Running Around Disney World

Aunt Cathy and Uncle Dave left before dawn this morning and left us to fend for ourselves. No problem; we already had big plans ourselves and needed to be on our way. We were planning to spend the day running around Disney World and seeing a former co-worker, Alex.

The day started with the three of us gathered around the computer screen and NASA TV, watching the shuttle Atlantis land at Kennedy Space Center. Susan stepped outside and was convinced that she saw it gliding high above, but the binoculars gave proof that it was just a 747. Once the shuttle was on the ground, we were on our way to Disney.

In Orlando, I decided to make a quick stop at the Amtrak station. I wanted to see it, maybe see a train, and kill a little bit of time. We were not planning to meet Alex for another hour. Andrew stuck two quarters into the meter, but it only gave us a quarter’s worth of time, so we had to move quickly.

Back on the road, we drove to Downtown Disney, parked, and caught a free bus to the Contemporary Resort. From there, we rode one monorail train to the Ticketing and Transportation Center (TTC), then caught another monorail train to Epcot Center.

After meeting with Alex, it was back to the monorail station. We rode the train back to the TTC, then caught a boat across the lake to the Magic Kingdom. From there, we caught a smaller boat back across the lake to the Grand Floridian Resort and ate at the cafe. Then it was back on the small boat, over to the Polynesian Resort, and across the lake to the Magic Kingdom. From there, we got back on the monorail, did a full loop around, then got off at the Contemporary Resort. Finally, it was back on the bus and back to Downtown Disney.

Before going home, we had to make one more stop. Each time we visit this area, I drive past a particular landmark, but have never stopped. Today, I was determined to stop and check it out. The landmark I'm talking about is the "World's Largest Play Place" at McDonald's. On the outside, the building is quite large. I had visions of tubes running for miles, twisting and turning within the enormous area. When I got inside, I was a little disappointed to find that most of the area was consumed by arcade machines. The actual play tube area was bigger than any I'd ever seen before, but was less than I had expected. Regardless, Andrew had a great time.

The drive home was too much for me and Andrew. After filling up the tank, we both fell asleep and left Susan all alone to drive. Thankfully, she was awake enough to keep us all safe.