Disneyworld I

Since we didn’t do any expensive excursions while we were on the cruise, we decided to splurge on a day at Epcot. JS hadn’t been there since 1990 and figured this would likely be his last opportunity. I have been to Epcot and Disney Studios twice in the last 8 years so not much had changed for me. It was a very long day, about 12 hours, but we enjoyed wandering around at a leisurely pace (our fitness trackers recorded 9 km). We went on 4 tame rides....Soarin, which felt like you were in a hang glider soaring across amazing landscapes from around the world; Living With the The Land, a boat ride that showed the history of agriculture and the latest growing technologies; Frozen Ever After, a boat ride in the Norway Pavilion based on the Disney movie; and Spaceship Earth, a dark ride in the geodesic sphere that takes you through technological advances. The longest wait was 50 minutes for the 3 minute Frozen ride. Soarin was my favourite. The park was crowded as expected but we’ve seen worse. It was fun to people-watch, everything from 2 year old temper tantrums, multi-generational family groups, international visitors, to a large wedding party. Everyone was happy, except for the 2 year old!

We had a very tasty dinner at the Moroccan Pavilion and hung around until 9 pm for the fireworks and laser show. It was quite impressive although we opted to sit which meant we had a somewhat obstructed view.

It was a fun day but the cost is getting outrageous. Our one-day pass was $244 for 2, parking $25, and our simple dinner $42 (which included a $9 beer), all in USD. How can so many families afford this? The fees continue to go up despite few new attractions. Disney knows people will always come.Read more