Day 26 of Everyday at Disney was spent at Epcot in the evening. Our main goal was to see Illuminations. We got to the park right at 5 pm and were surprised at how empty the parking lot was. When we entered the park, we noticed Spaceship Earth was walk on! Since it is the first attraction people see when they enter the park, it is usually crowded by this time in the afternoon. I knew when I saw that that we were in for a real treat.
We headed back to Soarin’ to use our Fastpass+. The wait was only 30 minutes in the regular queue! We got to ride with a group of 13 people who had to native to Africa because they started hooting and hollering when the Africa scene came up in Soarin’. I found them to be highly entertaining.
Since the crowds were so low and my friends that we met up with had not ridden Frozen Ever After yet, we decided to wait together. The posted wait time was 45 minutes (it dropped from 60 as we walked from Soarin’) and we actually ended up waiting 33 minutes! The ride was great and I was able to spot a few things we had not seen before.
Next it was time for our dinner reservation at Rose and Crown in the United Kingdom. If you aren’t on the dining plan, the Rose and Crown is an incredible value. I ordered the Bangers & Mash and it was $19. My friend’s Fish & Chips was $21.
We were seated on the outdoor patio right along the World Showcase Lagoon. We asked our waitress if it would be okay to wait on the fireworks and she said it wouldn’t be a problem. So we decided to indulge in an appetizer, entree and dessert. We lingered over the meal and enjoyed each other’s company.
The view for the fireworks was fabulous! We had front row viewing and could see most of the show without any issue. If you are considering dining at Rose & Crown, do it!
We decided to time her journey to her room at Animal Kingdom Lodge verses my drive to my house. She beat me by just 8 minutes. Would have been less if people knew how to drive the speed limit… but that is a whole ‘nother story!
Tidbits
- People watch – Instead of letting people annoy you, enjoy observing how they behave and carry themselves. You’ll likely never see them again. It is fascinating to see how other people vacation at Disney.
- Wait times aren’t always as they appear – Just because the wait time is posted at a certain amount, it doesn’t mean it will actually be that wait. Of course sometimes you can get in line and it be much longer than what it is posted. Always helps to ask a Cast Member at the entrance to be sure.
- If in doubt, ask! – We weren’t sure if we would be allowed to stay at Rose and Crown to watch the fireworks, but we decided to ask just in case we were. Our wonderful waitress was like sure! We made to give her an extra special tip too.
We are going to Disney everyday in 2017! Follow along with our Everyday at Disney adventures!