Disney World-EPCOT!!!

Alright, after almost 8 months of planning for this trip, we were there!!! 

Look at those muscles!

 For our first day we headed to Epcot!  We had a princess breakfast at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Norway.  It was an amazing way to kick off our week at Disney.  Faith got to meet Aurora, Snow White, Ariel, Jasmine and Belle.  Just before we left the princess came around and asked all the little children to join them in a small parade.  They take them around the tables at the restaurant and sing while the children get to hold the princess' hands.  The food was yummy, and we left the meal with wonderful photos.  I HIGHLY suggest reservations! We waited for about 5 minutes outside, went in, ate and by the time we came out the people who were waiting with us before were still there.

CANADA

This was so cute, I love Martin Short and the one ride they have in Canada is narrated by him.  You walk into a theatre, no seats, and you're surrounded by screens.  The setting is like you're actually in the scene.  They must have used a 360 degree camera to get shots on all sides, because that's what you're looking at.  It made me want to travel to Canada!

UNITED KINGDOM

This was one of my favorites, but that's because there was an area of the store that was all Beatles stuff!  Also, we love Mary Poppins in this house, so getting to meet her was on my list of things to do while we were here!

Um...can I get this at my house?

Hilarious interactive performance on the street.  It was a wonderful break!

I loved the way Alice talked!

FRANCE

Being in France we had to get some wine.  It was yummy and the lady let us pick a few wine corks from her bowl to add to our collection.  I loved the art and it was a great teaching experience.  We saw Aurora here and it was great, because we happened to be resting right where she stands. Out of nowhere she came and we were automatically first in line!!

MOROCCO

We were shopping in the little store when a downpour started outside.  Luckily, it lasted about 3 minutes and then the sun came back.  Morocco was my favorite for architecture.  Walking around inside you really have to pay attention to the details.  It was perfect for some photos.

JAPAN

There was more wonderful architecture in Japan.  My husband loved it, because he loves dragons, anime, all that jazz.  The kids loved it, because there was a lot of yummy Japanese candy.

USA

Right when we walked up we were welcomed by this wonderful parade.  It was very patriotic, especially since we got some funnel cake right after.

ITALY

 GERMANY

Being German, I loved being in Germany.  However, you'll notice how after Germany I look significantly redder, and that's because I really wanted the kids to get a private session with Snow White, so I ended up standing in the sun for about 30 minutes.  To make me feel better Dario took the kids to get drinks and brought me back this awesome, German souvenir cup!  In the picture I look a little worn out though.

CHINA

Looking back at these pictures, I can't believe how detailed each location is.  I took detailed shots of the different buildings in China.  Dario loved all the dragons in the shop and I loved the kids meeting Mulan.  We were second in line after her break, another 30 minutes of waiting in the sun, but it was worth it, because she used her fresh lipstick to plant a big kiss on Charlie's cheek!  There was also a great performance put on by street performers.  The kids were completely transfixed on the entertainment.

 

NORWAY

We were able to get a better look at Norway after our breakfast there.  The line for the ride was a bit long, but nothing too bad.  It was a fun boat ride through the history of Norway.  Charlie got a little scared of the polar bear, but was quickly distracted by other sites.  The kids also enjoyed seeing the historic swords and weapons. 

 

MEXICO

Ok, this was my favorite location for shopping.  There was an awesome collection of Day of the Dead stuff for buying.  It was also perfect for our last location, because Mexico was located inside a 'Mayan Temple'.  This means is was AIR CONDITIONED!!!  It was a wonderful welcome.  The thing I love about Epcot it the mix learning with fun.  Each location had a mini-museum to give the kids, in a fun way, information about the country they are visiting.  In Mexico there was art, war gear and a lot of other fun things, see below for Faith 'carrying' the Mayan calendar. 

 

We finished our day with a trip around the lake on the boat that takes people from one side of Epcot to the other.  It was a sweet way to calm the children down.