic Kingdom, you know you want to!" He was very right, so I held my breath and pressed the 'Confirm Purchase' button on the My Mobile Magic App...

I had to wait for the Monorail to go around again, but I was giddy with excitement. My goal at that point was to get there in time to see Celebrate the Magic. That light show is unreal!
I was nervous my ticket wasn't going to work once I got up to the gate, but the cheery chime granted me access, and I SQUEALED! You're really at Disney when you go in to the Magic Kingdom, you know?
But once I got in, I realized I had completely forgotten about Smith! I sent him a quick selfie to tell him his evil plan was in action.

Me trying to bottle up my excitement...


I WAS IN! And I'd made it! Thousands of people were clearing out from Wishes, clearly not knowing of the magnificent show they were about to miss! I smushed through all of them (surprisingly easy when you are solo!!!) and made my way up to the Partners Statue. I sighed. I could relax now. I was home.

Just about makes you cry!

I didn't take many pictures, because as I said, I wanted to enjoy. But afterwards, all bets were off! I resumed my conversation with Smith, who was being extremely generous with his time, as he knew I was feeling somewhat lonely that evening. He just insisted I keep sending pictures, he was dying to be on his vacation by this point! I gladly obliged, and headed to Tomorrowland!

I'm actually convinced that I can't walk past this without going in for a show.


I was excited because I walked right in. But they definitely skipped like, 2 sketches in the show. It was really short. After the Laugh Floor, I quickly popped over to my favorite attraction...

And after admiring for a moment or two, I had to get on!

More shameless selfies...I was having a blast, y'all.

I was cutting it beyond close for the Main Street Electrical Parade, and I did want to see it again. So off I went!

I squeezed my way in up in front of the castle, but behind a trash can. Classy. But I didn't mind. I didn't grab any pictures because I figured I wouldn't capture them that well, I wanted to enjoy the parade since I hadn't seen it in a while, and ALSO due to the fact that... even though my spot was not that nice, seeing as you're near a dirty can, I could still see everything very well and without obstruction, so several minutes into the show, people FLOODED my area. Definitely no room to take pictures. I felt bad because I stood there in the first place, so that I could give this guy to my left, plenty of room. By the end of the parade, he was practically holding me. We were able to joke about it though, so fortunately, no hard feelings.

After the parade, everyone needed to GET OUT. The park technically closed at 11, but that was also the time of the parade, so it was nearly 20 after. I was tired, but torn between leaving and meandering around taking pictures.
I decided to take pictures.

That was easier said than done, there were a lot of people, everywhere. Standing up near the Partners Statue, dodging around to get out...just not many great photo opportunities! I helped a few others get photos with their friends and families, then I made my way towards Main St.
When I neared the Crystal Palace, I couldn't help but take a peek. I was excited for breakfast there in the morning!

This place is gorgeous! I couldn't wait to get inside!


Then I saw something cute along that hideous construction wall...

When I see something cute what do I do? Ah yes, selfie.


At this point, the camera had had enough of me for the night and it shut off. Completely out of juice. I decided that was the signal for me to call it a night. I hummed along with the background music and made my way out of the park.

I have always found it funny how there are like a thousand people reminding you where to go when you are on your way to the transportation. I'm sure there are people who really do need that guidance, but for me it has always seemed so silly! Don't I look like I know where I'm going??
So when I got to the first guys, they all bowed and called me princess. I curtsied back and they asked me where I was headed, "To the Movies!" I declared, and they laughed, pointing me to the bus terminal.
Not five feet away, another group of men in vests stopped me, "Where are you headed Miss?" "I'm off to the Movies!' I pointed to the bus stop and then flung my hair back and cat-walked past them, they laughed too. At this point it was my goal to make EVERYONE laugh.
So when I got to the next, and my final group of bus terminal assistants, they asked me where I was headed, and one last time I proclaimed (quite loudly), "TO THE MOVIES!" And all down the line, the guys from before turned back to me and yelled out, "TO THE MOVIES!!" I was CRYING. And everyone in line for the Movies resort got a kick out of it too.
What a great way to end the day.....well sort of.

The ride wasn't too bad back to the resort. But once I got there, I was beyond tired, and very *ahem* cramped. I wanted back to my room pronto, but alas, I hadn't even gotten my room assignment yet. I walked to the lobby and waited in a REALLY long line. I have no idea what was taking so long, but that late, nobody was in a hurry, and I was not all too happy about that. I wanted to be quick, for the sake of those tired souls behind me in line. So I just scanned my MagicBand and told them I needed to know what my room was.

"You're in Mighty Ducks Building Number 2."

I felt like I was in one of those horror movie scenes where the people finally realize everything is terribly wrong and that there is nothing they can do it about it and they are stuck in this situation and the camera pans in on them at a weird angle and everything else fades away except for this really stomach-churning violin noise.

The one thing I requested, was to not be put in any Mighty Ducks building. I had been told it wasn't well lit, felt very secluded, wasn't well maintained, and was the sketchiest of all the building sets.
I looked at the guy at the counter and said, "Why did you put me there, I requested the exact opposite." He gave me no other options. I knew it was late and they probably couldn't accommodate me elsewhere so I sighed and got over it. I didn't want to get upset because I was tired and hormonal and regret how I acted, so I just left with a resort map.

The theme of things not going my way continued out into the parking lot.
I had kept my car in the Check-In parking lot like they told me to do earlier, and I had parked near a lamp post because I knew that I would be getting back at night. But, to my chagrin, as I found my car, I noticed two large men standing RIGHT next to it, at my trunk. I debated back and forth about going back inside to get someone to walk me to my car, but there was hardly anyone working to begin with. Then, when I got closer I realized my trunk was OPEN. I had left my brand new laptop bag (with laptop) and purse in my trunk to avoid anything being taken from them when my other bags were transported to my room, and here I was seeing guys ‘taking the stuff’ right out of my car! Well, I hit the alarm button on my vehicle and started screaming at these guys to get away. I'm sure I was an angelic vision.
They shook their heads and called out to me, "Is this your car??" I was like, Uh, YEAH? They then told me they had been there for like 50 minutes, hoping I would show up soon, because when they got there, my trunk opened. Something in my bag must have hit my trunk button when I arrived back at the resort and popped it. I was so embarrassed... I profusely apologized and said thank you like a million times. I couldn't believe they waited, it was amazing. They said it was no big deal, and I was like, no really, that is a huge deal. So after I felt I had thanked them enough, I got back in my car and drove to the parking lot of my room that was like 3 minutes away.

When I got there...of course, it seemed all the warnings about the Mighty Ducks buildings were true. I felt a little uneasy (which was ironic because the whole reason I was at Disney was because I picked a Disney resort so that I'd feel safe...) but gathered my in-tact trunk bags and soldiered up, using the stairs (I figured it would be easier to fight someone there, should a problem arise, but I'd be screwed on an elevator) to get to the second floor.
Once in my room, I was thankful my unreal amount of bags had arrived. I dropped my others. I looked around at the lackluster room, locked every lock, brushed my teeth, and nearly collapsed into the bed furthest from the door. It had to be the worst bed I've ever been on. I just told myself to get to sleep and not to think about the room at all.
Instead I thought about the delicious breakfast I was going to have in the morning, and that I needed to get right to sleep (at what was now past 2 am) so that I wasn’t late… It must have worked, because I was out.

Next Up: I’m 600 Miles Away…

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[aacvacation]

I subscribed to your thread! I can't wait to read all about your trip. I also love Belle and Gaston. i am also from NC too! i'm from western North Carolina, and I'm not the biggest fan either, haha.

Hello neighbor!!! I've been to Asheville 3 or 4 times, it's pretty! I mean, so is Wilmington. There's nothing really 'wrong' with NC, is just isn't remarkable in my opinion!

Thanks for subscribing! I think I'm going to hop on over to your thread and to the same!

 

[Tracy161]

Hi!!!!!!!!!!!!! So sorry! I promise I haven't disappeared! Things have been hectic but I'm hoping will calm very soon! So sorry to hear that your night ended on a kinda bad note but HAHAHAHAHA to the "to the movies!" part! I hope that your room turned out to be okay after all. Looking forward to reading more AND to replying to your PM!