We are: Marilyn and DH Thomas, Sr. citizens with young hearts.

Day six had us a little worn out. The rain yesterday, and our unusual marathon pace, complete with an ADR almost every day, hit hard by Friday. We woke up, went down the hall to Starbucks, and decided to turn around and go right back to the room. We stayed, resting, and watching the developing story of little Caylee on T.V. until about 11:00. We wanted to go back and see Shamu's Christmas, and had a two day for $$ of one, soooooo...despite our experience with city transportation, we got on the bus again and went back. Big difference in the weather. We had about six hours, so we got another cup of coffee while we re-oriented ourselves to the layout of the park. We started with some of the outdoor exhibits like the dolphin nursery, the manatees, then walked through the aquariums. By this time, the Hospitality Center was open. This is a neat place - seeing the Budweiser Clydesdale horses in their almost sterile stalls, with all that beautiful tack makes me want to eat hay. Maybe we were just hungry. Instead, I had a warm roasted turkey sandwich, and DH got beef stew in a bread bowl. The hospitality center offers complimentary 12 oz glasses of specialty beers, whether you're eating or not, so DH got some dark ale, and I had an O'Douls,

We went through indoor, underwater, exhibits to see the polar bears, sea lions, and headed over to the Shamu stadium to be first in line for our favorite attraction in any park anywhere. The Shamu whales are massive, beautiful sea creatures, and the Christmas presentation leaves me in awe of the interaction between a 120 lb trainer and the world's largest predator. I mean, if the whale chose, the trainer standing on it's nose could be a snack. The music, lighting, and, (being away from the wet zone), make it a show that I could see over and over again.

The park was closing after Shamu, so we headed for the dreaded bus stop and went back to the TTC and boarded the monorail for Epcot, then the Friendship boat for the Studios to see the Osborn lights. They were neat as usual but after walking around, we wanted to beat the crowds out. We found a bus to the Poly, crossed the street to our driveway and had dinner at the Garden Buffet - a decent meal for not much $$.

Back in our room, I laid out my outfit for tomorrow, because this was THE day - we were meeting some Intercot legends. I have to admit.......I'm a "little" nervous.