Following the race, was the Expedition Everest Summit Party. After finishing and picking up a bottle of water and some snacks (they had mini Cliff Bars and banana's), I picked up my stuff from baggage and headed into Animal Kingdom.
People were still working on the scavenger hunt while I was headed in (Pam and her mom were still out there so I had some time to kill), so they had a walkway for finishers to head into the park. Once I was inside the gates, I made a detour to the bathroom to change my top and clean up for the party. While I wish I could have showered (not possible), I did use my Nathan's Power Shower Wipes. It's definitely not the same as showering, but at least it got the sweat off my face. I also put on my jacket, because man was it cold out. Only like 65 degrees.
The main section of the park that was open was Dinoland USA (everything open) and parts of Asia (just Everest and Kali River Rapids). I immediately headed for Everest - couldn't wait to ride it at night! There was no wait, just the walk to the front.
I have to say, riding Everest at night was definitely a different experience. I've ridden the ride a lot, but it felt very different at night. It was a little scarier! The parts inside were in the pitch black. It was a lot of fun!
When I got off the ride, I was ready to get right back on! The line was a little longer this time, but then I realized they were still doing single rider line. So I used that line and rode 3 more times! That might be the most I have ever ridden Everest in a row. By the 4th time, I needed a break. And I was awful thirsty.
They still had the adult beverage carts out, so on the way back to Dinoland, I stopped and got a margarita. It was delicious (sorry, I love margarita's).
Since I was still waiting for Pam and her mom, I figured I would check out the rest of the party. They had a DJ out and he was playing some fun music. They also had some characters out, so I stopped for some photo's - Goofy and Pluto in their farming finest.
After Pam got there (her mom headed back to the hotel early), we headed to check out Kali River Rapids. It's always been closed when I've been there or way too cold to ride it. It wasn't quite warm enough (still) but we did anyways. Most people seemed to be waiting for Everest because there was no wait all. We ended up in a raft all by ourselves.
I have to admit, it was fun but it was definitely kind of creepy. Since the park is usually closed at night, the ride isn't well lit which added to the spookiness. And since not many people were riding it, there was no one else in site. It was still fun, but doesn't hold a candle to Grizzly River Run (in California Adventure). It might be better with more people in the raft (and in the daytime), so I'll have to check it out again.
Overall, I enjoyed the Summit Party. I got my fill of Everest, finally got to ride Kali River Rapids and the DJ was pretty good. Not quite as good as the Wine and Dine after party (with the Food and Wine Festival going on, that after party is pretty epic), but still a great time!
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