Epcot day

We keep coming back to Disney World because crazy, awesome things always happen. As many times as we've been here, something great always happens.

This is how it happened today...

The day started with a text message from Randy (The Disney King) giving me a hassle for not updating him on our travel plans. We valet parked at the Boardwalk and headed over to the International Gateway to enter Epcot from the back door. As we came through the turnstyles, I saw a guy wearing a Bruschi Patriots jersey and a baseball hat on backwards. The Disney King dresses exactly like this.

I turned to Jenna and said, "Does that look like Randy?"

She said, "Yes, it does."

We tried to catch up to the guy, but he was gone by the time we got to the top of the hill. I decided to cover my bases and call Randy. He picked up the phone and I said, "Where are you standing... RIGHT NOW!?"

He laughed and said, "What? I'm in a northern provice. Duh. I WISH I was at Epcot."

I said, "I know where you are! I saw you! You're in Canada at Epcot!"

In reality, I really wasn't sure at all that the person I saw was him, and besides, flying down from New Hampshire as a surprise is a big deal.

He pretty much conviced me I was being goofy and advised we just head for the fast pass machines at Soarin'. I hung up, and by now Amy, Katie and Jenna had gotten ahead of me in their pursuit of what Jenna had now named, "Fake Randy."

Only now, they had spotted something that tipped the scales even more toward the unlikely event that they had actually flown down to blow our minds... They saw a tall, thin woman walking in the distance next to Fake Randy - and she had a blue windbreaker tied around her waist! Only Carol would need a windbreaker on a day like this. (It was crushingly humid.)

I immediately called Randy back. He said "Hello?"

I said, "We saw someone that looks just like Carol! Where are you?"

He laughed and convinced me I was being goofy again. Only this time I said, "We'll see you in a minute!"

I had to act like I knew we were on to him - even if we weren't. At all.

Only none of us were convinced it really was them. But we got into the Land pavilion, headed right for the railing and started scanning for Fake Randy and Fake Carol. If it really wasn't them, we had to get a photo and show Real Randy and Real Carol.

But we didn't see anoyone that looked like them. So we went down the stairs, a little dejected, and headed over to the fast pass machines.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a Patriots jersey and a blue windbreaker moving in a blur towards us...

It was Carol and Randy. Our minds were blown.

They had flown down the night before - I had actually talked to Randy about the Red Sox as he was standing in Manchester Airport getting ready to fly down here. So after freaking out and actually seeing that it was Real Randy and Real Carol, we kicked off a full day at Epcot, open to close.

Here's a few camera phone pics:

First thing that happened: Katie learned she was about two inches too short to ride Soarin'. She was deeply saddened by this turn of events.

Randy introduced us to the new attraction at the America pavilion: "Voices of Randy."

Of course, I had to try on every goofy hat in Epcot.

This is what Carol thought of the apple chutney at the Ireland booth at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival.

Katie and I hung out near Spaceship Earth for a little while.

We had dinner at the Coral Reef Restaurant in Epcot, and it included a few surprises. I'll get more into that later, especially because the good pictures will really do the story justice.

We're all beat now and going to sleep. We've got the Magic Kingdom tomorrow...