My Favorite Things: Epcot Attractions

This could get long! I'll try to be concise. Basically I LOVE Epcot!! Before I made my first visit there, when working in 1997, I had no desire to go. I thought it was all boring science stuff. Boy was I wrong! I could visit this park every single day and never get bored. When I lived there I would even visit after work if I was off early enough. It is huge, It is beautiful, It is fun!

Future World

• Spaceship Earth. You know it as that big golf ball looking thing. In fact there is an attraction inside. While not a wild thrill ride, I always enjoy it. I love the background music. I love getting to the very top of the ball. I like the smell of the fire. I like that I notice some new tiny detail each time I ride. I do like how it is now interactive, although I liked it just as much before that enhancement. Some day I want to be evacuated while at the very top point. 
•  2005 - my Florida "family"
• Ellen's Energy Adventure. "Stupid Judy. Stupid Energy." Are you a fan of Ellen? Are you a fan of Bill Nye the Science Guy? Are you a fan of sitting in a big moving vehicle, seeing dinosaurs, Jeopardy, and a chance to take a peaceful nap in the dark for a while? This is your ride! I enjoy it (really, I do!!), but I always doze off. Last year I didn't wake up until nearly every person was out of the ride vehicle. I wonder if my friends would have just left me there?
• Test Track. My first time through when it opened I thought it was lame. I like it more and more every time I ride! It is actually pretty cool! And go in the single rider line if there is a long wait. Odds are you'll be ride at nearly the same time as the rest of your party, possibly even in the same car but just different rows. The single rider line is a BIG time saver on this one! (And now I dare you to go there and not think of this and start to single "All the single riders, all the single riders....." to the tune of that annoying Beyonce Single Ladies song!)
• 2009 - my single rider friend just 1 car behind me!
• Mission: SPACE. My dream job is to be an astronaut. Needless to say when they had Cast previews for this ride I was there! The take off is so unreal!! Four people ride together, in a rather confined space, each with a different role - Commander, Navigator, Pilot and Engineer. You get to be part of the action pushing buttons and steering your space craft. If you are going to be a weenie (Yes, I'm calling you a weenie if you do this! *insert laugh here*) there is an option for a more tame version of this ride. Not for me! I'm going all out and doing the REAL version!
•   2007 - Ignore my mom's yawn.
• Captain EO. Michael Jackson. Dancing. Singing. 3-D. What's not to love about this??
• Journey Into Imagination With Figment. If you get stuck on this ride in just the right spot, Figment kind of turns psycho on you. This ride is so corny - and I love every single minute of it! Please, keep hands, arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times.
•   Rule breaker!! 2009 before being evacuated.
• Soarin'. There is absolutely no reason to skip this ride! Get a FastPass if it is too long. You don't want to miss it!! It is so peaceful, yet so cool. You are essentially hang gliding over California. Soak it all in - the sights, breezes AND smells! A Must-Do attraction if ever there was one!
• Living With The Land. This is a slow moving boat ride that has replaced the personalized Cast narration with a recording that is sort of hard to hear. It is definitely an educational attraction - but cool to see the different crops they are growing inside - as well as the alligators and fish!
• The Seas with Nemo and Friends. What an improvement on the original Living with the Seas! You don't have to sit through that horrible movie where she says "It rained and rained and rained. A deluge." Ugh, I loved to make fun of that. The ride is really cute and the technology is tops! You may even find yourself wondering if that sting ray that just swam by was real or not! My favorite part is the EAC. Hang ten, baby! Cowabunga!
• Innoventions. There are two Innoventions pavilions. They have various educational/product sponsor things going on. You can even queue up and test out one of the Segways! I personally could give or take this whole thing. In the past they had things inside that I liked better. Mostly I just hurry by to get to World Showcase. So let's do that NOW!

World Showcase - by far my overall favorite place in all of Walt Disney World!

• Canada. Here you can see a circle vision movie starring Martin Short. I love Martin Short! This isn't really the most exciting of the pavilions, but it does have some really pretty photo ops!
•  2009 - they have hockey jerseys if you're into that.
• United Kingdom. Did someone say party? Beer? Cute British boys? This is where you want to be then! Catch the British Invasion performing in the back of this country. They look and sound like the Beatles. Everyone ends up dancing and singing along. So much fun! Most important, this is where you MUST stop to get some fish and chips - or just chips!
•  2008 - Pop into the Rose & Crown pub for a pint!
•  2006 - and don't forget the CHIPS!!
• I'm seriously loving my hair in that picture. What do we think? Should I cut off a few inches??
• France. I really love Impressions de France. It is a movie about... France! The music is my favorite. It has Claire de Lune in it, which is just a beautiful piece of music. (And it's my song with my gays!) If you recall from my original food blog - this is the country you will get the orange drink that looks like a slushie and tastes like creamsicle heaven.
• Morocco. The boys here love American girls - just remember that! ;) And this is the country where you should be trying the Habibi Daiquiri and Sultan's Colada. What I love about Morocco is that you feel like you are really walking through Aladdin, the movie not the dude. It has some of the most unique shopping opportunities as well. This does haven't any theater or attraction, but there is a band with a belly dancer that performs periodically!
•  2005 with my mommy
• Japan. I really love Japan. I think I love it because of the huge store. Japan is basically a restaurant and a store. My bedroom was intended to have an Asian flair, so it has some things that I bought in Japan as decorations. I love looking at all the toys and the CRAZY "candy" they have. Beware, if you have little girls and they love Hello Kitty they are NOT going to want to leave!! This is my favorite place on property to pick a pearl from an oyster. The girls that run the whole show really do make it a fun show. They are so cute, I swear that alone makes me want to pick a pearl!
•  2010 - Jessica getting her pearl
• America. I admit I breeze through here, unless there is a free concert going on - which happens quite often. There is, however, a pretty impressive show with animatronics and a little history lesson, if you will. I sucked at history in school, so when I do watch I concentrate and try to learn as much as I can. I'm such a goof! Instead of a picture from America, I have to share with you a video from last year's Eat to the Beat concert series. (You will be feel nostalgic, I promise!)
• Italy. This country has not one, but TWO big Italian restaurants. I haven't eaten and either of them, but I really want to. Check out the store with all of the masks. They are really impressive. And go get your picture taken at the fountain in the back. ALL women do it!
• Germany. Ah, my homeland! There is a huge restaurant in the back that looks like too much fun. If I wasn't such a picky eater I would totally go there just for the oompapa entertainment! The new draw here is the caramel shop. I admit it does smell pretty good in there. And if you haven't yet gotten yourself a pickle ornament for your Christmas tree, go get one already! And get a pretzel while you're at it!
•  2009. Okay, so I wasn't REALLY drinking. ;)
• China. Relfections of China is the circle vision film here. I really like it. I love the music and it really has some picturesque places to see. There is a gigantic store with tons of things I want to buy. Here is a warning ... if you pick something up they will think you want to buy it and offer to hold it at the counter for you. I do a lot of "window shopping" to avoid this. There is seriously some cute stuff in there! And here's a little factoid - they filmed Christina Aguilera's "Reflection" video for Mulan here. They used to have these AMAZING gymnasts that would perform, but I just read that they weren't doing it anymore? Sad.
•  2008 - that's Mike, my #1 gay that I adore!
• Norway. OMG, the Prince of Norway. I don't even know his name, but he was so hot, I totally remember that face ... and that chest. But that's a Jellyrolls story for you, and we aren't talking about that today. The yummiest perfume is here. Go smell it. Laila. I bought it after I successfully ran the 5K at last year's Princess weekend as my little reward for completing my goal. If you want a ride, check out Maelstrom. It is a flume right .... and completely bizarre. Does this ride make sense? Is there a story line? A plot? I'm not going to say anything more. Just ride and decide for yourself!
•  My 32nd birthday! 2010
•  2007 - Watch out for those Vikings!
• Mexico. Get our your pesos ... and get yourself some tequila! Wait, you mean there is more than just the margarita stand? Are you kidding me?? Okay, so there IS more. Like the tequila bar inside! ;)  Head on inside for some shopping, dining and El Rio del Tiempo. Fine. They changed the name. But I'm keeping the original name. It is a boat ride similar to Small World and Pirates. It had a make-over. Go ride, it's a nice break for your feet. And the beginning reminds me of Pirates in Disneyland and the Blue Bayou - but totally not as good. But ride it. There won't be a line, so you have no excuse not to. Then get a drink in the tequila bar and take silly pictures!
•  Jessica in 2009

So that's Epcot in a nutshell! Other things to note ... Illuminations: Reflections of Your Anus Earth at 9pm. Mouse Gear is huge and has tons of things to buy - if you are a shopper like me. Go over to the Coke place and be sure to try Beverly. I swear Beverly has a fan club of her own! 

Look for me during Princess Weekend ... I WILL be there A LOT!! 

And for you Princess runners .... have a freaking ball running through here! We'll be just about to cross the finish line. Let's have a blast and have the best finishing kick we can!! There is bling waiting for us just around the corner! ºoº