Suz36
09-17-2010, 10:09 PM
Today was another special day - DH's birthday! Yes, DD missed/escaped (depending on how you look at it!) being born on Daddy's birthday by 47 minutes! However, today was also bittersweet, as it was our last full day. I again gave up control of this day to DH, and he chose to spend it at Epcot, which he always feels gets short-changed on all our trips. He also chose to sleep in just a bit. We had late breakfast ADRs at Cape May Cafe so DH could hang out with his buddy, Donald. When we woke up, we hung out on the balcony with the animals, got ready, and did our traditional stomp-on-the-Magical-Express-packet dance (we're never happy to leave WDW!) We were on the bus to DTD with plenty of time to spare, or so we thought. There was a bicycle race being held on property, and boy, did it snarl traffic. It probably took us 1/2 hour just to get out of the resort! When we finally arrived at the first stop, OKW, we knew we would never make our time, and since it was the latest breakfast time, we decided not to try to have them squeeze us in. DH really didn't mind, but I was so upset that our plans were messed up - birthdays are supposed to be perfect, and this one was not starting off so well! Anyway, we hopped off, and then onto a bus headed for Epcot. We made our way through Future World, admiring the topiaries, and headed straight for Norway, where we figured we could find some good breakfast-type food. We ended up having a very nice, quiet breakfast, sharing a few different goodies. Once our bellies were full, we took a ride on Maelstrom, did a little shopping (DS just had to have a stuffed puffin - it drives DH crazy, how many stuffed animals the kids end up bringing home!), and had a few Viking hat photos taken. Next up was China, were we checked out all the zodiac topiaries, DH and DD shared an eggroll, we watched the movie for the first time, wandered through the warriors exhibit, and of course, shopped. We tried and tried to get the water bowl to sing, but no luck! We stopped briefly at the Outpost to watch the artist, then on to Germany - topiaries, glockenspiel, and Toblerone chocolate! We also spent some time in the train garden. I love how they change it seasonally - we'd seen pumpkins and Halloween decorations last October, and now there were mini topiaries. They don't miss a beat, do they? Next up was Italy, where we tried some Italian sodas, did some shopping, and had a great spontaneous photo session with one of the Photopass photographers. The pics looked great, and were proof of the fact that DH wore his Mickey ears birthday hat the entire day! We stopped briefly in America to check out the topiaries, then onto Japan for bonzais. We also did some more shopping - DD collects the Pickles the Frog stuffed animals (her nickname is Pickle). By the time we got to Morocco we were hungry, so we stopped into the Tangierine Cafe for lunch, then explored the pavilion. Next up was France, which meant visiting with Marie, sampling the different fragrances in the garden (the kids really enjoyed this!), seeing the movie for the first time, and watch the chair acrobat performance. As we approached the UK, the clouds were darkening, and sure enough, after some shopping and photos with Pooh and Tigger, the skies opened up! We waited out the worst of it, and ventured out to a light drizzle. One of the kids had either left something behind or decided they wanted to buy something they'd seen, I can't remember which. Either way, we backtracked around the lagoon, getting caught briefly in Morocco because of a downpour. We came back around into Canada, and explored the beautiful gardens and waterfall a bit. I then ran ahead to France to try a Grand Manier slush (yum!), and we met back up to watch Off Kilter. These guys are great! I was just bummed I didn't have a chance to get their CD - next time! We saw about 15 minutes of the show, then had to check in at the Rose and Crown, DH's birthday dinner choice - he loves all things British! We were seated almost immediately, and Happy Birthday! We were right on the water, a perfect spot to watch Illuminations! OK, it was more like a birthday present for me! :blush: Our waiter was great - he gave me a hard time about bringing a French drink into a British pub. DH tried the beer flight, which he enjoyed. Dinner was yummy, and while waiting for Illuminations, we chatted with the family next to us, who were also celebrating their son's birthday. We were also entertained by a pair of ducks throughout the meal - I thought for sure they were going to waddle right into the restaurant! Illuminations was perfect - it was so nice to not have to fight the crowds, and have such a great view. This show is running a very close second to Wishes for me - I love the music. I have been trying to find the piano sheet music, but no luck so far. After the fireworks, we ducked into the restaurant to use the bathroom, and for me to check out the decor, as this was our first time eating here. We saw the Hat Lady packing up, and stopped to chat with her about DD's piano lessons and to get some pictures. She was such a nice lady, we'll definitely have to see her show on a future visit. We slowly made our way to the bus stop, and once "home", stopped in the gift shop for some last minute spending before heading to the room to pack up. All in all, even after a rough start, it turned out to be another magical birthday celebration.