After shopping, we headed off to Epcot for the day. When we arrived at the park we quickly discussed our plan for the new Thumper popcorn bucket that became available today, and decided that we would wait until later in the day to pick them up so we didn't have to carry them around with us. As we were heading to the World Showcase to meet up we came across somebody who had the bucket, and they mentioned that they were running low. We decided to circle back and get in line so that we didn't miss out. We headed to the stand near the Creations shop, and discovered that they were sold out. Some higher level cast members were there talking to the stand workers, so I inquired about availability. We were told that a few stands still had them, and that when they were gone that would be it. I headed over to the stand by the Imagination Pavilion, while Grandma Terry headed over to the Canada pavilion to get in line there (as well as meet up with Jason, Heather, and Colin). My line didn't move very quickly, but the line in Canada kept moving along, and they got the buckets (four in total - one for me, one for Grandma, one for Aunt Erica, and one for Heather) before I moved even a quarter of my line.

With the popcorn buckets secured, I headed over to meet everyone else. They were already sampling the popcorn when I arrived, which I passed on as I am definitely not a fan of the maple popcorn from the Canada booth. While we were there we decided to try the Beef Tenderloin Tips from the Northern Bloom food booth, which came with mushroom bordelaise sauce, whipped potatoes, and garden vegetables. We enjoyed this quite a bit, though I thought the tenderloin could have been a little more tender. I skipped the mushrooms and vegetables, but the rest was quite tasty!

We decided at that point that Jason and I would head back to their resort via the Disney Skyliner to drop off the buckets while the girls and Colin would work on the scavenger hunts that they had started (one being the Eggstravaganza 2025 Easter Egg Hunt and the other being Spike the Bee: The Pollen-Nation Exploration Scavenger Hunt). Once we returned to the park, we continued working our way around the World Showcase in search of the scavenger hunt items as well as tasting some of the food from the booths.

Our next food stop was at the Magnolia Terrace food booth in The American Adventure pavilion. Grandma Terry wanted to try the Traditional Muffuletta (a ham, salami, mortadella, provolone, and Swiss cheese with olive salad sandwhich), which we all agreed was just so-so overall. We also got the Spicy Chicken Gumbo with andouille sausage and long grain and wild rice, which we already knew we liked. This time our bowl wasn't quite as full, but it seemed to be more spicy than our last time trying this dish. Jason and Heather also got the Bananas Foster Bread Pudding with a rum-caramel sauce, which they liked (and I was not a huge fan of from our last visit).

That was it for food, as our only other stop was at a normal booth in the Mexico pavilion, Choza de Margarita. Grandma Terry and Jason each got a Fiesta frozen margarita, which is a combination of strawberry, classic lime, and mango loco. They seemed to enjoy these, though they said they were strong!

That completed our tour around the world, so we headed over to The Land pavilion to get out of the heat and into the air conditioning while enjoying a ride on the Living with the Land boats. The gardens were decorated with scenes from various movies today, so that was an unexpected treat! While we were in The Land pavilion, we also decided to take a ride on Soarin' Around the World. We made pretty good progress through the line, but just as we were about to be assigned a theater we saw a stretcher being rolled past us by a pair of medics. We were then escorted to another theater, as whatever happened there was going to take some time to be cleared. We made it through the line, and got to sit in the middle row of the center of the theater - almost the ideal seats!

We then headed off to the Canada pavilion, where Heather had made reservations for 6 at the Le Cellier Steakhouse. Although we were a few minutes late for our reservation, we were able to complete our check in and didn't have to wait long to be seated. While waiting we watched as a lady came in to check in for a table for four, only to explain that she actually had a party of 5 1/2. Yes, 5 1/2! She actually had a party with three adults, and three young children (they appeared to all be under three). How one has the nerve to reserve a table for four and bring six is beyond me! Once we were seated we all found a meal to order. I have to say, I had high hopes for this restaurant, though I was not overly impressed with my meal. I ordered the 12-oz. New York strip steak with cabernet demi sauce (at the recommendation of our server, with the hand-cut pomme frites as my side. My steak was fatty (and not in the good veiny fat kind of way, but in the big hunks of fat way) and not overly flavorful. The sauce was not good - in fact I liked the aioli that was included much better. The fries were so-so. Overall, I would give this meal a C grade. Not horrible, not great. Just so-so. I got the impression that mom thought the same about her meal, the Heritage Chicken (which came with white bean cassoulet, garden kale, and cabernet jus).

After dinner we headed over to the Creations shop to see what kind of souvenirs were available and Colin could turn in his scavenger hunt cards. I found a few things that I liked but nothing too exciting. I did end up picking up a Figment Little Golden Book though!

Jason, Heather, Colin, and I headed back to the Mexico pavilion to go for a spin on the recently refurbished Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros ride, while Grandma Terry found a spot to sit and relax outside of the Creations shop. You could definitely tell that the TV screens had been updated on the ride, as well as a fresh coat of paint had been applied, as it was very nice looking now. Apparently the soundtrack was reset back to the original as well, though I can't say I noticed this.

Following our ride on the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros, we headed over to the France pavilion to grab dessert from Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie. I had to get my favorite - the Framboise (raspberry mousse, chocolate cake, and raspberry jam), which Heather also got to share with Jason. I have to say I was slightly disappointed this time, as they have changed the container it was served in, and it seemed like I got a smaller portion this time. I am holding out hope that this is a temporary change, but the way things go it was probably downsized in quantity while upsized in price!

After our snack we decided to head out. I left Jason, Heather, and Colin at the International Gateway, where they caught the Skyliner back to the Riviera Resort, while I made the walk to the front to meet up with Grandma Terry. We then made our way to the car to make the drive back to Disney's All-Star Music Resort.

All in all, a great way to spend a day with family!

Epcot

A look at Spaceship Earth...

...from outside the restrooms in the World Showcase area.

The Toy Story topiaries - Woody, Bo Peep, and her sheep.

The Living with the Land ride was well decorated today, including this boat from Moana...

...along with these jellyfish...

...and these sailboats...

...and this tapestry...

...and the heart of Te Fiti.

Beauty and the Beast was also represented on the Living with the Land ride.

We couldn't figure out what the symbol was in the lettuce growing area today.

This scene represented The Princess and the Frog.

Tangled was also well represented today on Living with the Land...

We also took a ride on Soarin' Around the World today...

Colin coloring in his menu at the Le Cellier Steakhouse in the Canada pavilion.

We also took a ride on the recently refurbished Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros...

A look at the Imagination Pavilion at night.

The Phineas and Ferb topiaries lit up at night.