I wear my Disney pride LOUD AND PROUD. My absolute favorite t-shirt has an image of Mickey Mouse on the front (OMG I’m seriously wearing it right now, I swear this wasn’t planned), and when my seasonal passes go into the black-out period (like they are right now) I suffer intermittent bouts of mild depression. Not that I’d be stupid enough to go to Disney during the summer anyway – it’s just that… I dunno, I… miss it.
I heart you, Mickey. *sniff*
My Disney obsession has clearly spread to the rest of my family, as evidenced by what I am about to tell you.
A few nights before our most recent visit to Epcot, I went into Lucas’ bedroom to kiss him goodnight and found him passed out face-down in the itinerary you see below. He created it using a map we’d obtained on a previous trip. I’ve typed out his itinerary along with a brief explanation for each of the items…
The original itinerary
Itinerary with explanations and elaboration as necessary:
- “Ride Test Track.” Totally normal. Test Track should be on everyone’s list.
- “Ride Mission Space.” Mission Space is another must-see… but do ride this one on an empty stomach. I speak from experience.
- “Go to Japan and buy Pokémon cards.” Don’t let the first two items fool you; this ENTIRE LIST has been planned around this one all-important item. Ever since Lucas heard they sell Pokémon cards in “Japan,” he has convinced himself that the ones they sell there are a billion times better than the exact same ones they sell at Target. Maybe he’s right… After all, they do cost more.
- “Snack break at America.” Lucas is being very specific about where we eat, and I think I know why. But it’s totally not my fault, okay? I really thought those Frankfurters at the Sommerfest restaurant in “Germany” were going to be just like regular hot dogs!
- “Go to Soarin’.” SO fun! Disney even thought to squirt different smells at you when you “soar” over different environments. Oranges for orange groves, sea air for the ocean… but if you’re scared of heights, you’ll want to skip this ride.
- “Eat again.” This obviously is not Lucas’ first rodeo.
- “Look at pants.” He means “plants.” We went during the flower festival. They have like a billion topiary thingies. I probably should have taken a picture of a topiary or two.
- “Go to Mousegear.” A souvenir shop. He wants to buy more stuff? Who does this kid think he is?
- “Open box to Pokémon cards.” He’s so excited about the Pokémon cards that he’s planning ahead to open them in the park. Like he’d rather open his Pokémon cards than do any other attractions. How freakin’ adorable is that?
[place to put eight dollars] – because he thinks that’s how much Pokémon cards cost.
[cut-out to hold map in place] – the kid thinks of everything.
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Lucas carried his little schedule with him the entire day we were at Epcot, and towards the end of the day when Mari ripped it by accident, he threw a huge tantrum. I can’t say I blame him.
People often give Epcot a bad rap saying it’s the least fun of all the Disney parks, but I have to disagree. If you plan it right, you could easily spend a full two days at Epcot doing one awesome thing after another, and it consistently seems to be one of the parks with the shortest wait-times for rides (get fast-passes for the three rides listed above). As long as you don’t attempt to spend a full day meandering through the World Showcase (all the different countries), your kids probably won’t try to fling themselves into the World Showcase Lagoon.
Here are just a few fun things we did on our visit to Epcot that didn’t make it to Lucas’ list:
Friendly snake (yes it’s real – we stared at it for five minutes before it finally moved and convinced us):
Marching in a parade with the Revolutionary soldiers and obtaining a free copy of the declaration of independence:
Ice cream in France:
See? Epcot is awesome! Although, considering what a huge Disney-junkie I am, perhaps I am not the best person to trust in these matters. Just writing this post is sending me into a low-grade depression. My Disney passes aren’t active again until August! What am I supposed to do until then??? Maybe it’ll make me feel better if I watch Frozen again…
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17 Comments
Fun fact: The prototype for Soarin’ was built using an Erector set. The Imagineer who came up with the idea went up into his attic and found an old Erector set and built it. If you look at the apparatus after having heard that, you can really see that! We heart Soarin’. My kids also liked the Phineas and Ferb treasure hunt thingie in EPCOT.
Fellow Disney junkie here, but we’re D-land people (location, location, location–we’re closer to land). We have super intellectual conversations in my house about which ride we’re going to ride first next time we go, and where all the Hidden Mickeys are (got a HM freak in my gang–he’s constantly pointing them out to me, even when we’re not at a Disney park).
Watch Frozen–it’ll make you feel better!
I am not surprised in the least about Soarin’. I’ve been on it enough times now that I hardly watch the screen – I look up, down, and to the sides at all the machinery and try to figure out where they’re squirting the smells out of. lol
Okay, back to Frozen…
That list is so cute and I love that he planned it all out!
I love Disney World. And I love EPCOT. And the World Showcase is my favorite, even when I was a kid (well, more like a tween, and that term didn’t even exist then because I’m old). I love walking around and looking at all of the countries and having mousse in France. One year I went on vacation with my grandparents by myself (no sister) and I requested that my grandparents take me to every country in EPCOT and take my picture.
That’s awesome! I love that we live so close so we can go so frequently. We are really pathetic. Even my husband is on the bandwagon. =)
My favorite park is Epcot. So jealous of your season passes, I’m up in NY so I don’t make it there much
Ohhhh that’s rough. We lived in MI for several years, so I know the pain you speak of.
You left out the best parts about Epcot! I too used to hate going there, however it’s become a favorite of mine, as well as my kids and hubby. Their favorite part if Epcot is the Seas. There you get to ride on the Finding Nemo ride, then go walk around and look into a gigantic aquarium that has all the real fish from Finding Nemo, along with some adorable dolphins. There is also an interact with Crush attraction where the kids get to ask Crush questions and play with him. If you’re looking for a great character dining, Akershus in Norway is awesome! Not only is the food delectable and the service great, but you get to see 5 princesses, and take a picture with Belle before you sit down for dinner. They give you the pictures for free during your meal. Also, the kids get to do a processional around the dining room with the princesses! My kids loved it!
I love ALL those things too! But remember, this post was mainly written by my 8YO and a friendly snake. 😉 We took my 4YO to Akershus for her birthday. It was amazing! Maybe I’ll have to do some more serious Disney posts… people seem to be really into this stuff! =)
I used to work at EPCOT, in the General Motors Pavillion during the time it was called “World of Motion”, during the creation of and transition to ” Test Track”! I was in my mid- twenties and out of college. I worked on Disney grounds though I was a 3rd party employee to describe it in the easiest way. I remember walking the partially pain track of the now Test Track ride, knowing it was going to be something very special! Unfortunately I no longer live in FL (Orlando) I still miss it very much! I don’t know if my own children really “get” where I used to live and work, ha ha! But we have taken one vacation back, all courtesy of my comp passes of course ;)! xoxoxoxox
That’s awesome. We’re looking forward to doing more “behind the scenes” stuff now that we’ve done all the “obvious” stuff. =)
What a wonderfully fun day! Smart kid! We had our kids pick out two rides each before we hit each park when we went, and then made sure we got to them.
That’s a good way to do it. We’re all about the fast passes. SUCH a huge time-saver!
My son did a similar note to this and brought it to soccer camp where it was promptly ignored by everyone. I felt for the kid.
GAH! Some people just don’t freakin’ get it.
I have never been to Disney World. I know. You are probably starting a Kickstart Campaign to rectify this horror right now. I have been to Disneyland a BUNCH of times, but not since 1998. (Now is a good time to bump up the Kickstart Campaign amount! There are two horrors to fix). Anyway, I love your son’s list and if I ever get to DW I will follow his advice.
I just LOVE his itinerary. That’s awesome. It’s been almost two decades since I’ve been to DW and Epcot. Maybe it’s time to trek across the country…
Um, where were you 3 months ago when we went on our first family Disney trip? Luckily, I have Debbie Disney living right across the street (no Debbie is not her real name but I like to call her that because she is a Disney-crazed expert and because it’s really funny to say Debbie Does Disney). We loved Epcot – it was really relaxing! We missed Soarin’ though cuz our FastPass time was like 6pm and we weren’t staying that long. 🙁 Had I freaking known there were Pokemon cards in Japan, we totally would have gone but we didn’t make it that far around the lagoon!!! Damnit, my home’s wood floors REALLY need more Pokemon cards that I can slip, fall, and break my ass bone on! 😛 Loved this – sharing!