Crichton
07-19-2002, 03:51 PM
Cast: Me - DH 25 & Her - DW 24
Date: Spring Break (March 17 - 24)
We did our usual morning routine (bagels and pancakes) and were on our way to Epcot. It was a beautiful morning and the lines were not terribly long, so we got in quickly and, again, slowly moved with the mob as the gates were opened. We decided that we would first go to Test Track and enjoy the cool breeze at 70mph. Just as the mob arrived at Test Track, they announced that FastPass was down for an indefinite amount of time. For those of you who haven't seen a "server crash" at Disney, it's not pretty. The lines became instantly huge, as those who would have normally FastPassed and gone elsewhere decided that they needed to be in the regular line instead. By the time we left the FastPass booth, the wait was already long. Then we spotted it.. the rare "Single Rider" line. DW and I looked at each other and, with a knowing glance, headed for the short cut. A couple of short minutes later and, enjoying the baffled looks of those in the regular line, we were loaded into the intro movie area. We enjoyed the ride, though DW was in a car full of sunburned people who DID NOT like the heat endurance area :) There's nothing like doing 70mph on Test Track first thing in the morning to get the blood flowing. Now, if I could just do the same thing before work, maybe I could cut back on the massive doses of caffeine it takes to get me active in the mornings. We headed over to Innovations and went through all the new additions (the Xerox area and the new 100 years of Magic History areas). After that, it was off to the Living Seas to enjoy the aquatic life. The ride was closed down, so we had to settle for the main area and aquarium views - which of course were fabulous - and we saw both a dolphin and a tortoise. It was a great experience and I was amazed at how intelligent the dolphin was (it checked out the crowd and "selected" a young boy with whom to nudge the glass at.
http://php.unl.edu/dis/IM000865.JPG
Afterwards, we went to the World Showcase to enjoy some lunch and ended up at the Yakatori Grill where I had the signature dish (Yakatori Chicken) and DW had Sushi. We also ordered one each of all the soups they had and, while DW loved each one, I can't seem to find one that I like.
http://php.unl.edu/dis/IM000874.JPG
http://php.unl.edu/dis/IM000876.JPG
We went to the various rides throughout the Showcase and particularly enjoyed Norway, "It's ALWAYS an adventure, in NORWAY". We also took the ride through Mexico, though I had the distinct feeling that the water was only about an inch deep and that we could have walked instead :) It was a weird feeling, but the ride was fun nonetheless. After completing our Showcase tour, we decided to head back to the resort briefly (it's tough work travelling to 8 or 9 different countries in a single afternoon) for some rest and relaxation. After grabbing some dinner type food, we took the boat back to Epcot via MGM and staked out a great place to watch Tapestry of Dreams. It was truly a sight to behold - I had never seen anything like it (DW bought the album because she liked the music so much). Then it was time for Illuminations. We enjoyed the show of course, but were a little disappointed when, again due to the wind, they wouldn't let us up onto the main viewing area. If we would have known that in advance, we could have staked out a nice place on the bridge :p
http://php.unl.edu/dis/IM000897.JPG
http://php.unl.edu/dis/IM000900.JPG
How much fun is it to get back to your room.. sprawl out with your trinkets and watch Disney television? There's nothing quite like falling asleep to the sound of "Disney's FastPass" commercials to give you pleasant dreams :)
Day Five soon...
Date: Spring Break (March 17 - 24)
We did our usual morning routine (bagels and pancakes) and were on our way to Epcot. It was a beautiful morning and the lines were not terribly long, so we got in quickly and, again, slowly moved with the mob as the gates were opened. We decided that we would first go to Test Track and enjoy the cool breeze at 70mph. Just as the mob arrived at Test Track, they announced that FastPass was down for an indefinite amount of time. For those of you who haven't seen a "server crash" at Disney, it's not pretty. The lines became instantly huge, as those who would have normally FastPassed and gone elsewhere decided that they needed to be in the regular line instead. By the time we left the FastPass booth, the wait was already long. Then we spotted it.. the rare "Single Rider" line. DW and I looked at each other and, with a knowing glance, headed for the short cut. A couple of short minutes later and, enjoying the baffled looks of those in the regular line, we were loaded into the intro movie area. We enjoyed the ride, though DW was in a car full of sunburned people who DID NOT like the heat endurance area :) There's nothing like doing 70mph on Test Track first thing in the morning to get the blood flowing. Now, if I could just do the same thing before work, maybe I could cut back on the massive doses of caffeine it takes to get me active in the mornings. We headed over to Innovations and went through all the new additions (the Xerox area and the new 100 years of Magic History areas). After that, it was off to the Living Seas to enjoy the aquatic life. The ride was closed down, so we had to settle for the main area and aquarium views - which of course were fabulous - and we saw both a dolphin and a tortoise. It was a great experience and I was amazed at how intelligent the dolphin was (it checked out the crowd and "selected" a young boy with whom to nudge the glass at.
http://php.unl.edu/dis/IM000865.JPG
Afterwards, we went to the World Showcase to enjoy some lunch and ended up at the Yakatori Grill where I had the signature dish (Yakatori Chicken) and DW had Sushi. We also ordered one each of all the soups they had and, while DW loved each one, I can't seem to find one that I like.
http://php.unl.edu/dis/IM000874.JPG
http://php.unl.edu/dis/IM000876.JPG
We went to the various rides throughout the Showcase and particularly enjoyed Norway, "It's ALWAYS an adventure, in NORWAY". We also took the ride through Mexico, though I had the distinct feeling that the water was only about an inch deep and that we could have walked instead :) It was a weird feeling, but the ride was fun nonetheless. After completing our Showcase tour, we decided to head back to the resort briefly (it's tough work travelling to 8 or 9 different countries in a single afternoon) for some rest and relaxation. After grabbing some dinner type food, we took the boat back to Epcot via MGM and staked out a great place to watch Tapestry of Dreams. It was truly a sight to behold - I had never seen anything like it (DW bought the album because she liked the music so much). Then it was time for Illuminations. We enjoyed the show of course, but were a little disappointed when, again due to the wind, they wouldn't let us up onto the main viewing area. If we would have known that in advance, we could have staked out a nice place on the bridge :p
http://php.unl.edu/dis/IM000897.JPG
http://php.unl.edu/dis/IM000900.JPG
How much fun is it to get back to your room.. sprawl out with your trinkets and watch Disney television? There's nothing quite like falling asleep to the sound of "Disney's FastPass" commercials to give you pleasant dreams :)
Day Five soon...