Springtime is the Best Time- Flower & Garden, a taste of Dapper Days and Earth Day -April 2024- Side Trip to Epic Opening Day

[Steppesister]

We've been back since Saturday, July 20th but I've had a hard time getting back on here. This month has been so busy and now school is about to start.

Busy girl!!! Lots going on for several of you!

 

[vamassey1]

How's she doing? She's had a lot on her plate.

She is slowly adjusting. It's really great that she hasn't been thrown into the busy Festival schedule yet. Food and Wine is the busiest Festival they have.

 

[vamassey1]

Busy girl!!! Lots going on for several of you!

Everyone seems to busy too.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Everyone seems to busy too.

Popped on to the Dis today for the first time in ages. Seems like the summer holidays are flying by so quickly and while we’ve only taken a couple of short trips to Donegal instead of our usual 2week trip somewhere that requires a plane, life has been busy.
Glad to hear Danielle is adjusting to her new role and living with housemates. Saw your gorgeous grandsons back to school photos. JP is getting so grown up and the younger boys are too. I hope they have a great year ahead

 

[vamassey1]

Popped on to the Dis today for the first time in ages. Seems like the summer holidays are flying by so quickly and while we’ve only taken a couple of short trips to Donegal instead of our usual 2week trip somewhere that requires a plane, life has been busy.

This summer really has flown by. Every year seems to get busier and busier. You were on my mind lots in the last month. We ready "What the Wind Knows" by Amy Harmon for book club. It was actually my 2nd read, I enjoyed it so much. It's set in Ireland.

Glad to hear Danielle is adjusting to her new role and living with housemates

She has been keeping really busy with her roommates. She's closer to the bubble so spending more time there.

Saw your gorgeous grandsons back to school photos. JP is getting so grown up and the younger boys are too. I hope they have a great year ahead

Thank you! They really are growing up. I think JP will be taller than me before long.

 

[vamassey1]

Epic Opening Day and the Next Portal- Isle of Berk

If you guessed we would cross back over to the other side of the park to go to Isle of Berk next, you would be correct. This was the portal I was looking forward to the most. I'm not a huge HTTYD fan but I do enjoy what I have seen. I made a point of seeing the first movie before we went but never made it past that. I've seen almost all of the second movie but I don't think I've sat thought the whole movie at one time even though we own the DVD. I've watched some of the series when JP went though a faze where he was watching it non stop. We did go with Michelle and family to see the live action and I'm looking forward to seeing it again.
Here we go.

The tunnels for each portal were so pretty.

The sun wasn't in the best place for these pictures.

When you first walk in your can pretty much see most of the area and this is a great photo op. There is even a camera set up with a spot marked to stand on. You can go online later to see how your photo came out. We took the picture, but never went back to look.

But I did get a selfie.

Isle of Berk is a big circle around the water feature. You can go left or right. I found this portal so pretty and it had so much detail. Really all of the portals had great detail, but this one appealed to me the most. We chose to go left first. We were looking for food. It was after 9 and we were all hungry. Hiccup's Wing Gliders goes pretty much around the whole left side. This photo shows where it crosses over the water. It was not running at this time.

I love the Dragon huts!

We were hoping to ride Hiccup's but since that was down our next choice was food. The Mac and Cheese cones from Spit Fyre Grill sounded good but we found this first.


Mead Hall was impressive from the outside and on the inside.





It was almost 10 am and they were open. We didn't know if they were serving breakfast or lunch, but we were ready to eat. You seat yourself and then scan the QR code to order. Make sure you have the app and you have an account set up with payment. There might be a way to order in person but it's not encouraged or evident. I think this will be a turn off for all the people who don't like mobile order at Disney. We wanted to eat but still leave room to try more food.

Continued in next post.

 

[vamassey1]

Robin and I each ordered a kids meal. We both got Nightlight's Burger-Cheeseburger with carrots, Nordic fries, grapes on the vine. It came in a cute Viking ship.





I think there was ketchup on the burger. There were no condiments offered anywhere and when I asked the person delivering food she said all they had was ketchup. It was just fine and took care of our hunger, but I really wanted some mayo.

A & A shared Hooligan's Sausage Links-Smoked sausage links, herb garlic potato, roasted carrots, Cipollini onions, & wild berry BBQ sauce.



They enjoyed there meal. No one ordered a drink. A & A had purchased the refillable mug. Robin and I had water bottles. Epic and the other Universal parks had Coke Freestyle machines all over. These were great for refilling our water bottles with ice water. I really wish Disney had these. Universal wins hands down when it comes to hydration.

We did some shopping after our bellies were full. I was on a mission to find the Toothless shoulder pet for JP and A was looking for one too. We did not find it and spent a good part of our day looking for it. I did get a Dragon Drifter Blind Box and eyed some more items for purchase later.

We did some more looking around. Dragons were everywhere. Take a close look at this one, she shows up again.



The tail on this one moves back and forth.




Another interesting tail and some sheep. They move and baa too.



This one looks pretty mean.




We walked right into the show "The Untrainable Dragon". This was another indicator we did not need the Express Pass.



I'm going to stop here. I have a lot of pictures from the show. If you go to Epic, go see it.

 

[buzzrelly]

EPIC looks really cool! I was supposed to go in July and had to cancel but hoping to go soon!

 

[vamassey1]

EPIC looks really cool! I was supposed to go in July and had to cancel but hoping to go soon!

I'm so sorry you had to cancel.

I hope you make it there soon and hopefully it won't be as hot as July would have been.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

We ready "What the Wind Knows" by Amy Harmon for book club. It was actually my 2nd read, I enjoyed it so much. It's set in Ireland.

Adding this to my reading list. I haven’t heard of it before now. Did you enjoy it?
EPIC looks like a lot of fun. The kids meals are cute the way they’re served but I’d likely be wanting mayo too.

 

[amazingact21]

I'm loving reading about your Epic opening day. It's making me wish I were back there.

That Toothless shoulder plush is so hard to get! Poor Evie wanted one, as well, and they were STILL out of stock in July.

The freestyle machines at Universal are unbelievable. We commented on numerous occasions how Disney should really get on board with that.

I agree with you that Epic really isn't a park for little ones as there's not much for them to do. I don't think we would have gone if my kids weren't as old as they were.

It's so awesome that you were there opening day and that it wasn't a madhouse. What an incredible thing to be able to say you experienced!

 

[vamassey1]

Adding this to my reading list. I haven’t heard of it before now. Did you enjoy it?

I did enjoy it. Our readers that don't care a lot for romance didn't like it as much, but I wouldn't say it was to heavy on the romance. Lots of history in it.

EPIC looks like a lot of fun. The kids meals are cute the way they’re served but I’d likely be wanting mayo too.

It really was a cute meal, too bad the park isn't really for little kids.

 

[vamassey1]

I'm loving reading about your Epic opening day. It's making me wish I were back there.

I would go back too.

That Toothless shoulder plush is so hard to get! Poor Evie wanted one, as well, and they were STILL out of stock in July.

We spend a lot of time looking for the Shoulder Plush. We did eventually get it but not at Epic. After numerous tries we were finally told it's tied to the Live Action Movie, not the animated film. We found it with some help from Facebook at Island of Adventure at a shop near where the photo op for the live action movie was.

The freestyle machines at Universal are unbelievable. We commented on numerous occasions how Disney should really get on board with that.

I was really missing those freestyle machine in July while in Disney.

I agree with you that Epic really isn't a park for little ones as there's not much for them to do. I don't think we would have gone if my kids weren't as old as they were.

I found all the Universal parks aren't for littles. We really did not see very many littles in Epic. I can say I did not miss the strollers.

It's so awesome that you were there opening day and that it wasn't a madhouse. What an incredible thing to be able to say you experienced!

I'm so happy we did this and I'll always have that memory.

 

[pkondz]

Isle of Berk

Had no idea what that was. I have seen the original HTTYD movie, but 1. it was a long time ago and 2. that's all I've seen

If you guessed we would cross back over to the other side of the park to go to Isle of Berk next, you would be correct.

I did! I did!


(not)

I'm not a huge HTTYD fan but I do enjoy what I have seen.

I'd say that describes me, too.

I made a point of seeing the first movie before we went but never made it past that.

I'd have to watch it again, but I do remember it fairly well.

I've watched some of the series when JP went though a faze where he was watching it non stop.

I had no idea there was a series. Huh.

The sun wasn't in the best place for these pictures.

If only it had been raining!



No?

There is even a camera set up with a spot marked to stand on.

Convenient.

But I did get a selfie.

Big smile.

I love the Dragon huts!

Those are great.

You seat yourself and then scan the QR code to order. Make sure you have the app and you have an account set up with payment.

Hmmmm....

I think this will be a turn off for all the people who don't like mobile order at Disney.

Yeah... that. Plus... there are seniors out there without smart phones.
Maybe that age group is too old to visit now. Dunno.

Cute.

I think there was ketchup on the burger. There were no condiments offered anywhere and when I asked the person delivering food she said all they had was ketchup.

Um... that's it?!?

It was just fine and took care of our hunger, but I really wanted some mayo.

Or mustard... lettuce... tomato... cheese... relish... pickles... anything...

A & A shared Hooligan's Sausage Links-Smoked sausage links, herb garlic potato, roasted carrots, Cipollini onions, & wild berry BBQ sauce.

That sounds pretty good.

I was on a mission to find the Toothless shoulder pet for JP and A was looking for one too. We did not find it and spent a good part of our day looking for it.

The what now?

I did get a Dragon Drifter Blind Box

(one more time!)
The what now?

The tail on this one moves back and forth.

That's cool.

some sheep. They move and baa too.

That's even better!

 

[Paulaparm]

Love reading about EPIC Universe…pretty sure next time we go to Disney, my husband wants a side trip over there!

 

[Steppesister]

The tunnels for each portal were so pretty.

These are just so intriguing. I might have to plan a trip over there sometime.

Okay, that is SUPER cute. I love it!

There were no condiments offered anywhere and when I asked the person delivering food she said all they had was ketchup. It was just fine and took care of our hunger, but I really wanted some mayo.

Say what? EW.

These were great for refilling our water bottles with ice water. I really wish Disney had these. Universal wins hands down when it comes to hydration.

Good to know!