New Things at a Rainy Epcot

Tuesday December 6, 2016                                                 Most Recent Posts:
Fort Wilderness Campground                                               Why I am  Rethinking Visiting Disney in December
Lake Buena Vista, Florida                                                     In Search of the Scrub Jays

 

 

I must confess that the only time I’d been to Disney World before I retired was when I brought Carrie and her little friend Emma here when they were 8 or 9.  We all had just a wonderful time and did all the things kids love to do.  Still,  I always thought of it as a kid’s place.  But I began reading in their blogs about the fun some of my adult RVing friends were having without their children or their grandchildren.  So when we came to Florida the second time we came over for 3 days.  We had such fun that we’ve come back every year.  I hope my posts over these past few years will testify to what a great time we have and encourage you to bring out the kid inside yourself and give it a try.   I love being here for my birthday week which is why I’m sad to see things changing.

 

This year the party began in the Magic Kingdom yesterday.  Today we spend a rainy Tuesday in Epcot thinking there are lots of indoor venues there.  While that is true, it does not keep us from getting soaked.

We take a bus from the top of our loop to a bus at the front of the campground.  The second bus takes us to Epcot.  We then wait in line to get our bags screened and our bands scanned just as we did at the Magic Kingdom.

We walk around the park and enjoy the decorations before heading over to my goal for today, No Way Jose at Beaches and Cream for lunch.    Notice the dark skies.  Beaches and Cream is around and behind the World Showcase.   Will we get wet walking over there?

 

 

 

We make it with no showers but it pours while we are inside.

Love the happy ice cream parlor look to Beaches and Cream.  Complete with little at the table juke boxes so you can select your favorite 50’s hits.   Don’t the colors just scream “ICE CREAM”.

 

 

It’s a double No Way Jose for us.  Jose is right up there with JMC on the favorite ice cream list.   Really healthy lunch right?  But those are potatoes in the middle.  And anything goes on your birthday.

 

 

On our way back to Epcot it begins to pour. Even with rain coats we get soaked as it continues to come down. David has gone to the french bakery to get a dessert from his lunch.  Can you believe that?  He’s having a chocolate croissant. 

I’m headed over to see about the new Norway exhibit on Frozen. There is a huge line.  The sign says a 60 minute wait but it’s pouring outside so I have nothing to lose.   David joins me there and we wait and dry off.

They do have an interesting queue and it’s all inside which is what counts today.  It’s a Norwegian town and you file by lots of stores and houses. It’s so dark I have to use a flash to get this picture. Everybody has their rain gear off.

 

When we finally make it to the head of the line. We board a vaguely Viking looking boat for our less than 10 minute trip.

 

Not really knowing anything about Frozen, we probably don’t appreciate this in the way others do but it’s the newest Epcot destination and it’s raining.   We do notice everything is blue.  As in cold, I guess.

 

Back outside, it’s iffy.  We decide it’s best to give up on the idea of  wandering and the World Showcase and head for The Land, another indoor venue.

 

I’ve incuded some of the houses we pass in Norway on our way  and the rune stone for my Scandanavian friend Laurie.  Not sure how this lovely house got to be the baby stroller parking lot.

 

 

We pass Mexico’s Aztec temple on our way

 

In the lagoon I spot a couple of coots. 

 

 

Before going into The Land we stop in the Coke building for some free samples of “Flavors of the World” (sodas).  I have a hunch these sodas are provided by Coke all over the world.

They have all sorts of flavors and I don’t care for most of them.  But apparently these are the favorite beverages in Brazil, Peru, Zimbabwe, Japan, Italy Thailand, Greece and  South Africa.   South Africa’s was the best we both thought and Italy’s was so bitter we almost couldn’t drink one sip.  Thank goodness the cups are small..

 

 

From there we head to our one fast pass at the new Soarin’.   I really like that they are now taking us “hang gliding” around the world and not just over the snow capped mountains, the coasts and the redwoods of California beautiful as it was.  But my main objection still stands.  The feet of the row above you really hampers the ability to suspend your disbelief when you are flying over what I assume is Mount Everest, the Taj Mahal and a balloon festival in the Western US red rock. among other gorgeous places like the Great Wall of China..

 

 

 

But, the ride is wonderful enough that we turn right back around and do it again and are able to, I suspect, becasue of the weather and other folks  just having thrown in the towel and gone home.   The line is reasonable by 3:45.

 

 

We head upstairs to Living with the Land and take a boat ride through the greenhouses.  The focus of  the ride is on agriculture and ways to make it more efficient, more healthy, and less environmentally destructive.

Decorations abound here as well.

 

 

We laugh at the holiday decorations.

 

 

What in the world do you do with these baseball bat “winter melons” other than tie ribbons around them as decorations.   The label says winter melons but they look like giant zuccini to me, the kind you put in people’s unlocked cars to get rid of them.

 

 

We make a stop in Innovations to visit Colortopia and paint the walls with electronic paintbrushes.  It’s more like coloring in a coloring book actually.  A BIG wall sized coloring book.  It was fun and if you put in your email address, they will send you a copy of your picture.

 

Time for us to wrap it up as the colors in the sky look wonderful above the palm trees and Spaceship Earth..  The moon looks tiny up in the sky.

 

 

Still drizzly outside.

 

We decide to skip the bus to bus method and take the monorail to the transportation center and switch to a different monorail to the Magic Kingdom and get the boat back from there.   It’s 3 changes rather than two but more interesting.

We see the Magic Kingdom from the monorail and from the boat as we head back to Winnona after our 3rd day in the park.   Love the lights.