AllEars® Team Blog

I made a short trip to the World this past weekend (Nov. 12-14),
mostly for the end of the Food & Wine Festival. I couldn't help but
notice, however, that Christmas decorations are popping up all over.
Here are some of the more prominent holiday displays I noticed as I wandered around the park.

Starting at International Gateway:

World Showcase Plaza

In Germany

Even in Sommerfest:

In France

Not only in the new Givenchy shop...

... but also in the Bistro de Paris:

In the United Kingdom

In the American Adventure

And finally, where I didn't expect them... Inside Club Cool:

Mmmm... I can still smell the amazing, buttery aroma of freshly made caramel, even now -- 24 hours after I first set foot in the new Karamell-Küche shop that opened just a few days ago in Epcot's Germany pavilion.

This new store, located on the site of the former Glas und Porzellan in the front of the pavilion, is sponsored by Storck USA, makers of Werther's Original Caramels. It's unique, in that it is the only freestanding retail location for Werther’s in the world -- how did Epcot get so lucky?

Not only does the shop sell a wide array of prepackaged Werther's candies, but each day cast members are busy making fresh caramel confections, including caramel apples and popcorn, caramel-drizzled cupcakes, rice krispie treats, cookies, strawberries, and much more.

Not only is this place a treat for the nose and tastebuds, but it's a feast for the eyes, with attractive displays of its goodies, as well as the chance to watch the cast members at work. You can see them mixing up batches of savory hot caramel, or generously drizzling it over popcorn, cupcakes, and a variety of fruit and freshly baked items.

All of this gooey goodness does not come cheap, of course. You can expect to pay $5.45 for a regular caramel-dipped apple, and up to $9.95 for a specialty, such as Rocky Road (covered with nuts, chocolate chunks, and marshmallows) or Apple Pie. But get this! Some of the items count as snacks on the Disney Dining Plan, including the small bag of caramel popcorn ($2.95), the gourmet caramels ($3.95), the chocolate and caramel covered strawberries ($3.95) and several of the various cookies (prices vary).

If you're buying some of the regular Werther's candies, you can get 1.8 oz. roll packs for $.95, 4.5 oz. bags for $2.95. You can also get sugar-free Werther's: 1.48 oz. minis for $1.45; 2.75 oz. bags for $2.95 and 7.7 oz. bags for $8.95.

The shop is open during regular World Showcase hours, and the lines are currently long, but fast-moving. This is one sweet destination, if you'll pardon the pun, that you should definitely check out on your next visit to Epcot.

The Japan pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase recently unveiled a new exhibit in its museum space adjacent to the Mitsukoshi Department Store. Entitled "Spirited Beasts: From Ancient Stories to Anime Stars", the exhibit focuses on the mythological origins of modern Japanese animated characters.

"Anime", as Japanese animation has come to be known, originated about 1917, but has enjoyed a great deal of popularity outside of Japan in recent years. The success of animated cartoon series like Pokemon and animated feature films like "Spirited Away" and "My Neighbor Totoro," by director Hayao Miyazaki, have broadened the art form's appeal.

This new exhibit looks at how many anime characters and their traits are derived from ancient Japanese characters. As an introductory plaque says: "For centuries, heroic animals and magical creatures have appeared in traditional Japanese myths, stories and art. Today, they are the heroes and villains of Japan's manga comics and anime. These "spirited beasts" from Japan's past have become pop culture superstars, known and loved around the world. Join us as we celebrate these mysterious, magical and mischievous animal figures."

The "Tsuru", or Japanese crane, is a symbol of happiness, prosperity and world peace, and adorns much Japanese art and decor. The display below shows one thousand paper cranes, known as Senbazuru -- folding them is thought to grant a wish. (This exhibit is covered with a mesh screen, then lit periodically to reveal the cranes underneath, hence the grainy image quality, sorry.)

Kitsune (below) are magical fox spirits that grow extra tails as they gain in age, wisdom and power. Expert tricksters, they may take on human form. Kitsune are popular in kabuki drama as well as in popular manga and anime.

Cat Heroes

Saru - Monkeys

Tengu (below) are winged warriors that combine human features with birdlike beaks, wings and talons. They may teach their knowledge of magic to the worthiest humans. (This is also behind a mesh screen, so it was hard to get a clear photo.)

The statue below, The Slayer of Vanity, is a crow-tengu -- a powerful birdlike spirit that stands ready to defend. The figure wears the traditional robe of a Shinto priest. These were skilled warriors who often play mischievous tricks on those who are vain and proud.

The famous tryptich (by Kunisada Minamoto) below portrays the nobleman Yoshitsune being trained in the art of swordsmanship by a group of magical "tengu", birdlike spirits of the mountain. The long-nosed king tengu, Daitengu Sojobo, looks on.

A sign in the exhibit acknowledges the following: the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery of Scripps College in Claremont, CA; the Spencer Museum of Art of Kansas; Mr. Mitsuo Ogishima of the Japanese Outreach Initiatives of the Universoty of South Florida in Tampa; and Mr. and Mrs. Brennan of Windermere, FL.

Festival Follow-up
by Debra Martin Koma
Senior Editor, AllEars®

It's not often that I get to visit Walt Disney World two weekends in a row, being that I'm from out of state and all, but due to an unusual confluence of events, that's what I found myself doing recently. As a result, I was able to tour Epcot the weekend *before* the annual Flower and Garden Festival started, and then again the weekend *after* it started. It was kinda neat to see the changes just a few short days had made, so I thought I'd share them with you.

When I was in Epcot before the festival started, the main entrance display had not yet been installed, so I was eager to see it. As horticulture manager Eric Darden had told me previously, the display featured Donald and Daisy Duck, as well as Goofy and Pluto, in a Canadian Rockies setting, camping out and "Celebrating the Great Outdoors," the festival's 2010 theme.

True to form, the 14-foot Goofy topiary showed our canine friend in the awkward predicament of hooking his own pants with his fishing pole, while Canadian Mountie Donald and Pluto looked on. Off to the side Daisy calmly roasts marshmallows, the flames of her fire portrayed by bronze and copper-colored blooms. The scene is beautiful, accented by a waterfall and pine trees in the background, all set against the globe of Spaceship Earth, glinting in the sun.

Another thing that was interesting to note were the individual topiary exhibits. Darden had commented during our tour that they were constantly looking at ways to improve upon each display, and I saw several cases of their last-minute tinkering. The Lion King exhibit in front of Spaceship Earth, for example, which features Rafiki holding the baby Simba up for all to see, had sparse foliage behind it when I saw it before the festival opened. But on my more recent visit, you can see how space had been filled in with bushy plants to give the whole scene a lusher look.

In the Twining's Tea Garden in the UK pavilion, too, I saw the work of additional detailing. See the teacups before...

and after...

When I had visited before the festival had started, it had been a cold, dreary, rainy day, so many of my shots looked dull and lackluster. This was especially true in and around the Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden. But on my subsequent visit, not only was I treated to a blue sky and more vibrant colors, but the butterflies had been released, and I was able to capture quite a few flitting around Fawn's Butterfly House.

The finished Art of Green Living Garden lived up to the expectations I had had for it -- truly had become a relaxing place to hang out, so much so that I couldn't get a decent photo of the seating, due to all the crowds. Sorry, you'll have to see it for yourself. But the whole area is just so beautifully designed, like a Tuscan garden area.

Besides things that had been tweaked since my first visit, a number of activities and events had, obviously, actually started.

In the former Wonders of Life pavilion, operating under the name of "Garden Town" for the duration of the festival, the educational sessions were in full swing. I happened to run into festival manager Darden who was keeping an eager eye on things, who told me that the 2 p.m. water gardens talk that was underway was at full capacity -- 77 people. "There were that many in line 50 minutes BEFORE the talk started," Darden claimed excitedly. "It's a shame that we ended up turning people away, but that's never happened before - the turnout is great!"

Over in the France pavilion, attendance was great for the Guerlain Fragrance Garden Tour that I took, too. The tour is offered at 2, 4 and 6 p.m. daily. I attended the 4 p.m. tour, which Guerlain Representative Caridad Canales told us is given by an International Program Cast Member. The group of about 20 others and I were led through the fragrance garden by Abou, a young man from Lyon, France, who was giving the tour for the first time.

He started by sharing a brief history of the Guerlain company, founded in 1828. He then proceeded to lead us around the garden, which is marked by groupings of plants whose essences go into Guerlain's many fragrances. At the Flora Nymphea exhibit, for example, there's an arrangement of planters with orange blossoms and lilac, for those are scents that go into Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria collection. At each exhibit, you'll also find a "scent box" that allows you to get a whiff of the fragrances. This year, there are new boxes, with knobs that turn, rather than the "lift the flap" type exhibits of previous years.

Abou took about 20 minutes to walk us around the garden, also pointing on the hidden bees nestled among the plantings. Explaining that the bee is the symbol for the French monarchy, Abou added that when turned upside-down, the bee resembles a fleur de lis, a well-known symbol often associated with royalty. In addition to this walking tour of the garden, Guerlain also sponsors a scavenger hunt for children who would like to search for the hidden bees scattered around the pavilions floral arrangements. The tour concluded with Caridad handing out small complimentary samples of a Guerlain perfume.

Though this follow-up visit to the Flower and Garden festival did afford me the chance to see and do more, there were still plenty of things I didn't get to see, and a few activities I would have liked to have tried -- like the tour of the UK pavilion's Tea Garden (offered on weekends at 2, 4 and 6:30 p.m.).

Never mind. I'll get another chance -- lucky me gets to visit the Festival a third time next month, when I travel to Walt Disney World as chaperone for my son's school orchestra's trip!

by Debra Martin Koma
AllEars.Net Senior Editor

It was a cold, rainy Saturday that found me traipsing through a near-deserted Epcot, touring along with Eric Darden, horticulture manager for the annual Flower and Garden Festival. Gone were the blue skies and sunshine of the previous day, but never mind -- the show must go on, and Darden was more than happy to give me, along with several other local journalists, a behind-the-scenes preview of what to expect from the 2010 festival, whose theme is, somewhat ironically on that miserable day, "Celebrate the Great Outdoors."

"We are prepared for the cold weather," Darden explained as we trudged along through Future World. "We've had to cover the topiaries, but really it's done little damage to our festival-specific plants. We've lost some tropical plants, some shrubs, but in some ways the festival actually looks BETTER this year because of the freeze."

Better? My ears perked up, anxious to hear how he was going to spin this gardener's nightmare into a good thing.

"No, really, it's had a positive effect in many ways," Darden claimed. "We took the opportunity to replace some things that needed to be replaced -- and it's made a drastic improvement in some cases."

Darden pointed out one area in particular where overgrown plantings had been killed by the extended extreme cold. They had been replaced by low shrubs, effectively opening up the area so that the view was much less obstructed. That, Darden said, was how the view was always intended to be. "The sight-line is clear now. It's so much better, thanks to the cold weather."

That wasn't something I had expected to hear, given that this year the Orlando area has experienced one of the coldest winters in memory, with many nights dipping well below freezing. I had, in fact, assumed I'd hear more about how starting the festival a few weeks earlier than usual (March 3 this year as compared to last year's March 18 start date, and 2007's April 5 start) had caused a lot of problems.

"Did it (the cold) cause more work? Yeah," Darden admitted. "But we were ready for it. And if you're ready for one frost, you're ready for 10. I think this year's festival is as fine as any we've done."

That kind of preparedness doesn't happen overnight. Darden, who is in his seventh year as festival manager, said his team begins working on the 75-day event a year in advance. With the earlier start this year, the group was faced with several new challenges, which Darden asserted was actually a good thing.

"Starting early forced us to use other plants -- pansies and other winter bedding plants, which have great color," he explained. "I think eight out of 10 gardeners will tell you that it's hard to beat a viola, which is in the pansy family. Our biggest challenge was protecting the topiary."

Topiary, for the uninitiated, are those large statue-like figures made of all organic material -- moss, grasses, ivy, and other plants shaped around a metal frame to look like a 14-foot tall Goofy, or American Gothic Mickey and Minnie, or, my personal favorites, Bambi and friends (they're in the Canada pavilion).

According to Darden, the cold weather required that the horticulture staff keep the topiaries indoors longer to shelter them from the elements. Unfortunately, "keeping them in-house is never as good as outdoors," and such cool, wet conditions are perfect for growing fungus, which can destroy the plants. Not something they want to deal with, given all the hours it takes to construct a single figure, and also given that the topiaries are among visitors' favorite aspects of the festival.

Epcot is displaying about 75 topiaries this year, from the aforementioned Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and Goofy, to newer characters like Tinker Bell's pixie friends found in the expanded Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden. Darden explained that while they do re-use topiaries from festivals gone by, they like to add new ones, even though it's a long, involved process.

To construct a new topiary, a Disney artist makes a maquette, or a small scale model, of the figure, just as they do for an animated film. After making castings of the maquette, they take the design to a welder who fabricates the frame, working with the artist. The whole process can take four to five months, then the plants are added, anchored in place by hair pins, but, as Darden said, "planting is the easiest and fastest part."

As we stopped in front of the Scar (the villain in The Lion King) topiary, I marveled at the level of detail. Long, dark Black Mondo Grass gave the lion his shaggy mane, while closely cropped variegated ficus and other greenery covered his face and body, which Darden said weighs in around 1300 pounds. Even without being told I could have identified this Disney bad guy, a testament to the amount of hard work, attention, and money, that go into designing the figure.

"Disney really cares about the integrity of these characters," Darden added. "That's why you won't see actual faces on human characters like Snow White or Sleeping Beauty -- we wouldn't be able to get them the way we want them, so we leave the face up to your imagination."

In addition to the topiaries and the abundant, colorful plantings around Epcot, a number of themed gardens caught my fancy. My favorite was the Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden, which includes Fawn's (formerly Minnie's) Butterfly House. The pixie topiaries are bright and whimsical, and once the butterflies are released in the enclosed area I look forward to seeing them flitter around. I especially want to be sure to spend some time watching new butterflies emerge from their chrysalises in the little house located off to one side of the Butterfly House.

Other gardens that we had a chance to see in progress included the Tuscany-inspired Art of Green Living, which plants all sorts of ideas in your head as to what you can do in your own back yard, and the children's play area, Let's Get Moving, located along the Rose Walk between Future World and World Showcase, and the brand new Princess Tiana's Wedding Bayou. Vegetable gardeners are not forgotten, as some exhibits include "edible landscapes" with plants such as olive trees, and many pots and beds feature herbs, cabbages, kale and other veggies.

We also saw the unfinished Guerlain Fragrance Garden in the France pavilion. This year, the popular "lift and sniff" scent boxes that are usually a part of this exhibit will be divided between two locations -- their usual spot near the buildings in that pavilion, and another location more prominent on the promenade. In addition, the boxes have been redesigned for easier use -- instead of lifting a lid, there is a knob to turn that will release the scents.

The biggest area left to our imagination, though, was the entrance display, which wasn't to be installed until Monday, two days before the festival opens. Darden called the unveiling of that welcoming display one of his favorite days of the festival. This year, the exhibit features a 14-foot Goofy hooking his own pants with a fishing pole, Pluto in his "pup tent" (pun intentional), Donald Duck as a Mountie, and Daisy Duck roasting marshmallows, along with a six-foot waterfall.

The tour concluded with lunch at Tutto Italia in World Showcase's Italy pavilion. As we approached the restaurant, I noted the gorgeous topiary of Lady and the Tramp, surrounded by pots of pink, purple and white blooms. Even on the coldest and dampest of days, Flower and Garden Festival managed to warm my heart.

SPOILER ALERT: We share some of the hidden surprises in Germany and Japan, so if you haven’t embarked on this adventure and want to save the surprises, you might want to read this later.

As veterans of Walt Disney World, we know that there is always something more to do….some other adventure hidden around the corner, so on a recent trip, we decided to try something new just to see what it was like: the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure. For us, Disney rarely disappoints, and this was no exception.

We were at WDW as a surprise trip to celebrate Liam’s 10th birthday. Because he did most of the spy work on these cases, I’ve asked him to join me in describing this experience.

Read on and we’ll tell you what we learned.

Why We Chose to Do the Kim Possible Adventure
Liam: Because it looked really fun. I had heard that you get to go around the countries in World Showcase to see these cool things. I’ve been to EPCOT a lot and I think I’ve seen everything, but I haven’t been there since last August and I’d heard about this and wanted to try it.

Michelle: Liam is like his mom. He loves everything Disney and would opt to go to the parks every day for 14 hours a day, given the option. While he enjoys World Showcase, he’s not always enthused about spending lots of time there. I thought this would be a great way to show us some of the many details that Imagineers built into these pavilions.

What We Thought It Would Be:
Liam: I had no idea what it would be. I thought it would be a scavenger hunt, but it ended up being better.

Michelle: I, too, thought it would be a scavenger hunt…and to be honest, I thought it might to be a bit tedious, with us running around from spot to spot, finding minute details and writing them down. However, knowing the way Disney does things, I was hoping for more of an exciting adventure….and it was.

First, we stopped off Innovations and they swiped Liam’s park ticket to send us to a country to get us started. We received our Kimmunicator from a Kim Possible cart, which sent us to our first case in Germany. Here is Liam and another spy (he looked vaguely familiar) as we begin our challenge.

What We Liked:
Liam: Disney made things just for this adventure. We did two countries and one of them was Germany. In Germany, we went to the toy shop and I pressed the Kimmunicator and it told me to remember a number and a train came around with three numbers on it.

I liked all of it. I liked how the Kimmunicator worked. You pressed OK and it would make something happen in the countries. In Japan, Bebe came out of the top of the toy shop display.

At the miniature railroad, a church clock lights up.

Michelle: I agree. Wow! That Kimmunicator was really neat. It was a cell phone which was programmed to introduce the case that we were working on. “Spies” are walked through five or six different tasks around the countries, each of which showed Liam and I things that we’d hardly noticed other times we’d visited the countries.

Here’s the thing that was really cool about this little device….Often when you got to a certain area to follow up on a clue, the Kimmunicator will ask you to look at a certain spot and press a button on the phone. In the toy store in Germany, a train drove by with a special code and the little clock lit up at the miniature railroad. We loved it!
This is at the end of the Germany adventure. You’ll need to use your communicator to look up at this balcony for a surprise.

Another thing that I liked was that this was a great way to kids and adults to have fun together. I went into it thinking that I would just let Liam do everything, but after the first few tasks, I was really engaged and interested to see what the next surprise was.

Each adventure took about 30 – 45 minutes to complete, but since we didn’t have anything definite on the agenda, it was a great way to spend our time in EPCOT.

What We Didn’t Like:
Liam: I liked everything. I thought it was fun.

Michelle: I have only two little criticisms. First, it may have just been my old mom ears, but I had difficulty hearing some of the things that the characters were saying on the Kimmunicator.

Second, the “cases” didn’t really flow well in terms of storyline, but the excitement of seeing all the fun things pop up and turn on offset that.

Would We Do It Again:
Liam: Yes! I didn’t get to do all of the countries and I’d like to try it again because there were a lot of surprises and things popped out. I think that kids and adults will enjoy it if they do it.

This is a really cool thing that happens in Japan. It tells you to look at a black rock and this appears.

This is another cool thing in Japan. This lights up when you push the Kimmunicator.

Michelle: Definitely. We did only two of the seven adventures and I am looking forward to taking on more villains and helping Kim Possible solve crimes.

This is a really fun experience for kids and parents alike and a new way to have fun and look at some details you may have missed at World Showcase.

Find out more about the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure!

By Michelle Scribner-MacLean

Beautiful weather was a welcome theme for this entire weekend, after traveling from New Hampshire, where it is still struggling to get out of the 50s. This May weekend was in Orlando absolutely beautiful with temperatures in the mid-80s and abundant sunshine for nearly the entire time I was there. This provided a terrific backdrop for my second full day at the Flower and Garden Festival at EPCOT.

I spent the first part of the day on my own, taking my time and carefully checking out the special exhibits and plants that were highlighted in Future World. I got the chance to speak with two beekeepers, whose booth was located in Future World East, between the Mousegear store and Mission Space. They brought two living hives, samples of honey, and were very willing to talk about the bee-plant relationship, as well as what is involved in keeping hives.

Next I made my way over to Minnie’s Butterfly Garden (Can you see a theme here? I'm a science teacher and love learning about bugs!).

Sandwiched between two amazing butterfly topiaries, this popular attraction is back with an array of local butterflies including zebra longwings, orange julias, and painted ladies.

It was fairly crowded (with lots of enthusiastic photographers getting shots of these interesting creatures on their native plants. Here’s a photo I took of a common buckeye.

Later in the morning I was joined by my friend, Pat, who had never seen the Flower and Garden Festival. I visit Walt Disney World frequently, but one of the things that I really enjoy is introducing my friends and family to new things that they haven’t seen before. Pat was thrilled with all that she saw and kept saying, “I can’t believe that I never knew this was here!”

At lunchtime we made our way over to Garden Town, former home to the Wonders of Life Pavilion. (I met up with a cast member friend who said that, although they’ve been opening the Wonders of Life for five weeks a year during the past several years, now it is officially closed for good – or, as we like to say in the Disney fan world – it has become an “extinct attraction”).

For Flower and Garden, they’ve converted this space into sort of an exposition of things related to plants and growing. There are two spaces for lectures and demonstrations (I caught a horticulturist talking about garden irrigation and walked by a group learning about proper ways to plant trees), there is a little garden store, and there is a wonderful 20-minute film which shows behind the scenes footage of how the Disney team of horticulturists prepare for this event.

Pat and I then ventured to the Garden Town Café for lunch. This was a perfect spot for a few reasons. First, it seems that not many people know about this café….so it was not crowded at all. Second, there were some great food choices. We had salads with edible greens and flowers and both agreed that it was really yummy (and I definitely felt as if I’d had my vitamins for the day after eating that).

We spent the remainder of the day walking around World Showcase, where each country featured some special plant arrangement, spice, or fragrant flower collection. The topiaries were just spectacular. I noticed these familiar characters in Germany.

My last morning at Walt Disney World was filled with interesting events. I decided that I could not go home without going to the Magic Kingdom (what trip to WDW would be complete without seeing the castle?). Taking advantage of my planned reservation later in the day, I parked at the Grand Floridian and took an easy monorail ride over to the Magic Kingdom. I spent quite a bit of time in Tomorrow Land and must comment that every time I’ve gone to the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, I’ve really enjoyed myself. I sort of feel that I don’t want to like it – because it’s so goofy, but every show that I’ve been to has been different and really funny. I’d recommend it if you’ve never been.

Crowd levels we really high, but I decided to venture over to one of my favorites – Splash Mountain – because I had a Fast Pass. Not a good idea. Ten minutes into it, the ride broke down and we were stuck for 25 minutes. Because we stopped at a difficult to access place in the ride, our evacuation required that we climb over the back seats of several boats before being taken backstage to exit (cast members requested that we take no photos). Although this doesn’t happen often, it happens occasionally, so here is a tip for parents: make sure that your child has visited the restroom before going on a long attraction. The poor family behind me had a 5 year-old girl who had to go and that 25 minute wait was not a pleasant one for her!

On the way out of Splash Mountain, I had a bit of a celebrity sighting. Cole and Dylan Sprouse (a.k.a. Zack and Cody from the show on the Disney Channel) were walking toward Splash Mountain with a VIP guide. There were so many people in the park, they seemed to be walking around unnoticed. Sadly, I didn’t have my camera out when they passed.

The final treat for my weekend was meeting my friend for high tea at the Grand Floridian. This was a new experience for me and I was very excited. The tea is served at a small restaurant at the back of the lobby called Garden View Lounge. The tables are small, the chairs are comfy, the room is sunny, and the wait staff was excellent. Pat and I both ordered three course teas and settled in for a wonderful experience. I treated myself to a Prince Edward’s Tea (but shared the pate with my friend since I’m a vegetarian). The first course also came with sherry (a fun surprise), delicious cheese, and an assortment of berries. Later I had scones with Devonshire clotted cream, while Pat, who had ordered the Sally Lunn Tea, had beautiful strawberries and cream. It was a perfect ending to a whirlwind getaway weekend and I highly recommend high tea as a change of pace from the parks and a new experience at Walt Disney World.

You can download your own copy of the Flower and Garden Festival at: http://adisneyworld.disney.go.com/media/wdw/Images2003/languagespecific/eng/nontheme/parks/epcot/events/flowerandgarden/FlowerGarden08_lores.pdf

Take a look at menu for high tea at the Grand Floridian Garden View Lounge.

By Michelle Scribner-MacLean

Ah, the generosity of friends….and all my friends happen to know that I love Walt Disney World. So, when my dear pal Pat invited me to stay at her off-property Orlando timeshare for the weekend, I jumped at the chance. I was particularly happy because, although we usually trek down to WDW in May as a family, this spring we’d decided to postpone our family trip until later in the year….which meant that I was going to miss the Flower and Garden Festival at EPCOT. However, yesterday, after a very early flight from cold and dreary New Hampshire, midmorning I found myself standing in front of Spaceship Earth taking in this splendid site:

The entrance area to EPCOT didn’t have its typical music, but instead featured tunes that you’d hear at a beach party….which is fitting since all of the topiaries are decked out in beach gear. Minnie had a cute bathing suit and her dear boy…..er…..mousefriend looked like this:

I didn’t get very far into EPCOT when my friend called and invited me to Downtown Disney for lunch. (See! I told you it was whirlwind). We met at Wolfgang Puck’s for a lunch on the outside patio (something that it pretty tricky to do in New Hampshire these days).

I ordered spinach salad with pecans and gorgonzola cheese, but had asked them to take the apples out since I am allergic. The waitress assured me it would be no problem at all. After the salad arrived and I started eating it….I bit down into an apple! Luckily, I only had a slight reaction, but I made sure to tell the waitress. The chef came out to personally apologize, but I wanted to mention this because, although anyone with allergies is very careful, mistakes do happen so be sure to double check (it reminded me that I need to remember to carry my benedryl wherever I go).

As my friend Pat headed to a water park with her son, I had some time to myself before we met later for dinner. As I got into my car I had an email on my phone from a friend suggesting that there might be soft openings of Toy Story Mania at Disney Hollywood Studios. Well, I guess that made the decision of where I’d be going next! When I arrived I found out that the soft openings were just for Cast Members….and that the line was a 90 minute wait (those Cast Members love the new attractions as much as we do!). This is was the area looked like.

You can see that it was blocked off, but there is a Pixar Studio banner, some plastic monkeys, and some army men on the roof. Looks like it is going to be a fun area….but I’ll have to wait until my next trip.

I did get to see something new…the Block Party Bash, which has just been around for about a month. The parade is a bit different from other Disney parades because there are about six or seven floats with performer and different characters and they start by moving up the street and then stopping to perform for 10 minutes….then they move to another part of the parade route and stop again. I was sitting at the second stop….and it seemed like a long wait until they got there.

The characters are from Pixar films so you’ll see Toy Story characters, the Bug’s Life crew, and the ones that stopped in front of me were from Monster’s Inc.

The characters, along with dancing Cast Member friends, engage the audience in jumping, clapping, and dancing to pretty much any party song you can imagine (think YMCA and macarana). It was different and the kids around me were thrilled when they were pulled out into the street to dance. At the end of the mini performance, they shot mini rubber balls into the audience.

After two trips on Aerosmith’s Rock ‘n Roller Coaster and two more on the Tower of Terror, I headed off to Boma for dinner (see previous note about the whirlwind nature of this trip). I introduced Boma to my friend last year….and now, just like me, she likes to make a visit to Boma part of every trip. Our new tradition is arriving about 45 minutes before our reservation so that we can walk around the lobby and check out the interesting artifacts and go behind the resort where you can see some African animals.

So, after a wonderful dinner at Boma….we headed back to her resort and preparation for another fun day. More to follow…

Debra Martin Koma is in Walt Disney World right now. She sent these photos of the continued removal of the wand/arm that's been on Spaceship Earth for several years.

Also, this morning she reported that at 10ish, the standby wait for Soarin was 75+ minutes. They were able to get FastPasses with a window beginning just after noon.

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