Return of the Porg - A June 2018 TR *updated 6/24 Epic DISmeet highlights day 7 COMPLETED!*

[missangelalexis]

Phew good thing someone was able to get you back into your room!

The views from the monorail to Epcot are always so beautiful!

Sunshine Seasons used to have the bestttt stuff, so many options! It stinks that they are reducing their menu. Those fish tacos look so good!

 

[Cloe Colton]

That happened to me at Sunshine Seasons this year, my favorite turkey sandwich was changed and its not the same. It's so depressing when they take away a favorite go-to like that!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

That cookie looks amazing!!!

Disney needs to do something about that EPCOT bag check, ridiculous.

 

[pepperandchips]

In the interest of not leaving 900 billion comments for you to have to respond to (and because I just binge caught up on my phone) I didn't do a bunch of quotes. But wow amazing amazing photos in these most recent updates! Your Contemporary room looks like heaven. I could totally see staying there for that lovely Bay Lake view alone. It would be hard not to want to spend every moment at Magic Kingdom but I could see staying there for a no park trip too. Just lovely.

The only thing we disagree on are the new Mickey shorts... I'm basically obsessed! I know they are divisive but I think they are so cute and funny. (I also wasn't allowed to watch Ren and Stimpy so maybe that's just my style of humor, hahaha) I have them on my At&T on demand so I am able to watch them at home as well (and might be doing so right now ) but I much prefer the continuous loop of them on the resort tv at WDW! I love all the little Easter eggs with nods to the parks or films.

I really hope they did not remove your favorite fish tacos from the menu at sunshine seasons. For what it's worth I find the online menus not to be all that accurate so hopefully they're still there!

 

[paradesintherain]

I’m off to Germany (and a bit of Austria) for two weeks! I’ll respond to all your lovely comments and hopefully finish this report up when I return! Auf wiedersehen!

 

[missangelalexis]

Have a fantastic trip!!!!

 

[thumper*]

Enjoy Germany

 

[paradesintherain]

Hi guys! I'm back from Germany, it was the most amazing time so I'm pretty bummed to be home. And as an added bonus when I got to work for my first shift back I opened my car door and someone smashed into it when they were backing into a spot. Lovely!

Anyway, I'll get this TR up and running again soon (and catch up on all the TRs I'm watching!)

 

[thumper*]

welcome back glad you enjoyed yourself

 

[amazingact21]

I'm so happy to hear you had a great time in Germany! Isn't it a beautiful country that's so relaxing and laid back? If you're so inclined, I'd love to hear what places you visited and some of the sights you saw.

Yikes! How does someone miss an open door? What a welcome back to work. Hopefully, it'll be an easy fix and you won't have to deal with too much hassle from the insurance claims and whatnot.

 

[Mickey.MAC]

great trip report! i was laughing when u were looking from a boat from Contemporary to MK!

Which did u like better, Contemporary or AKL? Uber is cheaper than Minnie Vans, Is minnie vans worth the extra cost?

Thanks for sharing.

 

[paradesintherain]

I haven't taken a bag in a park on my last 2 visits and haven't missed not having it. I just make sure I've got the pockets for cell, cash, credit card, ID. Love not having to wait in those lines so worth it.

It would be so convenient to not have a bag, but I just don't think I could get by without one, unfortunately!

Uh Oh

I think it's really gone!

That cookie is crazy! I can't get over how many chocolate chips are on it. I bet it was delicious.

The monorail ride through Epcot is such a great way to build up the excitement for the park. And you got some really beautiful shots. Made me wish I were headed there now. Although...that second bag check. They REALLY need to figure out a better way to handle that. It gets old, real fast.

I hope the fish tacos are still at Sunshine Seasons, there's nothing more disappointing than finding a favorite dish and having it removed.

It was the best chocolate chip cookie ever! Especially if you manage to forget how much it cost

The monorail to Epcot is so beautiful. Agreed that the second bag check is just ridiculous - surely they could figure something else out!

It isn't looking good for them..

I love all your pics of EPCOT from the monorail I feel like I could just ride that over and over and not get bored.

Thank you! I agree, seems like a different view every time with the different festivals they have

Ugh…so annoying! I keep thinking, "well, surely they'll fix this because it just doesn't make any sense." And then, of course, then don't fix it and I get aggravated again

Alas! Maybe someday

WHAT?? How come I never knew this existed!?

Isn't there a 3-legged goat too? I was searching for a 3-legged goat and found that guy haha

I HATE this. It's so silly. Surely there's an easy way to avoid this.

You would think!

Another place this Disney veteran has never tried, Sunshine Seasons!

The security line here after already going through one on the monorail line stinks!!

Oh you absolutely should try it (though it seems they've definitely dumbed the menu down). It is hard though, since there's so many great places to eat in Epcot.

For sure!

Phew good thing someone was able to get you back into your room!

The views from the monorail to Epcot are always so beautiful!

Sunshine Seasons used to have the bestttt stuff, so many options! It stinks that they are reducing their menu. Those fish tacos look so good!

Spoiler: this wasn't the only time I locked myself out

They really are! One of my favorite things to do

It's so sad - people have always raved about Sunshine Seasons. Makes no sense.

That happened to me at Sunshine Seasons this year, my favorite turkey sandwich was changed and its not the same. It's so depressing when they take away a favorite go-to like that!

Oh yes, I loved that sandwich too! So disappointing

That cookie looks amazing!!!

Disney needs to do something about that EPCOT bag check, ridiculous.

So amazing! I could really go for that cookie right now..

Maybe if enough of us complain

In the interest of not leaving 900 billion comments for you to have to respond to (and because I just binge caught up on my phone) I didn't do a bunch of quotes. But wow amazing amazing photos in these most recent updates! Your Contemporary room looks like heaven. I could totally see staying there for that lovely Bay Lake view alone. It would be hard not to want to spend every moment at Magic Kingdom but I could see staying there for a no park trip too. Just lovely.

The only thing we disagree on are the new Mickey shorts... I'm basically obsessed! I know they are divisive but I think they are so cute and funny. (I also wasn't allowed to watch Ren and Stimpy so maybe that's just my style of humor, hahaha) I have them on my At&T on demand so I am able to watch them at home as well (and might be doing so right now ) but I much prefer the continuous loop of them on the resort tv at WDW! I love all the little Easter eggs with nods to the parks or films.

I really hope they did not remove your favorite fish tacos from the menu at sunshine seasons. For what it's worth I find the online menus not to be all that accurate so hopefully they're still there!

Thank you!! I wouldn't have minded a billion comments though I definitely could have spent so much time in the room. Was really so nice and the view could not be beat.

I've actually read a few people that feel the same way about the new Mickey cartoons, and I did watch a clip that was really sweet, so maybe I just haven't given them a fair chance. Next time I get the opportunity I'll really give it a chance! Still not a huge fan of the drawing style though!

It seems like they're really gone. Please respect my privacy in this difficult time.

Have a fantastic trip!!!!

Thank you! It was amazing and I am so sad to be back home

Enjoy Germany

welcome back glad you enjoyed yourself

Thank you! It was a really phenomenal trip!

I'm so happy to hear you had a great time in Germany! Isn't it a beautiful country that's so relaxing and laid back? If you're so inclined, I'd love to hear what places you visited and some of the sights you saw.

Yikes! How does someone miss an open door? What a welcome back to work. Hopefully, it'll be an easy fix and you won't have to deal with too much hassle from the insurance claims and whatnot.

I had THE BEST time. It's the most beautiful country and it really is relaxed. I instantly felt at home. I think I'm gonna do a mini-TR within this one of my time in Germany because I took a ton of photos and had the best time and I really want to share. I did get some spaghetti eis thanks to your TR and it was so whimsical and delightful!

I don't know!!! It was such a mess, though, ugh.

great trip report! i was laughing when u were looking from a boat from Contemporary to MK!

Which did u like better, Contemporary or AKL? Uber is cheaper than Minnie Vans, Is minnie vans worth the extra cost?

Thanks for sharing.

Aw thank you! And yeah that was such a silly moment on my part! Oh well, it worked out in the end haha

AKL is my favorite resort; I'm pretty biased because I have a lot of history with it and the African theme and animals really just appeal to me. But Contemporary was fantastic! The rooms are arguably better than AKLs and the view we had was STUNNING. Plus it's really nice to be so close to MK and other resorts.

I like Minnie Van better than Uber because the drivers are CMs and they've always been so wonderful and fun to talk to. Plus they know the property very well - I've had a few issues with Uber/Lyft drivers not really knowing where to go. I've used both on property, though, and it really just depends on what's important to you!

Thanks for reading along!

 

[paradesintherain]

Mini TR part 1: Berlin, Germany



Alright, I’m just gonna do a quick little TR about some Germany highlights. Feel free to skip over this if the most magical place on Earth isn’t your thing - yes i'm referring to Germany! This will be mostly pictures with a little commentary!

I arrived in Berlin on September 26 quite early in the morning and then had until 6 or so at night until my friend Katy arrived. I freshened up at the airport then successfully purchased public transit tickets and navigated to the the hostel (though I couldn’t figure out how to validate them, which would have been an issue had the polizei stopped me!)

In college I had a class that was German History through Film and the teacher was American but had actually lived in East Germany while the wall was up, so she shared a lot of what it was like and introduced me to one of my favorite films about East German nostalgia, or as the Germans call it, ‘ostalgie’. Point being, I knew I wanted to visit the Deutsch Democratic Republic (aka East German) museum. I wasn’t sure either of my friends would be into it so I went alone. It was a fun, interactive little museum that gave great insight into life behind the wall but it was SO crowded. Here’s some pictures from around the area.

Here we’ve got the TV Tower and a church I don’t know the name of, but I like the contrast of styles.

Berlin Cathedral Church – it had an entrance fee so I didn’t go in, but the outside was plenty to see.

Here’s me in a Trabant at the DDR Museum. Trabants are infamous little cars from East Germany. It was basically the only car East Germans could get and they’d be on a waiting list for years for one – even though they were basically junk and literally made of plastic. But owning a car at all was a point of pride.

Katy arrived later and we just explored and then had drinks on the roof of our hostel with this subpar view.

September 27 we switched hostels, and this old post office was directly across the street. Not sure what it is now, but I found it really cool.

For lunch I had my first introduction to kebabs and I’ll never be the same. This particular kebab is falafel from a stand called Mustafa’s in Hackescher Markt. The red sauce on it was phenomenal. So döner kebabs are famous street food in Germany that were brought over by Turkish immigrants. It’s basically vertical rotisserrie meat that’s shaved off and put on bread or pita or even tortilla-like things and then veggies and sauces are added. It’s like a gyro but also way better.

My friend, Laura, from Finland joined us in Berlin on this day. When I was a junior in high school she moved in with my family after her original foreign exchange family was awful and then we had a great time! I hadn’t seen her since 2009 so this was really special.

Our next stop was the Berlin Wall memorial.

This is what the Berlin Wall would have looked like before it was torn down.

For dinner that night we ate at a Thai restaurant called Khwan and it was fantastic! We all shared a tasting menu and he let us substitute the whole fried fish for the other meat options! It’s like being at Disney World!

September 28 we started our day at my favorite café, The Barn, which is in the Mitte neighborhood. The pastel de nata, a Portuguese egg custard tart, was fantastic! We definitely returned the next day.

On this day we made our first attempt to visit the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, but were thwarted by President Erdogan of Turkey’s visit. We could see the memorial but it was closed off and policed.

We went to the most famous kebab place, Mustafa’s Gemüse Kebab’s, in Kreuzberg neighborhood. It’s so popular that it can have hours long lines. We waited around 30-45 minutes. This time I actually got meat – this one was chicken. IF ONLY I COULD HAVE THIS AGAIN RIGHT NOW! It was absolutely worth the hype and only €3.90. it’s hard to see, but it was a huge portion.

After very satisfying kebabs we found a beer place and took one of my favorite pictures with auto-timer. Can you tell which one is the Finn?

September 29 started off at The Barn again, with some really good selfie lighting and the most amazing iced latte. It didn’t even have flavoring and it put every Starbucks drink to shame.

We then went to Prenzlaur-Berg neighborhood for a street market which was so cool to see. But more importantly we found a store that was serving spaghetti eis! I learned about this from @amazingact21 and I’m so glad because it is the most delightful thing I’ve ever seen. It’s vanilla ice cream pressed into noodle shapes, then topped with strawberry sauce and white chocolate shavings.

Berlin has graffitti everywhere and it’s this confusing mix of old and new, clean and dirty. It’s got 8 million personalities at once and I love it dearly.

We saw the East Side Gallery. This is graffiti that was commissioned after the wall had already been torn down in most areas. The graffitti is in what was East Germany and that definitely would not have been allowed.

We tried to see the Memorial to the Murdered Jew of Europe again. This time the memorial was open, but the information center still was not. It’s a unique memorial, but I think opinions on it are quite varied. When my friend was googling it she found that the artist apparently said that the memorial doesn’t signify anything, it just looks cool. Also he designed the 9/11 memorial in NYC. Anyway, it was neat to see. It was hard to really use it as a remembrance site since people were running through it like a maze, or standing on top, or posing for the perfect instagram shot.

We saw the Brandenburg Gate. It was under refurbishment.

And then we had some beer at Berlin Beer Academy. If you’re in Berlin, definitely check this place out. Intimate and has a really nice vibe, and the shop owner was super friendly and knowledgable and hand picks the beers from his travels.

Up next on this Mini-TR: we travel down the Romantic Road! ​

 

[missangelalexis]

Thank you for sharing! Your photos are gorgeous and it looks like you were having an amazing time!

 

[pepperandchips]

Katy arrived later and we just explored and then had drinks on the roof of our hostel with this subpar view.

Oh, I don't know how you managed it. Looks absolutely DREADFUL!

For lunch I had my first introduction to kebabs and I’ll never be the same. This particular kebab is falafel from a stand called Mustafa’s in Hackescher Markt. The red sauce on it was phenomenal. So döner kebabs are famous street food in Germany that were brought over by Turkish immigrants. It’s basically vertical rotisserrie meat that’s shaved off and put on bread or pita or even tortilla-like things and then veggies and sauces are added. It’s like a gyro but also way better.

Yum!

September 28 we started our day at my favorite café, The Barn, which is in the Mitte neighborhood. The pastel de nata, a Portuguese egg custard tart, was fantastic! We definitely returned the next day.

Wow those look like amazing treats!

This time I actually got meat – this one was chicken. IF ONLY I COULD HAVE THIS AGAIN RIGHT NOW! It was absolutely worth the hype and only €3.90. it’s hard to see, but it was a huge portion.

SO YUM! Now I want one too and I didn't even taste yours

After very satisfying kebabs we found a beer place and took one of my favorite pictures with auto-timer. Can you tell which one is the Finn?

I just love this photo, you ladies look lovely!

But more importantly we found a store that was serving spaghetti eis! I learned about this from @amazingact21 and I’m so glad because it is the most delightful thing I’ve ever seen. It’s vanilla ice cream pressed into noodle shapes, then topped with strawberry sauce and white chocolate shavings.

Okay that is just too odd! I wonder if there are any places in the US that do this yet

It was hard to really use it as a remembrance site since people were running through it like a maze, or standing on top, or posing for the perfect instagram shot.

That just strikes me as so inconsiderate, no matter what the artist has said. I can't believe how people act in some places that should command a bit more reverence and respect.

 

[paradesintherain]

Thank you for sharing! Your photos are gorgeous and it looks like you were having an amazing time!

Thank you!! It was an amazing time and I'm going to share a few more... haha

Oh, I don't know how you managed it. Looks absolutely DREADFUL!

I powered through the best I could. It was really quite noble of me.

Yum!

So yum. I think I'm going to crave them for the rest of time.

Wow those look like amazing treats!

They were so delicious - I've never had a better pastry!

SO YUM! Now I want one too and I didn't even taste yours

You should go to Berlin!

I just love this photo, you ladies look lovely!

Aww thank you! I'm very fond of it too

Okay that is just too odd! I wonder if there are any places in the US that do this yet

I don't know, but they should! It's the cutest thing ever

That just strikes me as so inconsiderate, no matter what the artist has said. I can't believe how people act in some places that should command a bit more reverence and respect.

I agree. It's a memorial! Also at Dachau concentration camp I saw a girl close the gate with the Arbeit Macht Frei on it and pose for a picture while she looked sad and trapped. It was horrifying.

 

[amazingact21]

Doner kebabs own a piece of my soul! I'm so glad you got to have some. It's where I take every newcomer when they first move here. "Once you try this, you'll never go to that Subway down the street. This will always be your go-to fast food dinner."

And hooray for getting to try some spaghetti eis! It's an adorable little treat on a hot summer's day.

Jeez, it's probably terrible that I'm commenting on all the food you shared. I'm ruled by my stomach, I guess.

Sounds like Berlin was a nice time, though, despite some of the sights being closed and/or under construction. I have heard that the city is quite eclectic to look at. A lot of old stuff mixed in with the modern.

 

[paradesintherain]

Mini TR part 2: Romantic Road



On September 30th we picked up a rental car, said goodbye to my friend Laura and hopped on the German autobahn to Würzburg. My friend, Katy, is really into natural wines and one of her favorite natural winemakers was nearby - 2NaturKinder. She reached out to them and he told us to come by for a wine tasting, which was so nice since they don't have public wine tours or anything. It was an amazing experience - the wine cellars beneath his house were incredible and he was super passionate about what he did.

And then the winemaker asked if I wanted to siphon the wine out of the barrel, so I hopped up on a ladder, stuck a tube in the wine and sucked it out into the wine glass! I did really well so he had me do that for the next few wines, and it was really fun.

Here's the view from one of the tallest barrels.

The wine cellar was really elaborate and had a couple cute seating areas. The winemaker was kind enough to make dinner for us, and it was such a lovely experience.

This is where we ate, by candlelight, with plenty of wine!

October 1st we explored Würzburg which is such a pretty little town!

This is Marienburg Fortress, the fortress on the hill in the backgrounds. The views from it were stunning.

We might have had a little photoshoot.

After exploring the city, we hopped in our car and drove down the Romantic Road (sort of...) to Rothenberg ob der Tauber, a medieval walled city that was actually the inspiration for the village in Pinocchio. This city is very popular with tourists, and for good reason. It's so charming!

This view is from the city walls, which you can walk all the way around. We only walked for a part of it, but it was a lot of fun.

We found a sausage shop and had a lunch of sausage on a bun with sauerkraut.

And then we found a really old well that gave me major Snow White vibes.

After exploring, we got back on the road. The German countryside cannot be beat.

Our final stop before heading to our hotel was a town called Nördlingen that was built in an impact crater, and also had a perimeter wall. I thought you'd be able to tell that it was in a crater, but it wasn't noticeable. Still, really cute.

This uneven house is so amusing

Up next: a very special hotel! ​

 

[thumper*]

YAY I was hoping you'd write up a mint TR for Germany

Memorial to the Murdered Jew of Europe

Now that I see your pictures I recall seeing this in an episode of Sens8 on Netflix (Love that show). It has great shadowing for filming. I haed no idea it a was a memorial until I read it here.

This looks so yummy I always laugh when I see an ashtray anymore, with smoking banned in so many area's of the US.

This art work is super cool

- 2NaturKinder. She reached out to them and he told us to come by for a wine tasting, which was so nice since they don't have public wine tours or anything. It was an amazing experience - the wine cellars beneath his house were incredible and he was super passionate about what he did.

OMG what a great experiance I would have loved it. Did you guys buy any wine while ther?

Rothenberg ob der Tauber, a medieval walled city that was actually the inspiration for the village in Pinocchio. This city is very popular with tourists, and for good reason. It's so charming!

Oh I loved visiting Rothenberg ob der Tauber. Funny story we at the restaurant we had dinner in we ordered a Pepperoni Pizza, wine and water. They brought us HOT water out of the tap. I understand they don't use much ice but hot water was a big surprise.

Then when the pizza came out you could guess their pepperoni is actually peppers. They were nice enough to make us a different pizza which was so nice of them since it was our mistake of just not knowing.

 

[amazingact21]

Then when the pizza came out you could guess their pepperoni is actually peppers. They were nice enough to make us a different pizza which was so nice of them since it was our mistake of just not knowing.

The first time we went out to our neighborhood Italian restaurant, we ordered Landon a pepperoni pizza and the server went, "No, no, no! You don't want that for him!" We learned that the salami pizza is the closest to the traditional American-style pepperoni pizza.