norybell
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2009
- Messages
- 1,306
Where was I? Oh yes, the parks were reeling me in like…oh dear, the only metaphor I can come up with right now is “like a fish caught on a sharp hook.” But that’s not particularly enticing. Or attractive. Or correct, because obviously I wasn’t struggling! This trip reporting is hard work. Please feel free to insert the seductive metaphor of your choice here.
I headed down to the fourth floor concourse level for the first time, then made my way up to the monorail platform (monorails are neato!). And here I have to admit something: I somehow managed to stay at the Contemporary for two days and never even think to take a photo of the monorail. Bad Nory! I feel I must be punished for this glaring oversight, and I will totally accept having to spend some time in the POTC jail. If that is to be my fate, so be it. I always have dog treats in my pockets, so I’ll get my hands on that key, no problem.
For the sake of visual continuity, here's my transporation:
Photo courtesty of posters57.com
While waiting to transfer at the TTC, I encountered my first rude guests of the trip: two parents smoking on the platform. They were quickly dispatched, however, with the broadswords of the mighty CMs (or else by a “no smoking on the platform” announcement, I can’t quite remember which).
They weren’t really bothering me, anyway, since I live in Manhattan and thus am used to ignoring strangers doing annoying things.
Soon enough the Epcot monorail rolled in, and we were off. Like everyone else, I love that monorail ride into Epcot, when the train circles into the park. Though I have to admit it suffered some in comparison, because the last time I was there, it was during the Flower & Garden Festival. Then, that monorail ride was like Wowza!.
I arrived right around 1:00. If you recall my plans from a few chapters back, I’d planned to get to Epcot around 12:30. So I was pretty on-schedule.
Oh, and I just thought of a better metaphor! Epcot was calling me in like a lighthouse guiding weary sailors safely to shore! Whew. Happy to get that poor fish out of my head.
I felt the magic right away.
I love all the music they play in Future World. Not something I’d buy a CD of, probably, but it sure does make you feel like you’ve stepped into another world.
At this point, I was starving. That Baby Ruth I’d had for breakfast had worn off long ago, and I was hoping some sustenance would wake me up a little. And I’d been salivating over descriptions of the Food & Wine booths for quite some time! But, good DISer that I am, I knew I had to go here first:
Sorry, terrible photo! I forgot to turn on my flash.
so I could catch a hot-air balloon (a.k.a., an escalator) down to the Soarin’ FP machines. The standby wait at this point was 55 minutes; my FP return was for 5:30. I really wasn’t sure I’d make it until 5:30, but if there’s one lesson I learned on our last trip, it was: Always get a FP! Even if you think you won’t need it!
FP in hand, I headed for World Showcase. In my F&W reconnaissance, I’d made a list of all the foods I wanted to try, and though I didn’t have the list with me (I brought all my planning materials along, then left them in my suitcase, guaranteeing I never had them when I needed them
), I seemed to remember more of them being on the west side of WS than the east (“west” and “east” in Epcot terms, with American Adventure being due north, though I have a feeling that’s not necessarily the geographic truth). So I crossed over and started my circle in Mexico.
I wasn’t in the mood for fish, and I don’t like olives, so Spain was out. We live right next door to an amazing Mexican restaurant (which is a dangerous situation, as you can imagine), so Mexico got a pass, too. I really wanted an empanada from Buenos Aires, but it had a line.
It was at this point I realized that even the slightest decisions were proving much more difficult than usual. My lack of sleep was combining with that so-starving-you-can’t-make-any-food-decisions thing. It’s probably a very, very good thing that no one was with me at this moment. Low blood sugar makes me pretty unpleasant. My BF has learned how to recognize the signs (whining, a very unattractive facial expression, my sudden insistence that what we eat right now is the most crucial decision in the world) and how to handle it (here, Nory, have some cheese! Better now, aren’t you?). But few others know his secrets.
Suddenly, there was the Poland kiosk. I decided to stop thinking about it and jump right in.
I got the Kielbasa and Potato Pierogie with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream. And I was too hungry to pause for a photo. So sue me.
Turns out that this snack didn’t even deserve a picture. It wasn’t very good. It wasn’t spit-it-out terrible, or anything, and a certain level of blandness is something I expect from a pierogi, but this took bland to a whole new level. Plus, it was a bit rubbery, like it’d been sitting out too long. And lukewarm. The kielbasa was good, but nothing out of the ordinary.
I took it over to a bench to eat, but an older couple invited me to share their table. They were enjoying beers in the sunshine, looking out over the lagoon. This was my first random chatting of the trip; I was to do much more of it in coming days, when I had more energy for meeting people. We talked about the weather, which was very pleasant, with a slight breeze coming off of the water.
I did feel better after eating, but I still needed more, and I was craving something that tasted like something. So I thanked them for sharing their space, and went on my way.
Next I stopped here:
And ate this, the Chicken Urumqi:
This was really, really yummy! And the possibly-excessive amount of hot sauce I slathered all over it more than made up for the blah-ness of the pierogi.
My mouth was on fire (in a good way), and I needed something liquid to remedy that. But I was avoiding alcoholic beverages for the afternoon – I knew if I had even one sip of alcohol, I’d probably be passed out on an Epcot bench for a few hours. So, I stopped at New Delhi and had a mango lassi:
This was perfect. Cool, refreshing, fruity, and delicious. Like a milkshake that felt healthier and more substantial, somehow (no idea how healthy it actually is, but whatever).
I had planned on eating more, but the mango lassi was surprisingly filling. So I ended up taking a leisurely stroll, sans food, around the World Showcase. I didn’t go into any of the shops or explore any of the wonderful nooks and crannies, because I was literally too tired to do anything other than follow a straight (or, in this case, curved) line. But I was really enjoying myself. It was just a wonderful walk. I took a few random pictures:
I thought about waiting in line for Mary, but I can’t really bring myself to wait in line for characters. Which means I didn’t get any character photos the whole trip. Oh well.
I eventually reached the entrance to Future World, and by this time, I was having a slight problem (very slight – not serious enough to put a damper on my mood, but still difficult to ignore):
My clothes. It hadn’t been particularly warm when I got into Orlando…I forgot to write down the temperature, but maybe mid-60s? I decided to leave on my traveling outfit, instead of changing into shorts, which had been my original plan. So I was still wearing my traveling pants (which don’t magically fit my four closest friends and make all my dreams come true, but are a heavy cotton with just enough stretch to not get wrinkled on the plane, which is miracle enough for me) and a heavy cotton short-sleeved peasant blouse (green, with embroidered yellow daisies on the gathered neckline, but neither of those details is remotely important to this trip report). But the sun had come out in the meantime – it was probably in the mid-to-upper-70s – and I was hot. Not sweltering, sweating hot, but definitely uncomfortably warm.
I decided to ignore it. After all, it was my first day in a park, I had to go on some rides, right?
I checked the wait times board because I happened to walk past it. For some reason, the only one I wrote down was Mission Space (20 minutes). It was around 2:00.
Where did I decide to go, for my first-ever solo ride at WDW?
No flash photos in dark rides or shows were used in the making of this trip report.
Yes, for some insane reason, I chose Journey into Imagination.
Back in the day, in its original version, this was my favorite ride at Epcot. I was crushed when they changed it the first time. And I had absolutely no memory of riding it in this, its third, iteration. I’d read plenty about how lame it was, but I still wanted to try it for myself. I had low expectations.
Which were met.
What a waste. At least I didn’t have to wait for it. But it does seem like Disney should be able to come up with something better.
Oh well.
After my journey into the dullest imagination on the planet, I decided to walk through Innoventions. I’m not sure that I’d been in Innoventions since the year Epcot opened. On second thought, that can't be true, my family must have given it at least a few tries. But we decided, very early on, that it wasn’t for us – back then, it really just felt like a big car showroom to me – and we started avoiding it.
I thought it was time to give it another try. Unfortunately, I really wasn’t in the mood to look at anything too closely, making my try extremely halfhearted. It was a lot more colorful than I remembered, and it looked like it would be much more fun for kids than it used to be. The only line was for Sum of All Thrills, which had just opened the day or two before, I believe, and it didn’t look that long, but I bet it would’ve taken forever. So I skipped it.
In other words, I walked in, walked through, and walked out.
(That's me walking. I walk just like that.)
OK, so now I had experienced an attraction, even if it wasn’t the most exciting or informative or fun one. I’d taken a lovely walk. I’d eaten. And I had so much more on my Epcot agenda for the day (Soarin’, Mission Space, American Adventure, Nemo, the Land).
But I was hot. And still in my pseudo-jet lagged daze. So guess what I did? Something unprecedented (at least for me).
I left the park. After only one ride.
Oh, the sweet taste of freedom!
Coming Soon – Who Needs a Disco Nap, when You Can Have a DISNEY Nap?
I headed down to the fourth floor concourse level for the first time, then made my way up to the monorail platform (monorails are neato!). And here I have to admit something: I somehow managed to stay at the Contemporary for two days and never even think to take a photo of the monorail. Bad Nory! I feel I must be punished for this glaring oversight, and I will totally accept having to spend some time in the POTC jail. If that is to be my fate, so be it. I always have dog treats in my pockets, so I’ll get my hands on that key, no problem.
For the sake of visual continuity, here's my transporation:
Photo courtesty of posters57.com
While waiting to transfer at the TTC, I encountered my first rude guests of the trip: two parents smoking on the platform. They were quickly dispatched, however, with the broadswords of the mighty CMs (or else by a “no smoking on the platform” announcement, I can’t quite remember which).
They weren’t really bothering me, anyway, since I live in Manhattan and thus am used to ignoring strangers doing annoying things.
Soon enough the Epcot monorail rolled in, and we were off. Like everyone else, I love that monorail ride into Epcot, when the train circles into the park. Though I have to admit it suffered some in comparison, because the last time I was there, it was during the Flower & Garden Festival. Then, that monorail ride was like Wowza!.
I arrived right around 1:00. If you recall my plans from a few chapters back, I’d planned to get to Epcot around 12:30. So I was pretty on-schedule.
Oh, and I just thought of a better metaphor! Epcot was calling me in like a lighthouse guiding weary sailors safely to shore! Whew. Happy to get that poor fish out of my head.
I felt the magic right away.
I love all the music they play in Future World. Not something I’d buy a CD of, probably, but it sure does make you feel like you’ve stepped into another world.At this point, I was starving. That Baby Ruth I’d had for breakfast had worn off long ago, and I was hoping some sustenance would wake me up a little. And I’d been salivating over descriptions of the Food & Wine booths for quite some time! But, good DISer that I am, I knew I had to go here first:
Sorry, terrible photo! I forgot to turn on my flash.
so I could catch a hot-air balloon (a.k.a., an escalator) down to the Soarin’ FP machines. The standby wait at this point was 55 minutes; my FP return was for 5:30. I really wasn’t sure I’d make it until 5:30, but if there’s one lesson I learned on our last trip, it was: Always get a FP! Even if you think you won’t need it!
FP in hand, I headed for World Showcase. In my F&W reconnaissance, I’d made a list of all the foods I wanted to try, and though I didn’t have the list with me (I brought all my planning materials along, then left them in my suitcase, guaranteeing I never had them when I needed them
), I seemed to remember more of them being on the west side of WS than the east (“west” and “east” in Epcot terms, with American Adventure being due north, though I have a feeling that’s not necessarily the geographic truth). So I crossed over and started my circle in Mexico.I wasn’t in the mood for fish, and I don’t like olives, so Spain was out. We live right next door to an amazing Mexican restaurant (which is a dangerous situation, as you can imagine), so Mexico got a pass, too. I really wanted an empanada from Buenos Aires, but it had a line.
It was at this point I realized that even the slightest decisions were proving much more difficult than usual. My lack of sleep was combining with that so-starving-you-can’t-make-any-food-decisions thing. It’s probably a very, very good thing that no one was with me at this moment. Low blood sugar makes me pretty unpleasant. My BF has learned how to recognize the signs (whining, a very unattractive facial expression, my sudden insistence that what we eat right now is the most crucial decision in the world) and how to handle it (here, Nory, have some cheese! Better now, aren’t you?). But few others know his secrets.
Suddenly, there was the Poland kiosk. I decided to stop thinking about it and jump right in.
I got the Kielbasa and Potato Pierogie with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream. And I was too hungry to pause for a photo. So sue me.
Turns out that this snack didn’t even deserve a picture. It wasn’t very good. It wasn’t spit-it-out terrible, or anything, and a certain level of blandness is something I expect from a pierogi, but this took bland to a whole new level. Plus, it was a bit rubbery, like it’d been sitting out too long. And lukewarm. The kielbasa was good, but nothing out of the ordinary.
I took it over to a bench to eat, but an older couple invited me to share their table. They were enjoying beers in the sunshine, looking out over the lagoon. This was my first random chatting of the trip; I was to do much more of it in coming days, when I had more energy for meeting people. We talked about the weather, which was very pleasant, with a slight breeze coming off of the water.
I did feel better after eating, but I still needed more, and I was craving something that tasted like something. So I thanked them for sharing their space, and went on my way.
Next I stopped here:
And ate this, the Chicken Urumqi:
This was really, really yummy! And the possibly-excessive amount of hot sauce I slathered all over it more than made up for the blah-ness of the pierogi.
My mouth was on fire (in a good way), and I needed something liquid to remedy that. But I was avoiding alcoholic beverages for the afternoon – I knew if I had even one sip of alcohol, I’d probably be passed out on an Epcot bench for a few hours. So, I stopped at New Delhi and had a mango lassi:
This was perfect. Cool, refreshing, fruity, and delicious. Like a milkshake that felt healthier and more substantial, somehow (no idea how healthy it actually is, but whatever).
I had planned on eating more, but the mango lassi was surprisingly filling. So I ended up taking a leisurely stroll, sans food, around the World Showcase. I didn’t go into any of the shops or explore any of the wonderful nooks and crannies, because I was literally too tired to do anything other than follow a straight (or, in this case, curved) line. But I was really enjoying myself. It was just a wonderful walk. I took a few random pictures:
I thought about waiting in line for Mary, but I can’t really bring myself to wait in line for characters. Which means I didn’t get any character photos the whole trip. Oh well.
I eventually reached the entrance to Future World, and by this time, I was having a slight problem (very slight – not serious enough to put a damper on my mood, but still difficult to ignore):
My clothes. It hadn’t been particularly warm when I got into Orlando…I forgot to write down the temperature, but maybe mid-60s? I decided to leave on my traveling outfit, instead of changing into shorts, which had been my original plan. So I was still wearing my traveling pants (which don’t magically fit my four closest friends and make all my dreams come true, but are a heavy cotton with just enough stretch to not get wrinkled on the plane, which is miracle enough for me) and a heavy cotton short-sleeved peasant blouse (green, with embroidered yellow daisies on the gathered neckline, but neither of those details is remotely important to this trip report). But the sun had come out in the meantime – it was probably in the mid-to-upper-70s – and I was hot. Not sweltering, sweating hot, but definitely uncomfortably warm.
I decided to ignore it. After all, it was my first day in a park, I had to go on some rides, right?
I checked the wait times board because I happened to walk past it. For some reason, the only one I wrote down was Mission Space (20 minutes). It was around 2:00.
Where did I decide to go, for my first-ever solo ride at WDW?
No flash photos in dark rides or shows were used in the making of this trip report.
Yes, for some insane reason, I chose Journey into Imagination.
Back in the day, in its original version, this was my favorite ride at Epcot. I was crushed when they changed it the first time. And I had absolutely no memory of riding it in this, its third, iteration. I’d read plenty about how lame it was, but I still wanted to try it for myself. I had low expectations.
Which were met.
What a waste. At least I didn’t have to wait for it. But it does seem like Disney should be able to come up with something better.
Oh well.After my journey into the dullest imagination on the planet, I decided to walk through Innoventions. I’m not sure that I’d been in Innoventions since the year Epcot opened. On second thought, that can't be true, my family must have given it at least a few tries. But we decided, very early on, that it wasn’t for us – back then, it really just felt like a big car showroom to me – and we started avoiding it.
I thought it was time to give it another try. Unfortunately, I really wasn’t in the mood to look at anything too closely, making my try extremely halfhearted. It was a lot more colorful than I remembered, and it looked like it would be much more fun for kids than it used to be. The only line was for Sum of All Thrills, which had just opened the day or two before, I believe, and it didn’t look that long, but I bet it would’ve taken forever. So I skipped it.
In other words, I walked in, walked through, and walked out.
(That's me walking. I walk just like that.)OK, so now I had experienced an attraction, even if it wasn’t the most exciting or informative or fun one. I’d taken a lovely walk. I’d eaten. And I had so much more on my Epcot agenda for the day (Soarin’, Mission Space, American Adventure, Nemo, the Land).
But I was hot. And still in my pseudo-jet lagged daze. So guess what I did? Something unprecedented (at least for me).
I left the park. After only one ride.
Oh, the sweet taste of freedom!
Coming Soon – Who Needs a Disco Nap, when You Can Have a DISNEY Nap?
pure heaven!
) but for now I'm still planning my next trip with family... There's always hope! Or better said I'll never learn! LOL!
)
It's funny, having been to 
Main Street was always my fantasy when I was little
I wanted to live someplace (or some time, rather) just like that. Come to think of it, I still do, to some extent (so why am I living in NYC, again?).
