It was a Horror-ible, and then Not-So-Scary (but exhausting!), October/NovTrip!! Completed 3/13!!!

[missjackiemcg]

Oh, yummy yum yum!! Those shakes look amazing--totally worth skipping real lunch for!!!

I'm with you on the haunted house thing--totally not my cup of tea. My husband and I did a Ghost Boat thing this summer in Wisconsin Dells and he was definitely used as my human shield. He's like, "Stop grabbing me." Um, nope. You knew what you were getting into when you signed us up for this darn thing!!! LOL

 

[buzzrelly]

Oh, yummy yum yum!! Those shakes look amazing--totally worth skipping real lunch for!!!

I'm with you on the haunted house thing--totally not my cup of tea. My husband and I did a Ghost Boat thing this summer in Wisconsin Dells and he was definitely used as my human shield. He's like, "Stop grabbing me." Um, nope. You knew what you were getting into when you signed us up for this darn thing!!! LOL

Haha! If they weren't jumping out at me, I would definitely enjoy it more, but then a lot of people like that sort of thing so they'd be mad

 

[buzzrelly]

As I said, I was STARVING. You all remember what I had for lunch? Anyway, I was searching for somewhere to get food that wasn't seafood and I really couldn't find anything so I ended up at Starbucks. I was going to settle for a pastry or anything I could get my hands on, but I ended up getting this…(if there are any food snobs out there, you may want to avert your eyes for this next pic )...


Now you see why I'm not going to write a dining report? This was a Tomato & Mozzarella sandwich. And in case you can't imagine what they put on that, from the menu:
Roasted tomatoes, mozzarella, spinach and basil pesto toasted focaccia.

It tasted just as you may imagine it would, and I scarfed it down pretty quickly, along with an iced tea…


I promise there is better food on the way!

After I ate, I went to take refuge for a little bit in DA and say good-bye to this guy…


Mike went through the last few houses on his own, though I think I did try to go through one more before we left…The Shining. I love the book and the old movie so I thought I'd like it

I didn't.

We left around 10:30…


Good-bye HHN 2017. See you, never!

I definitely don't want to offend anyone who loves HHN, and it is really well-done, but it is definitely not for me. However, I am glad I went to see for myself since it has always been something I've wanted to do.

We went back to our room and packed up, and I was giddy at the thought of leaving Universal and going HOME


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[MeghanEmily]

I love the book and the old movie so I thought I'd like it

I didn't.

Good-bye HHN 2017. See you, never!

Good riddance!

I was giddy at the thought of leaving Universal and going HOME

Oh my gosh, yay!

 

[buzzrelly]

I was fairly anxious to get going the next morning, so we had talked about going to have a cup of coffee back at Bayliner Diner before we left, but then decided (maybe I convinced Mike!) to just get going and go check in at Bay Lake Tower and have breakfast there.

By 8:22 am, we were driving under this glorious sight…


And a little further on…


Yay! It felt so good to finally be here!

We went straight to Bay Lake Tower and checked-in so we could activate our Deluxe Dining Plan and get our refillable mugs. Because we were only staying at BLT for one night, we were able to get the DxDP for just this night and it worked out great. However, I would never get it for a week long stay as I could just never eat the amount of food it comes with.

Obviously our room wasn't ready yet, so we went over to Contempo Cafe


and split a bounty platter…

and because we didn't need a drink, she gave us a side order of eggs instead. This was a perfect amount of food for the two of us. I ate the waffle and gave Mike most of the meat since I don't love it and we shared the eggs and fruit. Totally hit the spot!

I couldn't stop smiling, I was just so happy to be back…


I tried taking an artsy pic of Mike…

I should probably just stick to normal pics from now on!

We sat for about an hour and just had a couple cups of coffee and relaxed. We took a couple pics of my favorite mural…


and the monorail…


and admired Bay Lake…

and got my first glimpse of my favorite place in the world


When we had had our fill of taking pics, we headed to Disney Spring to do some shopping and kill some time before MNSSHP later.

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[MeghanEmily]

Because we were only staying at BLT for one night, we were able to get the DxDP for just this night and it worked out great. However, I would never get it for a week long stay as I could just never eat the amount of food it comes with.

This is a great way to do it! The DxDP is just SO much food. We've done it once. I wouldn't want to do it again. It's just not a good value for me because I couldn't ever eat that much!

because we didn't need a drink, she gave us a side order of eggs instead. This was a perfect amount of food for the two of us.

Nice! Good reminder I guess to always ask for substitutions in cases like this.

I should probably just stick to normal pics from now on!

 

[missjackiemcg]

The Shining. I love the book and the old movie so I thought I'd like it

I loved the book (the movie not so much). Did you ever read the sequel?? That took a really weird twist, but was also a good read! I can't imagine I would have enjoyed the haunted house version though!!

I was giddy at the thought of leaving Universal and going HOME

Hooray for going HOME!!!!! Your breakfast looks perfectly tasty. What a beautiful way to start the morning!!

 

[buzzrelly]

This is a great way to do it! The DxDP is just SO much food. We've done it once. I wouldn't want to do it again. It's just not a good value for me because I couldn't ever eat that much!

It's actually perfect for one night. I wish we could just choose the number of days we want it, since you can't get just one night unless you have a split stay.

Nice! Good reminder I guess to always ask for substitutions in cases like this.

They are much more lenient now with substitutions. I thinks that's a good thing

I loved the book (the movie not so much). Did you ever read the sequel?? That took a really weird twist, but was also a good read! I can't imagine I would have enjoyed the haunted house version though!!

No! I didn't even know there was a sequel. I used to read every new Stephen King book the minute it came out, but I stopped years ago. Maybe I'll look for it

Hooray for going HOME!!!!! Your breakfast looks perfectly tasty. What a beautiful way to start the morning!!

And people ask why we go back to WDW again and again…because it just feels good to be there

 

[buzzrelly]

Good riddance!

I wasn't going to say it, but that's kind of what I was thinking!

 

[buzzrelly]

Oh, look! They put out a welcome just for us!

We got to Disney Springs by around 10 am. This was my first time here since it's all been redone, and I loved it! I think it looks great! This was also the first time I've ever gone to DS by car and I was a little worried because I haven't heard great things about the garage, but I thought it was great and so easy. Maybe if we were going later in the day things would have been different, but I really thought the whole experience was fantastic.

I was excited to see some Halloween decorations that weren't gory and scary….




And I was happy to see they didn't get rid of this guy when they redid DS...


The first place we went was the Co-Op. I was dying to go here…


I even toyed with the idea of trying on some dresses because they are oh, SO CUTE! My practical side won out and I ultimately decided that I would never wear these at home, and when I'm in WDW I don't really wear dresses, so I didn't even bother trying them on. But they are so, so cute Here are a couple I would have tried on if I was going to...




I also toyed with the idea of getting a new Dooney, and thought about these…






I especially love the Tiana bag since I feel that her and I are kindred spirits and I find her so inspiring. She's definitely not afraid of a little hard work to get what she wants and when I am working my butt off and picking up extra shifts and overtime, I sing "Almost There," to myself! It takes the sting out of working crazy 12 hour shifts 50-60 hours/week

Anyway, I didn't end up getting a Dooney this trip because I wasn't 100% dying for one. However, they just recently released the Christmas Dooney and I for sure would have gotten one…they are SO CUTE! Alas, I missed that boat since they sold out in like two seconds flat and I wasn't on the app in time And I refuse to pay the Ebay people because I am infuriated that they buy all of these to just turn around and charge a higher price. I'd rather go without than let them make a penny off of me


The only thing I ended up getting in the co-op was a candle that smelled JUST like the Bay Lake Tower lobby…yum! I got one for myself and one for my mom and I love it. It's officially Green Clover Aloe and I was burning it a lot, but I put it away when all the Christmas candles came out.

As we were walking out of the co-op, spotted this and had to stop…



After poking around in some more shops, we started getting hungry so we headed over to someplace I have been dying to try…

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[buzzrelly]

We had a reservation to come here later in the trip, but it was on Saturday, which was the day of the 10K and the night before the half. I wasn't quite sure what our plans were going to be that day as I had us going to EPCOT for more food & wine. We decided to walk up and see how long the wait would be for lunch and it was maybe 10-15 minutes before we were seated. As it turns out, it's a good thing we did this and cancelled the Saturday ADR because we never did get back to DS for one, and two, we were able to use the DxDP credit for it.

Our waitress was adorable, and super helpful, without being annoying or overstaying her welcome. We both started with iced tea…Mike got sweet tea and mine was unsweetened. Both were good…


Cute little coasters, and I think my artsy shots are getting better..


The full menu:


I already knew from reading dining reports, that I wanted to try two appetizers.

• 
  Bunch of Puppies - House-made hushpuppies served with pimento cheese and red jalapeño jelly - $10.00

And

• 
  Church Lady Deviled Eggs - HFK-style whole deviled eggs - $10.00

All together now…


This was only my second time ever having Hush Puppies, the first time was in Hilton Head and I fell in LOVE with them. And these were just as good, if not better because that pimento cheese and pepper jelly just kicked them up a notch!

I like deviled eggs, but I haven't made them or had them in years, but these were amazing as well!

We ate every last puppy and egg and we were both getting full by the time our actual meals came. This is why I would never get the DXDP on a regular basis, because I rarely get appetizers since they fill me up too much before dinner, but I would have gotten these with or without the DxDP, so in this case, good deal

Shortly after, our meal came out. Mike got:

• 
  Art's Famous Fried Chicken - Buttermilk-brined for 24 hours then perfectly fried and served with creamy mashed potatoes, cheddar drop biscuits, and love - $28.00

• 
  

And I got:

FRIED CHICKEN CHOPPED SALAD-Mixed greens, egg, heirloom cherry tomatoes and cucumber tossed with icebox dressing, cheddar biscuit croutons and fresh herbs | 18


Aren't those tomatoes gorgeous? Sorry! I'm weird like that, but I love pretty vegetables!

We both loved our meals and hands down, think it was our favorite meal of the whole trip! Mike is still talking about it and has even texted me from work because he was telling his co-workers about it (but, of course, couldn't remember the name of the restaurant ).

Unfortunately, we were too full to finish our meals so we boxed them up to take home, and then we ended up moving them from BLT to the Poly and, sadly, never eating them

But, we weren't even done! The DxDP comes with dessert for each of us! Since this post is as full of pictures as we were with our food, you'll have to wait for dessert in the next post!


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[buzzrelly]

As I said, we were both too full for dessert, but our waitress was nice enough to box it up to go for us. We both got:

Hummingbird Cake


Pineapple-Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Served with a Scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream


I apologize for the terrible picture, but I didn't even remember to take this until at least the next day. Obviously, we didn't get the scoop of vanilla ice cream, either. Can I just say, this cake was HEAVENLY

Unfortunately, both of our pieces never really got eaten. I picked at mine for a couple days, and may have had some for breakfast one morning (don't judge!), but we kind of forgot about them and never finished.

We will definitely be going back here next trip, but maybe we'd get the apps and split a meal or something. SO good!


Mike was fine when we were walking out,


but then THIS happened…




I think all the shopping and food was just too much for him!

We took a couple parting shots of DS…

This was so pretty! It reminds me of Stormalong Bay…I want to jump in!

And then headed out…


We had gotten he text that our room was ready at BLT and we couldn't wait to see if we got what we had requested!


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[missjackiemcg]

Oh, yummmmm!! I am regretting not eating breakfast before reading your update!!!

I have never set foot in the Co-op because I think I would lose all restraint--can't even imagine how much my bill would be!!! But, boy, those dresses are adorbs and the purses you liked, as well. We love Tiana, too! My Mom's favorite place is New Orleans (She loves IT, the way I love Disney!) so we have seen that one A LOT!!!

LOVE your pics as you were leaving And your ears are SO cute!!!!! Did you get those down there?! I think I must have them.

 

[MommaOfTwoMice]

Following along! Counting down the days (127) until our next trip home.

 

[buzzrelly]

I have never set foot in the Co-op because I think I would lose all restraint--can't even imagine how much my bill would be!!! But, boy, those dresses are adorbs and the purses you liked, as well. We love Tiana, too! My Mom's favorite place is New Orleans (She loves IT, the way I love Disney!) so we have seen that one A LOT!!!

It is hard to keep from buying everything! Maybe it helps to got the first day so you can have the rest of your trip to think about going back if you REALLY wanted something. There was nothing I was longing for that I couldn't get out of my head, so I never felt the need to go back

I would love to go to New Orleans, someday!

LOVE your pics as you were leaving And your ears are SO cute!!!!! Did you get those down there?! I think I must have them.

Thanks! I did get these this day. I had been looking at the interchangeable bow ears, but I thought these were cuter

Following along! Counting down the days (127) until our next trip home.

Thanks for joining! Sounds like you'll be heading down right after our trip! April is such a beautiful time of year to visit, and the flower and garden festival...

 

[ThePrincess&TheJohn]

I'm loving your trip report! We just got back from a Thanksgiving trip to Universal. I also love the butterbeer ice cream and despise the King Kong ride! I've never been to WDW during the fall so I'm really looking forward to seeing all your pictures. Great job!

 

[kastoney]

By 8:22 am, we were driving under this glorious sight…

Hallelujah!!!! Be gone Universal and Halloween Horror Nights !

I couldn't stop smiling, I was just so happy to be back…

I think you may be literally beaming

Oh, look! They put out a welcome just for us!

Loving the Halloween decorations. Sad we missed out on these

We never got over here and that is probably a good thing as I have a major orange bird thing!!! Everything here is perfect!

This was only my second time ever having Hush Puppies, the first time was in Hilton Head and I fell in LOVE with them. And these were just as good, if not better because that pimento cheese and pepper jelly just kicked them up a notch!

Glad to hear you enjoyed, but how on earth have you only had hush puppies two times?????

We both loved our meals and hands down, think it was our favorite meal of the whole trip! Mike is still talking about it and has even texted me from work because he was telling his co-workers about it (but, of course, couldn't remember the name of the restaurant ).

We loved our meal here too. Ain't much better than good ole southern food

I apologize for the terrible picture, but I didn't even remember to take this until at least the next day. Obviously, we didn't get the scoop of vanilla ice cream, either. Can I just say, this cake was HEAVENLY

We did exactly the same thing. They just give you way too much food for dessert to even be in the cards

I think he and Jason would get along all too well

 

[disneyseniors]

Following too
I dont' know why your husband can't fly, but I used to be terrified of flying. I mean I got physically sick weeks before we left and was a wreck by the time we had to fly. I had to have a drink, no matter what the times of day, just to be able to fly.
Then, I tried hypnosis from a professional friend. I dont' know why, but it worked. I have been able to fly without any irrational fear at all!!! It's great to be able to fly like everyone else. Again, I dont' know why it worked, but it did, and I am a tough customer. I wouldn't just trust anyone to do it, but do research and go to a highly recommended hypnotist to do it, if you decide to do that.
It made all the difference in my vacation experiences.
We stayed at RPR and loved it too.

 

[buzzrelly]

I'm loving your trip report! We just got back from a Thanksgiving trip to Universal. I also love the butterbeer ice cream and despise the King Kong ride! I've never been to WDW during the fall so I'm really looking forward to seeing all your pictures. Great job!

Thanks for joining!

I think you may be literally beaming

HaHa! Thanks to the perfect placement of the Grand Concourse Windows!

Loving the Halloween decorations. Sad we missed out on these

As much as I loved the Christmas decorations, I was a little sad that we kind of went down for a "Fall" trip and didn't really get to see much of the Fall decorations. I was literally saying to Mike on the morning of 11/2, "I'll have to take some more pictures in front of the big Mickey," at the MK, and when we got there he was gone and it was all poinsettias. Of course, I thought it was stunning, but mentally I was thinking "fall," and had to switch to "Christmas."

We are booked for October 16-21, 2018 next year, though!

Glad to hear you enjoyed, but how on earth have you only had hush puppies two times?????

So deprived I guess Connecticut doesn't know how to live.

I think he and Jason would get along all too well

Maybe next October!

Following too
I dont' know why your husband can't fly, but I used to be terrified of flying. I mean I got physically sick weeks before we left and was a wreck by the time we had to fly. I had to have a drink, no matter what the times of day, just to be able to fly.
Then, I tried hypnosis from a professional friend. I dont' know why, but it worked. I have been able to fly without any irrational fear at all!!! It's great to be able to fly like everyone else. Again, I dont' know why it worked, but it did, and I am a tough customer. I wouldn't just trust anyone to do it, but do research and go to a highly recommended hypnotist to do it, if you decide to do that.
It made all the difference in my vacation experiences.
We stayed at RPR and loved it too.

That's AMAZING! Congratulations on overcoming your fear of flying! I'll suggest this to Mike because he's going to have to try SOMETHING since my dream is to go to Europe and back to Hawaii someday! Last I checked, trains don't go there!

 

[MeghanEmily]

This was also the first time I've ever gone to DS by car and I was a little worried because I haven't heard great things about the garage, but I thought it was great and so easy.

I thought the parking garage was super easy, too!

I loved the orange bird dress! Almost tried it on, but didn't for similar reasons.

However, they just recently released the Christmas Dooney and I for sure would have gotten one…they are SO CUTE! Alas, I missed that boat since they sold out in like two seconds flat and I wasn't on the app in time And I refuse to pay the Ebay people because I am infuriated that they buy all of these to just turn around and charge a higher price.

I missed them, too! And like you, I can't justify the purchase of another Dooney unless I'm 100% in love with it. I hate how people buy them up and then mark them up on Ebay...

We both loved our meals and hands down, think it was our favorite meal of the whole trip! Mike is still talking about it and has even texted me from work because he was telling his co-workers about it (but, of course, couldn't remember the name of the restaurant ).

Yum! So glad you had such a good meal here! Everything looked amazing.

Unfortunately, both of our pieces never really got eaten. I picked at mine for a couple days, and may have had some for breakfast one morning (don't judge!), but we kind of forgot about them and never finished.

I hate when this happens. I ate leftover wedding cake for breakfast more than once, so no judgement here!

Oh no!!!

So pretty!

This is super cute!