The Tangrens

I did too but actually there is an interesting, old and fantastic ride inside this little treasure. And that ride is called Planet Earth. The big silver ball is just the icon of the Epcot park.

This is the park that we probably spent the most time at and saw the least at. We spent the most time at this park because of World showcase. Which is the section of the park where they have exhibits and FOOD from all over the world. It had the best restaurants there so we ate here most days. Sadly we realized all too late that we saw little besides the restaurants in World showcase and missed out on a lot. Next time, right?

Our first taste of World Showcase was The Biergarten which of course was German fare. Derek was really excited about it. And it was really good food too! But not only did they have great food but great entertainment too.

Derek got to use his German which he's always happy to do but he uses his German with a little nervousness because he doesn't get to use it enough to feel very comfortable anymore. The show was great with German folk songs and they had all the kids gather around and they told them how "Silent Night" came to be written and told them a little about Christmas traditions in Germany and then gave them all a huge chocolate coin.

Not only was the restaurant decorated amazingly for the theme and the holidays but the shops around it were authentic looking with all kinds of traditional German products. There were cuckoo clocks, nutcrackers, Smurfs (did anyone else know they were German? I certainly didn't) metal and glass steins, toy shields, swords and knights and soccer shirts. Derek was kicking himself yet again for not buying a nice cuckoo clock in Germany when he was there on a mission. He could have gotten one for a song compared to what he could get them for here. Someday we will make our way across the pond and bring back a cuckoo clock. Regardless of his regret it was fun and nostalgic for him to be "in Germany" for awhile. As we walked around World Showcase my sister had some nostalgia in the England pavilion ( she spent a year and a half there as a nanny) and I had some nostalgia in the Mexico pavilion. Although I've never actually been to Mexico I served among the Spanish speaking people in California and they brought a bit of their countries with them when they came to the US.

My sister Nikki introduced us to a fun little hidden ride in the Mexico pavilion that Hyrum LOVED.

Gran Fiesta Tour featuring the Three Caballeros otherwise known as "the Mexican 'It's a small world' " It is a slow boat ride around Mexico with video screens and animatronic dolls like 'Small World' but with much better music...at least I think. Hyrum rode it three times in a row and could have ridden it 15 times more in a row and still be asking to go again. They had him saying "Adios" by the end.

And a added bonus was figuring out who the characters were that were in the middle of the pool at our resort. :)

The three Caballeros ( Donald Duck, Panchito Pistoles and Jose Carioca)

Another World Showcase eating highlight was "Le Cellier" in Canada. It had great steaks and these fun bread sticks that were actually like soft pretzels. Not to mention the Chocolate Moose.

The other part of the Epcot park is known as Future World which is where Spaceship earth is...I'm sure you guessed that. In 'The Land' section they had a ride called "Living with the Land" that takes you through the greenhouses they have on site in which they are doing research on different ways of growing plants more efficiently. For someone who studied greenhouse operations in college this was really interesting. My amazing sister Holly also got us tickets to the "Behind the Seeds tour" for my birthday and we got to go into the greenhouses and get a closer look at all the work they are doing.

My sister taking a picture of the form they use to make the Mickey shaped pumpkins. It's kinda hard to see.

I realize that this may not be as interesting to you as it is to me but it is so cool to see a working greenhouse using methods that we only learned about in college. They even gave us plans to make a hydroponic grow tank at home...someday I tell you...someday! And as always it was wonderful to be in a greenhouse again.

The Garden Grill was a fun restaurant that we really liked. It was in the same building with "Living with the Land" In fact around the restaurant you saw the scenery from the ride. The whole restaurant slowly rotated as you ate. It was also a character dinner. We weren't sure how Hyrum would do with characters. He's not a screamer or a crier but he is a little nervous around them. But as Pluto Chip and Dale and Mickey were working their way around the tables Hyrum got very excited.

Once they were there and he'd given them a high five and a kiss on the nose he was not too interested in them lingering too long though.

( Side note: Can you BELIEVE those portions...for a child! And that was complimentary because Hyrum was too young to be on the meal plan...Yes we ate VERY good on the meal plan...totally recommend it. It's not often that you can say that Disney is generous but on the meal plan they are.)

Again GREAT food and great atmosphere. The Garden Grill was definitely one of our favorites. We had turkey and stuffing, steak and mashed potatoes and Mahi Mahi with steamed veggies and of course a great fresh salad. This was a family style dining where they bring out your meal and you can order more of whatever you want. I actually tried the Mahi Mahi for the first time ever. I'm not real good at trying new foods. It was pretty good, I have to say. And of course the dirt dessert. Gotta stick with the theme.

Also in 'The Land' we saw this little film where we learned a slightly disturbing fact that the same water that the dinosaurs drank we are still drinking today. Humm. yum.

In 'The Seas' they had the Finding Nemo ride that Hyrum thought was pretty cool.

They also had "Turtle Talk with Crush" and these amazing and HUGE( the world's largest) aquariums that you can actually arrange to dive in and swim with the sharks, sea turtles, rays and dolphins. Or you could just hang out with Bruce.

On the other side of 'Future World' were Test Track and Mission Space that I was unable to go on in my "delicate condition" so I waited with the littler kids while my sister and her husband and my husband and older kids went on them.

As I waited a cast member came up to me and let me know about a play area near the exit of the ride where I could take the kids to play. BRILLIANT!! I'm telling you these people think of EVERYTHING. We went to the mission space play area while they went on both of the rides. Hyrum could have just looked at the que around the exit to the ride. He, as you may remember, is PASSIONATE about rockets and space shuttles.

Hyrum could have stayed here all day. And I got to sit and write in my little Passporters guide and record all the things we were doing everyday.

Derek also got to try out a Segway at Innovations in Future World. They gave him instruction and coaching all along the way. I think he did great though. He said that it was really cool.

At night they had a fireworks show called Illuminations. It is set in the World Showcase lagoon which the world showcase pavilions surround on three sides. Around the circumference they light torches to begin the show.

It made me think of the Olympics when I'd see them light. It helped that the Winter Olympics are coming very soon. Derek and I went to an event of the Winter Olympics in 2002 when they were here in Salt Lake City and we got engaged during it too so I have happy memories associated with the winter Olympics. Plus I'll have our second child during this coming Winter Olympics. Another happy thing. If you are at Epcot at night it's a must see. So great! And think of the Olympics for me. :)

Whew one park down...three more to go!