Info. gathering -- Epcot -- China About This Page:

[dzlovesdisney]

Hi everyone,

DH and I are heading to WDW with our three boys in December.

We are adopting a little girl from China, a process which will probably take about two more years before we bring her home.

For this WDW trip, I'd like to really take in as much as I can at the China pavilion, maybe buy a few items for our future daughter, have the boys learn more about the culture, etc.

Any ideas, tips, etc. from those who have visited the China pavilion? I would love to hear them.

Thanks very much

[Jennifer2003]

Congratulations!!!!

I would definatley take a lot of time in the pavillion. Watch the movie, go shopping, have a meal...but best of all, talk to the CMs! Let them know about your daughter and the adoption and see what they have to say. I've found the Chinese CMs at the pavillion to be the friendliest bunch!!!

Enjoy your time in Epcot!!

[joyjoy]

Absolutely talk to the CMs. Ask them where they're from in China, and tell them about your plans. Ask if they sell maps of China and have them show you where they lived, etc. We asked a couple of really nice girls in the store there for suggestions for a dog's name in Chinese and they gave us a whole list, with the Chinese characters representing the name as well as the pronunciation.

[millie]

What a Fantasmic idea !!!!!
We haven't been in a while but we really do LOVE the China Pavillion. You can spend the whole day there just shopping...the store is HUGE. The movie will be great for you to see with your boys...I thought on our last trip my DD would be bored to tears watching it (she was 12) but when we left it was pretty much all she talked about for a while. The restaurant is above average (there are better ones in EPCOT's WS) but definitely worth it. I say go to WS and devote the majority of an afternoon to doing just the China Pavillion and definitely TALK TO THE CM's they are extremely knowledgeable and quite kind....they're the best thing about the WS Pavillions, no matter what country you're 'visiting' !!!!

And GOOD LUCK with your adoption process !!!!

[robeson143]

How fun! That is our dream to adopt a little girl from China! We will be praying for you during this time - We began our paperwork but had to put it on hold after our 3yr old was diagnosed with autism! But one day we will get to pick it all back up - soak up all you can in the China Pavillion

[Jammers]

My daughter is from China and I absolutely love the China pavillion. I remember watching the movie while we were waiting and having tears streaming down my face. One thing I did was buy our daughter a book in the store, Daisy Comes Home by Jan Brett about a little Chinese girl named Mei Mei. I had one of the CMs write our daughter's name we had chosen in Chinese characters. Another thing we have done is take a Mulan storybook with us and had the Mulan character write a special message to our daughter.

[mickeyfans]

Congratulations!!!! We are also from NJ and our daughter is from the central part of China, near Szechuan province. When we traveled for her in 2005, she was dressed in a Winnie-the-Pooh outfit and when we went to a local department store, she bit the nose of a stuffed Mickey (LOL), which now has a special place in our hearts and our home. We have been to WDW twice with our daughter since returning from China, and both times took her to the China pavilion at EPCOT. The reaction of the employees there, many of whom are from various parts of China, gave us such a warm feeling. Whether you eat at the restaurant or shop in the store there, be sure to talk with the staff. The film is also a great way to get the flavor of China; it was even more amazing seeing it after returning from China. We are now in the process to adopt a second child from China; the first experience touched our hearts in countless ways. Who knew our daughter's favorite show would be Little Einsteins and that we wouldn't be able to drag her away from Minnie when we were in Anaheim in July!!!!

[mcc0313]

I know the wait is long but it will be such a special day when you can bring her home. A woman that I went to school with (was not close to her then) but she moved to my neighborhood now and I sw her one day at the store...

We talked and she ended up asking if I wanted to meet at the park so our kids could play...so I agreed. A few days later I met her and her children...

She had not mentioned anything when we first saw each other but she expalined that when her husband and her found out that she could not have children they decided to adopt...they had a daughter from China, a son from Columbia and they were working on their third adoption from another South American country...

She said that China was the longest wait but so worth it...her daughter is adorable and I was suprised this year when I met her on the steps of my daughter's school (she had tranfered her children there)...

Regarding Epcot...I am a history buff and so is DD14...however what really suprised me is that I can spend hours walking around and really just enjoying the climate of the country...I was worried that DD5 (at the time) and DN7 would not enjoy it as much...

DN9 didn't much...he just ran around but DD5 suprised me about asking all these questions and she even stopped a few CM's along the way asking about things she saw...

There was a very nice CM that she met in China...DD% asked her about these little statues she saw...adn she showed her a map and where they came from, then she gave her a hand printed mini-fan that she had to hold in her bag and it is proudly in the 2005 Disney Scrapbook.

I find Epcot amazing...you can really get the feel of the culture...I think that it will be a great benefit to you and your family...

Best of luck on your trip and on your newest addition...

[Mom2JPL]

I don't have any input on the China pavilion yet (our first trip isn't for 16 more days..woo hoo!). BUT, I did want to tell you CONGRATULATIONS and best wishes with your adoption. Our oldest daughter (she'll be 4 in November) is from China and I remember reading everything I could get my hands on about China, researching the internet for all kinds of info...so I know what you're going through when you say you want to get her something from WDW re: China. I will say though, not to spend too much, because when you go to China to meet your daughter, you'll do a lot of sightseeing (re: SHOPPING) and EVERYTHING there is sooo cheap to buy (a lot less expensive I would think than shopping in Disney). We picked up silks for almost nothing in different sizes so she could wear them as she ages, a jade necklade for her with her animal sign (year she was born), squeaky shoes (2 different sizes); little things that were easy to pack. We also received (through our agency in China while we were there) regional maps from the province she's from, newspapers (Chinese and English versions), her finding ad, etc.... things that are special because they're from her region. Again, congrats and good luck ~ hope your wait is quicker than they're stating right now (friends of ours are also adopting and I hear the wait it long). When we started our paperwork, we were told up to 2 years wait. We submitted our paperwork in March 2004 and in September 2004 we received our referral (6 months!) and became a family on November 10th (best day EVER!). I think at the time they were doubling up months to get caught up...so, you never know what can happen!

[dzlovesdisney]

Thanks everyone, for the WDW and adoption advice. Ellen, I would do CARTWHEELS if the months doubled up. I'm afraid to even go there by thinking about it!

We're super-excited to take our boys to WDW in December, and even more excited to someday meet our daughter.