EPCOT...Every Person Comes Out Tired!

Fall is an awesome time in Orlando....the humidity FINALLY breaks, school is back in session, and EPCOT hosts its annual International Food and Wine Festival! My sister Ali and brother-in-law Rob introduced us to this last year and we've become huge fans. On Saturday (Katelyn's official 3rd birthday, although we kept it on the down-low so we wouldn't have to pay an admission fee for her), Bryan, one of my best friends Andrea (visiting from Chicago), and I headed over to Disney. Luckily, Bryan's cousin (a Disney employee) was able to meet us at the gate and let us in for free. A BIG thank you to Jeff! After a short walk around and a ride on "Nemo and Friends," we decided to take advantage of our park hopper passes and take Katelyn on the long-awaited monorail ride over to Animal Kingdom. K enjoyed the train ride, but then we realized the monorail doesn't go to Animal Kingdom...just to the the magic kingdom. Oops. We got off the monorail and decided to take another monorail through the Contemporary Resort (I thought it was an amazing hotel and always wanted to stay there. I was in awe of it back in the 80's and thought one day when I hit the lotto, I would stay there). Bryan and Andrea convinced me it was stuck in the 80s and wasn't that great, that I was pining for something that doesn't exist, so we took the train through the hotel and they were right. I'll save my pennies for the Grand Floridian hotel. Once that train ride was over, we had to take a bus to Animal Kingdom. Two and half hours after leaving EPCOT we arrived at Animal Kingdom...the transportation took forever!!! It started to rain and we wondered through AK. Our plan was to ride the safari, Everest (roller coaster), and the train, then head back to EPCOT. The safari was a 70 minute wait (not going to happen with Katelyn an hour passed her nap time) and the train ride was the lamest ride we've ever been on. It takes you absolutely nowhere and you see the back side of an industrial area. We were walking over to Everest, and the rain really started falling and Katelyn was losing it in her stroller. We just turned around and got back on the bus. Animal Kingdom did not impress us at all....if you're ever at Disney, I'd skip it.

Back at EPCOT, the weather got a little better and we rode some more rides....a highlight was the Test Track where you ride in a car going through a series of tests (brakes, speed, weather changes, etc.) and Journey through Imagination with good old Figment. Enough rides, and time for food and wine! Everything is sold in an appetizer size and is priced $2-$4. I had the most delicious cheese, fruit, and bread plate from Ireland (a perfect snack at 4pm and K ate most of the cheese) and we had to wash it down with guiness. South Africa was represented and served "Durban Spiced Chicken Skewer" and a bobotie...still not sure what that was. We enjoyed a sausage in Germany, cabbage roll and perogie in Poland, and potato soup and maple custard from Canada. It was delicious! We'll be back next year! And yes, EPCOT does stand for Every Person Comes Out Tired (my grandma was right!).