While I was in Disneyland for the Oogie Boogie Bash at California Adventure, I did what I always do when I'm at any Disney park, ship, or event... I eat! I love the food options at all the Disney properties (with Epcot being the top destination for me). I thought I'd run through my culinary adventures (mostly for myself so I know what to get the next time).

BEST OF THE BUNCH AWARD: Neutron Nachos in Avengers Campus at California Adventure.
I gotta tell you, this came completely out of left field for me. I usually avoid the quick service restaurants because so many times the food is "less than" compared to table service restaurants. But I wanted to try the Pym Tasting Lab alcoholic drinks. When it came to food, the "plant-based" offering was Neutron Nachos, which is described thusly:

Neutron Nachos — Blue and Red Corn Tortilla Chips, Impossible™ Taco Meat, Seasoned Black Beans, Cheese Sauce (vegan), Pico De Gallo, Sour Cream (vegan), and Pickled Jalapeños

This TikTok pretty much sums up the experience (here's a link in case TikTok is being a dick)...

They were incredible. So ridiculously tasty. So tasty that I bought all the ingredients and have made them three times since I've gotten back home! Highest possible recommendation.

   
CONSISTENTLY GREAT AWARD: Impossible Burger from Lamplight Lounge in Pixar Pier at California Adventure.
Hands-down my favorite restaurant at the resort, Lamplight Lounge pairs a fantastic drink menu with great food and service. I got the vegan burger my first time and have repeated it every time I visit the park:

Impossible™ Burger — Impossible™ Beef, American Cheese (vegan), House Spread (vegan), Grilled Onions, Lettuce and Tomato on a Potato Bun, served with Seasoned Fries

I always get it without the grilled onions and extra sauce and it's fantastic.

   
A GOOD EATS AWARD: Hearty Veggie Burger from Carnation Cafe in Main Street at Disneyland.
This is an easy staple that's different enough from the Impossible Burger at Lamplight Lounge that I can eat the two back to back without getting bored:

Hearty Veggie Burger — House-made Bean Patty, Vine-ripened Tomato, Chipotle Mayo (vegan), Slaw and Crispy Onions on an Artisan Bun, served with Fresh Fruit

They are happy to replace the slaw with lettuce, which is how I like to order it.

   
FUCK YOU, DISNEY AWARD: Three Cheese Monte Cristo from Carnation Cafe from Cafe Orleans in New Orleans Square at Disneyland.
A Monte Cristo sandwich has Turkey, Ham, and Swiss that's battered and deep-fried... then dusted with powdered sugar and served with jam. It's a famous eat at Disneyland that a lot of people must have while visiting. When my friends took me there a while ago, I thought I'd end up with a plate of fries or something since I don't eat meat... but was shocked to find that they had a Three-Cheese Monte Cristo for non-meat-eaters like me! And it was fantastic! Featuring Swiss, Mozzarella, and Double Crème Brie, it was deep fried, dusted, and served with jam just like the regular version! Heaven! And it became a must-have for me when at Disneyland. EXCEPT THE FUCKERS AT DISNEYLAND REMOVED IT FROM THE DAMN MENU! I WAITED A HALF HOUR FOR A TABLE FOLLOWED BY FIFTEEN MINUTES FOR A WAITER ONLY TO BE TOLD THE SANDWICH WAS REMOVED! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!? INSTEAD OF HAM AND TURKEY, YOU JUST SLAP ON TWO CHEESES! JUST TWO ADDITIONAL ITEMS IN YOUR FUCKING REFRIGERATOR TO MAKE VEGETARIANS HAPPY... BUT NOOOOOOOOO! CAN'T DO THAT! LET'S GIVE THEM A FUCKING SALAD IF THEY WANT TO EAT AT OUR FAMOUS MONTE CRISTO RESTAURANT! What a damn shame. I just don't get it at all.

And there you have it. Three awesome meals and a big FUCK YOU! Or rather, fuck me, because I'm the one who left the happiest place on earth without my Three Cheese Monte Cristo... meaning I was not so happy.

   
• D23! The most unexpected news was that the Yeti Audio-Animatronic Coming Back to Life Inside Expedition Everest...

When the ride debuted, the yeti took a swipe at you when you went by. It was kinda terrifying. But then it turned out the animatronic was so heavy that it was cracking the support structure. So they turned it off and added a strobe light... leaving us with "disco yeti" that was more annoying than scary. And it sounded like it was going to stay that way forever because genius imagineer (and notorious earring abuser) Joe Rhode said they'd have to rip open the mountain to fix the structure. So I guess they found a way to fix the structure and lighten the animatronic with servos or something so they don't have to dismantle the mountain to fix it. Very cool indeed, because the ride wasn't the same once they turned him off.

   
• A Vision in White! The first trailer from the new Visionquest series was released...

I'm in the minority that I didn't much care for Vision & Scarlet Witch and Agatha All Along, but I'm hopeful that the final entry into the trilogy goes back to being a comic book movie. I will say that I am thrilled that James Spader is returning as Ultron. He's one of my favorite actors, and I like what they're doing here.

   
• DON'T PULL THE LEVER, KRONK! There was a very strong rumor that the new Villains Land in Walt Disney World had been completely retooled after the artwork that was released. Primary of which was that the Maleficent coaster had been toned down to become a Yzma and Kronk coaster. Which, to be honest, is genius. It's such an epic scene from The Emperor's New Groove that was more funny than scary. It made sense because Magic Kingdom is more of a family-friendly affair than the other lands. But then it was confirmed at D23 that this wasn't the case at all. Still very much a Maleficent coaster that's looking scary indeed...

I really hope that it's a more intense coaster for adult guests. There's loads of rides for kids at Magic Kingdom, so it would be nice to have something more grown up. Like the very popular Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind coaster from Epcot. Here's hoping. And, oh yeah, they also showed this from the Magic Mirror dark ride they're building...

Looks like Pirates of the Caribbean but with villains instead of pirates. I hope that they at least pack it with plenty of animatronics instead of skimping like they did in the Splash Mountain re-theme.

   
• Branding! Branding! Branding! I was so impressed with the gorgeous logo they made for Villains Land that it deserves it's own bullet. Because look at this!

Love it. Somebody at Disney really knew what they were doing when they designed that!

   
• Tomorrow! Another big piece of news to come out of D23 was that they are reimagining Tomorrowland at Disneyland. Apparently they are bringing it back to be something closer to what Walt Disney intended for it. The problem with Tomorrowland has always been that no matter what you do to update it, the area is always outdated. Tomorrow is just a day away, after all. Which is why I far, far prefer how they approached Tomorrowland in Disneyland Paris. Instead of trying to imagine what the future will be like, they ran with what people from yesteryear thought the future would be like. For example, their Space Mountain was a Jules Verne From Earth to the Moon kind of affair where you get shot out of a cannon and get blasted to the moon. It was a genius idea...

And now they've announced that they're going back to this idea and restoring the Paris Space Mountain to what it originally was. Which makes me very, very happy. I wish they'd use that aesthetic for Disneyland California as well.

   
• Monstrous! The new Monsters Land at Disney World will be opening next year in 2027. Except the brilliant "Door Coaster" won't open with it. That comes later. Apparently the only attraction set for opening day is the re-theme of MuppetVision 3D. Which, fine... but the coaster is what everybody is actually wanting to experience. Though the 3D movie does look interesting...

And would probably be even more interesting if they didn't already re-theme the 3D theater in Animal Kingdom from It's Tough to Be a Bug to Zootopia.

   
• New Splash! As a massive, massive fan of The Princess and the Frog, I was cautiously optimistic about the re-theming of Splash Mountain in Disneyland and Walt Disney World to become Tiana's Bayou Adventure. But it ended up being a massive disappointment. The ride is sparse and breaks down all the time. But now they're building a new "splash mountain" ride from scratch in Paris, this time based on The Lion King...

And I am once again cautiously optimistic. I hope that they learned their lesson from the Tiana fiasco. I hope they pack it with animatronics and make them more reliable. I hope they come up with a ride story that actually makes sense. I hope they put some actual thought into how it should work. But who knows? We have two very good examples of Disney dropping the ball on this.

   
And that's a wrap for your Disney-based bullets.

My eye is still feeling a bit bruised after surgery, but that's not the problem.

The problem is that it's like I've been punched in the eye. Not from pain, but from swelling on my lower lid... even though there's no swelling. Instead it's more like a haze along the bottom (because the tear was at the top and things get reversed in your eye... our brains switch things right-side up).

Eventually my brain will be able to eliminate the haze at the bottom from the top and the chunk floating at the top from the bottom. At least I hope so.

It's tiring having to concentrate all day long to see... though, oddly enough, it's difficult to actually fall asleep. And so I've been falling asleep to my Disney movie collection each night. Last night was The Rescuers and tonight I'm watching The Emperor's New Groove...

This is a criminally underrated movie.

Especially since it features Eartha Kitt's delightful villain, Yzma, who steals the film at every turn...

The rumor is that the big coaster in "Villains Land" has been re-imagined to be an Yzma coaster. I sure hope that's true, because I can't imagine a better source material for an attraction.

Though today is a double 626 day because it's 62626 this year.

The chaotic alien from the animated masterpiece Lilo & Stitch is "Experiment 626," but he's better known as "Stitch." And, as somebody who absolutely loves this brilliant Chris Sanders character, it's a day I celebrate. Usually by buying something new for my collection of Stitch crap.

Last year for 626 I purchased a print from my trip to Disney's Aulani resort...

This year I bought a couple of Lilo & Stitch picture discs to frame...

They'll look pretty cool hanging in my guest bathroom with my other Stitch stuff once I get them framed.

Yesterday I went over arguably my favorite things about the Disney Destiny... the themed lounges. But, like the other ships in their line, there's a lot of great theming throughout the entire ship. The overall theme is "Heroes and Villains" and most everything is geared around the concept.

For one thing, the regular staterooms can be decorated with either Hercules, Mulan, Brave, Raya, The Incredibles, or Big Hero 6. Mine was Herc...

Hercules is easily the most prominent character on the ship. He's everywhere...

A neighbor was a pretty big Herc fan and decorated their door accordingly...

And his biggest moment is a live stage show that's remarkably well-done. Easily my favorite of any Disney onboard theater show I've seen, with next-level performances. I liked it so much I saw it twice. And I don't even like Broadway...

But villains have a moment too. One of the "big gets" onboard (in addition to the Cruella show I talked about yesterday) is a magic show by Dr. Facilier in his parlor (and I was sure to tell him that he got robbed because he wasn't in the Tiana's Bayou Adventure ride, and he refused to acknowledge the attraction)...

Maleficent had her own show, and appears in various places around the ship in art and furnishings...

Black Panther is the atrium sculpture, but Loki is the one with his own show...

Most cruise ships do their level best to keep you well-fed and entertained, and Disney is no exception. They've got it all. Including... BABY RACING?!?

Gotta tell you... there were a lot of people on their feet screaming at babies to crawl to the finish line. I honestly don't know if that's a good thing or bad thing. Probably a good thing.

Except for the trauma of being disqualified because you walked instead of crawled.

Come aboard... it's your Destiny!

I've now been on four Disney ships. The Magic and its twin ship The Wonder... and The Wish, and now it's twin ship The Destiny. The former pair are significantly smaller and more intimate than the latter, but all Disney ships (regardless of size) have the impeccable service and theming you'd expect.

The Destiny is a carbon copy of The Wish which I sailed on last December, but a few of the areas have been changed. Most notably, instead of Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge you get Haunted Mansion Parlor and instead of Nightingale's you get DeVil's and instead of Tiana's The Bayou you get Doctor Strange's The Sanctum and instead of Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure you get The Pridelands: A Lion King Dining Adventure. And, I gotta say, the Destiny versions are in every way superior. So let's take a look at them, shall we?

I was more than a little disappointed in Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge because it seemed superficial in its theming. But Haunted Mansion Parlor is another matter entirely. It's brilliantly, beautifully, abundantly themed in every way...

The bar has a magical mirror behind it where ghosts and spirits appear. Including Madame Leota...

The fish tank at the center of the room has skeletal fish appearing and disappearing, and it's a very cool effect...

The portraits on the wall are magical things which change over time and even come to life...

As if that wasn't enough, the drinks are fantastic...

   
DeVil's is a piano bar with an appearance by Cruella herself, and involves you writing a song to honor her with an audience participation angle that's genius. If there's a must-do experience which is 100% worth standing in line for an hour to get into, this is it...

The drinks are pretty amazing too...

   
Doctor Strange's The Sanctum doesn't really have the theming you'd hope for, but the bartenders here were exceptional, and I made repeat visits just to chat with them...

If there's a misstep, for me it would be The Pride Lands: Feast of the Lion King. Probably because I was expecting a show which featured the amazing costumes from Julie Taymor's broadway production... but it was just singing. Great singing, for sure, but that's it...

This is all just the tip of the iceberg. And why a Disney cruise is worth your valuable time to explore.

I was going to keep blogging while I was on vacation, but it was tough to find the mental strength to pull out my computer knowing all the horrific shit going on in the country and the world. So I left it in my bag. Sorry to my friends who might have thought something horrible happened to me. Sorry to my haters that I wasn't dead this whole time. Better luck next time.

But anyway...

Thanks to an opportunity too good to be true, I found myself heading back to Florida for a Disney cruise. This time on the brand new Disney Destiny. It's basically a re-theme of the Disney Wish, where some of the lounges, restaurants, and shows have been changed. But most everything is pretty much the same.

But I had a couple days in Miami before boarding the ship, so let's start there, shall we?

I've never sat down and made a list of my favorite American cities but, if I did, the South Beach neighborhood of Miami would most certainly be on that list. I have been extremely fortunate enough to have visited multiple times and have always wished I could have stayed longer. This time was no exception.

Whether it's the architecture, the food, or the vibe... South Beach has it all. But, to me, especially the architecture. And especially at night...

Before my late-night walk down Ocean Drive, I took the opportunity to eat at my favorite restaurant in town, Havana 1957. They have a Garden Cuban Salad with a cilantro dressing that will kill you... and a darn good SUPER MOJITO!

If only there was one of these down the street from my house.

I've been seeing a crazy number of YouTube videos about "Disney Adults." Most always in negative terms... IT'S A CULT! and DISNEY ADULTS ARE STEALING THE DISNEY PARKS FROM CHILDREN! and THESE PEOPLE VOTE! or whatever. To support their thesis, content creators are forever churning out these "in-depth analysis" videos which tries to apply psychology and scientific concepts to the idea that adult fans of Disney are delusional cultish freaks who need to be put down for the good of society. Rude!

I don't mind being called a "Disney Adult." There's nothing wrong with being an adult Disney fan. There's fun Disney things to be had as an adult (and some things definitely not to be had).

What I do mind is being accused of being in a "cult." Something that recently happened in the comments on my cruise post. Which I didn't read until Christmas Day. So Merry fucking Christmas to me.

I'm a massive geek for architecture and design of public spaces. Theme parks are a great expression of both, and I had dreams of becoming a Disney "Imagineer" for ages because of it. Studying how the attractions are made is actually more interesting to me than the attractions themselves. This lead to me having a consulting job piggybacked on Disney in Orlando for several years, and I ended up with friends there. Which is why I end up at Disney World so often, and spend time at their parks, resorts, ships, and whatever. At first it was a place to meet up with friends after work. Then, once my work there ended, it was to hang out with friends I met there. — If I had worked with Betty Crocker, I'd have been in Minnesota all the time and posting about the cakes I was eating while working or hanging out with my friends. But it wasn't Betty Crocker, it was Disney... so I'm in a cult?

I'm a graphic designer who's a huge fan of art, in general, and animation, specifically (there was a time I wanted to be an animator before it all went computer graphics). So, naturally, I watch all the Disney animated movies. But I also watch a ton of other animated stuff. Disney is such a small piece of what I'm interested in... but it's an important one (the news that Disney is toying with the idea of returning to hand-draw animated features definitely has me excited). And because of that... I'm in a cult?

As a fan of art, I have a lot of it hanging in my home. A chunk of it is Disney-related because that's where I've been so many times. I was there for work. I was there for the charity I worked with. I was there to meet up with the friends I made who live in the area. I was there three to five times a year for 17 years. I was given Disney art as gifts. I eventually ended up collecting prints by Disney-related artists like Dave Perillo and Jerrod Maruyama to remind me of my trips. But I also collect non-Disney prints by artists like Chris Ware and original comic book art by artists like Amanda Conner and Curt Swan which also hang in my home. I've also got art I bought from my travels around the world, but because Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is on my wall... I'm in a cult?

Because Disney is such a huge part of my childhood (and the years of work I had), I have a lot of Disney memorabilia displayed in my home. But I also have numerous other pieces of memorabilia from my life which has nothing to do with Disney that's on display. Concert programs, signed records, old tin signs, movie posters... not to mention hundreds of photos of my family friends from over the years. But because I framed the Disneyland map I got as a kid... I'm in a cult?

Alrighty then. Pass me the Kool-Aid, I guess...

The above is most of the souvenirs I have from my very first visit to Disneyland when I was ten years old. I kept it all these decades because my parents bought it for me and I couldn't throw it out. Some of what I had was in pretty rough shape, so I managed to find replacements on eBay in better condition...

You can click the photo to embiggen it... or click on this link right here.

The map, for example, hung in my bedroom for my entire childhood, getting faded and having the corners ripped out from the thumbtacks. It took me years to find a replacement. There's loads and loads of old Disneyland maps out there, but I wanted the one with Mickey, Goofy, and Donald dressed in 1776 fife & drum Americana, because that's what I had as a kid. Eventually eBay listed one from an estate sale and, once I bought it, I decided to get everything framed up. It's fun to look at as I walk into my home and remember back to that visit with my family. And it's interesting too. Because boy Disneyland sure was a very different place back then.

Still don't understand how any of this puts me into a cult.

Maybe I should watch more clickbait videos to find out for sure...

That last video is particularly hilarious, because her fucking SurfShark advertisement is more cringe than anything she's presenting as "cringe" in her "takedown"...

But anyway...

Do I think Disney Adults exist which are problematic? Oh hell yes. I run across them every time I'm anywhere Disney-related. Usually they are "social media influencers" and that's what makes them problematic. It's not that they love Disney, it's that they intrude on other people who are just there to have fun. They hold up lines and block traffic to get a selfie or shoot a video. They take over spaces and experience just to get likes at the expense of other people who are trying to enjoy themselves. People who likely spent a considerable amount of money to be there. It's annoying as hell, and dunking on these assholes is justifiable.

And, sure, there actually are people who build their lives around all things Disney and their entire existence revolves around their next trip to Disney World (or Disney-wherever). And good for them. People should be allowed to follow their bliss, be happy, and escape from the horrors of the world doing whatever is going to make life bearable. You do you. It doesn't affect anybody else. Spend the money you have and the time you have however you want.

Because, I gotta say, there are people building their lives around far worse things than Mickey Mouse.

Like spending their time trashing people who are enjoying their best life at zero cost to others as an "influencer.".

Your Disney adventure with me is not over just yet... because a very special, all new, all Disney Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Remy 2D! One of the attractions I was sure to ride was Remy's Ratatouille Adventure at the France Pavilion in Epcot. I've always liked it as a clever and fun ride that finally gave World Showcase an E-Ticket ride. Recently they took out the need for 3D glasses, and I wanted to see if it's as good. It isn't. The 3D immersion was very well done. It wasn't a gimmick, it really added to the attraction's experience. Now it's just looking at a flatter, less interesting visual on screens. Not only that, but it's more blurry... especially at the beginning. I wish they hadn't downgraded it, but I can see how it would be better for people who are missing an eye or have very poor eyesight since they won't need to wear 3D glasses over their regular glasses. I just wish that the ride was in 3D most of the time, but had a few 2D showings for people who need that.

   
• Track 3! Another attraction which got downgraded? Test Track. They tore out a lot of the ride to "update" them, but it's just not as fun and doesn't really make much sense now. On top of that, the very end has been completely redone where you drive through a very large domed screen showing the future of automobiles, which feels like an abrupt end to a ride that's been gutted. It's a bizarre choice, and kinda undercuts what made the attraction such a classic.

   
• Together! Not really an upgrade or a downgrade, the new Zootopia: Better Together ride which replaced A Bug's Life: It's Tough to Be a Bug in Animal Kingdom feels like a sidegrade. It seems like they just re-skinned the bugs into Zootopia characters and called it a day. Even though I really like both Zootopia movies, I'd probably give the edge to It's Tough to Be a Bug because it was an original instead of a re-theme and wasn't aging poorly at all. I suppose Disney probably did it do to the popularity of the newer films more than anything else.

   
• RoboLincoln! I haven't been to Disneyland since they installed the Walt Disney animatronic. Which is to say that I haven't seen it in person, only in photos. And every time I'm thinking two things... 1) This does not look like Walt Disney... and 2) I wonder what he looks like with all his skin removed? Because I've seen photos of other animatronics, and they always look so clunky. I was reminded of this when I saw Abe Lincoln while at Disney World...

And it's like... does a modern animatronic look like this underneath? I sure hope not. This is totally giving FemBot vibes...

Remember in The Bionic Woman where they suspected Oscar Goldman was a fembot so they dropped that pencil and Oscar stepped on it and crushed it and you were like "ZOMFG! OSCAR GOLDMAN IS A FEMBOT!!!" and your mind was blown because you thought fembots could only be lady robots and here we are with a man robot?? Yeah. Good times. I don't know why they can't successfully reboot The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. Such a great concept.

   
• Immersive! There's a lot of tossing around of the word "immersive" when it comes to theme parks. Disney used to be the absolute master of this. But that hasn't been true in a minute. Probably since Animal Kingdom opened. That was the last time that there was a coherent vision behind a project that wasn't just shitting out IP everywhere, even when it makes no sense. For example... just look at this sign for bathrooms that Animal Kingdom has...

It's brilliant. Everything from how they say it to how they write it (you can still see the guides they drew before painting the words!) looks like it belongs in an authentic setting. They could have just put up a regular "bathrooms" sign, but they wanted to maintain an illusion, so they did something to make that happen. Now-a-days Disney just slaps one of their characters on a sign and calls it good. No effort to build a narrative or show any imagination... just put Mickey on it and you're done. It's really sad.

   
• Hamm! To end this post, I want to point out that the Toy Story section of Disney Hollywood Studios puts out a giant Hamm frosted sugar cookie for decoration for the holidays...

This is so cute that they really should have many, many more characters as sugar-cookies for the holidays!

   
And, just like that, your Disney adventure is over just like mine!

Breakfast on the ship for my group was 6:45. Fortunately I didn't stay up late, so it wasn't a big deal. My suitcase was packed yesterday, so I pretty much just had my small backpack and a bag of souvenir mugs I bought.

And then there was disembarking the ship.

In all the many years of cruising with my mom, I have never experiences a total cluster-fuck like I did this morning on the Disney Wish. It was mind-boggling how there was no organization... no direction... and no crew members knowing what the heck to do. Somebody mentioned that they usually don't experience such a large number of people getting off the ship at the same time and didn't anticipate the mess we were in. And I'm like "shouldn't you though?"

Eventually disembarkation was acheived and I was ready to... GO BACK TO WALT DISNEY WORLD!

Just for a day. Because I never want to risk flying in or out on the same day I'm embarking or disembarking a cruise.

And here's where I am going to rant on Disney a bit.

As I mentioned, I bought some souvenir mugs at some of the Disney restaurants I ate at (including that very cool mug for my $46 drink at Beak and Barrel!). I thought it would be no big deal to go to the gift shop of my hotel, Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, and have them mail the mugs home.

I was told "no."

But why?

Because the mugs were in a food environment.

But no food was ever in them! No drink was ever in them! They give you a freshly-boxed mug that's never been anywhere near food!

Doesn't matter. Open food was in the vicinity, and we can't insure products that come from a place that serves food.

Good Lord what a stupid fucking rule.

This meant I had to take an Über to a UPS Pack-and-Ship in order to send my mugs home (which is cheaper than purchasing an extra suitcase and checking one of my bags). And so... I cushioned the mug boxes the best I could with dirty clothes, handed it over to the UPS employee, and hoped for the best. Guess I'll know if my pricey souvenirs arrive in one piece in a week.

From there I Übered back to my hotel in order to ride the Skyliner to Epcot.

And here's where I am going to praise Disney a bit.

I mentioned to a cast member at guest services how we were rained out the last time it was an Epcot day, and all our Lightning Lanes were canceled. The cast member said "No problem!" then looked up the tickets and gave all three of them back! This was completely unexpected. And a nice surprise.

The only ride where I was standing in a long line was Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, but it's worth it because it's the best ride that Disney has. Something Epcot desperately needs, because the number of great rides there is pretty small. I'll save my attraction thoughts for Bullet Sunday.

But anyway... in-between rides it was mostly time to wander through the shops of World showcase where, oddly enough, I didn't actually end up buying anything. I was sorely tempted by the Sanrio potato chips at the Japan Pavillion...

They had Guedetama chips, which are salted egg yolk flavor (Gudetama being a very popular Sanrio character because he's just a tired egg yolk who is apathetic about the world around him)...

There was also Aggretsuko chips, which are pink salt flavor (Aggretsuko is a combination of "Aggressive Retsuko," another popular Sanrio character which is a red panda that has a normal life... except she can explode with rage when stressed out about the world around her, which is often)...

I swear that I was totally wanting to go all Aggretsuko when Disney wouldn't ship the mugs that they sold me!

Dinner was at the Nine Dragons restaurant in the China Pavillion. It was good food, as expected. What was not expected was the horrific mess that a table near ours left. These photos were taken as the table was being cleaned and don't even show the disaster it was before they started trying to clean up...

Yes, they had some kids at the table... but my God... I would have been mortified to leave such a mess! If this is how your kids eat, maybe feed them directly instead of giving them access to food? Or, at the very least, attempt to clean up the mess you made so that the workers don't have to deal with all this. I hope they tipped an extra $100.

And then it was time to ride the Skyliner back to the hotel. At which time fireworks were going off out the window...

What a lucky break! Quite a nice end to the night, actually.

And now it's time to say good bye to all things Disney, as I have to be up at 4:30am so I can get to the airport in time for my 7:00am flight back home.