Except it isn’t… cause I went to Epcot!
This morning, I woke up, packed everything into the car… grabbed some breakfast and checked out the hotel before making the 10 minute drive to EPCOT at Disney!
Ever since I was young and saw adverts on TV I’ve always wanted to go and see the big Epcot ball in person and visit the Epcot Park at Disney World!
Here I now was in the queue for the Spaceship Earth Ride, The one inside the ball! This kind of set the tone for how I felt the rest of the trip went – Although still fairly clever, most stuff here feels like It’s not changed since it was opened in the 80s. For example the Space Ship Earth goes back in time through history to today… except “Today” was a guy making a computer in his Garage…. (Think Bill Gates / Steve Jobs)…. to me that was hardly the future…!
From there, on the strong recommendation from a friend… I made my way to Test Track…. This was by far the best ride at Epcot! (I went on it again later!!) from Test Track I went over to the MISSION:SPACE. Having been at the Kennedy Space centre the day before, I was unsure how I’d find this… Thank Goodness it was before lunch!
Rarely do I find motion rides vomit inducing, but on this I felt like I might actually vom. (I didn’t but well done Disney on all accounts!!)
From Mission Space I went for a ride in a VERY young looking Ellen DeGeneres’s dream… all about energy. The concept was clever… the way the ride is a “Moving theatre” but it was all quite dated to me. :/ (But I like Ellen so it was kinda fun to watch!)
From there I went to the Future World area and had a ride on the “Living with the Land” float along. This was really interesting… You got to look at the innovative ways Disney is trying to grow stuff to be a bit more self sufficient including their own huge greenhouses and fish farms!
After what was basically a food show I was absolutely starving and so grabbed what was easily one of my nicest lunches of the trip (In a theme park who’d have thought it!). Seared Salmon Noodle Salad number. AMAZING.
From lunch I headed to the Finding Nemo Ride…. Little to report there….!! In the queue a man asked me if it was scary… which then ended up him inviting me to tag along with his family around the themed country areas….
I managed to meet a penguin on the way….
The themed areas were a little of a let down. Mainly shops, bars and eating places… We went to a 40 min part film, part weird moving robot show about the making of America… it was part film… part weird!
I also took a little ride on what I described as “It’s a small Mexican World without the annoying music” (The Ride in Mexican themed area)… Imagine it exactly as that!
With my new found family… I went for another go on test track… Just as thrilling the second time… and then decided that it was time to leave for Tampa! (Despite their very kind offer of joining them in Animal Kingdom and going back to their hotel to sleep and swim!!!!!!)
Of course I didn’t leave Epcot without a Nightime Selfie of the Lit Up Ball!
In the car on the way to Tampa I had a while to reflect on Epcot. I think that back when Mum and Dad visited 25 or so years ago… what it was doing was Amazing and a feat. Nowadays… most of the attractions are pretty “theme park standard” making Epcot more of a Themed Park than a Theme Park. It was a fun day out however I think I was a little let down!
I arrived in Tampa and found Hannah… we went out for dinner and then to Walmart to grab some bits and bobs… Which was mainly a jumper for me which we never got. As we walked in, Hannah pointed at the Mobility scooter and muttered something, sparking the man from Walmart to say “Go on then”. Next thing you know, We’re chasing each other round Walmart on Mobility Scooters… All well and good until she broke down for a few minutes at the far end of the store! hehehe! We did get avocados and a new friend. What more could you want from Walmart at 2am?!!!!