I mentioned before that I have visited Walt Disney World in my youth. It was so long ago and I was so young, that I don't remember most of it. The only tidbits I remember were from Epcot. This was our last day at the parks, so we wanted to make the most of it.
Matching my Tsum
My most vivid memory of Epcot was from The Seas, now Nemo themed. There is a little ride which is cute, but the part I was most looking forward to, and the part I remember is aquarium part with the manatees. I remember being fascinated by them, wanting to look at them endlessly. That feeling rekindled as we stood in front of the tank. Actually got a little misty. Cheesy huh?
We went of several rides in Futureworld, but when I think of Epcot, I think of the World Showcase. The mini worlds of the different countries, so cute. A little cliche but kind of like a mini world tour with alcohol and food to enhance the mood. But there's nothing wrong with that.
Speaking of beverages, there is an unofficial adult tradition in Epcot called "Driniking Around the World." Just as the name suggests, you get to drink from every country. Yes, one alcoholic beverage per country represented in the World Showcase, that's a total of 11 for those keeping count. We certainly did not intend to accomplish this feat, but as you will see, we managed to power through it.
Canada
Pubbing in England with some pear cider
I'm proud to say that collectively, Bryan and I have been to many of the countries. We're so lucky to say that and we felt transported to these locales and the memories made the stroll through Epcot that much more enjoyable.
Bonjour Paris
Paris holds a wonderfully special place in our hearts. Yes, it is the city of light, sophistication and romance. But Paris is where we ended our first trip to Europe. It's the place where we got engaged. It's the first time we went to a Disney park together. We ate cheese and drank wine and watched the Eiffel tower sparkle from the top of the Arc di Triumph. So returning to "Paris" was wonderful.
It was a beautiful sunny day, so we took the opportunity to soak up the sun and eat lunch outside. And since we were in Paris, we had wine and cheese. Oh yeah, perfect.
Bordeaux, strawberry tart and fromage croissant
Moracco
Magical trinkets in the marketplace
Beer and mint tea at the water fountain in Moracco
Konichi wa Japan
Tokyo is one of those memories that is so vivid and yet so blurry at the same time. It went by in a flash, although we were there for five days. The serenity blends seemlessly into the hectic. The modern blends with the tradition. The best part of the Japan pavilion was the Taiko drum performance. It's amazing the memories that are triggered by sound. Amazing. Sake was good too.
Taiko time
Sake in Japan
Ciao Italia
Italy is another fond destination for us. We Rome-d (get it?) around the Eternal city for our honeymoon and had some of the greatest food and wine of our lives in Italy. There is no equivalent to eating in Rome, so we didn't bother. But there is no passing up the wine.
Barolo man
Germany
I have never been to Germany, but Bryan is German, despite his personal alliances to the Midwest instead of any ethnicity. It was nice to see him light up when we saw little German touches in the shops. Some pieces were beautiful steins and stemware, but the kicker was the clocks. Gorgeously hand crafted clocks that brought Bryan back to his childhood. That moment was more worthwhile than the beer, and that's saying something.
Cheers
Beer and pretzels
China
Pot stickers
Norway, cue the Frozen music
Mexico
Indoor marketplace
Child climbing into my pineapple margarita
Tsing Tsao in China
Macaron ice cream sandwich from Paris
Last beer of the night from Canada
Since we basically filled up on snacks and drinks, we weren't super hungry by the time dinner came around. So we figured sushi would be a good option to eat lightly and get a chance to watch the fireworks. Tokyo Dining gave us a decent sushi meal and a great view of the show.
Dinner at Tokyo Dining
Chicken karaage and tempura mix
Sushi combo
View of the fireworks
Green tea and vanilla swirl
It could be because of our newly discovered love of travel and Bryan's love of science, but I think we enjoyed Epcot the most. We certainly did not intend to "drink around the world" but we're glad we did. It cost a pretty penny, but we take pride in the fact that we finished. Thank goodness for my husband, because if I had to do it on my own, I would have been on the floor by the third country.
Thus ends our Disney World adventure. I can't believe we were able to cram so much into our 3 1/2 day tour of Disney. We really tired ourselves out and possibly OD'd on Disney, but it was completely worth it. Onto the next adventure.
-Akemi-chan
