Meeting Bruce the Shark at Epcot

by Gaylin

Inside The Seas at Epcot is a room with a great photo opportunity. It is a model of Bruce the shark from Finding Nemo, if you go around the back, you can climb into Bruce to have your photo taken. This is the only time and the only way I ever want my photo taken inside a shark!

If you are a big goof, you get your photo taken inside Bruce like I did, "No, Bruce, don't bite down!".

Or you can act like a regular, happy tourist! Either way, this is a very fun way to have your photo taken.

Trip Report: October 11th-October 17th 2014 - Part 6

by Nick

Up early, after not having the best night's sleep. A cold was coming on. Not completely there yet, but inevitable.

We showered and made our way to Cabanas, where I was expecting a continental breakfast, but was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a wide assortment of breakfast items.

We headed downstairs to disembark, which went very smoothly. When we went outside for our Magical Express bus, we were offered a van instead, which left almost immediately. By 8:30am we were at the Boardwalk Resort checking in.

We checked in, dropped off our luggage, grabbed a coffee at the Belle Vue Lounge, and headed off to Epcot. We walked slowly through World Showcase, taking photos and enjoying the absolutely beautiful weather, sunny and not nearly as hot as it had been on the previous Saturday.

We spent most of the morning in the Seas with Nemo & Friends, watching the fish get fed, something we'd never seen. We also caught the tail end of the eels being fed, but I wasn't quick enough for a photo.

By now, it was closing in on 11:00am, so we headed for World Showcase, with our first stop being the Puerto Rico booth. This is easily the nicest food booth at the Festival, with a nice area to relax.

Unfortunately, the food offerings I sampled didn't impress as much as the surroundings. The Ensalada de Corrucho, or Conch salad, was good, but the onion was overwhelming. The Carne Quisado, or slow braised beef, was rather dry.

Next, we got the griddled cheese at the Greece booth, which was not as good as in previous years, Barbie even stating she thought the cheese had a hint of "goateness," and, as she isn't a goat cheese fan, that was not a compliment.

Our next stop was the France booth, which had been absolutely jammed on the previous Saturday, and for good reason, the food here is terrific. The Escargot Tart, which was not as tasty as the old way it was served, in tiny little brioche, was still very good. The Boeuf Bourguignon and the Creme Brulee were excellent, among my favorite items at the Festival.

While enjoying these offerings,  around 11:45am we were texted our room was ready. We went to our room, both laid down, and both fell asleep!

We didn't head back to the park until after 2:00pm. We stopped at the Patagonia booth, which used to be Argentina. Last year, our perennial favorite, the Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri Sauce was dry, but this year it was back to it's former glory, and moved back to being a favorite.

 The Roasted Verlasso Salmon was very good, but a bit dry.

While eating at a table in a nice shady spot, we were joined by another couple who had the Grilled Lamb Chop from the Australia booth. As it looked really good, I walked over and picked one up for myself. Yep, it was as good as it looked. Sorry, the photo below doesn't do it justice.

By now, it was nearing 3:00, so we headed to the Craft Beer pavilion where we were meeting our friends Lisa and Raymond. For the first time this year, this pavilion is housed in the Odyssey Center.

I had a Wild Hare Pale Ale by Spoetzle, meh, a Rye Pale Ale by Terrapin, again, meh, and a Punkin Ale by Dogfish Head which is a favorite.

Lisa and Raymond got there around 3:45, and we could've spent hours talking, but they had to leave to get ready for the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.
 
We walked with them to the front of the park, as we had FastPasses for Spaceship Earth.

photo courtesy of Lisa

We then walked back to World Showcase, where we got the dessert trio from Desserts & Champagne.
Barbie's favorite was the Passion Fruit Coconut Creamsicle, mine was the Chocolate Expresso Opera Cake. We both thought the Blueberry Lime Cheesecake Roll was bland.

Next, I decided to give the Seared Sea Scallop at Scotland a try. Last year, their Salmon dish was a let down, and perhaps I wasn't the only one who felt that way, as it hasn't returned this year. I'm really glad I got the scallop, as it was one of the best selections at the Festival. Moist and tender, and the spinach-Cheddar Gratin and Crispy Bacon was amazing.

I was so impressed with this offering, I went and got another, and while I was there decided to try the Potato Pancake with Smoked Scottish Salmon, and it was almost as good! I paired this with Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Beer.

By now, I was feeling rather run down, so we headed back to the Boardwalk. I started watching Illuminations from our room, but headed to bed before it finished.

Links to the first 5 parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5.

Epcot's The Seas with Nemo and Friends Ride

by: Nick

Located in Epcot's Future World is The Seas with Nemo & Friends, a pavilion housing a very large saltwater aquarium and it's viewing area, Sea Base, the interactive show Turtle Talk with Crush, The Coral Reef Restaurant, and the dark ride for which the pavilion is named after.

The queue area takes you from the beach to under the sea, where you board a clamobile.

Why are you going into this Big Blue World?
Would you believe that Nemo has gone missing again?
They really need to put a bell on that kid.
Actually, this time, Nemo is just having a bit of fun, but Marlin and Dory don't know that!

You'll go exploring with Mr. Ray and his school.

Swim amongst ultraviolet Jellyfish.

Have an encounter with Bruce the shark in the hull of a sunken ship.

Catch a ride on the East Australian Current with that righteous sea turtle Crush and Squirt, his little dude!

Whew!  This is a very cute ride, with some neat effects, especially the EAC, and the animation being projected over the actual aquarium, and is fun for all ages, despite some of the more harrowing moments!

Now, please enjoy a ride through The Seas with Nemo & Friends!

Have You Ever Visited the Sharks at the Seas with Nemo and Friends?

By: Nick

 Located in the Seas with Nemo and Friends is a fun area featuring the sharks from Finding Nemo:

Bruce a Great White. One of the funnier photo-ops in the World.

Chum, a Mako. Apparently he's charming.

Anchor, the Hammerhead. Looks great with my hat on his...hammer head.

There are are also shark facts posted around the area.

Have you ever spent some time in this section of the Seas?

Epcot's Coral Reef Restaurant for Lunch

Tucked behind The Seas with Nemo and Friends Pavilion in Walt Disney World's Epcot, you many never know a restaurant, Coral Reef, is here unless you check out the park map, or are looking for it.

Really, as someone who has been to Epcot dozens of times, I don't consult a park map any longer, and never knew where this restaurant was located. I'd heard of Coral Reel, sure. It usually gets mixed reviews, so it's taken a few years to get around to trying it out. But, as we like to try new restaurants each trip, this finally came up in our plans.

Now that we've found it, let's go on in, shall we.

There is a lovely entryway to the restaurant, which evokes the sense of entering the sea, from a sandy beach, into the surf, and then fully submerged...

 

...where you encounter aquatic life...

 

...until you enter the restaurant, and you ARE aquatic life!

 

The dining area has a terrific view of the Sea's massive aquarium. There were 4 of us in our party, and we were seated in a booth with a great view of the tank. Left to right, me, my wife, Barbie, our friends Kandi, and John.

 

So far so good, we're loving the place, But how's the food and service? Our waiter was very attentive, and we never had to ask for a drink refill. When he brought bread, it was warm, and  the butter a perfect consistency.

Kandi had the Field Greens and Endive Salad, with pears, goat cheese, spiced walnuts, and cranberry vinaigrette for $8.49.
She asked for the dressing and goat cheese on the side. I tried the goat cheese, and it was really good.
She had another appetizer as her entree, the Rustic Seafood Stew, with Cedar Creek Clams, Mussels, White Fish, and Toasted Ciabatta , $11.99.

John had the Seared Chicken Breast, served over spaetzle finished with Applewood smoked bacon - chicken broth, $21.99.

 

Barbie had the  Grilled Mahi Mahi, with Laughing Bird Shrimp, Hearts of Palm, Jasmine Rice, Cilantro, and a Coconut-Lime Sauce $24.99

I had the Seared Rainbow Trout, with warm salad of white beans, arugula, tomatoes, crispy bacon, aged balsamic vinegar and brown butter, $19.99.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meal, and speaking for myself, the rainbow trout was delicious, and the bacon brought perfect balance to the tastes. Well, it IS bacon, after all, would you expect anything less?

We were too full for dessert.  a

Were we happy with the food and service? Absolutely!

Was it overpriced for what we got? I am going to admit something to you all right now, and I'd appreciate if you'd keep it amongst yourselves, but my parent's favorite restaurant is Red Lobster.
So I am a frequent visitor to Red Lobsters, and can say that my meal here was comparably priced to what I might pay for a dinner portion there.

Will we return? Without a doubt!

This article was originally posted on the Tips From the Disney Divas and Devos Blog, where Nick is a contributing writer.