Because the park was so crowded and we were fatigued after a week of vacation, I think we left Epcot once we had finished eating. Back at the Boardwalk I got my packing done so I wouldn't have to worry about it later. Departure day was scheduled for Sunday. I imagine hubby and I ate something else along the way but whatever it was, it did not involve the Food and Wine Festival and was not particularly memorable.
Our biggest meet-up of the Big Meet-Up was scheduled for this evening at the Top of the World Lounge. Several of us met in the Bay Lake lobby and DVC members escorted nonmembers upstairs. The lounge had a fair few people in it when our group arrived, but we managed to find a table over by the windows and then gradually took over neighboring tables as they were vacated, so as our group expanded so did our seating. As the evening progressed we had to guard that seating carefully. Several times people came over to ask if we were using all the chairs - are you REALLY using all those chairs? People would get up and wander to the other end of our long row of tables to talk to people, or to go downstairs to fetch newly arriving non-DVC members, which frequently left a few chairs empty, but yes were were still using all those chairs! Alicemouse has group photos so you can see how large our party became. Our group included most of the cruisers and several other forum members, and while I can name most of them there are a couple of folks whose real names I remember but can't recall what their forum usernames are, so instead I will let others report their attendance in their own trip reports.
Poor Robynprincess was having a terrible day of it. Her mother, who had been feeling poorly the whole trip, finally got so bad she had to go to the hospital and was diagnosed with pneumonia. Simon came by Top of the World to bring some cakes and cookies they had purchased for the evening, then later he left to fetch Robyn from the hospital. But of course her thoughts were with her mother, who had to stay at least a couple of nights in the hospital.
Because hubby and I were scheduled to check out and head for home Sunday, I decided to forgo alcoholic libations this evening and instead got a virgin mojito, which they call a "nojito." Bleah. Never get a virgin anything. If you need not to drink, just get a freaking Coke or something that's not supposed to have liquor in it.
By the time Wishes began, I think everyone who was planning to attend had arrived. Some went out onto the balcony to watch, while others of us stayed inside and watched through the window. And then, after a little more time with the group, hubby and I decided we'd better walk back to Magic Kingdom and catch the bus to the Boardwalk. I chased down our poor waitress, paid our bill, included a huge tip for the poor girl, and solidified plans with Alicemouse to meet at Hollywood Studios for Morning Extra Magic Hours so we could ride Toy Story Mania without a long wait.
