Epcot

Today was AWESOME!!! Scott and I really didn’t have a game plan for the day, so we decided to get on the first cast member bus for the parks that came. Turns out it was the Epcot bus, so off we went! Once again, I was baffled by the cast only areas and how easy it is to get all turned around! We had to take another back stage bus, and I was surprised to find that we had somehow gotten to the front of the park when it felt like we were driving towards the back!

Our day at Epcot began on Spaceship Earth (inside the Epcot ball). This ride was awesome, you get to travel back to the beginning of time and see how the history of mankind has been shaped. You even get a chance to imagine your own version of the future by answering some questions while on the ride. I think we ended up living in the country, with a machine that told us what outfits to wear everyday, our house helped us schedule out the days activities and then we caught the flying train (so something like that) to work. LOL…. It was so much better to watch playing out than how I’m describing it.

Other rides for the day included but were not limited to:

• The Seas with Nemo and Friends - you get to ride in a “clamobile” under the ocean as you help characters from the movie find Nemo once again!

• Journey Into Imagination With Figment - this was so much fun, Figment is such a cute little dragon with a huge imagination! And trust me; he puts it to good use on this ride. You never know what he’ll throw at you next!

• Living With the Land – This is a nice boat ride located in The Land Pavilion that takes guests on travels through the rain forest, on an adventure to explore new plant growth technologies, while trying to preserve and protect the environment. You are introduced to many beautiful plants and creative ideas to better use our limited resources.

• Soarin’ – We ended up getting a Fast Pass for this ride because we decided the wait was too long. This could quickly become one of my favorite rides! It simulates hang-gliding over beautiful California. There are a couple surprises thrown into the ride to give you the full flight experience. A word of caution, if you have a fear of heights, or are prone to motion sickness, this is not the ride for you.

• Test Track – By far my most favorite ride at Disney World! The best way to describe this ride is ask a question: When you see the commercials for car dealers that use the crash test dummies, have you ever wondered what that would feel like? Well wonder no more because this ride gives you a first-hand look at the life and job of those brave dummies! This is a ride that you must first ride during the day, but if you are a thrill seeker, you will go back at night and do it again!

We tried sodas from all around the world at Club Cool… best part, it was FOR FREE! There were a few that were really good, others need to be avoided (but that is my personal opinion, feel free to try any and all). And speaking of around the world, we went on a quick world tour around Epcot’s World Showcase. This is where you can enjoy the variety of many cultures all in one location! The countries represented at include:

1. Canada

2. United Kingdom (where Scott tells me they have really good Fish & Chips)

3. France (My favorite country in all of Epcot, here we saw some crazy performing waiters that were balancing on top of chairs that were     balancing on top of wine bottles. But it’s not as exciting to hear about as it was to see, so check out Scott’s vlog to see what we saw!)

4. Morocco

5. Japan (Here we found a hidden Mickey on a drain. We also explored the stores a little, cool things to be bought in Japan!)

6. United States

7. Italy

8. Germany

9. China

10. Norway

11. Mexico

I knew today was going to be amazing, and I wasn’t disappointed. The weather was perfect, the park wasn’t overly crowed and I had an amazing time spending the day with Scott. And believe it or not, there was still a lot to see and do! But that will have to be another day! Another adventure!

Illuminations

Today was a somewhat stressful day at work. It was my first time flying solo on the fryers, and I’ll be honest, I was scared! I was in charge of left fryers and my only job was to keep the regular fries fresh and hot on the expo line because I was the ONLY ONE cooking them! I was doing well until the lunch rush hit. But I am proud to say that I only got behind once! I was so proud of myself. When the lunch rush was over, they closed down left fryers and I was sent on break. While eating my lunch, I discovered that I had new burns on my arms from hitting the hot metal on the expo line when I was putting the fries on the line and blisters forming on my palms from lifting and carrying the heavy fryer pans. It also didn’t help that my gloves were holding in moisture and keeping my hands moist, causing the gloves to slide. But, in all, it could have been worse!

After my break, I found out that I was going to be closing fryers, which is a job that I don’t mind at all. I actually kind of enjoy it, because I know what I am doing now and I can go faster. I know where to find all the equipment I need. I like feeling like I know what I’m doing now! And boy, were those fryers nice and clean by the time I was done with them!


While waiting for the bus in the cast parking lot, I was really excited to get a text from Scott, who I met down here asking if I’d like to go see the fireworks at Epcot with him when I got home from work. I decided that it sounded like a good way to make a not so great day at work better. So I called him when I got off the bus and we decided to meet up after I had a chance to change out of my costume. 20 minutes later or so, he was waiting for my outside my building, and off we went to meet the bus.

On our way to Epcot, we talked and got to know each other better. He told me he was into magic, and even showed me a few coin and card tricks during the evening. I will admit, I was VERY impressed. The whole time we were on the bus, we were laughing and talking and enjoying each other’s company. Once at Epcot, I felt like I was on my own personal tour of backstage, as Scott showed me all the things that were different in Epcot’s backstage, as compared to Animal Kingdom’s, where we both work. Once inside the park, we still had a while before the fireworks were scheduled to start, so we got in line for “Test Track” (about a 5 minute wait, it was so wonderful!), which was not only one of his favorite rides, but mine as well. Now, if you have never been on “Test Track”, you NEED to do this on your next visit to Epcot. But if you want to have even more fun on this ride, you will ride it once during the day and then again at night! Even though it is the same ride, the experience is totally different! I was in such a good mood after that, and we still hadn’t seen the fireworks yet! The evening could only go up from there!

Since Scott has been here since May, I asked where the best place to watch the fireworks show is. In his opinion, it was from Mexico, and so, we found a nice spot and waited until it was time for the show to start! Once again, he did more magic tricks for me! I loved it! It was a perfect night, I was at Epcot with a great guy and we were having a great time, he was making me laugh and doing magic and when the fireworks started, the evening went from 9 to 10!

Like I said, he has been here since May, but this is also his second program, so needless to say, he has seen “Illuminations” many times, and thus has learned the musical cues for when the fireworks go off. It was so fun to watch as he acted out the opening few minutes of “Illuminations” as if he were controlling the show! (Yes, it was that good!) The show itself was breathtaking! There were a few things I remembered from seeing it as a child, but the ending (and in my opinion, the best part) I had somehow forgotten! Watching the fireworks was a wonderful way to wind down my night. The combination of fireworks, water and other special effects was just what I needed. Believe it or not, during the whole show, I didn’t take ONE PICTURE! LOL…. Shocking, I know. My roommates couldn’t believe it either when they asked me how many I'd taken when I got home!


When the fireworks ended, we made our way back to the cast members’ bus so we could head back home. It was so crowed on the bus that we ended up sitting on the stairs by the back door. I can honestly say I’ve never sat there before, but it was nice because we were out of the way. All in all, the evening couldn’t have been much more fun! I truly love how going to the parks as a guest after a hard day at work reminds you why you are here. Seeing the joy on the faces of the guests (all ages, not just children) reminds you that you are a part of this magical and elite family that is responsible for making the magic and providing an escape from everyday life. It’s in those moments, that I know I am in the right place at the right time for me!