Thursday, December 19, 2013

Back From Vacation

First, I want to wish my oldest daughter, Mary a very Happy Birthday.

We returned from vacation last night.  It was certainly a trip of mixed feelings.  We arrived in Orlando without any issues, and proceeded to our resort.  We had requested a handicapped accessible room at Port Orleans - Riverside so that we would have a roll-in shower.  The only handicapped accessible rooms they had were in the Royal Section.  So we paid extra money to have a room in that section.  The decor of the room was beautiful, but unfortunately there was a tub/shower combination.  Not what we asked for.  I don't like to make waves, so I said nothing.  It was wonderful that the beds were lower since I have very short legs, but I could certainly have done without the mile-high toilet.

We proceeded to EPCOT, got a snack, and did some rides.  Rod and the kids did Test Track, and I shopped.  They did Soarin' and I people-watched.  And then we all did Living with the Land.  It is one of my favorite rides at WDW. I love music, and we went to see the Voices of Liberty at the American Adventure pavilion. The Voices of Liberty is an a capella group that sings under the accoustic dome. From there we went to see the American Adventure show, which takes you through America's history.  Later, Rod and I had dinner at the Biergarten restaurant.  The food was delectable, and the entertainment was very pleasant and put me in the Christmas spirit.  We sat with two older ladies who are from Florida, but retired there from Jersey.  They have been friends since grade school, and were fascinating dinner companions. They told some great stories. Rod was amazed at the amount of beer they were putting away. After thanking each other for an enjoyable dinner and wishing each other a Merry Christmas, we parted ways. We went to get in line for the Candlelight Processional, and were seated in the handicapped section.  
Dennis Haysbert was an amazing narrator as he told the Christmas story in his deep, booming voice.  The choirs and orchestra are just magnificent, and leave me teary eyed each time.  However, I couldn't take my eyes of the lady who signed the program.  She was probable the most animated signer I have ever seen.  Her hands moved so gracefully, and her facial expressions added so much to her interpretation.

The night was getting chilly, and we had been up since 3:00 am, so Rod and I bid EPCOT farewell and returned to our room for a good night's sleep. Today's summary - most of the people we encountered this day were surprisingly friendly, polite, and in great moods.  We found very few "Scrooges", and considered this to be a positive day.   Tomorrow - Magic Kingdom.

1 comment:

Pat said...

I'm sorry you didn't get the type of room you needed. Have you ever had that happen before when visiting WDW? A friend of mine from grade school (who also became a teacher), moved to FL after retirement and worked for WDW for 10 years. She has been singing in the Candlelight Processional for various performances. Due to a balance issue, she sits in a wheelchair when she sings. I'm not sure if she was singing in the performance you saw. We love that show, too.