Sound Bites & Snap Shots

We flew from Nashville to Orlando yesterday and boarded the Disney Magical Express to our hotel. Unlike last time when the boys were absolutely oblivious, this time they were highly energetic and full of smiles. 

We checked into the Disney Beach Club Resort and tried to settle down quickly.  We had big plans to start our Disney Park experience at EPCOT. By way of Disney’s website, we had planned out our days, scheduled our fast pass rides and made our dining reservations. 

As silly as it is, one of my favorite rides at EPCOT is Living with the Land because I am mesmerized by the hydroponics.  My family was so sweet to let it be one of the first rides we did.

I don’t know how eggplants grow usually but here they suspend from the branches of a tree amid beautiful flowers. The gardens are so clean.  (I wonder if a Disney cast member doesn’t go out and dust those lettuce leaves.)

From the gardens, we went Soarin’ over California and then to The Seas with Nemo & Friends.  Mason and Bill came off that ride with a new expression of adoration which includes bumping foreheads and saying, “Noggin!”  Taking advantage of all that was in that area, we also went to see Captain EO.  Michael Jackson came alive on screen and the kids enjoyed the space themed crusade.

Next up was one of our family’s favorite attractions—Mission: Space.  Disney offers two experiences tailored to the mission you seek.  We rode three times in all—twice with more extreme intensity and once with less intensity.  We definitely preferred the intense mission because the simulator uses a centrifuge that spins and tilts to simulate speed and G-forces during launch and re-entry.

Each person on the mission assumed a specific role and had flight responsibilities.  Flipping levers and pushing buttons (which activated lights and sounds, by the way) won points with all three of the boys in my party. Below is the view in the cockpit.

We dined for lunch at Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria.  It was one of the tastiest of all the meals we had in Orlando. 

We traveled back to Test Track after lunch.  The boys designed their virtual concept cars before we raced over the course. 

Mason had been really looking forward to this ride, partly because his best friend Aidan liked it so much and partly from a Disney video we previewed.  

Interestingly, Test Track experienced technical difficulties and we sat on the track for a good 15 – 20 minutes until it was brought up to speed.  At the conclusion of the ride, the cast members allowed us to go again without getting reseated.  While it was fun the first time, the exhilaration increased when the momentum was not interrupted. 

It was time for popcorn and a Starbucks break.  We watched a fountain display timed to music.  You know Disney.  Go big or go home.  It was great!

We reacquainted ourselves with Spaceship Earth and spent a little time there exploring afterwards.  Disney does a great job disseminating information and I would have happily ridden this attraction multiple times to absorb more about the history of communications.  

Now for a series of photos in front of the iconic Epcot structure by all of the Selby photographers…

The park crowds were small enough that we were able to revisit Mission: Space two more times before having dinner at Liberty Inn.  The boys had a tough time picking out their desserts from Karamell-Kueche, a bustling German kitchen specializing in treats made with caramel. 

Our last adventures of the day at EPCOT included a trip through Mexico on the Gran Fiesta Tour boat ride, which broke down while we were on it, followed by an attempt to take a boat ride in Norway’s Maelstrom which also stopped running due to technical difficulties.  (Hmm, Disney—three suspended rides in a single day???)

Thankfully, we found a perfect spot to watch the famous Illuminations Fireworks display from a bridge not too far from our entrance to the park. It was every much as good as I remembered it from several years ago. 

We are off to Magic Kingdom tomorrow!