Epcot Evening: March trip report pt. 8(b)

After a wonderful morning at Coronado Springs, we spent our final afternoon & evening at WDW visiting Epcot.  While I made a run for Soarin' fast passes (believe it or not, there were still some that afternoon), mom and the boys headed to the Mexico pavilion and got a great outside table at La Cantina.  We had a quick bite there, and I have to say, the food was really good.  I'm not a big guacamole fan, but I loved their slightly spicy guac!  After our snack, we headed into the pavilion for the Gran Fiesta Tour starring the Three Caballeros.  Then a quick trip to Norway and the Maelstrom got Ari in touch with his inner viking!  As we left Norway and were moving on around World Showcase, we had to take a short break while the globe for Illuminations was moved into the lagoon.  It was our first time seeing the bridge up and was a really neat experience.  The Flower & Garden Festival had just begun, so we were able to view some amazing topiaries & some beautiful bonsai trees.

While waiting for the Voices of Liberty to perform at the American Adventure pavilion, we explored the Toy Story ABC garden, then moved inside to explore the pavilion exhibits.  Voices of Liberty was fantastic, and their renditions of so many patriotic songs brought tears to my eyes.  The rotunda makes the sound surround you inside the pavilion.  We also saw the American Adventure show for the first time, which if you haven't taken the time to see it, please do.  Such a cool way to experience American history.
After the show, we continued to explore World Showcase until it was almost time for our dinner reservation at the Garden Grill.  We took one of the Friendship Boats across the lagoon to Canada, then made our way swiftly back to the Land pavilion and checked in for dinner.  This was another first for us and such a neat experience.  Not only did we get to meet Chip & Dale, Pluto & Farmer Mickey, but the restaurant rotated slowly showing views of the Living with the Land ride!  The food was great too!  After dinner, we opted to do some souvenir shopping at Mouse Gears, then it was time to cash in our Soarin fast passes for one final ride.
After Soarin, we headed to World Showcase in the Canada pavilion and found our spot for Illuminations.  The show and fireworks were amazing as usual, but the smoke and ash was a little heavy, as the wind was blowing in our direction.  We opted to not fight the crowds for the buses, and took the long way around World Showcase.  Again, everything was more magical after dark.  There was nearly no-one in World Showcase at that time.  We explored a part of the Morocco pavilion that we had never even known was there!  On the way out, Ari got so tired that his legs stopped working, so mom and I took turns giving him piggy-back rides back to the bus.

Up next, our final wrap up as we headed back home.