Let The Memories Continue! – Day 11
Today is our final day at Epcot. The park did not seem to be very crowded and we managed to park very near to the entrance, doing away with the tram ride.
We arrived just in time for our first FP+, Test Track. This time round, Jarod was aiming for the best overall car. He did not succeed but was close enough, trailing behind the best car by 3 points. Nevertheless, we still enjoyed the experience. We stopped at Starbucks next for our coffee fix. Jarod had his Caramel Frappuccino and I had my Latte while enjoying the fountain show. We then walked over to Epcot Character Spot which was steps away to meet Mickey, Minnie and Goofy in this cartoon clubhouse. Ashley always loves interacting with the characters.
Ashley wanted to watch Captain EO, the 3D science fiction film featuring Michael Jackson. Once the pre-show started, we immediately felt transported to the 80s. This continued as he and his singing and swerving sidekicks attempted to save the day from the Supreme Leader of the Dark Side’s wrath. The special effects were good. In time, we could feel our seats shaking during the fights that ensued. We wondered if we had sat at the motionless seats the last time. Songs featured in the show included ‘We Are Here To Change The World’ and ‘Another Part Of Me’ which got stuck in our heads for a while.
It was time for lunch and we headed to Teppan Edo in Japan the World Showcase next. This restaurant promises a dining experience featuring Teppanyaki style cuisine and time-honored Japanese hospitality in an atmosphere of traditional majesty. We had a conservative chef last year and we were really hoping for a fun and delicious experience this time. We were seated immediately and since Teppan Edo seats guests at communal table, there was already a party of 3 awaiting. Soon, a server greeted us and took our drinks and food order. She also kept us entertained by making origami for Jarod and Ashley. She had more tricks up her sleeve as she turned the pair of chopsticks into kids’ training chopsticks by tying them together with a rubber band. For our entrees, Ashley picked the Ebi, ZA decided to try Kajiki Maguro which is a swordfish steak while Jarod and I went for the Filet Mignon. Our chef soon took the stage and introduced herself. After she confirmed our orders, she set to work preparing dipping sauces for the meal which included a mustard sauce, a ginger sauce, and what our Chef called “yum-yum” sauce or Japanese mayonnaise. She started with some fancy knife work while she worked on to prepare the udon noodles with vegetables. She was funny and awesome as she did many of the tricks that are famous in Japanese steakhouse circles. Our favourites were the onion volcanoes and the tricks such as shrimp toss and the pepper grinders. Soon, the cooktop was full of meats, vegetables and udon noodles. As she cooked, the smell was incredible and we couldn’t wait to dig in. Our entrees also came with Sukiyaki Beef Rice which was very tasty. We were all very satisfied with our choices and they were well seasoned and perfectly cooked. For desserts, Ashley had a Vanilla Ice Cream and we picked Green Tea Cheesecake which came garnished with raspberry sauce. Teppan Edo is unique in its atmosphere, menu, and presentation, much like the other restaurants around World Showcase and it remains high on our list and thoroughly enjoyed it.
After lunch, we walked around the World Showcase, exploring each country again. We stopped by Germany where Jarod bought some Werther’s Original Candy with our snack credit and Mexico to ride the Gran Fiesta Tour again. We also found some great snacks which were out of this world. The Cinnamon Glazed Pecans which were so addictive we had to get another pack. We also tried for the first time in forever the Croissant Doughnut Dusted with Cinnamon Sugar that Disney recently rolled out. It is a croissant pastry, that is fried up like a doughnut, and dusted with cinnamon and sugar. We took our first bite and we were in love. You will have to try it to believe this delicious goodness. We also stopped at Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie in France to grab a Choco Brioche to go. This would be Ashley’s breakfast tomorrow,
Attached to the fountain side of Innoventions West is a retail space and soda fountain called Club Cool. It doesn’t look like much, which was why we had never stepped in till now. In Club Cool, this Coca-Cola sponsored exhibit provides free unlimited samples of soft drinks from around the world. The flavours included beverages from Zimbabwe, Thailand, South Africa, and Peru. We all have our personal favorites – Jarod and Ashley liked the Fanta Pineapple from Greece, ZA liked the Fanta Melon Frosty from Thailand, I liked the Sparberry from Zimbabwe which tasted like Sinalco, my favourite childhood soda. This is certainly a fun and free pit stop in the middle of a hot day.
We made our way to Journey Into Imagination With Figment next. We walked past this attraction several times and have not tried it as we had mistaken it for an exhibition. A cast member recommended this to us while we were making additional FastPasses. We climbed aboard a carriage where surprises galore as we travelled through Dr. Channing’s sensory labs. We learnt and laughed about the 5 senses—sound, sight, smell, touch and taste—on this madcap musical trip with Figment. After the ride, we adjourned to ImageWorks, an interactive exhibit area offering the latest in unique, hands-on imagery technology. We used our imagination to make music, digital pictures after which Ashley sent a free photo email of imagination work to herself. It was a pleasant experience.
We spent the rest of the afternoon doing our favourite activities. This included repeating the Test Track, our favourite ride in Epcot. This time, Ashley teamed up with ZA to create her very own car. She decided to go for the Efficiency category. Jarod and I teamed up and he went for Capability category. At the end of the ride, we were happy that both our teams were tops in our chosen category!
We had wanted to do Turtle Talk With Crush next but decided to ride The Seas With Nemo & Friends again since they were both housed in the same building. We took the opportunity to rest our feet during the ride. Turtle Talk with Crush consists of a mostly unscripted, real-time conversation between Crush, the 150-year-old surfer-dude sea turtle from the Disney Pixar film Finding Nemo, and the audience. Kids are encouraged to sit up front so that they will have a better view of the Window to the Ocean (the movie screen) and Crush. Guests, especially children, are chosen to ask Crush questions and he responds and converses freely with them. Crush looks and moves much as he does in the movie, complete with facial expressions and subtle gestures. Since Ashley had not been chosen last year to communicate with Crush, she was hoping very badly to be able to do so now. She succeeded this time and was brimming with delight. While the focus is on the kids, grownups were just as enchanted by this attraction, with everyone leaving with a smile.
When we stepped out of Future World, it was already 7pm and we headed back to World Showcase for our dinner at Tutto Italia Ristorante in France. This is the only restaurant we repeated this trip. It was meant to be ‘the battle of the desserts’ whereby ZA would determine which his favourite dessert is in Walt Disney World.He had a hard time deciding if he liked the Bread Pudding in ‘Ohana or the Mocha Tiramisu in Tutto Italia more. Although we arrived early, we were seated soon after. We heard the cast member turning people without reservations away. We have a better server this time. He was cheerful and attentive who brought us the complimentary bread immediately. The focaccia and breadsticks with fresh olives and olive oil were excellent. For our entrees, Ashley had the Chicken Tenders, Jarod had the Polenta which was a traditional Northern Italian creamy polenta served with braised short ribs, meatball and sweet sausage. ZA and I decided to try the Risotto with shrimp and lobster. We did not like any Risotto we tried back in Singapore but thought we would give it a go here. We did not regret our choice as the Risotto was perfectly done and the shrimp and lobster sweet and succulent. Jarod and Ashley enjoyed their dishes too. For desserts, Ashley had the Italian Vanilla Ice Cream and the rest of us the Mocha Tiramisu. The Tiramisu here was truly to die for. However, ZA still could not reach a conclusion on the best dessert in Walt Disney World. Guess we may have to make another trip to get this worked out?
With this wonderful meal, we concluded our trip to Epcot.
