On the Floor and Out the Door!: a 17 day HalloChristmas, RunDisney, MNSSHP, HHN, MVMCP adventure! new 2/8!

[lvcourtneyy]

Funny because earlier tonight I actually started trying to put together some plans for our July trip since the boys are coming, and I'm toying with the idea of trying for ROTR the morning after doing Villains after hours! Not sure but I figure what the heck, we'll all rest for a few hours and then sleep after ROTR lol

I say do it! it was surprisingly much easier than I expected to get up that morning lol. For some reason, the idea of getting up really early sounds easier after only a few hours of sleep than after a whole night of sleep. No idea why lmao.

I for one with not shun you because I am the same

Yayy I'm in good company!

lmao this is hysterical! Good for you because I won't even entertain buying SW shirts

My love of Halloween outweighed the Star Wars aspect

When Steve and I went for the AP previews we were taking pics and sending them to his brother who is an actual fan because other than the MF I had no idea what anything was!

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Happy Belated Birthday! Sounds like you had some great celebrations. I turn 30 later this year, too ( ) and I think a new vehicle might make the pain of that new decade a little easier...

Thank you! I'm not sure why but I just find it hard to think of myself as being 30 years old lol. But a new car did help- I recommend it lol

I remember you discussing the idea of EEMH after MNSSHP and me encouraging you to go for it. I'm glad to see you survived both events and had an awesome time at each! Your experience at DHS makes me really sad that the morning events aren't happening anymore. Your time in TSL alone made the price worth it!

Thank you for your support! It was 100% worth it and if EEMH were still around, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Hot? In Florida?

I know- weird right? It was front page news.

Um... I never do.

What!!! Then how do you know the must-dos?!

Nice! I'd like to visit the Poconos some day.

They're very nice and not too far of a drive (for me anyway- for you I imagine a bit longer) but it's a good weekend trip if you happen to be coming anywhere close to them.

What kind is that? I see it's a crossover, but...

It's a Jeep Compass! I had the 2017 model previously and upgraded to the 2020 which feels like a totally different car because it's so much nicer!

And you remember it! Good for you!

It's a little fuzzy lol

I love vacation eating.

Me too!

That's both creepy and... cool!

Agreed.

I'm surprised. I figured almost everyone would turn left.

Me too! I was surprised by how many people were going to TSL. It was still nothing compared to a regular RD but more than I expected for 6 am.

Good for you. Not easy with the jostlers at your elbows.

Nope. It's like a black Friday sale!

Buzz: "I've got your nose!"

I do that to my cat all the time.

Reached his photo limit.

Prob.

Good thing you asked, but... "No, not yet, but they should be here in just a minute."
I mean... how hard is it to say that?

Exactly! It seems like the normal response.

I'm sorry... what??????

Whoa. Short! I rope dropped it, but after that... it went up to over an hour very quickly.

That's what happened this day too. The line shot up with the RD crowd but I had read the strategy to go to TSL first and do the rest of the park before going to Galaxy's Edge around 8 and they were right! The line had dropped back down again. I wish EEMH were still around so we could do it again lol.

I was an engineer and I hated it. I felt like... I feel like I haven't been on it yet.

I get that. I only liked it for the first ride because I wasn't sure what to expect but now that I do, I wouldn't want to be an engineer again.

Yeah, I did that too and... it was a bit weird... until I told myself that I was on vacation. So it's not only okay... but expected.

Exactly!

It's called a fisheye lens. Interesting, but... I've always considered them a bit of a novelty.

Is that what it is?! I've seen fisheye lens before but I never realized that's how they were getting this effect. How fancy.

Space... vehicles...

Because you were told to?

Yup sounds about right lol

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Happy birthday!

Thank you!

Wow I'm tired just thinking about your early wake up call after MNSSHP! lol

Me too lol but I think the Disney excitement got us through

You did get a lot done though so it seems like it was worth it! I've definitely used the counting method to get to be a pilot! It actually works out pretty well! Lol

It was definitely worth it!

Yess it worked out perfectly for us! I guess it only wouldn't work if there were already people waiting in the hallway after the preshow.

 

[lvcourtneyy]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!! This sign is everything!

Thank you The sign was my sister's doing and she almost lost one of the letters loading up the car and had to chase it down the block

We love, love, love Korean hot pot. We're lucky enough to live in an area with a huge Korean population so we are frequent visitors. So good!!!

That's awesome! This is the first one we have here on Staten Island but I've been to one in Brooklyn before. My parents were very skeptical at first but were quickly converted and now want to go back all the time lol.

Did someone mention the word insane? Because yes!

Yes it was mentioned many times that morning by both of us lol.

Now this is cool. To ride slinky dog at "night" but morning must have been a great experience

It was awesome!

Dying over this. I didn't think there was anyone who hadn't at least seen the original Star Wars, let alone that there are 2 of you and you somehow found each other

At least you knew what all the instagramable pictures were even if you didn't actually know what they were

Exactly lol #priorities

This was our exact same experience. We were there pretty early in the am and Im all for drinking before noon, but prefer to sit and not be jammed into a small space and pay a million dollars for a drink

Yup I'm glad we went once but it's not on our list to repeat. I guess if you're a diehard Star Wars fan, maybe it's worth it but the drinks were so expensive (and premixed) and I didn't feel the "atmosphere" justified it.

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Thanks for joining!!

Your first Disney day made me stressed just reading about it. I would have been twitching showing up that late to the ADR. Thank goodness they seated you and things turned around.

It was SO stressful and I hate being late for anything so I was not a happy camper. I was very happy when the day turned around!

You got so much done at MNSSHP! It's funny, I saw the same complaints about the applesauce pouches. My girls love them and got super excited when I let them open them while we waited for fireworks.

I didn't understand those complaints at all lol. If you don't like it, just skip that treat spot or give them away. I love them too!

There is no way in h3ll I'd be doing EEMH the morning after a party. You're crazy! I mean, it looks like you had a blast, but you must have been so tired.

We were tired but I think adrenaline got us through and we knew there was a nap in sight!

 

[pkondz]

I know- weird right? It was front page news.

Global warming.

What!!! Then how do you know the must-dos?!

From people like you of course!

They're very nice and not too far of a drive (for me anyway- for you I imagine a bit longer) but it's a good weekend trip if you happen to be coming anywhere close to them.

24 hours drive, actually.
I was very close to it not long ago, though, when I drove from Toronto to Florida via Delaware.

It's a Jeep Compass! I had the 2017 model previously and upgraded to the 2020 which feels like a totally different car because it's so much nicer!

Nice.

Nope. It's like a black Friday sale!

I do that to my cat all the time.

And she doesn't kill you??? What kind of a cat is that?

That's what happened this day too. The line shot up with the RD crowd but I had read the strategy to go to TSL first and do the rest of the park before going to Galaxy's Edge around 8 and they were right! The line had dropped back down again. I wish EEMH were still around so we could do it again lol.

Huh. Glad it worked. I never would've guessed.

I get that. I only liked it for the first ride because I wasn't sure what to expect but now that I do, I wouldn't want to be an engineer again.

Like being at the back of the bus.

 

[lvcourtneyy]

From people like you of course!

That works too!

24 hours drive, actually.
I was very close to it not long ago, though, when I drove from Toronto to Florida via Delaware.

That's a long drive! But yes you were very close!

And she doesn't kill you??? What kind of a cat is that?

Oo she tries very often lol

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Polite Pig and Trader Sam's

After a late night combined with a crazy early morning, we crashed after getting back to our room. I probably could've slept the rest of the day away but we got up after a nice 2.5 hour nap.

The original plan had been to spend some afternoon time by the pool, using some QS credits for margaritas and food at the pool bar. But when we woke up, it was overcast and raining and neither of us were in the mood to sit by the pool in the rain.

After spending a few minutes debating what to do instead, I remembered that the Polite Pig in DS was supposed to be an excellent use of QS credits and had been on my list to try for some time. Mike agreed so we got ready and drove to DS.

We got there just around 3 pm and started walking in the direction that I was 75% sure would lead us to the Polite Pig lol.

On our walk, we saw the construction site of the new Ample Hills creamery!



I had to snapchat it to one of my best friends because we frequent the Brooklyn location and love that there will now be two WDW locations!

Luckily, for once in my life, my sense of direction was right and we made it to the Polite Pig quickly because I was starving lol. There was barely a line to order which was great because I've heard it can get packed but I guess 3 pm isn't really prime eating time either.

But my first priority was picking a cocktail!



So many of their specialty drinks sounded good to me and I was having a hard time choosing. A really sweet CM was taking our order and recommended the Polite Punch (Light Rum, Whiskey, Passion Fruit, Lime and Bitters $11) so I took her suggestion and I'm glad I did! All the ingredients worked perfectly in this drink for me. It was sweet without being overpowering and strong without being too strong!

Mike chose the Sweet Tea Old-Fashioned (Bourbon, Sweet Tea Syrup and Bitters $11). I don't like bourbon or sweet tea so I thought it sounded terrible but he liked it! It was a very strong drink though and he ended up getting some actual sweet tea to dilute it with and it went down much easier.

Then for our meals I chose:



Baby Back Ribs (Polite Rub Baby Back Ribs with Layla’s Sweet BBQ Sauce served with Jalapeño Cornbread, Signature Polite Slaw and choice of one Market Side- I chose the mac and cheese $23)

and Mike chose:



USDA Prime Brisket (Coffee Rub USDA Prime Brisket served with Jalapeño Cornbread, Signature Polite Slaw and choice of one Market Side- he chose the Southern Potato Salad $19).

We both loved our food! You can see a couple little cups of BBQ sauce in the corner of my picture- they had a selection of a few different ones. I like a more vinegar-y BBQ sauce and the one on the ribs was sweet so I added one of those too it and I liked it better that way. I could also eat mac and cheese probably daily and be happy and this mac and cheese was delicious! It was entirely too much food to eat all of but I finished every bite of the mac and cheese lol. My only complaint is that I don't like coleslaw so I wish you could've picked something else instead of it but it's already a ton of food so it wasn't a huge deal. We liked the brisket better than the ribs but that was just personal preference as both were delicious.

If you're on the dining plan, this is a perfect use of a quick service credit because the meal would've cost us $64 out of pocket but we enjoyed it so much we would go back with or without the dining plan. I also like that you order at the counter but your food is delivered to you at a your table so it doesn't have the chaotic feel of a "traditional" quick service.

We spent some time walking off our food, taking in the fall decorations and looking around the stores.







We also came across this new (at the time) wall so I, of course, needed a picture with it.



As we made our way back to the car, I saw this ad for the Maleficent movie that had been released the week before and wanted my picture with the wings.



However, Disney didn't think the placement through and by having it on a platform, they weren't at the right height for anyone (except small kids I guess) to stand and have the Maleficent horns on the top of their head. So Mike was trying to tell me to slouch down for the picture and this was my reaction to the suggestion.



We saw this in the parking garage as we walked back to the car and I just thought it was an odd way to store a stroller lol.



Our plan was to go to Epcot for the night but I had one more stop in mind first!

It required driving past the Magic Kingdom gates so I was able to get a picture of these pumpkins.



Where were we headed?

The Polynesian! We were greeted with leis and a photopass!



We went to Trader Sam's which, unsurprisingly, was packed and put our names on the waiting list. We went to the terrace to enjoy drinks in the meantime.



We both got the same drink, the Grim Grinning Grog (Gosling’s Black Seal rum, Barbancourt Pango Rhum, passion fruit orange guava juice, lime juice, blood orange, falernum, and angostura bitters) which was the drink served in the Hatbox ghost souvenir mug released for Halloween! The last few years, the mugs have been sold out long before we got there so we were shocked they were still available and had to have them!



Since we were on the terrace, the drinks weren't served in the souvenir mugs but after we paid, we could bring out receipt inside to get ours.

We finished our drinks and decided to just head to Epcot since it was already 5:30 and not wait for our names to get called to go to the indoor bar so we picked up our mugs and told them they could take us off the list.



I was so happy to have my hands on this!!

Then, it was off to Epcot!​

 

[missangelalexis]

Your meal at Polite Pig sounded good! I love bbq so definitely a place I'll need to try at some point!

Love the Hatbox ghost mug!! I feel like you need to show us your full collection of mugs and popcorn buckets hahah

 

[pkondz]

That's a long drive! But yes you were very close!

I've driven farther for less.

we got up after a nice 2.5 hour nap.

Two and a half hours????

The original plan had been to spend some afternoon time by the pool

Good thing you didn't. 2.5 hours unconscious in the sun and you'd both look like lobsters.

neither of us were in the mood to sit by the pool in the rain.

No? Gee, that's odd.

started walking in the direction that I was 75% sure would lead us to the Polite Pig lol.

I'm surprised you got it right! Usually when I do that. "Oh, I think it's this way"... it isn't.

we saw the construction site of the new Ample Hills creamery!

Didn't know that was happening.

A really sweet CM was taking our order and recommended the Polite Punch

I'll pass on that one. Not a rum fan.

It was a very strong drink though and he ended up getting some actual sweet tea to dilute it with and it went down much easier.

Really! How very... un-Disney!

We both loved our food!

Good to hear! This place has been on my radar for a while too.

My only complaint is that I don't like coleslaw

Then next time you guys go, I'll tag along and eat yours.

We also came across this new (at the time) wall so I, of course, needed a picture with it.

But of course.

Cute shot!

. So Mike was trying to tell me to slouch down for the picture and this was my reaction to the suggestion.

Your face! "What? Why should I slouch? Are you nuts?"

We saw this in the parking garage as we walked back to the car and I just thought it was an odd way to store a stroller lol.

Well, the baby was sleeping. You wouldn't want to wake it would you?

We both got the same drink, the Grim Grinning Grog

My only complaint about TS. All their drinks seem to come with rum.

 

[afwdwfan]

After spending a few minutes debating what to do instead, I remembered that the Polite Pig in DS was supposed to be an excellent use of QS credits and had been on my list to try for some time. Mike agreed so we got ready and drove to DS.

Sounds like a great idea. Probably a better meal than you could have gotten at the pool bar anyway.

Mike chose the Sweet Tea Old-Fashioned (Bourbon, Sweet Tea Syrup and Bitters $11). I don't like bourbon or sweet tea so I thought it sounded terrible but he liked it! It was a very strong drink though and he ended up getting some actual sweet tea to dilute it with and it went down much easier.

I like bourbon. And I like sweet tea. But the 2 together just isn't something I've ever considered. Now I almost want to try it.

If you're on the dining plan, this is a perfect use of a quick service credit because the meal would've cost us $64 out of pocket but we enjoyed it so much we would go back with or without the dining plan.

Looks like it was a great meal and a good compromise from your original plans.

Since we were on the terrace, the drinks weren't served in the souvenir mugs but after we paid, we could bring out receipt inside to get ours.

We finished our drinks and decided to just head to Epcot since it was already 5:30 and not wait for our names to get called to go to the indoor bar so we picked up our mugs and told them they could take us off the list.

Well, I'm sorry you didn't get to enjoy the indoor bar, but at least you got to enjoy a drink and get your mug!

 

[footballmouse]

Adorable mug!!

 

[disneyAndi14]

I loved the Mac and cheese and brisket at Polite Pig, very good!
How lucky to get the Hatbox ghost mug, we couldn’t even get the pearl one when we went, they were out of all of them!

 

[suse66]

After spending a few minutes debating what to do instead, I remembered that the Polite Pig in DS was supposed to be an excellent use of QS credits and had been on my list to try for some time. Mike agreed so we got ready and drove to DS.

I am dying to try Polite Pig!

Luckily, for once in my life, my sense of direction was right and we made it to the Polite Pig quickly because I was starving lol. There was barely a line to order which was great because I've heard it can get packed but I guess 3 pm isn't really prime eating time either.

Every time I have walked by there the lines up have been crazy!

We both loved our food! You can see a couple little cups of BBQ sauce in the corner of my picture- they had a selection of a few different ones. I like a more vinegar-y BBQ sauce and the one on the ribs was sweet so I added one of those too it and I liked it better that way. I could also eat mac and cheese probably daily and be happy and this mac and cheese was delicious! It was entirely too much food to eat all of but I finished every bite of the mac and cheese lol. My only complaint is that I don't like coleslaw so I wish you could've picked something else instead of it but it's already a ton of food so it wasn't a huge deal. We liked the brisket better than the ribs but that was just personal preference as both were delicious.

Yum! I am in the mac'n'cheese club with you. Could eat it daily as well!

We went to Trader Sam's which, unsurprisingly, was packed and put our names on the waiting list. We went to the terrace to enjoy drinks in the meantime.

I love that terrace...so peaceful and relaxing!

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Boo for the rain postponing your pool trip, but Polite Pig sounds delicious.

That ghost mug is awesome, glad they still had them in stock for you.

 

[buzzrelly]

As much as I tried to fight it, my birthday has come and gone and I'm officially 30.

Happy Birthday! You don't look a day over 29!

it was 1:30 AM and we were crashing after a long, fun night at MNSSHP.

While planning the trip, I came up with the brilliant (or insane, your choice) idea for us to sleep for a few hours and then get up to make Extra, Extra Magic Hours at Hollywood Studios at 6 am.

Oh, my!

We managed to hold our position directly behind the CMs walking us back and be the first ones in line for Slinky that day!

Nice!

In just 7 minutes, it was time to ride again!

I am sooooo jealous of your EEMH. I wish they were having those when we go in March, or even EMM. I am already sad that it will be a looonnnnnggggg time before we see an empty-fish DHS like that again

For reference, it was 7:59 at the time and I asked the CM at the entrance if they were meeting yet and he looked at his watch and said no.

So, I asked him what time they start and he very nonchalantly said 8 am. This annoyed me because if I didn't ask what time, I would've continued walking when they were literally meeting in less than a minute.

Rude. Was he trying to be funny??

I screenshotted the wait times for the park on our way into Galaxy's Edge for reference. Not that it particularly matters now that EEMH are a thing of the past.

I failed to mention the tingling foam to him ahead of time and of course, had to video his reaction.

It's the new Beverly! I'll have to try that with Mike in March!

This one is taken with a little round camera and I have no idea what technology this is but I think it's so cool!

That's so cool!

I literally want this mural in my house please!

On our walk, we saw the construction site of the new Ample Hills creamery!

I've never tried this…I guess I don't get over to the Boardwalk much. I'm looking forward to trying it in DS. Did it open yet?

We also came across this new (at the time) wall so I, of course, needed a picture with it.

I am so all about anything Orange Bird

So Mike was trying to tell me to slouch down for the picture and this was my reaction to the suggestion.

I'm pretty sure that's how my face looks all the time when my DH starts making suggestions!

I was so happy to have my hands on this!!

Love it! We have the same one from last year!

 

[ariane37]

I don't like bourbon or sweet tea so I thought it sounded terrible but he liked it!

I don't like bourbon or sweet tea either but bourbon is now Steve's go-to so I think he'd love this. It also sounds right up @pepperandchips alley!

I'm also not a bbq fan so haven't had any interest in trying Polite Pig but the rest of the family would most likely enjoy it. I may suck it up and see if they want to try it in July because I do try to do lots of "new" things with the kids since they've been so much and just eating at different places suffices as "good-new" to them. They're teenage boys after all!

We saw this in the parking garage as we walked back to the car and I just thought it was an odd way to store a stroller lol.

Um I hope they didn't think they were fooling anyone?
"Hey you think that's a stroller under there?"
"NO! Can't be............."

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Mike chose the Sweet Tea Old-Fashioned (Bourbon, Sweet Tea Syrup and Bitters $11). I don't like bourbon or sweet tea so I thought it sounded terrible but he liked it! It was a very strong drink though and he ended up getting some actual sweet tea to dilute it with and it went down much easier.

Andy did the same thing! But not terrible since they had Sweet Tea over by the sodas.

So many of their specialty drinks sounded good to me and I was having a hard time choosing. A really sweet CM was taking our order and recommended the Polite Punch (Light Rum, Whiskey, Passion Fruit, Lime and Bitters $11) so I took her suggestion and I'm glad I did! All the ingredients worked perfectly in this drink for me. It was s

I had this too. Very tasty.

If you're on the dining plan, this is a perfect use of a quick service credit because the meal would've cost us $64 out of pocket but we enjoyed it so much we would go back with or without the dining plan. I also like that you order at the counter but your food is delivered to you at a your table so it doesn't have the chaotic feel of a "traditional" quick service.

This is seriously one of our new favorite places. Loved it! And now dreaming of eating there again.

 

[NJlauren]

I hope everyone had a good weekend! As much as I tried to fight it, my birthday has come and gone and I'm officially 30. Not sure how this happened but I had fun celebrating it! My lovely coworkers threw me not 1 but 2 parties the night before my birthday! I spent the actual day with Mike and my family who I introduced to our first Korean hot pot and BBQ and everyone's in lovely with it now. Then this weekend, my sister, friends and I rented a house in the Poconos and and had fun in the snow.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! A a little late but i really really mean it

I got a new car the day after my birthday also and tried to convince my dad he should make the payments as my birthday gift but was unsuccessful

haha! DAD COME ON!

I was honestly surprised by the number of people there already at 5:15 AM! There were a ton of lines for security and each had probably 8-10 people already. Still not a terribly big crowd but seemed big for 5:15 lol.

We passed the time by eating the breakfast of champions- Entemann's mini muffins and MNSSHP candy.

UGH i am still kinda mad we didnt make it here this Morning!! I also wish they would bring this back...

We were held there until 5:50 when they started scanning people into the park. We headed all the way to the right as we were starting in Toy Story Land.

Thats the way to do it!

You probably could've asked to stay on this and spin around til your heart's content but once is really enough for me lol so we didn't bother.

We walked over to TSMM next.

Yeah i do not blame you at all! Once is good!

fter the ride, we walked around to Woody and Bo Peep's meeting spot and got in line behind one other couple to wait the 10 minutes until 7 am. They were very sweet and we enjoyed chatting with them about our plans for the rest of the morning.

Right at 7 am, Bo Peep came out but sadly no Woody.

BOOO no Woody but Bo Peep is so cute in her new outfit!

After returning from the Twilight Zone, we were ready for a concert so we walked over to Rock n Roller Coaster.

The sun had come up but the park was still delightfully empty.

So nice, its great to have a pretty empty park and all you had to do was get no sleep!

So, I asked him what time they start and he very nonchalantly said 8 am. This annoyed me because if I didn't ask what time, I would've continued walking when they were literally meeting in less than a minute.

ANYWAY, we proceeded into the queue and found just two families waiting ahead of us.

We met Minnie at 8:04. She was apparently very excited by something that I was terrified by .

I cant, this is ridiculous! - the CM on the time who does that!

As we enter the Star Wars portion of this TR, I must lead with a disclaimer. We're not Star Wars fans. In fact, neither of us has seen the movies. Feel free to throw things if you must. We wore Star Wars shirts for the occasion simply because they were on sale in Kohls and were a Halloween theme and I couldn't pass them up.

That said, I took pictures of many things. I don't know what post of these many things are. Please take "Star Wars things that Courtney thought looked cool" as your caption for the rest of this post.

Continue on now if you haven't shunned me.

hahah! I have seen the first 3 movies, and the first new one,... no idea of the names... Rob hasn't seen any... so i am not judging but i feel like i should probably watch them...

We were led to our assigned small standing area at the bar. I knew it was very likely that we'd have to stand but it's one of the big reasons we won't rush back to Oga's.

Agreed! I am so happy we tried this, and we did it with out the girls but i am kinda like ok no need to rush back!

I failed to mention the tingling foam to him ahead of time and of course, had to video his reaction.

hahaha omg i can not

If you're on the dining plan, this is a perfect use of a quick service credit because the meal would've cost us $64 out of pocket but we enjoyed it so much we would go back with or without the dining plan. I also like that you order at the counter but your food is delivered to you at a your table so it doesn't have the chaotic feel of a "traditional" quick service.

WOW this is an amazing deal!

now i stopped quoting, i am not a great quoter (not a word).. but i love that you go the mugs and left Trader Sams haha! We haven;t gone yet its on list maybe next time...