Warning: I promise you a really fun time if you do exactly what we DON’T do at Epcot!
I also promise more pics when I get Courtney's!
En route to Epcot from AK, Ella caught at least a few zzzz’s, but that was about it. As soon as we got to Epcot, we were all ready for more!
We got there about 4pm and had thought the VIP lounges were open until 5pm and that Futureworld was only open until 7pm – DISCLAIMER: WRONG WRONG on both!
We headed first over to Test Track.
TOTALLY fun ride!!!
The favorite of several of us – but not Ella! Check out the ride photos below:
Noah and Abby wanted to ride again but Noah backed out just before getting on. Abby and Auntie go again, while the rest check out the GM showroom!
The GM sales people really wanted Brian to sit in the Camaro, which he DID fit into. They were thrilled because they originally thought it would only fit up to a 6’9” person. Don’t think we’re going to be in the market for one anytime soon, though!
So we had heard there was a GM VIP lounge at Test Track --- WRONG! It’s closed now. But supposedly Siemen’s has a cool one ….back at Spaceship Earth. Well, since we only have 30 min, we decide it’s our only chance to check it out!
After finding it and entering the code ---- WRONG! It closed at 4pm!
Well, at least maybe we should ride Spaceship Earth while we’re here. Noah had fallen asleep during all the walking around we were doing to find the lounge, so he would stay and hang with Nanni while we go on it. Then John starts getting grumpy again (darn that breakfast!) and he decides to stay and hang with Nanni too. This ends up being a great idea because there are some cool games here and they have a blast playing virtual shuffleboard (or whatever that game was – whatever it was it was fun!)
So, I digress….back to Spaceship Earth. I get on first, followed by the girls, then Auntie, then Brian brings up the rear. As soon as I get in, I’m wondering if it’s a smart thing having Ella and Abby in their own car, but too late now….ride starts….we’re just started, it’s going up….it’s a dark and starry looking sky….and DEAD STOP of the ride.
Are you kidding me? Any other spot and we’d be fine, but it is REALLY dark. All I can think is it’s a good thing John isn’t here because he hates the dark! Then I hear crying from behind me and Ella is starting to wimper….then crying…then hysteria! “I want to go home!” “I want Miles!” (one of our crazy annoying dogs!)
So I sit there comforting her as the minutes tick on….
As she’s getting more upset….the familiar announcement continues about not getting out of your seat because it will start up at any moment…..
Well, I took my chances and had her climb out of her car and into mine. That helped her because she could play with my phone, giving off a little light, and look at a picture of Miles. So then Abby, Court, Brian and I could exchange back a few laughs on how we’re breaking Disney and how they’re going to add a warning on our GAC pretty soon!! We sit there for over 10 minutes, then finally move on – but just happy to get off the silly thing!
John and Nanni are still having a blast and Noah is still asleep.
We head off to Soarin’, which everybody likes except for Ella (are you seeing a pattern here too?). I never got to ride it, but I did hang out with sleepy beauty and got this precious photo……
By then we’re thinking that future world closes at 7pm so we’ll do Nemo and Turtle Talk now. Nemo? Okay ride, but not much better than the movie, in my opinion. Oh, and our “shell” stops for a while before we get off? Yup, another ride we end up making STOP! But it’s short-lived at least and we move on. Turtle Talk is starting in 15 minutes. While waiting, the kids are playing with the trivia games...I eventually figure out that Noah's doing it in German -- and he gets 4 out of 5 correct!!
I had heard great things about Turtle Talk with Crush and it was neat to see the technology, but didn’t live up to the hype, in my opinion. Of course, by this time we were all GRUMPY! And no, there was no snow white around!
We also had just found out that we were WRONG (can you see the pattern now) and that Future world is open until the park closes. Ugh. We really wanted to do the Kim Possible thing and the World Showcase, but had held off because we thought we had to be here, and it was now becoming apparent that we probably wouldn’t even make it to the world showcase. It was already after 7pm and we still had to eat dinner. And we had to find a Hot Dog for Noah.
(SIDEBAR: In case you missed my blub in the AK post, we worked with our dietician to calculate a "Disney Hot Dog Meal" that was ketogenic. So it isn't that Noah is being a picky eater....we needed the specific hot dog's nutrition to eat with what we had packed for his meal! In the future we won't make this mistake and will always have a backup!!! )
We head back into the Land and check out Sunshine Seasons (the counter service place there) It had been recommended that it’s a good place for special dietary foods because they share a kitchen with the Garden Grill….and it has tons of options….something for everybody right? WRONG!!! Not John – he doesn’t like anything he sees! And not Noah either – no stinking Hot Dog! So the rest of us sit to eat while Brian goes to the place the chef recommended where he could find a hot dog……
….WRONG! no, not here, but they do send him someplace else where he can find one……
….WRONG! They say no, but send him all the way to the AMERICAN PAVILION – on the completely other side of the park -- where he finds they only have CHILI DOGS! After finally getting one without chili and making his way back to us….it is now after 8pm. Noah eats his hot dog, while Brian goes for a walk to cool off – both physically and mentally!
We’re all left to figure out do we just cut our losses and go home?
The kids are tired….but not complaining. We’re all just kind of numb. Thinking that surely Brian’s got to be done with this place, I call him and discover he’s found some yummy fried shrimp and that sure, he’s up for the fireworks!
So we head off to find a spot. We literally bump into a CM named Scott who is SUPER nice and shows us to some VIP seats for the show. He must have seen frustration stamped all over our faces!!
Brian comes back with his yummy shrimp – that look good to my mom and John too! (Side note: John doesn’t usually try things and it was probably just because he was really hungry, but he liked them! AH, it’s the little victories, isn’t it?)
They head back to get more shrimp and find that, ironically, the shrimp joint is right next to a HOT DOG stand! Oh, it’s probably a good thing Brian didn’t notice that!!!
We sit down to watch the fireworks, which really are beautiful.
I’ve always been partial to the fireworks over the castle, but I have to say I was impressed with these! I am also just so happy that we stayed to watch them too, otherwise we would’ve left on a bum note. But it's amazing what fireworks will do!
We drag ourselves out of there and head back to GKTW. Yup, it's been a long day for all!! (This pic is payback for the one that's coming up)
Brian had been bummed that we wouldn’t make it back by 10 for his nightly pizza! As we pull in at 10:10, we notice a pizza truck at our neighbors….yes, we are WRONG again! But this time in our favor -- pizza delivery is until 10:30!
Brian orders his pizza and this is how I find him later…..
He’s going to kill me for posting this!!! Despite the mistakes and frustrations, we all have a truly fun day and sleep well!
Next up: A fun filled day at DHS with a lot fewer mistakes!
good for him, me not so much. I'm totally envying your AK day...you'll see why...and now I want to go back. I can't wait to read more. You are so much more on top of it than I am.
: I think you all got more done with 8 people than we did with 3!! 
Hope you are having a great day!
