ltjrrich
08-31-2011, 12:06 PM
Primary Cast:
Me - 26 y/o dude, lost count of how many times I've been to WDW many years ago. 20 times would be a reasonable guess.
Mom - Indeterminate age. She too has been to WDW many times.
Dad - Slightly younger than dirt. He has been to WDW many times, but doesn't necessarily remember. (Dad: "Wow! The Boardwalk is nice! Do you have to be a member to stay here?" Mom: "...No. WE stayed here two trips ago! Don't you remember?" Dad: "Hmm?")
Extended Cast:
Aunt T
Uncle S
Cousin S
Cousin A
Day 6: The Undiscovered Country
This day was our final day in the parks. It was also supposed to be our final full day at WDW, but thanks to Hurricane Irene we got to stay an extra day. It's quite ironic - we avoided a hurricane by going to Florida. Anyway, Dad and I got up early to take advantage of EMH for Epcot. The only ride we had left to do was Mission Space, and that morning I made sure to take a Dramamine so I could ride M:S Orange. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's my understanding that they've actually toned down the ride a bit since it opened due to several people experiencing health problems as a result. Dad and I actually did Mission Space during its soft opening in the summer of 2003, and it seemed much tamer this time around, but maybe that was just me. We also got FPs for Soarin', but my intention was to just give mine to Mom since she likes the ride so much and I really don't care about it. Dad and I did Test Track again, and we did "Journey Into Eric Idle's Tour of a Place That No Longer Exists Because it was Removed in Favor of Reinstating Captain Eo" (aka the stupid new version of Journey Into Imagination - Grudgingly Featuring Figment after Thousands of People Complained about the REALLY stupid version of the ride that just had Eric Idle).
Walking around Epcot, I had the thought - If I had several billion dollars, I would happily give it all to Disney - I wouldn't buy the company, I would just give them the money - BUT only on the condition that they: A) Return the REAL Journey into Imagination, B) Re-open Wonders of Life, and C) Tear down Test "I drove much faster than this on the way to Florida, especially since this blasted thing never works" Track and put World of Motion back.
Anyway, we just wasted time in Future World until the World Showcase opened, and we took the boat to Morocco and walked over to Japan to meet the entire family for lunch at Teppan Edo - which was yet another first for us on this trip. I had heard very good things about Teppan Edo on here, and I like Japanese food, so I was especially looking forward to eating here. I was not disappointed. And to add to Drinking Around the World, I had the sake sampler. There were three sakes, and I think the middle one was best. Thanks to the meal plan I got the tempura appetizer, the steak and shrimp entrée, and the green tea pudding dessert - which Aunt T called "snot custard." In fairness, that's precisely what it looks like, but it was quite tasty.
After lunch my parents left the park, but I stayed behind. I had to finish my drinking quest, and I also wanted to see Off Kilter. So I walked to Canada, and as luck would have it there was going to be an Off Kilter show in 20 minutes. So I took the little quiz in the Canada gift shop (I knew 3 of the 6 questions), and I made a mental note to come back later to buy the new Off Kilter CD. It seems every time I go to WDW they have a new CD, and of course I always buy it. I left the store and went over to the stage, where I sat on what had to be the Guinness World Record holder for World's Hottest Bench. I actually thought I had second degree burns from that demon seat, but I didn't want to stand for the half hour while they played. Laziness won over stinging pain in the keester. Off Kilter has a nice new stage now, but it's kind of disappointing to see them all in matching kilts. Jamie Holton used to wear the blue tartan of Nova Scotia as tribute to the Canada Pavilion, and I was sad to see it gone.
After the show I went over to the UK and saw that band over there (British Revolution?). They were okay - good, not great. Then I went over to France and had the Grey Goose Lemonade slush. Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhh my! That...that must be the drink in the World Showcase. If you can only get one thing to drink in the World Showcase, make it the Grey Goose Lemonade Slush! And in yet another first - I finally saw Impressions de France. From what I saw I liked it, but I did doze off a few minutes in. In all fairness, I did the same thing the first time I saw The American Adventure back on Day 1.
And speaking of The American Adventure, that was my next stop for drinking, as I had already covered Japan and Morocco, and I would be in Italy for dinner. I got a Sam Adams and funnel cake ("Breakfast of Champions"). Then finally I went to Germany for a bier :beer:. I'm going to digress for a moment to talk about the Biergarten in Germany. We did not eat there on this trip, but we have eaten there in the past, and it reminds me of something that I had seen on the Intercot Dining board. Namely that a lot of people don't like eating at Biergarten because they're afraid of getting stuck sitting with people who won't talk. Well, guess what - we're those people who won't talk. And that's exactly why we won't do Biergarten anymore - because we're afraid of getting stuck sitting with people who want to talk. It works both ways. We just don't like being bothered during meals. It's also why we won't do 50's Prime Time anymore - it's incredibly unpleasant being harassed and accosted by servers doing their grating "family" shtick. Just leave us alone and let us eat in peace. That's actually why I like Whispering Canyon (except for that awful woman serving the table next to us on Day 3), because the two waiters we've had there were incredibly funny, but also unobtrusive.
Back to Epcot on Day 6, after my beer in Germany I took the boat back to Future World, used my FP for Soarin' that Mom ended up not wanting, and then I walked back through Canada to pick up the Off Kilter CD, through the UK where I got a pin of Mickey pitching for the Mets (since Mickey was a Met, I imagine he was actually walking the bases loaded), and then stopped in France for another lemonade slush. I met the entire family in Italy where we had dinner at Tutto Italia - yet another first for us. I liked it a lot! The antipasto appetizer was fantastic. I also really enjoyed the lemon sorbet - a recommendation from Aunt T.
We left Epcot and went back to the room for our second to last night. The next day got very interesting in the afternoon.
Me - 26 y/o dude, lost count of how many times I've been to WDW many years ago. 20 times would be a reasonable guess.
Mom - Indeterminate age. She too has been to WDW many times.
Dad - Slightly younger than dirt. He has been to WDW many times, but doesn't necessarily remember. (Dad: "Wow! The Boardwalk is nice! Do you have to be a member to stay here?" Mom: "...No. WE stayed here two trips ago! Don't you remember?" Dad: "Hmm?")
Extended Cast:
Aunt T
Uncle S
Cousin S
Cousin A
Day 6: The Undiscovered Country
This day was our final day in the parks. It was also supposed to be our final full day at WDW, but thanks to Hurricane Irene we got to stay an extra day. It's quite ironic - we avoided a hurricane by going to Florida. Anyway, Dad and I got up early to take advantage of EMH for Epcot. The only ride we had left to do was Mission Space, and that morning I made sure to take a Dramamine so I could ride M:S Orange. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's my understanding that they've actually toned down the ride a bit since it opened due to several people experiencing health problems as a result. Dad and I actually did Mission Space during its soft opening in the summer of 2003, and it seemed much tamer this time around, but maybe that was just me. We also got FPs for Soarin', but my intention was to just give mine to Mom since she likes the ride so much and I really don't care about it. Dad and I did Test Track again, and we did "Journey Into Eric Idle's Tour of a Place That No Longer Exists Because it was Removed in Favor of Reinstating Captain Eo" (aka the stupid new version of Journey Into Imagination - Grudgingly Featuring Figment after Thousands of People Complained about the REALLY stupid version of the ride that just had Eric Idle).
Walking around Epcot, I had the thought - If I had several billion dollars, I would happily give it all to Disney - I wouldn't buy the company, I would just give them the money - BUT only on the condition that they: A) Return the REAL Journey into Imagination, B) Re-open Wonders of Life, and C) Tear down Test "I drove much faster than this on the way to Florida, especially since this blasted thing never works" Track and put World of Motion back.
Anyway, we just wasted time in Future World until the World Showcase opened, and we took the boat to Morocco and walked over to Japan to meet the entire family for lunch at Teppan Edo - which was yet another first for us on this trip. I had heard very good things about Teppan Edo on here, and I like Japanese food, so I was especially looking forward to eating here. I was not disappointed. And to add to Drinking Around the World, I had the sake sampler. There were three sakes, and I think the middle one was best. Thanks to the meal plan I got the tempura appetizer, the steak and shrimp entrée, and the green tea pudding dessert - which Aunt T called "snot custard." In fairness, that's precisely what it looks like, but it was quite tasty.
After lunch my parents left the park, but I stayed behind. I had to finish my drinking quest, and I also wanted to see Off Kilter. So I walked to Canada, and as luck would have it there was going to be an Off Kilter show in 20 minutes. So I took the little quiz in the Canada gift shop (I knew 3 of the 6 questions), and I made a mental note to come back later to buy the new Off Kilter CD. It seems every time I go to WDW they have a new CD, and of course I always buy it. I left the store and went over to the stage, where I sat on what had to be the Guinness World Record holder for World's Hottest Bench. I actually thought I had second degree burns from that demon seat, but I didn't want to stand for the half hour while they played. Laziness won over stinging pain in the keester. Off Kilter has a nice new stage now, but it's kind of disappointing to see them all in matching kilts. Jamie Holton used to wear the blue tartan of Nova Scotia as tribute to the Canada Pavilion, and I was sad to see it gone.
After the show I went over to the UK and saw that band over there (British Revolution?). They were okay - good, not great. Then I went over to France and had the Grey Goose Lemonade slush. Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhh my! That...that must be the drink in the World Showcase. If you can only get one thing to drink in the World Showcase, make it the Grey Goose Lemonade Slush! And in yet another first - I finally saw Impressions de France. From what I saw I liked it, but I did doze off a few minutes in. In all fairness, I did the same thing the first time I saw The American Adventure back on Day 1.
And speaking of The American Adventure, that was my next stop for drinking, as I had already covered Japan and Morocco, and I would be in Italy for dinner. I got a Sam Adams and funnel cake ("Breakfast of Champions"). Then finally I went to Germany for a bier :beer:. I'm going to digress for a moment to talk about the Biergarten in Germany. We did not eat there on this trip, but we have eaten there in the past, and it reminds me of something that I had seen on the Intercot Dining board. Namely that a lot of people don't like eating at Biergarten because they're afraid of getting stuck sitting with people who won't talk. Well, guess what - we're those people who won't talk. And that's exactly why we won't do Biergarten anymore - because we're afraid of getting stuck sitting with people who want to talk. It works both ways. We just don't like being bothered during meals. It's also why we won't do 50's Prime Time anymore - it's incredibly unpleasant being harassed and accosted by servers doing their grating "family" shtick. Just leave us alone and let us eat in peace. That's actually why I like Whispering Canyon (except for that awful woman serving the table next to us on Day 3), because the two waiters we've had there were incredibly funny, but also unobtrusive.
Back to Epcot on Day 6, after my beer in Germany I took the boat back to Future World, used my FP for Soarin' that Mom ended up not wanting, and then I walked back through Canada to pick up the Off Kilter CD, through the UK where I got a pin of Mickey pitching for the Mets (since Mickey was a Met, I imagine he was actually walking the bases loaded), and then stopped in France for another lemonade slush. I met the entire family in Italy where we had dinner at Tutto Italia - yet another first for us. I liked it a lot! The antipasto appetizer was fantastic. I also really enjoyed the lemon sorbet - a recommendation from Aunt T.
We left Epcot and went back to the room for our second to last night. The next day got very interesting in the afternoon.