DAY 19

SAT 15th 2000

We lie in until 8:15 then eat a quick breakfast in the room. We take the scenic option of the boat to Downtown Disney then walk to Disneyquest which we enter at 10:15.
First we do the Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam. I finish second, while Georgia shows a real aptitude for this, coming in third.
On to Ride the Comix where I follow the instructions a little too literally, using long slow strokes of my laser sword to try and defeat the enemy, while Tammy is much quicker and wipes out 10 villains to my 2. I put it down to faulty equipment.

Next is the Buzz Lightyear bumper car thing. This is fun but I don't see anyone spin out of control. It seems very difficult to get a direct hit.
The Alien Encounter sees me as pilot with Georgia and Grandma as gunners. Although we pick up 15 colonists we fail to make it back to the transport place.

Down to the second floor to ride on Aladdin's Magic Carpet. I think that this is the most realistic of the virtual reality rides and you can see your co-riders as you go along.
The Virtual Jungle Cruise is enjoyable, paddling like mad we manage to make it back before we are destroyed by the meteor.

Hercules in the Underworld has me as Hercules, Georgia as Pegasus and India as Meg. One of the drawbacks with most of the virtual reality rides is that they are for 4 people, so we are having to split into two groups. The final battle with Hades requires Pegasus to steer the chariot which Georgia is not too clear about, so Hades triumphs and we slink out with heads bowed.

Prior to lunch we all have a go at the Animation Academy where a Disney artist teaches you how to draw a Disney character. We attempt Pluto and I must admit that mine turns out OK. We buy a print out of our efforts and later on India and Georgia decide that Tammy's is the best. Huh, what do they know about art? Critics!

Lunch is at the Cheesecake Factory. We split a pizza, teriyaki chicken wrap and chicken with fries. The food is very good as it was last time we ate here.
After lunch we return to the Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam. Even though every station is being used, Georgia wins! The attendant tells her that she gets to stay on again and that if she wins 3 games in a row she will get a small prize. We are all watching and cheering Georgia on and she is in the lead right until the last few seconds of the game, eventually finishing second.

Tammy and Grandma want to go off shopping but the girls want to go back on Hercules, so we split up. This time I am Pegasus and we defeat Hades due mostly to my excellent flying. All right, so the girls did manage to shoot him down with their lightning bolts too.

We leave Disneyquest to meet up with the ladies at the Lego store. More shopping follows and we end up in the Art of Disney where the girls both buy a poster for their rooms and I buy a villains print, although where Tammy will let me put this heaven knows.

The boat back has us in the room by 5:15. Once again it is a rush to get ready and we are running to a tight schedule again as we have priority seating for 'Ohana at 7:20.
Unsure of when the next Magic Kingdom bus will arrive we jump on the Epcot bus and then take the monorail, arriving at 'Ohana only a couple of minutes late.
We are seated within 10 minutes and I am surprised to see so many of my 'cousins' there. If you like BBQ flavoured food with a slightly sweet taste then you will really enjoy it here. It may not be up to the standard of the California Grill or the Yachtsman's Steakhouse but if you have children it is an excellent place for nice food in convivial surroundings.

We end up stuffed so full of food that I wonder whether we can waddle down to the beach to watch the 9:00 PM fireworks over the castle. We just about manage it and stand on the edge of the dock just as they start. It is surprising that you get more of a feeling for the scale of the fireworks watching from this sort of distance then you do if you are standing underneath the castle. The bigger shells are really huge and look beautiful as they are reflected in the Seven Seas Lagoon. Then, just as the fireworks finish, the Electric Water Pageant begins. This may not be a major event but I try to see it on every visit as I can always remember seeing it for the first time and being amazed at how far Disney go to entertain their guests.

I try to talk Tammy into getting a taxi back to Dixie Landings but she thinks we should get the bus from the Magic Kingdom, despite the fact that it has just closed for the night and everyone will be leaving.
We get the monorail round and walk across to see a large queue of people waiting for the Dixie Landings bus. With teeth almost biting through my lip and sweat appearing on my brow with the effort of holding back the 'I told you so' we join the line.
Two buses are already being filled up and when they leave another one pulls up within two minutes. We don't get on this one but the next appears 10 minutes later and we are on our way. The buses have been as good as ever on this trip. OK, if you are unlucky and just miss one, you can wait 15 - 20 minutes for the next, but our average wait cannot have been more than 7 - 8 minutes. (If you ignore New Year's Eve.)

We are back and tucked up in bed by 11:00.

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