disney world day 2: epcot

I had tons of people tell me that Epcot wouldn’t be our favorite park. I kept hearing how it wasn’t kid friendly and there wouldn’t be a ton for BK to do or see and because I took that advice, we stayed around the resort for most of the morning. Actually, until around 1:00. I’m not complaining, BK managed to squeeze in some great pool time and I was able to relax, by the kiddie pool.

The first thing I noticed about Epcot was the huge difference in the crowd. It wasn’t the same frenzied crowd as the day before, it was more laid back and we walked onto every ride we rode. That’s right, we didn’t wait in line a single time while at Epcot. Except to see our ol’ pal Goofy, we waited about 10 minutes, while the guys found a place for lunch. 

After lunch, we rode on the boat ride that shows us Disney’s farming techniques that are cutting edge and extremely effective. The scientists here have discovered methods for growing crops in climates with poor soil quality or with very little water. Of course, I’m such a nerd at heart, I actually loved this ride. Don’t worry, BK loved it too, she saw all of her favorite fruits and veggies and a few fish along the way. 

Next up, The Seas with Nemo. We took a clam ride through the sea on a journey to find Nemo and ended up in The Seas aquarium. BK spent a long time in this part, looking at the different sea life. 

We didn’t feel rushed at all at this park, we weren’t overwhelmed with Fast Pass options or worrying about whether or not we would miss something big. It was a laid back day and while we loved Hollywood Studios, this was a nice change of pace. All in all, it was one of my favorite days of our trip.

Because BK is enamored by the princesses, I made reservations at Akershus for dinner. We made a quick stop at Mouse Gear and let her pick our her own princess dress and crown. She narrowed it down to Cinderella and Belle, but her ultimate choice was Cinderella. And that dress? It’s responsible for the glitter that is still in her hair today, several baths and swims later. I think it is on everything we brought with us to Disney. BK thinks she’s leaving Pixie Dust everywhere and that we should be more happy with the glitter than we actually are.

Next, we made a quick trip around the world and only stopped a few times for dancing and to change into the princess costume. Dinner was in Norway, and we had a reservation to make so we traveled the world quickly. BK loved the music and sights from the countries. I’m always amazed at the attention to detail in everything at Disney World. When you step on to the streets of the different countries, you actually feel like you are in a different country. The sights, sounds and even smells of that country are all around you, it’s such a neat thing to experience. 

We made it to Akershus, the Royal Banquet Hall, just in time for our reservation. This would be Braylen’s first princess meeting and she was ecstatic. She met Belle first, the picture with Belle was complimentary and she has already asked if she can put it in her room when we get home. Of course, she can.

As we ate, Princesses came by our table to greet Braylen. She wanted to dance with each one of them. They were so sweet to dance with her and twirl her around. She met Belle, Aurora, Jasmine, Snow White and Ariel. I quickly learned to love character dining. No waiting in long lines to greet our favorite characters. 

At the end of dinner she went with Ariel to parade around the restaurant with all of the other princesses. She isn’t scared of anything and jumped right up when Ariel came by, she paraded around the restaurant waving at everyone and blowing kisses with the biggest smile on her face. It was the sweetest thing and made for some great memories. 

After dinner, we walked out just in time to see the fireworks, they were beautiful. After a long day, without a nap, I might add, we were ready to head back to the room and get some rest.