Disney: Three out of Four Ain't Bad

Click now for JiffNotes

Welcome to our last day in the parks!

 

Yes, I said, "parks"...remember...foreshadowing, your key...blahblahblah.

The main reasons we headed back to Epcot today were

1. Reservations at Bistro de Paris
2. Soarin' ran out of FastPasses the day before
3. MORE SCHOOLBREAD

After we grabbing Soarin' FastPasses and taking in a few low-line rides, we proceeded to the second item on the agenda: Striking snarky French poses at Bistro de Paris.

 

Of course, there were no snarky French waiters here; everyone was very friendly, including the chef...

 

We had a great time watching the waitress cover Remy back up and wheel the cart to a different section, then act astonished that there was un petit rat aboard! Remy looks at you when you speak to him, then squeaks a response which his chauffeur translates. He recommended the cheese. =)

We hadn't had good baguette since visiting the Dunlaps in Metz, France, last summer!

 

(This picture is for you, guys!)

I was a little hesitant to eat here, since we had just eaten at Remy on the Disney Dream, but this is a different level of cuisine...definitely "bistro" rather than the gastronomic tour de force that is Remy. That said, the food was excellent. My boeuf:

 

Michael's quiche:

 

Butofcourse we had the profiteroles for dessert:

 

When we left the restaurant, we saw that the Serveur Amusant was in progress!

 

I've always wanted to see this act, looked at it on the Epcot schedule and made a mental note, but somehow we were never at that end of the World Showcase when it was time. And I speed walk only for the Voices of Liberty! But here they were, and they were très amusant. =)

 

In addition to the Belle and Beast topiaries in France, there was a special fragrance garden based on French perfumes.

We took in a Voices of Liberty performance (of which I have no picture due to the VoL's talents of producing a wide, idiotic grin on my face and commanding my rapt attention). At this point in the day, our Soarin' FastPasses weren't for another couple hours, and we'd done everything else we really wanted to do. So we did what any sane ParkHopper pass holders would do: We hightailed it to a park closing in an hour and a half!!!

We expected no one to be at Disney's Hollywood Studios, since Epcot had the F&GF and Magic Kingdom was the "extra magic hours" park for the day. Unfortunately, our plan of "let's just ride Midway Mania" was derailed by the fact that it was ESPN weekend. Since we don't really watch sports, how were we to know? The center of the park was packed; there was a giant stage erected just in front of pin trading, and the line for Midway Mania was realllly long (they were, of course, out of FastPasses). So we went to check out whatever concept art was in the animation tour. Fortunately, they have now opened this attraction up at both ends so you don't have to sit through the opening film and wander all the way to the end when (like us) all you want to see is concept art. We used to ask the employees in Art of Disney if we could just skip the line and sneak in through the back door, with many promises to just look at the closing gallery.

Looks like Mulan was doing the same thing. I showed her some moves. ;)

 

Seriously, she was going to do a "pretty" pose with me, and I asked her for an action pose. She looks like she could kick some butt; I look like I could herd some butterflies.

At that point, we still didn't want to cool our heels in the Midway Mania line; we figured if we went back just before park close we could throw ourselves in there and it would only be 30 minutes or so (it was still 90 minutes!) So we headed to one of my favorite attractions: MuppetVision 3D!

 

This part of the park was pretty well deserted. I LOVE all the labels on the crates. This is one preshow I never begrudge, either. In fact, I always feel cheated if I don't get to see the whole thing (or most of it).

 

Unfortunately, even with speed-walking from the show back to Midway Mania, we missed the cutoff for the line. Oh well, there's always the next trip. =)

So now with Hollywood Studios closed, where to? Back to Epcot? On to the Magic Kingdom? Back to the Wilderness Lodge for FREE SNACKS?? By golly, we had Soarin' FastPasses, and I wasn't about to let those go! Michael was apprehensive because our passes were for 5:30 or so, and we wouldn't be back there until probably 8. I was not worried...I knew that FastPasses never really expire (on the day they're issued). Once your start time passes, you can go back pretty much any time.

FastPass line, conveniently walled off from the regular line to reduce the rage quotient:

 

Still a little bit of a wait (maybe 15 min?) but totally worth it. I am interested to see how the interactive games in the stand-by line work, but from what I've heard they're hard to control.

After that, we high-tailed it to Norway for MORE SCHOOLBREAD. I had a seriously bad moment when a mob of teenagers (you know, like 5) were in front of us in line, all like, "Ummm...what do you want?" "I dunno...what do YOU want?" "I dunno...what's that?" THAT was the schoolbread, of which there were a limited number left, and they proceeded TO ORDER FIVE (5!!!). I was silently screaming in my head "OHMIGOSH, do NOT take the last schoolbread! You don't even CARE about schoolbread! You don't even know WHAT IT IS!! YOU AREN'T WORTHY OF THE SCHOOLBREAD"

I may have even said some of that out loud...you know, quietly. In a friendly, passive-aggressive kind of way. ;)

But all was well; there were a whole TWO left by the time the teenage locusts were done.

So now it was about 8:45 pm...what to do? There are Desserts and Cordials at the hotel until 10. CAN WE MAKE IT??

 

Oh yeah. We totally can.

I felt a slight tinge of guilt at leaving the Magic Bars plate looking like this:

 

DON'T JUDGE. There was only one left. REALLY!

So at about 10:15, hopped up on sugar and cordials, we made the ONLY LOGICAL DECISION...we headed to the Magic Kingdom (open 'til midnight!!) More chances to assert my dominance in Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. We got stuck on the ride, but in a very inopportune location.

 

Uh-oh, Michael is catching up...

 

I'm also not sure I've ever ridden the Tomorrowland Speedway before!

 

I amused myself by stopping short and causing the kid behind me to rear-end me, then laughing my head off. He was mildly amused...hey, he got to ram into another car and he couldn't get in trouble for it. ;)

One more chance to conquer Buzz Lightyear...I'd been pumping cast members (and hapless guests around me who did well) all trip for the secret 100k target locations. Well, I found two of 'em...

 

Booyah. Next time I'll be ready. Poor Michael...he ended up in the 5 digit range...his score was so low it refused to be photographed...like a vampire score, every shot of it is just blank.

Even though that's my best score, I'm still only a...

 

Space Ace. Ranger First Class, you will be mine someday!

The park was practically empty by this time, so we ended the night by riding The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, which I categorically refuse to wait more than five minutes for. We got to play in the cool queue playground (where else can you play tug-of-war with a gopher??) I wish we'd gotten longer, but it was midnight and the cast member in charge was politely calling, "Um, do you two want to ride?"

And that was all we could do in a day. =)

JiffNotes
Three parks in one day...because we can.