Newsies: From Scratch - May And September 2024! - FINISHED! 09/07

[MrsK53113]

Have you guys seen the full foodie guide for the party? Am I missing any must-eats?

I'm so jelly you get to try all the cool new Halloween Treats!! I read the Disney blog yesterday with descriptions of all the new items and was extremely bummed that most don't seem to be gluten free/dairy free. Very few options for me so I'm going to live vicariously through you and I can't wait to read about them in your TR, lol. You have such an amazing way with words!

 

[piglet1979]

I have to tie my Stanley to my wrist and constantly remind myself that it's time to drink water, especially since drinking water is such a key part of my lifestyle goals and helping me lose weight.

I have a huge issue drinking water too. I put an app on my phone that reminded me to drink water and I was also able to track how much I was drinking. It worked pretty good but I stopped using it because I was going to the bathroom too much at work. We didn't have a bathroom in my part of the building so I would have to go down the escalator then walk to the front of the building to go up the elevator to the 18 floor and then walk around our floor to get to the bathroom. It was too annoying.

This entire essay has been a tee up to let you all know that I ordered some Liquid IV on Amazon today. Idk. It's got sodium and other nutrients that your body needs to stay hydrated and my favorite Youtuber Feed MeiMei pushes it promotes it, so I bought a box of the rocket ice pop flavored packets for my September trip.

I have heard of others using this. One other thing you can do is start taking Ibuprofen as soon as you start to feel the pain. Take it consistently. This will help keep the inflammation and hopefully keep your back from getting worse.

 

[rdkeim]

I hope you've solved the mystery on your back problem. Dehydration makes perfect sense. Some of those party foods look wonderful. My sister and I are planning on a WDW trip next year. I want to plan the dates so that we can go to one of the Halloween parties. I've done MVMCP but not MNSSHP. Until then I'll follow along on your adventure!

 

[Paulaparm]

Okay, those treats all look delish…but that sipper???? OMG!!!

 

[ExpeditionEmily]

Nothing like playing Sims to avoid reality......I've been logging way too many hours this summer too! We're BIG fans of Liquid IV and it really saved us from dehydrating last June/August in Disney, I like that it flavors the water too so makes it a little easier to keep up with the drinks.

 

[dingyi6288]

I'm so happy that I found your PTR! I'm going this Sep too, from 28 Sep to 5th Oct. Will totally follow your updates as an inspiration!
Also the MNSSHP treats looks so good. Back in Nov 2019 (my first trip), I had considered doing MNSSHP but scratched that idea. It really became an item on my bucket list now! Definately gonna do it this time.

 

[Newsies]

I'm so jelly you get to try all the cool new Halloween Treats!! I read the Disney blog yesterday with descriptions of all the new items and was extremely bummed that most don't seem to be gluten free/dairy free. Very few options for me so I'm going to live vicariously through you and I can't wait to read about them in your TR, lol. You have such an amazing way with words!

Ugh, so sorry there's nothing for the GF/DF crowd at these parties!!

I have a huge issue drinking water too. I put an app on my phone that reminded me to drink water and I was also able to track how much I was drinking. It worked pretty good but I stopped using it because I was going to the bathroom too much at work. We didn't have a bathroom in my part of the building so I would have to go down the escalator then walk to the front of the building to go up the elevator to the 18 floor and then walk around our floor to get to the bathroom. It was too annoying.

Oh, I'm with you there -- I hate getting up and going to the bathroom at work all the time! That's so crazy that you have to travel that far for a bathroom! I don't know how I would deal with that!

I have heard of others using this. One other thing you can do is start taking Ibuprofen as soon as you start to feel the pain. Take it consistently. This will help keep the inflammation and hopefully keep your back from getting worse.

Thank you for this tip!! I am definitely bringing a Costco size bottle of Motrin and a Costco size bottle of Tylenol to the parks this year so I don't have to worry about buying dozens of those tiny packets they sell at Disney.

I hope you've solved the mystery on your back problem. Dehydration makes perfect sense. Some of those party foods look wonderful. My sister and I are planning on a WDW trip next year. I want to plan the dates so that we can go to one of the Halloween parties. I've done MVMCP but not MNSSHP. Until then I'll follow along on your adventure!

MNSSHP is a lot of fun! It's definitely worth taking a trip for the Halloween party. MVMCP is a lot of fun too, but MNSSHP is just a different vibe. I hope it works out for you, I would love to read a PTR/TR from you to hear about the planning and how you love the party!

Okay, those treats all look delish…but that sipper???? OMG!!!

Yes!!!! I need her!!!

Nothing like playing Sims to avoid reality......I've been logging way too many hours this summer too! We're BIG fans of Liquid IV and it really saved us from dehydrating last June/August in Disney, I like that it flavors the water too so makes it a little easier to keep up with the drinks.

Nooooo like... I'm on a huge Sims kick right now, it really is the best way to avoid reality.

Verdict on Liquid IV so far is that I love it. I have the rocket pop one and it is SO good, kinda sweet kinda sour a little salty? It's like a cherry limeade and it just hits all of the right tastebuds. I loved it so much that I ordered the Green Apple one too because of the gut health benefits of that one. I haven't tried it yet but it has kombucha powder in it so I think it might be a little funky.

I'm so happy that I found your PTR! I'm going this Sep too, from 28 Sep to 5th Oct. Will totally follow your updates as an inspiration!
Also the MNSSHP treats looks so good. Back in Nov 2019 (my first trip), I had considered doing MNSSHP but scratched that idea. It really became an item on my bucket list now! Definately gonna do it this time.

Thank you so much for joining along! You are going tolove Disney in September and you are going to LOVE MNSSHP!

 

[Newsies]

ALL The Food & Wine Fun!
​

And just like that... I'm 25 days away from checking in at Animal Kingdom Lodge! Sometimes, I still have no idea how we got here. But as every day gets us closer and closer to my flight, I get more and more excited! The D23 announcements this weekend really got me pumped up to back at the Parks. I knew I was going to have to say goodbye to Dinosaur and Dinoland on this trip, but hearing the announcement at D23 makes it too real. I'm actually really excited for the Indiana Jones ride and the rest of the new land, but it's so bittersweet to have to say goodbye to such a nostalgic place! I didn't bring a disposable camera to the parks this year, but I loved bringing them in years past and I think I'll take some to WDW this year to capture my last Dinoland memories on film, just for nostalgia's sake.

Pivoting to some non-Disney news real quick, I finally bit the bullet last week and bought my ticket to Universal Studios! I'll be there on Thursday 09/12, and I pivoted my Sanaa reservation to dinner on this night at 7:55. Universal Studios closes to guests at 6:00 on this night for HHN, and I really don't think I'm going to make it to 6 anyway -- thinking I'll probably tap out after the Superstar parade at 2:00, but I'll talk more about my day-to-day plans later.

"Changing dining reservations" is a great pivot back to Disney, as I did also cut back pretty significantly on my other ADRs for this trip. I don't want to ramble for too long about this, but I've reached a point with my lifestyle changes and weight management where the volume of food I can eat at any given time is pretty significantly reduced from what it was last year. I feel amazing and I'm tracking to be down 30 lbs from my weight at the beginning of the year by the time my trip rolls around, so this is all good news! But my meal times and portion sizes are a bit all over the place right now, as I'm eating a bit more intuitively and honoring my body's natural clock. With all of that being said, it's just better for me to plan for more hearty snack moments throughout the day versus tethering myself to an ADR time/location and spending $45+ on an entree that I could potentially not be super hungry for.

I still really love food, especially trying new foods, especially trying new foods at Walt Disney World, so I'm still really excited for my existing ADRs! As of right now, I still have Jiko on arrival night, Yak & Yeti and Boma on Wednesday, Sanaa on Thursday, and Boma on Friday morning. So, almost everything on my calendar is DAKL-centric and I think I'm probably going to cancel Yak & Yeti if it doesn't fit into my plans for the rest of my DAK day, since it would really just be an expensive appetizer and dessert moment for me anyway.

The only two days that are still giving me pause are Tuesday and Friday, my MNSSHP days. I want to rope drop MK one of those days, and I'd prefer if it was Tuesday, where I'm really want to be strategic and get a TBA LLMP reservation for as early as possible. I'm aware that experience is not going to be easy, and if that's the case, I'll pivot my rope drop plan to Friday instead, where it should be easier for me to grab a TBA LLMP. There are pros and cons to both strategies, I'll map options out for both days and then see where LLMP leads me in a few weeks. Boma still has many, many breakfast times open for both days, so I'm not concerned about shifting that reservation around, but I'm eager to see where I land for the week.

I think I said this in my last update, but... I loooooooooooove travelling solo because I get to plan things out as much as I want to

Between MNSSHP and the Food & Wine Festival, it's hard for me to say what I'm more excited for. BUT... the Food & Wine Festival menus were released yesterday and I'm READY TO GET MY FOOD & WINE ON! The menus at Food & Wine always look great, but this year, they look even better than ever.

I've decided that my new plan is to head to Epcot on my arrival day after I drop off my bags at DAKL, and enjoy some booths in World Discovery & World Celebration before my room is ready. Then, on Monday, I'll be back at Epcot to knock out the rest of the booths at the World Showcase. I have a spreadsheet and everything! Here are my must-dos and my plan for accomplishing what I can:

​

I'm trying to be realistic about how much I'll be able to do at this festival, but Brazil, India, and China are at the absolute top of my lists as always. I've never had the Pao de Queijo before and I will be heartbroken if I don't get to try it this year! I'm also on a huge Indian food kick lately, and I love a good Mango Lassi, so the India booth is another must for me. China and Mexico have also historically been my favorite booths (other than France, which I'm kind of lukewarm about this year). A lot of things on the foodie guide look incredible this year, and to be honest -- there is a lot of "savory" on this list and I'm gonna want to sub for a "sweet" thing at some point. My arrival day plan also feels a little ambitious now that I'm looking at it here, but I'm also going to be hungryyyyy when I get off that Mears bus, so it's not impossible.

Would love to hear what everyone else thinks of the Food & Wine booths and what I'm missing on this list!

 

[piglet1979]

feel amazing and I'm tracking to be down 30 lbs from my weight at the beginning of the year by the time my trip rolls around,

This is awesome. Great Job!!!!!!!

Would love to hear what everyone else thinks of the Food & Wine booths and what I'm missing on this list!

I will leave this for others to comment on. I have never been to a food booth but I am such a picky eater that not much looks/sounds great to me.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

I misread the Beer-braised beef from Belgium on your Want to Try list as "Beer Raised Beef" and I was . I mean, I've heard of grass-fed beef, but wow - those Belgians and their drunk cows!

It looks like you're setting up to have a great trip!

 

[LoveToDisney]

Congrats on your 30 lb weight loss!!
Very awesome! Keep it up! Just think how great you will feel walking around at WDW!

 

[Paulaparm]

Congratulations on your weight loss! I know it’s not an easy road.
Your plans sound great. I would love to be able to try Food & Wine sometime!!

 

[Newsies]

This is awesome. Great Job!!!!!!!

Thank you VERY MUCH Stephanie!!! Appreciate you so much!

I misread the Beer-braised beef from Belgium on your Want to Try list as "Beer Raised Beef" and I was . I mean, I've heard of grass-fed beef, but wow - those Belgians and their drunk cows!

I've heard about tipping cows, but TIPSY COWS???

It looks like you're setting up to have a great trip!

I can't wait!

Congrats on your 30 lb weight loss!!
Very awesome! Keep it up! Just think how great you will feel walking around at WDW!

You are the best ever, thank you so much! Disney has honestly been a huge motivation throughout it all -- to not have to worry about being uncomfortable on 7DMT, to be able to confidently fit on a Tron lightcycle, to have the energy to play in the Parks all day... it's all been a motivating force throughout this journey!

Congratulations on your weight loss! I know it’s not an easy road.
Your plans sound great. I would love to be able to try Food & Wine sometime!!

You are the sweetest ever Paula, thank you so much!

F&WF is one of my favorite times at Disney, it's definitely worth a visit to Epcot in the warmer months!

 

[Newsies]

Pros, Cons, and Party Priorities
​

Okay... I said I was going to sit down and do some day-to-day planning as we got closer to my dates, and so far, I have NOT gotten around to that I just haven't gotten around to it!

A week from tomorrow, I'll be doing my LLMP selections, so I really need to sit down and make my plans. I don't think I'm going to do LLMP every day, and I think I'm going to skip it for Animal Kingdom, though I might spring for ILL for Flight of Passage there. I'll definitely be doing it for Monday (Epcot) and Tuesday (Magic Kingdom), but need to make a game plan for Friday and Sunday.

BASICALLY... I'm doing some more debating on whether I should go to a Park on my arrival day (would be Epcot) or go to Disney Springs on my arrival day and save that Park ticket for a DHS morning on Friday before my party. There are pros and cons to both, and I'd love it if anyone here could weigh in!

DISNEY SPRINGS ON ARRIVAL DAY, DHS ON FRIDAY

• PRO: Makes me feel "safe" knowing that if I have a rough travel day, and I get to DAKL maybe a bit later than I expected OR my room is already ready by the time I get there, I can go straight to my room and decompress without feeling like I could potentially be wasting a park ticket​
• PRO: This gives me a chance to visit Disney Springs when I otherwise wouldn't on this trip. There's good QS at DS and I can see a movie while I wait for my room to be ready, which was something I really enjoyed when I had my solo trip in 2021.​
• PRO: Not sure if I will be going to DHS otherwise, so this will give me a chance to do RnRC, ToT, Slinky​
• CON: I would have to move around Boma breakfast OR potentially cancel it​
• CON: I would have less time to pack my room and get ready to leave on Saturday morning, which will already be pretty early for me​
• CON: Friday is very late in the week, and I'll have a late-night party that evening, so I'll be burning the midnight oil on my energy reserve and it might be a bit ambitious to plan for a park and a party night on this day.​

EPCOT ON ARRIVAL DAY, POOL/PACKING ON FRIDAY

• PRO: This was the original plot for a reason, I intentionally built in time on my last day to sleep in, have breakfast at Boma, pack, swim, ship some souvenirs home at the gift shop, and book a future stay with my Bounceback offer
• PRO: Doing Epcot on my arrival day will really be the only way I can ensure I'll be able to eat more than 5-6 dishes at the Food & Wine festival, plus it will take pressure off of my Epcot Monday plans and I might be able to hop to DHS that night.
• PRO: Having more "to do" on Sunday morning via rides, F&W booths, characters, etc. at Epcot will help me stay entertained if my room is ready later than I'd like it to be.
• CON: Like I mentioned above, if my travels are delayed for any number of reasons, I would only be tapping into Epcot for an hour or two before heading back to unpack the room, shower, and get ready for dinner at Jiko, which feels like a massive waste of a ticket.
• CON: I would have trouble resisting the urge to get to Magic Kingdom super early! Want to avoid the massive crush of people waiting to get into the party at 4 PM and the idea of being able to bypass that line with my Park Hopper is so tempting.

That's where my head is at right now. The first plan feels like it gives me a bit more flexibility, but this might just be one of those things that I have to make a spontaneous decision on based on how my travels go. IDK. If anyone else has a perspective, I'd love to hear it!

One thing is not-so-spontaneous... I have to make some serious priorities for my not-so-scary parties!

We all know that these parties are crowded and that there's so much to do, you just won't be able to get everything done in one evening. I've learned from past experiences that you really need to prioritize 3-4 things you really want to do per party in order to get the most out of your ticket. Otherwise, you could be running around all night battling crowds and then you get to the end of your night and you're like "wait, I didn't do what I wanted to do!"

Having a small handful of things you want to do, and the order you want to do them in, can help alleviate some of that stress with a game plan that doesn't feel too ambitious, like it could topple over if the line for something is longer than you hoped. Here's my game plan for both parties:

PARTY #1:​

1. Minnie Mouse Sipper -- This will take some waiting, but if I really want this cup (which I do, it's kind of the only souvenir I'm determined to get this trip), I'll have to get in line no later than 5:30. Sometimes, if Sleepy Hollow is ready to start serving party guests, they can start selling them closer to 6:30-6:45. People will likely already be in line by the time I get here, so I will probably be waiting an hour and a half for a cup. A Minnie Mouse cup. And yes, I know I'm insane.​
2. Meet Mirabel & Bruno -- This will be... yet another long line. But as far as entertainment for this party goes, these are two of the only characters I'm really determined to meet this year. Already met Jack & Sally twice before, so they aren't a huge priority for me, plus I might be able to catch them with a short line towards the end of the evening/during the second parade.​
3. Meet Ariel & Eric -- This is the other set of characters I want to meet this year since I've never met Eric​
4. A little bit of shopping at the Emporium, want to make sure that I can ship this stuff out from the DAKL gift shop on Friday morning.​
5. Snacks -- Funnel Cake from Sleepy Hollow and something else.​
6. Trick or Treating! Gotta keep my room stocked with candy for the rest of the week! Definitely have to stop by PFTH for the Evil Queen and Maleficent.​

PARTY #2:​

1. Meet Elvis Stitch, I try to start my parties with one (1) character that's rare-ish, and even though I don't love Stitch 100%, I think the Elvis costume is a lot of fun!​
2. Space Mountain with the lights off, the craziest and most fun overlay at this party!​
3. More snacks -- Beignets from Peco's Bill and something else.​
4. Even more Trick or Treating! For even more candy!​
5. 11:15 Boo to You Parade/Midnight Villains Spelltacular to end what I know is going to be the craziest, best, most spooky solo trip ever!​

 

[LoveToDisney]

Sounds to me like it’s time to bite the bullet and become an annual pass holder. I never have to worry about “wasting” a ticket. Even when we only go 2-3 times a year (we live in the Midwest and fly in), it just takes that stress out of entrance…we go for a few hours at least every day if we want to while at WDW. If you can get the Sorcerers pass thru DVC, it’s barely more that a full week’s ticket cost.

 

[Newsies]

Sounds to me like it’s time to bite the bullet and become an annual pass holder. I never have to worry about “wasting” a ticket. Even when we only go 2-3 times a year (we live in the Midwest and fly in), it just takes that stress out of entrance…we go for a few hours at least every day if we want to while at WDW. If you can get the Sorcerers pass thru DVC, it’s barely more that a full week’s ticket cost.

I thought about this ahead of our May vacation!!! Figured it would have saved $$$ for this upcoming trip but we purchased the ticket package for it pretty early in the year and I thought I would only be doing a 3-Day package, so I figured it wouldn't be worth it.

We were Passholders from 2018-2020 and I desperately miss the old tiers (and prices!) that they used to offer. I don't think 2025 is going to be the year of rejoining the Passholder family for me but my hope is that I'll be promoted at work ahead of 2026 so I can plan another fun solo fall trip in two years.

 

[Lynne G]

Getting that much closer for you, and congratulations on your weight loss.

17 days for us, and that 17th day from today, we have that oh so nice feeling crack of dawn flight. We are doing one party, but thinking adding another. We’ll see after the first one. We will be at Universal the week after, but do have mouse APs, so while hate to park at MK, we may try if I can swing the price of another party, and tickets are still available.

That Halloween sipper. She is so cute. May have to pick her up, too. Have the popcorn one from last year. We didn’t particularly like the candy corn sipper that was last year.

 

[piglet1979]

BASICALLY... I'm doing some more debating on whether I should go to a Park on my arrival day (would be Epcot) or go to Disney Springs on my arrival day and save that Park ticket for a DHS morning on Friday before my party. There are pros and cons to both, and I'd love it if anyone here could weigh in!

I wouldn't make plans for the arrival day. They both have good pro's and con's. Wait until you get there and see what you feel like doing. If you are their early head to EPCOT. if it is later then you want getting to the hotel head to the springs. In the past we always left a day open, usually on the Friday to do what ever we wanted or missed. So this could be your day (arrival day) to just play it by ear.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

We are usually park people on arrival day but have decided that this trip we will not be doing that. We are also staying at AKL and want to take advantage of the resort and exploring there. We will hit Disney Springs for a bit. We just want to take it a bit easier and not stress ourselves out with being go go go.

 

[Newsies]

Getting that much closer for you, and congratulations on your weight loss.

Thank you very, very much!!!

17 days for us, and that 17th day from today, we have that oh so nice feeling crack of dawn flight. We are doing one party, but thinking adding another. We’ll see after the first one. We will be at Universal the week after, but do have mouse APs, so while hate to park at MK, we may try if I can swing the price of another party, and tickets are still available.

Haha, gotta love those early morning flights! I'm also the first flight out of Newark in 10 days so I know how you feel. Sounds like you have some great plans -- if you decide you want to try a second party, but it's sold out by the time you make that choice, I recommend talking to the Guest Services team at Magic Kingdom on the day of that second party. They sometimes have additional tickets they can release day of, but I'd get to them as early as possible. May be more work than you're willing to commit but I've done it before!

That Halloween sipper. She is so cute. May have to pick her up, too. Have the popcorn one from last year. We didn’t particularly like the candy corn sipper that was last year.

Yes, I love her!! She's gonna be tough to catch this year, but I really hope I can grab one. I didn't care for candy corn Donald either.

I wouldn't make plans for the arrival day. They both have good pro's and con's. Wait until you get there and see what you feel like doing. If you are their early head to EPCOT. if it is later then you want getting to the hotel head to the springs. In the past we always left a day open, usually on the Friday to do what ever we wanted or missed. So this could be your day (arrival day) to just play it by ear.

I like your thinking! I agree, if I get there on time I'll head to Epcot, if I'm delayed by more than 2 hours than what I'm expecting I'm just gonna have to either head to Springs or chill at DAKL if my room is ready. I just have so much to do on Friday before the party (Boma breakfast, shipping things home from DAKL gift shop, booking a room with the bounceback offer, packing up) that it's making me nervous to intentionally plan to use a park ticket that same day... we shall see how things go.

My family likes to plan a day to leave open, too, so I know I'm stretching myself thin with the amount of things I'm planning to get done this week!

We are usually park people on arrival day but have decided that this trip we will not be doing that. We are also staying at AKL and want to take advantage of the resort and exploring there. We will hit Disney Springs for a bit. We just want to take it a bit easier and not stress ourselves out with being go go go.

Upgrading to a 4-Day Hopper from a 3-Day Hopper was maybe not my smartest financial or planning move given the two parties and Universal day I've built into my schedule On my last soloventure I really enjoyed an early morning matinee at the Springs AMC/lunch at the Homecomin' bar before heading back to the room on my arrival day, so I hear what you're saying. Very smart to not plan to visit a Park on your arrival day, especially if you're flying.