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It’s the 6th of May; the day after Cinco de Mayo and we are going to…you guessed it…Mexico!! Unfortunately, Cinco de Mayo fell on a Sunday and we are all frugal cheapskates who don’t have access to the parks on weekends, holidays, and weeks during Christmas and Spring Break with the Pixie Pass! So, we decided to do the next best thing and celebrate Cinco de Mayo on Seis de Mayo! Where’d we start? All together now: the Rose & Crown pub!!! Mexico at Epcot is such a blast and we were all looking forward to celebrating the rich culture, fantastic food, lively mariachi music, and beautiful colors that represent Epcot’s Mexico. And…of course…tequila, tequila, tequila! Tonight we are exploring the La Hacienda de San Angel, which is not in the actual Mexico pavilion, but rather across from it! We definitely need to go to the main restaurant in the pavilion one of these days. This may be the least favorite of our experiences so far. The food was good…but our waiter was pretty surly and unfriendly…just seemed to be in a really bad mood. This place is also not owned by Disney – it’s owned by a 3rd party. Because of this, there are almost no discounts. No cast member discount, no annual pass holder discount, etc. I believe they had either a DDP (Disney Dining Plan) or DVC (Disney Vacation Club) discount, but only for certain things. Back with us for our foray is Fred, who was feeling much better this time! But let’s get to the food!! Debbie chose the Pollo Poblano (“delicious” though the meat seemed tougher than when she had it before) Fred & Lexi both went for the Alambre de Rey which came with tortillas and a bunch of rice (Lexi Loved this!!) Guacamole & Chips for the table (YUM) Along with Totopos (chips and a white cheddar sauce) (YASSSSSS) Chile Relleno (“great”) Flautas (Yummy but Debbie felt they looked more like empanadas than flautas) And some Queso Fundido (So good!) What about drinks? Yes, yes we had drinks…but *someone* (lol) didn’t write them down…so I’m not sure what they were! The top one is a margarita…maybe the San Angel Inn Margarita…. As with the other places we’ve eaten, I highly suggest getting up and taking a walk around while your food is prepared. This isn’t a very restaurant, but they had some great decor! We were right next to the window: After we were sufficiently stuffed, and had enough of the waiters bad mood, we headed out for some pictures and such! Sebastian is sure he’ll beat Fred one of these times…. also, pay no attention to the Florida Child in pajama pants, a long sleeved shirt, and hat…they don’t feel the heat. We really loved out outfits today! The Cantina is a quick stop for some grub: And if you’re in need of a Margarita, they have a stand right out here, too! Inside the pavilion is a bunch of shopping, the main restaurant, the tequila cave (which we have reviewed) and the Mexico ride! It’s such a silly one, but we all really enjoy riding it! Until next time!

While at Epcot for other adventures, the Festival of the Arts was going on! Of course we had to take some pictures to share with you! I love the chalk drawings…the talent…and then it’s all washed away! There are also tons of tents set up with things to buy…there are so many WANTS! Of course, they also have a ton of food offerings…but we weren’t very good at getting pictures of those: And finally, they came out with a new Figment popcorn bucket (with rainbow popcorn) for the event. Lexi is OBSESSED with Figment and Debbie surprised her with it!!! The lights in it change color! JUST LOOK!!!

”When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie”…that’s ITALY at Epcot!! Italy is a Mediterranean Mecca that once was the cultural, religious, and historical power center of the world and has been inhabited by humans for at least 850,000 years! That’s pretty incredible!! If you’ve never been to the real place, pop it on your bucket list, it’s a wonderful country to visit with So much to see, do, and experience! For our “trip” to Italy we brought in some reinforcements and had a slight change in the cast of characters. In addition to Lexi, Debbie, John, Sebastian, and David, we had one of John’s older sons, Aarron, and Lexi’s friend, Erin. Poor Fred was home with a cold and Lauren and Jon were working. Of course our first stop was “the usual place” – you guessed it, the Rose & Crown in the UK. (Another historical center of the world – “The sun never sets on the British Empire” and all that!). If memory serves, we had quite a few pints at the pub before heading across the English Channel to Europe proper, eventually landing in Italy. (Okay, okay, walking around World Showcase until we got to Epcots version of Italy). Our attire for the evening was representative of Venetian Gondoliers which NO ONE seemed to acknowledge! lol. Ah well, we had fun with it! Italy at Epcot gives you a little taste of the real thing through famous sites. You have St. Marks Square and the Rialto Bridge (Venice) and the Trevi Fountain (Rome), among others! Here you will find two sit down restaurants. The main spot is Tutto Italia which is definitely on the list for a future visit! Attached to Tutto Italia is the Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar. A really cool place on a hot day with an extensive Italian wine, beer, and spirits collection. The decor resembles an Italian Vinyard Wine Cellar and all of the wine served is Italian, of course. If wine is not your thing, they also have a variety of spirits and beer on tap. In the mood for a little snack, they have a light menu available, too! And then there is Via Napoli Pizzeria e Ristorante, our stop for the day! Upon entering, you’re greeted by a colorful Murano glass chandelier, which sets the tone for the ambiance. It’s a fun, whimsical place that embodies the Italian experience. The main players in our little show have all travelled to Italy and it brings back fond memories of far off lands and excitement. Pizza!!! Let’s talk pizza. Living in Florida, let’s just say that good pizza is hard to come by. This place has the very best pizza we have found in the area. All of the garden fresh veggies and flavorful meats are imported from Italy!! The only ingredient in the pizza that is NOT imported from Italy is the water for the pizza dough and that’s from a fresh spring in Pennsylvania. (Note: we don’t have the best water here! Lexi and her family are lucky to have well water and that is great…but city water in Florida, well, it needs a lot of lemon to suck it down!) The pizza ovens here are a Disney Destination in and of themselves. They are all huge, wood burning ovens sculpted with the faces of the volcano gods, and named after three active volcanos in Italy: Mount Etna, Mount Vesuvius, and Stromboli. Happy group of travelers: What did we order? A lot. First – two extra large pizzas for our group of 7 to share. We also had Spaghetti e polpettine, calamari fritti, mozzarella caprese, and arancini. The pizza was the clear winner…but it was all delicious! Sebastian’s birthday was the next day…so he was surprised with a little celebration…he was not amused…lol While waiting for your dinner, take a few minutes and walk around, checking out all the detail! Bottom line, if you go here, take your time, take in the atmosphere, visit the pizza ovens, and above all else, Order The Pizza!!! It’s pretty pricey, but worth every penny!