Surprise Solo Weekend Adventure Time!: An April 2015 PTR - COMPLETED 4/27!

[Elevationist]

I feel like my planning for F&G kitchens is way lacking, everything you have listed here looks AMAZING! Can not wait to hear how they all taste!

Off to go check out the menus!

I tried to pick some good ones! I don't think most people necessarily go overboard with the pre-selecting their choices like I have, but as I only have a few hours with in World Showcase and limited funds, I figure an ounce of planning will go a long way!

Sending lots of dry, no rain, but not too hot and sunny vibes and pixie dust your way!!

Thank yoooooou! The weather seems to be on the upswing... I just hope it continues!

I think you made some great F&G choices! That violet lemonade looks SO GOOD! There are just not many purple drinks out there and this must be sampled!

You know, I'm only getting the violet lemonade because I've read so much about it on the Dis! Everybody talks about how amazing it is, but nobody says why... So I have no idea what to expect! And it's cheap, so if I hate it, no big loss. I'll definitely report back!

I'm also very curious about the Piggylicious cupcake!

You and me both! I'm always interested when they put bacon in sweets. Bacon makes EVERYTHING better.

Looks like you've got a nice variety of foods & drinks on that list ... and hopefully you'll enjoy every single one of them!

Hopefully! I'm pretty well-acquainted with my taste buds, so I'll be surprised if I find my choices anything but delicious!

Hi Billie!

Hi, Colleen!

Is it 5 days now? How exciting!!

4 days now, actually!!! And what about you? Don't you leave today? Or is tomorrow?

I'm right there with you worrying about the weather forecast. I'm just hoping that we get lucky and most of the storms miss the area and the storms we do get will be short in duration. I'll just be grateful it's not snow.

Noooooo rain. No rain. No no no no.

Your choices for the food booths look great. I don't know how much my family will be interested in from the booths - probably not enough to make a meal as I'd originally hoped. That's ok, just means we get to try a WS QS restaurant so that's good.

That's okay!!! You can have a delicious meal in WS, then maybe try one or two of the fabulous desserts from the outdoor kitchens! Best of both worlds!

What's your opinion about the booths? It seemed like F&W has much better choices.

I don't think F&W so much had better choices as much as MORE choices. I think there's double as many booths during F&W as there are during F&G... Which makes sense, as it's kinda of the point of the event. The F&G kitchens I see as just a bonus offering at an event centered around flowers and gardening and stuffs.

 

[Chicago Mo]

4 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so awesome.. all your food items have my dying over here. I'm now starving!

It was just rain and grey gloomy skies almost every day. (Back me up here, @Chicago Mo and @STLMickeyMom.)

I think we started building an arc at some point... it was that bad.. NEVER have i seen rain like that. ALL DAY LONG. not the little bursts then gone. ALL DAY storms. we started growing webbed feet and hands.

fixated on it if it hadn't rained my entire trip last time.

sing it sister.



I hope these projected storms are the hit for 5 minutes then blow away. I HOPE... nothing can be as bad as Sept was...
your going to be FINE! by tomorrow it will change..

 

[Elevationist]

4 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I knoooowwwww, OMG! Working on today's Update right now!

so awesome.. all your food items have my dying over here. I'm now starving!

Yeah, I was pretty hungry after writing that post yesterday. I posted it then bee-lined for the kitchen.

I think we started building an arc at some point... it was that bad.. NEVER have i seen rain like that. ALL DAY LONG. not the little bursts then gone. ALL DAY storms. we started growing webbed feet and hands.

It was ridiculous! In 15 years of traveling to WDW, that was the most consistently rainy I'd ever seen it. April hasn't looked much better, at least on the forecast. But everybody who's there has been saying it's not as bad as the forecast is predicting. Fingers and toes crossed!!!

I hope these projected storms are the hit for 5 minutes then blow away. I HOPE... nothing can be as bad as Sept was...
your going to be FINE! by tomorrow it will change..

I really really hope you're right!

 

[Elevationist]

4 days until WDW!
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Hey, ya'll!

So I'm in the homestretch now! Working today through Thursday, and then on Friday I'm off to Walt Disney World!

This puppy is totally my spirit animal...

Regarding packing: Just when I thought I had everything locked in, I realized over the weekend that there's a few more items I need to pick up one night after work this week. Which brings me to the subject of today's update:

What are your Disney Vacation PACKING Essentials?

Keeping in mind I'm traveling solo and without kiddos, and it's only a 3-night trip. What can you personally not live without while on vacation? I'd love to hear your lists, since I have to make a Walmart run anyhow. Maybe ya'll will help me think of something else I've forgotten!

And finally, a weather update... I'm actually super hesitant to post this because I feel like by talking about it, I'm jinxing it. But. As of right now, beginning on Saturday (the first of my two park days), they are predicting a definite upswing in the forecast...

PLEASE LAWD LET IT BE, LET IT BE!!! Keep that pixie dust a-coming, ladies, because apparently IT'S WORKING!!!

 

[STLMickeyMom]

Woohoo on that weather! Lookin good, lookin good! Keeping the fingers crossed and good vibes coming just in case!

My one packing essential that is for me and not the DH or kids--tylenol and dr scholls shoe inserts. I take the Tylenol at night before bed and in the morning to help with the knee and foot pain from standing and walking so much. And I switch my insoles about halfway through the trip. I also get horrible headaches if I don't drink enough water so another reason to make sure the aspirin is packed. You might not have to worry about that with having the ecv but that's the thing I can't leave without.
Oh, and the portable charger for my phone. I use it for everything (the time, check my Disney experience, take pics and video) so it wouldn't make it through the day without a backup charger. (Thanks for reminding me! I need a new charger for the new phone I got--gotta add that to the list!)

 

[NJlauren]

4 days!! Weather looks amazing, hotter hen normal for this time of year I think, not that this is a bad thing!

My must haves that are not standard (shampoo, underwear, pants I mean pants are over rated but I want to be allowed into the parks). zip locks bags I use them for everything, wet shoes socks clothes, toiletries, I always brings fee extra, that's probably about it I think everything else is probably stuff you already take with you.

@STLMickeyMom what brand portable charger do you use? I want to get one but can't decide one which one. I also have an iPhone.

 

[Elevationist]

Woohoo on that weather! Lookin good, lookin good! Keeping the fingers crossed and good vibes coming just in case!

Yaaaasss! Keep 'em coming, pleeeease!

I take the Tylenol at night before bed and in the morning to help with the knee and foot pain from standing and walking so much.

For me, it's Aleve. As far as OTC pain relievers go, Aleve does the best by me. I also bring my prescription Tramadol, if it gets to be too bad.

And I switch my insoles about halfway through the trip.

I don't wear sneakers in the parks, I wear my Crocs Cleo sandals. They're the BEST park shoes I've ever found. And I much prefer them over having my feet enclosed.

I also get horrible headaches if I don't drink enough water so another reason to make sure the aspirin is packed. You might not have to worry about that with having the ecv but that's the thing I can't leave without.

Oh, I keep a healthy stash of Aleve in my park bag as well as in the room. My joints and muscles get so beaten-up just from getting on and off of the ECV and standing as much as I can tolerate that by the end of the day, I'm still completely broke off physically. (If not for the ECV, I wouldn't be able to do it at all.)

Oh, and the portable charger for my phone. I use it for everything (the time, check my Disney experience, take pics and video) so it wouldn't make it through the day without a backup charger.

I absolutely LOVE my portable phone charger. I had never even heard of them before my last trip, but I was on Amazon looking for something else, and came across them. I picked one up and brought it with me to the parks, and it was an absolute lifesaver. I'm like you, I'm constantly on my phone for all of the same reasons. Plus being solo, when I stop for a meal, I like to take a moment to upload photos to Facebook, and reply to all of the amazing comments I'm getting from my friends and family. If not for the portable charger, by phone would be completely dead by midday!

(Thanks for reminding me! I need a new charger for the new phone I got--gotta add that to the list!)

My pleasure, happy to help!

4 days!! Weather looks amazing, hotter hen normal for this time of year I think, not that this is a bad thing!

Yeah, I'm not loving the heat, but I can tolerate it for just 2 days! I'd much rather have that than rain, anyhow!

pants I mean pants are over rated but I want to be allowed into the parks

I HATE pants. When I walk in the door from work each night, they're the first thing to go!

what brand portable charger do you use? I want to get one but can't decide one which one.

Here's mine:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BB5GRFU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have an Android, but it comes with a universal cable for all devices. This thing was amazing. I got 1-2 full charges off of it every day, and didn't come anywhere close to tapping it out. Even if you don't get this exact model, something similar should do you just fine!

 

[NJlauren]

@Elevationist thank you checking out the charger now!!!

 

[SarahDisney]

Yay for the weather forecast looking up - here's some pixie dust to help it stay that way:

In terms of packing ...
For me it's basically my allergy pills (so for you that would be any medications you need) and snacks to eat on line (because when I'm waiting on a long line, I can get pretty hungry, and I don't want that to ruin my enjoyment of the rides!)

I'm a terrible packer, though ... so I don't know how much you want to take my advice.

4 days!!!

 

[STLMickeyMom]

NJlauren--I don't remember what brand mine is. I found it on eBay and since it was like $15, I decided to get it. I've had it about 3 years now and it's been fine. My phone will usually last about half the day, then I can get a full charge out of the backup to make it the rest of the day, usually. I'm sure there are better ones out there, but I didn't want to pay a lot for one. Especially since now I can't use that one anymore since the iPhone 6 has a different plug then the 4 I had. Whichever you like, I think they're awesome.

 

[Elevationist]

@Elevationist thank you checking out the charger now!!!

My pleasure! Hope it helps some!

Yay for the weather forecast looking up - here's some pixie dust to help it stay that way:

Thank you, thank you! Keep it coming, please!

For me it's basically my allergy pills (so for you that would be any medications you need)

Check!

snacks to eat on line (because when I'm waiting on a long line, I can get pretty hungry, and I don't want that to ruin my enjoyment of the rides!)

Check!

I'm a terrible packer, though ... so I don't know how much you want to take my advice.

Any and all advice is super helpful where this is concerned, thank you!

4 days!!!

I knoooow, omg!

NJlauren--I don't remember what brand mine is. I found it on eBay and since it was like $15, I decided to get it. I've had it about 3 years now and it's been fine. My phone will usually last about half the day, then I can get a full charge out of the backup to make it the rest of the day, usually. I'm sure there are better ones out there, but I didn't want to pay a lot for one. Especially since now I can't use that one anymore since the iPhone 6 has a different plug then the 4 I had. Whichever you like, I think they're awesome.

This reminds me! I should note about the one I linked, no way would I advise paying $100 for one of those. I got that one back when it was still available from Amazon (not independent sellers) and they had it listed for $50 bucks or so, and I only got that particular one because a tech-saavy friend found me a discount code to put in when I bought it that brought it down to only $10.99! But I think $10-$30 is a respectable price to pay for one of these chargers. I also like it because it's USB, so I'll always be able to use it with any phone I get, long as the phone comes with a USB cable that works for it (or I can order a second one, if I needed to).

 

[NJlauren]

@Elevationist & @STLMickeyMom wait I paid $100!!! Kidding I just typed in that brand on Amazon and got the new model to show up, I need a few things so hopefully placing an order tonight!

 

[KathyM2]

You are getting sooooo clooooose!!! Yippeee! Glad to see the forecast is starting to look up. That charger is a great idea - I wouldn't have thought it necessary until my trip in March when my phone was almost dead by lunch. I had screen shots of everything since I wasn't even online on MDE much but it still killed the battery. I can't even think how fast it would have died if I actually tried to change a FP+ or something...so ...good call. Glad you got a deal on yours though ...I gotta look around for a cheaper one than $100 too! Also, for what it's worth - I think planning out your snacks at Epcot is a great idea - I often find if I don't plan like that - I get something that looks good..but then walk along and see something later that I would have rather had. So hopefully your planning will prevent that from happening.

 

[Tracy161]

OMG OMG OMG you are SOOO close!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, those strawberry macaroons look just heavenly. Yum! The frushi is on my must-do list as well... as is the teriyaki chicken bun, the flan, and the blueberry tart. Darn, my mouth is watering just thinking about it now!

Ugh, I'm no help packing. I tend to err on the side of "there's a 5% chance I'll need this... guess I better pack it".

 

[Dentam]

I'm envious of your trip! Your itinerary and food selections look great - look forward to reading all about it - only 3 more work days to go!

Oh, and I read your previous trip report after finding this one. So much fun to read!

 

[hokieinpa]

I'm so happy the forecast is looking nice and cheerful!! Yay!!

I've only been with kids and that was the focus of my packing insanity, but for myself I always make sure to pack a sunscreen stick. I burn like crazy and the lotion makes my eyes burn. The stick is great - no burning, plus it's smaller and never leaks!

I second ziplocs as well. I used them for leftovers sometimes!

 

[Wood Nymph]

I discovered that you can set the phone to airplane mode when you don't need it, and it saves the battery, you can still see the time and the photos that you took of your fastpasses, and it takes a second to switch it off again. I have an iPhone so it is a quick upward swipe to pull up the controls for it.

I like to bring a little bottle of dishwashing detergent for washing out the refillable mug.

 

[BlondeAppetit]

22 days until WDW!
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Hey, ya'll!

Okay, so here it is... The ridiculously huge "short list" of things I'm dying to try at the Flower & Garden Festival. This is one of the few drawbacks of traveling solo... When you do this kind of thing with other people, you can all get something different and sample from each other's plates. As a solo, it's all me. So I got some tough decisions to make.

Here we go...

BOTANAS BOTANICA (Total: $18.75)

Seafood Ceviche — Shrimp, Scallops, and Grouper with Mango and Avocado ($5.25)

Coconut Tres Leches ($3.75)

La Tizana - with Santa Teresa RHUM Orange Liqueur ($9.75)

PINEAPPLE PROMENADE (Total: $21.75)

Pineapple Soft Serve - with Parrot Bay Coconut Rum ($8.75)

Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade ($3.00)

Ace Pineapple Hard Cider ($3.75)

Sparkling Pineapple Wine ($6.25)
- No Photo



FLEUR DE LYS (Total: $26.70)

Confit de Canard, Pommes de Terre Sarladaise – Pulled Duck Confit with Garlic and Parsley Potatoes ($5.50)

Macaron Guimauve à la Fraise - A Strawberry Marshmallow Macaron ($4.50)

Ice Pop - Combination of French Peach Iced Tea, Grand Marnier Peach Raspberry Liqueur, and Vodka ($6.75)

La Vie en Rose Frozen Slush – Vodka, Grey Goose Orange, St. Germain Liquor, and White and Red Cranberry Juice ($9.95)

TASTE OF MARRAKESH (Total: $15.00)

Harissa Chicken Kebab - with Sweet Couscous Salad ($5.00)

Pistachio Baklava ($3.00)

Desert Rose — Sparkling Wine with Pomegranate Liqueur ($7.00)
- No Photo



HANAMI (Total: $23.25)

Frushi – Fresh pineapple, strawberries and melon, rolled with coconut rice, topped with raspberry sauce, sprinkled with toasted coconut and served with whipped cream on the side ($4.95)

Teriyaki Curry Bun — Steamed bun filled with chicken, vegetables, curry and sweet sauce ($4.95)

Strawberry Nigori ($6.95)

Yuzu Plum Wine Slush ($6.50)
- No Photo



THE SMOKEHOUSE (Total: $4.00)

“Piggylicious” Bacon Cupcake - with Maple Frosting and Pretzel Crunch, featuring Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Bacon ($4.00)

PRIMAVERA KITCHEN (Total: $20.75)

Fior di Latte, Prosciutto e Pane di Casa — Pinwheel of Mozzarella, Prosciutto, Ciabatta Bread ($5.75)

Limoncello Panna Cotta — Lemon custard, limoncello liqueur, raspberries ($5.00)

Strawberry Rossini – sparkling wine and marinated strawberries ($10.00)
- No Photo



JARDIN DE FIESTAS (Total: $12.95)

Flan de Queso con Chocolate Abuelita – Mexican Chocolate Custard with Whipped Cream and Cinnamon ($4.20)

Blueberry Pomegranate Margarita on the Rocks ($8.75)

FLORIDA FRESH (Total: $20.75)

Florida Blueberry and Lemon Curd Tart ($3.75)

Watermelon Passion Fruit Slush - with Tamiami Florida Gin ($9.75)

Key Lime Sparkling Wine ($7.25)

INSANE OUT-OF-CONTROL GRAND TOTAL: $163.90

Now obviously even MY enormous and cavernous stomach can't handle that much food & drink in a matter of only 3 hours or so. My favorite foods are savory things, so I'm pretty set on all the "entree" style items I've chosen (of which there are five), and don't want to cut any of those. What I really need to narrow down to two or three each are the desserts and beverages.

But there's just SO MANY WONDERFUL CHOICES.

Have any of you tried any of the desserts or drinks on this list? Another thing I'm looking at is what seems like the best value for the money. And I know cutting out most of the drinks that cost around $10.00 will make a huge difference... Hmm.

And yes, obviously I could narrow this down on my own eventually... BUT I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT / LOOK AT FOOD, OKAY? Don't judge me!

ooohhhh. ooooohhhhh. ooohhhhh.

 

[Elevationist]

@Elevationist & @STLMickeyMom wait I paid $100!!! Kidding I just typed in that brand on Amazon and got the new model to show up, I need a few things so hopefully placing an order tonight!

Hooray! I hope you found one that you love!

You are getting sooooo clooooose!!! Yippeee! Glad to see the forecast is starting to look up.

You and me both! Let's hope it holds!

That charger is a great idea - I wouldn't have thought it necessary until my trip in March when my phone was almost dead by lunch. I had screen shots of everything since I wasn't even online on MDE much but it still killed the battery. I can't even think how fast it would have died if I actually tried to change a FP+ or something...so ...good call. Glad you got a deal on yours though ...I gotta look around for a cheaper one than $100 too!

I would have been stuck in the same boat if it wasn't for the portable charger, honestly. I highly recommend getting one, they're a lifesaver during a long day or park-touring!

Also, for what it's worth - I think planning out your snacks at Epcot is a great idea - I often find if I don't plan like that - I get something that looks good..but then walk along and see something later that I would have rather had. So hopefully your planning will prevent that from happening.

You know, that was my one regret from Food & Wine last year. Even though I still managed to samples a LOT of stuff (as anybody who's read my Dining Report from that trip can attest to), I still left feeling like "Man, I could have planned this better..."

OMG OMG OMG you are SOOO close!!!!!!!!!!!

I knowwwwwwwwwwww! This week is taking FOR-EV-ER.

Wow, those strawberry macaroons look just heavenly.

Don't they, though! I can't wait to nom them!

Yum! The frushi is on my must-do list as well... as is the teriyaki chicken bun, the flan, and the blueberry tart. Darn, my mouth is watering just thinking about it now!

it all looks so freakin' delicious, doesn't it?!

Ugh, I'm no help packing. I tend to err on the side of "there's a 5% chance I'll need this... guess I better pack it".

Bahaha! I'm the SAME wait! My quick little three night "1-small-bag trip" has now turned into a 1-suitcase-a-tote-bag trip. Whoops!

I'm envious of your trip! Your itinerary and food selections look great - look forward to reading all about it - only 3 more work days to go!

Hooray! And welcome!

Oh, and I read your previous trip report after finding this one. So much fun to read!

Aww, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! There will be a TR for this one, too!

I'm so happy the forecast is looking nice and cheerful!! Yay!!

Yesssss! The power of pixie dust!

I've only been with kids and that was the focus of my packing insanity, but for myself I always make sure to pack a sunscreen stick. I burn like crazy and the lotion makes my eyes burn. The stick is great - no burning, plus it's smaller and never leaks!

I HATE sunscreen lotion. In the morning before I leave the room, I coat myself in sunscreen aerosol spray, and I carry a sunscreen stick in my park back for reapplications (which I usually forget to do... I need to be more conscious of that this trip!).

I discovered that you can set the phone to airplane mode when you don't need it, and it saves the battery, you can still see the time and the photos that you took of your fastpasses, and it takes a second to switch it off again. I have an iPhone so it is a quick upward swipe to pull up the controls for it.

I actually use airplane mode at work a lot. I work in a very old building that sometimes gets terrible cell service, and it drains my battery quickly. On those days, since I don't use my cell in the office anyhow, I'll put it in airplane mode and stick it back in my purse, just to keep it from dying on me. The other thing I've discovered on my new phone is this "Ultra Power Saving Mode" setting it has. It dims my screen and turns it to black & white, cuts off the data streaming, but I can still get calls and text messages. (So instead of a smart phone, it basically just becomes a normal phone.) That's a really helpful thing when my battery is getting low and I don't have anyway to charge it for a while!

ooohhhh. ooooohhhhh. ooohhhhh.

I know, right???

 

[Elevationist]

3 days until WDW!
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Hey, ya'll!

One fun thing to share today, and one Disney question:

I know I've mentioned that my work wife, Rachel, was on a family vacation since Wednesday last week to Universal Orlando for her daughter's 12th birthday. Today is her first day back at work, but she stopped into the office yesterday to drop off the gift she bought me while she was there...

So I dig into the bag, and promptly freak the freak out! Why?

When I was at Universal in September, I came across a Hogwarts throw blanket that I just loved. It cost bit more than I wanted to drop on only the second day of my trip when I was still being conservative with my spending. So I passed on it, but kinda have regretted it ever since.

So. I'm sure you have an idea of what was in the bag now...

The most amazing part is this: Rachel had NO idea. I never once told her about it. She was just going through the shops in Diagon Alley trying to find something she thought I would like, and her daughter is actually the one who found the the throw blanket and suggested it. I nearly cried when I opened the bag and saw it, then leaped up from my desk and gave her a big hug, and told her the story.

When I got home from work last night, I spread it out over my bed to get a good photo of it. And of course, somebody just had to photobomb...

Harley-tested and approved!

So that was my exciting day yesterday! Now, for my Disney question!

Tell me about Pete's Silly Sideshow? I love the photos of Minnie and Daisy that I see from it, and I know they share a line, which is excellent. How IS the line, though? I noticed there was no FP+ option for it, which I totally was thinking of grabbing. For those of you who have done it, is it a long wait? Being such a quick trip I've got this time, I'm not willing to dedicate TOO much time to waiting to meet them. I do think they are totally adorable though, and would love to do it if the wait isn't awful.