Way Out Here, Eh? - A June 2019 TR *PTR Link Posted

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I get to about “Lived in Germany” when the CM’s expression turns panicky and the regret over asking appears. They weren’t expecting such a complicated response from a simple question!

I say just say where you are currently living. But I can imagine that is feels strange.

Difficult to see in the picture, but there was a woman posing a Barbie doll on the railing and taking photos of it in various ways. I wasn’t judging her; goodness knows I do my fair share of weird stuff. And for all I knew a little kid had asked her to take their favorite toy to Disney or she was letting it partake in a “Flat Stanley” assignment. Wasn’t for me to say or pass judgement; it was simply something Alex and I observed as we gathered our belongings and readied ourselves to leave.

Ha! Andy and I talked about printing out "Flat Stanleys" of Morgan and Gwen when we go by ourselves. And take selfies with them around the parks. But I thought that might also be mean.

And this is what happens when you all share a funny story on the DIS. It gets repeated to Alex and you become known as the person who did such and such.

That’s how Alex keeps track of everyone.

Oh Dear! Did I have a funny story to become "our" story?!?

I warned Alex we needed to keep Evie away from the purple potion version. If she saw all that glittery purple she would be begging us for one. And while I love my three year old, I don’t love her enough to buy her an 80 dollar backpack.

Ha! I will say, that the mini backpacks have become very handy in the parks. Granted Morgan and Gwen are older, but I have them carry there own stuff in there. Water bottle, purchases. It makes my bag lighter. Those sequiens ones are more $$$ too.

The English lit nerd in me thought the Shakespeare Garden was really neat; consisting of common herbs and plants that were referenced in his plays and the symbolism behind them. It was a fitting and interesting touch to the festival that I hope they bring back again.

I don't think I have ever even checked them out.... I will have to next time!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Your meal in Le Cellier sounds perfect. We have been a few times but I’ve never managed to have the soup (though I really want to but we tend to have mains and desserts). I’ve never really felt comfortable sharing an entree with another adult as it’s not really done here but I think I’d be brave enough next time I go. Love the maple creme brûlée in le Cellier. Hope that couple still enjoyed their their meal and the money worries didn’t spoil things. Funny story- on my 1st holiday without parents my friend and I were running low on cash so we asked the owner of the guest house we were staying in if we could have dinner for free if we did the dishes and reset the dining room for breakfast Thankfully she said yes and we not only didn’t starve but we had money to go to the local disco too

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Who would have guessed sitting around doing nothing but watching the world go by would be such a memorable moment from the trip?

I have to remember to do it more often. In life and in Walt Disney World.

YES. THIS. I'm not always good at doing that at Disney World (or on pretty much any vacation!), but I've tried to be better about it the more frequently I go to Disney. I know whichever trip I'm on is not a "once-in-a-lifetime" trip, so I try to enjoy the ambiance more wherever I am or be better about taking breaks and relaxing.

I love Epcot during Flower and Garden, too! I believe we'll just miss it on our trip in 2020, but we'll likely catch it on another trip. I'd love a few more visits during that time to see all the flowers and eat at the food booths!

I'm so glad you were able to have lunch at Le Cellier! We've loved our meals there and would be happy to return anytime. We're also fans of splitting meals there - the food is pretty rich and it's easy to fill in one meal with additional appetizers or sides. Your meals looked delicious!

As for the woman asking about eating there... perhaps it's less likely that they wouldn't understand dining reservation priority, but I wouldn't put it past someone to still not understand booking dining in advance. I think many of those huffy folks would get a lot less angry if they'd realize they can book many ADRs the day or even hours before they need them on the Disney app. I did that a ton on my 2016 trip and got some pretty great reservations (including places that wouldn't allow walk-ups!).

 

[Steppesister]

Who would have guessed sitting around doing nothing but watching the world go by would be such a memorable moment from the trip?

Those are the BEST!!

Difficult to see in the picture, but there was a woman posing a Barbie doll on the railing and taking photos of it in various ways. I wasn’t judging her; goodness knows I do my fair share of weird stuff. And for all I knew a little kid had asked her to take their favorite toy to Disney or she was letting it partake in a “Flat Stanley” assignment. Wasn’t for me to say or pass judgement; it was simply something Alex and I observed as we gathered our belongings and readied ourselves to leave.

Yeah, I've done that with Tate Potato. I"m sure I got a lot of odd stares too, but more often than not some fun interactions with CMs.

So perfect!

Epcot during Flower and Garden is my favorite time of year;

YES!!

For the kids, of course.

Well, yeah. Of course!

I’m glad we got to see this since it’s apparently getting an overhaul in the upcoming years.

It is already closed and was being used at a F&W Pavilion (Apple Cider Something or Rather) and was PACKED!

The woman got huffy and told her mother to wait there, then stormed off, only to return a few minutes later saying someone else in their party had gotten them a table at Rose and Crown and they needed to leave.

Seriously? Some people are so weird.

As we were finishing up our meal, a young couple was seated next to us, and they were almost as interesting as the woman at the podium. The girl kept looking at the menu, panicking at the prices. Her and her significant other began checking their bank accounts on their phones and discussing how they shouldn’t have spent all their money earlier in the trip. I guess they forgot about this dining reservation and weren’t prepared for it.

Oopsies!

They were really stressing about it but when it came time to order, they each ordered the same steak dish.

 

[cindianne320]

What a fun, leisurely afternoon in the World Showcase! I've only eaten at Le Cellier once- I tried to get there before it went from 1 credit to 2, with no avail, so paid out of pocket when I went in 2018. Unfortunately, I was super dehydrated by that point in the trip, and could barely enjoy my meal. I'd like to go back!

 

[Dentam]

Sounds like a wonderful Epcot morning and lunch! Your comparison of going as a couple without kids to going with the kiddos reminds me of how I feel on a solo trip vs. going with my family! I tend to enjoy going at a slower pace and soaking things in and have found that solo trips are pretty awesome for that!

 

[suse66]

Before we knew it, 40 minutes had passed while Alex and I sat and relaxed on that bench. The stream of people coming through the World Showcase started to increase, and I commented in happy contentment that we felt like the only two people in the park not rushing someplace. It shocked me that Alex was willing to put a stopper in our park touring; that’s not normally his style. But Epcot is his favorite park and I think he appreciated the chance to get to enjoy it in a way we hadn’t been able to for many years.

Those are the best moments!

A picture of us together to memorialize the one rare opportunity where we had to have each other’s undivided attention:

Sweet!

I warned Alex we needed to keep Evie away from the purple potion version. If she saw all that glittery purple she would be begging us for one. And while I love my three year old, I don’t love her enough to buy her an 80 dollar backpack.

Take her to the outlet next time you are here....so many of those backpacks end up there for $12.99.

For the kids, of course.

Of course!

Everything was delicious and splitting the meal was perfect. It allowed us to try a little of everything and walk away without feeling overly full. I’m not sure if the steak was worth 60 dollars for one person, but for the two of us it was exactly what we hoped for.

Exactly what we did at Sanaa. It's such a good way to enjoy a meal without feeling stuffed to the eyeballs.

 

[NJlauren]

I am so behind and i didn't even realize how far behind till i went to catch up and i only have 15 minutes! Not enough time!! But i had to quote a few things, and will need to come back later and read the rest!

The two of us took our cupcake out to the back porch and ate it, both of us very surprised at how good the item turned out to be. In my notes, I wrote:
“THIS IS A FOUR DOLLAR CUPCAKE.”

I know right! SO BAD when i was pregnant with Dillon they opened a sprinkles in my office building.. and for the first month it was BOGO, i did not eat 2 a day 3 days a week i swear i did not do that!

I saw this and had to recognize my mild obsession with a phone game:

Nothing else to do when the kids are up early.... nothing... you play Emoji... i don't play at 2am, never

One of Alex’s favorite desserts on property are zebra domes, so he was very happy to split an order with me. In addition, one of the few beers he likes is Magic Hat # 9, which can be found at Animal Kingdom Lodge.
I think the stuff tastes absolutely disgusting. It’s on my Least Favorite Beers ever list, so I went a different route and got the Tusker Beer:

well now i need to try Tusker beer! But i do love #9! Sorry!!!

 

[rdkeim]

Love your relaxing day in Epcot. I too remember times where we just sat and soaked in our surroundings. Reading about your LeCellier lunch makes me want to go back there! But, wow the prices have gone a little crazy. We went several times for lunch back when the lunch menu was a little cheaper than dinner. But, those days are gone. Splitting a filet was a good idea. Hope the rest of your day continued to go as well as the first half!

 

[missangelalexis]

Sounds like a great time in Epcot soaking it all in and enjoying each other's company!

I'm glad you guys got to enjoy Le Cellier!

 

[MinnieWebster]

Don’t even get me started on the panic that overtook me every time a Cast Member asked, “Where are you from?”

“Ehhhh. Well. My hometown is Florida. But I’ve lived in Germany for three years. And am about to move to England.”

My husband does this. We grew up in Michigan, moved to Florida in 2015, moved to Illinois in 2016. Most of the time when asked he says from Michigan, but currently living in Illinois

There was a Hank plush for sale that I seriously debated buying.

Adorable!1

Eating at:

Love the food here! We are eating here again on our next trip, can't wait!!

I had heard so much about the famous cheese soup at this restaurant, I ordered a bowl to split with Alex:

I love their soup!!

 

[NJlauren]

A couple of women walked up as I was debating, and I told them to go ahead because I was indecisive. One of the women went up to the cash register and went, “Well I’m not indecisive. I know what I want.”

It was hard to tell if she was joking or criticizing my comment; I filed it under my Odd Things Said Within the Disney Parks and moved on with choosing a snack.

Well all right then! I don’t know people never surprise me any more ever!

Who would have guessed sitting around doing nothing but watching the world go by would be such a memorable moment from the trip?

I have to remember to do it more often. In life and in Walt Disney World.

So hard to do but I agree sometimes stealing a moment like this is the best part of a trip! A trip anywhere!!!

Ugh I am so mad about this Le Collier review! I’m moments away from canceling it for my upcoming adults trip and now I’m not sure!!!!! Thanks a lot!

I love flower and garden so gorgeous hope to get back for it sometime soon!

 

[Jenny Sanders]

At 9:45, World Showcase was a ghost town. We practically had the place to ourselves!

This is awesome!!!!

 

[Cloe Colton]

Sounds like an awesome afternoon in EPCOT! And I love the people watching stories lol I feel like Disney brings out the worst in some people!

I'm glad you enjoyed Le Cellier! I need to get back there! Although I was happy to at least get the soup at the Canada booth during F&W!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Ummmm so I am ashamed to say I did not realize that you started a TR for your June trip....

But I'm here now and catching up!

The people.

Every single time I visit the Disney parks, I react to attractions, shows, crowds, etc in different ways. The people I go with change and evolve, and together we build a shared experience that lends enough material for me to want to relive through writing.

This is beautiful! It's such a wonderful way to answer the question of why keep going back?

secretly hoping coffee dates fall through so I can read my latest library book

Same.

This trip became a study in two children’s varying personalities and interests, as seen in the following example:

This is incredible

 

[dolewhipdreams]

or our German wine in Florida

Are you suuuure about that??

PS how does German wine compare to French? I absolutely loved the French wine we had on our trip last month!

That was a long time to be on an airplane.

Too long….


I managed to get the kids to nap:

Oh goodness gracious. We flew Paris-Dallas and that was about 10 hours, but that was just the two of us adults. Seriously, parents are superheroes.

which naturally meant everything moved at a snail’s pace.

Ah yes, Murphy's Law of Airports

Sounds like the roughest of travel days getting back to the states but I guess that makes the relief of getting there all the better! And to cap it off with a crazy random Dismeet? So cool.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Bring on the pretzels…

Lunch was Alex’s favorite fast food chain in America:

He might be the only person in the world who has Firehouse Subs as their fave

Photos of everything!

everything

 

[Terra Nova guy]

While walking into Future World, Alex posted something on the DIS Dad’s social media group and @Terra Nova guy commented on the post. When Alex asked if I recognized the name, I had to laugh.

“Oh yeah! He’s the ice cream guy!”

“Ice cream guy?”

“Yeah, remember that story I told you about the DISer who ended up with, like, six ice cream dishes?”
(If you aren’t familiar with Terra Nova’s last trip report, you should check it out and read this story. It’s amusing.)

And this is what happens when you all share a funny story on the DIS. It gets repeated to Alex and you become known as the person who did such and such.

Thanks for the shout out! I'm glad I gave you a laugh.
I remember finding Alex's post on FB and getting excited when I did "Hey, I know that guy!". It really is a small little world here on the DIS.

Because I'm not above a shameful plug, if anyone happens to be interested, below is the link to that ice cream story. While you're there, you're welcome to read the whole TR. No extra charge.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...t-2018-tr-complete-4-28.3704935/post-60497125

That's so funny! (I remember that story about Jeff, too!)

I guess I made an impression on at least two people. I'm glad you found the story funny. When I wrote that stuff it was hilarious in my head, but I never know how it comes across when people read it.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Well you guys. Evie’s frown face got such a reaction on my introductory post that I thought I should share this with you all:

The saga continues!!

The room :

Wow those rooms are beautiful! Somehow I've never seen a photo of them before.

I’m not sure what they were, but they were out there hanging out in front of my room and for that I loved them.

Little bongos(?), bringing joy to the world.

Man might as well have been asking the clock on the dashboard.

I had no idea.

Still don’t.

I feel like even when I intend to go to a different garage I end up at the same one every time. There's definitely some hocus pocus going on around those garages.

We DIDN’T have kids. We were two adults. We could grab seats at the bar if we wanted.
“Heck yeah, let’s take them!”

Freedom!!!

(We were at a bakery called Sprinkles- of course we had to get one with sprinkles!)

It's the rules. They don't let you back in if you get one without.

In hindsight, I should have gotten this pin. I find it so fitting for our relationship. We move around so much, and every time I go to Disney without Alex I miss him terribly. For me, there’s nothing better in the world than walking into a Disney park with my husband.
Without a doubt, my happy place.

So, so sweet!

I bring up the food topic once again, because it played a role in my Disney trip later.
Let’s just say, changing your eating habits on vacation is a horrible idea.

I'm beginning to think it doesn't play a particularly happy role...

Sweet Landon! Being the parent who is around him the most, I tend not to get as many affectionate notes or letters. Alex has a slew from deployments and work trips, but I just have the standard Mother’s Day cards. But now I’ve got this little gem. A sweet reminder that my kiddos do love their Mama. What else could a mom ask for?

Oh this is absolutely precious

 

[dolewhipdreams]

had Slinky Dog Dash AND Tower of Terror not been down.

Uh oh.

Ahhhh, yes. Such a romantic shot.

Ah the beauty of true love

It was a quiet, relaxing boat ride over to the International Gateway.

Mm it really is so relaxing! I usually opt to walk since it's faster but sometimes you just need a nice slow boat ride!

It was hard to tell if she was joking or criticizing my comment; I filed it under my Odd Things Said Within the Disney Parks and moved on with choosing a snack.

Let's assume she was joking?

Alex and I had to giggle that we were staring across at Germany:

Oh wow yeah what perfect positioning hahaha

Wasn’t for me to say or pass judgement; it was simply something Alex and I observed as we gathered our belongings and readied ourselves to leave.

I've definitely been that woman before, just with a stuffed yeti from Expedition Everest instead of a Barbie. You gotta do what you gotta do for the 'gram.

Figment was at 55 minutes!

Um excuse me what


OKAY all caught up! I am loving your adults-only trip so far and am so glad that you got a few days at Disney just for the two of you!