Disney Princess Half Marathon Part 6- Epcot and Coral Reef

Disney Princess Half Marathon Part 6

Lunch at Coral Reef and Epcot

Today I forgot my phone and camera in the room, so won’t have many pictures to put in.  Uggh!

Disney Princess Half Marathon

Disney Princess Half Marathon: Epcot

We woke up early this morning as we planned to tour Epcot the whole day.  After eating breakfast in the food court at the All Star Resort (the croissant breakfast sandwich was delicious!) we hopped on an early bus to Epcot. We arrived just before the park opening and got ready to explore.  First stop was the new Test Track.  We went in the fast pass line because Naomi did not want to wait in the standby line .  The fast pass line allows less customization of cars for you to test during the ride, but it was still fun to pick from several pre-selected designs.  Once you pick your car, you load it onto a card that you scan before riding. We got right on the ride after picking our cars.  The ride is newly themed and is Tron inspired but the basic maneuvers are the same as before.  You are able to see how your car design compares to other riders’ cars.  This would be more interesting coming from the standby line since they designed their cars.  It is still a really fun ride and the fast part around the track is awesome.

We then headed over to Mission Space and walked right on.  I love this ride and find it cute to see all the kids worried they will mess up the mission when assignments are given to riders.  When my son was little he thought we might really crash if he didn’t press the right buttons.  We always go on the green, less intense, version of the ride to prevent motion sickness and because I’m a wuss but it is still fun and exciting.

After this we headed over to the Sum of all Thrills in Innoventions.  I was so happy to find that we were early enough to walk right on. This “ride” is great! You are given a card when you walk up and use it to save a roller coaster design that you get to create.  You are able to choose the type of coaster and what your car looks like. It also requires that you put in components that would actually work with the right balance of speed and height.  After designing your coaster you are seated in a coaster seat which simulates your ride including upside down parts and spirals.  You have a screen in your seat as well which lets you watch your ride partner riding it as well. It was really fun!

After looking around some gift shops it was time for World Showcase to open so we headed over to that section of the park.  I love this part of Epcot and like to spend time in each country and explore. We started in Mexico which has a dramatic pyramid as its centerpiece.  Inside is a market with several surrounding higher end shops.  There is also a ride somewhat like a Mexican themed Small World which is cute to ride if the line is not long. There is also a restaurant and tequila bar with a large volcano as the backdrop.  We explored for a while and then decided to take part in a mission with Agent P.

Agent P’s Adventure

To take part in Agent P’s Adventure you sign up at kiosks located in World Showcase or at the International Gateway leading to it.  You are given a F.O.N.E. (Field Operation Notification Equipment) which is a cell phone that directs you with clues to complete your assigned mission.  You are able to pick the country you would like to start in.  We chose Mexico and were led all around the pyramid. Things you do with the phone cause various effects like smoke rising from the volcano and Agent P popping out of a basket.  This was super cute and we really enjoyed it.  We saw several groups taking part as well and it really does a good job of appealing to various age groups.  Once your mission is complete you can choose to go on to another mission or turn in your phone.  We turned in our phone since we had lunch reservations at Coral Reef and headed over that direction. Can you tell we did a ton of walking?? We were both still a little sore from the race the previous day but we soldiered on.

Coral Reef

After checking in at Coral Reef we were led to our table on the second level.  The restaurant itself is beautiful.  The lighting is low and the entire wall is a giant aquarium where we were able to watch sharks, a giant sea turtle and tons of fish swimming by. Every table has a great view but we especially liked our location as we could see the aquarium well but didn’t have wandering children trying to get a peek at the fish like the tables against the tank did. We ordered a light lunch of a Caesar Salad for Naomi and a Field Green and Endive Salad with goat cheese and spiced walnuts followed by the Crab Cake appetizer for me.  Naomi enjoyed her salad but we were a little disappointed by the lack of vegetarian options. Basically her two choices were salad or a Red Curry Noodle Bowl.  I also enjoyed my salad but left some of the goat cheese medallions on my plate as it was just too much.  However, my crab cakes were delicious although tiny.  Our lunch was served with warm bread and butter and we enjoyed it very much.  It is a relaxing retreat from all the park commotion. My only complaint with this restaurant was how close the tables were to each other in our section and almost felt like we were sitting at the same table as the two diners next to us. It just felt awkward.

Leaving lunch, we entered Canada in the World Showcase and began again our exploration of the countries. We decided to pick up a mask at the Kidcot station here.  This free paper “mask” on a wooden stick can then be carried to each country to have it stamped and signed. Kidcot stations are staffed with people native to the country they represent.  It is a fun way to explore each country as well as a cute and free souvenir. You are able to choose between a Perry or Duffy Bear mask.  We both chose Perry and spent a few minutes coloring our masks.  This is the magic of Disney World.  God only knows the last time I colored with 13 year old Naomi, but here we were coloring together like little kids and it was really fun.

We then explored each country-Canada, United Kingdom, France, Morocco, Japan, United States, Italy, Germany, China, Norway and Mexico again. We got our masks stamped, snacked and shopped our way around the World Showcase. We also added to our Disney pressed penny collection and got one from each country.

Miyuki at Epcot

One highlight was watching the street performers in France do a show where one guy ends up balanced on a tall stack of chairs. The whole crowd loved it. We also watched Miyuki, the candy maker, in Japan.  At a little cart outside the Japanese restaurant, she makes animals out of corn starch candy. She is absolutely amazing and can make animals out of practically anything the crowd asks her to.  Naomi requested Nemo and it was adorable.  She also made a giraffe and a rhinoceros while we watched. When you arrive at Epcot, get the daily performer schedule and go see her!  She is awesome.

Epcot is a great park and probably my favorite at Disney World.  It has something to offer for all visitors with exciting rides, yummy and diverse foods, great shopping and cultural experiences all combined in one park. After walking what seemed like a million miles, we decided to head back to the hotel to swim and watch the pool movie.  Enchanted was playing and it was nice to sit by the pool with a big screened movie to watch. I brought a glass of wine from my room and just relaxed.  After swimming for a while we headed to our room and crashed for the night to get ready for the next day at Magic Kingdom.

You can read about the rest of our Disney Trip Here:

Part 1- All Star Sports

Part 2- Race Expo and Hollywood Studios

Part 3- Animal Kingdom and Boma

Part 4 -Race Day

Part 5- Garden View Tea and Epcot

Part 6- Epcot and Coral Reef

Part 7- Magic Kingdom

Part 8- Be Our Guest Restaurant

Have you been to Epcot?  I’d love to hear about your visit!

Happy Travels!

 

 

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