Epcot

 

Friday morning we got up slowly, watched a little Disney Junior in P.J.s, got breakfast at our hotel fast service place,

then headed out to Epcot. (A much different morning than the one before).

 Disney World can be overwhelming. There's four major parks, water parks, shopping areas, countless hotels and other attractions. When you're only there for two days and three nights (and have small children) you have to pick and choose. In my ideal world, we'd spend a couple days at the Magic Kingdom, and basically do everything else. That's my ideal world...but not reality.

I LOVE Epcot. Absolutely love it. Which can be a polarizing topic. I think most people think it's nerdy, cheesy, too educational (which basically sums me up to a tee! ;)

But when you haven't traveled a lot, it's magic. And has great food, fun shopping and lots of pretending (you know, pretend Italian plazas, a little Eiffel Tower, Moroccan streets, an African bazaar, Myan temple...etc...). What's not to love!?

The last time we tried to do Epcot, it didn't go so well. We had been at a park in the morning, got a late afternoon nap and then headed to Epcot, only to find that it was already close to closing. We RAN around, scarfed food down and were really stressed. Not really an ideal time. We didn't really get to do anything (but get yelled at for cutting the line for posing in a shark's mouth..see previous post of "Disney Don'ts"). 

I was ready for a do over. Which I was fully aware could set us up for failure again, but I was willing to give it a try. I had read that Mimi could get a little "passport" signed in every country so we were practicing how to say "Hello" in the different countries. Just another way we counted down for the trip and squeezed as much fun out of anticipating it.

Also the International Food and Wine Festival was going on at Epcot. That sounded like a lot of fun. (Again, last year I had printed out the menu, circled things we hoped to try, etc.. and ended up getting heartburn from inhaling fish and chips before the whole park closed).

On this morning, we were slow about getting to the bus to Epcot. There was actually a line this time. After having gone to the parks in the wee hours of morning the morning before, we were shocked to find a line! (Not many people were boarding buses when it was dark ;)

Before we knew it, we were posing in front of the iconic Epcot ball :)

The first thing we did was get Mimi's bear paddle/passport, and then went on the Nemo ride. The best part of going to Disney in October is NO LINES! We walked right up to it and climbed into a clamshell. Bode was mesmerized! 

A little posing in a shark...

Then upstairs to look at the fish in the aquariums that surrounded the "seas" part of Epcot. We got a video of a really cool sea turtle swimming right by us!

It was at this point that Bode got cranky and was clearly tired (he's a morning napper). I turned into "mom on a mission" and walked him around, vigorously in circles in his stroller (not the rented one this time!) cursing anyone who came near us or talked loudly around us. Thankfully, no one really was around. 

After a few minutes, he fell asleep! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

We were excited to get to walking around Epcot without a cranky baby. 

So we boarded the boat that makes rounds around Epcot and went to the other side of the park. This seemed like a good Disney DO. We got a head start on the crowd that was filing into Epcot, and were dropped off in a relatively empty Morocco. It was peaceful and wonderful. (And I commemorated the moment by grabbing a much needed glass of sangria. Nobody needed stressed out DISNEYZILLA mom).

Dad and Bode parked it next to a beautifully tiled fountain, and Mimi and I walked the streets of Morocco. It may have been the first time I took a breath during our whole trip. It was awesome and very low key. Mimi even made a friend with a sweet Moroccan sales girl, who just moved to FL from Morocco three months prior. She got Mimi to put on a jingly sash and we shook our booties to some Moroccan music. 

I realized that even though I love Epcot so much, I really haven't gone in depth in a lot of the countries there. Especially Morocco. It didn't disappoint.

We found out that Jasmine was going to be near us, so we walked and spotted them!

But as we were standing in line to see Jasmine, Mimi decided that she didn't want to say hi. She said she was too nervous. She had also said she was too nervous to see Cinderella, but got over it quickly. So we stayed in line. I was sure she'd change her mind! But she didn't!

I couldn't figure out why she was being so shy. It wasn't until last week that I put my finger on it. It wasn't Jasmine she was shy around, it was Aladdin! 

So even though Mimi didn't "meet" Aladdin, we had fun talking to him. I'm glad we stayed in line, even though Mimi hid the whole time. Since we've been back, she's told everyone about meeting Jasmine ;)

The next country we visited was Japan. 

It may have been my favorite. And we really didn't even look around much! But the girls who signed Mimi's "passport" were SO sweet. They wrote her name in Japanese, and told us that "mimi" in Japanese means ears. The girl on the right said her first stuffed animal rabbit was named "mimi." So cute!

We breezed right past the America exhibit...hopefully we'll see it next time.

We had some hungry world travelers on our hands, and literally had the world at our fingertips.

We landed on Italy for the kids. Pizza is always a favorite.

(But gluten-free Mama would have to keep looking... )

(you can see Mimi's passport bear here in this picture. Every country stamped it, but then they'd doodle something on the back. Some would write in their language, other drew their flag...it was really really cool. My favorite part I think. It was so nice to have a reason to talk to people in each country). And it gave Mimi something exciting to do. She also crushed some pennies in each country...good CHEAP souvenirs. (Another "Disney DO")

With happy kids and full bellies, we walked through Germany. Daddy was on a mission to find their food festival beer garden...

Mimi waited in line to have Marie in Germany sign her bear passport

all the foods and drinks of Epcot countries... :)

 Finally, like a wonderful beer-filled mirage in the distance, Benny found his beer garden!

I had to take a picture of two things...the sheer number of men surrounding that place, as well as the fact that every man there seemed huge. Ben is not a short guy (he's 6' 1''). But he seemed shorter than all of the massive, beer-drinking Gaston-type men in Germany. 

(Ben's favorite beer)

We sat in the shade while Ben drank his way through Germany (by way of his flight of beers) and I ate some yummy South African food.

After a glass of some cherry/plum wine, we headed into the ride in Norway. I remembered that there were trolls in this ride and that it got dark, so I started to have my doubts about if Mimi would do okay. I started talking to one of the girls at the front door, and she said to ask the attendant who was running the ride about a "magic flashlight." Genius Disney. Just genius. 

So we did (but not before having Mimi and Daddy pose with "their people"...Ben's family is Scandanavian. Swedish/Norwegian, what's the difference?! ;)

Armed with her PURPLE magic flashlight, Mimi did great. 

After more passport signing, we were off!

This is LITERALLY what Bode did in the MINUTE that Mimi got her bear signed.

The last place we visited was Mexico!

Hiding out in the shade near the Mexico entrance was Donald, as a Three Caballero. It was really our only "character" that wasn't a princess that we saw. 

Bode LOVED him!

And so did Mimi! How big does she look?!?!

We walked to the back of the restaurant and got right on their Three Caballero ride :)

We really had a great day in Epcot. Lots to eat, drink and things to do. After this trip, I felt like we got to really do a lot (even though we didn't do it all, obviously. My favorite parts are France and England and we didn't even pass by them. Which ended up fine though, considering that's where I normally go. I told Ben that maybe next time, when our kids are older, we can do Epcot alone...as in the fancy french restaurant for dinner and wine under the fireworks. Dream big!! ;)

(a very small blurry pic of one of the festival booths. This one was Argentinian food. I thought of you Julie! It was YUMMY!)

In true Disney fashion, the kids were beat as we headed out of the park. So when we saw Stitch, Mimi didn't even want to stop (even though she LOVES Lilo and Stitch...) I felt bad for him (because unlike the other characters, no one was lining up to see him). I waved and at least took his picture. The funniest thing is several times Mimi's told me that seeing Stitch was her favorite part of the trip. Funny, seeing as how she didn't even give him the time of day.

When we got back to our hotel room, we got changed into our bathing suits and cooled off in the pool. We were specifically waiting to see our surprise guests who happened to be in Orlando at the same time...

NANA AND GPA!

They were in town visiting Mom's bestie Becca. Becca is the reason I love Disney so much. She took me when I was visiting her and Nikolette and Troy and J. Roy when I was younger...lots of great memories!

It was so cool to see family in Disney. Maybe our next trip needs to include grandparents at the parks...?!?! That could be fun! (Just planting an idea).

Ping Pong poolside...

I think in this picture, Mimi was shakin' it a little to the music that was blaring.. ;)

Mimi and Nana were playing a mean game of ping pong

 Gpa and Bode burying Mimi in the sand at the play structure near the pool...

 We were going to see Gpa and Nan at Becca and J.Roy's the next day, on our way to Captiva, so our visit was brief but fun.

We were nearing the end of our Disney visit...it always goes so fast! We had our last night in our room and woke up the next morning to say goodbye. 

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This vacation recap feels like the annoying neighbor in sitcoms who makes people sit through hours and hours of the slideshow of their vacation. I'm recording it all so I don' t forget, so it's very "play by play." The difference is, you can scroll through fast or bail on us at any time. Just had to put that disclaimer out there...; )