Vacation, Day 8

Ah, the end of vacation is near. And with it, mixed emotions.

On the one hand, we've had a great time in Florida; I knew we'd have fun, but even I am pleasantly surprised to find my cynicism about Disney and this tourist mecca waning. Sure, critiques are warranted, but if you can suspend disbelief and just allow yourself to have fun, it really can be a magical place.

It's also been incredibly restorative to have a block of time in which we could really do nothing but have fun. Yes, we've done some job searching and even interviewing and have done some worrying (neither one of us has been employed since early summer; we've both come heart-wrenchingly close on a number of occasions, but have yet to close the deal), but mostly we have slept late, relaxed, and felt free to take a slow pace and just observe. I notice I even drive more slowly here! (Note, also: we really *do* drive poorly in Massachusetts!)

On the other hand, I will speak only for myself and say that I am - at least in part - ready to go back to reality, ready to see the cat and cooler weather and to start moving forward with a plan. Now that family medical drama is (hopefully) wrapping up and we are a bit more energized after a tough start to the year, it's time to think about career and five-year plans and all that good stuff. I miss my bed, my food, and all the small things that make daily routines so comforting.

Enough waxing philosophical. Onto the trip report!

Yesterday found us doing our now patented mix of relaxing in the hotel room and going out later in the day in (somewhat) cooler weather. Our day also had a somewhat unnatural break in it, because we had to return our land yacht of a rental car at a nearby hotel and walk back to Disney property. On the way, we stopped at Downtown Disney to visit the Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop and have a sundae:

My traditional hot fudge sundae is on the left (verdict? Great fudge; I've had better ice cream. Admittedly we are spoiled living in Massachusetts, what with Herrell's and Christina's and the like), and CP's "Midnight Royale" is on the right.

We spent an hour or so browsing the shops, not so much because we wanted to buy, but because it's quite fascinating to see what Disney sells and to whom. Around 2:30 we headed to the Regal Sun Resort (not so regal, actually) to return our car, after which we walked back to Downtown Disney to catch a boat back to our resort, which you can see in the background of the picture:

By this time, it was about 96 outside with 80% humidity, so we holed up in our room to watch convention coverage and catch a nap. Later, and now without a car, we headed to the bus stop to play bus roulette and take the first bus that came our way. Moments later, we were headed to Disney Studios again.

Our stop here was brief; things were surprisingly crowded and there wasn't much we wanted to do again, so we headed to the Tower of Terror for another drop. When that was finished, we headed to the exit to once again play bus roulette; this time, we boarded a Magic Kingdom bus and ended up at the Transportation and Ticket Center, where we decided to take a walkway to the Polynesian Resort.

Now, this is one of my favorites. The exterior is certainly dated, but somehow its datedness is comforting. It's also one of the oldest Disney resorts, meaning the designers were much more liberal with open space and a precise design aesthetic. The results are pretty breathtaking.

Some of my first (and fondest) Disney memories are from the Polynesian, so it was a fun few minutes of nostalgia to walk the beaches and tour the Great Ceremonial House:


Next, we hopped on the monorail and rode it back to Epcot. Our intention was to head back to Japan for another kaki-gori, but they were all out of shaved ice and we had to settle for frozen drinks from Morocco instead.

Although it was almost fireworks time, we decided to beat the crowds and head out. Instead of walking all the way through Epcot again, we took the World Showcase exit and hopped a boat headed toward the Epcot resorts. We exited at the Boardwalk Hotel:

I wish the picture was better, because the Boardwalk is a surprisingly beautiful hotel. Something about the buildings and the landscape and the actual Boardwalk just works. We poked our heads into the bakery and the candy shop and the ESPN restaurant (where we even got to catch some of the Sox/Yankees game), and then headed out to catch a bus to Downtown Disney. From there, we quickly fled the crowds and found the walkway back to our resort. After some convention coverage, we turned in for the night.

Today is our last day, and as you can see, we're not out cramming every last minute in that we can. It's once again blisteringly hot, so we're doing free laundry, packing, and even some job searching. Later today, we'll head out to get some final time on the rides at Epcot, and maybe will find a few souveneirs. Then, I'll start taking more drugs in preparation for my favorite (ha!) thrill ride, flying.

More updates to come!