Oh, Just A Few GALLONS of Pixie Dust! - A July/August 2012 TR

[marDgreen88]

I love people watching so much!!! It's my favorite thing to do with down time! OMG that picture of your Dad is too funny!! That girl is either like "hmmm I so wish I was doing that right now" or "is he really sleeping?!" LOL! Either one, it's hilarious!

I love Epcot so much! Maybe if I squeeze my eyes hard enough I'll magically appear there! Hmmm, nope... I'll keep trying and let you know how it works out!

I love the Land too!! California Grill is so yummy! I haven't eaten there in forever!!

So do I! Hahaha, my dad cracks me up. He just does nooooot care. Hahha, I think it was the second one!

I DO TOO! Goodness, my appreciation for that park just went through the roof on my last trip, I spent so much time there and it was amazing! Hahha aww, well if you figure out how to get there, please take me with you!

It's the best! We loved Garden Grill!

I know what you mean about just sitting down and enjoying the moment. I did a lot of that on our recent trip. Sadly though, I didn't take pictures most of the time.

I love that your dad took a nap on the bench! There were so many times I thought of doing that in Oct! And the family in the picture is hilarious! I think the mom is the only trying NOT to look.

Can't wait to hear about dinner at Garden Grill!

Yeah! Isn't it nice? Aw, well that's okay! I'm sure it's still a nice memory!

Bahahah, so do I. I think you're right! I just know she kept saying "DO NOT LOOK" in her head.

YAY I can't wait to share! Hopefully soon!

 

[flyergrad09]

Sitting on benches while on vacation is pretty awesome and definitely necessary sometimes! When my family and I went to NYC this summer, there was a day near the end of our trip where we were all so exhausted, instead of trekking uptown to go to the Met, we sat on a bench in Washington Square Park for an hour and a half and people watched. It was so relaxing! Plus, people watching is always entertaining.

Bahaha, I love it when you've listened to Disney parks music SO MUCH that when you're in the parks, it's like second nature to sing/hum along. I had one of those moments in the ToT queue.

Man, your dad must have been REALLY tired! And those girls are giving him the funniest looks! I love how the mom is trying to not pay attention, but her kids aren't even trying to not stare.

I LOVE DISNEY BUNNIES. I saw a total of either 4 or 5 of them on my last trip. I have a pet rabbit, so um, yeah. Definitely partial to Disney bunnies.

It's so nice when people offer to take a group picture for you! I love using PhotoPass, but sometimes I like having group pictures in less typical places. Yay for nice Disney guests!

 

[t_daniels]

Aww . I've never seen Disney bunnies...

 

[amazingact21]

Sitting by Spaceship Earth, seeing the Fountain of Nations, listening to Epcot music, and resting sounds perfect! It's actually pretty hard to sit still for very long, but after you do chill out for a bit, you realize how nice it is. And I mean, what better way to absorb all the Disney magic than to just soak it up while relaxing. Sounds like a great way to spend some time in Epcot.

 

[marDgreen88]

Sitting on benches while on vacation is pretty awesome and definitely necessary sometimes! When my family and I went to NYC this summer, there was a day near the end of our trip where we were all so exhausted, instead of trekking uptown to go to the Met, we sat on a bench in Washington Square Park for an hour and a half and people watched. It was so relaxing! Plus, people watching is always entertaining.

Bahaha, I love it when you've listened to Disney parks music SO MUCH that when you're in the parks, it's like second nature to sing/hum along. I had one of those moments in the ToT queue.

Man, your dad must have been REALLY tired! And those girls are giving him the funniest looks! I love how the mom is trying to not pay attention, but her kids aren't even trying to not stare.

I LOVE DISNEY BUNNIES. I saw a total of either 4 or 5 of them on my last trip. I have a pet rabbit, so um, yeah. Definitely partial to Disney bunnies.

It's so nice when people offer to take a group picture for you! I love using PhotoPass, but sometimes I like having group pictures in less typical places. Yay for nice Disney guests!

Definitely! Hahah, that sounds awesome! I agree, it's always fun to do that!

Right? It's hilarious. I feel like a lot of people don't even pay very much attention to the area music, but for me it's just one of the awesome things about Disney!

He really was. The man was lookin' for a little relaxation, ya know? He can really sleep anywhere. It cracks me up. I know, that family is hilarious. They're basically famous now and they don't even realize it. HAHA.

AWW! I always wanted a pet bunny! I think bunnies are the cutest things! There were actually two of them in that little grassy area, but I didn't see the other one until I went back outside!

She was so nice! I agree! I mean, I know everyone loves a good castle picture, but there are a lot of great places to take pictures that not many people would even think of!

Aww . I've never seen Disney bunnies...

I bet you will one of these days!

Sitting by Spaceship Earth, seeing the Fountain of Nations, listening to Epcot music, and resting sounds perfect! It's actually pretty hard to sit still for very long, but after you do chill out for a bit, you realize how nice it is. And I mean, what better way to absorb all the Disney magic than to just soak it up while relaxing. Sounds like a great way to spend some time in Epcot.

It honestly was SO perfect. Every time I think about it I just want to be right back there! AHHHH EPCOT.

 

[marDgreen88]

Well hey there!

It just so happens that video time has come upon us once again!

You couldn't be more thrilled, right?

Yeah, I got a little behind on the video posting, so this here's a TRIPLE VIDEO WHAMMY! (No mountains included.)

Meet Bart the Gorilla

He stares.

Come watch Festival of the Lion King!

It's not the full show, but it's still grand. There's no denying that!

Hang out with us in Future World!

Me, my dad, and my sister, that is. We're cool. I promise.

(Some of the videos are long. I really don't blame you if you don't watch them. But please feel free!)

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT.

Have a pleasant evening.

Continued in Next Video Post​

 

[marDgreen88]

The One Where We Eat for FREE! AT DISNEY!

August 1, 2012

Before the trip there was one restaurant that my mom and I both really wanted to try out. We’d both heard really great things about it, but with five table service credits each, we just weren’t able to fit it in. Well, imagine our delight when we got those EXTRA credits! Now imagine our even bigger delight when this restaurant had openings for THAT VERY NIGHT! (Are you imagining our delight? ARE YOU?)

What restaurant am I talking about?

…

(Well I mean, unless you didn't see the picture, you already know. BUT WHATEVER!)

...

The Garden Grill!!!!

Hooray! We were so excited! Not only did we get to go there at the absolute last minute, but (excluding tip) our meal was completely FREE!!!!

OH YEAH. ABOUT THOSE GALLONS OF PIXIE DUST…

We headed to the general area of the restaurant and my dad checked us in. It was the one and only ADR that was under his name instead of mine!

Our reservation was for 7:05, but we were a little early. I didn't even care though. I was in The Land.

I mean, THE Land. I just sat there smelling that sweet, sweet smell… ahhhhh…

(Come on Disney, where is your Land Pavilion air freshener, for crying? I’ll take 200.)

While we were waiting, we saw our very first tour group of the trip. Honestly though, had I not seen their matching backpacks (and had they been in smaller groups) I would have never even known. They were QUIET. It was a literal miracle. It was the one and only time the entire trip that we saw tour groups, and they were quiet. That in itself is a gallon of pixie dust, let me tell you THAT.

We waited for about 10 minutes, then our buzzer went off and we headed over! The older gentleman who seated us was incredibly nice and friendly. I loved him! We got a great table on the lower level of the restaurant.

(That picture is so unflattering of all of us but it cracks me up for some reason.)

There were 'Mickey' plates waiting to be covered with food!

As I am positive you are all aware, the restaurant rotates throughout the meal. Even though I’m easily prone to motion sickness, I barely even noticed it. (So if that’s a concern for you, it really isn’t a big deal.)

This was our view at the beginning of the meal.

Our waiter was nice as well, and he told us about how he went to D.C. for the first time last summer. (We live about two hours from there, but I guess the guy didn't realize how far we were. I mean, we're close enough that I've been to D.C. many times, but ya know, not right next door. Hahah.)

The food started coming out almost immediately!

The salad was really good. It had boiled eggs and a very delicious (unidentified) dressing. Yum.

THE ROLLS.

YALL, THOSE ROLLS. They were some of the best rolls EVER. Our waiter told us that it wasn’t the bread, but the butter that was so delicious. He said the butter had maple syrup and sea salt in it, and I quote: "The combination doesn’t work, but it totally works."

I will say though, he said it wasn’t the bread but the butter, but I believe it was both because the bread alone was delicious too! It met my bread standards for sure!

The rest of the food was great too! They gave us two platters, one for each side of the table. Let me break it down for you.

(Forgive me, I didn't take the picture right away so some of the food was already demolished!)

On the left was the turkey and the 'Artisan Bread Pudding,' which is basically a fancy way to stay stuffing. This was my favorite part of the meal! Both the turkey and the fancy stuffing were delicious and it was like a little taste of Thanksgiving!

I didn’t try the fish because I don’t do fish, so I can’t judge that, but that is what was in the middle! I apologize, but I have no idea what the stuff on top is and what the side dish for it was! Just know that my parents thought it was really good and ended up taking the fish from our platter in addition to eating their own!

The steak and mashed potatoes were on the right. The steak was too rare for my taste, so I didn’t like it as much as I could have, I guess. It tasted good though, and I'm betting that it would have been perfect if it had been cooked a little longer! The mashed potatoes were excellent though!

While we were eating, there were characters coming around! I will say that at this particular meal, the character interactions weren't spectacular. They were fun, just not the most memorable ever.

First, we were greeted by the head honcho! Yall, that guy gets around! He's a magician, he's a farmer, he's a chef, and at night he dabbles in sorcery. I mean, is there anything he doesn't do?

He makes an adorable farmer! You grow those veggies, Mick.

Next up was CHIP!

(Notice the ever-changing background!)

Soon after Chip left, his brother came and filled the chipmunk sized holes in our hearts.

Clearly I like Dale.

The last character was Pluto! He is always adorable.

Look at our view now!

When we'd met all the furry guys, it was time for DESSERT!

Dessert was Triple Berry Cake with whipped vanilla bean cream (NOT ice cream).

It was SO good! To be honest, I don't normally enjoy fruity desserts. I don't know why, I'm a weirdy. However, this cake was so good! I wish I knew what the triple berries were! I know it had raspberries and blueberries, but I have no clue what the third berry was. Boysen? Straw? (Probably not straw.) Cran? I honestly have no clue. Whatever it was, it was great!

They gave Jacob a little Kid Dessert! It was a Red Velvet Ladybug.

(Sorry for the blurry picture. The only clear one I got had Jacob's hand covering the dessert! He obviously could not be bothered to wait while I photographed his dessert. )

All in all, we really enjoyed our dinner at Garden Grill! The food, service, atmosphere, and characters were all great! I would say it was one of my favorite meals of the trip! I will definitely be going back someday!

After dinner, we slowly made our way out of the restaurant. We decided to go on Living with the Land! We figured we might as well see where our food came from! It actually made it that much cooler! I didn't take any pictures this time. I wanted to enjoy it as much as I could, especially since there were no obnoxiously loud Spanish speaking ladies behind us this time.

When we got off the ride, we left The Land and went to see what other adventures we could have!

Continued in Next Update​

 

[AGPrincess]

That butter sounds cah.razy. Good to hear that it was tasty! Also, that red velvet ladybug sounds adorable! I'm like you on the fruit dessert thing -- sometimes I like a little fruit, but mostly it's CHOCOLATE all the way.

For some reason, youtube loads absurdly slowly on my computer, but I managed to get the Epcot one up! Ahh...it was so lovely to hear the Future World music..I love that place! I also loved how you started it with a Brave quote!

 

[beachmama3]

YAY So glad to hear about Garden Grill!! Sad that I cancelled that ADR in Aug- will def book that for next year!!! Sounds awesome. I love Living with the Land so seeing it from the restuarant would be cool. And you are right about Mickey- he can do anything! I need to meet Farmer Mickey.

Pics are adorable!! Love that picture where you first sat down- that is totally the type of pic my sisters and I would have taken! haha!!

 

[emma212010]

Oh, wow, that butter sounds so good!!

Your meal looked wonderful!! I miss that place!!

Your dessert looks amazing too! Ugh, I want Disney food...NOW!!!

And it was all free! That is amazing!!! I'm so glad you had such great pixie dust on your trip!!

 

[marDgreen88]

That butter sounds cah.razy. Good to hear that it was tasty! Also, that red velvet ladybug sounds adorable! I'm like you on the fruit dessert thing -- sometimes I like a little fruit, but mostly it's CHOCOLATE all the way.

For some reason, youtube loads absurdly slowly on my computer, but I managed to get the Epcot one up! Ahh...it was so lovely to hear the Future World music..I love that place! I also loved how you started it with a Brave quote!

The butter was so good! Those rolls... they were so delicious! Hahah yeah, I just feel like fruit and dessert are in separate categories! Give me chocolate!

Hahah that's okay! I feel like most people don't even know that I post videos, and that's totally fine! I'm glad you enjoyed the Brave quote. We're interesting people, I tell ya.

YAY So glad to hear about Garden Grill!! Sad that I cancelled that ADR in Aug- will def book that for next year!!! Sounds awesome. I love Living with the Land so seeing it from the restuarant would be cool. And you are right about Mickey- he can do anything! I need to meet Farmer Mickey.

Pics are adorable!! Love that picture where you first sat down- that is totally the type of pic my sisters and I would have taken! haha!!

Yes, you definitely should! Yeah, it was cool! I don't know if you noticed, but in some of the pictures you can see the little house from the ride in the background! My dad said he could see some of the boats too!

Thanks! Hahahah yeah, I have no idea what was going on there!

Oh, wow, that butter sounds so good!!

Your meal looked wonderful!! I miss that place!!

Your dessert looks amazing too! Ugh, I want Disney food...NOW!!!

And it was all free! That is amazing!!! I'm so glad you had such great pixie dust on your trip!!

It really was!

Aww, you'll have to go again someday!

IT WAS! I know, right? I swear, regular food just doesn't cut it most of the time.

RIGHT? Aww thank you so much girl! You're too sweet.

 

[jecskc]

Ahhhh ..... Garden Grill. We have a ressie there for Thanksgiving !!! Can't wait to eat there again !!

 

[therussells08]

I’m so sorry, but I just can’t share your passion for ITTBAB. I do, however, share your hatred for real bugs. I just can’t get down with that show…although I do enjoy (in a slighty Joker-ish way) watching small children lose their minds when the spiders drop out of the ceiling.

YAY PIZZAFARI! But really, it truly is the best kind of safari.

Primeval Whirl is super violent. I always feel like I have whiplash when I get off, and that I should probably call my insurance agent. Something inside me is telling me that I’ve just been in a horrible accident, but alas. It's just the spin cycle.

You seriously need to go to Disney with me and John, and you guys can watch the tigers together while I go stuff myself with jalapeno cream cheese pretzels.

Your real life update made me feel several things. First, I’m glad Sandy didn’t hurt my twin. Second, I am still beyond excited about our trip and I can’t wait to book our resort hopefully SOON! Third, your birthday stuff just solidified the fact that you are the coolest person I know. Fourth, OUR MNSSHP COSTUMES ARE GOING TO BE AMAZING.

Yay for two rides on EE, but boo for those freaking bells. I HATE THEM. Haha and what’s with the random Jersey Shore party in the middle of Animal Kingdom? I completely support your decision to skip the fist pumping.

Fast forward to Epcot…I died laughing at your evil scientist Club Cool picture. I just had this vision of you like mixing two sodas together, and fog rolling out of the cup and you doing an evil laugh and screaming, “IT‘S ALIVE!”…yep, it’s still hilarious.

I have your motto tattooed on my foot! Not “no shame” (although maybe I should) but “Never grow up”!

I totally understand that sitting on a bench was one of your favorite trip memories. Sometimes when you let yourself just slow down and enjoy the surroundings you end up having the most fun!

YES. Your dad is my hero for falling asleep on that bench! NO SHAME.

Garden Grill is so good. I’ve only been there once, but I have wonderful memories. Your character pictures are adorable!

 

[sunnysideup3]

Thanks for the great Garden Grill report. I'm SO excited to eat there in roughly two weeks!

Looks great

 

[shan23877]

Sounds like a great meal Marissa! I'm so glad that you guys got to try out Garden Grill afterall! That's the one character meal that we haven't done, and it always gets really good reviews-I guess it's going back on the list.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

What a fun choice for your free meal!!! We haven't been to the Garden Grill in YEARS, but I remember it always being fun! Taking a spin on Living with the Land afterwards sounds like a great conclusion to your dinner!

 

[Aussiesalad]

Yes please! A Land air freshener would be beyond amazing.
But why stop there? Lets get s perfume going so we can douse ourselves with that delicious smell!

I'm so happy that you got all the pixie dust you did!
you weren't kidding about the gallons. So awesome!

Gahhh that butter actually sounds amazing!
Disney is sure on the ball as far as butter goes.

Mmm super hungry now...and sad that I am in my living room and not Garden Grill...

 

[CandleontheWater]

I'm so glad you guys got a chance to try out garden grill, and for free too! Talk about serious pixie dust!

We really enjoyed our meal there last Dec, and I was really surprised about the quality of the food. I didn't have high hopes because it is family style and a character meal, but I was impressed. Must be those yummy LWTL veggies that make all the difference.

What a cool idea to go on LWTL right after eating at the land!

 

[amazingact21]

It's so great that you got this meal for free. I don't know which is better, the upgrade or the extra TS credits? Probably the room upgrade, but a Garden Grill is still cool.

I must have been living under a rock, because I did not know garden grill rotated as you ate! That sounds really cool.

 

[marDgreen88]

Ahhhh ..... Garden Grill. We have a ressie there for Thanksgiving !!! Can't wait to eat there again !!

That will be awesome!

I’m so sorry, but I just can’t share your passion for ITTBAB. I do, however, share your hatred for real bugs. I just can’t get down with that show…although I do enjoy (in a slighty Joker-ish way) watching small children lose their minds when the spiders drop out of the ceiling.

Hahah it's okay. Very few do. I'm an oddball so it's fine. For that very reason however, it is one of my DAK must do's. It's a must do that I SIMPLY MUST DO!

YAY PIZZAFARI! But really, it truly is the best kind of safari.

Truer words were never spoken!

Primeval Whirl is super violent. I always feel like I have whiplash when I get off, and that I should probably call my insurance agent. Something inside me is telling me that I’ve just been in a horrible accident, but alas. It's just the spin cycle.

IT IS. It's ridiculously violent. I just feel bad for my clothes now. They have to go through the spin cycle all the time.

You seriously need to go to Disney with me and John, and you guys can watch the tigers together while I go stuff myself with jalapeno cream cheese pretzels.

OKAY! Let me know when your next trip is. I'm gonna need to try one of those pretzels! I've only heard good things!

Your real life update made me feel several things. First, I’m glad Sandy didn’t hurt my twin. Second, I am still beyond excited about our trip and I can’t wait to book our resort hopefully SOON! Third, your birthday stuff just solidified the fact that you are the coolest person I know. Fourth, OUR MNSSHP COSTUMES ARE GOING TO BE AMAZING.

AW, thank you! I'm glad it didn't hit yall either!

Oh my goodness, I KNOW. I hope we can do it soon too! AHHH so much excitement.

ME? The coolest person you know? WOW, what an honor! (Takes a bow.)

OMG THEY WILL THEY WILL THEY WILL!!!! Seriously though, I love that we planned costumes for NEXT year before some people planned for THIS year! That's how we roll.

Yay for two rides on EE, but boo for those freaking bells. I HATE THEM. Haha and what’s with the random Jersey Shore party in the middle of Animal Kingdom? I completely support your decision to skip the fist pumping.

Those bells. I can't even talk about them. It's too painful. Oh, I have absolutely no idea what that was about. It was so bizarre and I just did not enjoy it at all.

Fast forward to Epcot…I died laughing at your evil scientist Club Cool picture. I just had this vision of you like mixing two sodas together, and fog rolling out of the cup and you doing an evil laugh and screaming, “IT‘S ALIVE!”…yep, it’s still hilarious.

You just made the picture so much funnier. Seriously though, with that raised eyebrow... who knows what could have happened? Btw we should totally do that. I wonder if Beverley would taste good if mixed with another soda? Hm, probably not...

I have your motto tattooed on my foot! Not “no shame” (although maybe I should) but “Never grow up”!

YES! I love it! It's my favorite tattoo of yours (that I've seen)!

I totally understand that sitting on a bench was one of your favorite trip memories. Sometimes when you let yourself just slow down and enjoy the surroundings you end up having the most fun!

Yeah, and that's exactly what ended up happening! I loved it.

YES. Your dad is my hero for falling asleep on that bench! NO SHAME.

He cracks me up. He just didn't even care. At all.

Garden Grill is so good. I’ve only been there once, but I have wonderful memories. Your character pictures are adorable!

It's a great place, I agree! Aww thanks!

Thanks for the great Garden Grill report. I'm SO excited to eat there in roughly two weeks!

Looks great

You're so welcome!

It was! I bet yall will love it.

Sounds like a great meal Marissa! I'm so glad that you guys got to try out Garden Grill afterall! That's the one character meal that we haven't done, and it always gets really good reviews-I guess it's going back on the list.

Me too! Yeah, it's really a lot of fun! It's definitely worth a try!

What a fun choice for your free meal!!! We haven't been to the Garden Grill in YEARS, but I remember it always being fun! Taking a spin on Living with the Land afterwards sounds like a great conclusion to your dinner!

My mom REALLY had wanted us to go, so it was the first restaurant we checked! It is a lot of fun! Haha yeah, it was so cool to see it with a new perspective!

Yes please! A Land air freshener would be beyond amazing.
But why stop there? Lets get s perfume going so we can douse ourselves with that delicious smell!

I'm so happy that you got all the pixie dust you did!
you weren't kidding about the gallons. So awesome!

Gahhh that butter actually sounds amazing!
Disney is sure on the ball as far as butter goes.

Mmm super hungry now...and sad that I am in my living room and not Garden Grill...

RIGHT? Omg, you're a genius. Perfume, air freshener for cars, spray for homes, FEBREEZE! Let's call Febreeze, see what they can do!

Aww thank you! Hahha no, I really wasn't kidding! It was incredible.

IT WAS! Omg, I honestly would have been happy just eating those rolls with the butter. YUM.

Ugh, why does that always happen? Dang.

I'm so glad you guys got a chance to try out garden grill, and for free too! Talk about serious pixie dust!

We really enjoyed our meal there last Dec, and I was really surprised about the quality of the food. I didn't have high hopes because it is family style and a character meal, but I was impressed. Must be those yummy LWTL veggies that make all the difference.

What a cool idea to go on LWTL right after eating at the land!

It was amazing! The whole time I was thinking, "they are just giving us this food." What on earth? SO awesome.

I agree! You never know what you're going to get, but this food was great!

I always thought LWTL was cool, but it definitely made it cooler to see that we had eaten the lettuce and veggies, and maybe even the fish!

It's so great that you got this meal for free. I don't know which is better, the upgrade or the extra TS credits? Probably the room upgrade, but a Garden Grill is still cool.

I must have been living under a rock, because I did not know garden grill rotated as you ate! That sounds really cool.

I know! Hahha well, I'm thinking the room upgrade was a little better. We were so happy with everything we were given on this trip! It was truly unbelievable.

Oh really? Well yes! It does! It's actually really cool!