"I brushed my teeth, and I don't have cooties." An August DFTW and Disneymoon TR

[MeghanEmily]

"ENJOY! YUMMY, YUMMY!" — A WDW February Trip
Day 3 — Part 1

The next day was an Epcot day. We had been planning to do Universal in the morning and Epcot at night, but again, I was still feeling a little exhausted, so we moved Universal to the next day and took things slower. As we left AS Sports—I don't know how to abbreviate this resort any more than that because...well...bad word. —I took a football selfie, and I told N that "it was too big to fit the whole thing in the picture!" tehehe

One of my silly goals for this trip was to get a "holding SE" picture like @xlsm and her mother did. This was successful! Then we did some photopass, I visited the "bubblegum wall," and we waited in line to meet Baymax. I believe we also rode Soarin', but I'm not totally sure. We waited in line and met Baymax, and had an okay meet, though a little of the love-and-shove variety. N finally tried schoolbread, which he deemed a good suggestion, and he also tried the Tipsy Ducks in Love drink from China that @fallonkendra's husband loves so much. N thought it was one of the best things he'd ever consumed.

On our way around World Showcase, we got held up so they could lift the bridge and bring the Illuminations floats into the lagoon. I'd never seen it happen in person before, so it was kind of neat, even though it meant some extra standing and waiting in the hot sun. We headed toward Japan, and I got a new plush stuffed toy I'd had my eye on, and N got to try the kaki gori, which is shaved ice with flavoured syrup, kind of like a snow cone. He really liked it, and got it with the sweet condensed milk stuff on it, but said he'd probably try it without next time because it was so sweet. We made the most of the photopass opportunities for the Festival of Arts and joined a few famous paintings. Then we circled all the way back around to Norway for Frozen Ever After.

I called this next one a "trollphie"... I slay myself!

​

 

[MeghanEmily]

"ENJOY! YUMMY, YUMMY!" — A WDW February Trip
Day 3 — Part 2

Then, a very cool thing happened. I got to meet someone I've always admired...Paige O'Hara! She is the original voice of Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and she's also carved herself a bit of a niche as a visual artist, painting some of her favourite scenes from her memories of the film. I had heard that she was doing some signings, as well as some lectures/workshops during the festival, but I didn't think she'd still be there by the time we got there toward the end of the festival. It was just by chance that we walked by her booth and saw her, and that she was still meeting at 6 even though she was supposed to be done at 4:30 that day. We bought a print and had her sign, and I was thrilled to have met her. She's lovely.

Then I think we did the Seas with Nemo, because I have a selfie of me with a shark. We did our FP on Test Track, and then waited in a long-ish line to get photopass pictures with a cool light effect they were doing for the festival. We'd stay totally still for a period of time (which is why we don't have super natural expressions on our faces) while a CM walked behind us with a light-emitting rod and waved it in different patterns. They use a long exposure on the camera, so it gives a neat effect. Then we grabbed a couple of extra photopass pictures, and headed back into World Showcase for our dinner at the Rose and Crown. I got an ADR fairly last-minute leading up to our trip so we could eat here during Illuminations and see the show from the patio. They can't guarantee you an outside table or anything, but we put in our request and it was granted. We both had appetizers (N tried a scotch egg for the first time, and I had a salad) and I got a steak for my entree, while N got fish and chips. He got a really decadent gooey-toffee-ish dessert, and I had a cup of tea. (It was a British Twinnings tea called "Buttermint" and I'm now addicted. They seem to have a North American version that's called something like "Peppermint and Creamy Vanilla" or something, so I'm gonna have to try it!) Our bill for all this was about the same as our bill from Jiko the night before, but even though it's a more casual restaurant with simpler fare, it ended up being a much lovelier experience for us on this trip!

​

 

[MeghanEmily]

"ENJOY! YUMMY, YUMMY!" — A WDW February Trip
Day 4

Our next day we went to Universal, since we skipped out on it the day before. We have APs there, so we were planning to be flexible and spend as little/much time as we felt like. But before USO, I had a breakfast booked at Boma!! I look forward to these Boma ADRs for months, so it was definitely a highlight. But this is where the name of the mini-TR comes from...

Normally we request our favourite sever, Theresa, at Boma breakfast. For some reason, I seemed to remember her having this day of the week off, and I was hungry and didn't feel like waiting, so we didn't request anyone specific. We got a server who we'd had once already on our honeymoon trip (I'll get there eventually on this TR!) Cindy is her name. She's very nice, and she brought everything we needed, but social interactions with her are kinda strange. There's also a little bit of a language barrier/disconnect kind of issue. Her English is very good, but some things don't seem to translate quite perfectly or something like that. Annnnyyway, she would keep coming back to check on us and to chat, and she would repeat the same things a lot. Like she came back twice to talk about how we live in a nice area, being from Eastern Canada, because of all the seafood, saying exactly the same things each time. And she also had a habit, every time she stopped by and there was food at the table, to tell us: "Enjoy! Yummy, yummy!" She would also say this, or variants of it, (e.g., just "Enjoy!"), and then you'd think the conversation was over and she was going to leave, but she'd just start talking again!! It would be like, something about whether I'm sure I don't need to speak to a chef, then "Okay! Enjoy! Yummy, yummy! You live in a nice place....lots of yummy seafood...Enjoy!...You want more of this juice?" etc, etc. We couldn't stop using the phrase for the rest of our trip! And it also seemed fitting, since it felt like all we did on the trip was eat.

(I brought my own pure maple syrup in travel pouches so I wouldn't need to ask for it for my waffles all the time. #Canadianprobs)

We had fun at Universal, though we didn't stay too long. We mostly did Harry Potter stuff, including Gringotts, and I got a ride in on E.T., which I love. We didn't end up over on the Islands of Adventure side this time, so that will be a priority for our next trip. I also took a stalker photo of two guys on stilts wearing Egyptian-themed costumes, 1) because I thought they looked super cool, and 2) because it looked really out of place for me, seeing as at Disney you almost never see a cast member in a costume that doesn't match the theme of the area, due to their underground tunnels.

We went back for a rest, and then headed over to DHS around suppertime. We got quick service at the Backlot Express, and N was given his food on a red tray, which meant that he got a free dessert/cupcake! He chose the BB-8 one because he remembered me saying it was cute, but I guess I didn't get a picture. He said it was pretty dry anyway, but a cool little bit of pixie dust! I wanted to see Fantasmic, because it's probably my favourite night show now that Wishes is gone, and we'd missed it in December. We took our food to go and ate it while we waited in the theatre. While we were waiting, we were sitting beside a ginormous group from somewhere in South America, and they were really loud and rowdy/excited. They kept trying to cram more people in as they arrived closer and closer to the show, so we really had to hold our ground to keep our seats! (Even though we'd had FPs and gotten there over 30 minutes early!) But once the show started, all was well. I also wanted to ride Toy Story, and I managed to beat N for the second time in a row! (Even though I'm 95% sure he let me win this time.) We also finally got the chance to see Muppet Vision 3D, and it was my very first time seeing it! I think the Muppets are awesome and hilarious, so I really enjoyed this little show. I also thought of @xlsm when Fozzie Bear made his appearance, because I know she's a big fan!

​

 

[Smilelea]

Another thing that I found interesting on this trip was experiencing the different dynamic staying at a value resort, now that we've stayed deluxe on other trips. I found on past trips that when people would ask where we were staying I would sometimes feel uncomfortable to say "the Polynesian," or "Wilderness Lodge" because I felt like people were judging us and assuming we were snobby (nope) or wealthy (hard NOPE!) This time, when people asked us where we were staying, I felt almost a little insecure saying "All Star Sports," or like I needed to justify by saying we were on a "budget trip," etc. In past, I mostly stayed in value resorts or offsite when I would come with my family, and N and I have done about half and half, and Pop Century is still one of our favourite places. We like to go nice places to eat or do activities, so we still spent a lot of time around deluxe resorts on this trip, and I was worried we were being judged there for the opposite reason I used to worry about. But...I decided that I really can't win no matter where we stay—unless maybe we start staying at moderates more?! —and that nobody's opinion really matters about it, and that most of the time they probably don't really care or have any opinion anyway and I'm just projecting.

We felt totally out of place when we went to GF to eat at 1900 PF! I felt like someone was going to stop us and say, "Um, excuse me. You aren't dressed appropriately, please leave"

One carry-on, and one personal item (in the form of my Disney Dooney mini backpack,) for 8-ish days. Only one pair of ears, one extra pair of sho

Wow! That's impressive! My goal every trip is to pack lighter. Lol. Hasn't happened yet

and I got a new popcorn bucket, and then persisted to spill all my popcorn on the ground like a small child.

Oh no!

I got to meet someone I've always admired...Paige O'Hara! She is the original voice of Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and she's also carved herself a bit of a niche as a visual artist, painting some of her favourite scenes from her memories of the

That's awesome! I'm so jealous!

We had fun at Universal, though we didn't stay too long. We mostly did Harry Potter stuff, including Gringotts,

My kind of visit!

Love the Fantasmic pictures!

 

[disneyAndi14]

I love your Monster Inc. shirts so cute, sounds like a fun trip so far, sorry Jiko wasn’t a better experience. I miss that weather! I love all your pp pictures very nice.

 

[fallonkendra]

I will get all caught up on this report eventually (work has been crazy busy lately, and even if I did have time we've been told our internet usage is being monitored so I'm trying to stay off the boards). I just wanted to jump in and say I'm glad Nathan enjoyed his Tipsy Ducks in Love!

 

[xlsm]

I love it!!

School bread!! I miss school bread, I've not had it on the past couple of trips

I have a picture with him from 2001!!

Then, a very cool thing happened. I got to meet someone I've always admired...Paige O'Hara!

This is amazing. I had no idea she painted.

and headed back into World Showcase for our dinner at the Rose and Crown. I got an ADR fairly last-minute leading up to our trip so we could eat here during Illuminations and see the show from the patio. They can't guarantee you an outside table or anything, but we put in our request and it was granted. We both had appetizers (N tried a scotch egg for the first time, and I had a salad) and I got a steak for my entree, while N got fish and chips. He got a really decadent gooey-toffee-ish dessert, and I had a cup of tea. (It was a British Twinnings tea called "Buttermint" and I'm now addicted. They seem to have a North American version that's called something like "Peppermint and Creamy Vanilla" or something, so I'm gonna have to try it!)

I love the scotch egg here and the sticky toffee pudding. The two best things we had at R&C. That tea sounds delicious, i'm going to have to look for it or the NA version

(I brought my own pure maple syrup in travel pouches so I wouldn't need to ask for it for my waffles all the time. #Canadianprobs)

I'm glad you explained this b/c I was going to ask where you found that at the restaurant!!

I also thought of @xlsm when Fozzie Bear made his appearance, because I know she's a big fan!

He's my longest celebrity crush

 

[ariane37]

Hey! Glad to see your review of your Feb. trip!

I was worried we were being judged there for the opposite reason I used to worry about. But...I decided that I really can't win no matter where we stay—unless maybe we start staying at moderates more?! —and that nobody's opinion really matters about it, and that most of the time they probably don't really care or have any opinion anyway and I'm just projecting.

So I'll tell you what I've told a number of people. I have two good friends who have gone to Disney a number of times. Both can afford to stay at the GF every year if they wanted to , but both choose to stay at an All-Star resort time after time. Both sets of parents work in schools so they're limited in when they can travel, and neither likes to go during the summer. Therefore their trips are usually 5-6 nights and they spend all day/night in the parks, using the resort only to sleep. Both families feel why should they spend $$ for the nicer resorts when they don't spend time there? I think that for every family that saves YEARS to stay at a deluxe once, there are families like my friends who wouldn't blink at always staying deluxe but don't. My point lol is that you cannot judge someone by the resort they stay at!

I did find the room started to feel/smell a little funky by the end of the week

Can you imagine how funky it would feel and smell with two pre-teen/teen boys in the room

On our way around World Showcase, we got held up so they could lift the bridge and bring the Illuminations floats into the lagoon. I'd never seen it happen in person before, so it was kind of neat, even though it meant some extra standing and waiting in the hot sun

Steve and I saw this happening in Nov. when the park closed and they were putting the globe and floats away for the night. It was neat!

I got to meet someone I've always admired...Paige O'Hara!

I also took a stalker photo of two guys on stilts wearing Egyptian-themed costumes,

Yeah, they were part of the whole Mardi Gras thing. We saw all sorts of weirdly dressed Mardi Gras performers last month and even last year randomly walking the park and there's no rhyme or reason to their costumes.

Sorry about your Jiko dinner! How disappointing That's one signature we haven't been to yet but you never really hear bad reviews of it. There's a first time for everything and every place has off nights; hope it was your only negative experience of the trip!

 

[pkondz]

Holy smokes! When you update.... you update!

I didn't get sick!

Yay!

I usually end up schlepping through vacation with the plague.

I really enjoyed HEA a lot more the second time around. I still don't think it compares to Wishes

Hmmm... I'd have to agree with that.

Saddest part of this trip? I never got a dole whip.

I found on past trips that when people would ask where we were staying I would sometimes feel uncomfortable to say "the Polynesian," or "Wilderness Lodge" because I felt like people were judging us and assuming we were snobby (nope) or wealthy (hard NOPE!)

Having not stayed at a deluxe, I wouldn't know. But! What I do know is that when someone says "We stayed at the Poly"... all I think is "Nice! Good for you! I'd like to do that some day."

I felt almost a little insecure saying "All Star Sports," or like I needed to justify by saying we were on a "budget trip,"

I say it with pride.

nobody's opinion really matters about it

There ya go!

Another new thing we tried was forfeiting mousekeeping services and getting a giftcard instead. We got a $60 giftcard for a 7-night stay, which is standard procedure. ($10 per night, minus one night.) I'm glad we saved the extra money, and it really wasn't a hardship making our own bed and hanging up our towels, so I don't regret it.

Interesting! I'd sorta heard about it, but discounted it. I'm not there very long so my giftcard wouldn't be very significant.... and like you said, there's something about coming back to a clean room.

Speaking of QS meals, I ended up ordering mainly kids' meals this trip, and it was a SUPER idea!!! I think regular kids' meals often have large enough portions for someone with a small appetite like mine anyway, but it seemed that with allergy kids' meals they really piled the food on!! Sometimes for allergies they only have one option for adults/kids, like only having one side gluten free pizza crust, so you'd get the same sized pizza either way. And they also include sides AND A SMALL DRINK! Sometimes I'd order a kids' meal for $7.50, and N would order a regular adult portion for $15+ once he included a drink, and I would have more food on my tray. I'm never going back!

What a great idea! Gonna have to remember that.
Obviously, if I want a specific dish I'll order it, but....

Did they close the place down and forbid anyone from being there????

Alright. I'm gonna speed my way through this now...so hang on tight!!

No kidding!!!

On past trips, I'd plan to take photos in popular Instagram locations like MK's "purple wall," or Epcot's "bubblegum wall," and then I'd forget. So this time it was a priority! And...it kind of got a little out of control...every time I saw a unique wall, really...

So, I present them here for your viewing pleasure! (Complete with locations.)

Now that's dedication. Look at 'em all! (I did)

AK: Pandora - this one probably shouldn't count, but this was my reaction when I tried multiple times to get a selfie in front of the famous moss wall with the pretty purple and green, and a family was sitting there and just wouldn't leave...so this was the best I could get.

This one's my favourite.

What.... that's it?

As many of you already know, I'm a terrible flyer

Oh? Why? (Feel free to not say)

I decided to give myself a little day-of upgrade to WestJet's "Plus" seats—i.e. the large seats at the front of the plane where nobody is sitting in the middle seat and you get free food and hot towels. #fancypants

I love the Plus seats. I especially love the extra elbow room. The perks are nice too.

so the WestJet employees decided to get all the kids (and some big kids!) to line up at the window and wave to the pilot as he finally pulled in.

That is so WestJet!

...and my seat mate had an adorable service dog!

Awww... Cute pup!

I also decided that we should split some gluten free fish and chips at Cooke's of Dublin for lunch.

Cooke's of Dublin? Hadn't heard of that one. How does it compare to Rose and Crown?

Nice one!
#notstuckonabus #didntfightforfrontrow

We had great giraffe experiences

Things you don't expect to hear in passing conversation.

Awww...

I had two FPs booked, one shortly after the other, for Flight of Passage. Because I'd had such unpleasant experiences riding it and getting motion sick in past,

Still bummed you had that bad experience. Wish you could enjoy it as much as I did.

So he rode FOP twice, and I explored Pandora, taking selfies and photopass pictures.

And yet... that's a pretty good way to pass the time. It's certainly an interesting area!

I walked over to Africa by way of the pathway by the Festival of the Lion King

I did that!

and I got a new popcorn bucket, and then persisted to spill all my popcorn on the ground like a small child

sorry.

A supposedly-artistic photo of just Timon's face??

#ThanksPhotopass

Are you sure that's even you, he's hugging?

I had been wanting to try Satuli Canteen, so I got a gluten free bowl with beef, potato hash, and chimichurri sauce, which I ate some of and shared the rest with N when he returned.

How was it there? What did you think?

(A neat little hidden Everest. #whoneedshiddenmickeyswhenyouhavehiddenmountains)

Knew that one... but you got a really good shot!

However, we didn't have a good experience here at all this time.

Sorry to hear that.

But then nobody ever brought regular bread for N.

Then we waited over 50 minutes for our entrees

That is way too long! Ridiculous!

when they arrived mine was cooked about medium well, even though I'd asked for medium rare, and N's was cold and tasted like it had been sitting for a long time.

Great..... not.

I checked my steak once I got back to the truck, and it was also over-cooked.

Oh, come on!

The server went to get the manager, and then came back later to say that she wouldn't be able to come over to talk to him.

"No problem. Here's my number. When she has the time, have her give me a call. I'll be more than happy to pay for my meal at that time."


grrrrr...

The only bright spot was that we noticed a few days later that the price of my meal had been credited back onto N's credit card, so it seems they decided to comp it in the end, which felt more like they'd made things right.

Hmmm....

I wonder. If it took 50 minutes to get your meal.... I wonder if others had similar experiences so Disney refunded everyone who was affected. Hmmmm...

As we left AS Sports—I don't know how to abbreviate this resort any more than that because...well...bad word.

ASSp. Music is ASMu and Movies is ASMo

One of my silly goals for this trip was to get a "holding SE" picture like @xlsm and her mother did. This was successful!

I like that one.

N finally tried schoolbread, which he deemed a good suggestion

No. Just... no. #coconutisevil

Cute shot.

On our way around World Showcase, we got held up so they could lift the bridge and bring the Illuminations floats into the lagoon. I'd never seen it happen in person before, so it was kind of neat, even though it meant some extra standing and waiting in the hot sun.

I'd be okay with that too.... the first time. After that I'd be "Get out of the way! Trying to get through here!"

N got to try the kaki gori

I was less than impressed. It was more snow cone than shave ice. I've had it in Hawaii and it just doesn't even come close.

Still love that photo. I really do.

I called this next one a "trollphie"... I slay myself!

Then, a very cool thing happened. I got to meet someone I've always admired...Paige O'Hara! She is the original voice of Belle in Beauty and the Beast,

Oh! So that's who that was! That's great! Happy for you.

she's also carved herself a bit of a niche as a visual artist, painting some of her favourite scenes from her memories of the film.

Cool!

We bought a print and had her sign, and I was thrilled to have met her. She's lovely.

We'd stay totally still for a period of time (which is why we don't have super natural expressions on our faces) while a CM walked behind us with a light-emitting rod

I did that! They had that at the last MNSSHP that I attended.

I got an ADR fairly last-minute leading up to our trip so we could eat here during Illuminations and see the show from the patio. They can't guarantee you an outside table or anything, but we put in our request and it was granted.

Nice! I've always wanted to do that.

N tried a scotch egg for the first time

What did he think? I made some when I heard about them and was only "meh" about it.

We have APs there, so we were planning to be flexible and spend as little/much time as we felt like.

Nice. I like that you can do that.

And she also had a habit, every time she stopped by and there was food at the table, to tell us: "Enjoy! Yummy, yummy!" She would also say this, or variants of it, (e.g., just "Enjoy!"), and then you'd think the conversation was over and she was going to leave, but she'd just start talking again!!

That's... weird!

"Okay! Enjoy! Yummy, yummy! You live in a nice place....lots of yummy seafood...Enjoy!...You want more of this juice?" etc, etc. We couldn't stop using the phrase for the rest of our trip! And it also seemed fitting, since it felt like all we did on the trip was eat.

I can see how that would stick.

(I brought my own pure maple syrup in travel pouches so I wouldn't need to ask for it for my waffles all the time. #Canadianprobs)

Canadian through and through.

because it looked really out of place for me, seeing as at Disney you almost never see a cast member in a costume that doesn't match the theme of the area, due to their underground tunnels.

Huh. Never really thought of that, but... you're right. I saw similar and it just seemed.... bizarre.

What is that? On top of the building?

We got quick service at the Backlot Express, and N was given his food on a red tray, which meant that he got a free dessert/cupcake!

Score! Makes the thousands of dollars that you spend all worth it.

We took our food to go and ate it while we waited in the theatre.

Smart! I never think of that.

They kept trying to cram more people in as they arrived closer and closer to the show, so we really had to hold our ground to keep our seats! (Even though we'd had FPs and gotten there over 30 minutes early!)

Ugh.

I also wanted to ride Toy Story, and I managed to beat N for the second time in a row!

Yuss! You kicked butt!

Even though I'm 95% sure he let me win this time

Still counts.

We also finally got the chance to see Muppet Vision 3D, and it was my very first time seeing it!

Really!

 

[missangelalexis]

I have good memories from All Star Sports so I loved seeing your pics of it!

So many awesome selfies!!

Your day at AK sounds nice! I'm sorry it ended on a sour note at Jiko

Cute PP pics at Epcot! That is so beyond cool that you got to meet Jodi Benson! Your dinner at Rose & Crown sounds really good!

From Universal Studios to Hollywood Studios! Sounds like a nice day, glad you got to see Fantasmic!

 

[missjackiemcg]

We had fun at Universal, though we didn't stay too long. We mostly did Harry Potter stuff, including Gringotts, and I got a ride in on E.T., which I love.

I will have to pick your brain about all things Universal--we just booked 3ish days and 2 nights there as a surprise for Jimmy's birthday this summer!! I feel like I have zero clue what I'm doing, but I am SO excited!

 

[natebenma]

I had quite a bit to catch up on!

Main TR:

Love your wedding wall! Nicely done.

Your matching outfits from the Poly are great. The print is fantastic.

Sounds like your resort break was relaxing and fun.

I love Kona and YAY on safe sushi!

Maple popcorn sounds incredible!


Dec Trip

UGH!!! So sorry to hear you lost all of the work you did on the December report.


Feb Trip- Yummy, Yummy!:

Glad to hear the weather was better than your previous trip and the you were mostly feeling well.

The Monster's Inc. t-shirts are too cute!

Your preview pix are soooooo good, I especially love the sunset colors at the GF. Even more impressed to hear they are from your phone and point & shoot only.

Thanks for all of the photos at Sports. I don't see many from there. I love the theming.

Your wall-selfie series is neat.

You can get a pretty amazing arch picture from a truck.

Too bad your meal at Jiko was disappointing and that you had so much trouble with the server/lack of management oversight.

I have been stuck at the Globe/Illumiations roadblock once. I just called it a parade.

Trollfie!

Buttermint tea sounds yummy, yummy. I'll have to check it out. We have an English goods shop next town over.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Holy Trip Report Update!

On past trips, I'd plan to take photos in popular Instagram locations like MK's "purple wall," or Epcot's "bubblegum wall," and then I'd forget. So this time it was a priority! And...it kind of got a little out of control...every time I saw a unique wall, really...

Man you weren't kidding about the selfies! Awesome.

This one is my favorite!

We were delayed because the plane from Orlando had arrived late, so the WestJet employees decided to get all the kids (and some big kids!) to line up at the window and wave to the pilot as he finally pulled in.

Cute.

Vacation was about to begin!

YEAH!!!!

Perfect Shot! With the sun it looks like something on the Disney Website.

It was just by chance that we walked by her booth and saw her, and that she was still meeting at 6 even though she was supposed to be done at 4:30 that day. We bought a print and had her sign, and I was thrilled to have met her. She's lovely.

Amazing! It was meant to be!!

(I brought my own pure maple syrup in travel pouches so I wouldn't need to ask for it for my waffles all the time. #Canadianprobs)

Too funny!!!!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Oh, boy! Oh, boy! Looks like some awesomely magical times were had Love the black tshirts you and N are both wearing--so perfect!! The giraffe pic and your Rapunzel lantern pic are my favs! I forgot you did Universal, too! I just booked a super secret trip there last night, so we can surprise Jimmy with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter this summer.....eep!! So exciting. Can't wait to hear more.

Good luck on your midterm!!!!!!!

I will have to pick your brain about all things Universal--we just booked 3ish days and 2 nights there as a surprise for Jimmy's birthday this summer!! I feel like I have zero clue what I'm doing, but I am SO excited!

We really did have some magical times! And the new matching shirts we got are definitely some of my favourites!

I love that you're surprising Jimmy with Universal! I hope he loves it—I'm sure he will. I like Universal because I think it's a lot easier to go into is as less-than-an-expert and still have a great time. It feels like it requires less planning. No advanced ADRs at 180 days out. No FPs to book in advance. We usually try to have a bit of a game plan if we're going for a whole day or more and have things we want to get done, but it's a lot more flexible.

Welcome home! Great pics! I also shoot with a Canon Rebel (T6), but it rarely travels with me anymore (there's just not enough room to carry everything & it gets heavy!). I use it a lot for work and school events/special events with my daughters. My Canon Powershot typically comes with me on vacation instead because it's easier to haul around and is a great mid-line camera. Hope your midterm goes well!

Thank you! And I agree, when I have to sacrifice something for space/weight in my travels, sometimes the camera is what has to go.

I loved this pic when you posted it. Just awesome!



Nailed it!


Best Lantern photo I have seen yet.

Can't wait to hear about the trip. I am still trying to catch up myself.

Thank you! We got some neat photos on this trip that I'm really happy about!

Holy Trip Report Update!

When it rains, it pours!

Perfect Shot! With the sun it looks like something on the Disney Website.

Thank you! I like how this came out! It really was all luck because the truck wasn't stopping, and I was just kind of madly snapping and hoping something would come out. It definitely has an advertisement kinda vibe to it!

Yay, you're back! Love the pictures, especially the lantern one

Thank you!!

We felt totally out of place when we went to GF to eat at 1900 PF! I felt like someone was going to stop us and say, "Um, excuse me. You aren't dressed appropriately, please leave"


Wow! That's impressive! My goal every trip is to pack lighter. Lol. Hasn't happened yet


Love the Fantasmic pictures!

I still always feel a little funny walking around fancy places, like I'm the only one who knows I'm not supposed to be there and at any moment someone else will notice. But we still love checking those places out.

I've been pretty successful packing light for a couple of trips where we've had our vehicle or a rental car, but I don't think I'd do very well on a trip where we were just relying on busses/cabs, etc. It's hard to limit!

I have good memories from All Star Sports so I loved seeing your pics of it!

So many awesome selfies!!

Your day at AK sounds nice! I'm sorry it ended on a sour note at Jiko

Cute PP pics at Epcot! That is so beyond cool that you got to meet Jodi Benson! Your dinner at Rose & Crown sounds really good!

From Universal Studios to Hollywood Studios! Sounds like a nice day, glad you got to see Fantasmic!

All Star Sports was great! Pop is still my favourite value resort I think, but I really liked the theming there, and the price was right, and we had mostly really good interactions with CMs.

I was disappointed in Jiko, but I'm thinking/hoping it was probably just the night we were there. Usually reviews are great. But we love Boma and Sanaa at AKL, so we'd probably save some money and just go there instead next time.

We had some really cool experiences in those first few days of the trip!!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Thank you! I like how this came out! It really was all luck because the truck wasn't stopping, and I was just kind of madly snapping and hoping something would come out. It definitely has an advertisement kinda vibe to it!

This is pretty much how I take all of my photos! ha.

 

[MeghanEmily]

Hope it goes/went well!!!

Thanks! It definitely wasn't my best midterm. It was an unthinkable amount of material, which I should have been studying more throughout the term before this point...oops...and it was worth 50%, which was pretty scary...but now at least it's done! Crossing my fingers for a favourable result!

So I've heard! My dad said it's been in the 80s all month! Bit different from last month

It was like night and day compared to our last trip! Some days were so warm I was having a hard time staying outside in the afternoons, but I definitely wasn't going to complain after what we had last time! The highest afternoon temperature I noticed on Nathan's truck gauge was 31C, or 89F.

This shot is a must-do (several times over ) each trip. I must have approximately 83,281 pictures of this It just doesn't get old! And you captured it perfectly

Loved all your photos! And your shirts are always awesome

You're so right! I'm pretty sure I have a version of this picture from every trip I've been on in the last few years. But it's such a wonderful picture to have.

I'm getting really proud of our growing Disney shirt collection.

Glad you're back! Nothing like jumping right back into school, eh?

Uggh, you said it! *phew!*

Oh, I soooooo get that. Focus there, we'll all be around.

Thanks! It was wild. There's still much more to do now—a student's work is never done!—but at least it's spaced out a little more.

Your photos are dope, but I really love this one! Nice work!

Thanks!! I was pretty pleased with a few of them, seeing as a lot of them were just from my phone. Mother Nature is solely responsible for that one. Well, Mother Nature, and a very limited amount of Photoshop...

I love your Monster Inc. shirts so cute, sounds like a fun trip so far, sorry Jiko wasn’t a better experience. I miss that weather! I love all your pp pictures very nice.

Thanks!! Monsters Inc is one of my favourite movies. (The second best Pixar movie after Finding Nemo, I think! ) I sooo wish I was still basking in that beautiful sunshine!!

I will get all caught up on this report eventually (work has been crazy busy lately, and even if I did have time we've been told our internet usage is being monitored so I'm trying to stay off the boards). I just wanted to jump in and say I'm glad Nathan enjoyed his Tipsy Ducks in Love!

Oh my goodness, it was such a good recommendation! He already wants another one! I feel like he'll try to recreate it at home. But I'm sure it'll never be the same. And no worries, life is busy! I'm pretty far behind on a few reports now, and it takes time to get caught up!!

I had quite a bit to catch up on!

Main TR:

Love your wedding wall! Nicely done.

Your matching outfits from the Poly are great. The print is fantastic.

Sounds like your resort break was relaxing and fun.

I love Kona and YAY on safe sushi!

Maple popcorn sounds incredible!


Dec Trip

UGH!!! So sorry to hear you lost all of the work you did on the December report.


Feb Trip- Yummy, Yummy!:

Glad to hear the weather was better than your previous trip and the you were mostly feeling well.

The Monster's Inc. t-shirts are too cute!

Your preview pix are soooooo good, I especially love the sunset colors at the GF. Even more impressed to hear they are from your phone and point & shoot only.

Thanks for all of the photos at Sports. I don't see many from there. I love the theming.

Your wall-selfie series is neat.

You can get a pretty amazing arch picture from a truck.

Too bad your meal at Jiko was disappointing and that you had so much trouble with the server/lack of management oversight.

I have been stuck at the Globe/Illumiations roadblock once. I just called it a parade.

Trollfie!

Buttermint tea sounds yummy, yummy. I'll have to check it out. We have an English goods shop next town over.

Wow, you did some serious catching up! That's a lot of reading! I have a lot of catching up to do, too, on a few reports. Hopefully soon!

Maple popcorn is really delicious. I hope they don't take it away from Epcot like they did with the cart in Frontierland. Tasty!!

We will definitely have to go back to Kona again sometime. The quality of the food was very good, and a good value, too! And safe sushi! Speaking of safe sushi, we just booked an ADR for California Grill brunch for our anniversary trip, so I have expectations for good safe sushi there too...fingers crossed!

The loss of the December TR is still pretty sad, even after some time to process it! But there are worse things to have happen for sure. Maybe I'll get up the motivation to rebuild after I'm done reporting on this one and on August!

And thanks for the photo compliments! I'm really pleased to have a few of those pictures

All Star Sports was a great stay on a budget, and the theming and bright colours are awesome and fun! It was my first time staying there (I'd stayed at Music in December, and Movies as a kid,) and I'd definitely go back.

Mmmm Buttermint. I like peppermint tea anyway, so it was just next-level. I ordered the North American version on Amazon, and it didn't disappoint.

 

[MeghanEmily]

School bread!! I miss school bread, I've not had it on the past couple of trips

Nom. If I ever go back to gluten-eating, this is definitely on my list. Nathan loved it, even though he's not a huge fan of coconut.

I have a picture with him from 2001!!

He's a verrrry photogenic troll! And I have a feeling he hasn't aged a bit.

This is amazing. I had no idea she painted.

She's quite good! I'm planning to put the print up in our hallway. And it was awesome to meet her! I grew up listening to her voice all the time...which I persisted to tell her and managed to make it sound like a creepy/insulting-her-for-being-old-enough-for-me-to-have-grown-up-to-her-voice kinda thing, of course. I'm bad with celebrity meets. But she was gracious anyway!

I love the scotch egg here and the sticky toffee pudding. The two best things we had at R&C. That tea sounds delicious, i'm going to have to look for it or the NA version

Yumm! Nathan really liked the scotch egg! It was the first time he'd tried one and he was surprised he'd never had one sooner. The tea was delish. I ordered the NA version from Amazon, and it seems pretty much the same.

I'm glad you explained this b/c I was going to ask where you found that at the restaurant!!

Yeah, I ordered individual packets from Amazon before I left and had them shipped to the resort like a weirdo. But I had no regrets. Normally I'll ask though, and they almost always have the real stuff hiding in the back.

He's my longest celebrity crush

Ugh, Fozzie Bear...what a heartbreaker!!

So I'll tell you what I've told a number of people. I have two good friends who have gone to Disney a number of times. Both can afford to stay at the GF every year if they wanted to , but both choose to stay at an All-Star resort time after time. Both sets of parents work in schools so they're limited in when they can travel, and neither likes to go during the summer. Therefore their trips are usually 5-6 nights and they spend all day/night in the parks, using the resort only to sleep. Both families feel why should they spend $$ for the nicer resorts when they don't spend time there? I think that for every family that saves YEARS to stay at a deluxe once, there are families like my friends who wouldn't blink at always staying deluxe but don't. My point lol is that you cannot judge someone by the resort they stay at!

This is a really good statement/advice. You don't know anything about anyone based on where they're staying. I love some of the perks and the increased level of service we've experienced staying at deluxes and moderates, and we typically do so at a discounted rate, though not always. But I've also had awesome trips where our budget was tighter, or where we knew we'd only be at the resort to sleep, where we stayed at a value and had a blast and awesome service. I'm sure we'll continue to stay at a variety resorts at a variety of price levels...especially if I want to complete my challenge to stay everywhere on property...I still have a lot of resorts left to go!

Can you imagine how funky it would feel and smell with two pre-teen/teen boys in the room

Ugggh...yeah, you definitely should never do this.

Steve and I saw this happening in Nov. when the park closed and they were putting the globe and floats away for the night. It was neat!

It was cool! Though now that I've seen it once, I think I'd find it less novel and more of a hold up a second time.

Yeah, they were part of the whole Mardi Gras thing. We saw all sorts of weirdly dressed Mardi Gras performers last month and even last year randomly walking the park and there's no rhyme or reason to their costumes.

They looked so neat! You must have seen some really cool costumes...despite the lack of reason behind the themes. It was really weird to see them walking by the Transformer's ride!

Sorry about your Jiko dinner! How disappointing That's one signature we haven't been to yet but you never really hear bad reviews of it. There's a first time for everything and every place has off nights; hope it was your only negative experience of the trip!

I'm really thinking/hoping that it must have just been a freak experience on an off night there, because I've only ever heard good things! I'd be willing to give it another shot sometime in future, but we have other places to try first. Spoiler alert: we had a much better experience at our other signature dinner at Citricos! We didn't ask for Rony, but it was still a great meal!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Holy smokes! When you update.... you update!

When it rains, it pours!

I say it with pride.

This should have been my attitude! It's a fun resort. We had a great stay there!

Interesting! I'd sorta heard about it, but discounted it. I'm not there very long so my giftcard wouldn't be very significant.... and like you said, there's something about coming back to a clean room.

I don't regret it, but I probably wouldn't bother with it again. The benefits of having a clean room of vacation make up the cost. But it was worth a try! Especially since I'd been hearing rumours of there being extra pressure on mousekeepers as of late, due to a shortage. Not sure whether that's true or not though.

What a great idea! Gonna have to remember that.
Obviously, if I want a specific dish I'll order it, but....

Yeah, if I wanted something in particular (like at Satuli Canteen) it obviously wasn't worth it. But for the other times...chicken nuggets and fries are chicken nuggets and fries, no matter whether you're ordering them for kids or adults. And I don't have reviews for non-allergy meals yet (Nathan's thinking he'll try my approach once in a while on our next trip!) but at least for allergy meals it worked out very well.

Did they close the place down and forbid anyone from being there????

I'm trying to remember when I took these that there wouldn't be masses of people in them...probably late morning when everyone had already made their way to the parks or something? Early mornings, mid-afternoon or evenings, we usually saw break-out games here of various sporting varieties.

This one's my favourite.

Thanks! The green wall made me feel particularly happy to be alive.

Oh? Why? (Feel free to not say)

I don't fly well due to a combo on anxiety, and brain condition issues, mostly leading to motion sickness. I get really airsick if I'm not flying under perfect conditions. Part of this is due to my brain condition, which related to the spinal fluid pressure levels in my brain (air pressure differences high in the sky can mess with that.) Part of it is because I'm just prone to motion sickness anyway, it seems. I also have finicky ears that don't like to pop and tend to get painful. There are usually headaches involved, or dizziness, etc. I have pretty restless legs, also. And then I get anxious about flying because of the unpleasant symptoms. I'm super vomit-phobic (to the point where I make Nathan screen tv shows for me sometimes if I think they'll have yucky pukey scenes in them), so anything that makes me feel sick makes me really nervous. And I don't like being in public places or under a microscope when I'm not feeling well, so being trapped on an airplane in that state is kind of my nightmare. I'm also pretty claustrophobic, so don't love that once you get on a plane, you're stuck there for hours, so even if it takes longer I sometimes prefer road trips where you always have the chance to take a break and stretch your legs. Strangely enough, I have no concerns about the safety of flying or anything like that. I've heard the statistics, and I feel relatively safe in airports and on planes, compared to doing other activities like driving a car. I lucked out and had a great flight on my way down, at least by my standards. It was a later flight in the evening, which I tend to enjoy more anyway, and I had good company. The flight back wasn't as smooth (literally or figuratively), but I made out okay.

I love the Plus seats. I especially love the extra elbow room. The perks are nice too.

Normally I wouldn't say that this kind of an "upgrade" is worth the cost, especially when we were trying to be conservative-ish with our budget. But this totally was worth it! I wouldn't hesitate to upgrade again. Especially if I were flying by myself.

Awww... Cute pup!

He was sweet! A great little flyer. I think just having him nearby was a little comforting/calming for me, as someone who was feeling kinda anxious. I'm pretty fond of dogs. My seat mate was nice, too. And she was cool with me taking pictures of her dog, which was what I cared about most in that moment.

Cooke's of Dublin? Hadn't heard of that one. How does it compare to Rose and Crown?

I'd say it's most comparable to Raglan Road, but a QS version, but I wouldn't know because I've never eaten there. They share a facility though. It's pretty greasy since basically everything is battered and deep fried. I'd have to ask Nathan how their fish and chips compare, since I've never had it at Rose and Crown. But I think Cooke's of Dublin is great! The portions were large enough to share if we weren't really hungry for a big meal. And I keep going back solely because they can do all their battered stuff with gluten free batter on request. It's very rare that I've been able to eat fish and chips for the last 5 years or so. (Fun fact: there's also a good place in PEI that does GF fish and chips!) It's also conveniently located near to Erin McKenna's...and I spend a lot of time there... Nathan said the non-GF food at Cooke's was good, too. So I think it's probably worth checking out at Disney Springs.

Nice one!
#notstuckonabus #didntfightforfrontrow

Thanks!

Still bummed you had that bad experience. Wish you could enjoy it as much as I did.

Me too, but I'm glad Nathan's been able to get a lot out of it! He thinks it's awesome! My mom also loved it in December.

How was it there? What did you think?

I liked it! I would go back. Was looking at kids' portions first because I was saving my appetite for Jiko that night, but the kids bowls only have one option for your base (rice/grains) and they don't have any sauce. I liked the combination I got, but some of the other stuff sounded good, too. Nathan thought it was really great.

Knew that one... but you got a really good shot!

Thanks!

That is way too long! Ridiculous!

It was wild. The table beside us got all kinds of food while we just sat and waited. It was almost like they were pacing our entrees as if we'd ordered appetizers, even though we hadn't...and then like they still added more time.

"No problem. Here's my number. When she has the time, have her give me a call. I'll be more than happy to pay for my meal at that time."


grrrrr...

Really though! Maybe this would have been a better strategy.

I wonder. If it took 50 minutes to get your meal.... I wonder if others had similar experiences so Disney refunded everyone who was affected. Hmmmm...

I thought about this, too. Quite possible.

ASSp. Music is ASMu and Movies is ASMo

Alright, I'll take it! Works much better than how I was originally about to abbreviate it. teehehe

No. Just... no. #coconutisevil

Right, I keep forgetting about your coconut thing. Nathan hates raw coconut, but he was okay with this because it's toasted well. I feel like that wouldn't be enough to make it work for you though.

I'd be okay with that too.... the first time. After that I'd be "Get out of the way! Trying to get through here!"

100%! It was quite the hold up for a few minutes...

I was less than impressed. It was more snow cone than shave ice. I've had it in Hawaii and it just doesn't even come close.

Interesting! I'll have to tell him that he doesn't know what he's missing. His parents actually just got back from Hawaii. I'll have to ask them if they tried it there.

Oh! So that's who that was! That's great! Happy for you.

Yeah, it was a really cool meet and greet opportunity! I'd been listening to her voice from the time I was a very little girl, so I was pretty psyched.

I did that! They had that at the last MNSSHP that I attended.

Such a neat shot for them to offer.

What did he think? I made some when I heard about them and was only "meh" about it.

He really liked it! But our server, who was from the UK, told us that the Rose and Crown version was kind of like an elevated version of a typical scotch egg, because she said that back in England they just buy them pre-made in the refrigerated section of the grocery store and consume them mindlessly for breakfast. She said she thought the R&C version was much better. Nathan really likes British pop culture stuff though, TV, movies, books, etc., so I feel like he may have been biased when he tried it.

Canadian through and through.

Absolutely! Nathan was a little disappointed that it was Vermont syrup, but I was okay with not splitting hairs as long as I had pure maple.

Huh. Never really thought of that, but... you're right. I saw similar and it just seemed.... bizarre.

I remember reading something a while ago about how they try to make sure at Disney that no CMs are ever walking around in a costume that doesn't fit the theming of the land. I hadn't thought of it before that, but you'd never see someone from Frontierland walking by Space Mountain. It really is an interesting little touch to keep the magic intact.

What is that? On top of the building?

It's a transformer...but I'll be darned if I could tell you which one it is... That's where the Transformers 3D ride is in Universal.

 

[pkondz]

This should have been my attitude! It's a fun resort. We had a great stay there!

There ya go!

I don't regret it, but I probably wouldn't bother with it again. The benefits of having a clean room of vacation make up the cost. But it was worth a try! Especially since I'd been hearing rumours of there being extra pressure on mousekeepers as of late, due to a shortage. Not sure whether that's true or not though.

Hmmm... Now you've got me thinking...

So... essentially, you're paying $10/day more for the service. So if I'm paying extra for it already... should I stop tipping Mousekeeping?


Now you have me really rethinking this! I tip $5/day... so that would be a $15 savings per day. If I stay a week, that's $100... US! ($482 CDN... ish)

Early mornings, mid-afternoon or evenings, we usually saw break-out games here of various sporting varieties.

Really! No way!

Thanks! The green wall made me feel particularly happy to be alive.

I don't fly well due to a combo on anxiety, and brain condition issues, mostly leading to motion sickness.

Oh dear. I suspected it might be one of those. But all three??

And then I get anxious about flying because of the unpleasant symptoms.

Understandable.

I'm super vomit-phobic

Who isn't?
Maybe nurses....

(to the point where I make Nathan screen tv shows for me sometimes if I think they'll have yucky pukey scenes in them)

So... not a fan of The Exorcist?

And I don't like being in public places or under a microscope when I'm not feeling well, so being trapped on an airplane in that state is kind of my nightmare.

I totally get that. Just... "Please leave me alone and go away so I can just be miserable and not act like everything's fine."

I'm also pretty claustrophobic, so don't love that once you get on a plane, you're stuck there for hours, so even if it takes longer I sometimes prefer road trips where you always have the chance to take a break and stretch your legs.

Interesting. I love to fly... but I prefer road trips too. I like seeing stuff. I like the solitude. I like the extra time to just unwind. I like new places.

Strangely enough, I have no concerns about the safety of flying or anything like that. I've heard the statistics, and I feel relatively safe in airports and on planes, compared to doing other activities like driving a car.

I lucked out and had a great flight on my way down, at least by my standards. It was a later flight in the evening, which I tend to enjoy more anyway, and I had good company. The flight back wasn't as smooth (literally or figuratively), but I made out okay.

Hope the flight back wasn't too bad.

Normally I wouldn't say that this kind of an "upgrade" is worth the cost, especially when we were trying to be conservative-ish with our budget. But this totally was worth it! I wouldn't hesitate to upgrade again. Especially if I were flying by myself.

Yes. It's worth it.

He was sweet! A great little flyer. I think just having him nearby was a little comforting/calming for me, as someone who was feeling kinda anxious. I'm pretty fond of dogs. My seat mate was nice, too. And she was cool with me taking pictures of her dog, which was what I cared about most in that moment.

I'd say it's most comparable to Raglan Road, but a QS version, but I wouldn't know because I've never eaten there. They share a facility though. It's pretty greasy since basically everything is battered and deep fried. I'd have to ask Nathan how their fish and chips compare, since I've never had it at Rose and Crown. But I think Cooke's of Dublin is great! The portions were large enough to share if we weren't really hungry for a big meal. And I keep going back solely because they can do all their battered stuff with gluten free batter on request. It's very rare that I've been able to eat fish and chips for the last 5 years or so. (Fun fact: there's also a good place in PEI that does GF fish and chips!) It's also conveniently located near to Erin McKenna's...and I spend a lot of time there... Nathan said the non-GF food at Cooke's was good, too. So I think it's probably worth checking out at Disney Springs.

Interesting. I might have to give it a try then.
And PEI is on my list. I've been to most provinces and set foot in Nunavut... but PEI and Newfoundland I've yet to visit.

It was wild. The table beside us got all kinds of food while we just sat and waited. It was almost like they were pacing our entrees as if we'd ordered appetizers, even though we hadn't...and then like they still added more time.

Weird! I always wonder... "Did they drop it on the floor?"

Really though! Maybe this would have been a better strategy.

Then again... "Of course. We'll use this number when we call the police."

Alright, I'll take it! Works much better than how I was originally about to abbreviate it. teehehe

Right, I keep forgetting about your coconut thing. Nathan hates raw coconut, but he was okay with this because it's toasted well. I feel like that wouldn't be enough to make it work for you though.

I'll try almost anything... but if there's coconut in it..... nope!

Interesting! I'll have to tell him that he doesn't know what he's missing. His parents actually just got back from Hawaii. I'll have to ask them if they tried it there.

Yeah, it was a really cool meet and greet opportunity! I'd been listening to her voice from the time I was a very little girl, so I was pretty psyched.

Really! Well, then it's even more special! Happy for you!

He really liked it! But our server, who was from the UK, told us that the Rose and Crown version was kind of like an elevated version of a typical scotch egg, because she said that back in England they just buy them pre-made in the refrigerated section of the grocery store and consume them mindlessly for breakfast. She said she thought the R&C version was much better

Huh. And that makes sense. I didn't not like it... it was okay. But totally not worth the effort of making it. But I'd have it again if it was on my plate. I wouldn't pay extra for it.

Nathan really likes British pop culture stuff though, TV, movies, books, etc., so I feel like he may have been biased when he tried it.

Makes sense.

Absolutely! Nathan was a little disappointed that it was Vermont syrup, but I was okay with not splitting hairs as long as I had pure maple.

I hadn't noticed that it was Vermont!

I remember reading something a while ago about how they try to make sure at Disney that no CMs are ever walking around in a costume that doesn't fit the theming of the land. I hadn't thought of it before that, but you'd never see someone from Frontierland walking by Space Mountain. It really is an interesting little touch to keep the magic intact.

I've read the same.

It's a transformer...but I'll be darned if I could tell you which one it is... That's where the Transformers 3D ride is in Universal.

Ah! I haven't seen any of the movies. Doesn't interest me.

 

[MeghanEmily]

"ENJOY! YUMMY, YUMMY!" — A WDW February Trip
Day 5 — Part 1

This morning we took a bit of a tour of the resort after breakfast (where I took all those pictures I posted earlier of ASSp). We also discovered a lizard with no tail, and N was fascinated by him. Then we were off to the MK! I wanted purple wall pictures, and I even made N pose for one. He wasn't thrilled about it, but I thought he looked cool! We rode Peter Pan, and possibly something else nearby that I've forgotten, and then went to lunch at Pinocchio's.

Pinocchio's was a perfect example of the allergy kids' meal being a better option. I ordered the kids' allergy pizza with pepperoni. I got a side of fries, and applesauce, and a tiny bottle of water. I paid about $7.50. N got a regular adults' pizza, and ordered an extra bottle of water to drink. He paid about $15.

I had more food for half the price!

We went looking for hidden Pascals, and I only found one. The we made our way over to Frontierland. We rode BTMRR, and I took a picture of N with his "Mountains" shirt there. Then I had a photo taken in front of Splash because I was wearing my "Wonderful Day" shirt and a button that said: "This is my Laughing Place." Then we made our way out of the park to the boat for Fort Wilderness.

We had a special meal this night at Hoop Dee Doo Musical Review. It was out first time there, and we had a lot of fun. N wasn't sure whether we'd like it or not after I described it to him, but he thought the performers were good and there were some funny jokes. The food was good, and we had far too much of it! For allergies, I was also surprised and excited to see Chef TJ was there as the allergy chef. He has a reputation in the allergy community for going above and beyond, and he served me an absolutely crazy meal at Trail's End. He didn't disappoint, and brought me my own safe versions of the salad, baked smoked chicken, corn, baked potato, beans, and my favourite: the gluten free corn bread. I could also eat the regular ribs, which were really tender and tasty. For dessert, N was given the short cake, and I got a Mickey dairy-free ice cream. The show was a lot of fun, and we were glad we went.

​