Throughout the week, we visited all of the Disney Parks, and Universal Studios (that's a lot of walking). To start things off, we went to visit the world (and my cousin in Canada!) This day was spent at Epcot.

One is not like the other - but what makes them stand out?
13, March 2016
The morning on this day was, a bit slow, but we managed to get to the park within morning. My cousins didn't know that I take a long time in the bathroom, but they learned real fast. The first park to explore was Epcot, sight of a futuristic and modern-day world. Epcot is the most interesting park for its diversity, and quirks that somehow seem to mesh. Originally, Epcot was a park dedicated to looking at the future. Now, the world showcase is definitely the highlight.
The first time I visited Epcot, I thought the globe was a giant golf ball - but now I know better. During Spring Break, Epcot had an event known as International Flower & Garden Display. In addition to seeing flowers and plants from different lands, there were familiar faces that we saw:

Around the park, you would be able to spot all characters around the park (in evergreen form). The lanyards on Chris and Isabelle are a part of a big phenomenon known as pin trading. Not familiar with the practice, I decided to take a few of their repeats and try it for myself. There will be more on that later, but let's get back to the park!
The first ride we went on was Mission Space, a ride that was much to handle. Jen and Chris went on the mild side, while Vince, Isabelle, and myself went on the wild side. The difference between the sides are the intensity. Shellby went to her locker while we rode this ride - and I probably should have followed. The ride is a simulation for space exploration, fulfilling the curiouser's fascination. Not sure what the mild side experiences, but the wild side almost made me nauseous; but not enough to call it a day.
Following the space adventure was lunch! Jen made reservations to a restaurant that got her and Shellby excited. I wasn't too sure what to expect, but I'm sure it would be delicious. Along the way, we saw that there was an egg hunt happening in the world exhibition. In each country, you have to find an egg and identify the character. Seems easy enough, right? Jen purchased the cards, did some pin trading along the way, and of course, a photo:

I don't know when is the perfect time to visit Epcot, but March was a good time, especially with all of the events happening. The park was much more colourful from the gardens, and full of life. The first country we stopped by home sweet home, Canada. And look who was there to greet us:
There was one flower I was interested in, mainly for its fuzzy appearance. I know there are a few plants that have the texture to them, but I have not seen one quite like this:

The only ride in Canada is a 360 screen that showcases the true north (strong and free). But we were here to experience the restaurant called Le Cellier. You think Canadians would want to eat somewhere else, but yet Jen chose the Canadian restaurant. But do not be fooled, this restaurant is one of the best at Epcot. Just look at this place:
The interior of the restaurant resembles a wine cellar, which I'm not sure makes the best lighting for a restaurant. We were greeted by our server, who comes from Alberta. The server told us that we were sitting at the Manitoba table (where Vince is originally from!) To begin the meal, we were given breads across the country. Two of them seemed familiar, multigrain and white, but my favourite would have to be the pretzel bread (so delectable). I cannot recall the entire meal, but there were poutines with red wine reduction, a cream soup, fish plates, and the center of attention: the steaks. Everything was so good, especially the beef that made me so full. I don't know what was put into the food, but I could eat it all again (if I had the money!) Jen and Vince finished their meal with a coffee, and Shellby got a surprise from the kitchen:

Chris and Isabelle got a mousse shaped in a moose (of course), and that was the perfect ending to the meal. After eating, we probably couldn't do much other than lounging around. But alas, we had to conquer the world! We went around each country to spot the eggs, and do some pin trading. Each egg had a character in each place, but some were easier to find than others. More on that later. We saw a few countries, identified the egg, and headed back towards the entrance. Epcot has exclusive characters in their park, one being a very soft one:
The best part of meeting Baymax was definitely hugging him, but I was surprised by how fast the line went. With some characters, the lineup takes forever! But what a pleasant surprise. Shellby had to go her own way, because she works at Epcot! There is a program from Disney where they have representatives from the country, and Shellby is working in the Canadian Pavilion. The outfit for Canada is not exactly traditional, but is very cute. The photo at the beginning shows a better display, but here is our selfie:

After visiting our cousin, we looked through the garden display, filled with a variety of flowers and butterflies! The only thing I couldn't wrap around my mind were how the butterflies stay in the tent - there were no closed doors to the display. Aside from the flowers, we had to ride all of the other rides at Epcot. Although not new, we went on the Finding Nemo ride, and that was really cute. I cannot recall why I took this photo, but it might have been for the effects that only display on the ride:

In addition to the Nemo ride, there was also an aquarium display, which was a neat idea to educate the young ones. Here, we saw a lot of fish, especially the big turtle:

We also rode Fast Track, which was my first time. I wasn't too keen to ride Fast Track when I was 9, and the ride was closed down when I was 21. So, after all this time, I finally got to experience the hype behind this attraction. First, you get to create your own vehicle, making it any shape you want (keep in mind, model affects speed). Out of the two cars we created, we tried Isabelle's car - let's just say it was fast. The concept behind Fast Track is fascinating, it makes you think about the different qualities sought after in a car.
We also checked out the other rides of Epcot, such as Ellen's Energy Adventure (that one has slightly changed), Living with the Land (nice, humid boat ride), and of course, Spaceship Earth! I love riding in the big golf ball, and my cousins enjoyed it too:

The ride is all about progress and advancing to the future, and it's inspiring to see the new technology to come. Another ride we went on was Imaginations, featuring the park exclusive character, Figment. A highly amusing ride, it definitely teaches you a lesson about the senses (whether you like it or not).
This day was not much a ride day, but more of a focus on the egg hunt, pins, and visiting the rest of the world! We started with France, taking photos by each country display, finding where the eggs were hiding. Some were easy to find (such as France), while others were more challenging (like Mexico). Before we headed for dinner, we spent some time in Japan, and believe me, it's quite a catch of a country:
Always had a fascination with these small trees, I never knew how a gardener managed to keep the size of the life.
What amazed me about Japan would have to be the store, and its many knick knacks. From anime to fans, from candy to clothes, the store had absolutely everything, including this pocket monster, and the only political party worth voting.
Certainly one of the best stores in the world display... That was, until I saw the doll store in the US. Similar to Precious Moments dolls, these dolls are dressed up as your favourite Disney characters. And boy, these dolls do not disappoint:

For dinner, we attended a dessert party, hosted in the US pavilion. Everything in that dinner was extremely sweet, but blew my expectations. With a heavy emphasis on the desserts, the only savoury foods were nachos, and a few finger sandwiches. Another surprise to the party: alcohol, and light changing ice cubes! I cannot tell you how excited I was to see those ice cubes, I've been wanting them for a while. So when the party ended, we took one per family member (including Shellby!) But the dessert party was an excellent experience, especially with the warm fudge brownie and ice cream, that was heavenly!
In addition to the dessert party was a seating area for party members in the Italian Pavilion. I must say, our seats were pretty good, right in front of the lake - however, there was a tree in the way. But nonetheless, a good place to view the fireworks spectacular!

I'm not the biggest fan of fireworks, but the show was gorgeous! I don't know how the globe floats around the lake, but I love the concept behind the artistry. Whoever plans those shows, I applaud to them.
After the show, we waited for Shellby to finish her shift (way after hours). While waiting, I suggested that we find the egg in one country (Mexico). Like earlier said, the egg was hard to find! But after finding Mexico, Jen decided that we should find all of the other eggs. By this point, we were tired and restless, but we had a mission to accomplish. Along the way, there was a sand castle sculpture to promote the Jungle Book:

After finding every egg, and stuffed with sweets, it was time to call it a day. There were enough pins traded, I started finding a specific collection, and I couldn't wait to go to bed. Hey, visiting the future and the world is tough stuff!
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