bellebookworm9
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 25, 2009
After my swim and nap, I got back in the car to return to Epcot. This time I was parked back in Create, I think row 43. My first ADR of the trip was at Garden Grill, someplace I hadn't eaten before. You can check out my review of it, with photos, here
After dinner, I decided it was time to take a ride on Test Track. As usual, I joined the single riders line and picked a pre-designed car. The wait was around 20 minutes, if I recall correctly, but I passed the time talking to the family in line behind me. It started out because the Frozen Summer Fun events were listed on all the parks' times guides, but in really tiny print it said "At Disney's Hollywood Studios". So this poor family is in the MDE app trying to figure out where in Epcot this stuff is happening, and I let them know it wasn't there at all. After explaining to them what kind of events were part of the Frozen festivities, they said, "You sound like you work here". "Well, I used to!" I told them I had returned to Buffalo for grad school, and said I'm getting my doctorate in audiology. Well, apparently the dad misheard me, as he turned and looked at his daughter to say, "Do you know what an archaeologist does?"
"No, sir, audiology, as in hearing". "Oh, guess I need a little bit of that myself!" Too funny! I found out they were from California and had visited Disneyland a few times, so we also chatted about that, and compared and contrasted the rides that both resorts have.
Finally, we were up to the car. I'm pretty sure I was with a family who had never ridden before, so that was pretty funny.
After that, I walked to World Showcase Plaza to meet Duffy Bear. It was just starting to rain a bit, and they said that Duffy would have to go inside if it picked up. However, it stayed calm enough for me to meet him and get a hug.
Up next was Mexico Donald. It was starting to rain a bit harder now, although Donald is in a sheltered alcove. He did have a bit of a line. His attendant said if she got a lightning warning over her earpiece we were going to play a big game of follow the leader into the pavilion. Good news, I was able to meet him outside!
After that, though, it was really coming down, with thunder and lightning, so I headed to Canada for shelter. It'd been over four years since I've last watched O Canada. I think I must have just missed a showing cause it felt like the holding area took forever. I was able to find a crate to sit on though, so that was nice. The movie was pretty cute, like I remembered. It seemed the 360 degree concept was lost on a lot of people though-they all tended to face the front!
Still raining, so on to France to see Impressions de France. In that case, I love the soundtrack (yay for classical French flute music-kind of my specialty) more than the movie itself. Since I just missed the next American Adventure show, I walked slowly from France to the USA, stopped to get a root beer float, and drank it outside. I asked the CM if I could bring it in to the lobby, but she said no, as I expected. She ignored me for quite a while though, as she was talking to an off duty friend who I think was on the college program and leaving soon. Not very impressed with that.
Again, it's been awhile since I've seen this show too, but I love it!
Ben Franklin and Mark Twain:
Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin:
George Washington and soldiers at Valley Forge:
Two Brothers, one of my favorite songs, because it's so haunting:
Turn of the 19th century:
Teddy Roosevelt:
Excuse me as I cry my way through Golden Dreams...starting at the point when the clip of JFK, Jr. saluting his father's coffin is shown.
Exiting the theater:
That was 8:50 and I made it back around to World Showcase Plaza in about 7 minutes for IllumiNations. In case I haven’t said it, or you don’t already know me, IllumiNations is my absolute favorite thing in Disney World. When I was working at Epcot I became so familiar with the show that it is now physically impossible for me to sit still-I have to conduct the fireworks and music, which people around me generally find amusing. I already have more photos than of this show than I know what to do with, so I didn’t take any more.
When it was not quite over, I started walking to the exit and was able to get a nighttime shot in front of Spaceship Earth.
I walked back to my car, rather than taking the tram. Soon I was back at CBR. I’m in my room, ready to take a shower, and just as I’m about to step in, realize that somehow, I forgot to pack a razor! Ugh! So I get dressed again and go out to the car, only to realize that I can see some of the Frozen Fireworks from the Jamaica parking lot!
I drove over to OPR and stop out back first, to get a picture of the nightly movie area. If you’re standing right outside the main back doors of OPR, it’s straight ahead, to the right of the Banana Cabana Pool Bar.
And one last shot of the Frozen fireworks over the Fuentes del Morro pool:
Once inside the Calypso Trading Post, the only kind of razors they had were two packs of dinky little disposable two-blade men’s razors. Certainly not ideal, but sometimes you can’t be choosy. And they were only $2 or $3.
With that problem solved, I drove back to my room, finally took a shower, set my alarm for 7am (8am breakfast ADR at Tusker House the next morning), and was out for the night.
After dinner, I decided it was time to take a ride on Test Track. As usual, I joined the single riders line and picked a pre-designed car. The wait was around 20 minutes, if I recall correctly, but I passed the time talking to the family in line behind me. It started out because the Frozen Summer Fun events were listed on all the parks' times guides, but in really tiny print it said "At Disney's Hollywood Studios". So this poor family is in the MDE app trying to figure out where in Epcot this stuff is happening, and I let them know it wasn't there at all. After explaining to them what kind of events were part of the Frozen festivities, they said, "You sound like you work here". "Well, I used to!" I told them I had returned to Buffalo for grad school, and said I'm getting my doctorate in audiology. Well, apparently the dad misheard me, as he turned and looked at his daughter to say, "Do you know what an archaeologist does?"
"No, sir, audiology, as in hearing". "Oh, guess I need a little bit of that myself!" Too funny! I found out they were from California and had visited Disneyland a few times, so we also chatted about that, and compared and contrasted the rides that both resorts have. Finally, we were up to the car. I'm pretty sure I was with a family who had never ridden before, so that was pretty funny.
After that, I walked to World Showcase Plaza to meet Duffy Bear. It was just starting to rain a bit, and they said that Duffy would have to go inside if it picked up. However, it stayed calm enough for me to meet him and get a hug.
Up next was Mexico Donald. It was starting to rain a bit harder now, although Donald is in a sheltered alcove. He did have a bit of a line. His attendant said if she got a lightning warning over her earpiece we were going to play a big game of follow the leader into the pavilion. Good news, I was able to meet him outside!
After that, though, it was really coming down, with thunder and lightning, so I headed to Canada for shelter. It'd been over four years since I've last watched O Canada. I think I must have just missed a showing cause it felt like the holding area took forever. I was able to find a crate to sit on though, so that was nice. The movie was pretty cute, like I remembered. It seemed the 360 degree concept was lost on a lot of people though-they all tended to face the front!
Still raining, so on to France to see Impressions de France. In that case, I love the soundtrack (yay for classical French flute music-kind of my specialty) more than the movie itself. Since I just missed the next American Adventure show, I walked slowly from France to the USA, stopped to get a root beer float, and drank it outside. I asked the CM if I could bring it in to the lobby, but she said no, as I expected. She ignored me for quite a while though, as she was talking to an off duty friend who I think was on the college program and leaving soon. Not very impressed with that.
Again, it's been awhile since I've seen this show too, but I love it!
Ben Franklin and Mark Twain:
Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin:
George Washington and soldiers at Valley Forge:
Two Brothers, one of my favorite songs, because it's so haunting:
Turn of the 19th century:
Teddy Roosevelt:
Excuse me as I cry my way through Golden Dreams...starting at the point when the clip of JFK, Jr. saluting his father's coffin is shown.
Exiting the theater:
That was 8:50 and I made it back around to World Showcase Plaza in about 7 minutes for IllumiNations. In case I haven’t said it, or you don’t already know me, IllumiNations is my absolute favorite thing in Disney World. When I was working at Epcot I became so familiar with the show that it is now physically impossible for me to sit still-I have to conduct the fireworks and music, which people around me generally find amusing. I already have more photos than of this show than I know what to do with, so I didn’t take any more.
When it was not quite over, I started walking to the exit and was able to get a nighttime shot in front of Spaceship Earth.
I walked back to my car, rather than taking the tram. Soon I was back at CBR. I’m in my room, ready to take a shower, and just as I’m about to step in, realize that somehow, I forgot to pack a razor! Ugh! So I get dressed again and go out to the car, only to realize that I can see some of the Frozen Fireworks from the Jamaica parking lot!
I drove over to OPR and stop out back first, to get a picture of the nightly movie area. If you’re standing right outside the main back doors of OPR, it’s straight ahead, to the right of the Banana Cabana Pool Bar.
And one last shot of the Frozen fireworks over the Fuentes del Morro pool:
Once inside the Calypso Trading Post, the only kind of razors they had were two packs of dinky little disposable two-blade men’s razors. Certainly not ideal, but sometimes you can’t be choosy. And they were only $2 or $3.
With that problem solved, I drove back to my room, finally took a shower, set my alarm for 7am (8am breakfast ADR at Tusker House the next morning), and was out for the night.
APs + living in FL = The best!! 
We're eating at Garden Grill for the first time in a few days and my kids were looking at your pictures with me and are SO excited! 
At the Boston airport, I was actually on JetBlue flights, not sure if they share the same terminal with Southwest? But yes, I also noticed that the gate I was at didn't seem as nice as the area I arrived at. And I also always take new Safari pictures, no matter how many times I ride!
