Next we had a FastPass for the Mission Space ride which is a flight simulator to Mars. We did not realize that it was a simulator until we were in line but there were some cool replicas including the moon space rover. We had the option to do a milder ride or a more intense experience. The kids being the thrill seekers that they are wanted intense... Once inside the simulator the control panels slid toward us and there was a slightly clostrophobic feeling. We were instructed to push two buttons each at different points in the ride to help navigate. The count down started and then we blasted off with some serious G force and Nora was not liking that. We kept telling her it would end soon and that she would be ok and she quickly calmed down and we made it through the rest of the ride. I am sure this will be one that she will always remember.
After the intensity of that ride, we opted for a cool movie experience and watched Pixar's animated shorts films. They were 4D, so in addition to the 3D glasses and effects, the seats moved and water sprayed at us during some of the movies. There was a Mickey film called Get a Horse, another called La Luna and then For the Birds. The kids seemed to enjoy the full experience.
After this, we checked the wait time for TestTrack and saw that it was over an hour, so we decided to get some Italian food for lunch. As we walked through the various countries surrounding the lake in Epcot, we realized just how hot it was on this day. It was over 100 degrees. Upon reaching the restaurant, we were told that it was not included in our meal plan. There was another option called Liberty Inn right next to the Italian area where we got lunch. Nora had the shrimp basket, Jack got a steak, and I had a burger. Leigh ate clean up and it was pretty good. We also had strawberry icees that were very refreshing on this hot day.
After lunch, we checked TestTrack again and the line was down to 50 minutes so we took a shot. 35 minutes in, the ride was stopped for a thunder storm that was rolling through. We checked the radar and it seemed like it would pass quickly so we stayed in line and were on the ride within an hour including the rain delay. It was pretty fun to design our own car first on a touch screen. Jack and I designed a stretched out corvette looking car with a plasma engine. The girls made a space rover looking car that was eco friendly. Then we got into the ride car and went through a series of twists and turns before racing around the outside of the track. This was a fun one.
We still had some time after TestTrack before our dinner, so we went to the land for a snack and rode the Living with the Land ride and learned about efficient farming. Then we watched the Circle of Life movie. We still weren't quite ready for dinner so we went to the Seas and rode the Seas with Nemo and Friends. The aquarium style ride was cool and we got to see a dolphin and some manatees. Our dinner was attached to the same aquarium, so we got to see divers in with sharks, sea turtles, tuna, as well as schools of other fish. Our waitress at dinner was not very nice but the food was good.
As we exited the restaurant, we decided we would stay late to watch the Illuminations: Reflections of the Earth fireworks and light show. With some time before the show, we took two rides on the Spaceship Earth ride through the Epcot ball. Once with me and the kids and once with all four of us. The kids really liked the animated future with their pictures included in the animation. We tried emailing the animated postcards but it didn't seem to work. After this, Jack and I went to play some of the games in Spaceship Earth's Innoventions area. We played a digital shuffleboard game where we slid energy chips into cities needing power, assembled a 3D human body, took a memory color test, and then raced through a hologram track to capture a villian. He really liked it. The girls did some shopping while we were in there. We met up and found a good spot by the lake to watch the show. We waited about 15 minutes then the fireworks started, flames and explosions erupted and lights illuminated the smoke. The kids said it was like nothing they had seen. We caught the bus back to the resort and crashed after a long, fun day.
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