After another night at Silver Lake Resort, we spent a lazy morning watching the news and goofing off. Eventually, we made our way to McDonald's at DD to meet my parents who have recently moved to Tampa.
We had lunch at Earl of Sandwich. DH and I split this. So filling!
Was it good?
We did a bit of shopping and spent a LOOONNNNGGGG time in the Pin Trading Hut so DS and DD could check out pins. Years ago, I purchased lanyards for them (at
Disneyland in 1999, DD was an infant) and over the years, they accumutilated (not a typo)many pins. Until DIS, I had no idea people traded pins! When I mentioned this to the kiddos, they were initially horrified at the notion of parting with their precious pins. But I planted the seed.....
When we were finally able to drag them away from the pin shop, it was time to test something I'd learned on DIS.....
7. You do not have to be a resort guest or even hold a ticket to the parks to use the Disney Transportation System. Buses, monorails, even the boats were at our disposal!
My mother was stoked! She remembered riding the boat to get to the Magic Kingdom in the past, loved it, and wanted to do it again! Plus others!
She was also a closet Monorail fan! My Mom?!
So we obliged her and hopped on one of these:
We exited the bus at The Tickets and Transportation Center. During the ride, my parents kept looking around nervously, afraid someone was going to ask them for their tickets or inquire as to which resort they were staying at. LOL
We hopped on the Magic Kingdom Ferry!:
Landed at the Magic Kingdom, then hopped the Monorail to the Polynesian. We walked around the Polynesian, across a busy street, and up to Shades of Green. On the way up to Shades of Green, we passed a really icky swamp. The water was covered in green foam and smelled a bit rank. My poor Dad has had both of his knees replaced and we walked so much or him!
I stopped at the Registration Desk to see if FedEx had dropped off a package I had mailed there. Good news! It arrived! Three adult tickets to the Pirate and the Princess Party for March 5th, courtesy of a terrific resale deal on eBay and one cool seller! (She lives in Jersey, maybe I should feel bad about the snow now?)
We bribed a bellboy to drive us on a Shady Shuttle (that's actually what its called) golf cart to the end of the property line so save poor Dad's legs.
We walked around the Polynesian, checking everything out, and comparing it to what we just saw in Hawaii in September 2006. We took the Monorail back to Magic Kingdom (going through the Contemporary along the way which my father LOVED). We then took a boat to Fort Wilderness Campground.
Why? Because we were looking fer trouble! We wanted to tussle! We wanted to fight!
No, actually it was getting close to dinnertime on our last day before our CRUISE and we wanted to make it special.
It was time for Hoop Dee Doo Revue!
No we didn't have ADRs! We're still a little reckless!
It was 4:45 and Dad and I strolled up to the ticket window and announced we'd like tickets for 6 for the 5pm performance.
He laughed in our faces, sending streams of Mickey bar tainted funk all over our faces.
Or did he do that at all?
No, we SCORED!
We grabbed our tickets, met with the rest of the awaiting clan, and were promptly ushered inside. Sweet!
We were seated on the upstairs balcony at a table that barely fit the six of us. A terrific server came over and slammed down a metal bucket of salad and some cornbread and butter. She then slammed down jelly jars of ice water and demanded we order our drinks straight away.
Whoa! Where were we? Was this the Hoop Dee Doo Revue or Whispering Canyon Café? Were we lost?
Nope, she did the same thing to the other tables she was serving. See? Despite being accused of being similar to gorillas, we weren't singled out for our hirsutism at all. We were treated just like everyone else. It was rough and I kinda liked it.
OK, I really liked it and gave the Chief a knowing wink.
We dug in and no, I did not take pics.
I digress. (See? I slipped THAT word in there AGAIN)
My Bagallini and with my camera in it ended up on the floor.
We stuffed our faces silly with the salad, cornbread, chicken, ribs (MMMmmmm), corn on the cob, baked beans loaded with gas (you do not want to know how I know this), and topped it off with strawberry shortcake. Oh man! Yep! Selfish of me not to take pics of our feast.
The show was great too. Terrific for the kiddos, but with enough subtle adult humor thrown in for adults.
The sangria was awesome! Especially once I squeezed the lemon from my water and the orange that came with the sangria into the liquid. So good, and I knew I wasn't driving, so I had a second. Fantabulastic.
When the show ended, we moseyed back to the dock at the campground, serenaded by some ducks who mistakenly thought they had some privacy. (I made the Chief explain what they were doing to the kiddos just because I could).
The boat ride back was so special. We could see fireworks being set off over the castle at MK, hear music, boat horns, and birds (not those ducks again).
We took the Monorail again, this time getting off at the Contemporary so Dad could peruse it a bit (I think he's planning on taking my Mom there for her birthday in April Ssshhh). We hopped on a bus back to TTC, then on another to DD, said our goodbyes, and headed back to Silver Lake Resort.
8. Rich people are not the only people who stay at Disney Resorts. We saw a man at the Contemporary who wore denim shorts with holes in them, and could not afford underwear to wear underneath.....as my 8 year old daughter pointed out to me. Nice.
We had a cruise to get to!!!
Cant wait to read more!
!
Who said you have to eat healthy all the time. lol 
lol
