EPCOT and Victoria & Albert's

 7 February 2024

Spaceship Earth, SLJ-style

Hump day. After two days of going strong we needed a breather. My wife opted to stay behind for rest and extended ice therapy on her ankle so I made my way to EPCOT for our time slot on Guardians of the Galaxy with #2 son and #3 nephew. I'm not a particular fan of the movie franchise, but when Disney spends as much time building an attraction this large I'm not about to pass it up.

When we arrived at the park we tried to sneak in a ride on Soarin', but the app completely botched our Lighting Lane slots. Just one of many failures in the system that happened over the course of the week. While I applaud the integration of technology, especially when it improves the guest experience, it did very little to improve our experience while introducing a massive amount of annoyance and frustration. As a computer scientist it reminds me of a senior project that wasn't tested very well. One moment you could see a subset of your group, the next time you might see a completely different subset, and a third time you were likely to see another subset consisting of some from the first group and some from the second group. But you could never see your entire group at once. When you tried to use Genie or  Lightning features it would allow you to add someone to one attraction, but not another, and the same problem would occur with another person, but in reverse. And no, those people didn't already have reservations for attractions that caused the problem. As I told Disney in a survey they sent me for the app:

"Visiting Walt Disney World is no longer magical. These days you purchase a $100+ scratch-off and then try to navigate the worst app in history to game the worst system ever devised only to end up frustrated and disappointed. Bring back the ticket books, this sucks. Enough with the Genie, LightningLane, Virtual Queue, Standby, extra cheese, supersize nonsense. You've made things so complicated that a visit is no longer fun, it's an exercise in logistics and planning."

Grinning on Guardians

As lousy as the app is, Guardians of the Galaxy is as good as the app is bad. Unfortunately I only had one opportunity to ride, and there was so much to take in it's all a blur. For a non-inversion coaster it is just off the charts. You'll get a random musical accompaniment (I've learned this, not experienced it) as you zip through the ride. If you're not grinning ear-to-ear throughout this adventure then I suggest having yourself screened for a stroke. The next time I'm back in EPCOT I'll do everything I can to ride this at least twice, just so I can get a better grasp on what happens. 

After Guardians we reconnected with the rest of our party at The Seas with Nemo & Friends. This aquarium is larger in diameter than Spaceship Earth (the "EPCOT ball") and holds 5.7 million gallons - which now makes it the second largest saltwater tank in the world, behind the Georgia Aquarium, which opened in 2005. It houses over 2,000 animals from dozens of species. If you're a certified SCUBA diver you can sign up to dive the aquarium: Disney Dive Quest The last time I participated all proceeds from the program benefitted the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund – Disney did not profit from the program at all. I have no reason to believe that this has changed, but have not heard definitively. In addition to the actual dive you get a full pre-dive presentation and briefing and a backstage tour unavailable anywhere else.  All dive gear is provided (if you're human, they have a shorty that will fit you) but they do allow personal dive masks, if you like. This is primarily a consideration for those who have prescription masks, but if you prefer to use your own, you may. I took mine both times. The rules are stringent to protect the animals, but the staff is purely Disney in their enforcement – they'll tell you how it is, but in such a polite manner you won't even consider being offended.

After visiting Nemo I made my way back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. #2 son had never eaten at Victoria & Albert's, and we had reservations. 

Miyazaki A5 Wagyu

I tried to get reservations in the Queen Victoria Room, but it was fully booked. Fortunately we were able to enjoy the same menu in the main dining room. This option was not available in the past and, while the service is elevated in the QV room, thanks to the guest/server ratio, service in the main dining room is still among the best you will ever experience. The Chef's Dégustation Menu consisted of 11 courses, including desserts. The courses consist of caviar, king crab, quail, Wagyu beef, venison, and lamb, to name a few ingredients. Each dish is thoughtfully conceived, sourced, created, and presented. I've eaten here more times than I care to admit, and I have never had a single bite that was disappointing. 

Sunset over Bay Lake