As I wrote this morning, we got to spend some time in our new hotel – well, our old hotel. And Steph was able to join us around noon. We decided to head off to the Magic Kingdom so Judi could wear her Minnie Mouse ears and get her photo taken with the REAL love of her life (more than Paul McGann, more than Takeshi Kaga) — Mickey Mouse! Well, by the time we’d arrived, there were already over 60,000 people in da ‘dom. So we were turned away. We decided to go to Disney’s Animal Kingdom since only Steph had been there before.

We got in the line for the Kilamanjaro Safari almost immediately. The line was at the 2 hour long bit and was going to stop at 4:30pm (due to the early setting sun) so we figured, what the hell. The Safari’s the most important bit of the Animal Kingdom and we hadn’t talked with Steph in ages. So we spent 2 hours slowly walking around lots of turns with lots of people (some of them almost becoming fast friends by the end of the trip) talking with each other. It was a very pleasant 2 hours. Lovely balmy weather, great conversation, and good friends. Can’t ask for much more.

Once we finally got in our tour jeep, we found ourselves in the front row. Our tour guide was very friendly and energetic and often spoke to us off the mic. And the animals – geez, you’d’ve thought they were paid to come out at each showing. We got to see all of the animals and everyone was showing off, except the cheetah, who was sleeping. And they had Lions! No black lions, like my Leo, but a lion and his lioness (or is that backwards?) The lioness was staring down a gazelle (or something antelopish) but couldn’t get to it thanks to the moat between them.

We left the safari and to (a) celebrate our successful capture of poachers on our safar and (b) to spend some of the birthday money that the ‘rents gave me, I bought an Aussie-style Bush hat, with several pins in front. Alas, I didn’t check the size before grabbing one eagerly and ended up with an XL. But it still looks cool and I’ll probably not wear it a lot. But I have some teddy bears at home that would look very stylish with that hat on. So, thanks mom & dad for my new hat! Maybe tomorrow I can upload the photos of me in my new hat!

On our way to see the Bug movie, we went to Flights of Wonder, a bird demonstration show. And we saw some pretty well trained birds. They flew over the audience, talked to us, stole money from some lady in the audience, and other cool things. The two “actors” on stage were very entertaining. They even brought out a bald eagle (no longer on the endangered species list – woohoo!) I was quite impressed with the whole production.

We headed off to see The Hard Life of Bugs or whatever that 3D (4D?) movie is called. I was impressed that I didn’t get ill with the 3D glasses. And damn, if there weren’t some impressive shocks in the production. Watch out for stinging insects! Steph and I were bad girls and kept our 3D glasses. They make great Physics demos!

So we wandered around Animal Kingdom for awhile, looking at the dinos and whatnot, and then we figured that, as it was 6pm, we should head back to Epcot to get on the freebie shuttle back to the hotel. This we did, and by 7pm we were on the bus on our way back to the hotel. Ours was the second stop, and we got in and rested up just a bit before we headed to Angels seafood buffet. Why this place you ask? Well, our cabby who took us from the airport to our hotel told us about the place. He said they had lobster and steak and crab legs on the buffet and that the food was very good.

Well, we had the front desk call Mario and ask for transport. Then we sat outside and waited. Eventually a Liberty Transit cab pulled up. But Mario’s company doesn’t have cabs, just unmarked cars. The driver in the cab was there to pick up someone who wanted to go to Econo Lodge. Not us. But then he said he could take us to our destination. He tried to prove that he knew Mario and that Mario was busy and said he could do that job. So we eventually acquiesced and went along. Now, the restaurant isn’t very far – we could probably walk it if we hadn’t walked all day. And the asshole tried to charge us $8. We talked him down to $6 and got in.

We had a further 20 minutes to go before we could be seated (we called ahead and got our name on the waiting list) so Judi and I played a game of air hockey in the hotel arcade. When the score was 2 to 5 (with me in the lead) Judi passed off to Steph. Steph then held her own until it was 6 to 6. But in a lucky break, I got the puck in under her superb defenses. Go me!

They soon seated us in the restaurant and Adam, our waiter, explained the rules of the game. We once again got in line, this time NOT a 2 hour wait, and got lots of food. Sushi, which I ate while in line, rolls, baked scallops, shrimp scampi pasta, breaded fried shrimp, fried clams, hushpuppies, steak and prime rib, crab legs, and lobster. And that’s just what I got. We ate and ate and Adam showed us how to crack lobster (and promptly sprayed Steph with the juices from Judi’s lobster) and then we ate some more. And when we were done with the real food, we had dessert. Pecan pie (nowhere near as good as mom’s), chocolate chip and sugar cookies, chocolate & vanilla soft serve and others. The vanilla soft serve and the cookies were the best of the desserts. Good eats all around. And the final tally after coupons, taxes, and tip (for Adam, whom we also recommended for employee of the month) was $30 a person. After not eating since breakfast some 11 hours earlier, this was indeed a meal and a half.

We called for another transport from Mario only to have our friendly neighborhood charlatan arrive. And soon another transport arrived – it was either one of the charlatan’s friends, or Mario really did send him. He also charged $6.

So we got back to our room and have been vegging ever since. Elsa upgraded Judi’s computer memory, I downloaded photos from all 3 cameras, and we all vegged. Now everyone’s waiting for me to get off and go to bed. So that’s what I’ll do.

I know what you’re thinking… Surely you’ve had a room since yesterday. But, alas, that was not the case. Let me tell y’all a story. Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin.

Yesterday around 11am, Judi, Elsa, and myself arrived at the Rennaissance Worldgate Hotel in Kissimee. We were informed that our room wasn’t ready since check in wasn’t until 4pm. No problem, we thought, we just had lunch in the hotel restaurant (with a very accomodating barmaid/waitress/bon vivant) then we’ll catch Return of the King at Downtown Disney.

Return of the King was, as many have said and/or intimated, fantastic. Even Judi, who wasn’t looking forward to seeing the movie, enjoyed it as much as Elsa and I. Once again, I see the purchase of 6 DVDs in my future, just as I had with the first two flicks.

After the show, we wandered around Downtown looking for a place to eat. When the crab place had a 2 hour waiting list, we decided it was time to call for our cab to get back.

Now, lemme explain the cab situation. This hotel has a deal with a local transport company to take people to various places for a set fee. The hotel gets some of the money, the transport people the other money. And sometimes it works out cheaper than a real taxi. So we’d paid our “downpayment” for our trip there and back again. Only when our driver said he’d be there to pick us up in front of the McDonald’s clock tower (spooky, I know), he wasn’t. So we opted on a real cab. What with traffic as it was, the cost was more than we’d’ve had to pay with the original travel service. Alas, one learns often at the expense of, well, expense.

So we finally get to the hotel to find out there’s been an “explosion.” Thankfully, not an Orange Alert explosion, but a waterpipe bursting and ruining 3 floors. And so those of us who checked in late got screwed, er, got sent to the Marriott World Something, one humongous hotel with very soft beds, but $10 T1 connection and $15 and HOUR wireless. That sucked. (But the beds were nice). Of course, it took them over 35 minutes to get a transport over to take us *to* the Marriott.

This morning, we called our proper hotel about whether they can take us or not. They said yes and to take a cab and they’d reimburse us. Hmmm, I still have yet to see my $16 back.

So we got here and once again, were shooed aside. (And they had the biggest problem finding my name in the computer. Um, we prepaid, you lousy sons of… well… You know.) But we got a free breakfast today and tokens for a free breakfast tomorrow, so that pacified us, some. (My first time having cream of wheat – not too shabby. Very good for the alaying of trina’s frayed nerves.)

While Judi and Elsa talked at the breakfast table, I went back to the desk and this time finally got us a room. Yay! We’re on the 3rd floor with a view overlooking the fountains and parking lot. Not too shabby. Alas, no T1 line connection in the room! So I didn’t need to bring my laptop. Bugger. I wish they’d update their website. The *only* reason I bothered with the laptop was because it said T1 connections in the room. There’s Wireless, instead. Elsa & Judi have wireless NICs. I, alas, do not. So I’m typing this on Judi’s computer while she listens to my Christmas present (coincidentally, from her) on the Bend It Like Beckham soundtrack on my computer.

We’ve heard from Steph that she’s here in Orlando and slowly making her way to the hotel. And when she arrives, hopefully we can go to the Disney campus!