meeko_33785
<font color=teal>Surrounded by characters<br><font
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2000
- Messages
- 5,491
Todays wake-up call was at 6:30am. Thats 30 more minutes to sleep today than yesterday. It almost feels like sleeping in. Well
almost. Time to get up and get ready for adventures in EPCOT. Before heading off for breakfast, I made sure to draw three more words for my photo scavenger hunt today:
#1: Monorail: At EPCOT, that will be easy
#2: Entertainer: Again, at EPCOT, that will be easy
#3: Directional Sign: Not hard at all really.
With that done, it was off to breakfast for what was essentially a repeat of the day before, so lets just skip that. After all, you want to hear about EPCOT, right? Of course you do. Fast forward to the EPCOT front gates. The park wasnt quite open yet, so I took this time to take care of #1 on my photo scavenger hunt:
#1: Monorail: Main Entrance, EPCOT
I really liked this picture. I rarely seem to take photos in the entrance areas of the park. Usually my camera doesnt come out at EPCOT until Spaceship Earth is in clear, unobstructed view. Still, seeing the entrance area in that photo complete with landscaping and monorail, il just seems so classic to me. Guess this scavenger hunt really is working to help me get photos of things I normally wouldnt think about taking pictures of. This picture is certainly more special to me than taking a yet another picture of Spaceship Earth. After a while, the gates opened and they let everyone in. The Characters on Holiday Bus came out and opened the park. Now, my first stop was supposed to be Soarin, but I cant help making a short character stop along the way. Id never met Prince John before, so I went over to him. Everyone else was in line for Mickey or Minnie, so I didnt have to wait in line at all. Got his autograph and photo and headed off to the Land.
The park hasnt been open long ad Soarin already has a 20 minute wait. Instead of messing with FastPass, I just get in the Standby line. This will give me a chance to take in the queue for the first time. After a while, I finally got on. This ride is spectacular. No matter how many good reviews you hear about this thing, I dont think anyone can fully comprehend how great it is until youre finally there. After one ride, its now my favorite attraction at EPCOT. Of course, Soarin isnt the only change in the Land. The new decor of the pavilion and redone food court isnt bad either. Sort of seems very airport-ish, though Im sure thats what they were going for with the flight-themed ride addition. Defiantly different from the 80s/ farm combination it was before. After leaving The Land, it was off to the next attraction of the day. Lets see so far this trip, Ive done Stitchs Great Escape and Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management. Why not do another of the most-complained about attractions on the internet? Its off to Journey into Imagination with Figment! I know its a disappointment to a lot of people and a lot less elaborate than the original one with Dreamfinder, but I still like it. I like all the hidden jokes in the ride about all of Disneys science comedies like Flubber and Honey I Shrunk the Kids. I found a new one this time around. At one point of the ride, theres a computer room that has a sign that says No Tennis Shoes Allowed. Of course, its a nod to the Kurt Russell comedy The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. Its the little things like that that make me enjoy rides like this. Oh yeah, and Figments cute too.
After the ride, I decided to check out the new Figments Place character greeting area. Figment was just arriving when I got there so there was only one family in front of me. He doesnt sign autograph, but I got the photo of Figment you see above. Figments helper asked if I would like one of the two of us together. Figment had us both do strong man poses. Too funny. As Im leaving, Figment motions that he wants a hug. Hmmm I dont usually hug the characters. Dont get me wrong, the characters are one of my favorite things about the Disney parks. Still, by nature Im just not a character cuddler. Still, how can you say no to a giant smiling dragon when a bunch of young kids and their families are watching? I give him a hug and say good-bye. I head back to the Imageworks and check out a few of the interactive exhibits there before heading back to Innoventions Plaza.
I know for a fact that the pin trading area on the other side of the EPCOT tip board is one of the biggest in Walt Disney World. I figured that this would be a good place to finally try out pin trading. From afar, I check out all the CMs lanyards to see if there were any interesting pins. Ive read that if you have a pin that you would like to trade for, they cannot refuse the trade unless they have the pin already on their lanyard. Nothing looks particularly interesting. I notice a large book of pins lying on table, and look through it, and find a beautiful pin of Belle dressed in a white and gold bridal gown. Ive never seen that one before. I ask one of the CMs how I could trade for it. Apparently, the book was owned by another guest who was standing not far away. I went and inquired about the pin seems like its one from Disneyland Paris. Cool. I show him the pin I brought that I was willing to trade. He has it already, but says that there are pins that they sell here that he would be willing to trade for. The Belle pin would be mine if I bought him a pin that cost around $10.50. Wait a minute! Did he really just say that? It sounds so black market, not at all like the happy smiling trading I imagined. Flabbergasted, I turn down his offer and politely leave. Maybe it was nothing, but I had never heard about anything like that on the boards before. Is this a normal occurrence or common with pin trading, I wonder. I headed back to Illuminations to get come AC before heading to World Showcase. There are a few interesting things, but pretty soon, I head off. World Showcase was just about open so I planed on going there next. Just as I was, the fountain show that takes place between the two Illuminations buildings. Instead of heading off to World Showcase, I sit down on a bench and enjoy the show. A nice end to my morning in Future World.
#1: Monorail: At EPCOT, that will be easy
#2: Entertainer: Again, at EPCOT, that will be easy
#3: Directional Sign: Not hard at all really.
With that done, it was off to breakfast for what was essentially a repeat of the day before, so lets just skip that. After all, you want to hear about EPCOT, right? Of course you do. Fast forward to the EPCOT front gates. The park wasnt quite open yet, so I took this time to take care of #1 on my photo scavenger hunt:
#1: Monorail: Main Entrance, EPCOT
I really liked this picture. I rarely seem to take photos in the entrance areas of the park. Usually my camera doesnt come out at EPCOT until Spaceship Earth is in clear, unobstructed view. Still, seeing the entrance area in that photo complete with landscaping and monorail, il just seems so classic to me. Guess this scavenger hunt really is working to help me get photos of things I normally wouldnt think about taking pictures of. This picture is certainly more special to me than taking a yet another picture of Spaceship Earth. After a while, the gates opened and they let everyone in. The Characters on Holiday Bus came out and opened the park. Now, my first stop was supposed to be Soarin, but I cant help making a short character stop along the way. Id never met Prince John before, so I went over to him. Everyone else was in line for Mickey or Minnie, so I didnt have to wait in line at all. Got his autograph and photo and headed off to the Land.
The park hasnt been open long ad Soarin already has a 20 minute wait. Instead of messing with FastPass, I just get in the Standby line. This will give me a chance to take in the queue for the first time. After a while, I finally got on. This ride is spectacular. No matter how many good reviews you hear about this thing, I dont think anyone can fully comprehend how great it is until youre finally there. After one ride, its now my favorite attraction at EPCOT. Of course, Soarin isnt the only change in the Land. The new decor of the pavilion and redone food court isnt bad either. Sort of seems very airport-ish, though Im sure thats what they were going for with the flight-themed ride addition. Defiantly different from the 80s/ farm combination it was before. After leaving The Land, it was off to the next attraction of the day. Lets see so far this trip, Ive done Stitchs Great Escape and Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management. Why not do another of the most-complained about attractions on the internet? Its off to Journey into Imagination with Figment! I know its a disappointment to a lot of people and a lot less elaborate than the original one with Dreamfinder, but I still like it. I like all the hidden jokes in the ride about all of Disneys science comedies like Flubber and Honey I Shrunk the Kids. I found a new one this time around. At one point of the ride, theres a computer room that has a sign that says No Tennis Shoes Allowed. Of course, its a nod to the Kurt Russell comedy The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. Its the little things like that that make me enjoy rides like this. Oh yeah, and Figments cute too.
After the ride, I decided to check out the new Figments Place character greeting area. Figment was just arriving when I got there so there was only one family in front of me. He doesnt sign autograph, but I got the photo of Figment you see above. Figments helper asked if I would like one of the two of us together. Figment had us both do strong man poses. Too funny. As Im leaving, Figment motions that he wants a hug. Hmmm I dont usually hug the characters. Dont get me wrong, the characters are one of my favorite things about the Disney parks. Still, by nature Im just not a character cuddler. Still, how can you say no to a giant smiling dragon when a bunch of young kids and their families are watching? I give him a hug and say good-bye. I head back to the Imageworks and check out a few of the interactive exhibits there before heading back to Innoventions Plaza.
I know for a fact that the pin trading area on the other side of the EPCOT tip board is one of the biggest in Walt Disney World. I figured that this would be a good place to finally try out pin trading. From afar, I check out all the CMs lanyards to see if there were any interesting pins. Ive read that if you have a pin that you would like to trade for, they cannot refuse the trade unless they have the pin already on their lanyard. Nothing looks particularly interesting. I notice a large book of pins lying on table, and look through it, and find a beautiful pin of Belle dressed in a white and gold bridal gown. Ive never seen that one before. I ask one of the CMs how I could trade for it. Apparently, the book was owned by another guest who was standing not far away. I went and inquired about the pin seems like its one from Disneyland Paris. Cool. I show him the pin I brought that I was willing to trade. He has it already, but says that there are pins that they sell here that he would be willing to trade for. The Belle pin would be mine if I bought him a pin that cost around $10.50. Wait a minute! Did he really just say that? It sounds so black market, not at all like the happy smiling trading I imagined. Flabbergasted, I turn down his offer and politely leave. Maybe it was nothing, but I had never heard about anything like that on the boards before. Is this a normal occurrence or common with pin trading, I wonder. I headed back to Illuminations to get come AC before heading to World Showcase. There are a few interesting things, but pretty soon, I head off. World Showcase was just about open so I planed on going there next. Just as I was, the fountain show that takes place between the two Illuminations buildings. Instead of heading off to World Showcase, I sit down on a bench and enjoy the show. A nice end to my morning in Future World.
