WDW, Day 2 - EPCOT

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We spent day 2 at EPCOT. EPCOT is an amazing place that combines 2 very different sections of activity and excitement. The first section of the park is FutureWorld. Here's a synopsis of the 2 sections:
"As its name implies, FutureWorld is where the latest technological offerings are located. Through a combination of hands-on activities and fantastic attractions, you'll find exhibits that focus on ocean life, the land and our environment, imagination, health, energy, communication, space exploration and transportation. For a completely different experience, World Showcase features eleven countries encircling a lagoon. You'll be immersed in the culture of each country as you explore the shops and taste the cuisine. To add to the authenticity, the Cast Members are from the country represented and are happy to share their heritage with visitors."

We spent most of our time in EPCOT in the World Showcase, though we did venture into the Land and Seas part of FutureWorld for a little bit. The guys raced around the GM exhibit Test Track, which they loved. Mom, Abigail and I rode through a Nemo show, and we all enjoyed the hang-gliding type of experience of Soarin', even going back that evening for one more ride. Seeing the gorgeous, varied terrain and sights of California on this ride, complete with scents from the redwood forests and orange groves on a cool breeze, made us feel like we were actually visiting the Golden State.

World Showcase is my favorite part of the Disney experience probably, since most of us will never get to visit all of the 11 countries represented there. We saw most of them on Tuesday, and finished up on Friday. Along the way Tuesday, we encountered a few special characters and got autographs and photos with them. We also loved the CircleVision movies in France and Canada. In each, the entire theaters are surrounded by screens, so viewers get a great 360 degree view of scenery and a good taste of what the countries are really like.

EPCOT offers a great learning opportunity that Isaac and Abigail participated in, where children get mock passports that they have stamped and signed by cast members in each country's exhibit in World Showcase, and they also made masks that they added decorations to at each stop as well. This allowed them to interact more with folks native to the country we were visiting, and gave them a craft and activity to hold their interest while we traveled around.

Dinner that night at The Coral Reef Restaurant was impressive, as we were entertained while we ate, by scuba divers in a tank that held over 5.5 million gallons of water and hundreds of beautiful sea creatures.

We wrapped up the evening in the pools at our hotel, and Granddaddy and James enjoyed splashing and swimming with the kids. It was a great second day!