We got back in to our over packed, busting at the seams with luggage, car. You see, we were heading to the beach for five days after we left Disney. We were going to Bald Head Island, NC for a little visit with the In-Laws and a golf tournament. At Bald Head in October, it can be nice and beautiful one day and freezing the next
.so needless to say I had to bring a lot of just in case clothing. Packing was a nightmare this time, mostly because I am an anal packer. I stress over it, I start early and I have to have everything nice and orderly. Sometimes I have nightmares that we are trying to leave for a trip and I just cant, for the life of me, get my bag packed properly. I think I have a problem.
We arrived at Epcot and as usual I scan the parking lot and announce how many sections are full. Look, only three of the five hundred parking sections are filled up! It will not be crowded. Were hopeful for a nice day without long, smelly-people lines. We hop out of the car and were all super impressed with the CM on the Segway helping in the parking lot. (Im not sure I spelled Segway right since I often read posts by the same people who spell things wrong on purpose. You all know who you are
and you better PM me or something if this isnt the proper spelling. ) Again, as I do on every trip, I say Thank heavens my job isnt the parking lot CM. Bless your little heart if you are. It looks like such a hot and boring job
especially if you arent one of the lucky ones riding on a Segway
and I do believe you all still wear the SAME uniform as you did when I was a little girl.
We lock the car. We lock it really good by pressing the lock button many times since half our life is in the back of it, and skip off towards the gates. Every time I park in a lot at Disney, and head towards the gates, I think of my good buddy Clark Griswald. Remember him running towards the gates of Wally World? That movie is one of my all times favorites. I feel like doing the Clark G. run towards the entrance, but I hold back. I would have embarrassed my whole family. Mr. Frick says, always with a big snicker, that I run like a horse. I dont know about you, but I think horses are very pretty when they run. He confuses me sometimes.
Once we are inside the gates, I give a little wave to LaLas picture in the memory brick wall thingy and head for the big golf ball we love, Spaceship Earth. We LOVE this ride. We might be in the minority, but we all dig it. I remember the first time I ever rode it as a little girl. I think we waited in line for maybe two hours and I rode with my middle brother, Jeff. (I have three older brothers) I was freaked out in the dark climb up because no one had any idea what this ride was going to be like and at that time I was afraid of heights. Of course JoMomma was worried too. I remember being so scared of the descent when your car tips backwards. Ahhh, those were the days when Spaceship Earth could give you that much of a scare/thrill. Back to the present
sorry. We edumacated our boys as we went through. Big Frickles rode with me and he had a true interest in knowing about our past. It was a great First Ride for our trip.
Does anyone else get all turned around and backwards when you exit Spaceship Earth? Apparently we do. We take a wrong turn thinking we are heading towards The Land so that Momma here can grab some Soarin Fastpasses. (I was so excited to get in the gates that I forgot to get a map and a times guide. Im an expert disser. I even have tags. You think I would be smart enough by now to know to get those two very important things. ) Finally, after twenty minutes of walking in circles & exhausting our kids little legs, we find The Land and The Living Seas! I run to grab Fast Passes for Soarin while the others headed towards the Coral Reef. The standby line for Soarin was ONLY twenty minutes. Thank you TGM, you were right about hitting Epcot today!
I ran from The Land to the Living Seas since my family wasnt with me and I could only embarrass myself. If you were at Epcot on Sept 28th and saw someone doing a beautiful horse run, thatd be me. The Clark in me was busting out.
We checked in for our 3:00 ADR at the Coral Reef. We loved the lobby! It is so cute. Sorry I dont have a picture of it. This was our first time eating here. My whole family loves seafood. Me? I cant stand it. I have a severe aversion to it. I throw up a little in my mouth when I smell it. The Coral Reef ADR was a gift to my family. Just so you know. I had done my research and I knew that I needed to ask for an aquarium table at check-in. I did my job and plopped down with the rest of the family on a booth seat to wait for our turn. Everyone was excited until SHE walked by. Yes a not so pleasant woman walked right by us and said in her loudest and most irritated voice This is the last time I will ever eat here. We are never coming back. Thankyouverymuch. Just so you know, I am not too fond of people like that. She only did it to crush all of us who were hungry and excited to eat there. No LY/MI to Ms. Buzz-kill.
When we were lead in to the restaurant, all I could think about was a Las Vegas show. That is what the seating looked like in there. Big roundish half-circle booths everywhere with all the diners pointed in one direction
towards the beautiful, spectacular, full-wall aquarium. All of these tables looked like aquarium tables to me, so I wondered exactly what I had requested. Our sweet little CM lead us to a table that was bumped right up to the aquarium wall. BIG SCORE! We were front and center for all the action. It was AWEOME! IF you go to the Coral Reef, you MUST ask for one of these tables. It was the most pleasant meal as a family we have ever had because the kids were entertained and it was a very calming atmosphere. The boys were given a list of sea creatures to find and that was huge fun for all of us. We even got to watch divers swim around in the tanks. Now that was cool!
If you are interested in what we ate, well Ill tell you. For appetizers Mr. Frick & the guys had crab claws and shrimp cocktails. I gave up my appetizer to order an extra round of crab claws for them. For dinner, Mr. Frick had a frickin Chicken Caesar Salad. WHAT? We were here because he loves seafood! Oh well. It just wasn't a seafoody day for him. He loved it, by the way. Big Frickles had PIZZA. Again, WHAT? No seafood? He didnt like it so much. He said it tasted like fish. Lil Frick had Mahi-Mahi. Thank you! Finally, someone wanted some seafood. He didnt much like it. He always thinks he likes fish, but weve learned that if it doesnt come coated in a crunchy crust in the shape of a stick, he isnt going to eat it. It was OK though because they had a ton of jumbo shrimp in their appetizers and Mr. Frick ate some of the leftover fish and really liked it. I had prime rib with the BEST jalepeno cheese grits I had ever eaten. I could have swam in those grits because they were that good. I'm a southern girl...and I like me some grits. Jazzed up grits are even better! For dessert, the boys got the build your own sundae and Mr. Frick and I got the Chocolate Wave. I had read many, many good things about this dessert and it turned out that what I had read was true!
Here are some not so good pictures of us dining. I forgot to use a little handy camera tool called a flash.
This would be an extra large sea turtle.
I know you can barely see us, but at least you can see what an aquarium table is.
Heres the yummy Chocolate Wave. That is white chocolate ice-cream and when you cut in to the cake warm chocolately liquored up oozy stuff runs out.
If you cant tell, Lil Frick is holding up a little chocolate piece with My Sundae written on it in white chocolate. It was tucked in to the build your own sundae kit.
Big Frickles is proud of his creation.
Our whole family truly loved the Coral Reef and we are so glad that we chose to eat there!
We just think Disney restaurants are awesome. We also think that visiting them for FREE is killer! Thanks Walt for a great meal on the house!
Stay tuned: Were going to have a nice no-stress & line free day at Epcot!
My nephew was afraid of IAMW when he was 5. 
Your men, all three of them are gorgeous and you are funnier than the hoot in owl... 
I loved this chapter! Great job!
