Sadly, today is our last day of Disney.  This morning we packed up and checked out of our hotel, well, not before Ray left me have ice cream for breakfast!

We checked our luggage with the Magical Express folks for our later trip to the airport and then we hopped the shuttle to The Magic Kingdom!  Upon arrival we were instantly greeted by a parade!

Now if that doesn't make Disney feel like magic, I don't know what does!  After a little parade time we headed straight for Tomorrowland - I wanted to share Space Mountain with Ray, first thing!  Unfortunately, Space Mountain was closed!  Boooo!  As a consolation we hopped in line for the Tomororwland Speedway, which turned out to be anything but speedy.  Today is really the first warm day we have had at Disney, and since it was a Saturday the park was rather crowded with hot, tired kids - and it's not even lunch time yet!  But we made the most of our wait in line and the hopped into our tiny little race car, and Ray took the wheel to drive us around the guided track, doing a very good job at not hitting the very slow child in front of us.

Next we shot clear across the park to Adventureland for the newly famous Pirates of the Caribbean ride!

When the first movie first came out I was struck with how many elements from the ride they had managed to pull into the film.  Now it's gone the other way around!  Davey Jones, Captain Barbosa and Jack Sparrow pop up at unexpected times!  But no flash photography allowed - sorry for the blurriness!

Next we headed for Frontierland for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Rollercoaster and Splash Mountain!  The folks getting off Splash Mountain actually looked pretty wet, and we had a plane to catch later, so we decided to skip it.  Thunder Mountain had quite the wait - so we opted for our first, and only, use of the Fast Pass.  We relaxed and ate lunch as we waited for our Fast Pass time to arrive.  We ended up in the first car on the coaster and had quite the wild ride!

After Thunder Mountain we enjoyed the Haunted Mansion ride, that left both Ray and I wondering "how did they do that?" with many of the special holographic effects.  On our way our we ran into Dr. Facilier, the witch doctor for the upcoming Disney movie The Princess and the Frog.  He suggested we follow him down to the bayou, and while it was a tempting offer, we opted instead for Liberty Square.

Here we were able to see The Hall of Presidents, a show much more moving and interesting than I remembered it - well, that sort of thing generally means more when you can vote.

It's even been updated to include our current president!

At this point we realized we needed to be heading out of the park to catch our flight.  We stopped for a great photo of Cinderella's Castle and then magically found ourselves in the middle of another parade!

Before we left Disney I was determined to eat something Mickey Mouse shaped - don't ask me why!  Maybe it had to do with all the amazing sweet treats we had seen shaped like that famous head or maybe it had to do with Ray going on and on about an amazing rice krispy treat he had eaten his first day here, and I was anxious to see for myself, but before we left the park I purchased myself something yummy to remember the trip by!

We arrived at Epcot Center with a bit of time to spare before our 6:00 pm dinner reservation at Restaurant Marrakesh.  Since Ray had been here two days before, he took me on a quick tour of the World Showcase, pointing out where the Champlainers had eaten dinner in Japan and the awesome indoor (but looks like its outdoor) Mexican Marketplace.

After strolling around and doing a little bit of window shopping we made our way through the winding streets of Morocco and found Restaurant Marrakesh.  Our hotel concierge had recommended this restaurant to us, and we were both interested to see what the experience would be like.  Dinner was amazing!

There was a very cool Moroccan band that played and a family-friendly belly dancer (who Ray refused to take a picture of, I think he was afraid he'd look like a perv).  Apparently when the resturant was built the King of Morocco sent his artisians to do the interior tile work - it's so beautiful! 

The food was unbelieveable!  We shared a small carafe of Moroccan wine, and started with Goat Cheese and Crispy Bread for Two, which I cannot describe because it was just too yummy!  Then I had the Chicken Bastilla for dinner, which is actually an appetizer.  Bastilla is a pastry filled with spiced minced chicken and almonds covered in powered sugar and cinnamon.  Actually, they gave me Chicken and Beef Bastilla, since they didn't want me to be hungry.  It was awesome - and I was even able to share with Ray!  Ray had roast lamb (which he loved) and couscous flavored with orange, which he let me have a bit of and I nearly finished for him.  We loved the food so much we actually purchased the cookbook... now I am dreaming of couscous at home...

After dinner we did a bit more exploration of the World Showcase.  We stopped in at China and saw an amazing 360-degree movie called Reflections of China that certainly made us both want to visit!  In Japan we watched pearls being removed from oysters and valued and we even stuck our heads into Germany's Oktober Fest.  By about 8:00 pm we found ourselves out in front of Norway.  As we had been directed by our concierge we staked out an unobstructed spot to view the IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth music and fireworks display.  Ray had seen it on Wednesday, but wanted to share it with me, so we staked out our spot an hour before the show began.  Good thing to, many folks lined up behind us, and because of our excellent spot we were able to sit, relax and enjoy the show!

By the time the show was over, the park was closed for most of the guests.  As everyone headed for the exits, Ray and I headed to Future World for some rides!  Our first stop owas Test Track, a wicked fast "test drive" in a GM car which took us through all sorts of twist and turns, quick stops and even a short burst outside!  This was definitely Ray's favorite ride at Epcot.

Then we stopped in at Mission: SPACE where I decided we would do the "intense" ride.  It's a family theme park right - we're  not little kids, we can handle it!  Well, I was TOTALLY wrong!  While the experience was really cool (we got to be part of a 4 person space team), and we got to experience ACTUAL G-FORCE it also made us rather ill.  The best piece of advise we were given, don't close your eyes and look straight ahead.  While we didn't get physically ill, we both felt rather sick and headache-y afterwards.  So I thought some soothing slow rides would do just the trick!

We headed over to The Seas with Nemo & Friends for a slow ride (which was a bit of a review of Finding Nemo) and some time staring into the huge and amazing aquariums.  We saw all sorts of fish, sting rays, sharks and plant life.  I even found Nemo!

At this point we weren't feeling any better, so I decided some sugar was in order.  Since we couldn't find a place to sell us a soda or some ice cream, we opted for immitation Swedish Fish from a gift shop, and it did just the trick!  Within 10 minutes our headaches were pretty much gone and we were feeling much better.  At this point it was getting late, so we decided to head back to the hotel.  Another amazing day, but I wish it wouldn't go by so fast!

Since Ray had already been to Epcot Center with the other Champlainers on Wednesday, we decided we had time to revisit Disney's Hollywood Studios to do the two things we had missed out on yesterday.  First on the list was to head back to The Magic of Disney Animation and actually take the drawing class.  While we had seen the video the day before we weren't able to stay for the class since we needed to get in line for Fantasmic.

While Ray waited in line I took the chance to look around a little bit - and saw this amazing display of all of Disney's Oscars!

We were the last two people let into the class, and due to a bit of a mis-count, there weren't actually enough seats for both of us.  Since Ray is the real artist in the family, he took the seat at the drawing table and I got to document the event!

The class was really interesting - after deciding which character the class wanted to draw (in this case, Minnie Mouse) the instructor showed everyone how to create the basic shapes that made up Minnie.  No erasers allowed!  Everything was done with light sketching and followed by dark lines when you got things just right.

Not too shabby!

After drawning class we headed to the Toy Story Midway Mania, the 3D Toy Story ride we had missed the day before.  I think this might be the most popular ride in the park - and it certainly was our favorite!  Fast passes were already long gone for the day, so we waited in line for well over an hour - but it was totally worth it!

I think this might be the perfect ride for Ray.  It's a 2-person car, and each person has their own "gun" - you are spun around to various 3D screens where you get to experience a Toy Story-style shooting gallery!  They even keep score - while I held my own, Ray beat me solidly!  It was awesome and amazing and we laughed the entire time!

After the Toy Story ride we decided it was getting late and we should head over to Epcot Center for the evening.  Instead of taking the regular shuttle bus, we opted for the International Gateway boat.

The weather was gorgeous so we sat outside on the back of the boat and enjoyed the slow progress and sunny skies.

Day two of our Disney mini-break got off to an earlier start.  After a quick breakfast Ray and I headed back to the concierge desk to game plan out our day.  We had three parks left to see and only two days to see them in.  As it turns out, there are many benefits to staying at a Disney hotel: Extra Magic Hours.  Today, Epcot Center was open until midnight for guests staying in Disney hotels, but for everyone else it closes at 9:00 pm.  With that in mind, we planned to hit up Animal Kingdom first, and head to Epcot Center for dinner and a late evening.

Animal Kingdom is Disney's newest park, and while it has been around for years, I have never been to it.  Since we couldn't spend all day wandering around, we decided to do highlights of the park.  Upon entering was the rather impressive Tree of Life, which has 325 different animals, birds and bugs carved into it.

Our first stop was Expedition Everest, which Ray and I realized was our first ever rollercoaster ride together!  We started here as we were warned the lines could get rather long later in the day.  Actually, I think Ray was just as intrigued by the atmosphere presented while waiting in line; we were shuffled through a series of Asian-temple looking rooms, Everest backpacking lodges and rooms filled with actual information gathered about the Yeti.  The ride really was great, but I don't think our enthusiasm could possibly have matched that of the under-12-year-old group behind us, who had already done the coaster twice this morning!

Our next stop was Kilimanjaro Safaris, an open air safari truck ride through an African savannah.  While Ray and I have actually been to Africa, we didn't have a chance to see any of the wildlife.

The ride was amazing - we got to see a ton of different animals - and I spent half the time trying to take un-blurry photos!  Here are some hippos - I learned that hippos are nocturnal and sleep under water during the day....

...an African ox-type (which I know as a wonderful Swahili name which they told us, but I can't remember), ostrich and rhinos...

...and while we did see a sleeping lion, I think I was most excited to see the giraffes (sorry they're a little blurry, we were moving)...

...and finaly gorillas!

After our safari we spent a small amount of time wandering around.  The amazing thing about Animal Kingdom is that they have all sorts of "nature" trails where you can wander through the different natural environments.  The park features both African and Asian habitats and animals.  Here Ray stumbled on some rather interest and LARGE fish!

Our next stop was lunch, and based on the recommendation of our hotel concierge we went to the Flame Tree Barbecue.  While it appears to be a fast food kind of place we soon discovered that there were all sorts of hidden seating areas around it nestled in the trees and on Discovery River.  We had a rather yummy lunch of Barbecue Ribs (for Ray) and Chicken (for me) and really had a chance to sit and absorb the beautiful surroundings and the quiet that was only really interrupted by bird song.  After lunch we headed into the Tree of Life for the 3D "It's Tough to Be a Bug!".  It was extremely well done, and the thing I found funniest was the music played in the waiting area.  There were posters for "Bug Musicals" - they had taken names of famous plays and "updated" them for the Bugs, and we were serenaded with bug-buzzing versions of showtunes!

Our final stop in Animal Kingdom was DinoLand, U.S.A. where we went on the DINOSAUR ride.  Again, the waiting area was awesome!  We got to see all kinds of fossils and were even treated to some Bill Nye the Science Guy lecture about how the dinosaurs became extinct.  The ride sent us back in time to try to rescue a dinosaur before the meteor hit!  Actually, it was kind of intense, and while I knew the dinosaurs couldn't actually "get" us, I found myself leaning away from them and closing my eyes!

Hurrah!  Today is the first day of our mini-Disney-break!

After work yesterday I hopped a flight to Orlando, caught the Disney Magical Shuttle and arrived at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort just after midnight!  Ray has been here since last week, attending the Learning 2009 Conference.  Since the EMC had covered his flight to Florida, Ray and I decided to take advantage, and we've tacked on a few days off at the end of the week.  The conference ended yesterday, and the EMCers took advantage of a free afternoon and had been to explore Epcot Center.  As is usual with Ray, he had barely slept in three days.  We started today off on the right foot - by letting Ray sleep in, while I checked in with my class discussion, unpacked and showered.

After a quick lunch, and a consultation with Louisito, the concierge, we had our three-day game plan, to get the most out of our time.  Today, was all Disney's Hollywood Studios!  Upon arrival, we wandered straight down Hollywood Boulevard, caught some street performances, and walked straight into the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!  Now... Ray has never been to Disney World before, and the last time I really went was for my ninth birthday, and the magic of Disney sucked us right in!

Our next stop was Star Tours - a ride I remembered fondly and thought Ray would enjoy.  We had a blast - our first Disney ride together!

Ray was a little bit sleepy before the ride ...

... but he seemed to perk up fine, when the Empire needed to be battled!

Our next stop was the Muppets 3D Movie - the Muppets have always been one of my favorites!  Pigs in Space!

As we waited for the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show to start (awesomeness of car, jet ski and motorcycle tricks!) we took the Studio Backlot Tour.  Fortunately, the water "features" of the ride had been turned off - since it was in the 50's today!  Freezing!

We had decided to come to Hollywood Studios today because Nate and Jina had highly recommended the light show Fantasmic and there are two showings tonight.  We were also told we needed to line up at least an hour before the show started to get good seats!  So as most of the park visitors (at least most of those who brought young children) lined up for the early show, Ray and I snuck into the Sci-Fi Drive-In Theatre Restaurant for dinner.  The food was fine, but the milkshake was excellent and the atmosphere was out of this world!

After dinner we made a beeline for The Magic of Disney Animation, where we had a chance to see how Disney animators research and develop characters, and we had a sneak peek of some of The Princess and the Frog.  Unfortunately we didn't have time to wait for the drawing demonstration - but we did have time to take a photo with our favorite Incredible!

... and I couldn't resist this wonderful little quote...

Finally, we headed over to the Fantasmic seating - and I was very glad I brought my sweater - and we spent some time trying to warm Ray up!  Fantasmic is really the only way to describe the amazing light, laser, fireworks, water, sound and character show!

Hurrah!  On our way out of the park, Ray and I were tempted by a sweet-treat shop... and discovered perhaps our new favorite dessert!

This delectable treat is big marshmallows skewered by a Mickey Mouse twisty straw, dipped in chocolate and rolled in mini M&Ms and sprinkles!  Amazing!