Hellobee

On our second day at Disney we chose to go to Epcot because EasyWDW had it as a recommended park that day. Like Hollywood, I wasn’t sure there was going to be a lot for Drake to do. Touring the countries is always a highlight for my mother and I was hoping Drake might get a kick out of it too. We decided to quickly Fast Pass a few rides upon entering, return to the hotel for a nap for Juliet after lunch, and then return to see the showcase as well as Illuminations at night.

This was my list for Drake at Epcot:

The Seas with Nemo – Before coming to Disney, Finding Nemo was the only Disney movie Drake had ever seen (and by seen I mean he lets the movie play in the background while he plays without demanding we change it as he had for both The Lion King & Dumbo in the past).  He was familiar with Nemo and Squirt and Dory, but I don’t even think he understood the story. Still I knew this ride would be one he would want to ride since it had Nemo in it, and he always loves seeing him. The ride takes you through an abridged version of the movie as Nemo moves through each room and its scenes. You ride in an open clam shell that moves along on a slow track as you enter each new area/room.  When the ride is over it leads you into a large aquarium setting where you can see all kinds of animals in small tanks, as well as a huge salt water aquarium  (2 stories) that I believe might be used in some research (there are divers in the tank that swim and wave at you), and a manatee area too.  Drake had a lot of fun running around and exploring this area after the ride was over.

Huge two story aquarium

Jellyfish room

Turtle Talk with Crush – Turtle talk our other must see was in the same building as Nemo. It’s an interactive show where Crush (Squirt’s dad) actually talks with the audience. Mr. Chocolate and I were both fascinated at how the animation was able to be done live as Crush would talk and interact with the crowd. There were a lot of laughs in the show for both kids and adults alike and because the audience participation is lively and can change from show to show.  This was quite enjoyable for the whole family.

Soarin – Soarin and Test Track are the two big attractions at Epcot. Soarin does have a 40 inch height requirement so we weren’t sure if Drake would be tall enough as he was measured 39.5 inches at his 4 year old check up in June. We Fast Passed this ride since it’s always one of the more popular ones and took a chance in hoping Drake would measure up, and he did. Drake loved this ride and was so excited coming off of it. Soarin is a flight simulation ride and Drake talked about flying to the north pole and outer space and seeing Tinkerbelle as she flew over Disneyland.

Because Soarin had a height minimum Juliet was not allowed on, so Mr. Chocolate and my mother took Drake while I waited outside with Juliet.  The ride operator saw me waiting with Juliet and gave me a rider swap pass to use. Rider swap is a system that allows a parent who is waiting with another child who cannot ride the opportunity to get on the ride right after their family comes off.  I have never enjoyed Soarin so I gave Mr. Chocolate my swap pass so he could go again with Drake since Drake loved the ride so much.

The Circle of Life Movie – This is a short film featuring Simba, Timmon, & Pumba from the Lion King as they educate and raise awareness about environmental issues. It was a cute fim — the subject matter I think went over Drake’s head — but he enjoyed it nevertheless as he got to see Simba and a lot of other animals. The film is a mix of animation as well as real world shots as it illustrates the plight of Mother Earth and the need to recycle, replant, and conserve.

Journey Into Imagination with Figment – Figment is a small purple dragon that takes you through the imagination using the five senses. I thought Drake would like this one but we never actually made it over to it in time. Mr. Chocolate and I rode it a few years ago when we came to Disney (pre-kids) and neither of us have anything really good or bad to say about the ride. I hope when we come back to Disney next time we will be able to squeeze it in.

Maelstrom – Maelstrom is one of two rides located over in the world showcase (in Norway).  Because of its location we Fast passed the ride for later in the evening when we returned.  Though Maelstrom has been in the showcase for well over two decades, it’s easily overlooked since the showcase is mostly shows and restaurants. I have actually never ridden it before but had wanted to try it out this time. Drake didn’t rest when we returned to the hotel like Juliet did so as soon as we arrived at the showcase, he was fast asleep in the stroller so we never rode this one either.

Gran Fiesta Tour- The other ride in the showcase is located in Mexico and is a small boat ride somewhat like It’s a Small World (in Magic Kingdom), following the antics of Donald Duck and his amigos. It’s a short campy kind of ride that Mr. Chocolate and I took Juliet on to pass the time while Drake slept. Juliet seemed to enjoy it and at one point you float past people dining at the restaurant, which is kind of fun.

My mother happens to be partial to the Living with the  Land ride which is a educational ride that talks about horticulture and even takes you through a Disney greenhouse to see their new marvels in agriculture (Mickey shaped watermelon anyone?). I was a little worried with the subject matter and length of the ride (I think its close to 10-15 minutes long) keeping both kids entertained, so we ended up skipping this one. When Drake & Juliet are older this one might be more doable.

Innovations – Epcot has several small buildings called Innovations which are filled with all kinds of smaller entertainment places for children. In the past Mr. Chocolate and I tasted Coke products from other countries, built and tested out our own roller coasters, created little robots, etc.  This time we saw a small playhouse that was supposed to teach children about fire safety and the best ways to exit during a home fire.  There was also a play area with a plastic pig which you could test out in multiple different scenarios, like seeing if he would float or sink etc.  We didn’t get to explore this area too much sadly as we were trying to hurry back for a nap for Juliet to make sure we could make it for the Illuminations fireworks at night.

Character Spot – You can see characters around the park at various times and places but Epcot has its own designated character spot with 3 random characters (out of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, & Pluto) that you can take pictures with.  There is a Fast Pass option for this so I’m not sure if its hard to get at times.  As it happens we were leaving as Juliet was starting to cry because she was tired and saw the line was only 10 minutes so we jumped on it quickly.  This was Drakes first time seeing characters up close so I wasn’t sure what he would be like. When I visited Disneyland as a child I cried in every picture my parents had with me and a character so I was bracing myself for this. As you can see this clearly wasn’t the case for Drake.

In Epcot the various princesses can be found throughout the showcase (Mulan in China, Jasmine in Morocco, etc.) at various times as well.  Most of it is during the day though so by the time we arrived they were all gone. Since Drake didn’t know any of the princesses to begin with I don’t think it was a big deal but this might change when Juliet gets older if she gets into princesses.

Characters have about a twenty minute window for taking pictures if they are outside. There is always a handler with them and sometimes they will tell you as you get in line that the character will leave in x amount of time. Sometimes they won’t let you get in line if they know you won’t be able to take a photo and will tell you another place to find characters, or if this particular character will be returning and when. We had bad luck at Epcot when Drake wanted to take pictures with Chip & Dale and they left before it was his turn.  Other times we got on line and were told that the character would be leaving, but when to come back and find them again.

Illuminations – Illuminations is the nightime fireworks show done at Epcot.  The world showcase makes a loop around a large lagoon of water and the fireworks are done over the water. It’s late like all firework shows, so with little ones it’s hit or miss. I specifically wanted to see this one as it was my favorite as a child, so we rested that day so the kids could stay up. Even though Juliet napped it was still hard for her, and in the end she was screaming unless I held her. The fireworks are done around the lagoon so it’s somewhat easier to see since you can squeeze in various spots among people, but there is limited seating since there are only a few odd benches here and there and some people start claiming their spots well in advance.  There are a few dining places along the water (the outdoor seating at the Rose & Crown in England comes to mind) that also have good views if you time your meal right.  That night we ate Fish & Chips (delicious!!) on a bench on a side street in England and then slowly made our way near the railing as the show started. Mr. Chocolate held Drake I held Juliet and we saw a good amount for not having to stake out a spot hours in advance.

Drake & Mr Chocolate watching Illuminations

All in all I was happy with what we were able to see and do in Epcot. I was a little disappointed he slept through the showcase as I had hoped he would have liked touring the countries and getting stamps at each one, but such is life with young kids. I’m glad we got to see Illuminations which he loved, and all he talks about is how he saw Nemo, Crush, Mickey, Goofy, & Pluto so I think he had a wonderful time and that’s what counts in the end.

The dome at night as we were leaving