Saturday, December 1st
Today was Epcot Day #2 for our crew. Our plans were to spend time in the World Showcase because we hadn't seen much there on our first day in Epcot...
We didn't need to wake up super early thus we weren't there for rope drop this time. I did, however, take that sweatshirt with me again - in the hopes that a manager would be at Mouse Gear and willing to let me exchange it.
When we arrived, we headed first to Mission:Space. Ralph and I were debating on going orange this time, but he was the one who ultimately opted out and went for green. He said that he didn't want to feel lousy all day (if that's the effect the spinning would have had on him). I was a bit disappointed, what with all the progress I had made conquering my ride-fears! Ralphie, Dee, and I rode - Kay refused again and sat with the boys.
Dee wasn't crazy about this ride - she kept complaining that it was way too cold inside. Ralph doesn't love this one either. I like it. I love the whole set up, the "roles", etc. Next time I think I am going for the spin (that is if I can with the whole heart rhythm deal)!
Next we headed for Ellen's Energy Adventure. Dee wanted to go on this one because she likes Ellen. The last time we had taken Nemo on this one, he cried and cried because it was SO LOUD. Especially after the "big bang" part. We did a little prep with him and Bear, warning them that it would be very loud and that we/they should cover their ears. When we finally sat in our moving theater seats, guess who I noticed sitting in the same row but next section over???? Neil Patrick Harris again!
This time it looked like he was with a large group, maybe his family? They seemed to be of various ages. Wow, what luck we were having with the NPH and other celebrity sightings! No pics this time as we were in the theater and pretty close to him.... Nemo hated the big bang part, loved the dinosaurs, then could have cared less about the rest. We all found this to be so-so. Even Dee didn't care for it much despite Ellen.
Next stop was across the park, heading for Nemo/Crush. But first a stop into Mouse Gear...
Luckily, there was a manager present this time. I explained to her what had happened - that I had religiously followed the cleaning instructions for the sweatshirt and the flocking had come off anyways - leaving just a black non-Mickey shaped blob. She seemed really exasperated but finally said, "Well, we stick by our products, so you can exchange it" I was happy until she said, "It was probably about $30 right? You can pick out something that is $30." Um, it was at least $50. When have you last seen a heavy hooded sweatshirt for sale at WDW for $30???
Of course I wouldn't be able to find a replacement sweatshirt for $30, because sweatshirts at WDW DO NOT COST THIRTY FREAKING DOLLARS
!!!!!! So...I chose to ignore this last bit of what she said. I ended up with a blue lightweight hooded sweatshirt, also with Mickey on it (but not in flocking). It was more than $30 (but I really think it was less than the original one). I just marched it right up to the check out and the CM there just put it into my bag and off I went.
We rode Nemo - we all thought it was cute, but the queue is the best part!
Next was Turtle Talk with Crush. Last time we were in WDW, this had been closed. The very first time we took Nemo to WDW, he was too young to really get this. This time he sat up in front with all the other kiddos. Our session with Crush wasn't that great, mostly because ALL of the kids (including Nemo) were just raising their hands because the rest of the kids were raising their hands. Not many of them really knew WHY they were raising their hands, so that when a kid would get called on, he/she invariably had nothing to ask Crush and was just silent. This went on for a while. Basically Crush was on his own. It was kind of funny, but boring! At the end, I asked Nemo what he was going to ask Crush because he had his hand raised each time. He didn't know what the heck I was talking about!
WS was opening around this time so we headed that way.
Base of big tree at WS entrance
Rest of Epcot tree
One of our plans was to eat lunch "around the world". Ralphie and I love to do this, and our 1st stop is always for Ramsden's fish-n-chips. No one else wanted any so Ralph and I enjoyed. Then we strolled through the English garden on on to the other countries.
France ahead
Bike and easel/painting just outside of France
View of Morocco across the lagoon
In France, Dee, Kay, and Ralphie stopped into the pastry shop for a snack.
View of La Tour Eiffel from street in France
The boys waiting for the pastry-eaters, Bear snacking. Neither of them looking very happy, huh?
The pastries were good by all accounts. Next stop was the American Adventure. We caught the fife and drum corps - Nemo loved this. This is where the rest of the crew decided to eat lunch (whoa - way to go out on a limb), but it was probably the best bet for Bear's allergies. He had a burger on the allergen free, gluten free bun. These buns are horrible, but I guess its better than no bun? Everyone else had burgers or hot dogs. It was here that I again saw NPH, he and his group walked right past us! He was with less people than earlier in the day. This is my attempt at a picture, but he was clearly pretty far away at this point.
NPH in the blue baseball cap and sunglasses - it was a Michigan hat, DH decided he likes him less
Super hot guy from day before in orangish shirt
Gingerbread house inside American Adventure restaurant
Continued in next post...
I found a CM and asked to speak to the manager. She walked me over to a door to the kitchen area and basically walked me right into the kitchen then left me there to go find the manager. Other CMs were walking past me giving me funny looks. No one told me to get out of there. When the manager arrived, she was clearly upset that I was there in the kitchen. She seemed really flustered and sort of yelled at me for being back there.
I tried to tell the cashier CM what the manager and I had discussed and she had no clue how to enter that so I again had to wait for the manager to show up. I felt really bad about this because people behind me had to wait as well!
Dee and I literally walked on and not only were we the only 2 in our time traveling mobile, we were the only people in the loading area period! I had forgotten much of the ride sequence, and I don't remember this ride being so incredibly loud! It was ridiculously loud. 
When the big dino pops out and roars, we both jumped just from the sound and our ride photo showed both of us covering our ears. I think they could turn this one down a bit!
I'm glad that my (unofficial) MIL is a disney freak! She has been every year for at least the past 30 years and has been going twice a year lately to the delight of our oldest niece! Actually, we brought them to the airport this morning for 2 weeks in Disney! Anyways, I showed DBF the NPH sighting as he is a big fan also. Your kids are so cute and I can't wait to read the rest of your TR. 
You pretty much had me with the Urban Sombrero. 
As I am writing, Ralph and I are frantically packing - we leave for the airport at 4am
, so all my free time was full of working on them!
so I sat at a lovely table outside in the sunshine and enjoyed an absolutely delicious chicken wrap with yummy couscous and lentil salads.
The lines for this one were so long! Twice what they were for our previous CP on Tuesday. As we were waiting in line, Kay suddenly decides that she's not going to attend the CP. WTH??? OK, whatever, at this point we have grown accustomed to this kind of thing with her so off she went to do whatever. Our seats this time weren't quite as close, but were more towards the center. I don't have any pictures this time because we filmed video of the entire thing with NPH narrating. We really enjoyed his narration and as usual, the music and choirs were awesome. NPH was so cute at the beginning because he said that he had always wanted to be part of something Disney and he was so excited to be there narrating. He hoped that he would be back for 2008! Me too! Both boys fell asleep during the CP and we had to carry them out to the strollers.
