A special treat was in store for us at EPCOT during Disney's recent 50 Teachers Celebration. Boarding the bus, we knew our destination, but did not anticipate driving three-fourths of the way around the outside, backstage areas of the park (again, no photos allowed). When we arrived, we became one of those large groups being led through the park by people with red, illuminated wands. We traveled through a gate to a special building for dinner. Chandeliers overhead and special centerpieces on the tables set the stage for a full buffet meal, themed to the different sections of EPCOT (From breakfast and lunch to dinner, we were fed very well on this day.).
Things were timed perfectly. Soon after we finished our food, we were led to a reserved area of the World Showcase. Standing lakeside, at lake level, on the front row, I had the pleasure of watching the new evening fireworks, projections, and water show called Harmonious.
This show was interesting in that it featured Disney music, but much of it was recorded in the original languages of the stories.
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| It was closing time at EPCOT, but that didn't mean we were finished. In fact, we went back to our dinner venue where five desserts were prepared for us. Naturally, I had to take all five, and I would have gone back for more, but I had a modicum of decorum in the moment. Charles Thomas, director of the Disney Imagination Campus, stood to deliver a final speech, telling us (again) how much his staff appreciates teachers. He mentioned that many of them were at the verge of tears several times during the day. |  |
 | One of the 50 teachers interrupted Mr. Thomas and asked if we could take a group picture. It really was incredible that at no point did they think to do that earlier, but it played right into the plans for our park exit. This part of the event was well-orchestrated. To explain, I have to go back to the week before the trip to Orlando. All of us had received an email about a "possible" extra event. If we were interested, the message said to respond as such. Most, if not all, of us did so, knowing that there was a new attraction opening on the evening of our special day. The $500 million roller coaster, themed to Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy was set to open to huge crowds, and there would be no way of getting onto it without a two hour (or longer) wait in line. |
It didn't matter anyway, because a couple of days later, another email informed me that only 10 were selected, and I wasn't among them. Forty of us resigned ourselves to missing out on the experience.
| But then, after dessert, with EPCOT closed, 50 teachers (many with families in tow) were headed toward Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Some teachers commented that it was pretty cruel to make us pose in front of the ride building and then not enjoy the ride. Would it really hurt them to push a button and let us enjoy the thing? Of course, everything was not as it appeared, and the whole thing was a setup, complete with the disappointment of not being chosen. |  |
Charles turned over the actual announcement to one of the Imagineers of the ride. He told us this was one of the largest indoor coasters in the world, and he wondered if we might want to take a ride. Soon we enter the queue, with no one in front of us.
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