Birthday goes to Epcot

Thursday January 10, 2013
Site 330 Fort Wilderness
Walt Disney World

 

 

 

Does this look like a giant golf ball to anyone else but me? 

At least from a distance. 

Wonder if its diamond pattern might improve golf games.  Not having played anything but miniature golf I’ll have to rely on real golfers to consider that possibility.  Might be good for putting huh?

 

 

 

Today we do a combination of Sherry’s version called ‘just wander around and do whatever appeals’ and David’s version of ‘go directly to the thing that might have the longest line and get a fast pass and then proceed to see things in order of their importance’.  The former method gives many fewer steps than the latter.

First we head directly over to the new attraction Soarin’ in order to get a Fast Pass.  At this point, the wait is 45 minutes.  Fast pass gives us a time 3 hours away.  So now we can wander other parts of The Land.

 

 

 

Luckily the first two things we wander into are on David’s list.  Yes he has a list.

 

At The Land we take a boat ride tour showing new ways of growing food in areas where the soil has been exhausted.  I’m wondering why we aren’t working harder on ways not to exhaust our soil rather than the chemical heavy alternatives but they certainly had large vegetables which would look particularly  fine if you lived in a desert.

 

 

I’m going to read up and see what kind of miracles this plant performs.

 

 

Here’s one I’d like to have in my backyard.

 

 

Hanging tomatoes

 

 

 

 

 

 

This woman is sitting in front of me on the boat traveling through this large greenhouse.  I imagine the shirt to be one provided for all Disney employees but I never get to see the shirt’s front to find out.

 

 

 

 

 

Ellen DeGeneres is very funny!   And Epcot has her.

 

Next up on ‘the list’ is the Universe of Energy where we spent 45 minutes in the mind of Ellen DeGeneres as she has dreams and nightmares while learning about all types of energy so she can compete on Jeopardy.  She’s very funny and the program is excellent although it has some  interesting omissions of the negative aspects of “clean” coal and of oil.   No mention at all of the nuclear waste that will be left for our great grandchildren’s great grandchildren to deal with.   But if you’ve ever wanted to get back at a High School smarty pants, you’ll love this.

 

 

 

Another interesting job at Disney.

What do they put on their resume?

 

 

 

World Showcase is a perfect place to wander.. 

In a small space the designers have done an excellent job of rendering the native architecture of all the countries.  We see many tourists from  each country here looking very proud of this representation of their homeland.  It seems as though many of the Disney employees in each country are natives of that country.  This gives a very authentic flavor to each area.   Each Disney worker has a badge with name and place of birth so you can see who is from Paris or Oslo or Madrid or Newbiggin-by-the-Sea (that’s a real town in England).

 

 

 

 

This little burro in Mexico reminds  me of our Freddy.  The painting on his cart is beautiful

 

 

 

I have to laugh at the Americanization of statuary in Italy.
Such a carefully placed drape.

 

 

 

 

Morocco

 

 

Hey Bill, I made it to Beaches and Cream. 

Except for one bite, I eat it all myself.
I’m not sure I’d be willing to trade it in for part of The Kitchen Sink.
THREE scoops of ice cream, hot fudge, hot peanut butter, chocolate and peanut butter chips, REAL whipped cream and of course a cherry on top.

 

 

Beaches and Cream is inside Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.  What a gorgeous place inside and out with a sandy beach and an amazing water slide into the pool.  There are 29 “resorts” you can stay in on the Disney Property.  Let’s see, if I’d started spending my birthday at a different one each year, I’d have just finished trying them all!

 

 

 

 

Quick trip back to Merry Ole England

 

Guess why?

 

 

Is this Jane and Michael and John and Nana’s house??

 

 

It must be.  Look who shows up to wish David a Happy Birthday!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We wander in Morocco in the dark.  It feels like Casablanca.

 

 

 

 

Wish I had somewhere to wear accessories like these.

 

 

 

Of course even in a very full day, we only scratch the surface of Epcot and see only half of the 6 country specific attractions so we have three more to come back for as well as all the food we didn’t sample.  :-))

 

 

 

Epcot’s salute to the Earth is a spectacular closing to a wonderful Birthday Party.

 

I think I have all the Continents here.   Don’t want to leave anyone out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday David, your birthday was AGAIN today!!!