Our family took a cab over to the park and found pretty long lines at security. We got through and immediately put our names in at the Test Track, one of our favorite rides. The DeYoungs and Breens were running a little behind for our first fast pass so we hit Starbucks for a morning pick-me-up! Then we headed over to Turtle Talk with Crush where we met up with the rest of the family.
After the ride, we ran next door to The Seas with Nemo and Friends.
After that we scooted over to the Test Track. Sammy and Tyler both designed great vehicles and did very well in the competition against the other cars.
The ride had shut down for a few minutes while we were in line, so we were running a bit late for our next Fast Pass with the family... so we ran over to Soarin'. We absolutely LOVED it and were so glad we all got to experience it together with the entire family.
After the ride the DeYoungs headed for a quick snack while Ray & Bev joined us on Living with the Land. After the ride we needed to head to our dinner reservation only to find a down pour! We divied up our 4 rain ponchos between the 6 of us and headed across to the restaurant.
The Coral Reef got us in within 25 minutes at a table for ten (we were expecting to be separated). It is a great restaurant with a full wall aquarium to keep you entertained. Unfortunately Sammy got pretty upset though and she and I had to leave the restaurant. It took a little while but when she was ready to return, the food was served.
After dinner, our family headed over to Norway to check out the new Frozen ride. We put in our name and then continued to explore the countries around the lake. We visited a 360* theater in China and say a HUGE gingerbread display of the Capital Building, Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. It was fun to search the exhibit for the hidden mickeys as we enjoyed the holiday scents.
We figured it was getting close to our return time so we headed back to Norway only to run into a girl I went to school with. Carinn stopped for a few moments to chat and we soon parted ways. Crazy to see someone from Coopersville in Disney!
As we walked up to the Frozen ride, we were told it was closed and the line had backed up pretty far. So, we broke the news to Sammy and promised to check again tonight. We headed up to the front of the park to see Spaceship Earth. Tyler really enjoyed seeing the progress of communication and I appreciated the fact that it followed our recent science curriculum very well! It was cool to share with him the 3D life-size exhibits of the printing press, telegraph, telephone and more.
At this point we were closing in on 5:00 pm. We'd already been in the park for 8 hours and intended to return for the fireworks so we decided to head out. We stopped for a family photo at the park entrance and then grabbed a cab.
We settled in for some quiet time to recover from a big day. Once everyone was settled, I ran over to the gift shop to pick up my underwear. Did I mention I forgot to pack underwear on this trip? No worries, I have been wearing Scott's boxers to get by! I ordered some Mickey panties (the only ones I could find) and they were delivered to our hotel today at noon... thank goodness!
When I got back, Bev and Ray had returned from the park so they joined us for the meal. We had dinner delivered... pizza, breadsticks and chicken wings... Yum!
Sarah and Jeff had decided to stay in the park later in the evening but skip the fireworks. So it was just six of us that ventured back to Epcot around 7:30 pm. As soon as we got in, we rode the Test Track with Bev and Ray. It was so much fun! We loved speeding up to 65 mph once we got outdoors now that the sun was down. The kids really hammed it up for Grandma's sake! It was cute to see them enjoying their time together.
Next we headed over to Frozen to see if we could finally get to ride it and lo and behold, it was finally our turn. After about a ten minute wait, we boarded our boat for Arrendel. I wish I could have taken photos on the ride to capture the look on Sammy's face as Anna and Elsa, Kristoff and Sven and Olaff each came into view. It was fabulous to see her so excited after what has a somewhat difficult day.
Next we walked back to the handicap viewing area for the fireworks display. The show started within 20 minutes. Its only a 12 minute exhibition but honestly one of the best I've ever seen. I literally laughed out loud with JOY multiple times during the show. I cannot explain just how amazing it is.
As the show wrapped up and we reconvened with Ray and Bev we all were sharing our favorite parts and what most surprised us. We all agreed what a great show it was!
We headed out, grabbed a cab, and made it home shortly after 10:00 pm.
