I think I gained 5 pounds at the Food & Wine Festival - An Oct 2012 TR **NEW 3/18**

[jenny105]

Great update! I always have to do the Tiki Room-- love it for some reason! I actually prefered the Iago/Zazu version, though. I know I'm in the minority!

I much, much prefer BTMRR at night! At night, in the last train is the best!

Your new FL pictures are great. I'm not very interested in Storybook Circus, but it does look very cool.

Augh I'd hate getting stuck on SM! 15-20 minutes must have seemed like an eternity to the people who were in the cars!

I don't know if I ever saw it with Zazu and Iago. Iago's voice is nails on a chalkboard so I don't think I would've liked it LOL.

BTMRR just feels faster at night. I love it!

I'm not interested in New FL at all until the mine train opens. I'm not a big fan of the Little Mermaid and I like B&TB but it's just a restaurant. Hopefully when we go back in 2014 the train will be open.

What a fun birthday at the MK! nice pace you had, it seems, being able to do some of the less popular things but still able to do the biggies too! AWesome!

I haven't done most of those attractions in years! It was a nice but different day at MK.

 

[jenny105]

I can post this now since it’s after Christmas and this was part of Kris’s Christmas gift. We are going on a cruise! Not Disney but Carnival. I found a great deal on an 8 night cruise that leaves out of NYC and stops at Grand Turk and the Bahamas. I’ve never sailed on Carnival so I’m a little nervous at what to expect. I’ve heard mixed things. Have any of you ever sailed with them? The cruise isn’t until October 16 which gives us plenty of time to save. I’m excited because it gives us something to look forward to!

I’ve also been thinking about my next Disney trip LOL. It won’t be until 2014 but I’m torn on when to go. When would you go? Early November to take advantage of cooler temps and the F&W Festival, early December to see the holiday decorations, or January where there are virtually no crowds? Decisions, decisions. The 2014 booking window will probably open up around June or July so you know I’ll book it asap LOL. I’m also going to look into renting points at the Boardwalk. If we don’t rent, I want to stay at POFQ.

Anyway, here’s more of the TR!

We were headed back to AKL after a fun morning at MK. We arrived back at the resort by 12:30 and headed straight for the pool for a few hours (after stopping in the room to change). We grabbed some lunch at the Mara and split the veggie pizza and a chocolate chip muffin for dessert. It started to rain while we were eating so we headed back to the room to take a nap.

A good shot of the rain and the lonely antelope (?)

When we woke up about an hour later we just hung out and watched a little tv before getting ready to go to Citywalk for dinner. That’s right. We were bursting the Disney bubble! We showered and got ourselves prettied up & headed out.

I like Universal but going there is a completely different experience from Disney. The crowd is just…different. More locals. More unsupervised teenagers. Chaotic is just a good word to describe the area. It’s definitely not as family friendly as Disney. We walked through the massive parking structure and headed to our first destination…Bubba Gump! The wait was only 10 minutes or so and I like they don’t put YOUR name down. They’ll ask you a random question and use that name. In my case it was my favorite actor. Johnny Depp of course!

Kris in Forrest’s shoes…

We were seated around 8:30 and we left there stuffed to the gills (again!). Kris got a Blue Hawaiian and I got a Coronarita (best drink ever!). We split Bubba’s Dip which is shrimp & artichoke dip; I got Shrimper’s Haven which is 3 different kinds of shrimp plus fries and Kris got a steak. I could not finish all that shrimp! So good but so much. Our waitress asked us trivia questions about Forrest Gump and I’m proud to say we got all of them right!

After dinner we headed to my favorite place, Margaritaville. There was a live band playing and we managed to find a seat at the volcano bar. Loaded Landsharks please! They are the BEST. It’s Landshark infused with lime tequila. So yummy. We actually bought a bottle of the tequila with us on DCL and made our own. Good stuff!

We hung around there for a couple hours before heading back to AKL & arrived at the hotel around 12:30. It had been a wonderful 30th birthday but I was a little sad. The trip was flying by and I knew we only had a couple of days left in my favorite place. Stay tuned for more…

Happy New Year everyone!

 

[klacey1]

Perfect birthday night! I agree, City Walk is definitely different from Disney, but I love it. The energy is much more adult--- could definitely do without the annoying teens though. Always waaaaay too many of those!
I've never cruised Carnival, but how exciting! Definitely awesome to have something to look forward to. I've heard you get way more bang for your buck on Carnival compared to DCL. Visiting the Bahamas should be awesome.
Hmmm, if I were you, I'd go to WDW in December of 2014. I don't know if I'll ever get to go around the holidays, but I'd LOVE to. It seems so magical-- I've heard the first two weeks have super low crowds. The only negative for me would be the weather. I've heard there's potential for it to be VERY cold, and I can't imagine WDW not in shorts!

 

[jenny105]

Perfect birthday night! I agree, City Walk is definitely different from Disney, but I love it. The energy is much more adult--- could definitely do without the annoying teens though. Always waaaaay too many of those!
I've never cruised Carnival, but how exciting! Definitely awesome to have something to look forward to. I've heard you get way more bang for your buck on Carnival compared to DCL. Visiting the Bahamas should be awesome.
Hmmm, if I were you, I'd go to WDW in December of 2014. I don't know if I'll ever get to go around the holidays, but I'd LOVE to. It seems so magical-- I've heard the first two weeks have super low crowds. The only negative for me would be the weather. I've heard there's potential for it to be VERY cold, and I can't imagine WDW not in shorts!

Winter is so unpredictable in Florida. I'd like for it to be in the 70s at least. The only problem with the first two weeks of December is my Mom & sister's birthdays are on Dec 8. I'm always around for it because we usually all go out and do things together. I'd hate to miss it and I doubt I could talk them into going to Disney World. Well, maybe my sister...

 

[FauntleroyFAN07]

good ending to a birthday day. the drink sounds good will remember that for next time i want to try something new.

 

[jenny105]

good ending to a birthday day. the drink sounds good will remember that for next time i want to try something new.

Which one? The Coronarita or the loaded Landshark?

 

[jenny105]

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a good one.

I just wanted to update quickly to say I probably won't have a new post up until sometime next week. We are headed to Green Bay this weekend. Kris is a huge Packers fan and decided he wants to go to the playoff game on Saturday night. We are driving tonight, stopping in Ohio, and hope to get to our hotel in Wisconsin by Friday afternoon. It's a 14-15 hour drive. Can't we go south instead? I've never been there and I'm not sure I'm prepared for how cold it's going to be. Whatever the temperature it'll be a fun time!

Have a good weekend!

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

Hey, Jenny! I've been MIA almost pretty well since we got back in Oct...serious Post Disney blues. But, I am all caught up on your TR!! Looks like you guys had a great trip! Loved your BDay at MK and City Walk...sounds like lots of fun was had!

Can't wait to hear more!! And congrats on your upcoming cruise!!

 

[FauntleroyFAN07]

have a fun trip, you will go about ten miles north of me on the express way while traveling through.

but dont have to much fun it is the packers after all.

 

[khertz]

Sounds like a fun way to cap off your birthday! I have never eaten at the Bubba Gump's in Citywalk, but I LOVE Margaritaville! Citywalk is a better alternative to DTD. More going on, and way more good restaurants to choose from.

Have fun at the playoff game! Safe travels, and stay warm!

 

[jenny105]

Hey, Jenny! I've been MIA almost pretty well since we got back in Oct...serious Post Disney blues. But, I am all caught up on your TR!! Looks like you guys had a great trip! Loved your BDay at MK and City Walk...sounds like lots of fun was had!

Can't wait to hear more!! And congrats on your upcoming cruise!!

I had some post-Disney blues too. I wasn't in any rush to come back on DIS and read about everyone else's upcoming trips so I understand!

Thanks!

have a fun trip, you will go about ten miles north of me on the express way while traveling through.

but dont have to much fun it is the packers after all.

I'll be sure to wave to you as we pass by.

I'm guessing you're not a Packers fan?

Sounds like a fun way to cap off your birthday! I have never eaten at the Bubba Gump's in Citywalk, but I LOVE Margaritaville! Citywalk is a better alternative to DTD. More going on, and way more good restaurants to choose from.

Have fun at the playoff game! Safe travels, and stay warm!

Bubba Gump's is yummy! I've been to the one in Times Square as well and they were just as good. Margaritaville trumps everything though. I absolutely love that place. And I agree - Citywalk's options are way better than DTDs.

Thanks! I'll try to stay as warm as I can!

 

[FauntleroyFAN07]

I'll be sure to wave to you as we pass by.

I'm guessing you're not a Packers fan?

only last weekend when they needed to win so the bears could make the playoffs, but they couldnt do that...i hope the vikings crush them...but have fun at the game.

 

[jenny105]

only last weekend when they needed to win so the bears could make the playoffs, but they couldnt do that...i hope the vikings crush them...but have fun at the game.

I think Kris hates when the Packers play the Bears because I drive him nuts with my Superfan ramblings. All he hears about is Hurricane Ditka and DA BEARS! I watched way too much SNL as a kid.

 

[FauntleroyFAN07]

I think Kris hates when the Packers play the Bears because I drive him nuts with my Superfan ramblings. All he hears about is Hurricane Ditka and DA BEARS! I watched way too much SNL as a kid.

thats great,

 

[jenny105]

Hi guys!

I don’t have a Disney trip update for you today but I have a Green Bay trip update. For those of you who don’t know, they won! We had a lot of fun but that made the trip worth it. If they had lost I would’ve had to deal with cranky Kris on the 14 hour car ride home. Not fun! He’s already talking about going back out there for the conference game if Green Bay makes it. Green Bay is his Disney World.

We decided to rent a car for the weekend because we didn’t want to put the miles on either of our cars. There is a Hertz location in our office so I was able to get a car for $95 Thurs-Mon. Not bad! We ended up with a Nissan Versa.

We left Thurs night after work and decided to drive about 8 hours before stopping. There was traffic heading out of NJ (of course) so what should’ve taken an hour took two. We stopped just south of Toledo and arrived there around 3 am. Wow, were we tired! We didn’t get much sleep either because we wanted to be on the road again by 10 am. We stayed in a Courtyard so they didn’t offer free breakfast and we decided to stop somewhere on the road. There isn’t much off the interstate in Western Ohio and Indiana except Burger Kings! What’s up with that? We eventually found a Cracker Barrel and stopped there. Yum! By then it was lunch time LOL.

We flew through the rest of Indiana and made our way into Chicago where we sat in a little bit of traffic. I didn’t mind. Gave me a chance to take some pictures! I’ve never been to Chicago so driving through it was fun for me LOL.

After Chicago there was a bit more of Illinois to drive through until we finally saw this sign:

About 90 minutes later we were pulling up to the hotel. We couldn’t find anything for a decent price in Green Bay and the closest place I could get with my TA discount was a Fairfield Inn in Oshkosh, about 45 minutes away. Good enough! We checked in, freshened up a bit, and Kris was raring to go into Green Bay to see Lambeau. When we got there we decided to take a tour of the stadium. We were the last tour group of the night at 7 and had about an hour to kill before it began so we had a beer in Curly’s and walked around the gift shop. I have to say Lambeau Field is really nice! I like that it’s a tourist attraction you can visit even when there is no game. It’s crazy that it’s in the middle of the town like that. There are houses right across the street! I said if I lived there I would let people park at my house for a small fee. That’s exactly what those people did on game day! The lot is very small so you park throughout the town. We paid $10 to park at a Buffalo Wild Wing’s down the street.

Anyway it was time for our tour to begin. Our tour guide was wonderful! I feel like I learned a lot about the history of the Packers. I always asked Kris why they were called the Packers and he never knew! I learned it on the tour and all about Curly Lambeau and Vince Lombardi. We also were told all about how the team has no owner and relies on the money Lambeau Field generates to pay the team and for renovations. After filling our heads with all of that information he took us up to the marketing suite which has a killer view!

Of course it’s gorgeous inside.

Then he took us through the players tunnel out on the field.

We weren’t allowed to touch the grass or do any Lambeau leaps but we were allowed pictures!

After the tour we said goodbye to Lambeau and had dinner (at a restaurant called Grazie’s) before heading back to the hotel. We got back around 10:30 and fell right to sleep!

Stay tuned for game day and the drive back to NJ!

One more thing before I go – I AM SO HAPPY HOCKEY IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[FauntleroyFAN07]

you should have put the back heal of your s hoes on the grass so yo ucould say you stood on it.

 

[klacey1]

Seems like you guys had a lot of fun in Wisconsin! That's so cool that they let you go through the player's entrance. I'd love to do that at MSG!

 

[jenny105]

you should have put the back heal of your s hoes on the grass so yo ucould say you stood on it.

LOL they are very protective of their field! Some of the guys on the tour were disappointed they couldn't take a couple blades of grass home.

Seems like you guys had a lot of fun in Wisconsin! That's so cool that they let you go through the player's entrance. I'd love to do that at MSG!

Wisconsin was fun! There's a sentence I never thought I'd say.
I wish they had something like that at MSG. I was lucky enough to be on the ice the year after the lockout (the one where we lost a whole season). Remember when they handed out the Thank You jerseys? I have one!

 

[jenny105]

We woke up around 10:30 on game day morning. It felt so nice to be able to sleep in after that long drive! We were out the door by 11:30 and made it into Green Bay around 12:30. Kris wanted to head to Titletown Brewery for lunch so that’s where we went! I didn’t take any pictures of the place but I liked it! The place is painted light yellow with green touches and all the wait staff wear Green Bay jerseys/shirts. And being a brewery they make their own beer. I had some kind of honey ale and then had a drink called a honey shandy which was the ale, citrus vodka, and lemonade. It was delicious!

We had lunch (I had a turkey melt, Kris had a bison burger which he hated and I told him he would so I’m not sure why he got it) and hung around for a couple hours before heading over toward Lambeau Field. The game wasn’t scheduled to start until 7 (8 EST!) and he wanted to walk around the lot and tailgate a bit. The whole town shuts down on game day and everything you can think of from restaurants to gas stations to people’s houses turn into parking lots. We paid $10 to park at Buffalo Wild Wings and walked over to the stadium.

I can’t put my arms down! Quick which movie is that from?

The lot had just opened (by then it was after 3) so we walked around checking out everyone’s Packer gear. Some people go all out with tents, beer pong tables, and enormous tables full of food. I was tempted to act like I knew these people (it seemed like the whole town knew each other) and snag some food but I behaved. We found these things outside and had to have our pictures taken.

Then we headed around to the front of the stadium to check out the statues.

Lombari

Lambeau. I feel like he’s doing a half baked Al Bundy impression.

There’s a tent just outside the field called the Tailgate Zone so we headed in there to wait until the stadium opened up. There was a live band, a bar, and plenty of food. It stays open throughout the game so people that don’t have tickets can hang out and watch from in the ‘zone.’ Pretty cool! I can’t imagine having something like that at a Giants or Jets game. Those fans would make it a disaster zone.

Apparently Hulk Hogan is a Packers fan…

Packered out.

We hung around until about 5:30 or so and then headed into the stadium itself. Lambeau field is nice but bleach seats. Really? It’s 2013. C’mon. We had to rent cushions with backs so we could lean back when we were sitting. We dropped those off at our seats and walked around the atrium for a bit before heading back outside for the game. I thought I would freeze but I had snow pants on and about four shirts so I was surprisingly warm!

Pictures from our seats:

As you know the Packers won that game partly because poor baby Christian Ponder hurt his elbow and didn’t play so the Vikings didn’t put up much of a fight. I’m sorry maybe it’s because I’m a hockey fan but if you’re hurt and it’s the playoffs, you play. Brian Leetch played with a dislocated shoulder in the 94 playoffs. I feel like athletes now are big babies. Ok rant over.

Then the Packers flew to San Francisco and got their butts kicked. The end.

After the game we drove back to the hotel and stopped at Applebees to pick up dinner. We woke up around 9 the next morning and hit the road by 10. We stayed outside of Youngstown that night (we made it in time for Mob Wives woo!) and made it back home by 4 the next day.

I hope you all enjoyed my weekend in Wisconsin mini-TR. I promise my next update will be about our Disney trip!!

 

[FauntleroyFAN07]

LOL they are very protective of their field! Some of the guys on the tour were disappointed they couldn't take a couple blades of grass home.

i wont confirm nor deny that when on the cubs stadium tour i had to tie my shoe, and a piece or two of grass stuck to my fingers and then into my pocket.

Then the Packers flew to San Francisco and got their butts kicked. The end.

best sentence you wrote. sorry had to highlight that being a bears fan.

allthough sounds like a fun day you guys had, and smart move on there part keeping bleacher seats, think how much extra money they make on those seat backs they rent out.