Oh, has it Been Raining? No, this is Just Sweat. Sept/Oct 2022 Trip Report! (Updated 9/16!!)

[2xcited2sleep]

Wow! What an incredible table for the dessert party! I'm with you on wishing there were some more savory options at the party, but I just accepted that I was paying for not having to stake out a spot for fireworks and not having to be in the crowded hub. The fact that there was wine didn't hurt.

I ADORE the Halloween parade. All of it - the headless horseman, the grave diggers, the rock band, the music in general. LOVE it. By far my favorite. The Country Bears interaction looks so cute! They are such hams. Hurrah for good bus luck. Doesn't it feel so good when you hit it just right with no wait and get a seat? The best.

 

[Wood Nymph]

It looks like your parade viewing area wasn't very crowded. We had watched the parade from the same side of the street the first time we went to MNSSHP and there was a spotlight glaring in our eyes. It was hard to see some of the darker costumes. But it looks like you had a great view.

Did they have a big variety of trick or treat candy? The last time we did the party it seemed as if they had eliminated some of the off brands, including my favorite.

 

[suse66]

We lucked out and got the most amazing CM to bring us in. While the other CMs seemed to be filling people in at the rails starting at the ends, our CM brought us to the table right in the center at the rails at the corner which is the furthest point out and closest to the castle. So we had, what I think was, the best seat in the house.

Great table!

After settling in, I ran up to get some treats! I also grabbed a glass of red wine.

Too bad there were not more savoury snacks but wine durinng fireworks is always a good thing!

When we got to Frontierland there were a handful of people sitting along the ropes, but for the most part there were very few people waiting for the parade and we had our choice of spots. We grabbed a wide open spot across from the Country Bears. I had the thought that if the Cadaver Dans came out to perform on the balcony while we waited for the parade, we would have an awesome view.

So fun! I love seeing the parade from Frontierland.

I had absolutely no idea that they came out and put on a bit of a show before the parade, but it was so awesome! They were hilarious!

The Country Bears are the best!

Once the parade got past us, it was already 11:30, and we had only gone to one treat trail, so we headed across the way to the trick or treat station at Country Bears. We then headed towards the ones by Splash. Luckily at this time of night the CMs were dumping handful after handful of candy into the bag, especially at the Splash treat trail, the CM there gave me two massive handfuls of candy. It was awesome!

Yum! Hitting up the trails at the end of the night is always a good strategy.

So we hopped on that bus, and soon were back in our room winding down with a glass of wine and of course some chocolate!

Perfect end to the night!

 

[VAtink]

Wow! What an incredible table for the dessert party! I'm with you on wishing there were some more savory options at the party, but I just accepted that I was paying for not having to stake out a spot for fireworks and not having to be in the crowded hub. The fact that there was wine didn't hurt.

It was such a great table, I feel we got very very lucky! I do have to admit, the addition of the wine is really nice, almost makes up for not having more savory items!

I ADORE the Halloween parade. All of it - the headless horseman, the grave diggers, the rock band, the music in general. LOVE it. By far my favorite. The Country Bears interaction looks so cute! They are such hams. Hurrah for good bus luck. Doesn't it feel so good when you hit it just right with no wait and get a seat? The best.

Me too, it is my favorite Disney parade, I love re-watching the video. I'll be singing boo to you well into the summer!

 

[VAtink]

It looks like your parade viewing area wasn't very crowded. We had watched the parade from the same side of the street the first time we went to MNSSHP and there was a spotlight glaring in our eyes. It was hard to see some of the darker costumes. But it looks like you had a great view.

It wasn't too bad where we were, it filled in right before the parade, but we weren't packed in which was nice. What a bummer about the spotlight, you would think they would aim those better to not shine right in peoples eyes watching the parade!

Did they have a big variety of trick or treat candy? The last time we did the party it seemed as if they had eliminated some of the off brands, including my favorite.

Eh, it was ok. Tons of snickers, a few milky ways, and a handful of starbursts. It does seem like less of a variety than in the past.

 

[VAtink]

Great table!

It was such a great table, we really lucked out!

Too bad there were not more savoury snacks but wine durinng fireworks is always a good thing!

Yeah, I miss the more savory items, but I do love they added wine!

So fun! I love seeing the parade from Frontierland.

It's a great spot to watch from. Love that the parade starts there so we could get back to the evening fun quicker!

The Country Bears are the best!

They were so much fun and so funny! That was such a great surprise to have them come out and entertain us for a while!

Yum! Hitting up the trails at the end of the night is always a good strategy.

Oh yeah, love getting the handfuls of candy!

Perfect end to the night!

It really was, every night should end with wine and chocolate

 

[VAtink]

Day 4, Part 1: Wait, is it Saturday?​

Monday, September 26th, 2022

We thankfully got to sleep in this morning, I didn’t wake up until my alarm went off at 9:45! Thank goodness since we didn’t end up going to bed until after 2am. Now if you’ve read any of my trip reports before, you may notice that this was a super late morning for us. Usually when we sleep in, it’s until like 7!

Well, this trip we decided to try something new and skip most of the rope drops. Last year I got so fed up with the pushing and shoving to get to the hot ride in the park at rope drop, that I just didn’t want to deal with that this year. For the most part this worked well for us, I liked the more relaxed entering the park, and having time to take some pictures before areas got super crowded. Obviously it helped having Genie+ and not feeling like we had to ride every ride as well!

So this morning was a gloriously late morning for us.

Once up, I made myself some coffee while mom ran downstairs to fill up our mugs. We then slowly got ready for our day.

We finally headed out and over to Epcot at 10:20, and oh my goodness the crowds. I don’t know what was going on this day, but at 10:30 in the morning it was basically Saturday afternoon F&W crowds….and it was Monday. Yikes. (TP actually has Epcot as a 7 this day, and that makes a lot of sense, it was seriously more crowded this day than on Epcot's 40th…which was a Saturday!)

Because of these awesome park hopping rules (yes, sarcasm) we were stuck with our choice of park for the time being so made the best of it and headed to Canada to get started on some food booths.

We were both still working on the cheese crawl, so we both got the soup, and I also ordered the steak.





Even though it was pretty sticky outside (we were getting closer to hurricane Ian and the humidity kept getting worse and worse), the soup wasn’t too heavy and we both really liked it!

The steak was amazing, and cooked to perfection this year! (well for me at least, I like it medium, so this was a good medium which is rare for us at the food booths!)

Once we wrapped up with that food, we fought the crowds to get to Hawaii. Seriously it was like a fish swimming upstream. Why oh why were there so many people there this day?!? (Actually we spoke to a few CMs while there, who were also surprised at the amount of people, and they all theorized that a lot of people were trying to get park time in earlier in the week due to the potential hurricane…makes sense!).

Once we made it to Hawaii, I ordered the Aulani Sunrise for myself and got my mom the cheesecake.



There were no open tables anywhere nearby, so we found a spot on the planters between WS and FW to eat. It was crazy sitting there and seeing just the masses of people streaming into WS. I also wonder if so many people have heard to avoid Epcot on the weekends during F&W that they now all come on Monday instead?

Anyways, moving on!

The drink I got was fantastic, sooooo good! Mom loved the cheesecake she got, and I liked it, but it was too much sweetness for me.

Once we finished up our food and drink, we decided to do a loop of WS to work on our Remy hunt.

We explored China a bit when we passed.





When we made it around to America, I decided to stop at Hops and Barley to get the pumpkin beer. I love pumpkin beer.



We decided to take the beer over to Japan and into the back gardens there which is one of my favorite “secret” spots to get a break from the crowds, and once again it did not disappoint! I’m actually surprised more people haven’t discovered it yet, especially now that they put the Remy right in from of this seating area!





We sat there while I finished my drink, then made our way out into the mass of humanity again.

As we were walking by Morocco, my mom remembered that she had brought the Florida Blue passes for the lounge there, so we decided to stop by to check it out.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/o...p-report-rl-update-12-3.3897952/post-64475261
Next up: Has it been raining? No, this is just sweat.​

 

[KPeterso]

Day 4, Part 1: Wait, is it Saturday?​

Monday, September 26th, 2022



Next up: Has it been raining? No, this is just sweat.​

I was in Epcot this day too. And it was definitely very crowded. It was also one of the Jewish holidays (sorry don't remember which) so locals or those doing long weekend trips probably impacted the crowds too. We did not spend much time in WS though as we dined at Space 220 lounge on this day and then only hit a few countries while fighting our way back to the International Gateway to leave later in the day.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Rope drop has its benefits but it's so stressful (and early). I love a lazy morning. I cannot remember the last time I slept til 9:45! Of course, I also can't remember the last time I was awake past 10pm. UGH. So frustrating when crowds are inexplicably bigger than expected. Canada and Hawaii booths are always solid.

 

[Wood Nymph]

We were both still working on the cheese crawl, so we both got the soup, and I also ordered the steak.

We always get the filet and cheese soup when we are there for lunch, usually on an arrival day. It is always delicious.

The drink I got was fantastic, sooooo good! Mom loved the cheesecake she got,

The drink looks good. I've never noticed it before. We love the cheesecake and usually split it after eating the filet and soup.

Epcot sounds like a nightmare that day.

 

[VAtink]

Happy Saturday everyone! Just popping in with some RL updates.

As many of you know that I have a FARTs trip coming up soon (52 days!!! ), but I have been bad and hadn't booked my flights. I was foolishly hoping the prices would drop, but that ended up being dumb since they just went up, and up and up and up! All this past week round trip was looking to be like $700 for coach, which is stupid since I usually get flights for about $400 round trip AND first class. Well, last night before I went to bed I had this inkling I should take a peak at the prices again, even though I had checked a few hours earlier, and I was shocked to see they had dropped significantly! Wahoo! So I finally got my flights book for my FARTs trip, and I got first class for only $50 more than coach!

On top of that, we also recently booked another F&W trip for September! We originally weren't going to book until (or if) they announced special events for the festival, but with the potential ticket price increase on December 8th, we figured we might as well book now. Plus we have the two unused tickets from hurricane Ian that expire on September 30th, so we figured we were going to go for a quick weekend anyways even if they don't bring back special events.

Then, because apparently we want to give Disney all our money, we're going to for a big trip next December, and just booked those tickets as well, again due to the potential price increase. This is a our crazy big trip, we're doing a triple split stay, starting at the BWI club level, moving to a 2 bedroom suite at the AKL, then moving to a 1 bedroom suite at the BC. We've never stayed club level before so this will be quite the experience! It's also my dad's first trip back to Disney since 2013!

I'm overly excited that after next December I will finally have been to all of Epcot's festivals! Can't wait to compare them all.

Ok, that's it for this morning. Stay tuned for the next TR update! ​

 

[Counting Stars]

Been following your trip reports for awhile. You do a great job with them. You and your Mom sure cover a lot of ground! Terrific pictures too. Hope you and the kitty have both healed well. And you upcoming trips sound wonderful. We have Flower and Garden and Food and Wine booked but they seem so far away right now... Living vicariously through others trip reports

 

[Wood Nymph]

It was a good thing you checked for your airfare. Ours for February hasn’t changed since the rates were released. I hope they drop soon.

We are on our way home from our Disney trip. It has been fun

 

[VAtink]

Been following your trip reports for awhile. You do a great job with them. You and your Mom sure cover a lot of ground! Terrific pictures too. Hope you and the kitty have both healed well. And you upcoming trips sound wonderful. We have Flower and Garden and Food and Wine booked but they seem so far away right now... Living vicariously through others trip reports

Thank you! Thankfully both the kitty and myself are pretty much fully healed. I am so excited for the upcoming trips, I really think that planning the trips are almost as fun as actually taking them!

I hear you on the upcoming trips seeming so far away, even my FARTs trip feels like it's super far away! I hope you have great flower and garden and Food and Wine trips!

 

[VAtink]

It was a good thing you checked for your airfare. Ours for February hasn’t changed since the rates were released. I hope they drop soon.

Yeah, I couldn't believe how much the prices dropped, definitely a lucky night!

We are on our way home from our Disney trip. It has been fun

Glad you had a fun trip! I'm a bit jealous, wish I was just in Disney!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Sounds like you have a pretty awesome 2023 planned out! I hope your dad knows what he's getting into and is considering a training program so that he can keep up with you and your mom! I think you are going to love Festival of the Arts and Holiday. I'm going to be so curious to hear which is your favorite. As you know, I'm a longtime die-hard F&W fan and I think - without special events -it has dropped to my least favorite. Still love it, of course, but each of the others has something so special about it beyond food. Fingers crossed for a return of the F&W events!

 

[NJlauren]

Wow so fun!! So many trips coming up!

If they bring back AP May make sense to give it a go with that many trips!

Have the best time! I love club level for a treat once in a while, only did it once at Disney and it was a fun treat!

I also have December next year tentatively planned, and an end of Feb for princess weekend!

 

[VAtink]

Sounds like you have a pretty awesome 2023 planned out! I hope your dad knows what he's getting into and is considering a training program so that he can keep up with you and your mom! I think you are going to love Festival of the Arts and Holiday. I'm going to be so curious to hear which is your favorite. As you know, I'm a longtime die-hard F&W fan and I think - without special events -it has dropped to my least favorite. Still love it, of course, but each of the others has something so special about it beyond food. Fingers crossed for a return of the F&W events!

Right? I can't believe how many trips we have coming up, usually we're once a year people, this is crazy! It's funny, we've been warning my dad that Disney today isn't like Disney in 2013, it's more crowded and there's lot more rushing around. Don't think he believes us yet, but hopefully soon, otherwise he's in for a surprise!

I am so excited for FARTs, I've been wanting to go to it for years, I can't believe I finally am! And I 100% agree with you on F&W, without the events it's just not very special. We weren't even going to go next year unless they brought back the events, but with the unused tickets from Ian, we figured we might as well just book a trip during F&W and hope for the best!

 

[VAtink]

Wow so fun!! So many trips coming up!

I am so excited, we've never done Disney this many times in a year. Definitely a special year for us!

If they bring back AP May make sense to give it a go with that many trips!

I was thinking that as well! Right now not looking so good though.

Have the best time! I love club level for a treat once in a while, only did it once at Disney and it was a fun treat!

Thank you! I can't wait to check out club level, although I'm afraid once we do it we'll never want to do non-club level again!

I also have December next year tentatively planned, and an end of Feb for princess weekend!

Awesome! What races are you doing? One of these years I want to do some of those races, just need to get back into running shape again!

 

[NJlauren]

Thank you! I can't wait to check out club level, although I'm afraid once we do it we'll never want to do non-club level again!

Haha it’s possible! I didn’t find it to be worth it for every trip, if you’re around the resort a bunch then yes, but if not it can be a bit of a waste. So I luckily did not feel that way!

Awesome! What races are you doing? One of these years I want to do some of those races, just need to get back into running shape again!

I’m doing yoga, 5k and 10k, I haven’t run since I ran the 5k last year… so this could be a disaster I am trying to run today so we will see….so I’m not in running shape at all! But will say do it!!!