THE COLONEL (1)
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2003
- Messages
- 6
DAY 5
Well Presidents Day has dawned. For months I have been telling my wife that it will be awful.
Head off for Typhoon Lagoon. Very fond memories from our previous trip 10 years ago. Wife then lost her wedding ring on the beach all those years ago and so I tell her that while myself and Caitlin will be swimming she will be digging!!!!Reply unprintable on a family forum.
Again surprised by lack of crowds although we were advised that a water park would be a good bet on Presidents Day. I love this place and in particular Castaway Creek where I happily meander for the rest of my days. Strike up a conversation with a family from Minesota who joke that people from their neck of the woods and Brits will be the only ones there today as its too cold for anyone else. 73 degrees too cold??? Tell them its as good as it gets on the rain soaked Gower Peninsula. Very nice and funny people these Minesotans. Felt like an old woman as I happily chatted away with them as we drifted along. Hope their cat gets well soon and the neighbours fix the fence!!!!!They seem genuinely interested in my love of rugby and cricket (thinking mans baseball)but still think US Football is the real mans game!!
Totally relaxing day and after a stop at Publix for supplies return to base and see on the news that freak weather in the North has meant chaos as far as migration to Florida is concerned. So thats where the crowds are. Sorry for doubting you Simon. Pay $3.5 for a Daily Mail and find out that Wales have lost to Italy at rugby. Cat must be mightily relieved we are not at home !! Also find it odd that Americans think so much of Tony Blair but what must they think if they ever picked up the Daily Mail and read the rabid Anti Blair comments. Note from wife. Forget the Politics enjoy the holiday.
Tomorrow is a key day. The Storybook Princess Breakfast at Epcot.
DAY 6
Head off for Epcot armed with PS reference and negotiate gates without problems. My name is on the list at both checkpoints and we arrive at the Akershus ready for brekkie with the Princesses. Quite a lot of trepidation on my part as I have heard some bad things about this. I have stated that the food was lousy but my daughter didnt seem to mind and to my mind this event was entirely for her. We were just bystanders. I wish I could have captured the look on her face when she first glimpsed Snow White coming towards her. Sheer unadulterated pleasure which rubbed off on us and brought a lump to my throat. She was in the land of storybooks and Princesses so who cares about dodgy food. Her excitement increased with the procession of Princesses (SW, Belle, Muhlan, Jasmine, Aurora and Mary Poppins) Caitlin had a problem with Mary Poppins being classed as a Princess but she was soon won over. Must be said that Dad was won over by Jasmine. Not only kids can dream....... erm lets move on.
Caitlin (and indeed mum and dad) learned a great deal at EPCOT and any guilt at taking her away from school for all of 3 days was quickly asuaged. I had tried out Test Track and wow. Reporting back to the main party I quickly convince them to give it a go. Wife who hates "big" rides is very doubtful but reluctantly agrees. When we emerge from our go Caitlin is bouncing and wants to go again. Wife has lost power of speech (sadly only temporary) and has trouble walking. Again her opinion of it and me cannot be repeated here. She quickly recovers after a caffeine fix.
We head off to the World Showcase where Caitlin embarks on a mission to have her passport stamped in all countries. She thinks this is wonderful but it does tend to take over the rest of our time there as the stamping points are well hidden away. We are greatly impressed with the O Canada experience. Magnificent and must do wonders for Canadian self esteeem and tourism. Other countries are also well presented and showcase both their people and the spirit of their nations.
That makes it all the more sad to have to comment on the UK pavilion which is to my mind awful. With all our history and tradition I would have hoped for better. To the EPCOT tourist the UK is a country of quaint tea shops and ropey over priced bric a brac. Wales is just a series of love spoons and miners lamps. I am not impressed at all and Victor Meldrew surfaces again near to the end of our day when we take part in a survey and the staff member involved thinks Wales is on the French Coast!!!!! Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I really like Americans, they are warm generous people but just a little insular at times.
And so with a full passport and uplifted by the majesty of the firework /laser show we leave after a very full day. The memory of the Princess breakfast will live long with us as parents. I was always a little sceptical when watching the Disney Parks promo videos and hearing parents talk about the pleasure they derived from watching their kids encounter the magic. I know exactly how they feel.
Well Presidents Day has dawned. For months I have been telling my wife that it will be awful.
Head off for Typhoon Lagoon. Very fond memories from our previous trip 10 years ago. Wife then lost her wedding ring on the beach all those years ago and so I tell her that while myself and Caitlin will be swimming she will be digging!!!!Reply unprintable on a family forum.
Again surprised by lack of crowds although we were advised that a water park would be a good bet on Presidents Day. I love this place and in particular Castaway Creek where I happily meander for the rest of my days. Strike up a conversation with a family from Minesota who joke that people from their neck of the woods and Brits will be the only ones there today as its too cold for anyone else. 73 degrees too cold??? Tell them its as good as it gets on the rain soaked Gower Peninsula. Very nice and funny people these Minesotans. Felt like an old woman as I happily chatted away with them as we drifted along. Hope their cat gets well soon and the neighbours fix the fence!!!!!They seem genuinely interested in my love of rugby and cricket (thinking mans baseball)but still think US Football is the real mans game!!
Totally relaxing day and after a stop at Publix for supplies return to base and see on the news that freak weather in the North has meant chaos as far as migration to Florida is concerned. So thats where the crowds are. Sorry for doubting you Simon. Pay $3.5 for a Daily Mail and find out that Wales have lost to Italy at rugby. Cat must be mightily relieved we are not at home !! Also find it odd that Americans think so much of Tony Blair but what must they think if they ever picked up the Daily Mail and read the rabid Anti Blair comments. Note from wife. Forget the Politics enjoy the holiday.
Tomorrow is a key day. The Storybook Princess Breakfast at Epcot.
DAY 6
Head off for Epcot armed with PS reference and negotiate gates without problems. My name is on the list at both checkpoints and we arrive at the Akershus ready for brekkie with the Princesses. Quite a lot of trepidation on my part as I have heard some bad things about this. I have stated that the food was lousy but my daughter didnt seem to mind and to my mind this event was entirely for her. We were just bystanders. I wish I could have captured the look on her face when she first glimpsed Snow White coming towards her. Sheer unadulterated pleasure which rubbed off on us and brought a lump to my throat. She was in the land of storybooks and Princesses so who cares about dodgy food. Her excitement increased with the procession of Princesses (SW, Belle, Muhlan, Jasmine, Aurora and Mary Poppins) Caitlin had a problem with Mary Poppins being classed as a Princess but she was soon won over. Must be said that Dad was won over by Jasmine. Not only kids can dream....... erm lets move on.
Caitlin (and indeed mum and dad) learned a great deal at EPCOT and any guilt at taking her away from school for all of 3 days was quickly asuaged. I had tried out Test Track and wow. Reporting back to the main party I quickly convince them to give it a go. Wife who hates "big" rides is very doubtful but reluctantly agrees. When we emerge from our go Caitlin is bouncing and wants to go again. Wife has lost power of speech (sadly only temporary) and has trouble walking. Again her opinion of it and me cannot be repeated here. She quickly recovers after a caffeine fix.
We head off to the World Showcase where Caitlin embarks on a mission to have her passport stamped in all countries. She thinks this is wonderful but it does tend to take over the rest of our time there as the stamping points are well hidden away. We are greatly impressed with the O Canada experience. Magnificent and must do wonders for Canadian self esteeem and tourism. Other countries are also well presented and showcase both their people and the spirit of their nations.
That makes it all the more sad to have to comment on the UK pavilion which is to my mind awful. With all our history and tradition I would have hoped for better. To the EPCOT tourist the UK is a country of quaint tea shops and ropey over priced bric a brac. Wales is just a series of love spoons and miners lamps. I am not impressed at all and Victor Meldrew surfaces again near to the end of our day when we take part in a survey and the staff member involved thinks Wales is on the French Coast!!!!! Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I really like Americans, they are warm generous people but just a little insular at times.
And so with a full passport and uplifted by the majesty of the firework /laser show we leave after a very full day. The memory of the Princess breakfast will live long with us as parents. I was always a little sceptical when watching the Disney Parks promo videos and hearing parents talk about the pleasure they derived from watching their kids encounter the magic. I know exactly how they feel.
