Bricker Family Disney World Trip Report — Pt 2
Day 2 of our family vacation to Walt Disney World (click here to read part 1 of the trip report) was our best day at Epcot in recent memory.
I heaped praise upon the Epcot International Festival of the Arts in our review of that, saying it reminded me of ‘old school’ EPCOT Center. That, coupled with being at Epcot with my parents, made me feel the way it felt when visiting this park as a child.
My first stop was to see the Figment topiary behind Spaceship Earth. For the last several years in our Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival Guide, my review contained a ‘wish-list’ (really, a plea) for Disney to add topiaries of Figment and Dreamfinder.
I’m not suggesting this addition was because of me (I’d hope those making decisions at Disney have better things to do than read the rantings of some fan), it’s to point out how excited about this I am.
With that said, my new plea is to restore the Universe of Energy dinosaur topiaries, so if those return next year, I’m totally taking 100% of the credit. 😉
Following that, we stopped at a couple of PhotoPass spots, which were featuring Festival of the Arts displays. I haven’t always been the biggest fan of PhotoPass over the years, but having it included in our Annual Passes is nice.
The photography can still be inconsistent, but it’s usually fine. The other upside for me is that if I take a poor photo of Sarah, I’m to blame. If PhotoPass does, they are. I prefer the latter scenario.
After stopping for those photos, we went to Guest Relations so my dad could get a Disability Access Service card. This was our first experience with the card, and how it worked was a bit of a mixed bag.
Just like some attractions had to be oddly retrofit for FastPass, so too are there some “interesting” setups for the Disability Access Service lines. I might write about this more in a future installment or post, if there’s interest.
Following that, we started wandering towards World Showcase, where Pluto was doing a meet & greet with virtually no line. My dad, who is not known among his friends as a character hunter, really wanted to do this.
Our plan for lunch was to graze from some of the Festival of the Arts booths. We tried several options from the booths located around the entrance to World Showcase, most of which we enjoyed.
It’s hard to say whether these were overpriced or if the presentation and ingredients made them worth it. I’m inclined to say they were slightly overpriced. As I said in our Festival of the Arts review, I found the food to be the least significant element of Festival of the Arts, which was nice–and surprising.
It was fairly hot for January, so we decided to do Gran Fiesta Tour next. Those Audio Animatronics at the end are such a nice addition. There have been vague rumors recently that this ride might get another overlay if Coco performs well, but I hope that doesn’t happen.
Then it was time for Frozen Ever After. I was curious how my parents would feel about this, but I’m not sure they thought much of anything beyond “it was cute.” Maelstrom wasn’t exactly on the must-do list when I was a kid, so I’m guessing they don’t have much of a memory of that. Of course, we got the obligatory, “awkwardly indifferent expressions” on-ride photo.
My dad was really hyped on this troll for some reason.
We continued around World Showcase, stopping in Germany for a bit to watch the train. It’s fascinating to me to experience the parks with others who are not regulars. It’s pretty easy to surmise what’s popular, but experiences like this give you some insight into the little things others appreciate.
What connects with one person won’t for another–it’s different for everyone. Often, it’s things we regularly pass by that resonate with others. This is probably why Disney has done so well including details 95% of guests will miss. You never know which 5% of the design and details will connect with any given guest, but the ones that do leave a lasting impression.
My parents were getting a bit hungry again and we had just missed a showing of American Adventure, so my mom and I walked over to Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie to grab a few snacks while Sarah and my dad waited at a table in Morocco.
As always, Les Halles delivered with some delicious treats, including one that was ‘special’ for Festival of the Arts.
I still think the Napoleon isn’t as good as it used to be, but by this point, I’m guessing most guests don’t even remember the “old” one.
American Adventure was next, with the full experience including the Voices of Liberty. Taking a few minutes to look at the American Heritage Gallery, see the Voices of Liberty perform, followed by American Adventure is about as perfect of an Epcot experience as you can get.
The only thing that’d make it better is if you could reflect upon the beautiful display of patriotism by enjoying a New York strip steak at an American table service restaurant afterwards.
Here are a few photos from the show:
Audio Animatronics Frederick Douglass has done an amazing job paddling here day in and day out. It’s nice to see him being recognized more and more for his hard work.
It’s surprising to me that the American Adventure doesn’t receive more hype. Discounting both personal preference and patriotism, I consider this one of the top 5 attractions at Walt Disney World. One of the objectively-best experiences Imagineering has ever created.
That people consider this ‘boring’ while Toy Story Mania and Rock N Roller Coaster receive some of the highest guest satisfaction scores at Walt Disney World confounds me. Those are fine rides, but I don’t think anyone can make a remotely compelling argument that they’re the pinnacle of Imagineering.
My parents really wanted to do Via Napoli, so that was next on the agenda. I feel like there was a lot of hype for this when it first opened, but that has significantly died down in the last few years.
I’m not entirely sure why as this is still some of the best food–and can be among the best values–in World Showcase.
Whenever I mention this, it’s invariably met with responses from people in Chicago or New York who preface their dismissal of it with, “I’m from Chicago/New York, so…” as if being from these two locations give you a monopoly on pizza opinions or a realistic expectation that all pizza anywhere conform with a single, region-specific style. (I also find it really odd that so much emphasis is placed on pizza given that both Chicago and NYC are amazing food towns.)
That tangent aside, I did make my own near-fatal mistake at this meal: sharing. Kids, one of the greatest lies your parents will ever tell you is when they extol the virtues of sharing. Here’s some real talk: sharing is one of those things that’s great in the abstract, and there are certainly interpersonal and societal benefits to doing it.
The reality is that no one likes to share. The next time your parents go on some diatribe about sharing, explain to them that you understand its merits on a conceptual level, and that’s good enough. (If that doesn’t work, ask if they’d enjoy paying more in taxes.)
Parents, this is why you don’t let your kids read this blog. 😉
Seriously, though, for as much as I talk up how Via Napoli can be a great value if you split a Mezzo Metro pizza, in practice, I never want to share this with more than 2 people.
Actually, I’m pretty sure I could eat an entire Mezzo Metro on my own, and even if I got sick afterwards, it’d be worth it.
We had gone into Impressions de France because it was an air-conditioned place to sit down to recover from the meal (and because Sarah and I love it) where we could kill time until American Adventure.
I wasn’t really expecting anything in the way of a reaction from my parents, but to my surprise, after the show my dad had a decent amount to say.
I told him how we had visited some of those places, and he told me how the castles reminded him of some he saw while deployed in Germany. He was excited to hear that we’d gone to Neuschwanstein Castle; he had also been there, among other places in Germany and Europe. On Page 2 we’ll cover the Disney on Broadway Concert Series, and our favorite World Showcase experience so many people miss…
My goodness, that picture of Goofy and your dad’s service dog made me cry, for some reason (that intangible Disney chemistry, I suppose).
Also, thanks to your suggestion, I insisted on our post IllumiNations World Showcase stroll on the final night of our very first WDW visit. It made me cry like a child. It was such a beautiful finale to our trip and I just didn’t want to go. Two of our three kids fell asleep and my husband and just walked in silence. Thank you for that awesome suggestion.
I am a fan of American Adventure, I really miss it in California Adventure. Thanks for the great reports.
We have been going to Disneyworld for years but usually with other family members – and even though they are usually all day troopers we had never stayed much after park closing at any of the parks. But following Tom’s advice we did the stroll at Epcot after the fireworks and we can give a testimonial that it is truly a “magical” Disney experience. It was just my wife and I so logistically it was easier than with a larger group but it will definitely be something we do again with the entire family. We had a season pass for the first time(which sadly just expired) but that experience is the first that comes to my mind when reminiscing on our year of Disney!
Tom, your dad’s service dog is adorable 😛
I would really love to know where to sit in American Adventure to better hear the narration. The one time I visited, I felt the audio was garbled and I couldn’t understand much of it. Anybody got any tips?
I can see now that there’s interest in more on the Disability Access Service card, so at this point, you don’t need to leave a comment expressing interest. 🙂 (Thanks for the feedback to everyone who has replied thus far concerning this.)
I need to talk to my dad (as it’s a bit more personal of a topic and I don’t want to disrespect his privacy) and also give some thought to how I’ll approach this topic.
This is a very sensitive and also quite personal topic for many Disney fans, and I want to make sure I approach it with the level of understanding and empathy it deserves…
Thank you…looking forward to your review and comments!
Really enjoying this blog and the inputs from your parents point of view 🙂 Thanks for sharing. I would be really interested on a future post on DAS too!
“It’s surprising to me that the American Adventure doesn’t receive more hype”
I entirely agree with this comment! AA is definitely in my TOP 3 (could even be my No.1) attractions in WDW across the board. I’m one of those people that tear up over a beautiful Cheerios commercial, so AA gets me every time! Usually blubbering by the end..
“If you’ve never done this post-show stroll, you absolutely need to do it. Experiencing World Showcase all lit-up at night, devoid of crowds will make you look at it differently—and appreciate it more.”
You’ve been telling us this for years, and for the life of me, I have no idea why I haven’t made it happen. We’re usually so tired at the end of a day we just limp to the resort, or monorail/bus as soon as the Fireworks are over. My mantra is “next time” and it feels pretty hollow to say that I will make this happen next time, but yeah. It’s time.
And I will keep repeating myself, Keith, until YOU report back that your family has finally done it. C’mon, don’t make me keep repeating myself. It’s getting annoying for everyone else. 😉
Hi Tom, my daughter (14) and I enjoy your writing, you have tipped us to many things we wouldn’t have noticed. I see you tried the disabilities pass at Epcot, My daughter is severely visually impaired and we have used the audio description but never gotten the pass at Epcot. At Animal Kingdom we get the pass, they’ve changed it recently, anyway I’m writing a blog in your comments… what did the disabilities pass at Epcot do?
Am interested in your take on the disability pass. It was quite easy to qualify for the original pass, but after the you-know-what hit the fan, obtaining the newer one became convoluted and difficult. I received my disability pass about three or four years ago. It’s not the same as the older one, but it does what it does, and I’m grateful for it.
From the comments here, it sounds like others are also interested in hearing more on the subject.
Please do report on the disability card. Starting to plan a trip that will include my 16 year old middle son who doesn’t walk or talk and really worried about spending that amount of money (just the round trip flight for a family of 4 from washington state to florida is a killer) and having it be a disaster.
Great post and fantastic photos as usual! Glad to meet your parents!
Would also be interested in a post on the disability pass and any tips on doing disney with mobility issues.
100% agree on the Napoleon. My wife was almost in tears when they changed it. But, I did find the old version at the Boardwalk Bakery just last summer.
Thank you for that intel!
“Audio Animatronics Frederick Douglass has done an amazing job paddling here day in and day out. It’s nice to see him being recognized more and more for his hard work.” –Wasn’t expecting this line at all, and it got an actual guffaw out of me.
Me too! (Thanks Tom!)
I would be really interested to hear what you thought of the Disability Access Card. I raise and train service dogs and am an avid Disney fan. So I’m interested to learn how they’ve updated the system since the whole fiasco of people faking disabilities (don’t get me started on that!). Hopefully with more talk surrounding it we can prod Disney in the direction of making their parks as accessible to all as possible! And as always, the post was a wonderful read!
I would love to hear more about disability access. I have visited the parks twice while in a wheelchair – and several times on my own two feet. Please – do tell us more!
First, I agree on the Napoleon. Just not as good as it once was, though I still grab one on occasion.
Second, I’m totally jealous you got to see Kevin Massey perform in the Broadway series. I got to see his wife on Broadway last year, but wasn’t able to see him when the national tour he was starring in came through GA/SC.
I agree! The napoleon is not as good. I thought it was just me. Thank you for confirmation! I am not crazy. Lol
Enjoying your trip reports! Please do a review of the special needs pass. We may use it for the first time this September for my son.