Cruise to Panama Canal-Part Three

Continued: Busch Gardens is somewhere we hadn’t been before. There are trains, a red one and a yellow one, that go round the park to see the animals such as wildebeests, giraffes and zebras in a grassland situation. There are other animals such as Asian elephants and both tigers and white tigers in their own compounds.

On our last day we went to Disney. I am a Disney fan. We took our daughter fifteen years ago and she said that my face lit up as we arrived, I wasn’t aware that I had reacted like that. I decided I wouldn’t drag my husband into the Magic Kingdom. We went to Epcot, which I do enjoy. The theme is year was all about Flowers. As you enter the first display is Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice from the Fantasia with the brooms, and the Dancing Hippos. Other Disney characters in flowers are Mickey and Mini, Pluto, the tea pot from Beauty and the Beast, Captain Hook and Peter Pan plus the crocodile, Cinderella and Prince Charming dancing. Also Winnie the Pooh, with Eeyore and Piglet, Tigger and Rabbit in the UK Pavilion. There are flowers in borders in rows of colours. Very pretty! We were very patriotic in this year of the Diamond Jubilee and had fish and chips in the UK pub the Rose and Crown!

There is a stage in the USA Pavilion and there was a concert by former members of ELO (the Electric Light Orchestra) which we happen on by chance and was very good. We spoke to an American couple who lived in Florida, about 30 miles from Disney, they regularly come they said for the concerts and have a yearly entry ticket.

We visited several of the Pavilions. The Canadian one has a 360 degrees film show taking in much of the scenery of the country. We also went into the Chinese one which has a miniature display of the terracotta warriors, amongst many others. The prayers for rain were answered when we were here as the rain was very heavy after thunder and lightening!

Fortunately the storm was all over when the time came for the Epcot end of the day fireworks display on the lake. There were beacons lit all round the lake and the ‘World’, a giant iron ball had video displays of different places in the world. We had a very good view of the show.

One thing I should mention is for all three parks there is a charge for parking of $14 per day. Fifteen years ago this was $6 and they all charge the same price.

We flew home in business class which was great as you are able to lie down. Our car was brought to the terminal and we made our way home in good time.