How are we not prepared?
Epcot was our first day at Disney, and we were NOT prepared. First off, as much as I love our Uppababy Vista, it is NOT the stroller you should bring to Disney (See Volume 1). Unfortunately, we realized this Day 1 trying to get on the bus from the hotel to the park. Although it folds well, it does not fold tightly, nor is it “carry friendly” once it is folded. Especially when you are having to carry the diaper bag, Disney day bag, and wrangle 2 squirming babies all while other families are waiting on you battling the same battle. I was incredibly envious of my SILs Uppababy double-umbrella stroller that was instant fold and so light to carry PLUS the sealing deep pockets that eliminated the need for the Disney Day bag. Next time… Anyways, although there are a lot of big and fun rides at Epcot, our whole purpose for visiting Epcot was singular. We were at Epcot to see Elsa and ride Frozen in Norway.
The hours at the parks are different than normal right now thanks to COVID, but we were there 15 minutes after the park opened at 11am. We had the baby in the stroller, and our toddler was pumped. She had no idea where we were (yet), but she was excited to be there and was loving that every employee she saw said, “Hello Princess.” Already the Best Day Ever, and we hadn’t even made it through the entrance! It took my husband and I a bit to get our bearings once we got into the park given the construction. Thanks to the Disney app, seriously, we were able to map out walking directions to the Frozen ride, our first and most important destination.
Elsa and Santa!
Right when we got to the line, which happened to be where parades started, we were stopped by Elsa and Anna leading a parade! It was literally the most magical opening we could have ever imagined. Toddler was beyond excited and could not believe she was almost arm-length from her most favorite queen and princess. They saw her and smiled and waved right at her – I would have paid to stay at the park 5 extra days at that point to recreate that moment over and over again.
Even though we were at the line 20 minutes after park opening, it was a 1.5 hour wait to ride Frozen. Thankfully, being next to the parade entrance and exit, we were able to watch 3 parades go by which was so fun. After seeing Elsa and Anna, there was a parade coming back towards us and it was Santa! He was in a giant sleigh getting pulled by 2 gorgeous draft horses. For our horse-crazy toddler, the joy was overwhelming. She was speechless. I don’t know if the horses are a result of the current COVID environment so characters are not interacting with visitors, but every parade seemed to have at least 2 horses included. Double win!
Worth the wait plus many snacks
The Frozen ride was definitely worth the wait, and we were so glad it was the first ride both of my girls experienced (ever). Although you can carry babies on the ride to hold the, I’m so glad I kept ours in her ErgoBaby! While it’s not an intense ride by any imagination, there are a few quick drops and I was glad for the containment.
Our toddler is still talking about this ride, and the Scary Snowman in particular! Disney does things so well, and this ride is no exception. We would have gladly waited in the line again if we had the snacks to support the wait!
No Reservations – Epcot Edition
We knew that deciding to make a last minute trip to Disney would have it’s challenges. Primarily, the lack of restaurant reservations. While this may seem lackluster, and it is, it did pose some issues for us throughout our trip. That being said, it was nice to have the freedom not to be tied to a certain time. The app made things easier as far as waitlist walk-in times, and we were able to secure a 1.5 hr waitlist for a walk in at the Rose&Crown Dining Room.
We took our time walking from Norway to England, and we still had to pause and carry our toddler part of the way. After a long day of travel the day before, we were tired and ready to sit and take a break. While waiting for our table, we paused at a garden bench to eat more snacks and rest. A lot of people watching went on while we waited, and I will say there were a lot of people eating snacks along the sidewalk which didn’t look enjoyable. If you’re able to make a reservation – Do it. If not, plan accordingly to make sure you’re on a walk-in waitlist. Once we were called in, we were so thankful to have secured a real table where we could take off our masks and enjoy a relaxing meal. Great food, highly recommend when you’re at Epcot.
The real winner
After lunch, we went to ride Nemo’s Undersea Adventure. Baby had fallen asleep during lunch, so husband volunteered to stay outside with her while toddler and I rode Nemo. While I can’t speak much to Nemo’s actual ride, the most incredible experience waits for you at the end. The ride ends in a giant aquarium where a greeter met us with a sticker-book scavenger hunt for my toddler to use as we explored the aquarium. It was definitely one of the highlights of my toddler’s day and also our entire trip! She couldn’t stop talking about the sea turtles and dolphins she saw at the aquarium! It also led to some explaining once we reunited with my husband and baby almost an hour later. Probably should have anticipated that better! We could have easily spent 2 hours in there.
We headed back to the hotel after Nemo to meet our arriving family. Even though we only rode 2 rides in almost 4 hours, passed on the “cool rides” like Test Track and Soarin, it was the best visit to Epcot I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to go back when the girls are a little older so we can spend the day and see the new evening watershow Epcot is planning to unveil next year.
Tips and Tricks: Snacks, Water, Sunscreen and Patience
