The Trip With The Highway Cows and Polecat Detectives, A WDW/UO Feb/March '22 TR ***Completed 2/26***

[jrmint427]

Veloicoaster is hands down the best roller coaster I have ever been on. 11/10. Give that ride an Oscar!

Did you feel like you were going to fall out of it?? I didn't get to ride it on our last trip and am intimidated by that one because of everyone who says you feel like you're falling out!

 

[DisneyyDaydream]

Did you feel like you were going to fall out of it?? I didn't get to ride it on our last trip and am intimidated by that one because of everyone who says you feel like you're falling out!

I didn't! I'm not super brave on roller coasters and can only barely handle Everest, but I thought Velocicoaster was so much fun. It's definitely worth riding at least once, just to be able to experience it.​

 

[DisneyyDaydream]

Day 3, Part 2
February 26, 2022
"Do You Need Anything Red Velvet Related?"

We opted to see what the wait for Margaritaville was like.

We were quoted at between 35-40 minutes so we gave them our number and decided to grab a drink from the Margarita walk-up window. The line was pretty sizable but what else were we going to do?

30 minutes later, we had all picked out our drinks and were ready to place our order when we got our table ready text from Margaritaville. I mean, we were literally the next group to place our order.

The 6 of us decided to get out of line since we could order the same drinks from the restaurant.

I’ve been to a few Margaritaville’s in my day. The 2 that I can remember are in Atlantic City, NJ and in Times Square.


Orlando, AC, NYC- which one is it? They are literally interchangeable lol (That's from the Times Square location)

They’re more or less the same no matter where you go.

Mel decided on a pina colada and the Key West chicken quesadilla while I went with a non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiri and the Beach club.


Pina colada: “Conch Republic light rum and your choice of any all-natural fruit puree: strawberry, raspberry, mango, banana, or pina colada” $12


Key West Chicken Quesadilla “griddled flour tortilla, Oaxaca and Monterey Jack cheese, served with sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo” $16.95


Off to the Virgin Islands: “Our 20 oz. non-alcoholic daiquiri made with all-natural fruit puree. Your choice of strawberry, raspberry, mango, banana, or pina colada” $4.75. I opted for strawberry.


Beach Club: “Sliced turkey and ham, Swiss cheese, and applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, sliced tomato, and Dijon aioli on toasted country white bread” $14.95

I subbed a side salad instead of fries, because I am a healthy queen

Our drinks? Hit the spot. The food? Left us full and happy. My sandwich was really tasty and although I’m not the biggest fan of ham, I thought it was a really solid lunch option.

I’ve actually ordered the quesadilla Mel had in the Times Square location:



The quesadilla is just as good in Orlando as it is in New York.


Jimmy Buffet?



After we finished dining with Jimmy Buffet himself, we meandered around City Walk towards Studios and I picked up a few souvenirs for one of my friends from the anime kiosks.

He’s a huge fan of One Piece, if anyone is familiar, and I was super excited to find some things. The last few times we were in Epcot, Mitsukoshi was lacking in the anime merch so finding stuff in City Walk was a solid 10/10 moment.

The wait for E.T. was posted at 35 so we jumped on line to help that little alien call his mom.





E.T. feels very appropriately 80’s, in the best ways.

Like high waisted jeans, neon colors, and perms.







We split up after E.T.

C and Mel decided to check out the 5pm Animal Actors (on location!) show while N, M, D, and I went back to Knockturn Alley to pick up a shirt my sister had eyed the day before.







We managed to find the shirt in her size in Borgin and Burkes rather quickly so N and M went back to the Hoppin Pot to get butterbeer to pass the time whilst D and I stood outside to catch that pesky Gringotts’ Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon turn Griphook into a smore.

And that Animal Actors show? Well, it turns out the 5pm show is actually just an animal meet ‘n greet.

We met back up to ride MIB.





I jokingly warned everyone that I was going to win- they shouldn’t even try. I never, ever win at these kinds of games. I don’t even come close.

Toy Story? Haven’t won a single game.

Buzz? I barely even try at this point.


I work in Alien Resources









One slightly long ride delay later, we loaded into our car and started whizzing and whirling around zapping aliens dead in their tracks.

And you know what happened?
I won!!!

I actually won!!!

The score wasn’t even close! Yes, I did get the bonus which put me at a cool 182,500, but even without it, the next closes score was 60,500.

Will Smith, who? I’m the alien zapper now.

***Continued in next post***​

 

[DisneyyDaydream]

After MIB, my sister and D decided they wanted to ride Rip Ride Rockit but even though we encouraged them to ride, they chose not to when they saw a 120 minute wait and an almost equally as long single ride line.

Instead, N, M, C, and D decided to go on Minions. Mel and I opted to sit that one out and I popped into Studio Sweets to get a sprite and a quick snack.



While I waited on line, the man wearing bright neon socks and suspenders a few people ahead of me proceeded to tell everyone all about his love for red velvet EVERYTHING and begged the poor woman behind him to “do me just one favor, don’t mix chocolate and fruit”

Once he was handed his red velvet desserts and safely waddled out of the store, the cashier asked the next guest “Do you need anything red velvet related?” in an exasperated voice.

I almost had to leave behind my snacks, I was laughing so loudly. I hope that man still talks passionately about red velvet.







Once everyone was back together, we headed to our 8pm dinner reservation at Toothsome’s Chocolate Emporium and managed to check in at 7:51.



We spent a little bit of time checking out the bakery cases (very little red velvet options for my new buddy, he would be ashamed) before we got our table ready text exactly at 8.







If you’ve read my trip report from October ‘21, you might remember that Mel and I are huge fans of Toothsome’s. It’s always such a solid food choice in City Walk.

And once again, it did not disappoint.

I decided to order the short rib flatbread and took the waiter’s suggestion to try the brussel sprouts; Mel was drawn in by the risotto.


Short rib flatbread: “Braised short rib, shallot jam, fontina mornay, micro arugula, lemon zest” $13.95


Roasted brussel sprouts: “Charred Brussels sprouts, jalapeño mayo, cotija cheese, ancho chili powder” $7.95


Wild Mushroom Chicken Risotto: “White truffle oil, parmesan crust” $18.95

The flatbread was just as delicious as the last time I had it and I honestly don’t think I would ever be able to order anything else. I know shallot jam sounds a little odd but it adds the perfect touch of sweetness to the deliciously savory short rib. The brussel sprouts were yummy but not something I would go out of my way for. Like the flatbread.

Mel thought her risotto was amazing; but she has never met a risotto she didn’t love.

Once the bill was settled, we meandered our way back down to the store and bakery case and picked up a few goodies.





Tummies full and wallets empty, we headed to the ride share pickup area and were promptly whisked away by Pablo to The Burrow the condo by 10:39.

A shower and usual icy hot routine later, I was in bed by 1:30.



Tomorrow was a much needed pool day.

Coming up: The party winds down! C and D have flown the coupe- the final 4 remain.

​

 

[jrmint427]

The Margaritaville drinks look great!

E.T. feels very appropriately 80’s, in the best ways.

I hope they never get rid of the ET ride!!

I had Toothsome for brunch on our last trip and it was great, would love to go back for dinner some time.

 

[DisneyyDaydream]

I had Toothsome for brunch on our last trip and it was great, would love to go back for dinner some time.

I 100000% think Toothsome’s is a must-do. Every time I’ve gone, I thought everything was absolutely delish. I’ve never tried brunch there tho- but now it’s definitely on my list!​

 

[DisneyyDaydream]

Day 4
February 27, 2022
"The Great British Potato Disaster Has Been Resolved"

For the first time since our 2 week trip at the end of 2018, Mel and I had managed to schedule a “rest” day. No plans, no running around. Just relaxing at the Shrieking Shack condo. It just made sense. C and D had left Orlando super early- I think C’s flight to Boston was taking off at obscene o’clock. Aka 6am. And D wanted to make sure she was able to beat central Florida traffic before she had to be back to work on Monday morning.

But the remaining 4? Well, we were still all dreaming of the Weasleys’, butterbeer, and mandrakes.

Everything but Griphook.

I had set my alarm for 9am, giving myself enough time to catch up on some needed sleep but still being able to enjoy the day.

But I woke up at 7:55 anyway. C’est La Vie.

Once Mel was also awake, we decided to place a Starbucks order on Uber Eats for coffee and breakfast while we waited downstairs in the living room for my sister and M to wake up.

I decided on the cheese protein box and a venti iced shaken espresso. It was the start of a new found obsession.

Mel played it calm, cool, and collected and went with a cinnamon dolce iced latte with an extra shot of espresso for now, a caramel ribbon frappuccino for later, and a sausage, cheddar, and egg breakfast sandwich.

Our order came pretty quickly and we enjoyed our leisurely breakfast.







The protein box was a different choice for me, but I really enjoyed being able to pick at it. It didn’t feel as heavy as Starbucks’ breakfast sandwiches sometimes do.


We also snacked on some fresh home grown fruit that D had brought with her! She recently relocated to southern Florida from Colorado.


Last trip's view? Beautiful Lake Bryan. This trip's view? The highway and a shared backyard.

At 12:30, the 4 of us changed into our swimsuits and headed to the resort’s pool. Vista Cay is a really large resort- it took us about 15 or so minutes to walk to the pool from Spinner’s End our condo.


That's the path we took. The circle is where our home away from home was.

The pool was absolutely beautiful. It was spacious, clean, and even included an infinity edge that bellied up to views of Lake Bryan Lake Cay. There was a pool bar, a clubhouse, kiddie pool, and hot tub.


Isn't everything?

We spent a good amount of time floating around in the pool until we were mistaken for Creatures from the Black Lagoon and decided to find a late lunch/afternoon snack.

We placed an order for empanadas from Casa De Las Empanadas through Uber Eats and took our time getting out of the pool and heading back to Number 4 Privet Drive the condo, while we waited for our fried delights to be delivered.

The 4 of us all ordered a couple of different empanadas each: ground beef and cheese, pizza, guava cheese and coconut, Hawaiian, white cheese, and probably a couple more that I can’t remember.

I went with the beef and cheese, guava cheese and coconut, and Hawaiian, with a side of white rice to wash it all down.


Beef and Cheese


Guava, Cheese, Coconut


Hawaiian



My favorite of the 3? Beef and cheese, hands down. I’ve had guava and cheese empanadas before so the sweet combination wasn’t shocking to me but I wasn’t impressed with the flavor- even with the addition of my beloved coconut. And the Hawaiian? It was just ok, at best.

Bellies full, we split up to nap after splashing around in the sun all afternoon and decided to head down I-Drive for dinner once we were all rested.


I had to hunt this shirt down! I had originally found it on Etsy, but the seller closed their shop before I could buy it. After many weeks searching high and low, in and out, mountains and valleys, I was able to find it!

We googled a couple of nearby restaurants and settled on Marlow’s Tavern after reading over the menu quickly. Mel gave them a quick call to see what the wait would be like for a party of 4 and if reservations were required.

“Oh no worries,” Marlow’s Tavern responded, “There’s no wait, just come on down!”

“Are you sure?” Mel asked.

“Absolutely,” they replied. “We’ve got you.”

Famous last words.

We loaded into our Lyft and were dropped off at the Pointe- which is across from the Orange County Convention Center. Think of it as a mini version of City Walk or Disney Springs. Lots to see and do- probably something to further explore on future trips now that I think about it.



We waltzed into Marlow’s Tavern and let them know that we were here.

“45 minute to an hour wait,” they snarled.

They did, in fact, not have us.

We decided not to fuss and after a quick google search, we headed to the Pub- a semi authentic British pub with 2 “Pour your own beer” walls, 70 different beers and liquors, and the option to build your own beer flight.





My sister is an avid beer fan so she was sold on the Pour your own beer wall.

And then was promptly informed they were both off limits due to 2 separate private parties.

So she settled on building her own beer flight.

Our server, Steven, was super friendly, funny, and kilted. He also informed us how overworked he was, which he would without a doubt prove later on.

I decided on the Cotswold chicken sandwich with a side salad instead of fries and a nice icy coke; while, Mel played it safe with a Cesar salad and a side order of mashed potatoes.


The Cotswold: “grilled marinated chicken breast, swiss, maple pepper bacon, basil pesto mayo, focaccia” $14


Hail, Cesar! Salad: “chopped romaine, parmesan, garlic croutons, caesar dressing” $9

Side order of mashed potatoes $4.50

You may notice that there is no picture of the mashed potatoes. Why’s that?

Well, dear friends, poor Steven forgot the mashed potatoes.

Not once, but twice.

Mel politely reminded him the first time, he apologized and said he would make sure the kitchen made them ASAP. By the time we had finished our meals and the potatoes still hadn’t arrived, Mel politely reminded him a second time. Steven sadly shook his head- he had forgotten to remind the kitchen. The potatoes were never showing up.

He profusely apologized and we insisted that at the end of the day it wasn’t that big of a deal. He did remember to take the missing taters off the check though, at least good ol’ Steve remembered that.

Once we paid Steven in missing potatoes and beer walls, we headed back to Malfoy Manor Vista Cay.

My sister and her fiance spent the evening packing and getting ready for their early morning flight home the next day while Mel and I cleaned up most of the bachelorette decorations and did packing of our own since we would be changing resorts (technically AirBnB) in the morning.

After a quick shower and an icy hot situation later, I was in bed and cruising towards dreamland by 12.

***Coming up: Bye Vista Cay, hello Greenpointe!

​

 

[jrmint427]

We decided not to fuss and after a quick google search, we headed to the Pub- a semi authentic British pub with 2 “Pour your own beer” walls, 70 different beers and liquors, and the option to build your own beer flight.

That sounded like a great option to fall back on and then saw the walls were closed, oh no! But it still sounds like a fun night out, always interesting to see options outside of the Disney bubble too.

 

[DisneyyDaydream]

Day 5
February 28, 2022
"Harry Potter and the Feisty Boys"

If we don’t mention the elephant in the room, maybe it will go away.

To sum it up, good things happened, bad things happened. Oysters happened, as always.



My sister got married at the end of October in Maine- which is pretty cool when you think about the fact that this trip report started off talking about her bachelorette party. And then didn’t talk about much else, since I keep disappearing.


My sister and her fiance had matching leather jackets they wore during the reception over their dresses. I'm lowkey, highkey obessed.


Mel was there! It was a Halloween-themed costume party wedding. True to her form, Mel was Ursula.


Me, in my finest Maid of Honor form. Also hi, I dyed my hair bright red. Back to bright red, I should say.



But I have good reason to stick around this time, I swear.



That’s right folks. Less than 2 weeks until I can bask in the Florida sun like the heat lizard that I am.

But back to 2022 first.

I woke up with my alarm at 7am. Mel and I planned to get up, get packed, and get out the door. Which I did.



Mel, on the other hand.

We didn’t have much of a solid plan for the day. We knew we wanted to explore some more of the Orlando area before ultimately winding up at Disney Springs for our dinner reservations at 6:45. But first we wanted to drop our bags off at our next AirBnB.

Aka the GreenPoint Hotel in Kissimmee.


Equipped with their own drive-thru. For what? Your guess is as good as mine. Probably vultures.

The GreenPoint was a bit weird in the fact that when we asked if we would be able to store our luggage at the Hotel prior to check in, they told us they would let us into the room early to drop off our bags. And then they would clean it and get it ready for us.





Hey, it worked out well in the end.

There were an odd amount of vultures in the area. Some days you have Lake Bryan, some days you have vulture swamps. Can’t win ‘em all.



By 10:35, we were hailing our luxurious transportation (aka our Lyft) to Old Town Kissimmee.



I’ve never heard of Old Town prior to that morning. I didn’t even know it existed. Since this trip? I’ve heard about it so many times! Apparently it’s a hot spot for locals around Halloween. Or so I’ve been told- how am I supposed to fact check that ya know.




A vulture cosplaying as a duck.

We got there a bit too early as a fair amount of the stores were still closed, but they slowly started to open as we meandered around. I was drawn in by the Magnet Store. Of all things.



I was also drawn into Auntie Anne’s.

Frozen lemonade and pretzel nuggets with cheese dip for me.


Frozen lemonade- Our famous lemonade, with a frozen twist. $4.99


Pretzel nuggets with cheese dip- Each nugget is freshly baked to a golden brown. Our nuggets may look mini, but they sure are mighty. $9.38

Cinnamon sugar nuggets for Mel.


Cinnamon sugar pretzel nuggets- Small and sweet pretzel nuggets, sprinkled with simple cinnamon sugar, can satisfy even the hungriest. Every single bite is fresh from the oven. $7.99

They were standard mall food court pretzels but we were getting snacky and they hit the spot. Who doesn’t love a salty, buttery pretzel?

Mel. She loves the sugary ones.

We popped into a couple more shops and I was enticed by a couple of more things I didn’t need (here’s looking at you Skully’s and Post Mortem).






Tow Mater, you ok bud?













Always in the mood for a root beer float, Mel opted to stop at the A & W for her early afternoon fix, and while I quickly glanced at the menu, I noticed they had sriracha cheese curds. And I surely couldn’t pass that up.


Root beer float- Our world-renowned A&W® Root Beer made with real cane sugar and a blend of secret ingredients, topped with our creamy vanilla soft serve and served in a frosty mug. A classic treat. Grab a spoon and enjoy. $4.99


Sriracha cheese curds- Our 100% Wisconsin White Cheddar Cheese Curds with just the right amount of sriracha heat. $6.99

Mel thought her float was fine, and I thought the sriracha cheese curds were ok. Nothing to go out of your way for.

And that’s when I noticed the restaurant right across from us advertised their gator bites. And I knew I needed to try them.

So we quickly finished up our snacks as we headed to lunch, like the true foodies we are.

Southern Breeze, which is apparently an Old Town staple, is part fried food paradise, part bar, all around interesting time.



We both ordered a Dr Pepper.

I knew what I wanted, there was no deterring me from it.




Gator Bites- Local Florida gator lightly breaded and served with chipotle dipping sauce. I actually ordered these with fries, since Mel wanted fries and I figured it would be cheaper to make mine a combo than ordering a separate side of fries. $15

Mel went simple and ordered a side salad with ranch.


House salad- romaine lettuce, onion, shredded cheese, and croutons. $6

Every time I try gator (which has only been once before, and that was interesting enough at Gatorland), I am never pleased. I don’t hate it, but it’s never something I can eat a lot of or be satisfied with. But I always know I will, for some unknown reason, order it again.

***Continued in next post***​

 

[DisneyyDaydream]

After eating our 3rd snack of the day (ok, ok this one was more like lunch), we waved goodbye to Old Town and were whisked away by a man of mystery and wonder named Alfredo. Alfredo never met a traffic law he liked or obeyed. Alfredo treated the Orlando roads like he was a Western outlaw making his grand escape.

First highway cow sighting of the trip

5 stars for Alfredo. Maybe out of sheer terror of what would happen if we gave him any less.


Mel's face post Alfredo.

Alfredo had us stop, drop, and roll ourselves out of his car at the Titanic: The Artifact Experience at around 2:20.



Mel informed me that this was supposed to take us about 3 hours to finish. Please keep that in mind. I buckled in, I should’ve had a couple more gator nuggets to give me the energy for 3 hours.

The Titanic museum was pretty interesting. I know there are a couple spread throughout the country, but this was my first time going (Mel has been to one in Vegas before with her family). I think the part that I liked the best was getting information cards about a certain passenger on the ship and finding out at the end if they survived or not.





Mel and I both lucked out.

We looked at artifacts, we read articles. We decided if the ship’s menu would suffice or not. We touched an iceberg. We did it all.














This part was the creepiest part of the whole entire thing- I have no idea why. Just know that it was.





My notes say that Mel and I arrived at Disney Springs at 3:40.

3:40.

What was supposed to take 3 hours, took us (possibly less than) 1 hour. We must’ve missed the Leonardo Di Caprio meet ‘n greet.

Next time.

Mel and I found ourselves in Disney Springs at 3:40. By this time, Alfredo was already halfway to California. Probably.

Alfredo! How'd you get your car in there, Alfredo!? You're going the wrong way!




The only time Mel has been faster than me.



We had one main mission before our 6:45 dining reservation, and that was to get on the Virtual Queue for Gideon’s! Our return time was quoted at 1 hour, 45 minutes so off to explore we went.

Our first stop was at The Ganachery for chocolatey goodness.



Mel picked a piece of the Cinnamon and I went for the Salted Caramel.




Cinnamon- Sri Lankan cinnamon with milk chocolate.


Caramel Fleur de Sel (Salted Caramel)- Rich, creamy caramel and sea salt with milk chocolate.

Both pieces were $3 each.

We sat on a ledge outside of the Ganachery to eat our chocolates while Mel checked back in on things at home.

Aaaaaand then it started to drizzle. Because of course it does in Florida.



Mel sought out cover and to rest her weary feet while I checked out a couple of stores.






What a lovely t-shirt! Would you like to know how much? No more than $25, you shout. Oh, you poor poor fool.






I demand royalties!

***Continued in next post***​

 

[DisneyyDaydream]

Eventually I found myself at Everglazed and decided a cold brew pick me up was in order. Of course I got the Salted Caramel Cold Brew. Of course I did. Why would you think anything different.




Salted Caramel Cold Brew- Cold brew, milk, salted caramel syrup. $6.50

I meandered on back towards Mel after sipping my coffee and the minute she saw me, Mel made me turn around and we were both off to Everglazed.

***Pretend there's a cold brew here, I apparently didn't take a picture of it. Oops***
Cinnamon Bun Cold Brew- Cold brew, cinnamon bun syrup, Cinnamon Toast Milk. whipped cream. $6.50

Of course Mel got the cinnamon cold brew, ooooooof course she did.

We walked around a little bit more, and double tracked a few of the places I had seen without Mel.







At 5:15, Gideon invited us back with welcoming arms. Right into the arms of another 20 minute line.



Gideon’s is everything it’s hyped up to be. And you know, I love every. Single. Thing. About the decor inside. Everything. You name it, I love it.











We each got a Peanut Butter Cold Brew, 3 cookies each (2 original, 2 peanut butter, an eternal flame (the February flavor), and a cookies and cream), and 2 stickers.


Peanut Butter Cold Brew- Their descriptions are super long, and I’m sure you’re all familiar with it now. But it was $6 each.

Cookies, of course, are also $6 each, and we somehow managed to save them for later.

We shuffled over to another ledge to sit and drink our cold brew. Aaaaand then it started to rain again.

Of course it did.

So in between rain drops, we managed to sip our cold brews and make it towards the Edison.



It was only about 6:25, but we were able to check in for our dinner reservations early and were seated right away.



Mel started with a water while I opted for a water and the Phonograph.

Phonograph- Lime Juice, Lemon Juice, Orgeat, Red Bull Tropical. $8

We split the Clothes Lined bacon for an app and both chose the short rib for our entrees.


DB 'Clothesline Candied Bacon' - Maple, black pepper, fruit mostarda, sweey and spicy pickle. $18


Barolo Short Rib- Barolo red wine mushroom gravy, mashed potato, glazed rainbow carrots. $39

The bacon was savory and rich and everything you would think it would be. Especially pricey. While I don’t think I would ever order it again, I did enjoy the indulgence and will now only hang bacon on a clothesline for all of eternity.

Mel and I both agreed the short rib was perfect and absolutely melted in your mouth. A true home run.

We both thoroughly enjoyed our meal at the Edison but agreed we wouldn’t rush to come back. While the food is delish, and the atmosphere is fun, there’s so many other options at Disney Springs that I don’t know if I’m willing to come back for the next few trips. Who knows.

Once the bill was paid, and we unhooked ourselves from the bacon-y clothesline, we ordered a Lyft back to our resort to call it an early night.





By 8, we were back in the room and beginning to unpack.










Mel placed an order for a Walgreens’ delivery while I showered.

By 10:30, I was icy hotted and in dream land, while Mel waited up for her Walgreens’ order.

***Coming up: About that Walgreens’ order…***

​

 

[Counting Stars]

Great trip report! Love the details and the pics- Looking forward to more

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Just found your report and am enjoying it! Can’t wait to read more

 

[DisneyyDaydream]

Great trip report! Love the details and the pics- Looking forward to more ​

Ahh thank you!! I’m real serious about my note taking!

Just found your report and am enjoying it! Can’t wait to read more ​

Thank you for reading!

 

[BLAllee]

Following along.

 

[DisneyyDaydream]

Following along.

Thank you!!! ​

 

[DisneyyDaydream]

Day 6
March 1, 2022
"That Kid Has Hypothermia. That's How Cold It Is"

I was up, bright eyed and semi-bushy tailed a full half hour before my 6:30am alarm was set to go off.

Mel on the other hand?

I began getting ready for the day as Mel started stirring, slowly arising from her slumber in her bed. “What time did your Walgreens’ order get here last night?” I asked her.

“Don’t ask.”

“So it went well, huh?”

“They never showed up.”

Now band-aid and breakfast-less, Mel placed an order for Starbucks through Uber Eats- a sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich with an iced Cinnamon Dolce latte for her and an iced Shaken Espresso for yours truly in grumpy defeat around 7:30 and it arrived much faster than her previous night’s Walgreens’ order (which technically we are still waiting for).

By 8:25, we were both properly caffeinated and ready to finally head to the parks.



But first, Lightning Lane!

Or second, rather. Coffee always comes first.

We stepped into our Lyft around 20 minutes later and headed through the vast jungles of Kissimmee towards our destination.


More highway cows!

Our fearless pack leader of the day? John. Oh John. John, John, John. John was nice enough but directions were not John’s strong suit. We were making good enough time getting to Hollywood Studios- that is until John made a wrong turn and tried to drop us off in the wrong area of the parking lot.

He did not learn from my previous trip reports.

After a couple more wrong turns and confused grunts, John managed to drop us off in the right spot at 9:12. We breezed through security shortly after.

Well, I breezed through. Mel was pulled aside for a nice little pat down, as Mel so often is.



There was a bit of a line for scanning into the park, but we were finally into the park and on line for Guest Relations to renew Mel’s DAS Pass by 9:35. Guest Relations always is such a slow moving line. There was also a small child in front of us licking the chain fence that roped around the line. Pleasant. Truly.

Mel booked our first DAS with Guest Relations for TSMM for 10:55 so that left us a good amount of time to meander over to Toy Story Land and get our bearings. This was our first visit to Hollywood Studios since 2018!









Once in Toy Story Land, we decided to use our LL for Alien Swirling Saucers, which had a posted wait of 65 minutes.







I LOVE Alien Swirling Saucers. I also love its twin in DCA, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree. Call me crazy, I just think it’s such a simple, fun ride. Whatever!

We waited all of 8 minutes, which we used to book our next LL.





Properly whiplashed, Mel placed a mobile order for Ronto Roasters for a bit later in the morning while I set off to explore a little before our DAS return time for TSMM.







The posted wait for TSMM was 110 minutes but thanks to DAS, we only had to wait about 6.






This toy was returned

I’m sure a lot of people do this but any time there are different color, character, shape, what-have-you options for a ride vehicle, Mel and I like to guess which vehicle style we are going to get. We are barely right. Except this time?

I guessed Bopeep, Mel guessed ham.


Dang.

And just like always, Mel beat me:


It’s rigged, I tell ya!



After convincing the toys to let us return back to normal human size, we headed towards our next LL- Star Tours.


Oh, she busy busy.

The wait was posted at 50 minutes, but we thumbed our noses at that and only spent about 10 minutes waiting due to LL.



Spoiler alert. Well, it’s actually not a spoiler as I have mentioned this in past trip reports, but I have never seen a single Star Wars. Not a movie, not a show, not a nothing.

My notes say: “Went to the Wookie planet. Saw Admiral Akbar who looks like a dead fish Went to the Death Star and had sweet kisses with Darth Vader”

I don’t remember anything about this or how I knew who Admiral Akbar is but yup. That’s precisely what happened. Oh, you guys never got that scene? Must be new.

By the time we were off Star Tours, our roasters were properly rontoed so off to Galaxy’s Edge we went. I still only call it Star Wars Land, so my apologies for future me calling it that.

I knew going into the trip that I desperately wanted to try a Ronto Wrap. Was it my number one goal of the trip? If not, it was definitely up there. Top 5, for sure.





I ordered a Ronto Wrap with a Tattooine Sunset (my notes say sunrise…they also say tattoo mine so I’m sure sunrise is also wrong, lol) while Mel just opted for a nice cold coke.


Ronto Wrap: “Roasted Pork, Grilled Pork Sausage, Peppercorn Sauce, and Tangy Slaw wrapped in Pita Bread” $12.99


Tattooine Sunset: “Gold Peak® Unsweetened Tea and Minute Maid® Premium Lemonade with Melon and Blueberry” $5.99


Coke: She a classic. $4.29

I thought the drink and wrap were absolutely delicious. I’m not always the biggest fan of sausage, so I had slight doubt, but it worked. Everything worked. 10/10. A gold star. Give that Ronto Roasting Robot man an award! James Beard who?!

***Continued in next post***​

 

[DisneyyDaydream]

Properly wrapped, our Death Star brought us safely back to Earth and we headed to Muppets Vision 3D.



A show had just started when we showed up, so we had to wait a bit until we were let into the theater. Perfect time to poke around and snap some pics!




Shockingly, the theater was packed. I love when shows like the Muppets and Country Bears are packed, because in my mind that means Disney will keep them around for longer. And that pleases me. Deeply. To the bottom of my slightly hollow soul.



We must’ve parked our Death Star illegally, because we had to make a quick escape back to Star Wars Land post Muppets. I spent some time exploring until the Storm Troopers came out. And then my exploring became staring at the Storm Troopers.




Every time I look at this, my first thought is "What did I take a picture of?" And then it dawns on me. Every. Single. Time.













I got a little turned around on my way back to Mel, but I ultimately found her and we headed towards Rise to use our DAS we had reserved earlier in the day. The wait was posted at 180 minutes. We jumped (“jumped”, we don’t jump. It’s a plop if anything) in line at 1:02 and eagerly waited to see what all the fuss was about.




Akbar bby, you're back!

​

Look at all those chickens!





We were on the ride by 1:28 and oh man. Oh man, oh man, oh man. Rise is absolutely fantastic. I know it’s probably even better if you’ve seen Star Wars but let me tell you, if you are someone who’s never seen Star Wars and think that you won’t be able to enjoy a Star Wars themed ride due to having no clue what is happening, do. Not. Worry. It was fantastic! A standing ovation! 10/10 would recommend.

I had no idea what was happening for the entire ride- but I would ride again in a heartbeat.

Opting for a more traditional mode of transportation compared to the Death Star (aka our feet), we headed on over to our 2pm dining reservation at Hollywood Brown Derby. I checked in on my phone at 1:45 on the walk over.

Chip ‘n Dale were hanging out on the lawn in front of the restaurant and we stopped a few seconds to watch them (awkwardly) before we got our table ready text at 1:51.











For drinks, Mel went with one of her faves, a Shirley Temple, while I chose the Sunset Boulevard.


Shirley Temple: “Sprite, Grenadine, Souvenir Glow Cube” $5.99


Sunset Boulevard: “Sprite, Orange-Tangerine, Souvenir Glow Cube” $5.99

I also decided to start with the Oyster and Brie Soup, which was poured table-side. Talk about classy!


Oyster and Brie Soup: “Crispy oyster fritter, Champagne, Meyer lemon-saffron aioli” $14

We both got the infamous Cobb Salad. I kept mine traditional while Mel told that blue cheese to scram and replaced the classic dressing with ranch. She also got aq side of french fries.


Our Famous Cobb Salad: “Spit-roasted Turkey, Bacon, Egg, Tomatoes, Blue Cheese, Avocado, Classic Dressing” $20

I thought the soup was alright, but wouldn’t opt to order it again given the opportunity, and the salad was refreshing but only about a 7/10. Mel on the other hand? Mel raves, to this day, about that salad.

So much so, that she initially requested 2 HBD dining reservations for our upcoming trip. Just for the salad. When I told her I was thinking of trying something different this time around instead of the salad, her jaw dropped slightly and I swear I saw her eye twitch.

I did book us 2 HBD reservations though. Just to appease her.

To end the meal, Mel finished off her perfect lunch with a creme brulee while I decided to give their classic Grapefruit cake a whirl.


Creme Brulee: "With mint and lime macerated strawberries" $13


Grapefruit Cake: "A Brown Derby Original. Vanilla sponge cake, grapefruit syrup, cream cheese icing" $13

Now that we were fed and sugared, we rolled out of HBD and towards our next destination- another unexplored land!

***Coming up: Stanley the engineer almost lets up down****

​

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

I always think about recreating that Cobb salad but sooo much chopping. Looks like a fun day so far!

P. S. I went back and read your past trip reports. Love your vacation style! It’s so cool that you have a friend like Mel to go on all these fun adventures with

 

[BLAllee]

That cobb salad is divine!