Flowers, Segways & DIS Meets, Oh My! - Updated 10/26, Final Thoughts-FINALLY!

[SoonerGirl]

Hey Michelle....I am crossing my fingers for you that you can work magic and do whatever you need to do to get Don to sign off on that cruise next year. Too bad there wasn't a really good promotional deal that was super time-limited that you wanted to get in on, by which point you wld be reserved and locked-in.

Trust me...I completely understand what you are going through with the resistant husband. I used to think it wld be great if our whole families could meet up on vacation sometime as Don and Chris wld have just as much in common with one another as their wives do! However, the more I think about it, they would just be very bad influences on one another! So let's keep our meet-ups to just us women, like we did in May!

It is so hard when you live to go to Disney (like us), and in addition to all of the family budget rationalizations and compromises you also have to fight a battle with a spouse who doesn't want to go. I completely feel your pain on this one!!!

Well, changes have been made, nothing booked yet (waiting on a new quote from my TA), but Don has agreed to the trip. Looks like we will be driving with a stop in Atlanta on the way there to go to a Braves game and then we'll be going on a 4 night cruise on The Dream that leaves on June 3rd. This is a HUGE deal because it's still baseball season then and ever since the boys started playing baseball, oh about 10 years ago, that time of year has been totally off limits for family vacations. The savings on the cruise between early June and August was significant though, so Don agreed to missing some baseball! Now I just need to figure out a way to gently break it to him that I'd like to use his Hilton points to stay at the DTD Hilton the night before the cruise

I think you're totally right about Don & Chris, they'd just sit back there and support each others resistance, and we all know there is strength in numbers - we can't let them get the upper hand!

Ha ha!! You know me too well!! That's exactly what I've been doing! Slowly but surely I will get caught up!!

It's a big task I'm sure! Take your time though, we're just all happy to have you back!

 

[KatMark]

for Don agreeing to the trip. With as long as a baseball season can last (spring ball, summer ball, fall ball, and on and on), it is sometimes hard to plan around it. We all love baseball....but we all need a break from it too.

 

[SoonerGirl]

for Don agreeing to the trip. With as long as a baseball season can last (spring ball, summer ball, fall ball, and on and on), it is sometimes hard to plan around it. We all love baseball....but we all need a break from it too.

I agree Kathy! We have let sports run our lives since our kids starting playing, we finally decided that missing a little won't really hurt anything. Jared will just miss one weekend (his team plays tournaments only) and as long as we tell his coach early enough then I'm sure he'll just schedule that weekend as one of our weekends off. Justin will miss more because they play during the week, but it's just summer ball and doesn't really count for anything. They'll have our money to support the program and I'm sure that's all they will care about

 

[KatMark]

I agree Kathy! We have let sports run our lives since our kids starting playing, we finally decided that missing a little won't really hurt anything. Jared will just miss one weekend (his team plays tournaments only) and as long as we tell his coach early enough then I'm sure he'll just schedule that weekend as one of our weekends off. Justin will miss more because they play during the week, but it's just summer ball and doesn't really count for anything. They'll have our money to support the program and I'm sure that's all they will care about

I remember those days so well. It seemed Andy never finished with baseball and Markie never finished with wrestling.

And when our kids DID NOT want to miss something, we left them at home and started going by ourselves. Our youngest wrestled from 4th grade through college. He wanted to go to wrestling camps instead of Disney--oh well, your loss! We left them home with Grandpa and he took them where they needed to go and we went and had a blast.

 

[SoonerGirl]

First of all before I get started on my final thoughts I'd like to bring everyone's attention to my siggy..........notice anything new??

*******************************

To wrap up this report I'm going to steal an idea from Mary Ellen (MEK). For her May TR she did a post listing all of the things that she had done that trip that were new to her. I love that idea because it just shows that no matter how many times you visit WDW, every trip can be full of different experiences.

Let's start off with what was new to me inside the parks, in all of the parks other than Epcot my new experiences were few simply because I was trying my hardest to show Mom all of the highlights, I did manage at least one new experience in each park however.

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

- Exploring the Streets of America. In the past I've really not taken too much time to notice all of the detail back here, I've just passed through getting from one place to the next. I really enjoyed checking out all that there was to see here, it's amazing the time and effort that obviously went into the design of this area. I was also able to find the Singing in the Rain umbrella, a first for me!

ANIMAL KINGDOM

- Catching a glimpse of the baby gorilla. The gorilla's fascinate me, I love watching them and could spend a ridiculous amount of time doing so. Seeing that sweet little baby for the first time was a real treat.

- Watching the African drummers. I've heard them before and saw glimpses as we passed by, but this was the first time I actually sat and watched their entire show.

- The Dawa Bar. That's an attraction right? Really, I never realized that this was a true working bar before! Thanks so much to Jackie (Charleston Princess) and Jennifer (Happydog) for alerting me to this little gem!

MAGIC KINGDOM

- SpectroMagic. Ahhhhh, what a wonderful parade! The music, the lights, all of it, just wonderful. My family is simply not a parade family and we just don't make time to see them (this is more of a product of the rest of the family, then yours truly of course ). Hearing the rumor that Spectro could be gone for good starting with the return of the MSEP, I knew I had to see it, and I'm so glad we were able to fit it into the plans!

- Wishes Dessert Party. A huge buffet full of any kind of dessert you can think of, followed by Wishes in a private viewing area - need I say more? This was totally worth doing and I would do it again in heartbeat, maybe skipping dinner next time though, gosh we were full!

EPCOT

I saved this for last because there were alot of new experiences here!

- Voices of Liberty. I had never heard them before and I was blown away by their talent!

- World Showcase films. I hadn't ever seen any of them. This trip we saw the ones in Norway, Canada and France. Norway was my first experience I was a bit disappointed, it's way overdue for an upgrade. But, we thought the films in Canada and France were beautiful and definitely worth seeing - probably not every trip, but something that I will do again in the future.

- Behind the Seeds Tour. Really enjoyed it, it was an informative expansion of the ride and it was very cool being backstage and walking through the attraction while the boats were riding through.

- Segway Tour. I don't even know what to say here - it was AWESOME! Worth every penny. Plus we were able to meet a fabulous CM in the process.

- And last but not least, the whole reason for the trip in the first place - the Flower & Garden Festival. I was so looking forward to seeing all of the beautiful displays and they did not disappoint, it was magnificent. I was also really glad that we took the time to check out Garden Town, lots of fun stuff to look at in there, plus just the 'making of' film made it worth the time. I'm afraid that Epcot will look bare to me next time I visit without the topiaries everywhere!

DINING AND DRINKS

I had lots of new dining experiences this time around. We'll start with the new drinks I sampled:

- Lost on Safari from the Dawa Bar in AK. Again, gotta thank Jackie & Jennifer for telling me about this drink. It's made it's way onto my 'must have' list for sure! And it goes great with my favorite AK snack, the jalapeno pretzel.

- Magical Star. I had it at a couple of different restaurants, another one that was quite tasty.

- Lapu Lapu. It carried a pop, but it was really good, and how fun to get served a beverage in a pineapple!

- Grey Goose Slushie. YUM! Another drink that will meet my lips on future trips.

- La Cava del Tequila margaritas. Great variety and really well made drinks, plus it's a great place to take a load off for awhile. They have pretty good appetizers too.

Gee, it sounds like I didn't meet a drink I didn't like on this trip, wonder what that says about me???

Counter Service:

- Yak & Yeti: Good, not great. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it hadn't been so stinkin' hot. It's hard to eat and enjoy it while your melting.

- Kringla Bakeri og Cafe in Norway. This CS really surprised me, we enjoyed it very much. They don't have a huge selection, but what they do have is quite good. Try the cloudberry horn for dessert or for a snack - they're yummy!

- Sunshine Seasons. I had skipped this CS in the past because it looked so chaotic all the time, but it got such good reviews that we decided to give it a shot. Our meal here was really good - lots of choice for everyone in your group and the dessert case was to die for!

- Wolfgang Puck Express. Not sure if we hit it on a bad night, but just weren't overly pleased with our meal here. I was bummed we skipped Earl of Sandwich for it.

- ABC Commissary. I had only been there for breakfast in the past, and it wasn't very good so we'd never tried it for lunch or dinner. We needed some a/c though, so we gave it a shot. It was okay, decent burgers, good dessert.

Table Service:

- Jiko: My favorite meal of the trip I think! It's a beautiful restaurant and the food was great!

- Grand Floridian Cafe: This one kind of surprised me too, it was much better than I thought it would be.

OTHER

- Cirque du Soliel. I was so happy we spent the money to see this show, it was fabulous. The skill and artistry of the performers was simply amazing!

- Meeting some really great DISers for the first time: Katie (kschafer), Tracy (manntra), Trish (cdolta), Kayce (kcandbella) and Sharron (PrincessInOz), I enjoyed meeting each of you very much. DISers are such wonderful people, so genuine and kind!

- And last but not least, my favorite 'first' from this trip was sharing my love of Walt Disney World with my mom. Hopefully she will want to travel there with me and boys again sometime in the future. And now that I have run her through the gauntlet of some of the best there is to see in WDW, we could take the next trip slower and chill a bit more.

Well, that's it. I finally finished this thing up! Thanks so much for being patient with me and for all of you who read and commented along the way, you are what makes writing these reports so much fun!

 

[KatMark]

First and foremost: for your new ticker, Michelle. I am so happy for you.

I love your recap. And I love the fact that you and your mom got to do it together. It is quite evident from your photos and your posts that the two of you had a really good time together.

I enjoyed your TR very much.

 

[wdwgirl03]

Great final thoughts and yay for the new ticker! I am so jealous...one of these days we'll go on one of the cruises.

 

[Happydog]

WOOT WOOT!!!

CRUISE time!!!

So it sounds like you are going to get some R & R and time too!

And an adventure with a

All the makings for a fun vacation!

I can't wait to hear all about it!!!!

SO is it the 4 day or 5 day? I think I saw you chatting about the 4 day just yesterday, so YAY! We are going for the 4 day on the Dream in February so I will scope it all out for ya!!!

You must be on

OH! And so did that DTD Hilton pan out??!!

 

[photographymom517]

My responses below in red!

First of all before I get started on my final thoughts I'd like to bring everyone's attention to my siggy..........notice anything new??

Congrats on your trip & cruise!!! Sounds great!!! I'm so happy that Don finally agreed to it!

*******************************

To wrap up this report I'm going to steal an idea from Mary Ellen (MEK). For her May TR she did a post listing all of the things that she had done that trip that were new to her. I love that idea because it just shows that no matter how many times you visit WDW, every trip can be full of different experiences.

Let's start off with what was new to me inside the parks, in all of the parks other than Epcot my new experiences were few simply because I was trying my hardest to show Mom all of the highlights, I did manage at least one new experience in each park however.

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

- Exploring the Streets of America. In the past I've really not taken too much time to notice all of the detail back here, I've just passed through getting from one place to the next. I really enjoyed checking out all that there was to see here, it's amazing the time and effort that obviously went into the design of this area. I was also able to find the Singing in the Rain umbrella, a first for me!

I was just looking through my pictures from DHS and noticed that I don't have many from the Streets of America. We were always rushing through it & never really stopped to enjoy the scenery! I think the first time we walked through we were on our way to a show & the second time we were trying to find something to drink! I really enjoyed your pictures from there, so I'll have to take more time to enjoy it next time!

ANIMAL KINGDOM

- Catching a glimpse of the baby gorilla. The gorilla's fascinate me, I love watching them and could spend a ridiculous amount of time doing so. Seeing that sweet little baby for the first time was a real treat.

I love seeing the baby animals! I really like the area they have set up for the gorillas. We stopped & looked at it for awhile this past trip because Luke is an animal lover! (We actually just got home a few hours ago from the animal park today!)

- Watching the African drummers. I've heard them before and saw glimpses as we passed by, but this was the first time I actually sat and watched their entire show.

I swear everytime I've been to AK, its raining when we pass this area so I've never seen the African drummers!

- The Dawa Bar. That's an attraction right? Really, I never realized that this was a true working bar before! Thanks so much to Jackie (Charleston Princess) and Jennifer (Happydog) for alerting me to this little gem!

Good to know! I didn't know it was a working bar either!

MAGIC KINGDOM

- SpectroMagic. Ahhhhh, what a wonderful parade! The music, the lights, all of it, just wonderful. My family is simply not a parade family and we just don't make time to see them (this is more of a product of the rest of the family, then yours truly of course ). Hearing the rumor that Spectro could be gone for good starting with the return of the MSEP, I knew I had to see it, and I'm so glad we were able to fit it into the plans!

I hope the rumor isn't true because I still haven't seen Spectro! I hope I can someday see it in person instead of only on YouTube!

- Wishes Dessert Party. A huge buffet full of any kind of dessert you can think of, followed by Wishes in a private viewing area - need I say more? This was totally worth doing and I would do it again in heartbeat, maybe skipping dinner next time though, gosh we were full!

YUM!!! YUM!!! YUM!!! (do I need to say more? lol) I am sooo hoping & praying they extend this because I really, really want to schedule it for my next trip (whenever that might be...lol)

EPCOT

I saved this for last because there were alot of new experiences here!

- Voices of Liberty. I had never heard them before and I was blown away by their talent!

I never heard them, but did hear they are great!!!

- World Showcase films. I hadn't ever seen any of them. This trip we saw the ones in Norway, Canada and France. Norway was my first experience I was a bit disappointed, it's way overdue for an upgrade. But, we thought the films in Canada and France were beautiful and definitely worth seeing - probably not every trip, but something that I will do again in the future.

I the films!!! I am completely in love with France after watching the video! It was simply breathtaking!!! Definitely a must for my next trip as well!

- Behind the Seeds Tour. Really enjoyed it, it was an informative expansion of the ride and it was very cool being backstage and walking through the attraction while the boats were riding through.

- Segway Tour. I don't even know what to say here - it was AWESOME! Worth every penny. Plus we were able to meet a fabulous CM in the process.

I've been looking on Disney's website about the different tours. I saw they added some new ones. Right now, I'm limited to the ones that allow children because I'm not comfortable leaving Luke with strangers (like the in-room babysitters or resort childcare centers).

I really enjoyed reading your report & seeing all your pics from the tours! The Segway looks like so much fun, but I'm afraid I'd crash!

- And last but not least, the whole reason for the trip in the first place - the Flower & Garden Festival. I was so looking forward to seeing all of the beautiful displays and they did not disappoint, it was magnificent. I was also really glad that we took the time to check out Garden Town, lots of fun stuff to look at in there, plus just the 'making of' film made it worth the time. I'm afraid that Epcot will look bare to me next time I visit without the topiaries everywhere!

F&G Festival looks amazing!!!! I loved seeing the topiaries on your report!!! So many Disney events...I just can't choose! I'm still torn between Food & Wine or Flower & Garden...

DINING AND DRINKS

I had lots of new dining experiences this time around. We'll start with the new drinks I sampled:

- Lost on Safari from the Dawa Bar in AK. Again, gotta thank Jackie & Jennifer for telling me about this drink. It's made it's way onto my 'must have' list for sure! And it goes great with my favorite AK snack, the jalapeno pretzel.

Where do you get the jalapeno pretzel? I was searching for them on our trip in June & couldn't find them!

- Magical Star. I had it at a couple of different restaurants, another one that was quite tasty.

I had the Magical Star at Coral Reef last year! It was great!

- Lapu Lapu. It carried a pop, but it was really good, and how fun to get served a beverage in a pineapple!

My plan for next trip is a ressie at the Poly along with a Lapu Lapu! I've seen so many pictures of them, they look amazing!

- Grey Goose Slushie. YUM! Another drink that will meet my lips on future trips.

I read about these all the time on DIS but never tried one! I wonder if they have them at World Showcase in Epcot? Do you know? I was just thinking that I could get my son a non-alcoholic slushie in Morocco & then get myself a Grey Goose! Then he wouldn't realize that my drink was different than his! (I've had trouble at restaurants when they add an orange slice & cherry to my drink...he thinks its a dessert & cries when he can't taste it, so I always have to order him a milkshake or ice cream!)

- La Cava del Tequila margaritas. Great variety and really well made drinks, plus it's a great place to take a load off for awhile. They have pretty good appetizers too.

Gee, it sounds like I didn't meet a drink I didn't like on this trip, wonder what that says about me???

Counter Service:

- Yak & Yeti: Good, not great. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it hadn't been so stinkin' hot. It's hard to eat and enjoy it while your melting.

- Kringla Bakeri og Cafe in Norway. This CS really surprised me, we enjoyed it very much. They don't have a huge selection, but what they do have is quite good. Try the cloudberry horn for dessert or for a snack - they're yummy!

We went to Kringla Bakeri for the first time this past June! We all tried something different & loved them all! I can't remember exactly what I got but it had almonds on the top & was delicious!

- Sunshine Seasons. I had skipped this CS in the past because it looked so chaotic all the time, but it got such good reviews that we decided to give it a shot. Our meal here was really good - lots of choice for everyone in your group and the dessert case was to die for!

We ate breakfast & lunch here & we enjoyed both. I'm not a huge fan of Disney breakfasts, but my husband & son enjoyed it. Lunch was delicious! And you are right, it always seems chaotic there!

- Wolfgang Puck Express. Not sure if we hit it on a bad night, but just weren't overly pleased with our meal here. I was bummed we skipped Earl of Sandwich for it.

- ABC Commissary. I had only been there for breakfast in the past, and it wasn't very good so we'd never tried it for lunch or dinner. We needed some a/c though, so we gave it a shot. It was okay, decent burgers, good dessert.

We ate at ABC twice and stopped for drinks a third time! The fish there was pretty good but I wasn't able to finish it all because the portion was huge. Their desserts are good. I think thats where I found the pineapple dessert with a raspberry on top. I'll have to look back through my notes to see what its called.

Table Service:

- Jiko: My favorite meal of the trip I think! It's a beautiful restaurant and the food was great!

- Grand Floridian Cafe: This one kind of surprised me too, it was much better than I thought it would be.

I never ate at either, but have plans to stop by GF Cafe next trip! I really want to spend more time at the different resorts & eat at the restaurants inside the resorts instead of at the parks. There are just so many options, its hard to choose!

OTHER

- Cirque du Soliel. I was so happy we spent the money to see this show, it was fabulous. The skill and artistry of the performers was simply amazing!

- Meeting some really great DISers for the first time: Katie (kschafer), Tracy (manntra), Trish (cdolta), Kayce (kcandbella) and Sharron (PrincessInOz), I enjoyed meeting each of you very much. DISers are such wonderful people, so genuine and kind!

So glad you were able to have such great DIS meets!!!

- And last but not least, my favorite 'first' from this trip was sharing my love of Walt Disney World with my mom. Hopefully she will want to travel there with me and boys again sometime in the future. And now that I have run her through the gauntlet of some of the best there is to see in WDW, we could take the next trip slower and chill a bit more.

That's the absolute BEST part of Disney!!! How great is it to share your love with your family!?! I know I got my mom addicted to Disney...not quite as much as I am, but she does call me a few times a week to discuss Disney! (my dad isn't thrilled about it though...haha!)

I'm so glad your mom enjoyed her trip! I hope she travels with you & your family on your future trips! There are so many new things to experience each trip no matter how often you go! That's what I love about Disney!

Well, that's it. I finally finished this thing up! Thanks so much for being patient with me and for all of you who read and commented along the way, you are what makes writing these reports so much fun!

Loved your report! Can't wait to hear more updates about your cruise!!! Happy planning, Michelle!!!

 

[Spartangirl]

YAY Michelle...so glad to see your new ticker!!! Let the planning begin!!!

Fantastic recap...I loved reading another one of your reports and I can't wait to jump onboard for the cruise one in the future!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Aw Michelle, I'm sad this your TR is over!! I love your highlights though. You and your mom had a fabulous trip. I've enjoyed reading about it very much.

So this is a Disney cruise? Will you write a PTR/TR? I'd love to read along!!!

 

[ladybugmom]

Great recap and YAY on the Disney cruise!!!!!! How exciting!!! I soooo want to go on a Disney cruise!!!!

 

[LilAnn]

Awesome recap! I am sad to see your TR end though. I have really enjoyed reliving the Flower & Garden festival through your posts and gorgeous photos. Yay for the Disney cruise! I'm so jealous since I really want to try a cruise but am worried about getting seasick.

 

[disneydusted]

Michelle!!! I saw your new siggie!!! A cruise!!! How did you manage??? Very exciting!
I loved your recap... while I was making our Shutterfly book I asked everyone what their highlights were so it was fun to read yours! I especiually love that you and your mom have made these wonderful memories together... I've been trying to get that going with my mom but then the family says what about us??? Maybe some day.
Are you going to do a cruise PTR? Keep us posted.... thank you again for sharing your trip with everyone!

 

[brookelizabeth]

I am not caught up - but I did see your TICKER over on Wigd's report and ran (clicked?) over here to wish you a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Hurray Hurray Hurray! Lovin' the new ticker!!!

Great final thoughts -- I must confess the Dawa Bar is one of my favorite spots in Animal Kingdom!

 

[brookelizabeth]

I loved your recap - it's amazing how many new things there are each trip, isn't it? I love this idea of going over everything new...I just might have to steal it myself.

And again - congrats on the cruise!!!!!!!!!!

 

[RachelNinja]

Aww for the Disney depression! You know, it's a lot easier to plan for future Disney trips when you don't actually have a trip planned! Haha, it is for me at least. What I mean by that is that I can compile a list of things I want to see or do the next time I go. Since it's casual and I don't have anything planned, it's a fun thing to accumulate hidden secrets. When I have a trip planned like I do now, I get caught up in more of the logistical stuff, and I know I'm going to forget everything I read because I don't keep track of things like I do when I DON'T have a trip in the future. Haha, don't know if that makes sense.

YAY for the cruise though! That's definitely a fun thing to experience!

 

[SoonerGirl]

First and foremost: for your new ticker, Michelle. I am so happy for you.

I love your recap. And I love the fact that you and your mom got to do it together. It is quite evident from your photos and your posts that the two of you had a really good time together.

I enjoyed your TR very much.

Thanks Kathy! Mom & I did have a good time together, I wish it would have been a little less crowded and a little less hot, but all in all we had a great trip!

Thanks for reading, I'm so glad you enjoyed the report!

Great final thoughts and yay for the new ticker! I am so jealous...one of these days we'll go on one of the cruises.

Thanks Sarah! Well, I'm jealous of your DVC membership, so we can be envious of each other

WOOT WOOT!!!

CRUISE time!!!

So it sounds like you are going to get some R & R and time too!

And an adventure with a

All the makings for a fun vacation!

I can't wait to hear all about it!!!!

SO is it the 4 day or 5 day? I think I saw you chatting about the 4 day just yesterday, so YAY! We are going for the 4 day on the Dream in February so I will scope it all out for ya!!!

You must be on

OH! And so did that DTD Hilton pan out??!!

I'm so excited HD!!! We are having to cut back on the trip we had originally planned, but we're still getting to go, that's the important part! It's a 4 night, so I'm even more excited to hear about your February cruise, you'll have to be sure and give us all the details!

OH! And even better, it's the same cruise that Wigd & Shocker are going on!

I haven't even brought up the night at the DTD Hilton yet, I figure I've got plenty of time for that and I don't want to push my luck - he agreed to the cruise - one step at a time!

Congrats on your trip & cruise!!! Sounds great!!! I'm so happy that Don finally agreed to it!

Thanks I'm happy too!

I swear everytime I've been to AK, its raining when we pass this area so I've never seen the African drummers!

I had seen them before in passing and heard them playing, but never stopped to watch & listen. It's a fun little show!

Good to know! I didn't know it was a working bar either!

It's a great place to take a load off in the shade too!

YUM!!! YUM!!! YUM!!! (do I need to say more? lol) I am sooo hoping & praying they extend this because I really, really want to schedule it for my next trip (whenever that might be...lol)

As long as it's popular and profitable I'm sure they'll continue to have it

I've been looking on Disney's website about the different tours. I saw they added some new ones. Right now, I'm limited to the ones that allow children because I'm not comfortable leaving Luke with strangers (like the in-room babysitters or resort childcare centers).

I really enjoyed reading your report & seeing all your pics from the tours! The Segway looks like so much fun, but I'm afraid I'd crash!

Yeah, it's hard to do tours with kids, there just aren't too many that you can take them on. Justin has already told me that as soon as he is old enough I have to take him on the Segway tour! I bet you'd do fine on it, it's really not that hard once you get a feel for how it works.

F&G Festival looks amazing!!!! I loved seeing the topiaries on your report!!! So many Disney events...I just can't choose! I'm still torn between Food & Wine or Flower & Garden...

Do both!

Where do you get the jalapeno pretzel? I was searching for them on our trip in June & couldn't find them!

They have them at several different carts around the park. I've gotten them right outside of the safari and also in Asia by the rapids.

I read about these all the time on DIS but never tried one! I wonder if they have them at World Showcase in Epcot? Do you know? I was just thinking that I could get my son a non-alcoholic slushie in Morocco & then get myself a Grey Goose! Then he wouldn't realize that my drink was different than his! (I've had trouble at restaurants when they add an orange slice & cherry to my drink...he thinks its a dessert & cries when he can't taste it, so I always have to order him a milkshake or ice cream!)

Yep, you can get them in France. The Grey Goose is lemon flavored and they also have a Grand Marnier slush that has more of an orange flavor.

I never ate at either, but have plans to stop by GF Cafe next trip! I really want to spend more time at the different resorts & eat at the restaurants inside the resorts instead of at the parks. There are just so many options, its hard to choose!

I like to eat at the different resorts too, gives you a chance to check them out, and also gives you a nice park break. I try to schedule a couple of new places each trip, it gets harder and harder though because I'm collecting so many favorites that I hate to skip!

Loved your report! Can't wait to hear more updates about your cruise!!! Happy planning, Michelle!!!

Thanks so much for reading Hope! I'll let you know if I decide to do a PTR for the cruise.

YAY Michelle...so glad to see your new ticker!!! Let the planning begin!!!

Fantastic recap...I loved reading another one of your reports and I can't wait to jump onboard for the cruise one in the future!

Isn't my new ticker awesome, Lynne?!

I will definitely be doing a TR for the cruise, still trying to decide if I want to do a PTR or not though......

 

[SoonerGirl]

Aw Michelle, I'm sad this your TR is over!! I love your highlights though. You and your mom had a fabulous trip. I've enjoyed reading about it very much.

So this is a Disney cruise? Will you write a PTR/TR? I'd love to read along!!!

Thanks for reading Kelli! We really did have a great trip!

Yep, it's a Disney cruise - 4 nights on The Dream I know I'll be doing a TR, still thinking about the PTR though.

Great recap and YAY on the Disney cruise!!!!!! How exciting!!! I soooo want to go on a Disney cruise!!!!

Thanks Becky! Well, you've already got Brent on your side as far as Disney is concerned so I'm sure you'll get to cruise eventually. I'll be sure and bring back loads of info and pics that you can use to help persuade him Add on a fews days at WDW before or after and it's a perfect vacation!

Awesome recap! I am sad to see your TR end though. I have really enjoyed reliving the Flower & Garden festival through your posts and gorgeous photos. Yay for the Disney cruise! I'm so jealous since I really want to try a cruise but am worried about getting seasick.

Thanks Ann! I'll admit I'm worried about getting seasick too, but I've had many people who have motion sickness issues tell me that cruising doesn't bother them as long as they medicate. So I'm stocking up on the Bonine and crossing my fingers. I'd be soooooo bummed if I have to spend the whole trip in bed in my stateroom!

Michelle!!! I saw your new siggie!!! A cruise!!! How did you manage??? Very exciting!
I loved your recap... while I was making our Shutterfly book I asked everyone what their highlights were so it was fun to read yours! I especiually love that you and your mom have made these wonderful memories together... I've been trying to get that going with my mom but then the family says what about us??? Maybe some day.
Are you going to do a cruise PTR? Keep us posted.... thank you again for sharing your trip with everyone!

I'm still trying to figure out how I managed it myself! I'm not going to question it too much though, he said ok so I called the TA immediately before he could change his mind!

How did you like your Shutterfly book? I'm thinking of making one but I've never done any digital scrapbooking before. I'm trying to decide if I want to try and create my own pages and just have them print them for me or I want to use one of their templates.

Not sure if I'll do a PTR or not, but definitely will be doing a TR, hope you'll be there when I do!