The Long Awaited, Much Anticipated Trip To WDW: Part 7: The End at Epcot

[Annie&Hallie'sMom]

Starring:
Me: Most folks call me Beth, some call me Liz and when I’m in serious trouble I’m Elizabeth. Disney-holic. Been planning this trip for what seems like eons.

SDS: Dearest husband and best friend. Disney-holic.

Co-Starring:
M&A: Good friends from the other side of the pond. DVC owners at the OKW Resort. If they had not invited us to stay with them, this trip would not be happening

After a late night, it’s up early. It’s EMH at Epcot and our last day at WDW. (Sniff, sniff). Getting “home” after 1 AM and getting up at 6 AM is not easy, but it is WDW and I am determined to cram everything in to this last day.

I shower and pack up the last of our stuff. Make the last of the coffee and put all our bags in M&A’s rental car. Since this means that we will not have to return to OKW before heading out to the airport, I figure this allows us more time in Epcot. Our flight is scheduled for 5:45, so we arrange to meet just outside the gift shop at the entrance to Epcot at 2:45.

The 4 of us drive over to Epcot. The MUST DO for today is Mission: Space which SDS has been DYING to do all trip long. And M&A adore it. I am a bit nervous (ok, more than a bit) and my stomach is a little sore (started to feel poorly at MVMCP around 10 last night, but ignored it). I try to ignore it and had downed a Bonine before we hit the park (which I liked better than Dramamine since it was a chewable vs. taking with water. The darn Dramamine always melts in my mouth as I’m trying to take it at an airport water fountain. Dramamine does not taste good).

So it’s off to M:S . No wait whatsoever, but they are trying to scare me to death with all the warnings and such (Gary Sinese is so serious!). A CM senses my nervousness and tells me that there are space sickness bags in each shuttle (something that had never been mentioned to any of the party before. M&A didn’t remember seeing them, even though they had ridden several times over before we had arrived). Since there are 4 of us in the party, we make up a whole shuttle. I want to be in the center, as I hear the effects are less there. I am the pilot.

We climb in and I grab a space sickness bag (plain white baggie. Now if it had some printing on it that said it was from M:S now that would be cool, but I already hear that people are taking the plain ones as souvenirs). We tilt back and I focus on the screen in front of me. NOTHING is going to make me look away. I am focused, Focused, FOCUSED. Seeing the sky above us is cool. And then we blast off. I’m a little shaky and can feel the G-forces as we take off, but do not feel spinning. Once we are in space I am feeling just fine (although I didn’t really feel weightlessness. Maybe I was just concentrating too hard because SDS said he felt it). Then there’s the landing on Mars. That wasn’t so good. I’m just waiting to land. Why can’t this ever be easy? We land successful (although not as planned) and I get out feeling a little shaky and queasy. Didn’t need the sickness bag (as a matter of fact I had the presence of mind to return it to it’s assigned spot after the ride), but I did need some fresh air and pretty much bypassed the gift shop (which I bet is really cool if I had taken the time to explore it). Once outside, any discomfort disappeared within a few short minutes. I have to wonder if I felt better to begin with if I would have had any ill effects at all. And while I am not willing to try it again during this trip, I am willing to try it again when we return to WDW (fingers crossed for a trip in 2004).

Unfortunately, while I am standing outside, it starts to rain. L Our plan had been to head over to Test Track and have the 4 of us ride together before M&A had to go to their DVC meeting and we headed over to the Cape May Café for breakfast. But by the time M has finished making her purchases, the rain has stopped. SDS gets a few photos of the M:S building (he was smart enough to recharge the battery overnight so we are ready to go again today with the digital camera). We head over to Test Track.

This is the first time I’ve been through the front entrance. We always do single riders. So I had never seen all of the “testing” gear, which I thought was kind of interesting. We get pretty close to the front of the line, when it shuts down due to the weather.

Others leave the line, or ask the CM (Paul, I believe) how long the rain will last (which made us laugh. CMs may be well trained, but even they cannot predict the weather!). We decide to wait it out for a few minutes, which actually works to our advantage. More and more people leave and we get to the very front of the line. From where we are standing, we can see Paul’s console and view the people already on line waiting for the cars. We also see the cars coming in (with slightly damp passengers). And we can see the printed spiel that Paul has to read over the PA to let everyone know what is going on.

As Paul helps a woman in a wheelchair leave the building, another woman takes over his post and allows us to go to one of the briefing rooms. We stand there (outside the doors) and wait and wait. This CM doesn’t seem to have a clue as to what to do. Finally Paul comes back, has the group move to another briefing room and the doors open so that we can “head off” (Waiting time was probably about 20 minutes).

Once we have been briefed, we enter the loading area, where we are warned of possible wet conditions and told that we might want to “don we now our wet apparel” (GROAN!). Oh well, at least he was trying. We hit the track with no rain, but have a blast! The ride is so good that we ask if we can go again (at that time there was no one else waiting there). We are told yes, but we must get out (I know I have done this before without getting out) and that Mike will show us what to do. So we get out and basically take stairs that go over the area and then back down (very cool). But when we get to the other side, the woman wanted to see our passes! We didn’t have any. We told her Mike let us come over. So she has to call out for Mike and make sure before she lets us on.

This time around we decide to “pose” for the photo just as you go out. We do a “no bad dancing” move (you know, like the little drawing on all attractions that are trying to tell you not to get out of the vehicle). The pose is so good, that M&A decide to purchase the photo (and hopefully will scan it and send it to us as well because it was a pretty funny photo).

Now we have to part ways and SDS & I need to make a decision. To breakfast or not to breakfast. Time is running out and going all the way over to the Beach Club just seems like too much. So once again we miss a meal at the Yacht & Beach Club (We HAVE to stay there some time just so we can finally check this place out. We always mean to, but something always comes up!). I go check out the lunch menu at the Electric Umbrella in the hopes of finding pizza on the menu so that I can eat. No luck. It used to be there. But we do get to watch some of the Jammintors show.

We then head over to Wonders of Life because we know that it will only be a seasonal attraction. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen “The Making of Me” so we sit down for that one. Again, an excellent CM was waiting for us there (wish I had written down his name). Very handsome man from our area of NJ. He claimed to be in his 60s, but I thought he was maybe 40. Shows what being joyful every day can do for you! He was so upbeat, no wonder he looked so good. I like this movie, even if it is a bit dated and think the subject matter is handled very well. It did make me a little teary though (hopefully this will be remedied this year as SDS & I have contacted an adoption agency who seem to feel that we might have a child in our home within the year.)

After spending some time in the WoL building, we hoofed it over to Imagination to check out Figment again. We did pass by HIStA. We’ve done it enough before (although we have not seen the new preshow). SDS wanted some private shopping time so we parted ways for about 30 minutes, agreeing to meet at the arch of lights around 11.

While he went off to Mouse Gears (knew he was looking to buy me that Tinkerbell apron that read “Pastry Pixie”), I checked out the Land. Wanted to see if there was anything in the food court that might be good for me. Didn’t really find anything, nor did I find anything in the gift shop that appealed to me (or actually that might have appealed to my dad. He’s an avid gardener and I wanted to get him something, but…)

I went over by the arch and waited. It started to rain again, so I tried to wait under the monorail track to stay dry. SDS came by quickly enough with a package and an umbrella (but it was windy which made it difficult to handle). Although it was not yet 11, WS was open.

Rain was coming down a bit harder, so we popped into another gift shop. At which time we decided we would try to have an early lunch at Le Cellier. Even though we had no PS, in the past I had lunch there with no problems and hoped that we would find a chef who would work with my food allergies.

With the rain dying down a bit, we head over to Le Cellier. Their doors are open, but they are not yet open. (They open at 11:30). The CM at the front assures us that if we come back at 11:30 we will have no problems getting in and that they will be able to accommodate my food allergies.

So we head back out and wait for Papa Noel to arrive. He is a bit late for his scheduled storytelling, but with the rain, who can blame him? SDS enjoy his story and get a photo with him before heading back to Le Cellier.

We have a short wait, but enjoy talking to a couple from Southern Florida who enjoy coming up for a day just to enjoy the food.

Once seated, Chef Scott comes out and speaks with me. Despite having no warning, he does a pretty good job. I have a teriyaki salad with different dressing (as the usual dressing is egg-y). He even brings out the Asian noodles so that I can see the ingredients (a nice touch that several chefs did).

We have a delicious lunch, but I am aware that the clock is ticking.

We head out and watch a bit of Off Kilter. Head into the UK as Father Christmas is just about to make an appearance (he enters the area singing and boy did he have a good voice). Time is running out, so we pass by Father Christmas and head on. We pause again to see the drummers in Japan and had intended to see The American Adventure, but again time was running out and as we had seen this show in the past, but not the new Reflections of China, decided to trade one for another. We did get a chance to hear American Vybe sing though. They are fantastic (as are The Voices of Liberty who we did not see this trip. In less you count the evening we did the CP).

We continue onward and have a quick magical moment in Germany. St. Nicholas was leaving, but when we said we would be gone when he came back, he agreed to pose for a quick photo with us. Thank you St. Nick! We appreciated it!

As we head to China, we see Mulan. Another magical moment as we have never seen her before. We get another photo before we head inside to see Reflections of China (there was less than a 5 minute wait before the show was to begin). It was great to see how The Wonders of China had been updated.

Now time was truly running out. We would have to meet M&A and head to the airport soon. We head to the front of the park. We get there sooner than anticipated and decide to do more final spin on Spaceship Earth.

I have to admit, that I was so tired by this time that I closed my eyes for a few minutes. I love this attraction, but was just really worn out. We had jammed quite a bit into our 7-day trek.

Upon exiting, we head right over to Gateway Gifts. M&A are already there. Sadly, we head out to the parking lot. It’s time to bid Epcot good-bye.

At the car, we add some layers of clothing (jeans over a pair of shorts was kind of uncomfortable) and rearrange some of our things.

Then, with M at the wheel we head out of WDW and over to MCO. There was very little traffic and we were there very quickly. There are hugs all around with our good byes How could it have all passed so quickly?

A skycap helps us with our baggage and we make our way out to our gate. I have to say security at MCO is MUCH better than at Newark. (Wish I didn’t have to say that. You’d think Newark would have learned something!).

We are at our gate very early (2 hours to wait). I foolishly call home to tell my parent that we are at the airport (which my dad mistook as Newark, and not Orlando) and that our flight is on time.

Famous last words!

Our flight was delayed several times. No fault of Song though. The man at the desk said that Newark was delaying him. At least we could be relatively comfortable in the terminal instead of on the plane.

Our 5:45 flight finally boarded at 6:45. The plane was nowhere near full, (only 66 passengers) so once we were in flight we were encouraged to spread out and relax. Which I did. There was no one across the aisle from us, so I took a blanket and spread out.

I must have been exhausted because I can never sleep on a plane, but I did this time. (SDS says he even came over to cover me up a bit better and I didn’t notice). I missed dinner (SDS had a sandwich and beer which he said was quite tasty and worth paying extra for), but I had snacked in the terminal.

When we arrived at Newark it was wet and miserable, although most of the snow had melted. We went to collect our luggage (no luck like in Orlando. We had quite a wait before we got it) and then headed outside to find my dad.

It didn’t take long to spot him (and he had my brother with him to help spot us in the dark) and we were homeward bound.

Thus ends the Long Awaited, Much Anticipated Trip to WDW. Here’s hoping we’ll be back in 2004!

 

[DisneyMom5]

Very nice Beth/Liz/Elizabeth! Thank you so much for taking the time to type it up. Looking forward to my own trip, and report!