Around the World in 80 Minutes (and the Happiest Place on Earth)
- Hannah
- May 25, 2016
- 5 min read
I, to my surprise, spent too much time in the Magic Kingdom today, so I only got an hour and a half to enjoy Epcot. Originally, I planned to stay in the Magic Kingdom until 2:00pm and then the next 3 hours in Epcot until it was time to leave, but reality is often different than what I plan in my head. Regardless, I enjoyed every minute and simply wished I had more!
So was there a lesson learned in my solo trip to Disney World today? Of course! I continually had to ask for what I wanted, which is usually a really scary prospect for me. I don't usually ask for help because I don't want to bother other people (You can ask my boyfriend. I still make him flag down waiters at restaurants because I'm too timid). Somehow, I kept getting lost or confused, so I chose to act for my own volition and just ask for help.
I also found myself making choices to further my own curiosity and happiness over my pre-made plans. I have a very Type A personality that maps out literally everything. Surprisingly, I found myself wandering to experience new things in Magic Kingdom over my original plan! Even though it kind of stressed me out in the end, I am so happy that I took the time to explore the new Belle's Castle, Ariel's Grotto, and (new to me) Tom Sawyer's Island!
I actually parked near Epcot today because I knew that's where I wanted to end up. The result was that I booked it to the monorail that would take me to Magic Kingdom where I wanted to spend my morning. Naturally, I'm a fast walker, but today I was Speed Racer compared to the families and monstrously large groups of children. Since I was alone, I darted between families and tried to maneuver around the long horizontal lines of mothers with strollers who took up the entire sidewalk. I would get frustrated at being slowed down, so I had to constantly remind myself to just slow down and enjoy the walk. Besides, it would save my feet in the long run.
Once I was looking at Cinderella's Castle from Main Street, I started to find out if there were any rides I could go on before the lines got too long. This was the first time I had to break down and ask for help: There's a new Disney App on your phone that you can sign up for Fast Passes and check line lengths on. I didn't know this because I came in a traditionalist, so I stubbornly walked around for way too long looking for the Fast Pass Kiosks that normally let you sign up for the wait. Eventually, I had to ask for help, downloaded the app, and realized that all of the lines were way too long despite my efforts.
Instead, I took a turn around the river on the "Liberty Belle". It was a really nice break from the crowds, and I loved being on the water. Something about it is just calming to me. There, the captain pointed out Tom Sawyer's Island, so I decided to go check it out. I HIGHLY recommend going to the island if you have time on a hot day! There are so many trees that it was at least 15 degrees cooler than the rest of the park, and it's not very crowded since you have to take a ferry to get there. I chose this instead of getting to Ariel's Grotto early before lunch. This pushed my timeline back a little bit, but I (and my overheated body) was excited to see the secluded and shady island.
Next, I went to lunch in Belle's Castle. I made reservations ahead of time, but it still took me about 45 minutes to stand in line and get my food... The restaurant was very ornate and featured the Library, the Ballroom, and the Forbidden West Wing of the Beast's Castle. I sat in the Library because that's where I would hang out if I were Belle. The food was really good, but the price and the wait made it so that I don't think I'll frequent Belle's Castle when I come back to visit.
I went to Ariel's Grotto after lunch because it was right next door. Even though I was scheduled to go to Epcot, this was also something I hadn't experienced before. The line for the ride wasn't too long, so I took time to ride "Journey of the Little Mermaid". It was a lot like "It's a Small World", but it featured Ariel and her underwater friends. The animatronics sang and danced while the pink clam shell I was sitting in was ushered forward on a conveyor belt. Apologetically, I sang along since I was in a clam shell by myself. It was just simply enjoyable!
Eventually, I made it to Epcot, but with only 2 hours left in my day. I got lost and stubbornly tried to find the World Showcase by myself, which took about 30 minutes out of my remaining time. Only after I asked for help again, did I find where I wanted to be. I decided to start in Canada and work my way around in the remaining 80 minutes.
Firstly, I would like to note how impeccable all of the hedges were... Mom and Dad have been doing a lot of landscaping recently, so maybe I was more cognizant of their lawn art, but they had most Disney Princesses clipped out of hedges. It was also the Plant and Garden Show, so there were lots of nice hedges and gardening tips scattered throughout the park. I also want to give Epcot a two thumbs up because of how involved with sustainability and bettering the planet they are. Outside of the World Show Case, they had demonstrations about how to re-use rain water, avoid excess energy, and many more environment promoting techniques. It is awesome that they are providing that message to the multitudes of crowds that travel to Epcot each year!
My original goal was to try drinks around the world, but I wouldn't have been able to sober up before having to drive home. I'll definitely go back, though, when I have more time! Instead, I did more of a "food around the world" tasting. One thing that I noticed was America's contribution of food to the World Showcase: Turkey Legs and Popcorn. Can you think about what an "American" food is? I guess corn, tomatoes, turkey, and fried anything is just about it. Everything else can be traced back to our melting pot heritage.
Using my same "live snap chatting" theme from yesterday, I shared my passport as I visited each country. Having been to a couple of the countries in real life, such as England, Spain, Canada and Italy, it was interesting to see how each was portrayed. Take America for example: the whole section was set up as if we were still in the Colonial Era. I wonder if foreign visitors think that this is what Washington DC looks like... I certainly don't really know what Germany or even Morocco looks like in comparison to their Epcot representations! London was pretty similar, but I hardly even recognized Italy at first. Ironically, traveling around the world like that made me even more wanderlust sick. I simply cannot settle to stay in America all of my life and not travel...
So, after a day well spent in Disney World Parks, I was forced to ask for directions, tips, and even some tutorials. I know that the characters are there to help for that exact reason, but I do feel bad bothering people with my silly questions. I think now I just need to practice asking for more of myself. I'll miss 100% of the shots I don't ask for anyways, right? So thanks, Walt Disney, for giving me a comfortable arena where it's okay to not know the answers and to ask for help!
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