Let The Memories Live Again! – Day 19

This would be our second Epcot day of our trip. We approached the entrance of Epcot, and we were directed deep into the carpark, very close to the entrance. However, there was a twist. We were directed to a patch of grass right next to the entrance. This was our first time parking the car on grass in Disney. We thought that Disney expected today would be much more crowded than usual, since they felt the need to direct cars to extra carpark space. When we arrived, we went to the kiosk to pick up some fastpasses. To our dismay, there were no more Fastpasses for Soarin’ or Test Track, so we decidedto have breakfast instead. We headed to Sunshine Seasons and had the same Breakfast Platter as well as some Noodles with Shrimp with Carrot Cake Cupcake. We also got a free banana for Ashley. Unfortunately, the iced coffee machine was still down – so my mom settled for latte. The food was nice, and we felt that even though the noodles were only okay, the extra snack that you get with it is well worth the more mediocre main course. The carrot cake was good, but unexpectedly not as good as the one in Carlo’s.

Next, we went to Living with the Land. This is a slow boat ride that showcases the doings of Disney to build a more sustainable place for all of us to live in. The ride showcases various ways of sustainable food farming and promotes more environmentally friendly living. Therefore, Living with the Land. Although I’m usually not a fan of things that shove environmental messages in your face, this ride was quite enjoyable as it showcases how humanity can continually improve, rather than step back from development. It was a ride that we have taken for three years now, and we have seen various parts of it change, from the varying plants that are on display, to the different animals that are bred there. The eateries in Disney also actively use plants farmed in Disney for their food stock.

Next, we went for Soarin’. We requested for the first row, but we had to wait for a batch before us to go before we were allowed a spot on the first row. That wasn’t a big deal as the show was over quickly and we got to sit in the first row. The flight was amazing as we didn’t get the chance to sit in the first row, where we wouldn’t be obstructed by other leg’s seemingly floating in mid air. The experience of sitting first row was well worth the wait, and we decided that if we were going to do Soarin’ again, we would request for another first row seat.

Soon, we were going for Lunch at Teppan Edo. We requested for another chef (not Hiroshi and got Mao from Hokkaido). We were surprised when we saw that the menu of Teppan Edo had changed, and no longer included the Swordfish in the menu. This was sad for my dad as he wanted to come here to try the swordfish again. It wasn’t a big deal however, and we settled for an assortment of Beef, salmon and sliced beef. The skills that Mao displayed was amazing and also entertaining. Another nice part was that no one else joined us, which was good.

Afterwards, we shopped at Japan, where Ashley bought a pouch to keep her pressed pennies. The shop in Japan is by far my favourite, as it displayed both the modern and traditional culture of Japan, and the shop was much bigger than others.

We then quickly moved on to France, where we ogled at  Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie and L’Artisan des Glaces, but didn’t buy anything as we were still full from our lunch at Teppan Edo. However, we just had to get a Croissant Donut from Refreshment Port before heading to The Seas with Nemo and Friends.

This was a slow ride, which showed us the story of Nemo, and also built underwater, inside an aquarium. This was a smart move in my opinion, as they could tie in environmental messages together with the ride. We also went around the Underwater exhibits, where we observed a manatee feeding. Soon, they went to Turtle Talk, which I couldn’t attend due to a stomach ache. I was told that the show was as good as ever however, and the left happily.

Before we went to Test Track for our fastpass, we went to Club Cool to test out Soft Drinks from around the world. This was interesting, but not as unique as last year as the soft drinks on sample were the same, and we already knew what to expect.

We soon left for Test Track, where I finally got the Top for the day in terms of Capability. This was a category that I have not hit top of the day before, and this completes my journey to conquer Test Track. The ride was the same, with the difference being that it didn’t break down this time around (yay!).

We picked up some Starbucks Frappuchinos and some Cinnamon Glazed Pecans as well as a Croissant Donut before heading to Yorkshire Country Fish Shop for some Fish N Chips.

The fish and chips were the same here as they were in Rose and Crown, so they were as good, with the difference being that we ate by the kerbside.

We also picked up a Lobster Bisque from Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie, and some Interesting Root Beer Candy from America. We also scouted out some interesting Werther’s candy flavours that we decided to get on our next visit.

We finally went to Les Chefs De France for dinner, where we ordered 2 Duck Confits and a 3 Course Prie Fixe Dinner for me, where Igot the Lobster Bisque and the Beef Short Rib. We also got 2 Profiteroles and a Strawberry Cake. Ashley had a chocolate Cookie which she said was solid and good. The food was as actually better than we remembered from our last visit. The most obvious improvements would be the improvements to the Beef Short Ribs. They were much more tender and had a much nicer taste to them, which was just not the case last year. We left very satisfied from dinner.

Originally, we wanted to stay and watch Illuminations, but the weather was too cold for Ashley, so we decided to pack some Starbucks Coffee and go back to the hotel. We finally got our well deserved break after a long and busy day at Epcot.