A Speeding, Soaring, Imagination!

Day 3 - Epcot

After our fun night out, we didn't get up and off quite as early as the previous days. Since Epcot opened a little later, we took our time. Once we met up at the bus stop, we discussed our plan of action. We needed to get fast passes for Soarin', then go ride Test Track.

So, as soon as we entered the park, Kim and I once again, gathered the park hoppers from everyone and made a mad dash for The Land pavilion which houses the ride Soarin'. Everyone else headed for Test Track. Once we got there, half of the group waited with the girls, while the rest of us got in line. After realizing that the girls were getting antsy waiting for us, they took them to the Nemo ride over in the Living Seas with Nemo and Friends. From what I understand, they LOVED it. Meanwhile, the boys were getting super excited and revved up for our Test Track ride. (I'll have a picture up of it later once we get our photo pass cd). The cars themselves hold 6 people, so in the front was David, Max and Matt, in the back was my father-in-law, my dad and me! Max squealed with delight and loved the fast part!

Every Spring, Epcot hosts the Flower and Garden Festival and the topiaries and plants are gorgeous. It is really neat to see!

After that was done, it was getting close to 11 and we wanted to beat the lunch crowds. We had planned to split up and go with our friends to a diner called Beaches and Cream over at The Yacht and Beach Club Resorts. My extended family headed to Coral Reef and our in-laws took to the World Showcase to find a good spot to eat. So, with kids in tow, we headed toward the boat launch to the resorts. We quickly found out that the boat had just left and it was be longer to wait for it than to just walk to the resort. Therefore, since our plans for lunch included an ice cream delight, the walking might do us some good!

Over at The Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, their pool area is themed as an old shipwreck which the boys loved. (Sidenote: we might have to stay here the next time, just to enjoy the fun pool)!

After our lunch of burgers and hotdogs, we surprised the kids with their ice cream specialty...THE KITCHEN SINK! It is just that...8 scoops of ice cream, every topping in the house, an entire can of whipped cream and all served in...a kitchen sink! As they brought it out, they dimmed the lights and these hazard lights in the ceiling went off and the server started shouting out what we had just ordered, so of course, all eyes were on us! The only bad thing was that Cate fell asleep in my lap and didn't get to eat any!

Once they were all sugared up, we headed back to Epcot and met up with the crew for Soarin'. The grandparents all went together, then once they got back, the rest of us (minus the little girls) went. I think Max liked it...he smiled the whole time, but was white knuckled and wouldn't dangle his feet. That truly is one amazing experience. I highly recommend it!

The boatride in the Land pavilion was next. Cate really liked this one. She was very intrigued by all the fruits and vegetables growing. Max liked the tank of little alligators. We even spotted a hidden Mickey!
Next up...Imagination! This ride had no wait and I finally got to ride something with my niece. She clapped the entire thing and even giggled a time or two. Max thought the skunk smell part was the funniest. Once we got off the ride, there is an area for the little ones to explore their imaginations through different digital technological areas. You can wave your arms and pretend you are conducting and your arm movements trigger the music. Max made a digital picture of himself morphed into a dog!
It is truly the little things that excite the kids. Just outside the Imagination pavilion were these water fountains that jump from one area to another. We spent a good 30 minutes at them while the kids got so tickled and even a little wet!
At this point, most of the crew went to ride Spaceship Earth and my brother, his wife, my niece, Cate and I went to the character spot to meet some characters. I have to say that this was one of my favorite moments of the trip watching Cate get so excited to meet them and get their autographs. She squealed with delight and was not afraid one bit! One of the funniest moments was when she went up to Pluto and he didn't take her autograph book right away and was just playing around, so she just dropped the book on the floor and looked at Pluto like, "Fine, you pick it up when you're ready!"
My niece just gazed up at the characters but didn't quite know what to make of them. It was priceless.
We then met up with everyone below Spaceship Earth and headed home. Matt and I were celebrating our anniversary that night, just the two of us, so we needed to get freshened up. We didn't make it to World Showcase, but planned to return there on the last day when we had reservations for dinner at the Biergarten in Germany! It was nice to not feel rushed to do the whole park in one day!

*Disclaimer: This post contains pictures from our Disney PhotoPass CD. Because we purchased the CD, we now own the right to them and the ability to share them.