declansdad
DIS Dad #639 New Brunswick, Canada
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2004
- Messages
- 31,307
Sorry for the delay in getting to this part but sometimes it is just hard to find the time. Anyway, on to Epcot
Day 7
We decided on Epcot today for a couple of reasons. 1, we didn't spend any more than half a day last year and we really wanted to get back and 2 we had a PS for San Angels Inn for lunch.
We planned on getting up early and being there for the rope drop but like most things on this trip, we didn't hurry so we were a little late. No big deal we still did most of what we wanted to do. We arrived about half way through EMH and showed our room keys to get in. We split up at the entrance so I could go through the bag check and dw and ds could get a stroller. I was directed to the far right by a cm. As I looked back I could see that dw and ds were stopped talking to a couple of CM's in shirts and ties and I wondered what was up. I was to find out later that they were joking with my son that he's key was not the right one.
We ended up getting into the park about the same time so we headed for the stroller rental. Today we decided to purchase the extended rental and we regretted not getting it earlier. If we had we could have bought it before the rental fees went up. Oh well, live and learn.
DS wanted to do Spaceship Earth right away and the line wasn't too bad so off they went while I went for FPs for Soarin'. I remembered that they tend to go quickly and we had decided that this ride was must do for us. I had them in hand quickly with a return time for 1.5 hours into the future. As I headed back over to meet up with them, I noticed that the wait time listed on the big board for Mission Space was 5 minutes. Man was I tempted to go do this!!
I have wanted to try this ever since I read about it but we don't feel ds is ready for it yet. You see the problem is that he meets the height requirement but he is only 4. If we got in the line he would want to go but we don't feel he is ready for it, especially with the unfortunate accident that happened just two weeks prior to our arrival. So I was torn. I want to do it; dw wants to do it but would not be happy if I went off on my own and they were left sitting waiting for me. What was I to do? In the end I was the good father and husband and went to collect the stroller and wait for them to exit SE. (While I was waiting, I did get to see the Character Bus go by.)
When they returned we decided on our other must do for Epcot, Test Track. We tried this last year but it was broken down so we didn't get the chance. This year we were all ready, even our newest thrill ride connoisseur. The Stand-by line was showing 20 minutes so in we went. We worked our way through the queue quickly and next thing you know we were waiting outside of door number 2. Into the pre-show we went and got a good laugh. We did notice that on the monitor the date was right but the time was off by 30 minutes. It made me keep checking my watch and FPs to see if we still had time.
When the door opened to the loading area, we tried to not get pushed around and did manage to make it through without having ds stepped on. There were a few teenaged girls from a tour though that just wanted to push by everyone. When it was our turn they put us in the back seat so in the picture you can't see ds. Off we went through the tests but the highlight for all three of us was the high speed turns. DS was screaming and holding his hands up just like he was on a roller coaster. We stopped at the Kidcot area on the way our and ds did some colouring. Unfortunately we lost it before then end of the day but he still hasn't figured that out. We were a bit peeved though that we couldn't enter the contest that GM was running because it wasn't open to Canadians.
As we left the building we knew we would have to do this again so we grabbed some fps for later and headed over to Soarin'.
By the time we walked to the other side of Future World, it was time for Soarin. I think the stand by wait was already around 50 minutes at this point and it was only 11 am. Got to love FPs, we were loaded in know time. We were seated in Flight B so we were on the middle section. This is a very cool ride. I am not the biggest fan of heights but this was truly amazing. The man next to me was a little scared on take-off though. He must have tried to grab my hand 10 or 12 times. Upon disembarking we decided that we had to do this again so we grabbed 3 more FPs on our way out. It was around 11:30 at this time and the return time was 3:30. My advice to you is if you want to get on this ride, make sure you get a fastpass early.
With no real plan for the day and some time to kill before our return time for TT, we looked for something to do. There was a Circle of Life show starting in about 20 minutes so we decided on that. DS loves The Lion King so we were hoping that even though this attraction didnt fly or move fast, he would still enjoy the show. I dont think that he understood it but he liked seeing Simba, Pumba and Timon. This was a sobering show about the way we treat our planet but I didnt feel that I was being hit over the head with the message. It was a good show but I think it is a one time only type of attraction. On exiting the show, we searched for Nestle Junior Chef area but couldnt find it. I think we actually walked right by it. (We did find it later in the afternoon after Soarin again but after waiting for a bit, we decided to head for the resort.)
It was getting close to our next turn around the TT so we headed back across Future World. After parking the stroller and approaching the Fast Pass Entrance, we were surprised to see the line reaching the doors. DW and I both thought WOW!. What we didnt realize is that the line is pretty much straight up the left side to the load area so we were back into Room B within 10 minutes. Again we were seated in the back of the car but this time our little computer display didnt work. Even though this was our second ride within a couple of hours is was still just as fun. DS and I especially love the high speed turns.
I t was not getting close to noon so we decided to head over to the World Showcase and see about out PS in Mexico. Upon arriving in Mexico, we still had a bit of time to kill before lunch so we boarded El Rio del Tiempo we no wait. I was curious that there was no wait. Does this ride get crowded at all? The entire time we were in Mexico it never seemed to get busy. It was a nice ride and yes it does seem like the Mexican version of Small World. My favourite section was in the beginning when you are drifting past the restaurant looking at the mountains and the volcano. The shades of blue that are used here are amazing. After the ride we checked in at the Inn and were seated within 5 minutes. The service was very good and quick. The food was excellent. DW and I both had the Tacos Al Carbon (chicken and beef respectively) while ds had the traditional Mexican dish the cheeseburger.
Next stop on our World Tour was Norway and a ride on Maelstrom. DS liked this ride because it was a little more adventurous, especially the drop. This was a fun ride and we did wait about 10 minutes for this one. At the end did sit down for the movie but them decided to keep moving before it started. DS worked on his mask in the gift shop and we played around a bit with the Viking hats and swords before moving on. If you are interested in purchasing some clothing from Norway, they have some authentic Norwegian sweaters available for only $350.
At this point ds was getting a bit cranky and was looking for some excitement (i.e. a fast ride). We did manage to do a quick visit in China and he did find the display for DisneyLand Hong Kong pretty cool. As we left China and made our way towards Germany, he continued to ask for something more exciting and it did get a bit frustrating for Mom and Dad. In Germany, we only walked into the courtyard and visited the trains.
As we strolled past Italy, ds fell asleep in his stroller and would remain so until we reached the UK. With DS asleep, we were able to look around at a slower pace but we still need to put this on our to do list for another trip. We walked on past the USA pavilion and watched the drummers outside of Japan. The only other stop we made was in France.
In France, I noticed Sleeping Beauty in one of the shops signing autographs and doing the picture thing. I mentioned this to DW and she asked it we could get in with the stroller? I said yes so she thought it would be a neat idea to have a picture with Sleeping Beauty with our little sleeping beauty. In the shop we found out that Belle was also there. They both liked the idea of taking a picture with our little sleeper so now we have two cool pics. It was probably a good thing that he was asleep because he probably would have wondered why Belle didnt recognize him from his role as Papa at Storytime with Belle.
AS we made our way into the UK, ds woke up. He was still a bit cranky from the heat but he was getting better and he knew we were almost home, Canada. We stopped to get a drink just outside the Rose and Crown Pub. They had those half yard glasses of draft sitting there calling our name but we decided we had better stick with the water. So after a bit a break, a drink and a washroom stop, off we went to Canada. We stopped for a bit to listen to the band playing, not Off Kilter but he other one (sorry I dont remember their name) and then we headed up the stairs into pavilion. Our first stop was the trading Post and the Penny Press machine. DS loves these things. The problem was that I only had 1 quarter and 1 penny. As I was trying to explain to him I need to get some change, a nice lady passed over a quarter. I tried to refuse her kind offer but she would not let me. Thank you kind lady, wherever you are. DS tried on a fur hat and we started to chat with one of the CM who was from Canada. When he realized that we were as well, he showed us a card that they are supposed to give out to guests. This card showed a map of Canada on one side with some other information on the other. He said that they were embarrassed to give them out because they are full of errors. Errors like getting the capital wrong, spelling errors, leaving parts of the country off the map etc. Shame on you Disney for not picking up on this. My wife being a teacher asked if she could keep it and use it in her 7th grade class as a teaching tool.
At this point ds needed another washroom break and the CM told us that the nearest washroom was back towards Future World next to a McDonalds French Fry stand. So that ended out visit to Canada.
It was starting to get near our FP time at Soarin, so we made our way back to The Land. We had a bit longer of a wait this time but nothing like the Stand-By line 2 hours and there were no FPs left for the day. On this ride we were seated in the third row and I was in the last seat, next to the outside of the ride. I found that while it was still a very cool ride, I could pick up the edge of the screen and side of the room in my peripheral vision. This did lessen the experience a bit but not enough to keep me from recommending this ride to everyone.
For our last stop of the day we made our way to the Living Seas. Our main goal here was to see Turtle Talk with Crush. DS had a question ready and was keen to talk to Crush. As it happened, the pixie dust must have still been on him. When Crush started to pick kids to talk to, ds was the first one chosen. He told him his name, Declan, but when Crush asked him for his question, all he could say was cool. LOL, Oh well at least he got to talk to Crush. After the show we spent some more time watching the sea life and then decided it was time to return to Pop.
As we waited for our bus, we watched a rain shower march its way across the parking lot towards us. It was really neat as it seem to be just a wall of water coming at us. Just as it arrived at the bus stop the bus arrived and we managed to avoid getting wet. By the time we got back to Pop, the shower was over and the sun was shinning once again.
Thanks for reading my report that just seem to be a bit long to me and again I apologize in being slow on getting these posted. It may be awhile again before I do another day as I am about to leave for the Canada Games in Regina.
Day 7
We decided on Epcot today for a couple of reasons. 1, we didn't spend any more than half a day last year and we really wanted to get back and 2 we had a PS for San Angels Inn for lunch.
We planned on getting up early and being there for the rope drop but like most things on this trip, we didn't hurry so we were a little late. No big deal we still did most of what we wanted to do. We arrived about half way through EMH and showed our room keys to get in. We split up at the entrance so I could go through the bag check and dw and ds could get a stroller. I was directed to the far right by a cm. As I looked back I could see that dw and ds were stopped talking to a couple of CM's in shirts and ties and I wondered what was up. I was to find out later that they were joking with my son that he's key was not the right one.
We ended up getting into the park about the same time so we headed for the stroller rental. Today we decided to purchase the extended rental and we regretted not getting it earlier. If we had we could have bought it before the rental fees went up. Oh well, live and learn.
DS wanted to do Spaceship Earth right away and the line wasn't too bad so off they went while I went for FPs for Soarin'. I remembered that they tend to go quickly and we had decided that this ride was must do for us. I had them in hand quickly with a return time for 1.5 hours into the future. As I headed back over to meet up with them, I noticed that the wait time listed on the big board for Mission Space was 5 minutes. Man was I tempted to go do this!!
I have wanted to try this ever since I read about it but we don't feel ds is ready for it yet. You see the problem is that he meets the height requirement but he is only 4. If we got in the line he would want to go but we don't feel he is ready for it, especially with the unfortunate accident that happened just two weeks prior to our arrival. So I was torn. I want to do it; dw wants to do it but would not be happy if I went off on my own and they were left sitting waiting for me. What was I to do? In the end I was the good father and husband and went to collect the stroller and wait for them to exit SE. (While I was waiting, I did get to see the Character Bus go by.)
When they returned we decided on our other must do for Epcot, Test Track. We tried this last year but it was broken down so we didn't get the chance. This year we were all ready, even our newest thrill ride connoisseur. The Stand-by line was showing 20 minutes so in we went. We worked our way through the queue quickly and next thing you know we were waiting outside of door number 2. Into the pre-show we went and got a good laugh. We did notice that on the monitor the date was right but the time was off by 30 minutes. It made me keep checking my watch and FPs to see if we still had time.
When the door opened to the loading area, we tried to not get pushed around and did manage to make it through without having ds stepped on. There were a few teenaged girls from a tour though that just wanted to push by everyone. When it was our turn they put us in the back seat so in the picture you can't see ds. Off we went through the tests but the highlight for all three of us was the high speed turns. DS was screaming and holding his hands up just like he was on a roller coaster. We stopped at the Kidcot area on the way our and ds did some colouring. Unfortunately we lost it before then end of the day but he still hasn't figured that out. We were a bit peeved though that we couldn't enter the contest that GM was running because it wasn't open to Canadians.
As we left the building we knew we would have to do this again so we grabbed some fps for later and headed over to Soarin'.
By the time we walked to the other side of Future World, it was time for Soarin. I think the stand by wait was already around 50 minutes at this point and it was only 11 am. Got to love FPs, we were loaded in know time. We were seated in Flight B so we were on the middle section. This is a very cool ride. I am not the biggest fan of heights but this was truly amazing. The man next to me was a little scared on take-off though. He must have tried to grab my hand 10 or 12 times. Upon disembarking we decided that we had to do this again so we grabbed 3 more FPs on our way out. It was around 11:30 at this time and the return time was 3:30. My advice to you is if you want to get on this ride, make sure you get a fastpass early.
With no real plan for the day and some time to kill before our return time for TT, we looked for something to do. There was a Circle of Life show starting in about 20 minutes so we decided on that. DS loves The Lion King so we were hoping that even though this attraction didnt fly or move fast, he would still enjoy the show. I dont think that he understood it but he liked seeing Simba, Pumba and Timon. This was a sobering show about the way we treat our planet but I didnt feel that I was being hit over the head with the message. It was a good show but I think it is a one time only type of attraction. On exiting the show, we searched for Nestle Junior Chef area but couldnt find it. I think we actually walked right by it. (We did find it later in the afternoon after Soarin again but after waiting for a bit, we decided to head for the resort.)
It was getting close to our next turn around the TT so we headed back across Future World. After parking the stroller and approaching the Fast Pass Entrance, we were surprised to see the line reaching the doors. DW and I both thought WOW!. What we didnt realize is that the line is pretty much straight up the left side to the load area so we were back into Room B within 10 minutes. Again we were seated in the back of the car but this time our little computer display didnt work. Even though this was our second ride within a couple of hours is was still just as fun. DS and I especially love the high speed turns.
I t was not getting close to noon so we decided to head over to the World Showcase and see about out PS in Mexico. Upon arriving in Mexico, we still had a bit of time to kill before lunch so we boarded El Rio del Tiempo we no wait. I was curious that there was no wait. Does this ride get crowded at all? The entire time we were in Mexico it never seemed to get busy. It was a nice ride and yes it does seem like the Mexican version of Small World. My favourite section was in the beginning when you are drifting past the restaurant looking at the mountains and the volcano. The shades of blue that are used here are amazing. After the ride we checked in at the Inn and were seated within 5 minutes. The service was very good and quick. The food was excellent. DW and I both had the Tacos Al Carbon (chicken and beef respectively) while ds had the traditional Mexican dish the cheeseburger.
Next stop on our World Tour was Norway and a ride on Maelstrom. DS liked this ride because it was a little more adventurous, especially the drop. This was a fun ride and we did wait about 10 minutes for this one. At the end did sit down for the movie but them decided to keep moving before it started. DS worked on his mask in the gift shop and we played around a bit with the Viking hats and swords before moving on. If you are interested in purchasing some clothing from Norway, they have some authentic Norwegian sweaters available for only $350.
At this point ds was getting a bit cranky and was looking for some excitement (i.e. a fast ride). We did manage to do a quick visit in China and he did find the display for DisneyLand Hong Kong pretty cool. As we left China and made our way towards Germany, he continued to ask for something more exciting and it did get a bit frustrating for Mom and Dad. In Germany, we only walked into the courtyard and visited the trains.
As we strolled past Italy, ds fell asleep in his stroller and would remain so until we reached the UK. With DS asleep, we were able to look around at a slower pace but we still need to put this on our to do list for another trip. We walked on past the USA pavilion and watched the drummers outside of Japan. The only other stop we made was in France.
In France, I noticed Sleeping Beauty in one of the shops signing autographs and doing the picture thing. I mentioned this to DW and she asked it we could get in with the stroller? I said yes so she thought it would be a neat idea to have a picture with Sleeping Beauty with our little sleeping beauty. In the shop we found out that Belle was also there. They both liked the idea of taking a picture with our little sleeper so now we have two cool pics. It was probably a good thing that he was asleep because he probably would have wondered why Belle didnt recognize him from his role as Papa at Storytime with Belle.
AS we made our way into the UK, ds woke up. He was still a bit cranky from the heat but he was getting better and he knew we were almost home, Canada. We stopped to get a drink just outside the Rose and Crown Pub. They had those half yard glasses of draft sitting there calling our name but we decided we had better stick with the water. So after a bit a break, a drink and a washroom stop, off we went to Canada. We stopped for a bit to listen to the band playing, not Off Kilter but he other one (sorry I dont remember their name) and then we headed up the stairs into pavilion. Our first stop was the trading Post and the Penny Press machine. DS loves these things. The problem was that I only had 1 quarter and 1 penny. As I was trying to explain to him I need to get some change, a nice lady passed over a quarter. I tried to refuse her kind offer but she would not let me. Thank you kind lady, wherever you are. DS tried on a fur hat and we started to chat with one of the CM who was from Canada. When he realized that we were as well, he showed us a card that they are supposed to give out to guests. This card showed a map of Canada on one side with some other information on the other. He said that they were embarrassed to give them out because they are full of errors. Errors like getting the capital wrong, spelling errors, leaving parts of the country off the map etc. Shame on you Disney for not picking up on this. My wife being a teacher asked if she could keep it and use it in her 7th grade class as a teaching tool.
At this point ds needed another washroom break and the CM told us that the nearest washroom was back towards Future World next to a McDonalds French Fry stand. So that ended out visit to Canada.
It was starting to get near our FP time at Soarin, so we made our way back to The Land. We had a bit longer of a wait this time but nothing like the Stand-By line 2 hours and there were no FPs left for the day. On this ride we were seated in the third row and I was in the last seat, next to the outside of the ride. I found that while it was still a very cool ride, I could pick up the edge of the screen and side of the room in my peripheral vision. This did lessen the experience a bit but not enough to keep me from recommending this ride to everyone.
For our last stop of the day we made our way to the Living Seas. Our main goal here was to see Turtle Talk with Crush. DS had a question ready and was keen to talk to Crush. As it happened, the pixie dust must have still been on him. When Crush started to pick kids to talk to, ds was the first one chosen. He told him his name, Declan, but when Crush asked him for his question, all he could say was cool. LOL, Oh well at least he got to talk to Crush. After the show we spent some more time watching the sea life and then decided it was time to return to Pop.
As we waited for our bus, we watched a rain shower march its way across the parking lot towards us. It was really neat as it seem to be just a wall of water coming at us. Just as it arrived at the bus stop the bus arrived and we managed to avoid getting wet. By the time we got back to Pop, the shower was over and the sun was shinning once again.
Thanks for reading my report that just seem to be a bit long to me and again I apologize in being slow on getting these posted. It may be awhile again before I do another day as I am about to leave for the Canada Games in Regina.
