Monday - Breakfast and Epcot

Monday, March 13, 2017
Well so much for Plan A.  Anders finally woke up when Ken called at 8:45 wondering if we were going to make it to breakfast since they close down at 9:00 am.  But Anders was still bleary eyed and in no hurry to dress so I asked him to bring home some pancakes with him.

Now in all fairness, in Dallas it was only 7:45 and his body is probably still saying it is 6:45 despite the time change but he is usually a very early riser so we were amazed he slept so well especially since we were up and about at 6:30 this morning so making a little noise.

Anders and I had time for a couple of games after he ate his breakfast as Ken had to work on the sign board.  Then we were off for Epcot arriving in plenty of time to park, get through the long security lines, take a couple of pictures after getting in

and then walk to the GM Test Track to use our fast pass for a ride.

While we were waiting, they were making announcements that they might have to shut down because of the coming storm so we hoped that would not affect us.  And it didn't, although it was spitting rain when we were going through the final fast run outside around the building.

From that point on we were ducking rain drops that came and went and came and went.  Luckily we had an umbrella and it was still fairly warm so it wasn't feeling cold and damp.  After leaving the test track, we headed for the international area of the park (passing some of the gorgeous flower displays)

stopping at Mexico for the boat ride there first.

We then worked our way around to Germany making an occasional stop for a quick look here and there cause we had a set time for lunch. The band was already playing when we went in but really was just getting started so we got to enjoy the whole show while getting our food at the buffet and enjoying eating it and watching.

They really do a great job of presenting a variety of instruments

and making it all alot of fun including encouraging people to come down and dance to things like the polka.

 I don't remember the name of the horns that are very long but those are fun to see and hear along with the xylophone type instruments and bells.

 We sat with a couple from Oklahoma and there 3 little girls.

Once that was over we decided to go to Italy to try and catch the mime act that was due to happen shortly.  We've seen it several times and knew it involved juggling and balls and figured it would be fun for Anders to watch.  I encouraged him to sit right down in front hoping he might even get a ball thrown to him that he had to throw into the net. (note his blond head at the bottom of this picture)

Well he did, twice, and then he was selected to be the helper for the rest of the act!!!!!!  What fun it was watching them interact and his face as different

things happened.

That was a SUPER experience and hopefully one he will remember for a long time.

He asked to return to Norway to take a few pictures of some hieroglyphic type writing that he had seen in a Nowegian book and thought he could take back and figure out what it said.  He apparently is really enjoying learning a bit about his heritage which is neat.  While we were there, we went into the stave church to look at the displays and then went into the bakery where he got a Troll Horn.

 Since it was drizzling, we decided to take advantage of the covered area with tables to sit and let him enjoy his treat.

This put us near China so we suggested going in to see the movie about China (it is in the round but does show some neat stuff in China including the Great Wall).  Once we were in and sitting down waiting for the next show, we discovered that the acrobats were doing their presentation right there after people went into the movie theater, so we decided to just move to the front and watch that first. They did some amazing things in the show as they always do.  Then we went in to see the movie.

In Japan we were able to see the Taiko drummers perform - a very athletic presentation by three women on a variety of drums.  Very dramatic!

We'd hoped to see the French sidewalk show but it was drizzling steadily so it was cancelled or held somewhere else so just wandered on.

Somewhere in all this we had to make the long walk back over to Spaceship Earth to do that ride using a fast pass.  It was still a bit of a long line and wait but nothing like the standbys were doing. That line went back and forth a huge number of times.  When we got there, he got his own car and screen to watch and interact with.

We had fun not only doing the ride but playing with some of the stuff inside afterwards.  Anders sent his "story about his future" home to his mom's email with the hope of seeing it again when he gets back.  He "wrote" a commercial that was then run,

drove a simulated car around a track,

and then drove a car at top speeds in a simulated game doing very well.

We talked about getting in the standby line for Soarin but at that point it was a two hour wait and we just didn't want to devote that much time to a single thing.  Instead we returned to the international area ultimately ending up in England where he had fish and chips and a drink for supper.

Ken and I also shared a similar meal with an umbrella over our heads and damp rears from sitting in wet chairs.

The temperatures were beginning to drop, it was dark and the rain was light but steady so we decided we'd had enough and headed for the car and the hour drive to our motel in Titusville near the Space Center where we were going in the morning.

By the time we got there and into the room it was time for bed.  Luckily Ken still had enough energy to read to Anders cause I totally collapsed.  This bug I've gotten had me coughing and blowing my nose all day and I was wiped out.  But all in all, it was a great day with lots of memory making.