Part 7
Participants:
Chris, 29 years old
Michelle, 27 years old
Bhen, 22 months old
Day 7, Thursday December 6, 2001
We woke at around 8:00 and completed our morning routine. Today was our last full day at WDW, and we wanted to divide it between the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. We had not yet ridden the monorail as much as we would have liked to, so we decided to park at Epcot for the day, and take the monorail over to the Magic Kingdom.
Co-pilots, for a few minutes, at least
When we arrived at Epcot, we saw a monorail pulling away for the Magic Kingdom as we were walking up the ramp. Our disappointment at having to wait for another train quickly dissolved when Chris asked the CM if we could ride up front on the next monorail, and she said "Sure."
Soon the purple monorail pulled up, and the CM walked us to the front. She gave each of us a co-pilot's license. Ben absolutely loved his, because it had a picture of a choo-choo on it. He couldn't stop pointing at it and saying "Choo-choo, Choo-choo!" That is, until we began moving, when he became completely riveted with our motion along the track, which seems much higher in the air when you're sitting in the nose of the train. My grown-up child, Chris, was just as delighted as Ben, as he is a huge train buff. The lady who was piloting the monorail didn't talk to us at all, which seemed a bit strange to me, but I guess she was busy driving. All in all, it was great fun.
A Christmas surprise
When we arrived at the Magic Kingdom, we were surprised to find the Christmas Parade in progress. It was a pleasant surprise, in that I loved this parade at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, and didn't think I'd be seeing it again. It was a little irritating, though, that they had roped off only a very narrow area for guests who wanted to walk through the park, so even for us to get through Town Square to Main Street was difficult, with CMs all over the place yelling "Stay to the right, stay to the right". Not very welcoming. I hope no one was entering the Magic Kingdom for the very first time that day, they would have turned around and never returned. And then we were roped off from being able to join the crowd watching the parade, so we proceeded on down Main Street.
We hadn't had breakfast yet, so I ducked into the bakery, as Chris and Ben went to pick up Fast Passes for Buzz Lightyear. I picked up an enormous cinnamon roll, a croissant, and some fruited yogurt. The parade was over by now, so it was not difficult to find Chris at our designated meeting place on the hub. He didn't have Fast Passes because there was no line at Buzz.
We found a bench and ate our breakfast, while being attacked by the blackbirds from hell. I guess some people must find them cute and feed them, but to a person with a flapping phobia, this was a bit of a nightmare. We ate quickly and the headed over to Buzz.
My new favorite ride
The line for Buzz looked long, as it was wrapped around the side of the building. It seemed to be moving fast, though, and since we really wanted to experience this ride we had never ridden, we took a chance on Ben's mood and got in line. The actual wait was less than ten minutes, because, while the line was very windy outside, there was basically no wait inside.
We boarded our vehicle and let Ben spin while Chris and I each shot a gun. It was a bit tricky to actually hit any targets, since Ben was totally in control of when the vehicle moved. I scored 128,700. I didn't think that was too bad for my first time, especially when compared to Chris's 27, 200. Chris was entirely sure that something was wrong with his gun, so when Ben said "Again" as we were exiting the building (he had had great fun spinning us), Chris jumped at the opportunity.
On our second ride, I was doing even better. I already had over 200,000 when the ride paused for a few seconds. Our vehicle was right in front of a spider target, and I hit it several times in a row. That got me a lot of points, shortly after that, my score maxed out at 999,999, and I was very deliberate about sitting back to enjoy the rest of the ride while Chris desperately continued to try to match my score. His final score: 83,700.
I loved the Buzz Lightyear ride, and could have ridden it all day, but Chris had had enough, so it was time to head to Fantasyland. On our way through Tomorrowland, we were stopped in our tracks by a trash can rolling our direction. It asked Ben about bringing his teddy bear with him to Disneyworld. Ben was so surprised by this that he leaned way forward in his stroller to get a closer look at the talking trash can. I had to get out the camera and take a picture, to which the trash can said "Good luck explaining that picture back home."
A bonus Christmas surprise
It was around 11:30 now, and Ben was beginning to act sleepy. Our Peter Pan Fast Pass return time was 12:15. We decided to walk around for a while to see if Ben could fall asleep. We headed in the direction of Liberty Square, where we noticed that ropes were up. We asked a CM about it, and she told us that they were going to be taping the Christmas parade again at noon.
Ben had fallen asleep by now, so we decided to get an Iced Cappuccino Float and sit and enjoy it. The tables at Sleepy Hollow were deserted, so we chose a table in the shade and relaxed. When the parade began, we were surprised to see that we had an unobstructed view of the parade as it crossed the bridge between Liberty Square and the hub. It was rather good luck that we were getting to see three times the parade we thought we would only see once.
At 12:15, Chris, who was not as excited about seeing the parade again, went to get us another set of Fast Passes, this time for Pooh. Around 12:30, Ben woke up. He made it clear that he did NOT want to watch the parade, which was almost finished anyway. I went over to the parade route to get one last look at Santa towering overhead in his sleigh, then we headed for Peter Pan.
Ben definitely seemed to enjoy this ride more than the last time. He knew when to expect to see the moon, and was very excited about it. He also said "Up, up, up" and "Down, down, down" at appropriate points in the ride.
Our Pooh Fast Pass time had almost arrived, so we went there next. Ben knew what to expect this time, and had great fun pointing at all of his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood.
Mid-day park hop
It was around 1:00 now, so we decided it was time to head to Epcot for the rest of the day. As we were leaving the Magic Kingdom, we saw Regis Philbin stepping down from a set that was near the Christmas tree. I guess he was filming his show there, or maybe he was a part of the Christmas special. We aren't huge Regis fans, but it was kind of cool to see a celebrity.
We took the monorail over to Epcot, and decided to go to the Living Seas first. Chris loves this attraction, especially the manatees, and we hadn't been here yet. On the way in, we were greeted by the nicest 63-year-old CM named Willie who welcomed us to the pavillion and chatted with us for a few minutes before we went in. I had never seen a CM posted outside a Future World pavilion as a sort of greeter before, but I thought it was a nice touch. I suppose this arrangement would only be effective with a CM like Willie, who was eager to learn about us, and tell us about his grandkids.
Once inside, we skipped the film, but still had about a 10 minute wait to get a hydrolater. I missed the ride through the aquarium, but I guess there is enough to experience here without it. We went to the manatees first. Ben was interested in them for a few seconds, but then he wanted to do some exploring. I told Chris to look to his heart's content, and I chased after Ben. Mainly he wanted to go up and down the steps. Luckily, the place was pretty empty, so he was able to do so without getting in anyone's way. When Chris had had enough fish, and Ben had had enough climbing, we left.
We decided it was time to let Ben play in a fountain, since he had so much fun yesterday at the Marketplace. I was thinking that kids could play in the fountains near Imagination, so we went over there. When we got there, I realized that these fountains were only to look at. Still, Ben loved them, and it was difficult to convince him to leave.
The greatest fun yet, for Ben, anyway
Next we went to the fountain on the walkway between Future World and World Showcase, near the Christmas truffula trees. This was exactly what we were looking for. Ben had a wonderful time! He was a bit nervous at first, but quickly began to have fun. Kevin, a 9-year-old British boy was having a wonderful time as well, and I enjoyed visiting with his mother as we watched.
We got the idea to take Ben's shirt off a bit too late, as it was already soaked, but I took it off anyway, so it could begin to dry as he continued to play. By now, Ben was intentionally sticking his head in the flowing water, and laughing almost maniacally. I took a full roll of pictures of his antics.
We let Ben play for about an hour, perhaps the most entertaining hour of our trip, and then decided we had better move along. He was absolutely soaked, and we realized that we didn't have a dry diaper in the diaper bag to put on him. We realized it was time to go to the Baby Care Center. This is a convenient place for parents. I think it would be especially good for breastfeeding mothers. The woman working in there was very helpful. We were able to buy a Ziploc bag that had two diapers, wipes, and diaper rash ointment. We got Ben changed, and put his shirt, which was almost dry by now, back on, but left his shorts off, so they could dry.
Eating our way around the world
It was around 3:30 by now and we realized we hadn't eaten lunch. We were quite hungry, and with no specific plans for the rest of the day, we decided to snack our way around World Showcase, while stopping to shop in each country.
Our first stop was Mexico, where we shared a wet burrito. It was pretty good, but I think I mainly enjoyed it because I was very hungry. If I were to snack around the world again, I'd probably try something different in Mexico. We didn't shop here, because we had been inside on Tuesday when we rode El Rio del Tiempo, and we didn't want to take Ben out of his stroller, as he was not wearing pants at the moment.
Next up was Norway. On the way there, we realized that people were lining up for the Tapestry of Dreams parade. We claimed a spot, then I went to the bakery and got a rice cream. The rice cream was very enjoyable. It had a nice subtle flavor, not too sweet, which was a pleasant surprise. After enjoying our rice cream, we realized Ben's shorts were dry enough to put back on him. We got him dressed just in time for him to sit on Chris's shoulders to watch the parade.
Tapestry of Dreams was enjoyable. We had never seen Tapestry of Nations, so we don't have that as a point of comparison. I thought the costumes were beautiful, and the music was great. It did seem to me, however, that many of the elements of the parade repeated themselves almost exactly at least a couple of times. I'm assuming there is a story line to the parade that explains this, but I must have missed it.
After the parade, we went through the shops in Norway. I love the sweater shop, and even bought a sweater I found on a fabulous sale here in 1998. No sales today, though. Someday I'll buy another sweater here, sale or not, because the one I have is truly a great sweater. It is the warmest thing I own and I always get compliments on it.
We headed over to China where we shared an egg roll. I very much enjoy egg rolls, so I have very high standards as far as their quality. This egg roll was mediocre by my standards, but Chris thought it was good. I'd probably choose a different snack from China next time.
We browsed the shops. Two very friendly clerks approached Ben and visited with them. I was happy to be able to say hello, "Ni hao," to them. I had learned that from my Chinese student. I could also have said mosquito and egg roll, but I held back. I bought a box set of a variety of loose teas, and we were ready to proceed to our next country.
Next we went to Germany, where we shared an apple strudel. This was an excellent choice, and we had the bonus entertainment of the giant clock striking 5:00 as we ate. Ben loved the clock shop, and was saying "cuckoo" very clearly by the time we were finished shopping there.
We stopped to watch the model train for a few minutes. Ben, of course, was excited about the train, and Chris, as a model railroad buff, enjoyed it as well. I liked seeing the town decked out for Christmas. That was a nice touch, a very Disney detail.
Next up was Italy. As we were arriving, a guy paddled by us on a gondola on wheels. That really cracked me up. He was beginning a show of some sort, but we elected to take our cannoli back to the promenade. I enjoyed the cannoli very much, but Chris said he had enjoyed Germany's strudel more. After eating we browsed the shops. Chris loved the silk ties.
At the United States, we decided not to eat or shop, as our tummies were ready for a break. We did stop and watch a few minutes of the Candlelight Processional. I could tell that it is a powerful show, and it may be something I would like to see sometime when Ben is older. If he can't make it through Playhouse Disney Live, there is no way he's ready for the Candlelight Processional.
We proceeded to Japan where we saw a woman talking about Japanese holiday traditions. She was very animated and entertaining. The children in the audience seemed to enjoy it very much. We got a bowl of Tempura Soba to go from the counter service place. It was very good, especially since we had only eaten sweets since China. We are a bit spoiled, however, by having an excellent Japanese restaurant in Columbia, so I couldn't help but compare it to their tempura, which made it seem rather lackluster. Still, it was good, and I would definitely get it again.
Next, we went to Morocco. It is always fun to browse the shops here, as the theming is so enveloping, and the stores carry some really unique merchandise. The holiday speaker was about to begin, so we got a seat where we could watch him, and I went to the Tangierine Café to get one of their bread rounds and some hummus. The man who spoke about Ramadan was entertaining, apparently Disney does a great job of casting these people. The bread and hummus was wonderful. The bread was warm and crusty, just perfect. This was my favorite snack yet.
Eating plan thwarted by the Marvelous
Soon we moved on to France. The bakery in France is one of my happy places, so I went in while Chris and Ben explored. I was surprised that the pastries did not look as decadent as they usually look to me. I chose a Marvelous, and rejoined Chris and Ben. We sat down to eat it, but, much to my surprise, even between the three of us, we couldn't finish it. We had just eaten too much in our snacking quest. We each had a couple bites of the Marvelous and ended up throwing most of it away. I never thought the day would come when I couldn't finish a French pastry.
We browsed the shops in France for a while. I love all of the unique kitchen ware here, especially all of the French wine steward items. If I had unlimited funds, this would definitely be a major shopping stop for me.
After our failure to finish the Marvelous, we realized it was about time to head out of the park. Snacking almost around the world was fun, but I guess we won't try it again unless we have a party with at least 4 in it, or we stop for longer at each country to shop and see movies, so we have time to digest. It was 6:30, and Ben was getting a bit tired of being pushed around in his stroller. We passed by the UK and Canada. We didn't get a chance to explore those pavilions this trip. Next trip we'll begin on this end of World Showcase, so we can browse here.
On our way out, we stopped to watch the Lights of Winter for a while. This was really neat. When we first arrived at Epcot on Saturday, Chris had asked me what the things that looked like old mattress springs were. I think we were both pleasantly surprised when we saw them illuminated.
As we were exiting, we decided to ride Spaceship Earth one last time. When we passed the scene with the clip from Snow White and Ben didn't say "Dig-dig," we looked down and saw that he was fast asleep. I was happy that this time the climax wasn't ruined, as it had been when we rode on Saturday. Riding Spaceship Earth was a nice way to end our time in Epcot for this trip. It really is the quintessential Epcot attraction.
The final savanna stroll
Ben stayed asleep all the way back to the Lodge. He awoke upon our arrival, and we decided that we would take a last look at each savanna. As we headed to the Uzima Savanna, Ben requested an opportunity to play at the playground, so Chris and I took turns looking for animals while the other watched Ben play.
Next we went to the Arusha Savanna, where I had a somewhat unsettling experience. We happened to be on this savanna when we could hear what must have been Illuminations fireworks. At the sound of the first boom, one of the antelope on the safari raised his head from where he was grazing and let out a sad bellow. Perhaps this was a coincidence, but it really seemed that the fireworks noise was disturbing to the animal, and made my feelings of uncertainty about the setup at the Animal Kingdom Lodge grow.
Our last stop of the evening was the Sunset Savanna, where the giraffes were lying peacefully in the grass. They seemed quite content, and made me wonder if I was overreacting to what I had seen on the Arusha Savanna. We watched them for a long while, then headed up to our room.
We had intended to pack when we returned to our room. By the time we got settled, however, it was 10:30, so we decided to just get to sleep and leave the packing for tomorrow.