A Split Stay POP and AKL Solo Trip Report (10/21-10/31) w/ lots of PICS! ***New 3/13

[Kathy Jetson]

Cool you had Ellen almost to yourself! I love it late at night when we have rides to oursleves. Can't wait to see what happens next.

 

[Quacktatty]

Around 12:15, I went to the Welcome Center and got in line for the demo. There weren't too many people so I was up near the front. I talked with the people in front of me for a while and they gave me some chocolate to tide me over - it was Halloween after all. At about 12:45, the line was as long as it was when I had arrived the day before - quite a difference. I don't know if it was because it was Halloween, or because he was making the same dish, but there just weren't as many people.

I'm not going to go into incredible detail on this review since it was pretty much the same as the last one. I will share lots of pictures though!

Lucas Meeker was there to present the wine - his parents own Meeker Vineyards and he has his own winery now - Lucas J

He brought FroZin which was again picked because it's a sweet wine that would pair well with spicy food

Pam introduced Andrew and he came out - this time with no beard. I was glad that my pictures would look different from the previous demo

He told many of the same stories and even answered the same questions from the audience

The food came with a very slightly different presentation from the day before, but it was just as good. Spicy but not overwhelmingly so and the flavors really did blend together quite well.

The day before we had been given a fork and knife and many people tried to be polite as they were eating and cut the quail while eating it. This day we were only given a fork for the rice and we picked up the quail with our hands as I believe was intended. I got more meat off my little quail bones this time!

Andrew finished up and was "rushed" off to the book signing as Pam put it. I didn't linger as I wanted to get a good spot in line. I was maybe 10 people back, much better than my Robert Irvine spot, that's for sure. Andrew's signing was so much more business like than Robert's. A woman came through and asked if we would like a postcard or a picture - you couldn't have both. I chose the picture which was really just a photocopied photo, not on actual photo paper or anything. Then she wrote your name on a post it and stuck it to the photo.

When I got up to meet Andrew, he didn't make conversation like Robert did - but I tried to engage him anyway. I asked him what his comfort food was, a question that I hadn't heard asked at either demo. He told me that it was his wife's Tater Tot Hot Dish. I found that pretty funny - I just can't picture Andrew Zimmern drooling over Tater Tots.

He signed my photo, recipe and book very business like with just his name and then posed for the obligatory picture.

I wasn't as impressed with him. Robert Irvine wins the award for my favorite demo of this year's festival.

 

[Quacktatty]

I left the Welcome Center for the last time with a few hours to kill before heading to the airport. I decided to take one last ride on Sum of All Thrills. The park was getting busy which makes sense since it was one of the last weekends of F&W and it was also Halloween. The line was a little longer than I would have liked, but I waited it out anyway.

After that I headed toward World Showcase for my last snacks. I started on the Mexico side and stopped in Norway at the Kringala Bakery first. While I was enjoying my rice pudding I strolled slowly towards China. The Chinese Acrobat show was going on so I stopped to watch for a little while. It was VERY hot on this day though so I didn't stay too long. It wasn't too much fun to just stand in one place and let the heat come down.

I made my way around World Showcase stopping in Japan for a last Kaki Gori and I decided at that point I was just done. It had been a long trip, I wasn't feeling very well because of my killer cold and I wanted to just go home and sleep in my own bed.

I started towards the exit of World Showcase, taking pictures of the F&W decorations along the way - something I Had meant to do much earlier in my trip.

I got lucky with this picture - I didn't even have to wait

My last stop was my last stop every time I leave Epcot - Spaceship Earth. I only took one picture, my last picture of the trip - somehow it seemed appropriate that on the first of my three AP trips in a year (hopefully) I ended with the beginning

I left Epcot at that point and waited about 10 minutes for a tram only to find out that the tram didn't go to the lot where my car was parked, ugh!! So I had to walk over which wasn't too bad because it wasn't far, but I was tired and just wanted to be done. I had trouble finding the car, but eventually I did and I got in and headed to the airport.

I knew I needed to get gas, but I really never saw a gas station my whole way there. I figured I'd just pay for it - no big deal. When I got to the airport and pulled into the return place, the guy brought up the gas thing and I said that I couldn't find a place. He offered to let me leave and find one and I said, sure. But he changed his mind at the last minute and said he'd just mark down that I brought it back with a full tank. I was very thankful for this and tipped the guy $5. I figured that I'd just gotten cheated out of $5 and that I'd get charged for the gas anyway, but surprisingly I was never charged! It worked out quite well.

I checked in for my flight and was on my merry way. Everything was fairly uneventful on the trip home although it did a number on my ears. I was so stuffed up and my ears were screaming in pain during landing. It took a good 2 or 3 days for my ears to get unclogged after getting home. But I was glad to be home and to see my kitties and sleep in my bed.

This wraps up my trip report, but I will have one more post that includes my purchases coming up soon!

 

[Kathy Jetson]

So sorry the trip is over it was fun seeing what a solo trip is like. I can't wait to see everything you bought!

 

[Quacktatty]

I went a little overboard on this trip...I had a lot of "must haves", maybe too many!

These are in no particular order, but I will try to remember where I got them all.

My Christmas tree has a snowman/reindeer theme, so this ornament from the Christmas shop in DTD seemed perfect

Two Food & Wine pins purchased at the Festival Welcome Center. One is for me, one for my boss. They also had a Figment pin that I was on the look out for but never found.

F&W Festival T-Shirt - also from the Welcome Center.

Placemat for my cats from World of Disney. This is currently in my kitchen with the cat food bowls on it

Cool Magnet from World of Disney - it's very heavy and has a clip for papers or whatever

Jack Skellington bobble head pen, also from WOD. This was for my friend's son. They were watching my house while I was gone.

Mickey and Tink window stick things from WOD - for my bosses daughter

Cat picture frame from WOD - this is on my refrigerator with a picture of my cats in it

Travel mug from WOD - this is a great mug although it's a little too tall to use with my Keurig but I have managed to make it work. The outside is a gripable material which is good for when I bring it on the bus.

Catnip ball from WOD. Funny story about these - my mom picked me up from the airport and brought me back to her house where my cats were staying while I was gone. I had been in the house for all of 20 minutes and one of the cats went right to the suitcase where these balls were and started trying to get in to get at them! They are among his favorite toys now (and he has a LOT to choose from)

Mary Poppins mug from WOD. Mary Poppins is one of my favorite movies of all time and I was so happy to find something with Mary and Bert on it...not an easy thing to do!

Donald Duck mug from WOD - holds lots of coffee

This is called a Safari Batik. The description says, "These unique batiks depicting the animals of Africa have been hand created using natural banana fibers. Made in Kenya" I got this at Zawadi Marketplace at AKL. I haven't figured out what I'm going to do with it yet so it's still in the package and currently pinned to my bulletin board.

Cool Kilimanjaro Safari patch magnet from Zawadi. It looks like a patch you'd put on a backpack or a jacket, but it's actually magnetic - and from one of my favorite rides!

Ceramic Elephant from Zawadi. I have one of these that's a hippo from my last trip so I thought I'd get another

Another ceramic elephant from Zawadi. I have one of these that's a giraffe, I really liked this one in particular because it reminds me of the elephant from the Jungle Cruise.

Continued in next post...

 

[Quacktatty]

Lots of good stuff from Basin - bath salts, bath bombs and lots of different soaps. I went back and got more soaps that I didn't get photos of. The bar soaps are Kiss the Cook, Tea Tree (or is it Green Tea?), Goat's Milk and Calamine.

Animal Kingdom T-Shirt from the Expedition Everest dump shop.

Prayer Flags from Everest dump shop. These are on my back porch which is why they look so worn already. My last set blew away in a Tornado last summer!

Lucky Cats from Japan. One to represent each of my living cats and one to honor my cat that passed away. The Orange and Gold one sit by my front door which is what the piece of paper that explains the meaning recommends and the White one is on my mantle with my cat's ashes and a picture of him.

The sheet of paper that comes with them also explains the meanings of the various colors:
"The white cat will bring you good luck and happiness."
"Gold will make your dreams come true and bring you good luck in wealth."
"Orange will bring you good luck in your travels."

And last but not least, my new addiction, Vinylmation. The three in the center are 3 of the 4 that I got on my trip. They are from the Park 2, Urban 1 and Clear Series. The rest I have acquired since then.

I also have one that is a black mickey body with a picture of Candy Corn on it. But that one is with my Halloween decorations.

Well, that's it! Thanks for reading. I'll be back again soon with my May trip report!

 

[Kathy Jetson]

Loved all the loot you got! I bought ds the same jack pen we use it all the time. I want to get those prayer flags. I'll be waiting to hear about your next trip. Have Fun!

 

[praisehisname]

I loved your report; thanks for writing it!