Howdy! Today EPCOT was full of monorail rides, fun creatures in The Seas, tiny village drama, and a new Kate Spade Tinker Bell collection.
Good Morning from EPCOT
Good morning from a beautiful day in EPCOT! It certainly did not feel like a winter day in Orlando this morning. It was a perfect morning for a Figment Holiday Sweater and shorts, which is exactly my kind of day.
EPCOT Monorail Green
I started my day with a calm roundtrip ride on EPCOT Monorail Green. On the way to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC), I saw someone hauling a golden luggage cart in a trailer! You see some wild things on the roadways of Florida.
I also saw some progress made at Test Track. It does appear that the crew continues to solder joints on the newly erected awning. Are you excited to ride the new Test Track when it reopens in 2025? I am! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and on social media.
Festival of the Arts Tents
Festival of the Arts 2025 is just around the corner. Disney has already started releasing information on the next festival. There are three large tents next to the Creation Shop on the Test Track side—these tents traditionally house art pieces.
The Seas
In The Seas, there was tons to see. I started in the Ocean Life exhibit where the Cast Members had just finished feeding the Eel breakfast. The Eel couldn’t have looked any more excited and cute. The little Eel was twisting and spinning around while smiling and eating breakfast.
The Manatees were given an enrichment toy with hidden treats inside. It has grabbed one of their attention. There was some maintenance in the main tank housing the sharks, sea turtles, and other marine life. I had never seen someone use a power tool underwater before, and the most eerie part was being able to hear the drilling.
On a much less stress-inducing note, there is a small tank of Angel Fish hidden behind the Cuttlefish in the nursery upstairs. There weren’t any Cast Members around to get more information, but likely they were observing the babies and keeping them separated until they were a bit bigger.
Communicore Hall
The Festival of the Holidays is still in full swing in EPCOT. Communicore Hall continues to disappoint. My grandmother has a saying where I grew up, “Like lipstick on a pig.” That’s my opinion of the recent additions to the still empty space.
The Glittering Grove now has lights lit on all the displayed trees. Previously they were not all lit or maybe even not strung yet, hard to tell, but I guess that’s a small win.
Strangely, Disney also added two new photo ops that feature the same designs seen in the festival merchandise. However, the space is pretty dark so getting pictures in front of projections? It’s a bit odd, and honestly, as a previously employed Cast Member they look more like the backdrops used for Cast photo ops backstage, so it doesn’t look like your backstage.
Celebration Garden
I really wish Disney hadn’t gotten rid of the fountain, The Fountain of Nations, that once performed proudly in this spot. This is nice, but it just doesn’t have that same kinetic energy the fountain did.
Kate Spade Tinker Bell Collection
The Kate Spade Tinker Bell collection is available at multiple locations throughout Walt Disney World property and online, but I found the collection at the Port of Entry at the start of World Showcase. I love the keychain personally. Let me know which piece is your favorite in the comments below!
- Tote – $268.00
- Small Purse – $318.00
- Keychain – $118.00
- Small Green Clutch – $248.00
- Backpack – $378.00
- Wallet – $128.00
Canada Pavilion Construction
Work continues on the second floor of the Canada Pavilion. Still no announcement from Disney on what they might be trying to work on exactly. To me, it looks like this man is sitting on a newly constructed service window.
Could they be working on a festival kiosk window? Could this be the start of moving away from kiosks and booths? That would be a wise move to help open up the walkway on the showcase more. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and stay tuned to our website for more in depth updates.
Daisy Duck Spotting
Daisy Duck was hanging out with her attendant just inside the back entrance of EPCOT. I was surprised to see her looking so bored just taking in the ambiance of the outdoors like a duck does. It wasn’t a second after this picture was taken that a woman ran up to her.
PhotoPass Photo Prop
The PhotoPass Photographer Cast Member in the America Pavilion of EPCOT had a cool gingerbread Mickey prop for guests to hold while taking family portraits in front of the Christmas Tree.
I think these well-done props are fun, it’s the ones that look grimy that I think we could skip.
Tiny Village Drama Update
The Tiny Village in the Germany Pavilion at EPCOT continues to be filled with drama. If you missed my previous update you can catch up from my last photo report.
The little dinosaurs continue to wreak havoc on the small village. It seems to have distressed the cows into utter chaos. (See what I did there? Cows – UTTER – chaos. I’ll see myself out.) One cow has seemed to escape to the tops of the mountains in an abandoned shed.
As far as the villagers themselves my tiniest friend whom I have followed from the start still stands strong although there doesn’t seem to be any reprieve soon.
At the train depot, there were three villagers discussing the recent dinosaur takeover. The train conductor seemed to have called in help from the city folk. A business man and woman stand collaborating on the next moves to solve the infiltration.
Monorail Mondays
BREAKING! NEW EAR HEADBAND IN MAGIC KINGDOM! MOVE MOVE MOVE! I’m kidding…mostly, but it is yet again time to ride the monorail, but this time to Magic Kingdom.
Monorail to Magic Kingdom
At this time you probably have noticed the sky changes a lot in this collage above. From the time I left EPCOT until I left Magic Kingdom, it was the weirdest rainstorm I have experienced in Orlando in a hot second. Also, rain? It doesn’t normally rain during the winter.
Anyway, I took the monorail from EPCOT to the TTC, then transferred to the Magic Kingdom Express Monorail where I saw the new black deltas on Monorail Gold. When I got to Magic Kingdom the rain started to pick up despite the picture above. I don’t know if you have been in the park when it starts to rain but folks tend to panic.
Magic Kingdom Monday
The rain caused mass chaos at the touchpoints to enter Magic Kingdom. There were people lined on the streets waiting for the parade and they all but scattered into the Main Street U.S.A. shops to escape the rain.
Bad news for me, the Emporium will be packed.
S’mores Ear Headband
The final ear headband to the Disney Eats collection has arrived at Walt Disney World in the Emporium in Magic Kingdom. These are some odd ears from a materials standpoint. The brown bow is hard plastic with a velvet strap in the center. The s’mores themselves are foam boards that I feel could be easily damaged. These are not my favorite ears from the Disney Eats collection.
To be honest, this whole collection started strong and had more wins than misses, but the misses have been quite obvious. There should be a spirit jersey and Loungefly mini backpack that will match the ear headband. Stay tuned to our website for if and when they arrive.
Let me know if what you think of the latest addition to the Disney Eats Collection in the comments below.
The Island Tower is Opening SOON!
Well, I was going to get y’all a nice shot of the new Island Tower before it opens tomorrow morning, but the resort monorail had other plans for me and y’all today, so please enjoy this picture of Monorail Lime. Apologies, but there are plenty of way more interesting pictures on our website.
Gloomy Afternoon
My socks are wet and I am cold so that means it is time to go home. I hope you enjoyed our day in EPCOT. Today my favorite part was yet again The Seas.
I loved seeing the enrichment added to the Manatee tank, watching the Eel get excited for breakfast, maintenance on the tank itself, and the tiniest Angel Fish tucked away in the back of the nursery. Until next time!
Let me know which moment was your favorite in the comments below.
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