19th August - (diary entry)
Morning
Today it is very humid, but no rain. I think by the look of it outside our window this morning that it must have rained a little in the night as the pavements are wet, but remember we are in Florida the heat will soon dry them up again.
The news on the telly is full of the hurricane again. However, they have downgraded it to a tropical storm and predicting a few tornadoes in some areas. It also seems to have turned slightly though they are predicting that it will turn back. One thing is for sure it will not hit us, we are too far inland, if anything all we will get is some heavy rain and strong winds, or so the man on the weather channel tries to tell us. Must admit watching the reports with the reporters on the telly standing on a very windy beach (like Borth on a cold very windy day) and watching the sand build up on their legs as the wind whips round round them. You can see surfers in the sea as well which I think is slightly irresponsible of them, but hey what do I know.
Evening
Undeterred we headed off to Magic Kingdom just after breakfast. I love Magic Kingdom, probably next to Animal Kingdom it is one of my favourites though Nig isn't too keen on it. There are a lot of shops here, selling Disney merchandise of course, and a parade that goes down main street in the afternoon.
The park is split into sections like so many other Disney parks; Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Liberty Square and Adventureland.
As we arrived and started to walk down the parade it started to rain slightly so this was an ample opportunity to pop into one of the many shops and have a drink. With the kids settled in front of a huge screen showing cartoons I have a browse through the shop and find a Disney jacket, quite discreet (I hate anything with Mickey plastered across it), so I try one on. Unfortunately it was too big and the only other size they had in stock was too small. However it fitted Simon perfectly so we purchased it, along with a t shirt for me and one for Richard, who despite having his own money cannot resist conning some out of us!
The rain eased up so we head of to Tomorrowland to do the Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, a game that puts you in the middle of a gigantic arcade game. Next we head off to the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor where the monsters tell jokes to make you laugh to fill up their meter and keep the electricity flowing. Then we just had to see Stitch's great escape, where you sit in a theatre strapped in while he bounces around you, burps in your face while they try to capture him - all done in animation of course!
We walked round the park and made a visit to a small world - one thing I hate because I hate the tune, but still you have to do it, it is part of Disney afterall! 


We did the Peter Pan ride, a delicate ride through the air while the story is told, Snow white ride, Pooh bear ride then had some Pizza before going on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride which they have changed slightly since we were last there, and we managed to do it twice. (excuse the pictures here, ride is underground and lighting is bad)


Funny conversation in the Ladies loo though afterwards as it was raining hard outside by this time. American woman dressed in one of the Disney ponchos and dripping, looks me up and down and says "How have you managed to stay so dry?" clearly put out that I was only in a pair of cropped linen trousers and t shirt and not dripping wet.
"I have been dodging the showers" says I.
"Pardon?" She says.
"I'm English, I am used to this weather" says I and she just laughed.
"yes" she says, "I heard you were all mad" and walks off telling her companion that it wasn't fair I was so dry when she was so wet!!
We did the Haunted Mansion which I at throughout, not helped by the woman behind us who must have screamed at the top of her voice all the way through yet it wasn't that scary!
By now it started to rain really hard so we popped in here
at Richard's request, walked around a few shops in search of that jacket in my size to be directed by one sales assistant over to Epcot where the Disney store there had some in stock. So a quick hop on the monorail and we were there in no time to purchase one for me. By now the sky was black, the rain torrential, the wind blowing so hard it almost knocked you over and we were wet through , in fact if it wasn't for the fact that I had so modestly dressed this morning I would have been a fitting candidate for the Miss Wet Tshirt competition had there been one, I was that soaked. Didn't stop us from asking the photographer at the exit to take a photo of us in the rain, she was none too amused!!




You have some wonderful memories of that holiday faffa. Bless