"There's Nothing To Do At Disney World!" Jan '17 Weekend TR **05/19 X2**

[katt789]

Man do I miss Epcot!! Glad you guys enjoyed Teppan Edo, and yay for France treats! I can NEVER decide what to get in there, they all look so good!
I'm SO happy I managed to snag a few of those Canada buttons! They're so cool!
Love the pictures with Baymax & the Fab crew, super cute interactions too!

 

[pkondz]

Introducing, Salt Bae

His salting technique basically became a meme

Oh him! Sure, I've seen him tons. But... never knew it was salt!
And of course seen other memes.

I mean, I can't really blame all those people. Although, I guess I can blame them for their timing.

Yeah. Come on people! Get it right!

Quebec school system is pretty bad with Canadian history. Probably doesn't help that my teacher was extremely separatist.

A Quebec school not into Canadian history with a separatist teacher? How unique!

They actually started asking the trivia questions, and the first one was, who is the Prime Minister, so we were like, well, obvs we know that since we live there, and she was like, oh if you're Canadian then you don't have to answer the trivia, here you go.

Take all the fun out of it... but pretty simple question.

Nonetheless, we were both very excited to go and meet the big cheese himself.

Le Grand Fromage..... movie reference from somewhere that I can't remember now and am wayyyyy to lazy to Google.

a lot of Cast Members tried to wish us a happy birthday when they spotted our buttons.

Not surprised... and they're kinda right!

Honestly, he all but pounced on us for hugs.

He's so goofy.
(and sounds like fun)

He was also rightfully distraught when he failed to see any pins of himself on our lanyards.

Understandable.

But we explained to him that we weren't wearing any because we weren't trading pins of him, we were keeping them! That satisfied him, and he was happy again.

Nice save!

Last but not least was Miss Minnie. She did one of the cutest things too, as we waited to meet her. She'd just returned from break, but before coming to see us, she headed over to the other side of the room to fawn over Mickey for a moment, and then exchange a quick kiss before heading back our way

Awwwww...

I'm always taken by how tiny Minnie is.

Well she is a mouse.

the son really loved Baymax that was his treat after having to deal with the princess breakfast at Arkeshus.

Well deserved.

After a bit of back and forth between mom and daughter, where she was whining about wanting to go to bed, being bored, and so on, she let out this beautiful sentence in the most whiny voice a child can muster: "There's nothing to do at Disney World!"

So that's where it's from!

I don't want to brag but... I'm pretty sure my wife's the best.

Very sweet!

And of course, we had to give the big marshmallow a hug.

How was that? Like hugging a very large balloon?

I'm always super amused by the hug pictures.

It's like they're both saying "no hands!"

Ya got right in there!

It was pretty crowded, so we were especially glad that we had our FastPass for Soarin'.

Recall what the wait time was like for standby?

There was a realness to Soarin' Over California that is lacking from Soarin' Around the World, at least for me.

You're not alone.

well, it's hard to pass up Sunshine Seasons when it's *right there*.

We both went in with the intention of getting the strawberry shortcake, but only Amber ended up getting it. It was delicious, as usual. Remains a favorite for sure.

I haven't had that in a loooong time.

So I did, and I got this black forest cupcake a try.

Bleh.

I mean, it wasn't bad, but it sure wasn't great.

It honestly doesn't look that appealing to me.

everybody needs pictures in front of Spaceship Earth.

It's a rule.

Hey look! No back to back "sisters" pose.

Trying to be fab.

Succeeding.

And of course, we're not ones to pass up frame pictures.

Cute shot!

Love this.

 

[ArielSRL]

I'm going to make a note to see if you truly stick with the strawberry shortcake on this upcoming trip or if you get sucked in by something new again!

 

[MarieLightning]

Love your Epcot updates! I'm such a fan of Baymax <3 (Or Baemax!) Unfortunate your cupcake was such a disappointment. And I love your giant prop photo!

Thanks! And I looove Baymax, I was so excited the first time we got to meet him! Cupcakes do tend to be a hit or miss at Disney I find, but at least I've tried lots of great ones that made up for the bad ones.

As a parent of Holden who have been in need of a nap I can feel for that family but does seem like it wasn't too bad and helps the (it at least reads like) the mom was aware of it which I think helps. Hopefully she did find later I her trip that there are, in fact, things to do at Walt Disney World

That is to be hoped for! It'd be sad if she didn't

I mean, at least top 3. I am pretty partial to my wife and you seem like a high quality one as well

That's fair, I'll let you have that one But Amber is definitely above me on the list.

One of my favorite things to do in Future World is going to the Character Spot!!! My friends and I skipped Baymax and went to Joy and Sadness. When we were in line, we had a little one in full blown temper tantrum. It was bad...thank goodness they were behind us and not in front of us. Joy and Sadness was probably one of my favorite character meets (other than Pooh and Tigger at MK).

I do enjoy meeting the characters, and since tier 2 FastPasses at Epcot are a bit of a joke, we always end up including it. Joy and Sadness are really awesome to meet, they're so interactive! Their line gets pretty long but you understand why once you get to the front of it.

I feel the exact same way! I loved loved loved Soarin over California, as it was such an innovative ride. And being a California native, it made me feel so special to see my home state! Now, it just feels like a CGI show. It's fine, and sure I'll go on it if I'm with someone who hasn't ever been on Soarin', but it's not a priority for me.

I do like the sights of places around the world, but I enjoyed the sights of California just as much, so that's not really a pull for me either. We'll probably do it at least once every trip still, cause I do enjoy the sensation of the ride itself (although, maybe with Flight of Passage I won't feel the need for Soarin' for that sensation again since they're said to be very similar experiences) but I don't feel the need to do it as much.

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your weekend!

Thanks! It should hopefully be coming along shortly! I had such a good plan to get it done before we leave for our next trip, and then I got caught up, and now I have one and a half day worth of updates left to do in 10 days. Yikes.

This is now officially my favorite Baymax photo ever.

I love it too! It was really funny too, to watch him raise him up a la Lion King

I took so many (probably too many) pictures of Imagination in April, I just love the way the sky reflects on it! Totally get the pavilion love

It is a beautiful pavilion. We admittedly don't check it out much from the inside But I love the outside of it.

 

[MarieLightning]

Man do I miss Epcot!! Glad you guys enjoyed Teppan Edo, and yay for France treats! I can NEVER decide what to get in there, they all look so good!

Teppan Edo is always great! I always hesitate too, but then always end up going back to some favorite options! I love the chocolate eclair and the strawberry tart the most.

I'm SO happy I managed to snag a few of those Canada buttons! They're so cool!

I do like them a lot! I'm probably gonna try and see if I can an extra one in French this May/June trip, for my Aunt, since I'm sure she'd like it.

Oh him! Sure, I've seen him tons. But... never knew it was salt!
And of course seen other memes.

Yep, he's being fab at salting So yeah, that's what our Teppan Edo chef did. Twice, I think, cause everybody but us missed it the first time around.

A Quebec school not into Canadian history with a separatist teacher? How unique!

She was pretty cray overall. A nice teacher, but insane. Although, I'm pretty sure she's the only teacher I ever had that was so strongly into separatism. I think she was probably in love with Rene Levesque.

Take all the fun out of it... but pretty simple question.

They also asked what we call a dollar coin and a two dollar coin.

Well she is a mouse.

If I ever see an actual mouse that size, I will have a heart failure

How was that? Like hugging a very large balloon?

More like hugging an inflatable pool tube, with a very loud ventilation mechanism on the inside.

Recall what the wait time was like for standby?

I don't, actually. Probably horrendous though.

I haven't had that in a loooong time.

It's sooooo good. I haven't had it in a while either. Not too much longer til I can have one again though!

Hey look! No back to back "sisters" pose.

Good, I think once a trip is all Amber can deal with.

I'm going to make a note to see if you truly stick with the strawberry shortcake on this upcoming trip or if you get sucked in by something new again!

Probably a good idea Although, we may be stopping by Sunshine Seasons more than once this time around, so I may possibly get to both have a strawberry shortcake and try something new!

 

[MarieLightning]

Day 2, Part 5 - "You're Never Too Good For A Times Guide"

After getting a few of our Photopass shots, we walked back toward the Fountain of Nations to have a look at the living statues.

They were really pretty cool, each representing something specific, although I'm gonna be honest here, I forget what.

What a weird job this must be, though. Covered in paint all over, under the gleaming sun (I mean, it was pretty cool when we were there, but there were some warmer days during the length of the festival), and having to keep your eyes closed the whole time as people approached you.

I guess maybe they were all really skilled at having their eyes ever so slightly open, but you know. Still pretty weird.

I did get in for a picture with one of them.

And then we moved on in search of our next attraction.

Test Track!

Now, knowing we'd only be there for one day, we'd figured the best course of action would be to FastPass Soarin', and then do Single Rider's for Test Track.

Our plan seemed pretty reasonable, too.

Fifteen minutes waiting time is totally doable.

Only problem was... the line was actually out the door.

Which, if you've done Test Track single rider, you'll know it shouldn't be out the door for a fifteen minute wait.

We asked the Cast Member, and he did confirm it was closer to a 30-40 minutes wait, which we were not about.

We decided to move on and possibly check back later. We figured, worse comes to worse, we'll do it again soon enough.

So we headed off in a new direction.

No, not that direction.

We figured we'd take that time to check out the Festival Center for the Festival of the Arts.

So, we headed where they usually hold the Festival centers.

Aaand this is where actually doing your research pays off. The festival center was actually located in Odyssey this time around.

Sheesh. You'd think we were Disney noobs.

As it was, it was a very different kind of festival center from what we've grown accustomed to.

They had a couple of small exhibits displaying Disney art, and art in general, such as Mary Blair's.

They also had food offerings, and one presentation going on (well, obviously it changed from time to time, it was just the one at a time, whereas the other festivals, having more space, will tend to have more than one thing going on at once).

There was no merchandise to be found, which was what I'd been after, since I do like getting pins from special events. As it turns out, they didn't have pins for this particular event anyway, so after a while of exploring, we headed out.

Back toward the World Showcase.

We sat down outside Port of Entry for a little while, trying to figure out what we wanted to do from that point on.

We ultimately decided to try and enjoy some more of the festival offerings.

First stop was to help out with the mural.

Every weekend, they set up a giant paint by number mural for park goers to help out with. You were given a small cup of paint and a paint brush, and told to look for your number (written on the lid of the cup) and fill up to ten squares.

It was, of course, sponsored by Glidden, using actual Disney paint colors that you can purchase. If I remember correctly, it was a new line of colors.

By the time we got there, we were among the last to be let in line. There was pretty much just yellow and brown squares left to paint. We both got yellow.

Once you were done, they handed you a postcard of what the completed mural would look like, which was pretty cool.

We recycled our painting utensils and decided to do a bit of shopping, or at least, looking around at merchandise, since we'd spent enough money that day.

I have a thing for teapots.

I wish I could own one. There'd really be no purpose though, since neither of us drinks tea.

Although, I keep telling Amber there's nothing wrong with pouring hot chocolate out of it. She hasn't budged yet.

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[MarieLightning]

Day 2, Part 6 - "Now Put Your Hand On His Chest"

After a bit of browsing, we started walking around the World Showcase.

It was definitely a crowded day.

I mean, it'd been a crowded weekend so far, so that wasn't exactly surprising.

We passed by Canada, since we'd made a quick stop earlier that day, and headed toward the UK.

We headed into the shop to have a look around and see if the Kidcot Cast Member had any good pins for trading.

Amber also took a picture of Christopher Robin's room, which is still there, although sadly deserted.

Ah, Epcot. You've lost so many good meets. Duffy. Winnie and Tigger. Aurora.

Okay, I really only care about Duffy and Winnie and Tigger (the latter mostly because it was *so* easy to meet them there, they hardly ever had a line). But I'm sure many people miss Aurora as well.

Amber took a picture of this nice looking building.

But really, the main purpose of the picture was the guy's hat. Isn't it awesome?

It was also apparently a great day to be looking for tea advice in the UK.

But since, as aforementioned, we do not drink tea, we could not have cared less.

We headed toward France, and decided to stop for another festival photo op, which was set right before the path leading toward the International Gateway.

Amber decided the first picture should involve covering my cheek with her red lipstick.

Obviously, I had to do something about that.

She was very disappointed in me.

Not quite so much as she was when then PhotoPass photographer then instructed me to flirt with the guy next to me.

Now, having been up close and personal with this dude, I can tell you some people went all the way for their picture. There were definite lipstick markings on his lips.

Amber forgave my brief lapse of judgement, and we headed off to get a picture on the bridge.

France was next in line, though we mostly just passed through.

We did, however, stop in a few of the booths they had set up along the way to sell art pieces.

For some of those, the temptation to purchase something was very strong. Ultimately, I decided against it from fear that something would happen to it on the way home.

We walked through Morocco next, which I'm always happy to linger in, but since we were trying to see as many of the booths and art as possible, we didn't really stop in much.

I just appreciate their great detailing, though.

Now this, this was a very strong contender for me to purchase.

I am actually a little sad, looking at it now, knowing we do not own it and have it up on our wall. But I think, aside from the fear that the canvas would somehow tear in the suitcase, the fact that we only had our carry ons with us was another factor in the decision not to buy it.

It is so, so gorgeous though.

But after a few minutes of pondering 'will I won't I', we moved on to Japan.

Where Amber paused to longingly look out across the World Showcase Lagoon at her own favorite park icon.

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[MarieLightning]

Vlog Time

And for anyone still following along with our vlog - here's part 3!

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[1Grumpy9]

I haven't been on the "new" version of Test Track yet. I am still not sure if I will like it more than the original. I guess I will try in Feb. when I am going for a day.

One of these days I am going to stroll around World Showcase...I also really need to look around Morocco. I usually just pass by.

 

[Marloes]

I like your trip report! Love to read it.

 

[coloredimage]

closer to a 30-40 minutes wait, which we were not about.

Yeah, no. That'd be a hard no from me too

OMG I need that!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

bummer that the wait time was incorrect for the single rider line at TT (should definitely be able to get in a ride or 12 at the the DIS party though!)

Did they use the Wonders of Life pavilion for anything or only the Odyssey pavilion? Seemed like a pretty neat setup in there

Very cool you got to do some of the mural

- very cute!

Now, having been up close and personal with this dude, I can tell you some people went all the way for their picture. There were definite lipstick markings on his lips.

Another great job with the Vlog .... "This time we're coming for the Kingdom!"

 

[BlvInMagic]

Loving all of your Epcot updates and pictures! You really got alot accomplished

 

[MarieLightning]

I haven't been on the "new" version of Test Track yet. I am still not sure if I will like it more than the original. I guess I will try in Feb. when I am going for a day.

We never did do the old Test Track version, so that does allow us to enjoy the new one a lot. I've read of both people enjoying the new one just as much, and people thinking the old one was better, but hopefully it would be enjoyable no matter what.

One of these days I am going to stroll around World Showcase...I also really need to look around Morocco. I usually just pass by.

That's one of Amber's favorite things to do. She loves Epcot and the World Showcase. Morocco is my favorite pavilion, it's just so nice and immersive. Once you step in, you really get the feel you're in Morocco, because if you're far enough in you can't see anything else but Morocco around you.

I like your trip report! Love to read it.

Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoy it

Yeah, no. That'd be a hard no from me too

I used to wait so long for rides if there was a need for it. I remember waiting 3 hours once for a new ride at a Six Flags park. At Disney, I think the longest I ever allowed myself to wait for something was 45 minutes, and it'll depend on the ride. I'll wait for Toy Story Mania for 45 minutes. I won't wait that long for Buzz Lightyear. It's always proportional to what I feel the wait time should be. And it's not even something we ever established between ourselves, but it's like Amber and I just know what is the amount of time we're willing to wait for each given ride.

bummer that the wait time was incorrect for the single rider line at TT (should definitely be able to get in a ride or 12 at the the DIS party though!)

It does suck when that happens, although I feel worse for people who are new to the parks, unaware of line set ups, and would just trust the posted wait. We knew better because we know what a 15 minutes wait at single rider TT should look like, but not everybody does. We do plan on getting quite a few rides in at the party!

Did they use the Wonders of Life pavilion for anything or only the Odyssey pavilion? Seemed like a pretty neat setup in there

It was really mainly Odyssey. We found a bit later that they had a small set up for merch in Innoventions, across from Colortopia, but that was it. Wonders of Life was roped off. I guess it was probably timing. By the time Festival of Arts would end, it'd be cutting it pretty close to get everything set up for Flower and Garden.

Loving all of your Epcot updates and pictures! You really got alot accomplished

Thank you! We tried to do as much as we could with the limited time.

 

[MarieLightning]

Day 2, Part 7 - "I Wanna Be The Mona Lisa"

We didn't linger in Japan too long and kept moving to check out some more art pieces.​

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I am honestly, one of these days, own a Disney painting. I'm definitely tempted to stop in the Art of Disney in May, but I'm pretty sure most of what's in there is not within my budget right now. I may still have a peak. We'll see what happens.

We headed over to the next pavilion, which was 'Murica.​

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They did have one of the concerts going on at that point, so we stepped a bit closer and stood far back to watch for a bit.​

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We listened to a couple of songs and then decided that was good enough for us.​

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I know the America pavilion isn't the most appealing to visit for most people since, you know, you're already in America and all. Though I do love the American Adventure and Voices of Liberty.​

But I do still think it's pretty photogenic.​

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The sun was starting to set at that point, making it a bit chillier than it'd already been throughout the day. We decided to take that as perfect timing for dinner, so we headed in to Liberty Inn.​

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As did a lot of people apparently, because I got in line and waited for a pretty long time.​

I gathered our food once it was ready and brought it back to the table Amber had snatched by the front of the restaurant, next to the windows.​

She got the chicken nuggets. with some apple slices and what appears to be a Sprite. Although I'm not sure why it's in a bottle. Interesting.​

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I got a burger, though I disposed of everything on top, because they do not list all of that stuff on the menu, and I hate both onions and pickles. The moment it touches something else it contaminates the flavor for me, so the tomato and most of the lettuce had to go. Oh well.​

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We sat around in the store for a while. Although we'd allowed ourselves to sleep in that morning, we were both pretty tired still. Tired from school and work, and the big day we'd had the day before. Plus, it was getting colder, and Amber was especially feeling it.​

It was a couple of hours still at that point before IllumiNations.​

And Amber made the decision that she was done for the day.​

Now, you all know how much Amber loves IllumiNations (or if you don't, well, she loves it. She cries every time. She cries listening to the soundtrack). So that's why I'm saying she made the decision. I love IllumiNations too, but at the end of the day, if it comes down to skipping out on it, it's because she's really done.​

We still stuck around in the restaurant for another five minutes or so, at which point I asked her if she was really sure, and she said she just didn't think she'd be able to fully enjoy it, being as cold and tired as she was.​

It probably helped that we knew we were coming back in just a few months.​

So, we gathered our things and headed back out to the World Showcase.​

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We started our walk toward Italy, since we figured we should at the very least finish our walk around the World Showcase.​

It did allow us to take part in this photo op that we'd seen before, since the line was pretty much non existent.​

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How often in your life do you get to be the Mona Lisa?​

We tried to take a few pictures as we continued on, although most of them didn't turn out too great with the dark lighting.​

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Blurry Germany, but you know, gotta show proof that we did go through there and didn't just teleport from Italy to Norway.​

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Which I guess could mean we teleported past China?​

Something to ponder about.​

Or wait. No, sorry. That was just me arranging my pictures out of order.​

Here's China.​

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Phew. The laws of physics remain unbroken.​

(Is there a link between teleportation and physics? I've got no science skills whatsoever guys).​

At least, I did leave Mexico in its proper place.​

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[MarieLightning]

Day 2, Part 8 - "Let's Look Like We're Really Cold, Cause We Are"

We took the path toward Future World right after Mexico.​

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On our way out of the World Showcase, we decided to make one quick stop by Test Track to see if the line was more to our liking this time around.​

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It's hard to see on the picture, but the wait time posted was right about 20 minutes for single rider. We decided that was a wait we were willing to do, since we'd be waiting inside in the warmth, and we walked in.​

We walked almost right up to where people come out of the designing studio, and we were stalled there for a bit, but our line moved in spurts, and when it did, it moved fast.​

Turns out, only half of the designing studio was operating, so while they waited for another group to come through, they'd just load the cars up with single riders.​

Which was perfect for us, because that meant we ended up being able to sit together.​

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We noticed after the fact that the kid sitting next to us must have heard us talking about our plans for the picture, because he fits right in. That, or he was actually cold. It wouldn't be a far stretch.​

We got off the ride, satisfied to have done most of our favorites that day, and started on our way out.​

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We walked past the Electric Umbrella, which I think looks pretty cool at night.​

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And of course we had to admire the lit up pavement.​

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We reached the front of the park before too long, and we got to see a custodial at work on some pavement water art. He had a pretty nice variety of them, too, though some were already drying up.​

Jack Skellington.​

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Goofy.​

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Oswald.​

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And he was in the process of finishing up Minnie.​

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We decided to get one last picture on our way out, as we often do, because Spaceship Earth at night is so beautiful.​

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Thanks Epcot. As always, it's been real.​

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Our bus experience that night was, thankfully, not quite as rough as the night before. I can't remember the exact details, but I'm pretty sure we didn't have to wait too long for a bus to come around.​

We made it back to the resort early enough to take another stroll through the gift shop, because we apparently can't stay out of those stores.​

I was definitely tempted to get one of these mugs, because the 2017 merchandise is just so gorgeous. They stepped it up so much compared to the last few years.​

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But since Amber always insists we have too many mugs already, they were left behind, and we trudged back to our room. We relaxed for a bit, gathered the few belongings we'd brought along for the weekend that were laying around so we'd be packed up and ready to go the next morning, and we went to bed before too long.​

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[ArielSRL]

After getting a few of our Photopass shots, we walked back toward the Fountain of Nations to have a look at the living statues.

I love these!

No, not that direction.

HAHA...I would agree.

Although, I keep telling Amber there's nothing wrong with pouring hot chocolate out of it.

Exactly!!

After a bit of browsing, we started walking around the World Showcase.

Looks so cold out. I am so not a fan of cold weather.

Amber also took a picture of Christopher Robin's room, which is still there, although sadly deserted.

That is sad.

Now this, this was a very strong contender for me to purchase.

Beautiful!

And for anyone still following along with our vlog - here's part 3!

I still need to watch all of yours. Like I mentioned, the end of the school year is kicking my tail and I can't watch at work because of my job...lol.

It probably helped that we knew we were coming back in just a few months.

and when it would be warmer!!

we got to see a custodial at work on some pavement water art

So cool!

 

[pkondz]

She was pretty cray overall. A nice teacher, but insane.

Always a wonderful trait for someone guiding our young ones.

They also asked what we call a dollar coin and a two dollar coin.

Ooooh... tough one.

More like hugging an inflatable pool tube, with a very loud ventilation mechanism on the inside.

I hate to burst your bubble.... (see what I did there?) But... in reality, there's someone in there. And the "ventilation mechanism" is more commonly known as a fart.

It's sooooo good. I haven't had it in a while either. Not too much longer til I can have one again though!

After getting a few of our Photopass shots, we walked back toward the Fountain of Nations to have a look at the living statues.

They did that? Just for that occasion, I presume?

What a weird job this must be, though. Covered in paint all over, under the gleaming sun (I mean, it was pretty cool when we were there, but there were some warmer days during the length of the festival), and having to keep your eyes closed the whole time as people approached you.

I guess maybe they were all really skilled at having their eyes ever so slightly open, but you know. Still pretty weird.

Never thought about that.... but you're right.

I remember the first time I saw one. He was doing occasional robot moves too and had an electrical cord stretched out behind him. At one point, someone, unaware of what was happening, walked by and accidentally kicked the cord and it came out of the bush or whatever it led into. He stopped moving for a second and then completely broke character and (jokingly) raged "Now look what you've done!"

Now, knowing we'd only be there for one day, we'd figured the best course of action would be to FastPass Soarin', and then do Single Rider's for Test Track.

That would be my plan too.

Fifteen minutes waiting time is totally doable.

Only problem was... the line was actually out the door.

Um.... no.

We asked the Cast Member, and he did confirm it was closer to a 30-40 minutes wait, which we were not about.

"Then could you perhaps change your sign?????"

Aaand this is where actually doing your research pays off. The festival center was actually located in Odyssey this time around.

I would've had no idea.

Sheesh. You'd think we were Disney noobs.

Whoops! Guess I am, then.

There was no merchandise to be found, which was what I'd been after, since I do like getting pins from special events. As it turns out, they didn't have pins for this particular event anyway

Bummer.

First stop was to help out with the mural.

That's cool. I like.

Every weekend, they set up a giant paint by number mural for park goers to help out with. You were given a small cup of paint and a paint brush, and told to look for your number (written on the lid of the cup) and fill up to ten squares.

That's fun. Do they leave it for a set period? If you happen to know.

Once you were done, they handed you a postcard of what the completed mural would look like, which was pretty cool.

Nice.

I have a thing for teapots.

I wish I could own one. There'd really be no purpose though, since neither of us drinks tea.

Although, I keep telling Amber there's nothing wrong with pouring hot chocolate out of it. She hasn't budged yet.

Because she's right.
Has to be made in a mug, or on the stove in a pot.
(Not a tea pot.)

"Now Put Your Hand On His Chest"

What the what??

Amber also took a picture of Christopher Robin's room, which is still there, although sadly deserted.

So you want a young boy to be imprisoned there.

You monster!

Ah, Epcot. You've lost so many good meets. Duffy. Winnie and Tigger. Aurora.

Not being a character fan, I don't miss them.

But I especially don't miss Duffy. (sorry!)
I just could never see the point of him.

But really, the main purpose of the picture was the guy's hat. Isn't it awesome?

Noticed right away!

I'll be darned. Never knew it was a family name.

Cute.

Amber decided the first picture should involve covering my cheek with her red lipstick.

Obviously, I had to do something about that.

Not quite so much as she was when then PhotoPass photographer then instructed me to flirt with the guy next to me.

She does not look overly impressed.

Now, having been up close and personal with this dude, I can tell you some people went all the way for their picture. There were definite lipstick markings on his lips.

Ew. You really want to put your lips where others have?

Cute Tink shot.

For some of those, the temptation to purchase something was very strong.

I know the feeling and...
(I see what you did there, BTW)

Ultimately, I decided against it from fear that something would happen to it on the way home.

... I don't buy for the same reason.

Now this, this was a very strong contender for me to purchase.

How much was that? (If you don't mind my asking.)

I am actually a little sad, looking at it now, knowing we do not own it and have it up on our wall. But I think, aside from the fear that the canvas would somehow tear in the suitcase, the fact that we only had our carry ons with us was another factor in the decision not to buy it.

You should ask. A lot of places that sell art will ship it for you.

Where Amber paused to longingly look out across the World Showcase Lagoon at her own favorite park icon.

Loves Ellen's Energy, huh?

I am honestly, one of these days, own a Disney painting.

DO IT!!!

I know the America pavilion isn't the most appealing to visit for most people since, you know, you're already in America and all. Though I do love the American Adventure and Voices of Liberty.

Have yet to hear VOL and it's been 30 years (30!) since I've seen American Adventure.

She got the chicken nuggets. with some apple slices and what appears to be a Sprite. Although I'm not sure why it's in a bottle. Interesting.

I got a burger, though I disposed of everything on top, because they do not list all of that stuff on the menu, and I hate both onions and pickles. ​

I guess that's Americana, but... a nice restaurant would go a long way at increasing visitors there.

The moment it touches something else it contaminates the flavor for me, so the tomato and most of the lettuce had to go. Oh well.

Can I have the pickles? Love pickles.

It was a couple of hours still at that point before IllumiNations.
And Amber made the decision that she was done for the day.​

Whoa. She is really tired.

​

Those are great!

How often in your life do you get to be the Mona Lisa?​

Well... apparently, once.

Blurry Germany, but you know, gotta show proof that we did go through there and didn't just teleport from Italy to Norway.

But that would be so cool!

Which I guess could mean we teleported past China?​

See? Cool!

Phew. The laws of physics remain unbroken.​

Darn.

(Is there a link between teleportation and physics? I've got no science skills whatsoever guys).​

Yes. Quantum physics. Been demonstrated actually.

It's hard to see on the picture, but the wait time posted was right about 20 minutes for single rider. We decided that was a wait we were willing to do, since we'd be waiting inside in the warmth, and we walked in.

Good thing there's no outdoors or windy part!

Turns out, only half of the designing studio was operating, so while they waited for another group to come through, they'd just load the cars up with single riders.
Which was perfect for us, because that meant we ended up being able to sit together.​

Nice!

We noticed after the fact that the kid sitting next to us must have heard us talking about our plans for the picture, because he fits right in. That, or he was actually cold. It wouldn't be a far stretch.

And of course we had to admire the lit up pavement.

I love that. I wish I could have that at home.

We reached the front of the park before too long, and we got to see a custodial at work on some pavement water art

That's such a nice touch.

Nice! Never seen that Tink shot before.

We made it back to the resort early enough to take another stroll through the gift shop, because we apparently can't stay out of those stores.

Apparently not!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Interesting thoughts on the American Pavilion ... I too really enjoy the American Adventure and the Voices of Liberty but perhaps since it's a pretty easy trip to visit Philadelphia and see that actual buildings the show building are based on makes the area much less of a need to photograph than others. I wonder if, then, for people visiting from, say, Italy, do they not feel the need to photo of the Italy Pavilion

definitely tough to stick around for a few hours when you are tired and cold - and like you said, you have another trip coming up (definitely suspect you will watch the private showing on June 1st at the party!)

Full paining pictures!

The lights in the pavement at EPCOT are definitely classic ... if they ever to re-do/update Future World I hope that element stays in some capacity

 

[MarieLightning]

Looks so cold out. I am so not a fan of cold weather.

I'm usually fine with cooler weathers, but we were just badly prepared for it.

and when it would be warmer!!

Definitely looking forward to it being warmer!

Always a wonderful trait for someone guiding our young ones.

Isn't it? She was very entertaining at the very least, though.

I hate to burst your bubble.... (see what I did there?) But... in reality, there's someone in there. And the "ventilation mechanism" is more commonly known as a fart.

Listen. I'm gonna keep believing in the magic. Although, there are rumors that one of the purposes for the soft robot patent Disney is developping would be for Baymax.

They did that? Just for that occasion, I presume?

Yep, one of the few offerings of the festival.

I remember the first time I saw one. He was doing occasional robot moves too and had an electrical cord stretched out behind him. At one point, someone, unaware of what was happening, walked by and accidentally kicked the cord and it came out of the bush or whatever it led into. He stopped moving for a second and then completely broke character and (jokingly) raged "Now look what you've done!"

I think that's a good way to handle it.

That's fun. Do they leave it for a set period? If you happen to know.

Well, the main activities from the Festival of the Arts were Friday to Sunday, and my understanding is that they put a new one up every weekend.

Because she's right.
Has to be made in a mug, or on the stove in a pot.
(Not a tea pot.)

But, hear me out.

You make it in a pot on the stove.

And then.

You pour it into the teapot.

No?

So you want a young boy to be imprisoned there.

You monster!

Not imprisoned exactly. Just, you know. Kept from going outside from 11 AM to 9 PM

But I especially don't miss Duffy. (sorry!)
I just could never see the point of him.

I mean, he is a much bigger thing in Asia, although his story is rather cute. Mostly, he was just so nice to hug.

Ew. You really want to put your lips where others have?

I really don't, but I guess some people have no consciousness that germs are a thing at Disney too.

How much was that? (If you don't mind my asking.)

I honestly do not remember. I'm gonna guess a ballpark of 160$

You should ask. A lot of places that sell art will ship it for you.

Yeah. Probably for the same cost as the painting though

Have yet to hear VOL and it's been 30 years (30!) since I've seen American Adventure.

To be honest, we've never heard VOL in its entirety. We always come in halfway or toward the end of the set. But I do enjoy the American Adventure.

Whoa. She is really tired.

Yep. She really was.

Well... apparently, once.

Good thing there's no outdoors or windy part!

We make great decisions all the time.

I love that. I wish I could have that at home.

Same. I'd say future landscaping plans, but I don't think I'd ever take the time or money for it, so I'll keep admiring them at Disney.

Interesting thoughts on the American Pavilion ... I too really enjoy the American Adventure and the Voices of Liberty but perhaps since it's a pretty easy trip to visit Philadelphia and see that actual buildings the show building are based on makes the area much less of a need to photograph than others. I wonder if, then, for people visiting from, say, Italy, do they not feel the need to photo of the Italy Pavilion

I mean, I guess it would depend on the person. We always take pictures of Canada. Some people might be put off by the flagrant stereotypical aspects of everything, some people might think everything looks fun and enjoy seeing their home represented. I think maybe with America the thing too is that it's technically speaking not a pavilion in the same respect as the other countries have. Every country will have some aspects where you find yourself somewhat immersed in the culture, if some better than the others (always drawn back to Morocco here). I don't think America can do that, because well, everything around is already quintessentially American.

definitely tough to stick around for a few hours when you are tired and cold - and like you said, you have another trip coming up (definitely suspect you will watch the private showing on June 1st at the party!)

That is 100% in our plans.

The lights in the pavement at EPCOT are definitely classic ... if they ever to re-do/update Future World I hope that element stays in some capacity

I feel like people would be even more upset about that going away than they were about the Maelstrom. And we all know how that went.