145 Middle Schoolers: Wicked Awesome or Epic Fail???DeParting-Such Sweet Sorrow p. 76

[natebenma]

Finally- some World Showcase time!!! I’m ashamed to admit that since we have been bringing the boys to EPCOT, we don’t spend as much time in this wonderful area as we did as a couple.

Like, I don’t think the boys have ever stepped foot in Italy, Germany, Morocco or even Japan!

Not that this would be much better, it was still two adults and I think 4 boys, but at least I was there!

We cut through the former Odyssey Restaurant to our first country:

Mexico!

I love the atmosphere of this pavilion.

I really like the boat ride, too, but I thought it was much more relaxing and romantic before the 3 ducks invaded.

Norway Next!

There was no line for Maelstrom. We hopped aboard and enjoyed the ride.

Should we watch the movie at the end???

Nope! We ran out of the theatre like naughty schoolchildren.

We walked into China, but not much was happening there.

I think it was close to 11 PM when we left China. We were headed to the place I was most looking forward to:

Karamel Kuche.

I mean Germany!

Before we get there, can I just comment about how DARK the walk over was?

I have never been to the World Showcase after Illuminations and apparently, the tribe has spoken, because all of the torches are snuffed out!

We arrived at the caramel shop, and I started looking at the case, drooling over the selections.

Then I started squinting at the case.

Where is the label for the caramel pecan bars that pixarmom is fixated upon and says “You just can’t miss?”

“Do you have any caramel pecan bar thingies?”

“I’m sorry, we usually do, but we are sold out.”

Sad Face Emoticon (I have too many images in this post to actually add one)

I selected a dark chocolate and sea salt caramel for me and two pretzel sticks with caramel and chocolate to bring home to Mark and Ben.

I placed my purchases in this container. Yes, in addition to the golf ball, I brought my own Tupperware to EPCOT. Well, not Tupperware, but “Bertucci-ware”.

We booked over to Japan, so we could look at kimonos. As I mentioned previously, there was one boy in our group who had money for his birthday and that is what he wanted to get.

We arrived at the doors of the huge gift shop and found them locked!

We stood at the doors and looked in.

There were a few CMs in there straightening up the displays, but they wouldn’t look at us.

Another group joined us and we knocked on the door.

We were ignored.

It was around 11:20. Um, EMH ain’t over yet. I guess they are.

Fortunately, the story has a happy ending. The boy did make it back to EPCOT on our last evening and purchased what he wanted.

We are now at the furthest possible point from the resort buses, it is 11:30, we have a class tomorrow at 8 AM in Hollywood Studios and we know that the middle school principal will be waiting up until everyone gets back from the parks.

Ruh-roh!

We had an uneventful return to All Star Movies. I think we got back around 12:15.

We were not the last group back.

After we returned, I checked on the breakfast room and helped out with a few prep items before bed.

Next up: Again and Again and Again

.

 

[DrMomof3]

We love World Showcase! I guess we usually get to go there because we always have a few ADRs there and my kids love Kim Possible/Agent P.
You're hard core! I don't think my eyes would still be open at 11:30pm.

Amanda

 

[jenseib]

Well that sucks that they were locked up already. I hope he made it back later in the trip.

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Good for you staying up that late!
Every trip I say were staying late, and every year nobody feels like it. We are just to darn tired. Like I said before we are far from commandos but we still get to the parks early in the a.m.
What's up with that don't they leave lights on so you can at least see where you're going???
My kids have always liked WS. Their favorite restaurant is Chefs de France. My DS11 loves the Japanese drummers- they are very cool!

 

[natebenma]

We love World Showcase! I guess we usually get to go there because we always have a few ADRs there and my kids love Kim Possible/Agent P.
You're hard core! I don't think my eyes would still be open at 11:30pm.

Amanda

I feel like Mark and I have failed as parents, not instilling the proper love for the World Showcase for our kids.

As long as I keep going, I can sty up pretty late.

Well that sucks that they were locked up already. I hope he made it back later in the trip.

It was very disappointing. And the sales clerks were intentionally ignoring us!

Don't tell anyone, but there is a happy ending. We make it back to Japan on our final evening.

Good for you staying up that late!
Every trip I say were staying late, and every year nobody feels like it. We are just to darn tired. Like I said before we are far from commandos but we still get to the parks early in the a.m.
What's up with that don't they leave lights on so you can at least see where you're going???
My kids have always liked WS. Their favorite restaurant is Chefs de France. My DS11 loves the Japanese drummers- they are very cool!

As you may recall, I woke up at 4:30 that morning and took an early morning tour of the resort. I am an early riser, but staying up late is definitely not my usual style.

I was burning the candle on both ends and it really started to show as trip wore on.

 

[JanetMom]

That is a nice picture to see on a hot day. Just the sight of the Christmas Trees makes me feel a bit cooler. I love that store.

 

[Ninja Mom]

dark chocolate salted caramel......

 

[ProudMommyof2]

Oh no! I hope the buy gets his kimono

It would a long walk from Japan at 11:30pm. Good luck getting them all up in the am

 

[cindydare]

dark chocolate salted caramel......

I agree!!! I love those!! I stopped at Mickey D's tonight after work for a Rolo McFlurry for a chocolate/caramel fix, but it just didn't hit the spot. Only 77 days til I'm going to be at Karamel Kuche!

 

[scottmel]

Enjoying your report Dee and and I had to laugh about the bladder comments. What is it with men and bladders? Dh uses the rest room 20 times a day ...at least. In WDW last month whenever we were lookig for DH, DD commented he is either in the BC club lounge or the bathroom...and she was always right!!

Question though - for some reason I thought EMH pm at Epcot, countries were NEVER open late. I can remember specifically asking people if countries ever stayed open past 9 pm and was told no, they always closed. This does not appear to be the case based on your report. Are countries always open until midnight on EMH?

 

[eandesmom]

That's a long day! I am cracking up that you brought Tupperware and relieved there is z happy ending to the kimono story. WS us less interesting for kids, I need to work on that too!

 

[natebenma]

That is a nice picture to see on a hot day. Just the sight of the Christmas Trees makes me feel a bit cooler. I love that store.

The store looked really pretty. I didn't get much closer than that.

dark chocolate salted caramel......

It was yummy! I had a nibble or two that night, it went into the fridge, and I enjoyed more of it over the next couple of days of the trip.

Oh no! I hope the buy gets his kimono

It would a long walk from Japan at 11:30pm. Good luck getting them all up in the am

I edited my post to say that the boy did return to Japan to purchase what he wanted on our last night. Didn't want everyone to be worried until I actually get to that post.

Surprisingly, the kids seemed to get up fine the next morning. I don't remember what time "wake up" was because I was already up and out, but one of the teachers comes through and loudly bangs on all the doors at the pre-arranged time.

I agree!!! I love those!! I stopped at Mickey D's tonight after work for a Rolo McFlurry for a chocolate/caramel fix, but it just didn't hit the spot. Only 77 days til I'm going to be at Karamel Kuche!

I was not walking out of there empty handed!

KK is definitely a nice addition to EPCOT!

Enjoying your report Dee and and I had to laugh about the bladder comments. What is it with men and bladders? Dh uses the rest room 20 times a day ...at least. In WDW last month whenever we were lookig for DH, DD commented he is either in the BC club lounge or the bathroom...and she was always right!!

Question though - for some reason I thought EMH pm at Epcot, countries were NEVER open late. I can remember specifically asking people if countries ever stayed open past 9 pm and was told no, they always closed. This does not appear to be the case based on your report. Are countries always open until midnight on EMH?

I have to say, I wasn't really expecting the bathroom stops to impact what little idea of touring I had in mind, but they really did.

This is the first time I have done a late EMH, at any park! The early ones, we hit them all, but as I have said, Dee is not that great after dark.

We went to Mexico (ride open, probably shops), Norway (ride open, main shop was open, I didn't notice the bakery), we didn't get very far into China, but I don't think shops were open and I'm not sure about the movie, Germany (shops thankfully were open) and the shop in Japan was closed, but it looked like it had just shut down, not closed all night.

I just checked my times guide and it just says 9 PM to 12 am, but it doesn't list what is opened or closed. Hopefully some of the other experts can chime in with their experiences.

That's a long day! I am cracking up that you brought Tupperware and relieved there is z happy ending to the kimono story. WS us less interesting for kids, I need to work on that too!

My boys like the Canada movie with Martin Short, but based on the limited time we had at EPCOT, and the upcoming weather conditions, we didn't make it on this trip.

I bring these little containers everywhere. They are in the back of my van for when I have leftovers at restaurants. My only issue is remembering to bring them INTO the restaurant with me.

KK was my priority for EPCOT, knew I wanted to get treats for Mark and Ben, so I brought that along in my back sack.

I would have been a great contestant on the last segment of "Let's Make a Deal"

.

 

[wishinon3stars]

I agree!!! I love those!! I stopped at Mickey D's tonight after work for a Rolo McFlurry for a chocolate/caramel fix, but it just didn't hit the spot. Only 77 days til I'm going to be at Karamel Kuche!

Karamel Kuche is my favorite! Only 79 days for me! Maybe we will cross paths either at BC or KK!

Thanks Dee, I have made a mental note to make sure I get there earlier in the day rather than at night so I will have a great selection to choose from in the case!

 

[Shazzasmd]

Enjoying your report. You do a great job describing the angst of being responsible, but not in charge!

 

[NoOrdinaryPrincess]

Oh man, I think it's really lame they closed the Japan Pavillion early, but I *love* epcot at night. Your pictures are fantastic!

 

[tinacaplan]

We loved CHH when we finally ate there in February.

We liked Cosmic Ray's too, and I do love Tomorrowland, but CHH is easier to find seats at. And, besides, some of us know that the walk between the two really isn't that long.

Sorry your meal at Cosmic Ray's wasn't good and that you got separated. That would freak me out, too. And I'm a veteran chaperone.

"I can't manage 20 bladders" Too funny! Our kids know that we have specific times laid out for them to use the bathroom and they'd better go, or else they risk not being able to go again for awhile. But we're kind of like that at school, too, so they're used to it. Gosh, when I say some of these things out loud (or write about them) I realize just how strict our school is.

30 minutes for Pirates??? What time of day was it/ I've been reading about some long wait times at rides I've never really even waited for and I'm wondering if its just because we go either so early in the morning, or later in the evening. Does my touring plan really work that well?

I wonder if people were less concerened about food choices due to lack of knowledge? As in, you know what you're getting at every place, they may not and just assume its all yucky theme park food?

I finally rode Splash for the first time in April! So fun!

Yes, you can swim anytime...but you don't always get to swim someplace as awesome as SAB! Lol. Although, I'm sure the pools at the values aren't anywhere near as cool. Lol. Then again, I'm a huge fan of downtime, particularly in the summer heat. I don't really enjoy a super crowded park in the afternoon, but I know the way we do Disney would drive a lot of people crazy!

Your dinner looks great. It seems that the food courts at the resorts have a lot of variety, although I've yet to eat in one. I'll be trying Landscape of Flavors in a couple weeks, though.

Spaceship Earth boring??!! Blasphemy!

You know, we actually waited in line for Soarin' a few times in April, and it really wasn't that bad. Granted, posted wait times were only between 45 and 60 minutes, but still longer than I thought I'd ever wait for a ride.

I love the Mexico pavillion, too. And the boat ride. Why? I'll never know.

Oh, how I love Karamel Kuche!

Looking at your photos, I really hope we get to take advantage of EPCOT evening EMHs.

And, overall, you're holding it together quite well. Chaperoning middle schoolers is tough!

 

[elphie101]

Hi there from another MA native! I've been loving your TR - I'm always fascinated by the YES program, I wish my school had thought that was a good idea! The biggest thing we ever did was the 8th grade trip to NYC (which I never got to go on, because of 9/11). Can't wait for more!

 

[natebenma]

Karamel Kuche is my favorite! Only 79 days for me! Maybe we will cross paths either at BC or KK!

Thanks Dee, I have made a mental note to make sure I get there earlier in the day rather than at night so I will have a great selection to choose from in the case!

Good idea! I was disappointed that they were out of the caramel pecan bars, but there were still a lot of tempting selections available.


new readers!

Enjoying your report. You do a great job describing the angst of being responsible, but not in charge!

So glad you are enjoying the report. It was a strange situation to be in and very frustrating at times.

Oh man, I think it's really lame they closed the Japan Pavillion early, but I *love* epcot at night. Your pictures are fantastic!

Thanks for the kind words about the pictures. EPCOT really is beautiful at night. I wish I had more time to explore the countries that night.

It was a shame that the store was not open, but as it turned out, it was better that the boy got his kimono another time. It took a long time to pick out and fit the kimono and accessories when he did get it.

We loved CHH when we finally ate there in February.

We liked Cosmic Ray's too, and I do love Tomorrowland, but CHH is easier to find seats at. And, besides, some of us know that the walk between the two really isn't that long.

Sorry your meal at Cosmic Ray's wasn't good and that you got separated. That would freak me out, too. And I'm a veteran chaperone.

"I can't manage 20 bladders" Too funny! Our kids know that we have specific times laid out for them to use the bathroom and they'd better go, or else they risk not being able to go again for awhile. But we're kind of like that at school, too, so they're used to it. Gosh, when I say some of these things out loud (or write about them) I realize just how strict our school is.

30 minutes for Pirates??? What time of day was it/ I've been reading about some long wait times at rides I've never really even waited for and I'm wondering if its just because we go either so early in the morning, or later in the evening. Does my touring plan really work that well?

I wonder if people were less concerened about food choices due to lack of knowledge? As in, you know what you're getting at every place, they may not and just assume its all yucky theme park food?

I finally rode Splash for the first time in April! So fun!

Yes, you can swim anytime...but you don't always get to swim someplace as awesome as SAB! Lol. Although, I'm sure the pools at the values aren't anywhere near as cool. Lol. Then again, I'm a huge fan of downtime, particularly in the summer heat. I don't really enjoy a super crowded park in the afternoon, but I know the way we do Disney would drive a lot of people crazy!

Your dinner looks great. It seems that the food courts at the resorts have a lot of variety, although I've yet to eat in one. I'll be trying Landscape of Flavors in a couple weeks, though.

Spaceship Earth boring??!! Blasphemy!

You know, we actually waited in line for Soarin' a few times in April, and it really wasn't that bad. Granted, posted wait times were only between 45 and 60 minutes, but still longer than I thought I'd ever wait for a ride.

I love the Mexico pavillion, too. And the boat ride. Why? I'll never know.

Oh, how I love Karamel Kuche!

Looking at your photos, I really hope we get to take advantage of EPCOT evening EMHs.

And, overall, you're holding it together quite well. Chaperoning middle schoolers is tough!

I'm glad to have you here!

I'm happy to hear that you ate at CHH. It is my favorite counter service location at MK. I wouldn't have known about this place if it wasn't for the DIS. I think it gets overlooked, which is one of the reasons it is never very crowded.

I think the others on the trip just didn't care about what or where they ate!!! Blasphemy!

Yeah for riding Splash! Will Max be able to do it?

We had a 30 minute wait for Pirates, which is unusual, but I think it was because of the rain- some rides were shut down and people wanted to be inside. It was around 2 PM

Thanks for the vote of confidence for my chaperoning job. I appreciate it! But I would love to incorporate your schools schedule of bathroom breaks. I know that would not go over well with our group.

I know you are getting extremely excited for your trip. Have a fantastic time!!!

Hi there from another MA native! I've been loving your TR - I'm always fascinated by the YES program, I wish my school had thought that was a good idea! The biggest thing we ever did was the 8th grade trip to NYC (which I never got to go on, because of 9/11). Can't wait for more!

back!

Thanks for reading along.

Our school did go to Washington DC until 9/11, but we have been going to Disney since then. The teachers and administrators involved in the trip really support us continuing to go there but I am planning on preparing a defense of the trip for other dissenters- mainly parents- that object to the trip every year.

There will be more about the Y.E.S program in my next update, as we visit Hollywood Studios for "The Art of Imagineering"

I checked out your report earlier today.

 

[beachmama3]

I am loving this thread!! Can't wait to read more updates! As a middle school teacher and a mom to boys, I can totally relate.

 

[natebenma]

I am loving this thread!! Can't wait to read more updates! As a middle school teacher and a mom to boys, I can totally relate.

So glad to have you along.

As I have said to other teachers who are reading this report and to my sons' teachers here- thank you for what you do!

Middle school students are at such a tough age- with so much going on in their lives and bodies, school is not always the top priority. I appreciate the teachers who face this every day.

Thanks!