May 2011 Walt Disney World Trip Report - Day 3

Day 3 – 5/23 – LeCellier

After a late night at Hyperspace Hoopla, we decided to takeit easy and sleep in a little bit. Since we had pulled DD out of school for theweek, her teacher was kind enough to prepare an assignment for her to do eachday. It was a travel journal with questions to answer about each day, and aplace for drawing a picture.

After homework was done and we were up and at ‘em, we headedover to Epcot. After grabbing some FastPasses for Soarin, we rode the Seas withNemo and Friends, and headed over to Turtle Talk with Crush. In the queue areaare a couple of tanks with some rays and fish. This puffer fish kept comingover to DD and it seemed like it was looking right at her.

We always enjoy Turtle Talk with Crush. He’s so good withthe little kids. The only thing I really don’t like about it is how they’realways telling kids to stay on the “green” part of the carpet. Except it’salmost pitch black, and the “green” carpet is more like a greenish-blue, andthe other color is blueish-green, and it seems like as soon as they clear onekid from the area-which-shall-not-be-sat-upon, someone else is sitting there.

We grabbed FastPasses to Test Track on our way to the WorldShowcase. We were going to try to meet up with some of DWs friends. The planhad been to ride the Gran Fiesta Tour, but we got there  before them and found out that the ride wasoffline. So we changed up and met next door at Norway, and rode the Maelstrom.

Of course the kids had to pose by the giant troll.

  

After trying several times to get an in focus shot with justour kids, we gave up and went back to Mexico to see what the sitch waswith Los Tres Caballeros. They had just reopened the ride when we got there, sowe helped find Donald and learned a little about Mexican stereotypes.

We had lunch reservations at LeCellier, but we still had a littletime to kill, so DD chose to do another Kim Possible mission in Norway. Theyreally are fun, and I’m excited to see how the interactive adventure thatthey’re building in the Firehouse at Magic Kingdom compares. Ibelieve it opens in 2012, and has something to do with Merlin. Despite anobvious connection, it has got nothing to do with the Kingdom Keepers books,even though you’re trying to save the park from villains.

We arrived about a half hour early for lunch at LeCellier,and despite some serious eye rolling when we asked if we could be seated early,they actually had a table for us in just a few minutes.

There seems to be two camps on Le Cellier. The lovers andthe haters. We’re in the lovers camp. The Filet with mushroom risotto is sotasty. And because DD loves mushrooms and steak (DW “doesn’t care for fungus”)we ordered a side of mushrooms. Let me tell you that this is about 2 pounds ofmushrooms. Seriously enough for a table of four to have all of the mushroomsthey could want, and there would still be some left over. They are tasty, butit’s almost ridiculous how many they give you.

For dessert, DD asked for a fruit cup, and look how fancythey made it:

That was a nice treat. Of course we chipped the chocolateoff the plate and ate it. What did you think?

With overstuffed bellies, we made our way around the WorldShowcase a bit. When we got to Francewe stopped for pictures with Princess Aurora…

…and Marie the cat (from Aristocats).

We continued around the World Showcase, stopping in Italy for thejuggler’s show which we hadn’t seen before.

The best part of the show is where he gets the kid to walkall the way across the plaza with the net, and he throws a little soccer ballinto it. Maybe 100-150 feet. Pretty impressive. We watched twice and neithertime did he smash the kid in the face.

Continuing around the World Showcase, we stopped to use somesnack credits in the new caramel shop in Germany. Everything they sell iscovered in caramel. Caramel covered strawberries? Check. Caramel popcorn? Ofcourse. Caramel-dipped huge chocolate chip cookies? Why not. Four out of fivedentists agree, taking a cookie the size of your face and coating it liberallywith caramel will pay for their kids’ college educations. And they wonder whythe stereotypical American is overweight…

After grabbing some goodies (the caramel-dipped cookie wasawesome, by the way), we used our Test Track FastPasses. I set up an app on myiPhone (Camera+) to burst the shutter so when the car went outside and pickedup speed, I got some pretty neat shots.

We went over to check in with our favorite flight attendant,Puddy…

 …And then we called it a night. We headed back to the hoteland grabbed some dinner at the counter service restaurant, Mara. But beforebed, a quick check on the ostrich…

Yep, still there. Up next, clams and Wishes.