Well, here we are, back home again.  It's nice to be home, but the thought of going into work tomorrow isn't doing much for me.

The flight home was uneventful, other than a last minute gate change that we didn't know about.  After settling into my seat, I read manga or watched Bleach on my portable DVD player.

We got stuck in a traffic jam on 275, which was a total downer. I hate getting stuck in traffic.  We wasted 30 minutes trying to go a whole mile!  Argh!

We dashed into Meijer for some essential groceries, and picked up Buu from the kennel.  After we got home, he spent the first hour patrolling and barking at every little noise.

I am getting sick again, but thankfully this year it waited until the last night to start manifesting itself.  Disney has got to be one of the germiest places on the entire planet.  Every time I visit, I bring some disease home with me. I even had hand sanitizer, and we both used it religiously.  *Sigh*

Some of you might be wondering about Monday as I skipped blogging about it.  We went to Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and MGM Studios, hitting some of the rides that were too busy to enjoy with all of the Thanksgiving crowd hanging around the parks.

Dinner was at the Brown Derby at 3:30, and was probably the one I was most looking forward to. The dinner didn't live up to my memory from last year. 

We purchased the Fantasmic Dinner package again, which meant the we both got to order an appetizer, entree and dessert for 40 bucks a person.  We also received a special ticket that allowed us to sit in reserved seating at the light show. 

I started with Seared Sea Scallop with barbecued pork rib belly and corn relish.  It's too bad I dropped most of the pork rib and didn't get to eat it.  Clumsy me!  Dean had the Crab Cake with potato crust, avocado mustard sauce and napa slaw.

For dinner, I ordered Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna with honey-gingered spaghetti squash, warm soy vinaigrette, and Wasabi oil.  I was disappointed with it.  There was hardly any wasabi favor and the tuna wasn't as tender as it could have been.  Dean got the Pan Roasted Duck Breast and Duck Sausage with toasted garlic grits, natural reduction, and chili jam, which I had contemplated, but passed up on it.

Dessert was an easy choice:  tiramisu creme brulee with dark chocolate dipped lady finger.  My two favorite desserts combined!  Better than a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup!  Dean settled for the Grapefruit Cake - A Brown Derby Original! Light Layers of Yellow Cake with fresh Grapefruit Cream Cheese Icing, which turned out to be his favorite dessert of the trip.

We lingered after our meals at the park, waiting for Fantasmic to begin.  The Osbourne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights gets turned on at 6, so like dummies, we went and stood with the throng, waiting for the switch to be flipped.  We only stayed a few minutes after, as there were too many people crammed onto too small a space.

Fantasmic was wonderful as always.  I forgot how good a show it is.  The only downside is having to get a seat 30 minutes before the show starts.  I hate waiting!

After Fantasmic, we went back to see the Christmas lights.  This year, they added snow (foam that they blew from the rooftops), and the lights "danced" to music.  It was really cool to watch, but again, it was way too crowded.

Tuesday was humid and overcast.  We went back to the Waffle for breakfast, mainly because Dean knows I won't be able to eat at another one until summertime.  This was only the second time all vacation that we ate together in the morning.  Dean doesn't usually eat breakfast, so I would get up, take a shower, and head downstairs by myself.  It's a good thing I got used to eating by myself at horse shows.

After packing up our stuff and sending it off with Fedex, we headed to the internet center at the hotel to print off our boarding passes.  After fighting with NWA's website for about 5 minutes (at .20 per!) I finally thought of checking us each in separately.  Worked like a charm, but I've never had to do that before.

With most of the administrative tasks for the trip home complete, we headed to Epcot. We arrived shortly after 11, and walked over to the Land to see how long the Fast Pass line was for Soarin'. It was for a 4:15-5:15 return, which was too close to our dinner reservations, so we just stood in the 45 minute standby line.

After a short wait of about 20 minutes, we boarded our glider and were sent off soaring into the clouds.  This is a great ride, and it's amazing how thoroughly confused your brain becomes with a huge movie screen and a few changes in what you're sitting on. 

After Soarin' we walked over to France for a last visit to the pastry shop.  Then I stopped for some photo ops with Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty. 

By the time we circled the World Showcase again, I was hungry for some chips in the UK.  I once again failed in my quest to eat my way around the world, but this gives me a good excuse to plan another visit to WDW some time in the future.

Just for giggles, I stopped at a Disney Vacation Club kiosk to listen to the spiel about the Disney version of a time share.  Too bad I don't have the $15100 it costs to buy my "deed" in the Kingdom.  It's a tad overpriced, even if I get 47 years of annual Disney trips.

We tried to ride Spaceship Earth again (yes, Dean thinks it's a lame ride, too), but it had broken down and was closed.  So sad!

Dinner was at Jiko at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.  It started raining, so we left a little early so we could watch the animals wandering around the savannah.  I wanted to see the wildebeests, they were right in front of the observation area.  Yeah!

Jiko is the only resort restaurant that gave Dean a hard time about being in a sleeveless shirt.  He had just purchased a sweatshirt in the gift shop, so he put that on.  No more complaints about how he was dressed.

We started our meal with a Taste of Africa - Kalamata Olive Hummus, Durban Tikka Masala, and Malay Sagh Dhal Dip with Lentil Pappadam, whole wheat lavosh, and flaxseed Naan bread.  This was awesome!  I ordered the Roasted Butternut Squash Soup - with sagh dhal cottage cheese and toasted pumpkin seeds.  It wasn't as good as the soup at Citricos, but the pumpkin seeds were a nice touch.

For dinner, I ordered Durban Shrimp Curry - with artichokes, tomatoes, sweet peas and colusari rice.  This was excellent!  I especially enjoyed the microgreens, though it could have been slightly spicier.   It was one of my favorite meals all vacation.  Dean tried the Maize-crusted and Seared Pacific Halibut - with vegetables of the moment, tomato butter sauce, and crispy sweet potatoes.  He didn't think the veggies or the sweet potatoes did much for him, but he said the fish was excellent.

For dessert, we shared a Pistachio Creme Brulee with layered chocolate bottom.  It did taste like pistachio, and the chocolate on the bottom was a nice touch. By this time, I was tired of eating!    This means that it's time to go home!!

Last night, dinner was at Citricos in the Grand Floridian.  Using the monorail lines again to get there, we were a little late because we had to wait for the resort train.  No big deal, the restaurant wasn't exactly knocking them dead.

I wasn't so impressed with the Grand Floridian.  It's wallowing in its own self-importance and the entire place seems rather pompous.  It's the only location in the entire kingdom where I had to show my id when making an 8 dollar purchase with my credit card.  I liked the Contemporary much better, and even the employees seemed more friendly there.

I started the meal with coffee, and was surprised when the waiter brought over a french press.  Then I was little worried that I wouldn't sleep that night - turns out that I had nothing to worry about.  Dean ordered a non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiri; his second of the day.  He also ordered one at Benihana.

For an appetizer, I tried the butternut squash bisque with crab coulis.  It was so good!  Dean had the sauteed shrimp with feta cheese and tomatoes, and he even shared a bite with me.  I didn't like the sauce very much, and was happier with my soup.

Next was the difficult choice of an entree.  We both wanted the swordfish, but Dean always insists that we order different dishes, so I insisted he order something else.  I would have ordered the Sauteed Wild King Salmon with oven-roasted leeks, Yukon gold potatoes, and fines herbs butter sauce, but I had salmon for lunch.  Instead, I settled for Grilled Swordfish Provencal with Pearl Pasta, grape tomatoes, saffron tomato broth and Prince Edward Island Mussels.  It was so good! Dean had the Striped Bass with mushroom risotto.

Dessert was another difficult decision.  I'm supposed to be on vacation and I shouldn't have to think this hard!  I went with the Tropical Fruit Creme Brulee, which was a refreshing mango flavor, and Dean ordered the Warm Chocolate Banana Tart with vanilla ice cream and caramelized bananas.  It looked really heavy, and as I was stuffed with swordfish and coffee, I was glad I didn't order it. 

This was another wonderful meal, though we both thought the California Grill was slightly better.  This episode of gluttony cost $121 before tip. 

Taking a break from the parks, we chilled out at the hotel for a little bit.  I noticed that Benihana opened at 2, so we stopped in for a quick snack.

We ordered a volcano roll and a spicy tuna roll.  The volcano roll was excellent, and I started plotting how I could fit another visit to Benihana's into our schedule.  Sadly, since they close at 10pm, I don't think it's going to be possible this trip.  Good thing there's one closer to home!

Ok, yesterday I was a little worried that I wouldn't be dressed up enough for dinner at one of the Disney resorts.  When I made the seating arrangements, I was told that shorts, T-shirts, and jeans were a no-no. 

After arriving on the 15th floor of the Contemporary, I saw that half of the patrons were dressed in articles of clothing that were supposedly not permitted.  This made me laugh about actually worrying about how I was dressed.  Tonight I'll be wearing the usual jeans and T-shirt, and I'll be more comfortable while enjoying my outrageously priced meal.

This morning we traveled back to Animal Kingdom.  After riding Kilimanjaro Safari, where we saw lots of critters lazing about in the sun, we headed over to the nearest eating establishment, which in this case was Tusker House. 

I ordered the Grilled Salmon with green beans and Jollo rice, and Dean ordered a turkey but mostly lettuce wrap sandwich.  The salmon was surprisingly good, but Dean declared that the sandwich wrap needed more meat. 

Next we made a quick stop at an ice cream cart for dessert.  We split a Mickey bar, and wandered over to Asia.  Dean decided to stand in line for Mount Everest, but I didn't feel like waiting in the 45 minute line.  Instead, I shopped while he waited. 

We met up in the gift shop outside of the ride, and he thought the ride was a little tame.  After a quick spin through Dinoland, we headed back to the hotel for a little nap, and hopefully some sushi at Benihana.

With our Priority Seating reservation at 5:30, we parked at Epcot at 4:30 and took the monorail to the Ticket and Transportation Center.  Then it was a quick switch to the resort monorail line, and after numerous delays because our train was too close to the one ahead of us, we arrived at the Contemporary just in time for dinner.

We checked in and were led to the elevator to the 15th floor, and asked to wait in the lounge until our table was ready.  They have to give us time to spend some money on drinks.  Since neither of us indulges in alcoholic refreshments, we sat at a table and looked out the windows, enjoying the panoramic view.

It was only a short wait until we were lead to a table, and for a brief moment, we were both afraid we would be seated away from the windows.  But no, our table was right next to a window, and the Magic Kingdom was spread out before us.

We started the meal with a Spicy Sensation, a sushi roll with crab, scallops, avocado, tobiko, and a spicy sauce.  The roll was 8 pieces and cost a whopping $18 bucks.  Ouch!  It was very good, and had been coated with tempura batter and quickly fried.  It was served with pickled cucumbers with fresh flower petals, and ginger.  The flower petals were a nice touch, and added a unique taste to the cucumbers.

Next came the main course.  I really wanted to try the butternut squash soup, but was afraid I wouldn't be able to eat everything, so I was forced to pass on it.  I ordered pan-seared scallops, substituting the baby carrots for squash. The scallops were presented on a bed of wheat risotto.  The meal was delicious.  Dean ordered the grilled pork loin with goat cheese polenta and mushrooms.  It looked good, and I had considered ordering it, too, but I thought the pork would be a little heavier than the scallops.  I wanted to have room for dessert!

After the meal, I ordered Lemon Buttermilk pudding with mango and pomegranate, and Dean ordered a variation on a pineapple upside down cake.  His dessert, I'm sad to admit, was better than mine.  It was light and fluffy, and I wished I had ordered it!

After we finished our dinner, we headed out to the observation deck to check out the view.  We were invited to come back later to watch the fireworks, but everything looked so small up there, I didn't really want to view them from there. 

The California Grill provided the best meal so far.  Cost?  $112 before the tip!  Good thing we don't drink!  The tab would have been at least another 30 to 40 bucks if we did!!

Today we went over to MGM Studios.  We didn't leave the hotel until about 9:30, so the park was pretty busy by the time we pulled into our parking spot.  It wasn't as crowded as the other parks had been, but we didn't even try to ride the big attractions.  We decided to wait until Monday when we have our Priority Seating reservations at the Brown Derby.

While we were at the park, we watched the Muppets 3-D, which is always amusing.  Then we took the Backlot Studio Tour, which I found more interesting this time around than last time, even though it was just a huge advertisement for Pearl Harbor.  We stopped for a snack at the ABC Commissary, which played non-stop commercials for bad ABC TV shows throughout the time we wolfed down our curry chicken and Cuban sandwich.

We strolled around the park, searching for Darkwing Duck, but sadly, we didn't find him today.  The Power Rangers were posing in the square, and they always draw a huge crowd.  I wanted a picture with the pink Power Ranger, but the line was too long. 

We have dinner reservations at the California Grill at the Contemporary, and they force you to dress up a little, so we stopped back at the hotel for wardrobe change.  Since "business attire" for me is jeans and t-shirts, I don't really have anything nice to wear, so I'm faking it with a pair of white cargo pants and a plaid button down shirt.  If they don't like it, there are only about a gazillion other places to eat.  Hopefully I'll be able to let you know how the food was.  If not, there will be an unexpected restaurant change.

Note:  Not proofread - sorry - if something doesn't make sense, drop me a line and i'll fix it later.  maybe

We started the day at Animal Kingdom yesterday.  I thought it would be the least busy park.  If I was correct, I would have hated to see what the other parks were like.  It was so crowded around the popular rides that it was difficult to maneuver our way through the milling masses.  Needless to say, we didn't get the opportunity to ride Mount Everest; the fast pass return time was for 5:30 - 6:30, which was when our dinner was scheduled at the Coral Reef.  Stand-by times were at least 95 minutes, and neither one of us wanted to waste our vacation standing in lines.

Speaking of standing in lines, it's impossible not to stand in them at some point.  If you are female, you even have to stand in line to use the restrooms!!  It is ridiculous!!  Come on, Disney!management!!  Spend some of your billions and build enough bathrooms to accommodate the crowds that flood to your theme parks!

After wandering around Animal Kingdom, we headed over to Epcot.  We had Priority Seating at the Coral Reef, and we arrived with enough time to stroll around the World Showcase.  I stopped in Morocco for a sidedish of couscous and hummus, and was able to cross another country off the eating list.  The couscous would have been better without the onion chunks, but the hummus was very tasty.

To help  you understand how crowded Epcot was, the wait for the Maelstrom in Norway was over 90 minutes, and the wait for Spaceship Earth, a truly low action, just an excuse to get off your feet for 5 minutes ride, was 45 minutes.  This is usually a walk on!  The wait for The Seas with Nemo was 60 minutes.  We didn't have enough time to stand in any of the lines before our dinner reservations, so we instead headed into the Seas and watched the fish, sharks, dolphins and manatees for 45 minutes.

The waiting area at the Coral Reef was just packed.  Neither one of us remembered it being that bad last year.  After about a 10 minute wait, we were led to our table on the 2nd level.  And then we waited.  And waited.  And waited!  20 minutes before the waitress finally made it over to the table to take our drink orders.  I was slightly peeved about that, because I was really thirsty.  Dean didn't care, because it was relaxing watching the fish in the aquarium.

This did, unfortunately, set the tone for the entire dinner.  The service was simply dreadful.  It took over 2 hours for our meal!  I can't believe the manager didn't do something to get the waitress moving a little faster.  She also had a party of 12 sitting next to us, and they were getting so upset with the bad service.  Since they had a boatload of kids, I could understand why they would be irritated with the poor service. 

At least the food was good, when we finally received it.  I ordered the Blackened Catfish, which was served with pepperjack cheese grits, and Dean ordered the Ahi Tuna, with wasabi mashed potatoes.  I passed on dessert, but Dean ordered a Chocolate Wave.

During our long meal, a group of divers appeared in the aquarium.  I don't know if they were a DiveQuest group or what, but they were hamming it up for the diners.  They were more entertaining than the fish.  I thought it was sad that they more interested in bothering us than checking out the huge tank they were in, but each to his own.

After escaping from the Coral Reef, we went to Innoventions until they kicked us out at 7, and then we strolled around the World Showcase again.  On the second trip around, I decided it was a good time to try to eat in Japan again, so we stopped in the Yakitori House for Curry and Sushi Tokyo Rolls.  The curry was good, except for the beef, which was kind of gross.

 Illuminations was supposed to start at 9, but because it was a Magic Hours evening, it didn't actually begin until 9:30.  We staked out a spot in France, but after the show started, there was tree blocking the globe.  How disappointing!  We'll have to watch it again from another country tonight.  After the show, which was fantastic, I asked Dean how he could even want to waste time at the other fireworks shows.  The Epcot fireworks are the best at all the theme parks, and with Christmas right around the corner, they added a special section for the holidays.