Epcot really means, Every Person Comes Out Tired!

Our second full day was spent at Epcot, which  means, "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow".  Stephen calls it "That place with the huge golf ball."  Ugh. 

I was awake when the wake up call came at 6:30AM.  We wanted to get an early start and be at Epcot at the Rope Drop.  Ok, I wanted the early start.  Stephen was especially bright eyed and bushy-tailed.  Still, we managed to make it to the bus by 8AM and were delivered to the front gates of Epcot shortly after that.  We were let through the turnstiles and walked under Spaceship Earth on our way to Future World.

Epcot is a huge park split into two very different sections.  Future World opens at 9 and has attractions such as Soarin', Test Track and Mission Space.  The World Showcase opens at 11 and is a celebration of many of the different countries and cultures that make up this world we live in.  We decided to spend the day at Future World and go to the WS only for supper later that evening.

The rope dropped and we traveled with the rest of the throng into 'The Land' where we made our way to Soarin', one of the newer attractions Disney has to offer.  It is a ride that simulates hang gliding over California.

Hmmm..

We were ushered into a large room with seats that, as they fill, are hoised up into the air.  The lights dimmed and the huge screen in front of the seats began to show panoramic pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge, Nappa Valley, ski resorts and orange groves.  The seats dipped and swayed as we 'flew' into the screen.  I had to close my eyes a few times because the feeling was just a bit too swoopy for me.  When the ride ended, I had to wonder what all the excitement was about.  Soarin' is one of those headliner attractions that almost always has a huge line.  To me, it was a bit of a let-down. 

We left Soarin' and walked across Future World to Mission Space.  This is another of those rides that I had absolutely  no desire to try.  Any ride that comes equipped with its own barf bags is not something I need to experience.  Instead, I did a bit of shopping at the gift shop and ran next door to Test Track and got our fast-passes.  I know that I like Test Track!

The boys enjoyed Mission Space, though Stephen said he was glad there wasn't a long line.  Eddie was a bit disappointed that he didn't get to pilot the 'mission' but they knew they'd get another chance at some point. As you leave the attraction, there is a large area where there are interactive games and kiosks where you can send post-cards via e-mail.  We sent one to mom and dad and the boys played one of the games that had them racing across the universe with other players.

Me?  I sat and enjoyed the air conditioning!

From Mission Space, it was over to Test Track, where we took the Fast Pass lane, though in truth it wasn't necessary.  There were very few lines anywhere.  Test Track is one of those rides that doesn't last long but is very memorable.  We got in our 'car' that we shared with three other people, and were put through the safety paces that GM supposedly puts automobiles through, such as heat test, cold test, speed test... I don't remember all of it, but boy when you are speeding toward the closed door and you know you're going to hit it, it makes an impression!  No fear- it swings open in the nick of time and you're then out on an open track going a bazillion miles per hour- wind in your hair, screaming at the top of your lungs... What a rush!

The last attraction of the morning was The Seas with Nemo and Friends.  We rode in our little 'Clammobiles' through a large salt-water aquarium and when the ride is over, you're deposited in an area with several floors of tanks with sea life of every kind.  The manatees were my favorites. 

I'm not sure what I think of there being a seafood restaurant within the same complex though.  "Yes, waitress- I'll have the filet of Nemo- is it fresh?  Really, really fresh?"

We went to The Land for lunch- it's a huge, loud food court and I remember going there the very first time I was in Epcot, which was uh.. quite some time ago.  '83, I think?  Anyway, after a nourishing rotisserie chicken lunch (much better than Nemo), it was off again.  This time, the boys wanted to go to Innoventions, and we did- but not before a stop at Club Cool. 

Sponsored by Coca-Cola, it's a small area where you can taste different Coke products from around the world.  My favorite was Beverly, from Italy.  Reminded me of Moxie, though the boys said that it was much, much worse.  Eddie liked the drink from Germany and I'm not sure which Stephen preferred. 

 Most of the afternoon was spent at Innoventions East, where the boys played with robots, starred in their own video games and numerous other things.

Me?  I enjoyed the air conditioned sitting area. 

Actually, it was during this time in Innoventions that I wandered outside to try my hand at Pin Trading for the first time.  There is a great little pin stop just outside Innoventions East, and the Cast Member there was really helpful.  I traded my first pins there and later brought Stephen over to let him give it a go as well.

Then I sat and enjoyed the Fountain of Nations.  Every 15 minutes, this fountain performs a 'show' that is carefully set to music.  It can be very moving and just plain fun to watch.  Sometimes the mists can feel pretty good too!

It was nearing 3 in the afternoon before I could get the boys out of Innoventions and we decided to go to Spaceship Earth.  They've changed it somewhat, but it's still a trip through the centuries examining the development of communications.  It may sound dry, but it's a great ride that takes you to the top of the sphere and back down again.  Once on the ground, there is an area where you can play interactive games, send post cards via e-mail (we did), and even perform surgery of a sort.  That was kind of cool.  We also went to 'Honey I Shrunk the Audience' (mice, mice everywhere!), and we Journeyed into Imagination with Figmen (I like Purple Dragons).  By this time, I also especially like any ride that allows me to sit down for a few minutes!

For supper, we headed over to Germany where we had reservations at the Biergarten.  On the way, we saw the Illuminations float being taken out to the lagoon and decided that we'd hang around to see the light show.  Little did we realize just how tired we'd be! 

Mmmm.. Biergarten... They had Knoedels!  Really good Knoedels!  And they had those guys playing those big horns and they had lederhosen and they played polkas and-and-and...  Ok, it was good food and good fun.  I don't think the boys were as impressed as I was though.

After dinner we wandered back to Future World and tried on hats, posed with characters, shopped, looked for hidden mickeys and acted silly until we were too tired to walk any more.  We found a place to plant ourselves until the beginnings of Illuminations, Epcot's incredible light and fireworks show.  Set to music, the fireworks are breathtaking and the use of lasers and projected pictures is not to be missed.  We could even feel the heat from the explosions!  We were all completely worn out, but I'm so glad we stayed for the show.  Epcot at night is lovely.

We rode a very crowded bus home, standing all the way, but it was worth it.  I hardly remember crawling into the bed that night and I think I was asleep before my head even hit the pillow.  I slept like a rock. 

Good thing because we would be back up and at it at 6:30 the next morning-- but that's a post for another day.

Pin Trading- An Unexpected Pleasure!

You may have seen the red lanyard hanging around my neck in a few of the photos I've posted here or at FB. That's my Pin Trading Lanyard and it is an activity that Stephen and I didn't expect to enjoy as much as we did. Eddie just stood back and watched, though he did purchase a Herbie pin and a mouse shaped speedometer pin, both of which he kept and didn't wear.

Pin Trading began about 10 years ago, as far as I can tell (there are pins commemorating the anniversary available for sale throughout the Kingdom). One can buy pins with prices starting at $7, though you can spend much more. Most of the pins that I have are in the lower price range.

Here's a picture of the pins I've collected so far. Those on the red lanyard are from this trip to Disney- some were purchased, but most were traded. Those on the purple fabric are some of the pins that I had purchased earlier that I liked and decided to keep.

A serious pin trader I'll never be. I don't have the courage to approach a complete stranger and ask about trading pins, though Stephen had a young lady do just that. We were on the bus and she saw a Princess pin that he had on his lanyard- one of those that I'd purchased earlier in order to trade. The young lady (she was 18 or so) saw the pin and told him that he could have any pin on her lanyard if he would give her the Princess pin. It was a birthday pin with Belle on it- it was this young lady's birthday that day, and her favorite princess is Belle. Anyway- he traded a Mickey for it and both went happily on with their day. The rest of our trading was done with the Cast Members, who wear lanyards around their necks and encourage trading. In fact, they can't say no to a trade. In all fairness though, most of the pins on their lanyards are of the least expensive variety. Still- I found a few that I really liked and did some trading.

There are limited edition pins such as the Labor Day pin that I purchased at Epcot and the 999 pin that I found at the Contemporary on the 9th of September- released just that morning! There are also limited edition pins that are available only on the nights of special events, such as the Halloween Party. I purchased one of those as well. All told, I purchased 5 pins, all for less than $10 each. A very inexpensive souvenir as far as Disney is concerned!

I loved going to the pin sections of the gift shops and to the pin trading carts throughout the Kingdom. Even though I didn't buy very many, I loved to look at them all. Pin Trading is an activity that I'm sure Stephen and I will do again when we one day return to the World.

Besides, I'm still looking for 101 Dalmations and The Aristocats. Maybe next time!

The Animal Kingdom is for Animals... like US!

I had assumed that I'd sleep soundly the night after our Cinderella dinner- after all, I'd been up since 2AM the morning before, but a decent night's sleep wasn't in the cards for me. I was awake at 4:30 staring at the ceiling and listening to all the odd noises that happen in a resort the size of POP in the wee hours of the morning. I had set a wake-up call for 6:30AM so we could shower and get to the buses by 8AM. I stared at the ceiling for a while longer then got up and tip-toed around the room trying to quietly make a pot of coffee. The boys were sleeping like logs, so I didn't really need to worry that I'd wake them. Boy, did that coffee ever taste good! I read the Passporter (a Disney Tourbook) and looked at maps until the coffee was gone and the phone rang with our wake up call.

I picked up the phone and said hello only to hear a bit of Disney-esque music followed by Stitch shouting, "Goooood Mornin'!" He was followed by Mickey Mouse who told us that things have been odd around there since Stitch had escaped and to have a nice day anyway. This was followed by Stitch who spouted a sassy, "Get MOVING!" which made me laugh right out loud. It was the same wake-up call we would get each morning.

The three of us were up and out by 8. The bus was quick to pick us up and we were at the gates to the Animal Kingdom before the rope dropped. Unfortunately, I was a bit unfamiliar with the layout of the place and I was unsure of the crowd levels so we rushed through the Oasis to make it to the main section of the park before the official Rope Drop.

To get to the park, one has to first walk through the Oasis- It's kind of like Main Street USA is in the Magic Kingdom- a setting to get you in the right mindset for the adventures that are ahead of you. Except we were in too much of a rush to enjoy the leafy green coolness of the area.

Mental Note: Next time take your time through the Oasis!

Second Mental Note: In September, there are no crowds.

Minnie Mouse and her friends were there to welcome us to the Animal Kingdom and Mickey was close by as well. They sang their little song and danced their little dances and opened the Animal Kingdom to the real animals! US!

The boys and I made a semi-mad dash (actually, it was a brisk walk) for Expedition Everest, the newest attraction at AK. It's a wild ride around 'Mount Everest' during which the views are incredible. That is if you can keep your eyes open long enough to enjoy them! There was no line at all, so we went right on and were loaded into the carts immediately. I stowed all my gear and the little train was on its way.

Yet another Mental Note: I need to stay away from Expedition Everest!

So I'm on this roller coaster and I think, "No biggie! I've done Splash Mountain, I've done the Big Thunder.. how hard can this one be?"

What a big dummy I am.

I did okay until the coaster stopped and began it's wild descent- backward through pitch darkness. I don't do backward so well... I was flopped around and swung around and beaten back and forth and the worst part? I missed the Yeti! The ride culminates with a pass by a huge hairy monster with glowing red eyes-- and I missed the darned thing!!!

As the three of us disembarked, Stephen and Eddie were positively glowing and exclaiming how wonderful the ride was. Stephen looked at me and asked if I'd seen the Yeti.

"No. I missed it." I answered quietly, swallowing hard. If I threw up in front of my kids, I'd never live it down.

"That's okay mom," he replied, "There's no line. We can go again!"

I looked him squarely in the eye and said with all the seriousness I could muster, "Ummm, no. That isn't going to happen. Not in this lifetime."

So I waited in the gift shop like the big old chicken that I am while the boys rode again. By the time they disembarked the second time, I had gotten my shakes under control enough so I could walk. Stephen bought a hat and we went looking for something a little less scary.

Like the Kilimanjaro Safaris! This is my favorite attraction in the Animal Kingdom. It's a ride through 'Africa' in which the animals appear to run freely and sometimes come quite close to the vehicle you're riding in. Disney does a great job at camouflaging the fact that the animals aren't really free. Still, they seem reasonably happy and they are truly beautiful as you see them running through the 'Savannah'. I loved the giraffes and the elephants. Seeing the mama and the baby made everyone in our car say, "Awwwwww." Too cute!

From Africa, we went to Dinoland where we caught the ride 'Dinosaur'. That was a fun one too and I squawked and hollered as we went past the man-eating reptiles. Yeah- I really love Disney.

Lunch was at the Tusker House, and while I found the African buffet just delicious, the boys were less than enthused. Because our reservation was so soon after breakfast, there were still donuts on the buffet so that's what Stephen filled up on, while Eddie chose to chow down on the 'hot dog nuggets'. So glad the dining was free!

After lunch, we took a walk through the Pangani Forest. It was cool and shaded. Disney goes all out to make things look realistic and authentic, so walking through what seemed like ancient temples was amazing. Of course I was always very serious and mature. Seriously though- the detail is incredible. The temples looked as if they had been abandoned for hundreds of years and the carvings are intricate and lovely. Moss and vines appear to grow everywhere, adding to the aged look of the place.

While in the Pangani Forest, we saw huge fruit bats, gorillas, fish and swimming hippos. AK is not simply an amusement park- it's an educational experience. Just don't tell the kids!

I think we managed to see all the major attractions that day. The boys managed to ride EE another time or two later in the afternoon and we decided that the last ride of the day would be Kali River Rapids, a raft ride which warns, "You will get wet. You may get soaked!"

Sounds like fun!

The line was fairly long for this ride, though nothing like the lines of a few weeks earlier. I think we waited for maybe 20 minutes all together. We were led to a raft which holds 8 people, I think. The raft is round and bounces around as it goes down to the 'river'. The first opportunity for a soaking came early in the ride. Stephen was sitting across from me on the other side of the raft. He was backward as a fountain of water spurted upward and came down fully on his head. I started to laugh as he sputtered and spewed. But the best was yet to come!

As we made our way down the rough waters of the 'Kali River', the raft bounced and spun. We all held on for dear life. I was going down frontward, which meant Stephen was again backward. We began to go down a flume like part of the river. At the bottom I watched as a wall of white water rose up over an unsuspecting Stephen. We are talking wall of water! It was almost as if I was watching it in slow motion. I tried to warn Stephen, but there wasn't time. The water came down and soaked him. He was dripping! And all his evil mother could do was laugh hysterically as he sat across from me, drenched to the bone and sputtering. Eddie and I hardly got wet at all!

The Animal Kingdom closes early, so we decided to go back to the resort to swim. We got home just in time to see the thunder storm rolling in. It really was lovely though, with the black clouds and the rainbows that followed. These pictures were taken from the balcony outside our room. Can you see the double rainbow in the second picture?

The storms finally passed and the boys and I spent the evening in the pool- Hippy Dippy, of course! It rained nearly every day that we were there, but usually the storms were short lived and often enough to drive many people away from the parks. That meant fewer lines for us to wait in!

There is so much more that we did this day! We went to Rafiki's Planet Watch, we saw the staging area for the animals who live in the Animal Kingdom, we ate frozen strawberry bars and spicy Chinese noodles. We shopped and walked and rode. As I lay in the pool cooling off, I remember thinking that I was incredibly tired. It was going to be a long, wonderful 10 days.

A Dinner with Cindy and her Ugly Stepsisters (Sept. 5)

We dressed for dinner and I told the boys that we would be going to a fancy restaurant for a nice dinner and that I expected their best behavior, bla-bla-bla. We boarded the bus to the Magic Kingdom and we were on our way!

Dinner would be at 1900 Park Fare, located in The Grand Floridian resort. This resort is actually on the monorail line from the Magic Kingdom and also one of the original resorts to open when the Kingdom did in 1971 (though I'm a bit foggy with the years). It's a lovely resort- definitely deluxe accommodations. Before we got there, however, it began to rain. Guess which of us was the only one without a poncho.. That would be me. Thankfully, Stephen was willing to share his and the two of us walked from the bus-stop to the monorail station looking much like a two headed red monster. It's hard to walk when you're laughing that hard.

We finally reached The Grand Floridian and it certainly did live up to its name. There was a gentleman in the lobby playing Disney tunes on a grand piano.There was a band setting up to play in the balcony overlooking the lobby. There were glass elevators and a sweeping grand staircase. It was just beautiful. The boys and I walked around the lobby, rode in the elevators and went into the gift shop to try on the silly pink mouse-ear hats until it was time for our reservation.

I was hoping the boys wouldn't figure out that this dinner was not just a run-of-the-mill dinner at a fancy restaurant. I wanted to keep the Cinderella part a secret as long as I could and I managed to do just that until our names were called and the little girl ahead of us said to her mom,

"Oh! Look Mom! Cinderella is in there!"

Stephen stopped abruptly and turned to me with an accusing glare and said,

"...Cinderella??"

Gulp.

"Well," said I, "It's not just Cinderella..."

By this time, both boys were looking daggers at me and I was seriously wondering why I ever thought this would actually be funny.

"Who else?" Asked a suddenly very suspicious Edward.

"Um.. Well, the fairy godmother is here, and the evil stepmother and uh.. the ugly stepsisters." I tried to mutter the last part under my breath.

We were led to our tables and the boys looked terrified. The waitress explained the buffet to us as well as the route the characters would be taking during the meal. I smiled encouragingly at the boys and we took our seats. Well, I did anyway. The boys were off in search of food and hoping to avoid any contact with Princesses.

Chickens.

The food was quite good. Eddie mentioned that he'd never eaten anywhere that had real napkins before (I'm not sure what that says about us, actually). Suddenly there was music and an announcement: "Ladies and Gentlemen! May I introduce...(drum roll please) Cinderella!"

I began to bounce in my seat and I clapped my hands and grinned widely as my children sat across the table from me, looking for all the world like they hoped the floor would open up and swallow them both. It didn't, and a few minutes later we were introducing ourselves to the Grand Princess herself- Cinderella! I was so thankful that she was the first of the characters the boys would meet because she was very kind and gentle and not at all intimidating to the boys. By the time I began taking pictures, they were actually beginning to enjoy themselves a bit! Whew! Things might just work out after all!

The boys began to relax and enjoy themselves, though they made frequent trips to the buffet tables. I only went twice- and one of those times, I brought back dessert...

Soon, there was another drum roll and Lady Tremaine came sweeping through, followed by her daughters, Anastasia and Drizella. The Lady was cool and stiff, making her way around the dining room, posing with children and adults and acting the part of the evil stepmother. When she came to our table, the boys stood and she seemed to survey them,

"They are single?" she asked me in a cool voice.

"Yes ma'am. And of marriageable age as well." I said with a smile. The boys looked nervous.

"Very well," She answered as she looked at them, seemingly sizing them up. "I am ready for portraits now."

We took the pictures and she looked around to her daughters who were milling about the room,
"Girls! Girls! There are young men here who are single. Be sure to make a good impression." The stepsisters screeched and giggled.

The boys were seriously worried now. Stephen leaned over and whispered to me, "I'm only 13! I'm NOT getting married!"

Anastasia and Drizella were wonderful! They flirted with the boys and asked about their financial situations- Drizella asked Eddie for a diamond!

By the end of the evening, the boys were actually having fun, I think. We didn't have a chance to see the Fairy Godmother, but I'm thinking that may have put the boys over the edge.

On the way home that evening, Stephen looked at me and asked me very seriously, "So--will there be any other dinners like this?"

"No dear." I answered.

Unless you count the Winnie the Pooh dinner on Friday.

Disney- We Arrive (Sept. 5)

The trip started early- my alarm went off at 2AM. I was up, showered and dressed in no time and had the boys up soon after that. We headed down to mom and dad's because they were our ride to the airport. I was so nervous that I felt sick to my stomach as I checked the list once, twice, then once more. To make matters worse, I was worried about the gallbladder and what sort of problems that was going to cause me. Thankfully, I have a friend not far from the Kingdom who said she'd take care of us should something unthinkable happen and I land in the hospital. I'll tell you now, all the worry was for nothing. I felt and still feel fine.

Anyway- we took a small plane out of Portland to Washington D.C. where we caught our larger connection to Orlando. We landed in Florida at 11AM, not so bright eyed, not so bushy tailed, but all in one piece. Once there, we waited in what was to be our longest line of the vacation- waiting for the Magical Express to take us to Pop Century.

The bus ride was great and I think I grinned the entire time. I pointed out landmarks to the boys and explained the difference between Palm and Palmetto trees. We looked for alligators (we didn't see any) and I bounced up and down happily when we passed under the gateway to Walt Disney World. The beginning was in sight! I pointed out the Swan and Dolphin and we looked in wonder at the signs advertising the different attractions at the parks. The sign for the Tower of Terror looked like it had real people in it! Disney doesn't do anything half-way.

Pop Century is a really cool place. I describe it as 'The Ultimate in Retro Tacky', which fits me perfectly as most of you will agree. The line was fairly short at the Classic Hall when we arrived and I had already done the online express check in, so I was able to walk directly to the registration clerk and get our room. Oops. First floor- um. Problem. I don't want first floor- I want fourth floor. I was told that there would be no problem but that the room would not be ready for a few hours. I agreed and the boys and I headed off to drop our carry-on at luggage services. We had a huge resort to explore!

The walls of the lobby are lined with Shadowboxes holding memorabilia from the 1950s to the 1990s. It made me feel a little old as I recognized many of the items as things that I had as a child or that I still have (like the Pet Rock and the Tupperware measuring cups). It was a bit unnerving to see the big shouldered jackets and the crimping irons, both of which I had and used with pride when I was in my early 20s. Here's hoping shoulder pads never come back into style!

Pop Century is the only value resort with water views. It may one day be two separate resorts linked together by the Generation Gap Bridge which spans over Hourglass Lake. The boys and I walked to the sitting area at the beginning of the bridge where we looked over at the now abandoned 'Legendary Years' part of the resort. That resort may one day represent 1900-1940 and, if the Classic Years are any indication, it will be a great place to stay. The boys were amazed at the geckos that run around everywhere and Stephen even managed to catch a couple of them, much to my dismay.

By now, we're hungry so we head off to the Pop Century Food Court, a bustling, loud place with several different dining choices. I didn't care what I had for lunch- to me it was all about the dessert: Tye Dyed Cheesecake...

One has to wonder about the people who make up the food for Disney. Who would have thought of swirling bright primary colors together in a cheesecake, pouring it atop a piece of Red Velvet cake and calling it Tie-Dye? Whoever it was, my thanks go out to them. It was delicious! The cake is purple and blue and yellow and red- all swirled together like a Grateful Dead tee shirt. I only dared eat a few bites of it, so Eddie gladly took up the slack for me. Besides, I didn't want to eat too much because of the reservations I'd made for dinner... But that will be for the next post. (coming soon, I promise!)

Our room was soon ready so we went to get our carry-on luggage and I find that my sweatshirt- the green Tigger Hoodie that I bought the last time I was in Disney- was gone. No one had seen it, no one had claimed it.. Well Phooey. No matter, I'm in Disney- I can buy another one!

Our room was in the Love, Peace and Happiness building situated in the middle of the 60s section. We had the top floor and the room was quiet and clean and cool. The elevator was just around the corner and from that viewpoint, we could see down past Baloo and Mowgli to the Hippy-Dippy Pool. Yeah.. that's the name of it. We quickly changed into our swimsuits and went down for a swim, only to find that the pool was closed because of rumors that someone..um.. did something unprintable in it. So it was off to the computer pool in the 90s section. If I can find it, that is.

The afternoon was spent mostly in the water. Florida is hot and humid this time of year, with frequent and sudden thunderstorms cropping up out of nowhere. The boys and I swam in the Computer Pool until the Hippy-Dippy re-opened. At 5 , we headed back to our room to change for dinner. I'd made reservations at 1900 Park Fare and I wanted to be sure to get there early enough. Did I mention that the reservations were for a Cinderella Dinner? No? Don't feel bad. I didn't tell the boys either!