The ABCs of a New 'Ohana Adventure-G is for: Greetings From Teppan, Good-Byes, and Good News!!! - COMPLETED 1/7

[Steppesister]

Oh?

Still thinking on things, need to do some researches.

Oh! I vaguely remember seeing that way back when.

They were SO fun!!!

But not as bad as 4am for work.

And I'll be doing a bit more of THAT starting after vacation and well, 2 days this coming week.



20% more pay= 2 hours earlier than normal.

Yeah... let's not do that again, shall we? Hmmmm????

Not very princess-y, no?

Oh! So you're going to risk long lines at SR?

SR? Confused.

"uhh"??? You don't think you will enjoy the ride? Or?

Uhh, NO ONE got that reference.

Dr. Stevens says, "Uhh...", about 14 times in his pre-show sequence.. am I the only one who cracks up at this every single time? LOLOLOL

I'm pretty indifferent to the trails, so... TOL Awakening. Only because I've done Pandora at night several times. And ROL is boring.

I really love the TOL at night as well.

 

[Steppesister]

Wait! You said you eat crap for dinner
#amiright @afwdwfan ?
Doesn't sound like crap to me.

That was a major anomaly. Trust me.

I think that was the key...they didn't plan on good (smart) ways to update or improve the technology.

I think they simply got lazy, lost sponsorships, let creativity take a crapper, and now they're in this mode of turning EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE into character and movie stuff. Makes me sad. I LOVE the attractions where we could make up our OWN stories like JC, Pirates, HM, Tom Sawyer's Island, etc...

 

[Steppesister]

That's okay. Now you have to deal with the rapid-fire replies!

LOL! I'd rather have LOTS of chatter than none at all. Bring it.

Doubt you'll need it after being up since 4am.

You're probably right!

You may have underestimated the time required.

Probably by a lot.

Ah! So they've finally made that official?

Yes. See here: https://wdwprepschool.com/epcot-updates/

I don't remember those... but I do remember being fascinated by all the things to see an do in there.
Now... it's a place to avoid or skip.

Sad.

Hopefully that will all change soon...

Hmmmm…. traditions? Not sure I really have one... I tend to kinda go where the mood takes me. Maybe.... maybe!... visiting Japan's little garden area? And yet... I've skipped that in the past too.
Fave restaurant. That's easy. Mr. Paul. I haven't written about it, but I have eaten there and it was wonderful.
non-food-related... see traditions, above.

I guess I do that mostly too... just wander. See what's around the next bend, stop if the mood strikes. Isn't it so amazing?! I love it!

I can see you guys hitting the wall.

Yeah, I can see that too.

Maybe.... there's so much $$$ involved in a Disney trip. Maybe just a little bit more this one time? I'm thinking a Minnie van might be a good idea if you decide on that break.
Instead of being gone for 3 hours (for a 1 hour break)… you could be gone for just a little over that hour.

I am thinking yes, we will likely walk to Contemp and take an Uber from there. Makes sense on that day.

Yum. Need to try that.

It might border on blasphemy, but I actually like it a bit more than a Dole Whip.

Yet you didn't answer what your fave restaurant is.

Hmmm, I guess Vic and Al's but that's not reasonable to expect to do again. So hmmm.... Mr. Paul? Tiffins? Depends on my mood.

Nope. Time is money.... loooooots of money.
I did when the kids were really little, but that's it.

I don't expect we'll take many breaks this trip.

Good to hear!
You know what they say...
If you find a field of study that you love, and take the time and effort to learn the trade, you'll never work a day in your life.

True! I love my jobs very much and love my patients even more.

 

[Steppesister]

If only I could use the force as well as I can do his voice.

You'd be terrifying!

Yay!!! You go girl!

The CBTs are done now (all 16 hours), and I'm onto Orientation on the Floor. I'll start with shadowing on Wednesday. And have 2 days this week.

And yet another truth.

Wow, a lot of truth going on around here...what happened to this place?

LOL!! I have to have some creative lisence!

 

[Steppesister]

Jumping on board Haven't read all the comments, but have skimmed your posts and will read them properly from here onwards...
Some assorted quotes now:

Well, hello there!!! Always so wonderful to see new faces and get to know new friends! Don't be shy to chime in often!

A couple of years ago when I was on Mat leave, we drove up the Oregon coast- LOVED it!

The Oregon Coast is stunning. I grew up in Cali, but I think the Oregon Coast is just more beautiful in general.

My DH is jealous! He's a paramedic, so all those things are rampant

Oh for sure! I have every respect for folks who can do that job every day.

9 days sounds wonderful! We are hoping to return to Florida, not next year, but the one after and I want to make it a longer trip

You will NOT regret it! That gives you 2 days in each park (however you divide it up) and a day of rest in the mix too. You can actually have time to slow down and get into vacation relaxation mode and truly uplug from daily stuff.

The Poly would be a dream resort for us- we love things Hawaii style

It's definitely a dreamy resort and I can't wait to sit by the pool with my eyes closed.

Def anything over 20 min is horrendous

Careful planning, early mornings and late night FTW!

I sure can't wait to see them some day, and my DD15 loves Avatar, so will love it

IMHO, it's the most beautifully crafted and detailed land. Just so much tranquil beauty there. I havne't seen SWGE yet, but imagine I will be equally blown away with that.

Are you excited for the facelift? I haven't read all the details, but I understand they are going to be doing a lot of work there

I am. It's long overdue. However, I wish they'd kept the Innoventions Pavilions up-to-date and ADDED rather than replaced. Yes, the Moana water play area will be new, but I wish they'd KEPT Wonders of Life, the Original Dream Finder, etc... I'd LOVE a new country added but so far no news there. The Mary Poppins ride will be cool as well as the Ratatouille ride.

What a gorgeous bird!!

I LOVE the aviaries and could spend quite a lot of time in them.

Ohh I remember the train! It doesn't come out at all anymore for opening?

From the Disney Tourtist Blog:

"We've recently learned that the on May 18, 2019, the Speedway is scheduled to reopen. With regard to the Walt Disney World Railroad, we unfortunately still donot know the reopening date. As we discuss below, we believe this is an extended refurbishment that very well could last the entirety of 2019. "

Is this a lime version of a dole whip?? I Love lime stuff!!

Yes, kinda. It's floated on 7-UP instead of pineapple and to me just more crisp and refreshing. Love it!

 

[Steppesister]

Hi Liesa! I am very late to the party but am so happy to be here!!

One is never late to these parties! , Susan!!! It's wonderful to have you here!!

Nomad Lounge all the way! I love finding an outdoor table to settle in at and enjoy a cocktail and some yummy food in beautiful surroundings. Coral Reef was our once and done...we ate there on our first trip in 2009 and had such a bad experience that my boys (then 6 & 8) named it "Coral Reek" and vowed to never go back.

Nomad....

My daughter refuses to go there ever again too because of a "traumatic" experience of standing up and pantsing herself. Well, that and she hates fish.

9 days is perfect!

It really is! Enough time to really get into vacay mode.

I adore AKL. It feels like a true respite from the parks. I love the grounds, the theming, the food etc. It's just perfect!

I do too! So immersive!

For some reason I always end up traveling on a Tuesday. Of course Epcot has EMH that night so I head there. Strolling around World Showcase with a bevvie in hands gives me that "I'm home" feeling.

That makes sense for sure. I tend to plan my first park day with EHM too but no early enough flights from W. Coast to get me to a park in time.

Cherry Tree Lane....Disney dresses, Disney Dooneys and Disney Pandora! All my favourite things in one place....

Fun to browse in there!

No F&W for me sadly. The one bad part about my job is no travel flexibility during the school year.

Yeah, such a bummer. But, if you can get away during Flower and Garden, it's almost better.

Must try "Shop Around the World".

I think you'd enjoy that little challenge a lot. It's especially fun for someone there solo because it really doesn't eat up a ton of time.

Oh my gosh, that is going to be so fun! Crazy, crowded, chaotic but fun!

I think so! Lots of energy and fun is going to be happening in there for sure!

Maharaja for sure! I love how calm and peaceful it is. It feels like a whole other world back there.

It so much is! So quiet and serene back there. I find myself alone back in there pretty often, in fact.

I love Via Napoli for cariofi pizza. The Gran Fiesta Tour is a must do and I have to have a pic by the Japanese pagoda overlooking the lagoon.

That's the one I was wondering about! "the Cariofi"! That one sounds soooo good!

I don't hear about too many people with the Gran Fiesta on their list, but truth be told... I like it too. I'm a sucker for the classic dark ride style ones and enjoy it a lot.

I really want to try that! Have you gone hunting for Hidden Pascal's yet?

I have!! I found 7/10 on my last trip and am DETERMINED to find the rest!

This is where Lyft is your friend!! Walk to the Contemporary and order a Lyft/Uber back to the resort. Then do the same in reverse for your return trip. Well worth the $$.

I'm thinking more and more we'll do that.

Every. Single. Day. I did one open to close day on our first trip in 2009 and vowed to never do it again. That being said, my December trip is only three days so I think it will be full on.

It takes a lot out of ya for sure! But yes, with such a short trip, you'll have to go full bore!

 

[Steppesister]

I loved it as a third grader! Made my dad go there every night after long days at the parks (while my mom and brother went back to sleep).

HAHA, that's what dad's do! Although I have a vivid memory of taking my kids to the Ft. Wilderness pool (the first resort we ever stayed at) late (like around midnight) on our arrival night.

The Skyliner seems so cool, hope you have soft opening luck!

Me too!! Still hoping, although I imagine the hurricane is going to give it a MAJOR setback with opening.

Weirdly, no. I do like yours of going to DTD! Great use of an arrival day. I guess, depending on how later we arrive, we've done that a few times.

And it's awesome that some people just take arrival day on a whim and do whatever strikes their fancy. I remember before FP+ you could play "Bus Roulette" and go to whatever park's bus came first. Tough to do that now unless you're okay with not riding anything.

I've been once! I think my most memorable dish was a noodle dish in China with shrimp. No idea how to design a better car, seems impossible! I agree 100 percent that the old Test Track was superior.

Interesting that that one stood out to you. Funny how we randomly remember things.

I liked the displays a LOT in the old TT.

Maharajah for sure!! First, the trail is themed beautifully! Second, there's bats, which are my second favorite animal. Third, there's tigers and I'm definitely a cat person.

So pretty! Aren't those murals such works of art?!!!

So, this begs the question what your MOST favorite animal is.

Wow what a stunning photo! Glad we agree about the trails!

Thanks, Kara!

We always start in Mexico. Like to always get a margarita in the Mexico pavilion.
There's non-food related things in WS? Hehe, I guess browse the store in Japan!
Looking forward to seeing your shopping tradition!

Coming up soon.... trying to get stuff posted quickly now!! This 3-day weekend is my last non-work and non-travel days left before our trip!!

Sometimes I take afternoon breaks, but it is a rather large time commitment depending on where you're staying. Just getting out of the crowds and sitting for a bit can really make a difference, and especially for a party I'd want to go back and freshen up and change into my costume. You might consider grabbing a Minnie Van (or regular Lyft) one way to help lower the time loss!

Yes, it sure is! Esp for CBR, I'm afraid. After thinking on it, I think I will eat the cost and grab a Lyft from Contemp.

 

[Steppesister]

Yeah...that's going to be pretty painful. There will be moaning.

Moaning in the Morning... sounds like a TR Chapter title to me.

I agree. The train made for a better start to the day.

Hopefully it'll open again soon and Tron will follow shortly after.

Well, there's just no way to know with the buses. It's luck of the draw. Maybe you could plan to put the costumes in lockers and then pick them up mid-afternoon, but instead of going back to the hotel, you could go to one of the resorts on the monorail loop (or the WL) and plan to chill in the lobby for a couple of hours.

I've never been lucky with them. Well, on occasion, but definitely NOT the norm. This is definitely a good idea. Easy to go to Poly or Contemp and find cushy chairs to crash on for a spell.

Well, since we don't go every year, we're all about efficiency. No wasted time is allowed in our plans! So we don't take any breaks. If we need to, we'll hop on the Peoplemover or into an air-conditioned show for some downtime. The little ones will usually fall asleep in the stroller at some point.

That's a nice solution too but the costumes complicate things here. I'm leaning towards the Lyft or Uber option for a break to shower and change.

 

[Steppesister]

Hi Liesa!

HI!!!!! It's so great to have you here, Caroline!

I’m here, 13 pages later, wow! Your plans sound ambitious, fun, and well planned out!

Never too late to join in. This is just giving you the foundation of the REAL TR.

Our first night tradition is MK, we do our FP and take in all the sights and sounds!

And a good one it is! MK isn't my favorite park (#3 for me) but know that's not normal. I can see how people would want to head to their fave and especiall you since you so often stay on the monorail.

We always make a point to hit DTD, we have eaten at so many places there and really love all of them! Some favorites are RR, Chicken Guy, Blaze, WG Puck Express, Splitsville, and Polite Pig! Ice cream at Ghiradelli is a must

There are so many now! PP and Homecomin' are on my list for someday, this trip M&Es will be new for me.

I am also on a quest to stay at all the resorts! I have SS, OKW, and the All Stars left, otherwise I have stayed everywhere else. POFQ is my favorite moderate, PoP is my favorite value, BLT is my favorite DVC and Poly/Grand our my favorite deluxes

You are almost there!!! Holy smokes! I think the DVC's are lower on my list as they seem less themed.

I love AK, my favorite park and both trails are so fun, we do them almost every trip!

Another vote for AK! I think it's prettiest of them all.

Love the WS, we spend a lot of time in each country, checking out all the details!

Me too! So much to see!

P.S. glad the new job is going good!!

Thanks!! THere will be LOADS of skills I haven't done in a LONG time- IVs through a pump, accessing a Porta-cath and a Central line, etc.. I"m TERRIFIED to hang blood but I'm sure after some practice it'll get easier. I just finished about 16 hours of Computer-based trainings. Horrible! I can't wait to get on the floor and start doing what I love!

 

[Steppesister]

That sounds fun. If it's anything like Agent P's in EPCOT, we would enjoy this. I'll have to check it out next time

It is like that!! You pick up maps and find places and the places DO stuff. It's so cool!!

I wouldn't do EMH on a party day…I'm not sure if that's an option? I 'd rather wake up a little later and relax and enjoy the morning and then head out to MK and just stay there.

With only 2 days in MK and one a party day, I'm afraid there will be large portions that will be too busy to do rides in, especially Fantasyland. FP+ makes it so hard to get more than a few rides in after around 10:00AM. At least in my experience.

The only way I'd consider doing EMH and then an afternoon break would be if I was staying at BLT or The CR and breaks are truly breaks. I definitely would not go all the way back to CBR in the middle of the day because you seriously wouldn't be there relaxing for more than an hour.

It's going to be a trek for sure. I think I"m leaning towards taking a Lyft from Contemp after walking there or taking the mono. I think it's more of a logistics issue with costumes being in the mix. Plus RD to end of party is going to be tough. We shall see....

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

.

 

[disneyAndi14]

Ambitious days ahead for you! We have definitely slowed down the last few trips, we do get many things done. We just take an easier approach and if we feel like doing it we do otherwise we are okay with skipping!

I would have to say HEA and the electric water parade are my favorite right now! I did prefer Wishes over HEA but I do like it! Andi is quite bitter about it and holds grudges, lol!
Illuminations would be my second favorite!

 

[Jenny Sanders]

Do you take afternoon breaks and if so (or not) does it depend on whether you have/had little ones along?

Definitely take breaks whether we have little ones with us or not.

 

[Jenny Sanders]

Now, it’s your turn: What is your favorite night-time show and how do you feel about the several recent changes (Wishes to HEA, Illuminations to whatever it is now (sorry, too lazy to look it up),

I LOVE HEA! I think Illuminations is in DIRE need of a makeover so I'm glad it's happening. That all being said...I will only watch these shows if I book a dessert party. I refused to be smashed against the masses an hour before the show even starts...

 

[Steppesister]

J is for: Justify your Droid Purchase? or Just Sleep in? - Day 7​

Didn’t we just leave Batuu? Why, yes! Yes, we did! But, when you pay $50 (each person’s portion) for a droid, doesn’t it make sense to actually…. you know, use it? We’ll play it by ear that morning on whether our intrepid little group wants another EEMH or not with a 4:30 alarm, and my guess is probably not, but you never know. But, if I pitch it as “last chance to see, ride, do, play, etc… in SWGE”, I may just convince them to get their duffs up and at it. If they choose not to, and that’s okay, the plan is to head to EPCOT for a nearly full day there.

Found on the interwebs from a guy who built one during Previews:

“What’s fun is that little R2-E2 reacted to the sights at Galaxy’s Edge along with me. He made excited little chirps when we entered the Resistance Forest, and moaned in despair when we wandered too close to the First Order. It was just enough to make him feel alive, like an active participant in the experience.”

Would it be childish of me to admit that I might be even more stoked about this than my kids will ever be? Or that I will demand to borrow one on my next trip?

<Cue the bitter gnashing of teeth when I see the empty Skyliner gondolas above us going straight to where we want to go>

I guess we’ll head to EPCOT (by boat) since our FiPs are for LwtL (I know, I know…), Soarin’ and Figment (I know, I KNOW!) but those are a few family favorites and I’ve been screwed at all 3 in the past with long lines. That was worded pretty badly wasn’t it? Ha, yeah, my fingers just can’t seem to find the backspace key right now, so… yeah. My kids absolutely LOVED the Behind the Seeds Tour I did with them a few years ago, and while none of them love yard work or gardening (if your kid does, what planet do you live on?) they do love the presentation of the “do-it-yourself impossible”. As for Figment, I bought my daughter a quirky purple dragon plush when she was about 5… she still has it. Need I say more?

The BFP (Big Fat Plan) is to spend the rest of the day in EPCOT feasting our way from kiosk to kiosk and Remy to Remy. I can’t think of many better ways to spend a blissful day. We’ll head around the circuit clockwise with my focus on snagging those last few Shop-Around-the-World items (please, France, Canada, and US, I KNOW you can pull something out of your netherplaces this time!) with a dinner at Spice Road Table- another first for this gal. When we sat down for one of our initial meetings eons ago, this was the one place, along with Teppan, that my kids were most keen on, otherwise, I think I’d have just skipped a sit down. Nevertheless, we do the small plates-style dining and head back early-ish. Big changes will be coming our way the next day….

And there ya have it: 4 short paragraphs of rushed writing! Short, sweet, and to the point.

Must do's for this day: 1) Finish my Shop-Around-the-World Quest, 2) Finish finding all the Remy's, 3) Not die from having to wake up at 4:30 again, 4) Get my AP F&W magnet, 5) Eat all the things.

Steppe's answer to last chapter's question (not that anyone has had time to even read that yet. LOL!):

My favorite was Wishes. I enjoy HEA, but wish they'd kept more actual fireworks. I guess they names it Wishes because you're always wishing for it to come back. I can skip ROL, and never loved Illuminations (Twice or three times was enough) so usually headed back to FW for a ride or two before hitting the buses to beat the crowds. It's been WAY too long since I've seen Fantasmic (like 10 years?) and my memory of it is blurry at best. I guess, in general, I'm not a huge nighttime show afficianado and can take or leave them except in MK... and especially for Hallowishes (or its current iteration nowadays).

Your turn: Do you have a less-visited, not-very-popular attraction that is a family favorite or must-do for you that you love to visit simply for scratching that nostalgic itch?

 

[docsoliday1]

Uhh, NO ONE got that reference.

Dr. Stevens says, "Uhh...", about 14 times in his pre-show sequence.. am I the only one who cracks up at this every single time? LOLOLOL

I totally got the reference and I usually turn to whoever I'm with in line and say "And, uh fly". I wonder if they uh just got a horrible uh actor or if they uh wanted it uh that way.
As many times as I've ridden it now, it uh, still uh, cracks me, uh up.

SR? Confused.

Smuggler's Run. You were calling it MF, which confused me until I saw @afwdwfan mention it.

I think they simply got lazy, lost sponsorships, let creativity take a crapper, and now they're in this mode of turning EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE into character and movie stuff. Makes me sad. I LOVE the attractions where we could make up our OWN stories like JC, Pirates, HM, Tom Sawyer's Island, etc...

They had the sponsors at first, I chalk it up to lazy. Many of the original fun things have already gone.

You'd be terrifying!

You mean I'm not now? Most people look at me at run away screaming. I THOUGHT that was terrifying, but just ugly I guess.

The CBTs are done now (all 16 hours), and I'm onto Orientation on the Floor. I'll start with shadowing on Wednesday. And have 2 days this week.

Mo money, mo money, mo money!

Moaning in the Morning... sounds like a TR Chapter title to me.

Or if you want more M's...
Madame's maddening major moaning in the morning (or is that mourning?)

 

[Steppesister]

I totally got the reference and I usually turn to whoever I'm with in line and say "And, uh fly". I wonder if they uh just got a horrible uh actor or if they uh wanted it uh that way.
As many times as I've ridden it now, it uh, still uh, cracks me, uh up.

I think it was intentional. One comment from a fanfic site made the observation that scientists are stereotyped as a bit awkward and generally aren't in the public eye. I think he's being intentionally portrayed as a nervous scientist not used to speakinig in front of people.

Smuggler's Run. You were calling it MF, which confused me until I saw @afwdwfan mention it.

Ah, got it!!

[/QUOTE]

They had the sponsors at first, I chalk it up to lazy. Many of the original fun things have already gone.

It is sad. It was a lot of fun to hang out in there and do stuff and stay cool at the same time.

You mean I'm not now? Most people look at me at run away screaming. I THOUGHT that was terrifying, but just ugly I guess.

LOL! Nah, neither.

Mo money, mo money, mo money!

Ka-ching!

Or if you want more M's...
Madame's maddening major moaning in the morning (or is that mourning?)

Mindblowing.

 

[Steppesister]

​

Friends, I know this is a lot of posting of chapters very close together, but remember, this part is ONLY the PTR! Read (AND COMMENT!) at your leisure while I'm gone, or comment in batches as I post as you can. I'm just trying to get my thoughts together here and lay the groundwork before I go so you can have an easier time when I start posting real TR chapters topically. I have ONE more day off before leaving Sept. 13 with a quick trip to DLR thrown in next weekend, so my time to write is VERY limited. Thanks for understanding! - Your Hostess

K is for: Kakahiaka Huakaʻi (Morning Journeys)- Day 8​

You might be asking why we called it an early evening after EPCOT. Then again, you may not even remember what I wrote and that would certainly be understandable. It wasn’t all that good or memorable. So, to bring you up to speed from the last chapter, we’d spent the day in EPCOT and called it good after dinner at the Spice Road Table. Why? Because this morning we have a long trek to make from one Island home to another- from the warm waters of the Caribbean, to our equally tropical, but perhaps bit more deluxe, home in the South Pacific. Aloha, Baby! Does my grass skirt look extra? Does our water view make you jelly? WOOT! We’ll employ the services of Disney to get our bags from one resort to the other, while we take a Lyft to our new digs with our carry-ons. For it would be foolish to arrive without our swimsuits, yes? Of course a bus to MK or EPCOT, then the mono might be fun too.

​

But first, breakfast at Capt. Cook’s. Maybe. We might sleep in a little and by the time we get to the Poly, get checked in, settled in our room, etc… it might be time for an early lunch and I’m dying to try the:

Pulled Pork Nachos topped with onions, cheese, spicy mayo, tomatoes and pineapple salsa $9.29

at the Kona Island.

I envision myself damaging a few more skin cells with excessive poolside lounging (Ok, fine, I’ll put on sunscreen) and a few more liver cells with a poolside libation. It’s what’s done when you have a pool with a Disney-real volcano. The only thing that might possibly be able to entice me away is heading over to Trader Sam’s with my 21+s who’ve been asking to visit for quite some time. Sure, twist my arm. A new tiki cup? I’m down! (No, I don't mean from my Uh-Oa.) My present collection of 4 needs a new family member. I did tell them (my kids, not my Tiki Family) that if they want a snowball’s chance in Florida's August heat, we’ll have to be there by 3:00 sharp. Shouldn’t be a problem. Anara, I’m certain will opt for a nap. The overriding goal here on this day is to fully max out our enjoyment of this resort. It's a hard to understand concept for me to not spend at least one full day milking this massive splurge for all its worth.

We only have until 5:00 to enjoy all the bell’s and whistles of Sam’s before we have to head out to DTD for our dinner ADR. Let’s try another new to me place, shall we? I know you might be wondering why not just stay there and go to 'Ohana, but I do have reasons: 1) I just went there in May, and while I do enjoy it, it's not a favorite, 2) We are very small eaters and the price of a buffet per person (no sharing) is astronomical for us. We just don't eat enough at one sitting to justify the cost, 3) This will only be our 2nd and last opportunity to enjoy DTD, and I kinda like it there, and 4) You'll find out in the next chapter...

On one of my recent trips, I stopped by Maria and Enzo’s to check it out.

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[url=https://liesaburen.smugmug.com/Disney-Oct-2018/i-RnX9R6F/A]​

I love the backstory of it and really enjoyed the theming when I popped in. I honestly haven’t read any reviews of this place (are people just not going?) but am pretty excited to be able to compare it to Terralina. I already know for certain the atmosphere won’t hold a candle to it as M&Es seems to be more geared towards casual dining and/or with kids. It’s definitely a louder place in general, but, I am quite curious how the food quality stacks up against Terralina for Italian fare. I don’t imagine we’ll hang around too terribly long at DTD, as I’d really like to try to make it back to the Poly on time for the EWP. We’ll see… Otherwise, maybe a swim or hot tub? Early to bed? I can see all of those as viable options before yet another EMH.

Must do's for today: 1) Swim in the Poly Pool and soak in maximum amounts of Florida sunshine to stock up for the horrid winter that Oregon dishes out, 2) Buy another Tiki mug, 3) Eat delicious spaghetti, 4) Do laundry (you can only pack so much), 5) Find the ultimate relaxation zone.

Steppe's answer to last chapter's question:

I love loads of the lesser-visited attractions! Flame on if you will, but I actually really enjoy the original dark rides like IaSW, COP, the Tiki Room and, gasp!, even CBJ! Yes, I LIKE the Impressions de France, I LIKED (RIP ) the GMR, and I LIKE Tom Sawyer's Island. No, I don't get to see them every time, far from it, but when I do, I really enjoy seeing the parks through Walt's eyes and as he envisioned entertainment for his audience, however simple and innocent that might have been.

Your turn!

I know many of my readers have collections, some very large and some very small or limited. Do you collect anything (in addition to a load of credit card debt) from your trips? Could be free stuff, or paid, any category. Do you display it, use it, wear it, etc...?

 

[DLo]

I always get a refillable mug and at least one magnet. I like to get one magnet with the current year on it and if possible a resort one . I also collect magnets from my other trips - inexpensive souvenir .

 

[Steppesister]

I always get a refillable mug and at least one magnet. I like to get one magnet with the current year on it and if possible a resort one . I also collect magnets from my other trips - inexpensive souvenir .

Nice! I haven't bought one since 2010 and even then didn't buy it as I came with our dining plan. But, this year I'm going to. I'll be there long enough that with a coffee a day, it'll pay for itself. I don't drink soda much at all, so it'll be for my morning Jo.

Magnets are a great way to go! Inexpensive is NOT a bad thing!