Conquered

meandovrbyte
Originally uploaded by audreahuff.

I finally made it out to Disney to ride Expedition Everest, the new coaster at Animal Kingdom, with good buddies Jumbles (Mr. Brain Ooze) and Ovrbyte. Ovrbyte was suffering from a bad back, so he had to sit out and watch Jumbles and I ride it twice. :(

We got there before noon that day. The park was packed to the gills. Ugh. I hate bumping into people. We were pretty sure we'd have to Fast Pass it (which, if you don't know, is a system by which you get a ticket that sort of holds a spot for you, like taking a number, and spits out a time when you can come back and hop somewhere near the front of the line). So we headed to the Fast Pass line, and holy cow! The Fast Pass line says if you take a ticket now, don't come back until 5:30 p.m.! WTF?! I hadn't planned on being at the parks that long!

So one of us had the smarts to see whether there was a single-rider line, and sure enough, there was. If you don't care too much about sitting right next to your partner or friends, then this is absolutely the way to go. We bypassed the throngs of families of 5 and scooted right up to the front of the line.

We ended up riding twice. So so fun (and so so short). I sat near the back of the train the second time -- and got a little bit ill. Not too bad, not like I get when I ride Hulk at Islands of Adventure and have to sit down for 10 minutes 'cause my eyeballs feel like they're going to pop out of my skull. (But not that that ever stops me from riding it.)

And, as an added bonus, we brushed right up against pseudo-celebrity as we left the ride. Jumbles saw him first, and Ovrbyte and I didn't believe him. But upon closer examination of the person in question -- and notwithstanding the two or three escorts and a park guest who came up to him to ask him for his autograph -- it was in fact Michael Eisner. I think I may have brushed him as he walked by. What was he doing at the park? I thought he was unemployed?

Then we death marched it over to Epcot Center to ride Soarin', which I also had not yet ridden, and which Ovrbyte could enjoy since it wasn't jarring to his bad back. Unfortunately, no Fast Pass here. We waited in line for 90 minutes for the 3-minute thrill. Another excellent ride. And it didn't hurt that the entire ride is indoors, so you don't have to sweat to death while standing in the queue.

Anyway, fun, fun day. I got home in the late afternoon and was so wiped, I was in bed by 7 and pretty much slept until the next morning. XXOO, Jumbles and Ovrbyte! Love ya and see ya soon.