Newsies' Pumpkin-Spiced Trip Report! - Our MNSSHP, MM August '19 Adventure! *DR link 1/27*

[missangelalexis]

Such a cute donut selfie! And even better that it was delicious too!

 

[cinderaimee]

omg that donut looks so good. I've considered it a few times but never gone for it, now I'm regretting it. Looks like such a nice solo morning in Epcot!

 

[Newsies]

I love your donut selife! It's absolutely perfect! I think I only had a Joffrey's donut once but now I need to fix that!!

elsa-rary love it!!

Thank you so much!! I highly recommend the Joffrey's donuts!!

It was so funny and took me totally be surprise, I laughed so hard when she said it!!

Those donuts are the best! When were we there over the summer, we ate them almost every day. I don’t understand what makes them so yummy.

They are so good!! I wish I knew how they did it!!

Such a cute donut selfie! And even better that it was delicious too!

Thank you so much!! It was so yummy!!

omg that donut looks so good. I've considered it a few times but never gone for it, now I'm regretting it. Looks like such a nice solo morning in Epcot!

Definitely try it next time you need a sweet snack in the parks! I had a great morning!!

 

[Newsies]

Winding Down for the Afternoon
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I continued my stroll around Epcot, stopping only to snap a few pics in Italy. I don't feel "complete" until I take a pic of the Trevi Fauxnton!

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Feels crowded, right?

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I don't know how often any of you get to take an empty photo like this, but after the crazy crowded Thanksgiving we had, I was SO thrilled to be able to snap and enjoy the small crowds of the day!

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I didn't stop for anything at the American Adventure.

When I reached Japan, I was looking forward to trying lunch at Katsura Grill! I wasn't quite ready for lunch yet, though, so I stopped to look around in Mitsukoshi as usual. Surprisingly, I only took one pic in the store! I don't know if any of you have seen this in my TRs before, but for whatever reason, I make it a point to take a photo of the cutest stuffed animal in the store. This is the one I almost took home today, the Japanese Teddy Bear Whose Name Eludes Me, Dressed Up Like A Kitten:

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I walked around Mitsukoshi for a few minutes, then I headed to Katsura Grill for lunch.

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The restaurant wasn't super busy, but it is pretty small, so seating was limited. I ordered my food quickly and found a tiny table to enjoy my lunch at!

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For lunch today, I ordered the Tempura Shrimp Udon! Tasty tempura shrimp swimming in a broth of udon noodles.

Taste-wise, this dish was fantastic! The shrimp was fresh, with a gorgeous golden, light batter. The broth was nice and salty, and the noodles were soupy if not a little hard to eat because they like to slip off your cultery! The only thing is that the shrimp gets very soggy in the broth very fast. And this dish comes out HOT. Like, surface-of-the-sun hot. I ended up only eating about 2/3 of this because it was so hot and after like 40 minutes, I was ready to go do something else in the showcase and have more fun in the (brutal) sun. So this is (a) probably a dish best eaten in the quote--unquote "colder" months, and (b) a dish you'll probably want to eat when you really need to sit down and take a break for a while.

After lunch, I headed towards the next country in the showcase, France. The sun was brutal, so I decided maybe the best thing to do would be to take a break and head back to the resort for the day.

But not without a drink, right?

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She needs no introduction, but I'll give her one anyway-- the Marnier Orange slush from the wine cart in France. UGH, she is PERFECT. Glorious. So tasty and orange-y, a beacon of hope on the most brutal of those Epcot summer days. Also, she goes down very smoothly. We stan!

I started sipping her as I made my way back to the front of the park, but I noticed Alice was out in the UK, so I decided to get in her line! I finished my drink as quickly as I could before I made my way to her.

We had a great conversation about how it was my un-birthday. She loved my ears and had some GREAT tips for me, like that I should get a hat for each of my ears so that the Cheshire Cat doesn't eat them.

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When my visit with Alice was over, I made my way back to the front of the park. I love Epcot, but as I may have said once or twice or fifteen times in this update alone, it is so brutal in the summer! I was trying to reserve my energy (a recurring theme on this trip), so I wanted a mid-day resort room break.

I went back to the resort, which was uneventful. When I went back to the room, dad was there, but Grace and Mom were still at the pool. I put my bag down, grabbed my resort refillable mug, and decided to get my DDP-mug-voucher's worth out of it by heading to Gasparilla. I filled it up with an orange vanilla coke and started to head back. As I started walking, the sweetest CM came by on a golf cart and asked if I was going to the Villas, then offered to give me a ride! He told me he was from NY, so we had a chat about NYC before I hopped off at the Villa building.

I had a nice, relaxing two hours back in the room! I was able to decompress, went on the DISboards, uploaded some photos from my camera so I could free up some more space before heading back out for dinner that night. The rest of the family got ready for dinner and we noticed that the sky looked pretty dark, so their Test Track FP+ would probably get converted to an anytime FP+. Instead, I changed it to a Soarin' FP+ that the four of us could all use together!

We left the room again at around 4, heading to Epcot as a group for a few rides and some dinner.

(Click here to continue!)​

 

[ariane37]

First, congrats on getting accepted!! Of course right now our only planned 2020 trips are January and September so let's hope more get added in between!

Nice day around WS Oh and Mission:Space is the one and only attraction in all 4 parks Inhave never done-no interest really and I'm afraid it'll make me sick and ruin the rest of the day for me...... I suppose I should do it once to say I have

 

[lvcourtneyy]

I don't know how often any of you get to take an empty photo like this, but after the crazy crowded Thanksgiving we had, I was SO thrilled to be able to snap and enjoy the small crowds of the day!

That's how the crowds were on our trip in June! I guess that's the benefit of Epcot without a festival. It was really enjoyable!

Omg That store has so much cuteness!

She needs no introduction, but I'll give her one anyway-- the Marnier Orange slush from the wine cart in France. UGH, she is PERFECT. Glorious. So tasty and orange-y, a beacon of hope on the most brutal of those Epcot summer days. Also, she goes down very smoothly. We stan!

Yass

 

[missangelalexis]

Sounds like a great afternoon in Epcot! You took some lovely pics!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Trevi Fauxnton

If you make a wish and toss a coin into the fauxnton does a Palo impersonator show up on an off-brand moped to whisk you through Epcot?

Feels crowded, right?

How can you even with those crowds?

This is the one I almost took home today, the Japanese Teddy Bear Whose Name Eludes Me, Dressed Up Like A Kitten:

I love that it is part of Japanese culture to dress your stuffed animals up as other animals. Like all the Duffy costumes make my heart swell. And look, he's even carrying a little stuffed kitty!

But not without a drink, right?

That's my kind of woman.

She loved my ears and had some GREAT tips for me, like that I should get a hat for each of my ears so that the Cheshire Cat doesn't eat them.

Alice knows what's UP.

Also, adorable photos.

I filled it up with an orange vanilla coke

THE BEST

I had a nice, relaxing two hours back in the room! I was able to decompress, went on the DISboards, uploaded some photos from my camera so I could free up some more space before heading back out for dinner that night.

That sounds amazing!! I seriously need to get better about relaxing at resorts, especially midday. I have a feeling a certain husband of mine might also appreciate it.

 

[Eeyore daily]

Sounds like a great time at Epcot! I love it when it's that "crowded" lol.

 

[ksinniger]

Congrats on your DCP plans. I'll be taking my youngest for a trip in June, so we'll be sure to look for you!

 

[VeronicaMarie]

Fun times in the WS. Love the picture with Alice! So cute. I am a big fan of taking mid afternoon breaks, even just a couple hours to chill out can be really refreshing to keep going for the evening!

 

[Newsies]

First, congrats on getting accepted!! Of course right now our only planned 2020 trips are January and September so let's hope more get added in between!

Thank you so much!!! Hopefully more trips get added!!!

Nice day around WS Oh and Mission:Space is the one and only attraction in all 4 parks Inhave never done-no interest really and I'm afraid it'll make me sick and ruin the rest of the day for me...... I suppose I should do it once to say I have

It was a fun day! I was in the same boat as you: I have actively avoided Mission:Space because everyone said it makes them sick, dizzy, ruins their day, etc. but I decided to give it a shot on the green side since I really wanted to try as many new things as possible this year. I didn't think the green side was bad at all-- I thought it was pretty mild! The only reason I could forsee anyone having a problem with it is if you have serious claustrophobia, but even then, the ride is only about 2 minutes long.

That's how the crowds were on our trip in June! I guess that's the benefit of Epcot without a festival. It was really enjoyable!

Yes!!! Epcot is SO lovely without festivals!!!

Omg That store has so much cuteness!

I die every time I see a new stuffed animal there!!

Yass

Sounds like a great afternoon in Epcot! You took some lovely pics!

It was so much fun! Thank you!!

If you make a wish and toss a coin into the fauxnton does a Palo impersonator show up on an off-brand moped to whisk you through Epcot?

It's actually not even a Palo impersonator, just Bob Iger in a Palo wig. You tell him what your favorite character M&G in Epcot is, and then he whisks you away to his office where he makes the executive decision to cut that entertainment offering.

How can you even with those crowds?

Was a liiiiiittle tight.

I love that it is part of Japanese culture to dress your stuffed animals up as other animals. Like all the Duffy costumes make my heart swell. And look, he's even carrying a little stuffed kitty!

I MISS THE DUFFY COSTUMES!!! I wish they hadn't done away with him and Shellie in the US parks!!

Alice knows what's UP.

Also, adorable photos.

THANK YOUU

That sounds amazing!! I seriously need to get better about relaxing at resorts, especially midday. I have a feeling a certain husband of mine might also appreciate it.

I forced myself to relax more this vacation, which sounds like an oxymoron, but really worked for me! I wouldn't nap, I would just sit in the air conditioned room with a cool drink and go on DIS and that would be enough to recharge me for the rest of the night.

Sounds like a great time at Epcot! I love it when it's that "crowded" lol.

It was a lot of fun! Epcot is great when there's no festival, love these "crowds!"

 

[Newsies]

Congrats on your DCP plans. I'll be taking my youngest for a trip in June, so we'll be sure to look for you!

Thank you so very much!! I hope we can spot each other!!

Fun times in the WS. Love the picture with Alice! So cute. I am a big fan of taking mid afternoon breaks, even just a couple hours to chill out can be really refreshing to keep going for the evening!

It was a great day, and Alice was a sweetheart! I was a rope-drop-to-fireworks girl for so long, but adding in afternoon breaks this trip have really helped me out! Like you said, it's nice to be refreshed for dinner, rather than dead tired, hot, and sweaty from the day!

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

Your pictures are beautiful! What kind of camera do you use?

We love those rare empty park pics.



Epcot is brutal in that summer heat. So beautiful but so so hot.

The Marnier Orange Slush is definitely on my list for February!!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

It's actually not even a Palo impersonator, just Bob Iger in a Palo wig. You tell him what your favorite character M&G in Epcot is, and then he whisks you away to his office where he makes the executive decision to cut that entertainment offering.

This

Is so phenomenal

I couldn't even laugh

I just sat there like

 

[afwdwfan]

With all of that being said and done, I do want to apologize to friends who have been waiting patiently for updates, or friends with TRs that I have not been keeping up with recently. I hit the ground running with a 400-level Creative Nonfiction writing course this semester and was recently elected to fill the office of Vice President for my sorority. As amazing as that is, I've never been an E-Board officer before, so I'm a little overwhelmed with classwork and executive officer training. After I post this update, I'm going to make an attempt to catch up on a few TRs. Sorry to everyone I've been ghosting on the boards recently and thank you again for being so awesome!

You're only in your final semester of classes once... enjoy the busy that comes with it. The boards will be here. We don't all have time to update every week like clockwork anyway so just do what you can and enjoy life!

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After I left Ashlie, I had a Spaceship Earth FP+ to attend to. I don't know about you guys, but SE is one of my favorite attractions in Disney! I've heard grumblings of it getting redone again now that Epcot is about to go through an extreme makeover, and I will sincerely miss Dame Judy Dench if she goes away.

Mixed on this one. I feel like an update is kind of needed (showing my age, but I do remember pre-Dame Judy Dench SE) but I'm just afraid that the feeling of Future World is going to change due to the big swings they seem to be taking on some things.

Verdict: I LOVED Mission: SPACE! I thought it was so much fun and so exciting, and the interactive element got me so excited to experience Smuggler's Run! I didn't think Green was intense at all, so I'll have to try Orange when I get down there this Spring!

Awesome! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I do have motion sickness issues on simulator/screen based rides and I have to say that orange didn't really bother me.

If you remember my PTR, you might remember that I had this outfit and selfie planned out (as a totally normal, sane person does), but I was skeptical of the quality of the Joffrey's donut. I don't eat Dunkin' Donuts at home because they always taste dry, stale, and somehow void of flour, and I expected the Joffrey's donut to be the same. WRONG. SO wrong. More wrong than I have ever been in my life.

Hmm... We actually got one of those, but I didn't even try it. Kicking myself now. B was hungry and needed a snack so we got one of those. The kids and DW shared it, but I didn't try any.

Today was about snacking across the Showcase!

Can I go with you??????

I smelled the popcorn coming from Karamell-Kuche and new I had to head in there and see what the case looked like today. You know, for science.

I appreciate your sacrifice for the research.

I asked the lovely CMs behind the counter if they could recommend a snack for me and they recommended the popcorn, so guess what I walked out of there with?

Can't go wrong with that! We get it every time.

I don't feel "complete" until I take a pic of the Trevi Fauxnton!

I see what you did there...

I don't know how often any of you get to take an empty photo like this, but after the crazy crowded Thanksgiving we had, I was SO thrilled to be able to snap and enjoy the small crowds of the day!

Truthfully, we saw that scene quite a bit in the open areas World Showcase pavilions. I think they were all standing in line for food and rides because that's where we always found them. That's my theory anyway.

She needs no introduction, but I'll give her one anyway-- the Marnier Orange slush from the wine cart in France. UGH, she is PERFECT. Glorious. So tasty and orange-y, a beacon of hope on the most brutal of those Epcot summer days. Also, she goes down very smoothly. We stan!

Probably considered a girly drink, but I like it. Just have to drink it fast so I don't have to carry it.

I love Epcot, but as I may have said once or twice or fifteen times in this update alone, it is so brutal in the summer!

Hot in the summer, cold in the winter. Seems to hit both extremes.

 

[Newsies]

Your pictures are beautiful! What kind of camera do you use?

Thank you so much! It's a Canon EOS Rebel that I got last year!!!

We love those rare empty park pics.

they're so relaxing!!

Epcot is brutal in that summer heat. So beautiful but so so hot.

It really is a travesty how the HEAT can ruin a day in Epcot!

The Marnier Orange Slush is definitely on my list for February!!

I love the slushy!!!

This

Is so phenomenal

I couldn't even laugh

I just sat there like

You're only in your final semester of classes once... enjoy the busy that comes with it. The boards will be here. We don't all have time to update every week like clockwork anyway so just do what you can and enjoy life!

You're so right!!!

Mixed on this one. I feel like an update is kind of needed (showing my age, but I do remember pre-Dame Judy Dench SE) but I'm just afraid that the feeling of Future World is going to change due to the big swings they seem to be taking on some things.

I agree-- I see the need for an update, but I'm a little scared for Future World!

Awesome! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I do have motion sickness issues on simulator/screen based rides and I have to say that orange didn't really bother me.

I'm excited to try Orange next!

Hmm... We actually got one of those, but I didn't even try it. Kicking myself now. B was hungry and needed a snack so we got one of those. The kids and DW shared it, but I didn't try any.

Definitely one of the best snacks I've ever had in the parks!!!

 

[Cloe Colton]

Girl that sun around EPCOT is no joke!!! Our second EPCOT day on this last trip was so so hot that I wasnt sure how I was going to make it around! Thankfully the F&W carrot cake saved my life lol but I totally get it!

 

[disneyAndi14]

I had the same meal at Katsura last year, I agree it was delicious, I took the shrimp out and ate those separately.

It was a hot one that week! The sun is so intense isn’t it? Way more than at my house!

The drink looks yummy! Andi and I use to spend so much time meeting all the characters around WS in the past, it is so fun!

 

[Newsies]

Girl that sun around EPCOT is no joke!!! Our second EPCOT day on this last trip was so so hot that I wasnt sure how I was going to make it around! Thankfully the F&W carrot cake saved my life lol but I totally get it!

It was brutal!!! Until this past trip, I had NEVER tapped out of an Epcot day!!! I'm glad you had that carrot cake to pull you through, though-- it does look awesome!!!

I had the same meal at Katsura last year, I agree it was delicious, I took the shrimp out and ate those separately.

It was so yummy!

It was a hot one that week! The sun is so intense isn’t it? Way more than at my house!

Yeah, the sun was pretty rough! It was a hot week!

The drink looks yummy! Andi and I use to spend so much time meeting all the characters around WS in the past, it is so fun!

It's one of my favorite drinks in the showcase!

I love, love, love meeting characters around the World Showcase! It's what makes the World Showcase so much fun to me! Seeing all of the entertainment cuts being made around the resort lately makes me so nervous-- I hope most of the Showcase meets are safe for now!