Trip Report The Great 40th Birthday Bash! [live-ish]

So we're here now, in our hotel room and I'll remind y'all of who is on this trip:

Who: Me and my spouse (whom I'm calling SurlyHobbit or The Hobbit)
When: September 17, 2017 for a 5 night stay
Where: Port Orleans French Quarter

Our flight was uneventful, our room was ready before we arrived, and our Magic Bands weren't working properly when we got to our assigned room, but they got that fixed right away. The Hobbit is bringing the rest of our bags up and then I'm going to walk over to the main building to pick up my ECV. I'd gotten a message from lostpro9het saying that they were over at the Nomad Lounge at AKP. Alas, my Hobbit only got 90 minutes of sleep last night and slept almost the whole flight. He needs at least 2 more hours of sleep before he's even presentable to company other than me.

Picture of the morning: My "Flying to WDW" outfit

 

[Trisha Lynn]

After dinner at Raglan Road, we've decided that we'll either have an appetizer or a dessert for the rest of the week but not both because it's too much food.

 

[Trisha Lynn]

It's Monday morning and I was the first one awake, waking up even before my alarm. Flattening down my impressive post-evening-shower bed head, I made my way over to the main building to find a place to write this and to wait for the hot breakfast (other than just beignets) options to be ready. I took some pictures along the way as well as some video that will be making it to my vlog of today and settled in. While I wait, my phone is backing up my photos to my Google Photos bin and I'll be adding to the Album I've created just for this visit. Once I get back home, I'll be updating this actual trip report with embedded pictures, for those of you who don't want to open the album in another window or tab.

Sitting here in the pre-dawn dark with the sounds of lazy Dixieland sounding a little tinny, as if it was being played on an old-fashioned radio feels just perfect, you know?

 

[Trisha Lynn]

Dangit. Just finished our late lunch at Sanaa and still got too many appetizers to have desserts. Luckily, our server Marc said that my mango margarita could count as a dessert. And he even rinsed out my travel mug so I could take the rest with me.

 

[Trisha Lynn]

Late lunch was too late and we weren't hungry enough to justify the Y&Y dinner reservation. After getting back to our hotel and picking up two drinks from Mardi Grog's, we decided that I would venture forth to bring food back to the room from Sassagoula's and we'd call it a night. And I'm totally okay with that. Gotta conserve energy for the big F&W day tomorrow anyway.

Sorry, @lostpro9het and @imahistorygeek for pooping out again tonight... this being a first-time WDW traveler thing is tough on the stomach and system!

 

[lostpro9het]

Late lunch was too late and we weren't hungry enough to justify the Y&Y dinner reservation. After getting back to our hotel and picking up two drinks from Mardi Grog's, we decided that I would venture forth to bring food back to the room from Sassagoula's and we'd call it a night. And I'm totally okay with that. Gotta conserve energy for the big F&W day tomorrow anyway.

Sorry, @lostpro9het and @imahistorygeek for pooping out again tonight... this being a first-time WDW traveler is tough on the stomach and system!

You are on YOUR vacation! Have an awesome time, don't sweat anything, and have a fantastic time!

 

[Trisha Lynn]

Have an awesome time, don't sweat anything, and have a fantastic time!

We totally are, but the thought of meeting up with Internet friends is kinda fun for me because most of the "real world" friends I have are due to Internet connections on forums, mailing lists, and stuff. Still, you are right. We're on our vacation, and we are totally happy with having fun on our own. Also, drinking all the things.

 

[littleroo]

I am glad you are having a great time! Following!! Pofq is our fav! Unfortunately, we have out grown it. However, our favorite bartender Shelley still works there! She is amazing!

 

[Trisha Lynn]

I am glad you are having a great time!

Thank you!

Unfortunately, we have out grown it. However, our favorite bartender Shelley still works there! She is amazing!

Which bar does she tend? The CM who helped us at Mardi Grog's was nice, but I didn't catch her name.

 

[Trisha Lynn]

It's Tuesday morning, and I'm not sure if it was supposed to have rained last night or what, but the streets of the French Quarter were damp in places, not damp in others. The Sassagoula was completely still, making me wish I'd brought my phone with me so I could take a picture of it. There is always tomorrow morning, of course.

The photos from yesterday are in the album and I did decided to upload one of them here for now:

There's this photographer I follow on Twitter named Andrew Ferguson, who had been doing a livestream of him editing down pictures from the Desert Bus 10 charity telethon for Child's Play. He was talking about the "rule of thirds" and how when you edit photos, there are some times when you want to make sure that your composition fits within the thirds; that is, it's a way to make sure that the viewer's eye is drawn to and sees that the picture is perfectly centered and composed. I Tweeted this picture at him yesterday to ask if I'd done the thirds correctly and he said that I did. I feel so pleased.

The other is an animated .gif, and the forums won't allow me to post it, so here's the link:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Hpt5Q3DpPzxPGtxp2

There are these chains in the road that the Kilimanjaro Safari trucks drove over at certain crossings. What are they for? To alert animals that there's going to be a truck coming around the corner?

 

[littleroo]

Thank you!



Which bar does she tend? The CM who helped us at Mardi Grog's was nice, but I didn't catch her name.

She works at the pool bar. She use to be off on Mon and Tues but I am not sure that is still the case.

 

[susan lees]

Your pictures look great. Enjoy

 

[Courtney6682]

I am glad you are having a great time! Following!! Pofq is our fav! Unfortunately, we have out grown it. However, our favorite bartender Shelley still works there! She is amazing!

Shelly is awesome!! We love her too!!!

 

[Trisha Lynn]

Oh, then that is Mardi Grog's and that could have been her!

Also, the Hobbit actually likes the Beverly. He is a strange man.

 

[Trisha Lynn]

Pro-tip: Since Chase is no longer sponsoring the F&W festival, if you need to charge an ECV or device that requires AC power, at Epcot there's a pillar near the restrooms at the Liberty Bell that has a grounded outlet. The more you know!

 

[Trisha Lynn]

The Hobbit is flagging, but I'm hoping that our dinner at Monsieur Paul was enough to revive him. Otherwise, I'm seeing Illuminations alone

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Looking forward to reading about your adventures!

 

[myhappyplace]

I think I just made this up....but I always assumed the chains were to shake the mud off the tires?

 

[Trisha Lynn]

It's Wednesday morning, and the morning of my birthday. The Hobbit was very brave and ventured forth longer into the night and saw a beautiful fireworks show, but he met with calamity at Weathertop and has to have a bit of a lie-in this morning so that he can continue his Long Journey tonight.

OR:

The Hobbit has some court paperwork to file (again) this morning and because he was tired from all the walking yesterday, he needs to have time to work this morning. After I head to MK by myself, we're going to meet up at Epcot for more F&W shenanigans before my character dinner at the Garden Grill.

PIck whichever narrative you like the most as the theme for today. I know which one I've chosen.

(Also: The Album is updated again with images from last night and this morning's scoot over to the Riverside resort.)

Favorite picture from yesterday:

These mariachi are having a great musical conversation. They were so good!

 

[Trisha Lynn]

Your pictures look great. Enjoy

Thank you so much!

Looking forward to reading about your adventures!

Thanks for reading! I really enjoy writing these small posts in the morning and throughout the day.

I think I just made this up....but I always assumed the chains were to shake the mud off the tires?

Sounds plausible to me!