Now we only have about an hour before dinner but aaaahhhhh, the World Showcase. I loooovvvveee the World Showcase. It’s a beautiful, well manicured, utopian world in miniature. I'm anxious to see it again. We stop only to take a picture at Canada…love ya…be back later. I did want to stop and listen to “Men in Skirts” but no takers.
Question: Can someone tell me why the Millennium Village closed? Was it the name? Could they not call it the Millennium+1 (and so on) Village and keep it open? We spent a lot of time there on our 2000 vacation and loved it. The girls enjoyed getting lots of stamps and autographs in their little passports from all the cute, friendly CMs from around the world. The building is still there? I guess it went the way of that awesome parade that we saw here on that same trip. Disney logic, I suppose.
England was loverly as usual. We browse the toy store and play with the swords, of course. Pooh is in the back doing a meet and great. Look, DS, it’s Pooh! Nothing…couldn’t care less. We wander out back and DS runs the hedge maze….twice.
France is fabulous as well. Having walked all the way to Europe, DS is decidedly pooped, sits down and refuses to go on. Have I mentioned that the little man is stubborn? A few hugs and some kind words…we’re back in business. Mimi was impressed to find that the guy working in the shop was actually from France. Tres bien! I tell her all the people who work in the World Showcase countries are actually FROM the country. “Oh, right, I knew that,” she says in her I’m-cool-teenage-way. We proceed to wear the hats and buy some candy.
We wander back to Canada and take a whirl around the back before we go into the restaurant. The waterfall behind the main building is spectacular. Am I the only one who didn’t know it was there? We arrive at Le Cellier at 7:45 and the outside hostess is in the process of turning away the uninformed, non-DISing masses who had not thought to make ADRs. We are invited inside and after a short wait, we are seated in the Newfoundland section and greeted by our waitress from Alberta? I guess no servers from Newfoundland were available.
The restaurant is lovely and not nearly as dark as it seemed in most of the pictures on the DIS. I’ve been drooling over the pictures of the food here for months. Anybody else making frequent visits to the “Post Your Pictures of Disney Food Here” thread in anticipation of their trip?? So DH and I both order the mushroom filet, medium rare. We enjoy the PEI mussels (these are great!) and cheese soup. Then the moment I’ve been waiting for….the filets finally arrive and they are…….dramatic pause….overcooked. Well, we are starving and dinner is free so we eat up.
I hear a BOOM….the fireworks are beginning. I love Illuminations! I have to say that to this point, it is my favorite fireworks show at Disney World. Our server kindly offers to let us go out to watch Illuminations and then come back to finish our desserts. Go ahead…all reservations are in and no one is waiting for the table. Wow! Yes! Great! No…Nope…no one else wants to go. I’m not sure I’d even enjoy it alone. BOOM. BOOM. The fireworks continue. So we finish dessert and make it out for the last 3 BOOMs and then…………..we wait……….
I’m pretty sure most of those 87,000 people who are leaving the World Showcase are headed for the POR bus stop. We pull up some bench and watch the ducks, and watch the people, and watch the ducks. The crowds thin and we finally wander around to the stores at the Future World side of the lagoon.
Now I have to say that I am a lover of all things wonderful in the Disney parks but I am not a great lover of Disney merchandise. Does Mickey really need me to advertise for him? When the girls were little, I spent huge sums on princess dresses, crowns, movies, wands, clothing, pajamas, etc but not lately. I do, however, have an appreciation for all things beautiful and useful although I rarely treat myself to those little extras. I know, I know.
So that’s when I spot IT….the perfect souvenir….for me. It’s the “four parks, one world” coffee mug. Do you know this mug? It’s quite large and features Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy on the monorail, Pluto and Donald in a Test Track car at Epcot, Daisy on Rockin’ Rollercoaster, Huey/Dewey/Louis on Kali. It’s pink inside and even says “MOM” on the handle. How wonderful would it be filled with my favorite beverage? Mimi sees me admiring it. I state my love and decide to buy the mug by the end of the week if I don’t find anything I love more. I’m pretty sure I won’t. Heavy sigh.
We go to the bus stop and the 87,000 have already caught the POR bus. We head “home” to rest up for Magic Kingdom day tomorrow…
DO….take your World Showcase server up on an offer to see Illuminations and return to the restaurant. Go back the restaurant and relax while those poor, unfortunate souls wait in line for the bus. Our decision on this evening sentences us to another night that we will do the “wait out the crowds” thing at Epcot if we want to see Illuminations. I don’t know how many people will ever actually run into this dilemma but I have to mark this down as the biggest mistake of the week.
DON’T….make a late reservation if you don’t want to fight the crowds after Illuminations. I wish I had had a 6:00 p.m. ADR on this particular evening since we have an early morning tomorrow. But as you may know there aren’t that many choices available if you are booking at Le Cellier….especially with a party of 5. Don’t miss out on all the great features of the World Showcase pavilions. Go around back, down the hallways, alleys, etc. You’ll find lots of hidden places that are meant to be explored.