Epcot World Showcase

Me in front of the big orb...

I know it's been a several weeks since we got back from our Florida vacation... but I wanted to post a few things about what we did.

I'm not a huge fan of theme parks, since I'm not crazy about heights or falling... I usually just end up be a nervous wreck on 2 or 3 rides, then just watch everyone else ride.  So, Epcot was a perfect park for me.  They do have a few rides, but I couldn't ride most of them anyway, being prego and all. No biggie.  We spent about 7 hours in the "World Showcase" area of Epcot, enjoying the exhibits and shows.  There were a couple of small flume type (water) rides that we rode... and being that we were there at the World Showcase when it opened at 11 a.m., there were no lines and no waiting.  Sweet.

Buon Natale; Italy has a Christmas Witch!

I love the fact that we went at Christmas-time.  The shows were mostly related to winter holidays - from the Pere Noel storyteller in France, to the Hanukkah storyteller in America, to the evening candlelight processional and concert - we enjoyed seeing how holidays are celebrated in around the world.

My favorite show was the Christmas Carolers in America.  If you've never heard of the Liberty Voices, you're missing out.  The group originated at Epcot and still performs there as the "Voices of  Liberty" show.  Some of the members also travel around the world singing American classics in acapella. Their harmony is AMAZING.

Voices of Liberty dressed as carolers

Some suggestions on eating at Epcot.  Food is incredibly expensive there, but fortunately, they allow you to bring your own food and drink with you into the park.

Here's what we brought with us:  granola bars, 4 apples, a pack of graham crackers and about 1/3 cup of natural peanut butter in a ziploc bag.  I also brought along a small pair of blunt kids scissors (make sure you don't bring sharp or pointed ones that could be misconstrued as a weapon) and some napkins. We also filled our 22 oz water bottles with ice at the hotel.  Later on in the day, the ice melted and we had some cold, fresh water.  There are water fountains around the park that you can re-fill your water bottles with, but the water does taste kind of funky, so I'd recommend bringing a powdered drink mix or an herbal tea bag to add so it will taste better.

I've always wanted to take a photo like this!

Ok, so you're probably thinking, why the scissors... let me explain.  I didn't suddenly get the urge to get crafty or cut my hair.  I used it to snip off the corner of the ziploc bag containing the peanut butter as a no-mess way of dispensing the PB onto my graham crackers at lunch time.   Pretty handy...just squeeze out a small amount onto the cracker, like frosting cookies.  Of course, you could use your teeth to tear off a corner of the bag instead, but I try not to do that too often (see Mom, I do listen to you!).  If you're worried that you won't use all the PB in one sitting, just bring a second ziploc bag to contain any possible mess until you're ready to squeeze more PB.

Just for the experience, try buying a snack at one of the restaurants or snack bars in your favorite country.  The map indicates the price range for each establishment - try to stick to one that is labeled "$" to keep costs down.

And last, but not least, enjoy yourself!!  We certainly did!

Hats from around the world: Mexico, Morocco, France and China!