Canadave
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 25, 1999
- Messages
- 891
The CAST: DD1 (Brittany, 15 yrs. old), DD2 (Emily, 11 yrs. old), DW (Marylynn, let's just say early 40's) and myself (Dave,same)
Wednesday Feb.4/04
Early Entry day at Epcot...glorious day, although coolish in the morning, it would be sunny and in the 70's
Arrived at Epcot and while waiting in line, everyone was asked for resort ID...first time this has happened...had ours, so no problem.
Headed straight for Test Track at rope drop and DD's and I walked right on...I find the first half of the ride kind of boring, but love the outside oval...TT IS a favourite of my girls.
Universe of Energy, another family favourite, only had about 40 of us for the show!...pretty hollow feeling...but we did get to sit where we wanted
... on to Spaceship Earth (not the most exciting or interesting attraction, IMHO, but you HAVE to go up into the giant golf ball, right)...
DD2 had to get her 'fix' of video tag at the Innovations building, then onto the Journey into Your Imagination ride...OK, we first rode this in 2000, after the change from the original "Figment" version...it was not bad, interesting.....missed the ride on our last trip (being changed to the current version)...this time, we were all speechless after the ride...we had heard so much about how great JIYI was with Figment...we were not impressed with this one at all, bored actually...now I do hear this version was not as good as the original 'Figment' one, but you'd think Disney would learn.
Anyway, next up was Honey, I Shrunk the Audience...DD2 will not watch it...she saw it once on our first trip, and never again...she waited in the Imagination Station (or whatever it's called), but was really upset because she could not get near anything as the other 'guests' were hogging everything
.
World Showcase was now open, so DW decided to go get a locker while the rest of us headed to Canada for a beavertail. We arrived at the booth only to find out that it's not open until 3:00 . As we stood there stewing, DW calls us on the walkie talkies and tells us to get over to the bridge right away because there is a load of characters there. After finally figuring out what she meant by 'the bridge' (and after much walking), we checked out the characters, only to realize that we had them all
, autographs that is)...so onto Mexico...
DW decides that it would be neat to share a small bite to eat from each country in WS...hopefully it would be authentic to each country and would give us a 'taste' of their culture...so a stop at the Cantina San Angel for some burrito/taco type food, shared with the ibis's of course, while watching the Mariachi band perform outside...then into the pyramid for a ride on the Rio del Tiempo (I'm doing this from memory, so forgive me if I don't get the names exactly right)...DW comes up with another great idea...she would like to buy a small "souvenir" from each pavilion, that would be indicative of the country, and create a shadow-box display of the items when we redecorate our rec room...a pair of maracas sounds just right for Mexico
Onto Norway, where we goof around on the Viking ship before heading over to the Maelstrom...always a fun ride...and then on to enjoy the short film on Norway...we have to buy a troll for our collection of souvenirs and then on to the bakery for a cloudberry horn and some lefse bread...both a new experience for us...tasty...we had the rice cream on our last trip, and it was good too.
Our timing wasn't working out to see the acrobats in China (a must see if you can work it in), so while DW and I watched the 'updated' version of the 360 movie on China (hint, hint Canada!), the girls were checking out the Kidcot area...the Chinese movie always fascinates me and is so well done...as we're looking for a souvenir from the large China store, we realize this project is tougher than we thought...trying to find something that is representative of the country, under 8 inches tall and not too bulky, and under $20...eventually we find this miniature silk screen, with birds on it, perfect...and look, there's Mushu and Mulan outside...we haven't got Mushu's autograph yet...and this Mulan looks much more like her character than the girl at MGM the other day...in fact, she looks just like her...I guess every character can have their 'off' day. Snack time was Shanghai chicken at the Lotus Blossom Cafe...very tasty.
As we arrive in Germany, we realize that maybe eating our way around the world is not such a good idea...we're all pretty full right now, so we decide to pass on the food idea...not much to do in Germany, other than shopping...on our last trip, we watched the oompah band, but because we were not eating, we were given a very cool reception by the waiting staff, even though the place was almost empty at the time and we were sitting well out of the way...so we decided to pass this time...we did buy a pilsner glass and some coasters with German beer logos.
As we entered the Italian pavilion area, there was a living statue (I thought they were only in France)...they are sooooooo good...the woman who was the statue looked just like the woman from our last trip in 2002...I guess if you have found your calling ...DW and DD2 decided to get their picture taken with her(I chickened out), so off they went...as they turned around, the statue grabbed DD2's pony tail and wouldn't let go...it was so hilarious......as we were walking around the courtyard, the masquerade began...we had never seen this before and had no idea what it was...after the characters had did their 'thing' on the stage, they began to mingle with the crowd...the 'Cassonova' masquerader came up to DD1 and took her hand and walked away with her, as we waved goodbye ...thankfully I had the camcorder going...as the commercial says..."priceless"...they strolled around the courtyard and eventually walked up the stairs to the stage...they did their romantic pose while DW got a picture...finally he spun DD1 around and kissed her hand, bowed and waved goodbye...I've never seen my darling daughter that shade of red
before...it was toooooo good...strangers were coming up to us and saying how they were such a lovely couple...more red 
...we took some pressure off DD1 and went to find the 'king & queen' of the masquerade and DD's got their picture with them...we finally checked out the shops for something for our souvenir project, but were disappointed in that the closest thing to fit our criteria was a mask, but they were way out of our price range ...so we bought a couple of chocolates and left for the USA
As we had seen the American Adventure on our last trip (and it was very good), the girls weren't interested in seeing the show again...however, the group Vybe were singing in the main building (they were accompanied by another group, in colonial dress, that sings there regularly), so we caught their last 2 songs of their set...very patriotic...we eventually made it to the gift shop and bought a hidden Mickey with the American flag on it.
We had already toured Japan earlier this week, so it was shopping time...an oriental dish with some chop sticks seemed to do the trick...outside the store, a master candy maker was performing...she was amazing...making different animals out of this special kind of malleable candy...DD2 wanted one of her creations soooooo bad, but we couldn't get near enough to the artist...we'll definitely be checking out her appearance schedule next time we're near.
We toured the Morocco pavilion and we thought we had bought an urn that was made of leather/brass...as we figured out later, they had it on display upside down...it was actually a small drum, a miniature version of the ones we had watched a couple of Moroccan women playing while we were shopping...perfect
In France, DW and I watched Impressions de France...I just love this production...the music is wonderful...we met up with the DD's and were surprised to catch Belle AND the Beast posing for pictures and autographs...it was nice getting a photograph with both characters and the girls...though this Belle didn't look like her very much, even DD2 commented on it...
just so you know, I'm not that hung up on the CM's looking exactly like the character's that they are portraying, but I do appreciate when they are really good and am somewhat disappointed when they aren't really that close, but that's just me
We left France and while the DD's and I went back to the locker to change, DW went shopping in the U.K....when we got back, we picked out a tin, shaped like Big Ben, with Peter Pan, et al., flying around it...the tin was also full of toffees...bonus...
By now it was time for our PS at Chef's de France...we (DW and I) were so looking forward to this meal...the decor and ambiance was exquisite, exactly what we had hoped for...we sat beside some fellow Canadians from Waterloo and chatted with them during the meal...DD's both ordered from the kid's menu...we had already told them they could, as the regular menu is not as 'kid friendly' as other restaurants in WDW are...DW really enjoyed the lobster bisque...I liked it, but have had better...DW's entree was a salad with goat cheese (she thought it was just OK) and escargot (some of them were gritty )...I ordered the duck entree (although there were a couple of other things I could have ordered, I figured this was a French specialty)...the sliced breast with sauce was magnificent...however it ended there, because the dark meat was overcooked and tough as leather and the green beans were stone cold
!!, not cool, cold....I mentioned my disappointment to the waiter and although I told him not to bother, he brought me a dish full of hot beans...overall, my "impression" de France, or at least the Chefs de France was a 1 1/2 stars out of 5...the service was friendly and attentive, a 4 out of 5; the atmosphere/ambiance 5 out of 5; but the food was 1 out of 5; price is a tough one, I think if we got the quality they are renown for, the price would be very reasonable, but based on what we received this visit, I'll give it a 1 1/2 out of 5... this was supposed to be our 'splurge' meal, so needless to say, our experience tonight was a bit of a disappointment...
DW was going to grab a small dessert in the cafe outside, but the line was huge, so we meandered over to Canada to check out the beavertails...but they were just too much for DW, and the girls were too full to help mom out...and I was still stewing over my dinner, so I was kinda grumpy and wanted no part of food.
Now buying a souvenir from Canada was a tricky situation for us...so we finally opted for a small Goofy dressed as a lumberjack, carrying a Canadian flag
By now it was time for Illuminations, so we found a spot at the lakeside in front of Canada...actually was a good site line...and enjoyed the fireworks...another fun day at WDW
Wednesday Feb.4/04
Early Entry day at Epcot...glorious day, although coolish in the morning, it would be sunny and in the 70's
Arrived at Epcot and while waiting in line, everyone was asked for resort ID...first time this has happened...had ours, so no problem.
Headed straight for Test Track at rope drop and DD's and I walked right on...I find the first half of the ride kind of boring, but love the outside oval...TT IS a favourite of my girls.
Universe of Energy, another family favourite, only had about 40 of us for the show!...pretty hollow feeling...but we did get to sit where we wanted
... on to Spaceship Earth (not the most exciting or interesting attraction, IMHO, but you HAVE to go up into the giant golf ball, right)...DD2 had to get her 'fix' of video tag at the Innovations building, then onto the Journey into Your Imagination ride...OK, we first rode this in 2000, after the change from the original "Figment" version...it was not bad, interesting.....missed the ride on our last trip (being changed to the current version)...this time, we were all speechless after the ride...we had heard so much about how great JIYI was with Figment...we were not impressed with this one at all, bored actually...now I do hear this version was not as good as the original 'Figment' one, but you'd think Disney would learn.
Anyway, next up was Honey, I Shrunk the Audience...DD2 will not watch it...she saw it once on our first trip, and never again...she waited in the Imagination Station (or whatever it's called), but was really upset because she could not get near anything as the other 'guests' were hogging everything
. World Showcase was now open, so DW decided to go get a locker while the rest of us headed to Canada for a beavertail. We arrived at the booth only to find out that it's not open until 3:00
. As we stood there stewing, DW calls us on the walkie talkies and tells us to get over to the bridge right away because there is a load of characters there. After finally figuring out what she meant by 'the bridge' (and after much walking), we checked out the characters, only to realize that we had them all , autographs that is)...so onto Mexico...DW decides that it would be neat to share a small bite to eat from each country in WS...hopefully it would be authentic to each country and would give us a 'taste' of their culture...so a stop at the Cantina San Angel for some burrito/taco type food, shared with the ibis's of course, while watching the Mariachi band perform outside...then into the pyramid for a ride on the Rio del Tiempo (I'm doing this from memory, so forgive me if I don't get the names exactly right)...DW comes up with another great idea...she would like to buy a small "souvenir" from each pavilion, that would be indicative of the country, and create a shadow-box display of the items when we redecorate our rec room...a pair of maracas sounds just right for Mexico
Onto Norway, where we goof around on the Viking ship before heading over to the Maelstrom...always a fun ride...and then on to enjoy the short film on Norway...we have to buy a troll for our collection of souvenirs and then on to the bakery for a cloudberry horn and some lefse bread...both a new experience for us...tasty...we had the rice cream on our last trip, and it was good too.
Our timing wasn't working out to see the acrobats in China (a must see if you can work it in), so while DW and I watched the 'updated' version of the 360 movie on China (hint, hint Canada!), the girls were checking out the Kidcot area...the Chinese movie always fascinates me and is so well done...as we're looking for a souvenir from the large China store, we realize this project is tougher than we thought...trying to find something that is representative of the country, under 8 inches tall and not too bulky, and under $20...eventually we find this miniature silk screen, with birds on it, perfect...and look, there's Mushu and Mulan outside...we haven't got Mushu's autograph yet...and this Mulan looks much more like her character than the girl at MGM the other day...in fact, she looks just like her...I guess every character can have their 'off' day
. Snack time was Shanghai chicken at the Lotus Blossom Cafe...very tasty.As we arrive in Germany, we realize that maybe eating our way around the world is not such a good idea...we're all pretty full right now, so we decide to pass on the food idea...not much to do in Germany, other than shopping...on our last trip, we watched the oompah band, but because we were not eating, we were given a very cool reception by the waiting staff, even though the place was almost empty at the time and we were sitting well out of the way...so we decided to pass this time...we did buy a pilsner glass and some coasters with German beer logos.
As we entered the Italian pavilion area, there was a living statue (I thought they were only in France)...they are sooooooo good...the woman who was the statue looked just like the woman from our last trip in 2002...I guess if you have found your calling
...DW and DD2 decided to get their picture taken with her(I chickened out), so off they went...as they turned around, the statue grabbed DD2's pony tail and wouldn't let go...it was so hilarious......as we were walking around the courtyard, the masquerade began...we had never seen this before and had no idea what it was...after the characters had did their 'thing' on the stage, they began to mingle with the crowd...the 'Cassonova' masquerader came up to DD1 and took her hand and walked away with her, as we waved goodbye ...thankfully I had the camcorder going...as the commercial says..."priceless"...they strolled around the courtyard and eventually walked up the stairs to the stage...they did their romantic pose while DW got a picture...finally he spun DD1 around and kissed her hand, bowed and waved goodbye...I've never seen my darling daughter that shade of red before...it was toooooo good...strangers were coming up to us and saying how they were such a lovely couple...more red ...we took some pressure off DD1 and went to find the 'king & queen' of the masquerade and DD's got their picture with them...we finally checked out the shops for something for our souvenir project, but were disappointed in that the closest thing to fit our criteria was a mask, but they were way out of our price range ...so we bought a couple of chocolates and left for the USAAs we had seen the American Adventure on our last trip (and it was very good), the girls weren't interested in seeing the show again...however, the group Vybe were singing in the main building (they were accompanied by another group, in colonial dress, that sings there regularly), so we caught their last 2 songs of their set...very patriotic...we eventually made it to the gift shop and bought a hidden Mickey with the American flag on it.
We had already toured Japan earlier this week, so it was shopping time...an oriental dish with some chop sticks seemed to do the trick...outside the store, a master candy maker was performing...she was amazing...making different animals out of this special kind of malleable candy...DD2 wanted one of her creations soooooo bad, but we couldn't get near enough to the artist...we'll definitely be checking out her appearance schedule next time we're near.
We toured the Morocco pavilion and we thought we had bought an urn that was made of leather/brass...as we figured out later, they had it on display upside down...it was actually a small drum, a miniature version of the ones we had watched a couple of Moroccan women playing while we were shopping...perfect
In France, DW and I watched Impressions de France...I just love this production...the music is wonderful...we met up with the DD's and were surprised to catch Belle AND the Beast posing for pictures and autographs...it was nice getting a photograph with both characters and the girls...though this Belle didn't look like her very much, even DD2 commented on it...
just so you know, I'm not that hung up on the CM's looking exactly like the character's that they are portraying, but I do appreciate when they are really good and am somewhat disappointed when they aren't really that close, but that's just me
We left France and while the DD's and I went back to the locker to change, DW went shopping in the U.K....when we got back, we picked out a tin, shaped like Big Ben, with Peter Pan, et al., flying around it...the tin was also full of toffees...bonus...
By now it was time for our PS at Chef's de France...we (DW and I) were so looking forward to this meal...the decor and ambiance was exquisite, exactly what we had hoped for...we sat beside some fellow Canadians from Waterloo and chatted with them during the meal...DD's both ordered from the kid's menu...we had already told them they could, as the regular menu is not as 'kid friendly' as other restaurants in WDW are...DW really enjoyed the lobster bisque...I liked it, but have had better...DW's entree was a salad with goat cheese (she thought it was just OK) and escargot (some of them were gritty
)...I ordered the duck entree (although there were a couple of other things I could have ordered, I figured this was a French specialty)...the sliced breast with sauce was magnificent...however it ended there, because the dark meat was overcooked and tough as leather and the green beans were stone cold !!, not cool, cold....I mentioned my disappointment to the waiter and although I told him not to bother, he brought me a dish full of hot beans...overall, my "impression" de France, or at least the Chefs de France was a 1 1/2 stars out of 5...the service was friendly and attentive, a 4 out of 5; the atmosphere/ambiance 5 out of 5; but the food was 1 out of 5; price is a tough one, I think if we got the quality they are renown for, the price would be very reasonable, but based on what we received this visit, I'll give it a 1 1/2 out of 5... this was supposed to be our 'splurge' meal, so needless to say, our experience tonight was a bit of a disappointment...DW was going to grab a small dessert in the cafe outside, but the line was huge, so we meandered over to Canada to check out the beavertails...but they were just too much for DW, and the girls were too full to help mom out...and I was still stewing over my dinner, so I was kinda grumpy and wanted no part of food.
Now buying a souvenir from Canada was a tricky situation for us...so we finally opted for a small Goofy dressed as a lumberjack, carrying a Canadian flag
By now it was time for Illuminations, so we found a spot at the lakeside in front of Canada...actually was a good site line...and enjoyed the fireworks...another fun day at WDW
