Disney World Day 7

Friday was our full EPCOT day. After I learned about a tip from a friend about rope dropping the Remy ride, we started our day on a bus to Hollywood Studios. From there was hopped on the Skyliner and rode it to EPCOT. We all enjoyed the ride on the Skyliner, and we even more enjoyed being at the front of the pack to ride Remy. 

We rode Remy for the second time of this trip. It's such a cute ride. 

Then we walked across the park to ride Frozen. On our way we ran into Snow White and posed for a picture and a little chat. Disney does a good job with the unexpected magical moments like running into a princess on a walk. 

We ran into some good luck because Frozen Ever After had a delayed opening and we caught it right as it was opening, so we didn't have to wait long at all in the line for it. We did get to see Oaken in the sauna though. I guessed I missed that part of the queue during our last trip. 

After Frozen we rode Mission Space (twice) and played in the Space Lab after the ride. The kids were so proud to successfully land their spaceship on Mars. Katherine was too short to go to Mars, so I rode the green side again with her, and she filled me in on every detail that I might need to know, including information about the special box she sat on that I wouldn't need. I love experiencing life with her!

We had a big lunch planned in Space! We were so excited to take the Space elevator 220 miles up to eat at the Space Station. The food was delicious, and it was such a unique atmosphere. Even the bathrooms were themed with the restaurant. 

We looked around for astronauts doing space walks, Jedis fighting in space, and even saw a space dog. 

After lunch we spent the afternoon riding rides. After long lines and huge crowds earlier in the week at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, EPCOT was a breath of fresh air with low wait times for everything and plenty of space to walk around without running into people. It was certainly a more laid back, relaxing day that we all were thankful for. 

We rode Test Track which is always a favorite. The kids couldn't wait to design their own cars. I think they liked that part as much as the actual ride. 

The speed testing is the best part of the attraction. It's always more fun and exhilarating than I'm expecting. 

 

We also rode Soarin again. Everyone loves that ride. Katherine always calls it the Polar Bear ride where you get to fly, and of course we had to reride Journey into Imagination wtih Figment. Nathan also bought a Figment shirt at the giftshop at the end of the ride. I don't get it, but the kids can't get enough of that silly dragon. And we rode Living with the Land, which I thought would bore the kids, but Samuel told me it was one of his favorite rides. The others said they liked it too. That was our school for the week, ha!

We ran into Minnie during our afternoon too. 

Elisabeth asked to do some shopping on Friday, so we made that happen. Katherine had to have this Baby Mickey, but not as much as a jewelry set she had picked out, so we hugged Mickey, took a picture and put him back on the shelf. That girl loves her some stuffed animals!

During the evening we watched the American Adventure show in the America Pavilion. My kids always surprise me with what attractions they like. They all really liked it. I guess even educational documentaries are magical at Disney. 

Katherine puttered out early on Friday night, so I found us a spot for the fireworks while she slept, and Matt took the big kids to ride Mission Space for a third time that day. 

He was also sweet to stop and take some pictures for me. I had really wanted a picture of the boys in their EPCOT shirts in front of the big ball. I made those shirts, and it about killed me with all the weeding it involved. I should have paid closer attention when Nathan chose it before I agreed to it!

So I remember not really being a fan of the EPCOT fireworks from past trips and after the disappointment of the new Magic Kingdom show, I had even lower expectations, but they were wonderful! The water show along with the lasers, projections, and the music and fireworks all combined for a stunning show! It was a long show too and just kept getting better. The songs were sung in different languages, but we all recognized the melodies, and with the added projections from the classic movies, it was just great! It was a huge highlight of our trip and the perfect ending to a wonderful day at EPCOT.