Around the world in just a day

Florida 2011, Day 5, part 2:

So seeing all the Duffy plushies in Gateway Gift I decided to go across and meet Duffy himself. Duffy is a bear whose story is that Minnie created him for Mickey Mouse so he could bring him on his travels and he wouldn’t get lonely:

Whatever he’s cute and cuddly that’s all that matters:

 

 After meeting Duffy we headed off around World Showcase. At the German pavilion they have a little village scene set up with a train going around and everything but they also decorate it for whatever holiday season is happening in the parks so because it was near Christmas time all the little houses were decorated for Christmas:

We made our way up towards the Italian pavilion:

We stopped to watch this dude called Sergio doing his little show. 

We had a lunch booked in the Italian pavilion in Via Napoli

Things started going a little downhill during our lunch first of all big grey clouds and lots of rain started when we were eating and then after the meal I started getting tummy cramps and wasn’t feeling to well. Nothing to do with Via Napoli I think it was more because I hadn’t eaten much until our lunch which wasn’t until 2 o’clock anyway my mother and I decided to man up and go out in the rain to our next destination. That morning I had given my mother an early Christmas present of a carriage pearl holder and an invite to Pick a Pearl in the Japanese pavilion in Epcot:

On the way we made a quick stop in America to visit Mr. and Mrs. Claus.

Santa was very quiet but Mrs. Claus was lovely. 

Before we left for Florida I had made us one of these each:

I thought it might be fun to get them stamped at the Kidcot stations in each of the World showcase pavilions and get the CM’s to write Merry Christmas in whatever language they spoke on the back of each flag so we got that started in America. The American Pavilion also had a little Santa village complete with Christmas tree: 

We eventually got to Japan and I led my mother to the Pick a pearl counter and explained to her how it worked and how she should pick the ugliest one according to all the trip reports I had read on it. As we were watching a lady got two blue pearls. I went off to pay and mum was deciding which oyster she was going to pick:

Soon enough our turn came, the CM gets you to do a traditional Japanese welcome and then invites you to pick your pearl. She opens it and measures it. Momma's was 7mm. I got one as well mine was 7.5mm. The CM then washes it and cleans it up:

Then they pop it in a little bag for you, bang some drums to congratulate you on your find and invite you to buy some of their "lovely jewellery settings" that have lovely prices as well! After that we had a look around the Japan shop before going over to the Japan Kidcot to get our next stamp and Christmas message:

We saw the Matsuriza (Japanese drummers) out briefly when we were leaving Japan:

We paid a quick visit to Morocco next just for a quick look:

Then it was time to go back to the American Pavilion to queue for Candlelight Processional. I took some pictures as I waited, look at those horrible grey clouds:

They started letting people in for the Candlelight Processional and the covered over area was full apart from two rows of seating that a CM was reserving for some reason. We sat out as near to covered area as possible and while we were waiting the rain just kept going so I eventually got up and went to buy an expensive poncho! The Candlelight Processional itself was good even though it was cold and wet the entire time:

We got soaked through during the show though so afterwards we went back to Mouse Gear to try find something warm to wear for the night. Giant Vinylmation in the window: 

I still wasn’t feeling the best so once I paid for what I wanted I sat on the floor waiting for my mother. Once she had decided what she wanted we left to try go to Ellen's energy adventure but it was closed so we started to head back towards World Showcase but then the tears came. I'd had enough. I was cold, wet, sick and disappointed that we had missed all the Christmas storytellers as each country on the World Showcase had a storyteller. We had no time so I needed to rework our trip plan to fit in more Epcot time to see the storytellers. My mother fixed the cold thing by popping back into Mouse gear and buying me a tracksuit bottoms and a little snack:

 We then headed back towards World Showcase. The rain was easing but still drizzly so we decided to hop into Mexico and visit Donald and go on the Three Cabelleros boat ride there:

We got our next kidcot stamp and Mexican Christmas message and then started to look for somewhere to watch the fireworks from. There was a VIP seating area for Illuminations  for those that booked the Candlelight Processional dining package there was zero protection from the rain where that was though so we kept going towards England and went off to the right beside some little chip shop place. We stood beside a pole that had a big banner on it and the banner gave a little protection from the rain. Illuminations was great and we got the added bonus of Christmas Illuminations being at the end which we weren't expecting and it was just WOW! 

 Once the fireworks ended we fought our way to the entrance to catch the bus and made it just on time. We got back to our hotel went straight to bed after another long, fun but wet day.