Come Obsess With Me - Going Home to the Poly, Sept 2010 - UPDATE What I Forgot...

[TheNewMrsB]

That sushi looks divine. *drool*

It is. I'm so hungry right now I can't even tell you.

 

[TheNewMrsB]

Now that I've managed to thoroughly kill myself by thinking of sushi and other things food-related while sitting at work... Seriously, will I ever learn??

Back to Epcot. I am sure that we'll be visiting Epcot on Monday since we have lunch @ Coral Reef that afternoon.

I've read other trip reports about all the things to do at Epcot, but we tend to keep it simple. I have never experienced any adventures with Ellen...have never been shrunk or lived with the land...I have never met Nemo or his friends.

I have however developed a tremendous and all-encompassing love for Spaceship Earth.

I remember way back when I was a youngster, on my first visit to Epcot, and how fascinated I was by it (and how completely horrified I was when we turned to ride backwards at the end of the ride!). My fascination has not lessened (and I'm no longer afraid). It's just a neat ride. And I find Judi Dench's voice so soothing.

Of course, there's Test Track.

Frankly, after having gone on Test Track the past 2 years, I wouldn't mind if we didn't do it again this year. It's fun and all, but unless I literally walked on and had no reason not to ride...I wouldn't care if we skipped it and went on Spaceship Earth again.

And then there's Soarin'!

Who doesn't love Soarin'? It's magical. When I think about it, I seem to remember feeling a little dizzy once during the ride, but I've been on it at least 4 or 5 times and I only got dizzy once. Obviously this will be a repeat visit.

Can we discuss how, when we went for rope drop last year, the crowd of people just swarmed to Soarin'? I saw children on the verge of being dragged by their parents because they weren't walking fast enough. Hey, it's a great, great attraction. But I'm not going to kill my kid just so I can get a Fastpass for it.

One thing I do not think we'll be revisiting is Mission: Space.

Not because it made me sick - I've only been on the "tame" version - but because the "tame" version is so boring, I don't see the point. And I just know that the other version will have me reeling and as green as this guy -> Again, I don't care if we skip it and in fact we skipped it last year! I didn't miss it.

Of course we like to walk around and check things out in the stores. Last year we picked up Mickey flatware! It was great. I also bought a Disney cookbook (of course I haven't actually made anything from it yet...). The landscaping is beautiful, there's always something to snap photos of. DH loves taking pictures in Epcot, especially at night. Or during the day. Or whenever the monorail is going past...

In case you couldn't already tell, DH and I are very much of the mentality that we pick what we love and thoroughly enjoy it. Rather than waste time doing things we're not interested it, we'd rather pick a few things and do them well and really experience them...instead of rushing through to get to the next thing. We don't have kids - we have that luxury!

What am I missing? Is there anything we just *have* to check out? I'm all ears!

 

[Missoutandabout]

I'm excited about Epcot now -- all over again. Those are lovely pics.

 

[TheNewMrsB]

I'm excited about Epcot now -- all over again. Those are lovely pics.

Thanks! I'll remember that you said that when DH lingers over shot after shot after shot at the end of a long, hot day!

 

[Joyciemc]

I adore California Grill, too!!! But we are sadly skipping it this year to try some new places. Next year, though- it's on!

What to try at Epcot?
I am hoping to check out Innoventions this trip. I never really have and there have been some great trip reports that have me very intrigued about some of the exhibits here. I also like that we can just leave if we want, no time invested in a line or 45 minute attraction (yeah, I'm talking about you Ellen)

 

[TheNewMrsB]

I adore California Grill, too!!! But we are sadly skipping it this year to try some new places. Next year, though- it's on!

What to try at Epcot?
I am hoping to check out Innoventions this trip. I never really have and there have been some great trip reports that have me very intrigued about some of the exhibits here. I also like that we can just leave if we want, no time invested in a line or 45 minute attraction (yeah, I'm talking about you Ellen)

Is Innoventions where they have the attraction where you can design your own coaster? Or am I imagining this?

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

Is Innoventions where they have the attraction where you can design your own coaster? Or am I imagining this?

Yes, they have a new addition called 'The Sum of All Thrills' in Innoventions. There are lots of different things to do in there. Although I'm with you and could ride Spaceship Earth over and over again

 

[MainStreetFireman]

Don't forget to stop at one of the e-mail stations to send your postcard and "future video" home. Ours are a real riot!

 

[MissLiz]

Are you and guitarob competitive at all? My family loves to play the Where's the Fire game in Innoventions! You go through a model house and have to point out all of the fire hazards with these flashlight looking things. It's a stupid little game and you are on teams to see who wins.

We talk trash the whole time (just within our own family, not to other participants) and we just have a good time.

I have to agree with you on Spaceship Earth. I could go on that ride over and over. I love Judi Dench, but I do miss Jeremy Irons growling "the Renaissance"




I also agree about Test Track. I like it and the end if fabulous, but if I have to wait in line, not so worth it. I've done both sides of Mission: Space and I don't mind the boring one, but DD8 loves that ride. We did rider swap in May so she went on both sides. I asked her which was better and she said "Meh, didn't notice a big difference." Maybe I've got an astronaut brewing because I got sicker than a dog the time I rode the "big kid" side.


And I don't think we can walk past Club Cool without going in. DD8 loves her some Mezzo Mix and has to go have a cup or two each time we walk past. It's also a nice break from the heat unless it's crazy busy and then it's just a headache.

I'm pretty sure we'll be heading to Epcot on the 19th all day and the 20th in the afternoon and evening. I can't wait to get some potato leek soup and pretzel bread at Biergarten. I don't care about the rest of the buffet....I could eat bowl after bowl of the soup!

 

[Missoutandabout]

Back to join the other stalkers.

Thanks! I'll remember that you said that when DH lingers over shot after shot after shot at the end of a long, hot day!

If you don't mind me asking, what camera do you guys use? It takes seriously gorgeous pictures.

After donning a bib and drooling through the food porn pics, I've got a couple questions:

1. That picture of the evil sticky bun thingamajig in post #57 (schoolbread?), what's on top of it? My hips got bigger just looking at it. I must have one when we're there. To hell with my hips.
2. Your after-dinner cocktails from the California Grill, was that whisky? (I'm technically not allowed to call it Scotch due to having lived in Scotland.)

That's it for random questions! Hehe.

I must say, the sound of a margarita sampler is mighty, mighty appealing.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

My husband surprised us and came home early from harvest (yeah for us but yuck for the family who is stalled due to rain up there). Anyway, we were talking about...DISNEY We told the kids all the stuff they had to pay for and my DH says to the kids that they have to buy him one of those pineapple drinks Ok, he'll have to buy it because they aren't 21 but I thought it was funny that the first thing he says about Disney is that he wants his lapu lapu (*drink in a pineapple* that is).

Totally OBSESSING!!!!

 

[TheNewMrsB]

Don't forget to stop at one of the e-mail stations to send your postcard and "future video" home. Ours are a real riot!

I love the "future home" pictures! I don't think I've ever received one that I sent to myself but I always try!

Are you and guitarob competitive at all? My family loves to play the Where's the Fire game in Innoventions! You go through a model house and have to point out all of the fire hazards with these flashlight looking things. It's a stupid little game and you are on teams to see who wins.

We talk trash the whole time (just within our own family, not to other participants) and we just have a good time.

And I don't think we can walk past Club Cool without going in. DD8 loves her some Mezzo Mix and has to go have a cup or two each time we walk past. It's also a nice break from the heat unless it's crazy busy and then it's just a headache.

I'm pretty sure we'll be heading to Epcot on the 19th all day and the 20th in the afternoon and evening. I can't wait to get some potato leek soup and pretzel bread at Biergarten. I don't care about the rest of the buffet....I could eat bowl after bowl of the soup!

Oooh I forgot Club Cool! And the lovely Beverly...blech! I really want to try Biergarten one day...like really, really want to try it. I have never done the fire hazard game but it sounds fun - generally we just kinda walk through there and cool off for a bit before heading back out into the humidity! It never occured to me to hang around for some reason. I can definitely see us trash talking each other - I'm the sort who will deliberately try to trip someone else up.

I also just read on someone's trip report from this past winter that there's an IBM sponsored attraction where you play a video game featuring you, based on pictures of you jumping and dancing and such? - now THAT I can see myself wetting my pants laughing over!

If you don't mind me asking, what camera do you guys use? It takes seriously gorgeous pictures.

1. That picture of the evil sticky bun thingamajig in post #57 (schoolbread?), what's on top of it? My hips got bigger just looking at it. I must have one when we're there. To hell with my hips.
2. Your after-dinner cocktails from the California Grill, was that whisky? (I'm technically not allowed to call it Scotch due to having lived in Scotland.)

DH can help you with the camera question...I'm just a girl, I don't know these things... He is the one who did the purchasing, though, and who takes most of the pics you see here. I'm sure he'll be happy to see that you enjoy them! Especially when I keep hearing how our camera takes crappy night pics...

That IS schoolbread! Here's the thing...it was unlike what I normally see in pictures. It was covered with coconut but it was almost like the coconut you'd find in a German chocolate cake, as opposed to the kind you find on a doughnut. Make sense? I was a little by it at the time, but it was good. And there's cream poking out of the top as well...yum!!

As for your second question What you see on the right is my bourbon, which I had to water down a little bit because although bourbon was long ago my drink of choice, I was no longer as accustomed to it (I no longer have any game when it comes to drinking, in other words!). DH had Scotch (I can call it that because I've never even been to Scotland much less lived there! ).

 

[TheNewMrsB]

My husband surprised us and came home early from harvest (yeah for us but yuck for the family who is stalled due to rain up there). Anyway, we were talking about...DISNEY We told the kids all the stuff they had to pay for and my DH says to the kids that they have to buy him one of those pineapple drinks Ok, he'll have to buy it because they aren't 21 but I thought it was funny that the first thing he says about Disney is that he wants his lapu lapu (*drink in a pineapple* that is).

Totally OBSESSING!!!!

Funny the things we look forward to!

I reminded DH this morning that next Thursday, when my office is closed for Rosh Hashanah, is the day we hit single digits - good thing I don't have to go to work because I might be so overcome with excitement, I'll need to rest! And then when resting's over I'm sure I'll be running around like a crazy person!!

When I started this report we had 43 days to go...time is slipping away!

 

[MissLiz]

Biergarten is actually are one restaurant that we go to every trip. We can skip some of the others and try new ones, but that one is always on the list.

I would love to try California Grill sometime, but we have to time it right with the kiddos. I'm on a huge sushi kick lately and I would love to try some of that.

I absolutely love your pictures! I so can't wait to be there!!!!!

 

[guitarob]

If you don't mind me asking, what camera do you guys use? It takes seriously gorgeous pictures.

DH can help you with the camera question... I'm sure he'll be happy to see that you enjoy them! Especially when I keep hearing how our camera takes crappy night pics...

Thank you for the compliments on the photos!

The camera is a Canon PowerShot SD750. It's an older model point and shoot, nothing at all fancy, and I paid half as much for it new as the one in that link. I guess they're overpriced now because they're not made anymore.

The Canon PowerShot line consistently gets good reviews and has been a solid line of point and shoots for Canon for years. If you're in the market, here are the latest models, you can see they all rate pretty highly. If I had to do it again, I'd get an "IS" branded model for the Image Stabilization, which helps out a lot with low-light situations.

It does decently at night, with some fiddling with the manual settings, and the use of a pocket tripod to steady it. (And, let's be honest here... I only have a very vague idea as to what I'm doing ). Quick night shots tend to come out grainy, and when I do get a great shot at night, it's because I keep tweaking the settings until I get one, which drives MrsB nuts.(For example, the photo of the Imagination Pavilion on the previous page was one of 6).

Here are some examples of a shot that I just couldn't get right. I love this area, it's so beautiful at night, and I couldn't capture it for the life of me. I'm open to suggestions as to what I'm doing wrong

 

[TheNewMrsB]

Quick night shots tend to come out grainy, and when I do get a great shot at night, it's because I keep tweaking the settings until I get one, which drives MrsB nuts.(For example, the photo of the Imagination Pavilion on the previous page was one of 6).

It's just that I'm tiiiiiiiired and it's hoooootttt and everyone else already left!

 

[Missoutandabout]

That IS schoolbread! ...

That IS evil. The description is horrendous -- I must have.

As for your second question What you see on the right is my bourbon, which I had to water down a little bit because although bourbon was long ago my drink of choice, I was no longer as accustomed to it (I no longer have any game when it comes to drinking, in other words!). DH had Scotch (I can call it that because I've never even been to Scotland much less lived there! ).

From a former Maker's Mark gal, I'm so there with you. I have no game either any more. *sigh*

Thank you for the compliments on the photos!

The camera is a Canon PowerShot SD750. It's an older model point and shoot, nothing at all fancy, and I paid half as much for it new as the one in that link. I guess they're overpriced now because they're not made anymore.

Here are some examples of a shot that I just couldn't get right. I love this area, it's so beautiful at night, and I couldn't capture it for the life of me. I'm open to suggestions as to what I'm doing wrong

I can't believe that's a point-and-shoot! Makes me wish I'd gone with Canon again instead of Sony when I upgraded mine a couple years ago. The quality of those shots are superb. (The taking-a-ton-until-you-get-one-right is the beauty of digital. Sorry TheNewMrsB, don't kill me! LOL ) I'm in no way, shape or form an expert though I think I'll be upgrading to a DSLR next time. I'm sure you've seen the Camera Labs tutorials? Probably too basic for you but thought I'd mention it; my camera-expert-nerd friends swear by that site and DPReview site.

It's just that I'm tiiiiiiiired and it's hoooootttt and everyone else already left!

 

[guitarob]

I'm sure you've seen the Camera Labs tutorials? Probably too basic for you but thought I'd mention it; my camera-expert-nerd friends swear by that site and DPReview site.

I have not, and I never consider anything too basic. I'll be checking that out in detail before our trip! Thanks!

 

[mommyof3princess27]

ok i just caught up on your PTR!! I am getting so excited! This will be our FIRST EVER trip to WDW and we are staying CL @ the Poly for our 10th anniversary! I cant wait and reading this has made me more excited!!!

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

Thank you for the compliments on the photos!

The camera is a Canon PowerShot SD750. It's an older model point and shoot, nothing at all fancy, and I paid half as much for it new as the one in that link. I guess they're overpriced now because they're not made anymore.

The Canon PowerShot line consistently gets good reviews and has been a solid line of point and shoots for Canon for years. If you're in the market, here are the latest models, you can see they all rate pretty highly. If I had to do it again, I'd get an "IS" branded model for the Image Stabilization, which helps out a lot with low-light situations.

Thank you for posting about this! I want a camera and went to Target and was so confused that I asked them where the disposable cameras were I ended up buying a waterproof disposable camera for the volcano pool and the waterpark but am still in the market for a point and shoot. I'm totally going to check this out!!!