How Full House Led Me Astray

September Writing Challenge - Prompt # 11:

Landmark

I recently had the chance to go to EPCOT for the first time. The night of my EPCOT visit, my sister-in-law, Amber, and I started talking about the episodes of Full House where they go to Disney World, and we decided to watch them (there are two - it was one of those epic “to be continued…” situations). 

Amber and I talked about how, growing up, we didn’t know that the big Disney World ball (technically Spaceship Earth) was in a separate park from the iconic Cinderella’s castle. We didn’t know Disney World was multiple parks! 

Amber only recently learned about the multiple parks. I tried to remember at what point in my life I found out that the big ball was in a place called EPCOT. I don’t know for sure, but I’m guessing it might have been when Scotty went there when he was about sixteen. He was probably the one who broke the news to me - and for the record, sixteen-year-old Scotty was not a fan of EPCOT, but forty-one year old Scotty loves EPCOT (besides Scotty becoming an old man, a lot has changed at EPCOT since 1997). 

Amber and I decided we blame Full House for all of our misconceived notions about Disney World. In the show, the Tanner family goes to Disney World and makes everything look like it’s in one park, but they actually visited Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT! Amber and I were raised on trickery!

Going to EPCOT and seeing the ball was emotional for me. It’s an icon that has symbolized Disney World my whole life, and being in its presence made me tear up a bit. I did see it last year when Scotty and I went to Disney World on a spontaneous trip with our friends Chad and Carlie, but we didn’t go to EPCOT then, so I only saw it from a distance. Seeing the famous landmark up close was surreal. 

I ended up loving EPCOT, other than having very sore feet and having to deal with horrendous heat. I survived by dunking my head in the sink every time I went in a bathroom and keeping a fan on myself at all times. I am not attractive in any way in Orlando - I’m in survival mode. On our first day there, I attempted to do my hair, and within three minutes of being outside, I looked like a wet dog. I knew that’s how it would be, but I still tried. From that point on, I kept my hair up and wet. I had moments in EPCOT where I had to fight off a complete breakdown because I was so sick of the heat and my feet hurt so bad.

But despite all that, the rides in EPCOT were so much fun! They just opened Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in May of this year, and it is one of the coolest rides I’ve ever been on. I rode it twice, and I cried both times because I was experiencing something so amazing.  I did the same thing on Frozen (also in EPCOT) and on Avatar: Flight of Passage in Animal Kingdom. Soarin’ got me, too, even though I’ve been on it dozens of times in California. I also cried during the parade in Magic Kingdom, and well, I already confessed that just seeing the big ball got the tears flowing. 

While I was at EPCOT, I thought, “I’m glad I came once, but I don’t ever need to come back.” That was the heat talking because at 7:00 pm when the sun was going down, and the temperature became bearable, I didn’t want to leave! And all I’ve done since is think about how I wish I could go back. I don’t know if I ever will, but if I do go back, it’s gonna need to be in January when the average high is 72 (which honestly is still too hot for me when I’m acclimated for the 30’s).