Disney Day 2
After a morning spent exploring the wild side at Animal Kingdom, we headed over to Epcot to soak up all the creative vibes at the Festival of the Arts.
Back in September, I bought Priscilla a World Showcase Passport, but let’s just say we didn’t exactly set any land-speed records with it. This time, Ryland decided he wanted in on the action and grabbed one too! If you haven't done this, it’s such a hidden gem. You can grab a passport in any country and hunt down the Kidcot stations. The kids get to color a themed postcard and get a stamp from a Cast Member, actually from that country. It’s the perfect excuse to learn a few phrases or ask questions—it’s basically homeschooling undercover, and I am here for it!
The Festival Snack Marathon
Naturally, we started in Japan. Shocker, I know, if you’ve met my son Ryland. We dove into some festival treats:
- Taiyaki (7/10): Honestly? This was better than the one I had in Japan. I’m not big on red bean paste, so this version was a winner.
- Tokyo Kawaii Roll (8/10): Totally lived up to the name.
- Wagyu Bun (8/10): Delicious and gone way too fast.
The line for snacks in America was crazy long, but we did swing by the Funnel Cake kiosk to grab the Wild Berry Funnel Cake (9/10). Then we detoured to Italy for the Mozzarella Fritta (9/10). I know this one has mixed reviews online, but we loved it. The cheese pull was legendary, and the dipping sauces were actually great.
Then we hit Germany for the Red Wine-braised Beef Short Rib. Oh baby... these were a 10/10. Melt-in-your-mouth perfection. The Black Forest Cake was a solid 7/10, but those ribs stole the show. We even managed to catch a quick visit with Snow White!
The"Beautiful but Blah" Stop
We skipped snacks in China, Norway, and Mexico this time around, but we had to pop into Figment’s Inspiration Station for the bucket and some colorful desserts. They were gorgeous for photos, but taste-wise? Not so much. The Figment Fantasy Cake was a 2/10 and the Color Scheme Cake (with the freeze-dried Skittles) was a 1/10. Gorgeous to look at, but definitely a "one and done."
A Major Bucket List Moment
After a trip on Guardians of the Galaxy—which is officially my all-time favorite ride (any guesses on which song we got?!)—we checked out the chalk art and headed toward Club Cool.
For years, I have walked right past Club Cool. Usually, when you’re rolling eight people deep, you become an expert at the “polite bypass.” I’m fully aware our big group can be a lot, and I never want to be in anyone's way. But this trip, it was just the four of us. Since Ryland is my resident world traveler, I figured it was finally time to go in and taste the sodas.
Then there’s Priscilla. In her typical sunshiny way, she skipped right back to the Cast Member to chat all about her favorite flavors. She has a way of stealing hearts wherever she goes, and before I knew it, they were best friends. Next thing we knew, we were being chosen as the Family of the Night! They escorted us to the counter for soda ice-cream floats, special pins, and a certificate. It was such a “cool” experience (pun totally intended).
As we floated out of Club Cool on a sugar high, we realized we were on a roll. We actually managed to hit the Canada and United Kingdom Kidcots before running back over toward Japan to finish up. It was the first time we ever hit every single country in one day! We felt very successful getting those stamps, but man, those miles were starting to add up.
Nap-Time and Fireworks
By the time we started heading toward dinner, I was officially hitting a wall. While Ryland was chatting in Japanese with the Cast Members and Brian was on a hunt for a blanket because he was freezing, I sat down on a bench outside a store and took a nap... sitting straight up.
We had a reservation at Shiki-Sai, so I checked in early just to move my nap inside to their waiting area. I requested a window table, mostly just hoping we might see the fireworks while we ate.
We were literally the last table of the night to be seated. And y'all—we didn't just get a window; we were dead center in the restaurant with the absolute best view.
- Sushi (10/10): Incredible.
- Okonomiyaki (9/10): I can’t give it a 10 only because I’ve had it in Osaka (which was one of the top 5 meals of my life), but it was so good.
- Veggie Tempura & Shrimp (8/10): Brian ordered these while I was busy staring at the fireworks!
Watching the show with a plate of sushi was the perfect way to end another amazing Disney day. My feet are tired, but my heart is so full.
