Trip Report We shoulda got the grouper! - F&W total domination

EDITED 07.07.17 - Photobucket has updated their policies so my photos aren't displaying. I'll try to switch them all over to Flickr eventually!

Hello, friends! It's been about a week since our trip :cry: and I figured I better do this report now before I forget everything. It was a fantastic trip (as usual), and we are already planning our 2017 trip. That one will be pretty big. We'll be celebrating our 5th anniversary and my 30th birthday!

I'll get to the explanation of the title eventually. It was a little joke with us on the trip, but hopefully it'll be funny to y'all as well :joyfull:

Day 1: Thursday

We got up around 4:15 :eek: to get ready to leave for the airport. We left out of the Memphis airport, which is 1.5 hours away. We figured that early in the morning the traffic wouldn't be bad, but we were wrong. They've been reconfiguring an interchange for a few years, and it bottlenecks really bad, apparently even at 6am! We had already gotten a late start because I left my AP and a giftcard at work and we had to stop by for them, so I was sweating when we hit that traffic. We still made it to the airport about an hour before takeoff, and Memphis security is really quick most of the time. So we got to our gate in plenty of time. Whew!

Here we go!

This is us on the plane, the fonorail and in line for the bus. The plane landed pretty early, but we didn't gain any time because we got lost finding the Magical Express. It's been 3 years since we flew down, so I had forgotten that you have to cross to B side :rolleyes:

We hopped in line for the bus at 10:55 and were on the bus by 11! I also got the text that our room was ready, so everything was going super smoothly. I was just waiting for something to go wrong :cautious:

The bus driver said the total route was 40 minutes, but we were the first stop, so it wasn't bad. Woot! We headed to our room at the Yacht Club to drop off our bags. We thought it seemed really far from the lobby because it was a lot of turns, but it really wasn't bad. I LOVED the lobby and the general atmosphere at Yacht Club. It smelled so good in there, I just wanted to bottle it up and use it as perfume :inlove:

Here are some pictures of our room and the Yacht Club lobby

I want that headboard!



Bug spray that I didn't use...I'm the worst. Also, that lamp :inlove:


The bathroom counters look a lot like my kitchen ones. My fav!


Didn't take a picture of the view, but it was just trees as you can see. It was unfortunately very close to the bus stop and some kind of loading dock, so it was pretty loud sitting out there on the balcony. I was able to tune it out though.


Here's a phone shot since I didn't bring a wide angle lens for my camera.


I wanted a picture with the captain, but I was too shy




This is R buying sunglasses. He realized after we were through security at the airport that he forgot his. We didn't think it was worth going back to get them, so he grabbed some at this gift shop before we left for Epcot. They were just as ugly as the ones he wears at home :rolleyes:

That's it for now! I spent like an hour trying to get my pictures on Photobucket and organized, and they're still out of order. ARGH.

Up next, our first foray into Food & Wine Festival for the year!
 
Last edited:
Click to expand...
sheriffwoody

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 1: Thursday, continued

If you remember, we were on the Magical Express by 11 and we were headed to Epcot by 12. It was way quicker than I expected! I even had time to make a change to our return on the ME and get R some sunglasses. We honestly didn't rush at all, but we were getting hungry, so we walked briskly to the International Gateway (about a 5 minute walk).




We went straight to our fav!



We had a pretty good spot to sit. We just enjoyed the breeze and our favorite meal at Epcot. I would have stayed there all day if we didn't have a whole bunch of kiosks to get to!

Our first kiosk stop was Belgium
What we ordered:
  • Leffe Blonde Belgian Pale Ale – $4.00
  • Belgian Waffle with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream – $3.75
  • Belgian Waffle with Warm Chocolate Ganache and Whipped Cream – $3.75




The ale was delicious! One of my favs of the whole trip. I think I've had it before, but I can't remember. I ate the berry waffle, and it was a perfect dessert after the fish n chips. The chocolate one looked good too. They kind of fall apart as you're eating them, but I don't think that's bad. They're just so warm and fresh!

We continued on and ended up shopping in Japan for a bit. We got some candy, a couple of Miyazaki prints and some tea. I love that store! We always stop in there so many times. I noticed the drummers would be starting soon, so we stood out there and ate our candy while we waited.





It was pretty cool! Probably not something I would stop and watch every trip, but I enjoyed it.

The next stop was Germany, specifically Karamell Kuche. I always pass it by because the line seems so long, we weren't in a hurry, so I made the call to just wait. The smell just calls me in! We got a dark chocolate salted caramel and some caramel corn. Both were good, but the popcorn was OVER THE TOP HOLD THE PHONE AMAZING. I still think about it daily. So good, for reals. I need more right now. I NEED IT. Ok, sorry, I'm done.




We sat on the bench to the right of the door, and it was so nice. I love the doors to that place! Now I'll always remember the exact spot where I first tried the world's best caramel corn :inlove:

Next we went by Brewer's Collection
What we ordered:
  • Hacker-Pschorr Hefe Weisse – $4.00
It was good too! Not many things we tried were bad, to be honest. I kind of know what I like, so I stick to that. I did try a couple of new things though.



After this, we decided we'd go back to the room for me to put on my boots and arm wraps for Mickey's Not So Scary (WOO!). On the way back, we checked out the pool area and grabbed a coco-jito or whatever it was called. It was tasty and refreshing!




I LOVE IT HERE!

Up next: Halloween party time!
 
sheriffwoody

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
sheriffwoody

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Direwolf27 said:
Your pictures are amazing. What kind of a camera did you use?
Click to expand...
I used a Fuji X-T1 on this trip. The lenses make a huge difference. So far all the photos from the camera (you can probably tell which ones are from my phone) were with the 35mm f/1.4. I really loved this combination!!! The photos are tack sharp, even in low light. I eventually want to get a zoom lens for the parks so I can get a little closer during parades/shows without having to switch lenses.

Tuvalu said:
I just don't get the appeal of the Japanese drummers....:cautious:
Click to expand...
I enjoyed watching them, but I did get bored...I feel bad admitting that. I appreciate getting to experience that little bit of Japanese culture though!
 
sheriffwoody

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 1: Thursday (continued again)

After a little rest and refresh in the room, I got my "costume" on we headed to MK for the party. We actually headed that way early because I'd made us fast passes just in case we had no delays in our travel. I fully expected us to miss them all, but we were actually able to use them! I think we headed down to the bus stop around 3 and were at MK by 3:30.

We stood in line to get in and then realized we were in the party line and they weren't letting anyone through that side, so we went to the other side and we headed into the park. The way they do the party entry is a little confusing if you show up early and have park admission in addition to a party ticket. Whatever, we made it in. We got a quick shot in front of the train station, but it was so sunny and neither of us brought our sunglasses since it would be getting dark eventually. That was dumb...we didn't make that mistake again.

Here are our squinty pictures.




There are several where our eyes are completely closed. R was mad at me for making him do that :oops:. I promised him we'd wait until later to do one on Main Street.



We're here! So happy to be back :inlove:

We headed to our first FP+ for Space Mountain.

R's face :hilarious: He's crazy. And I completely forgot about the picture.

I'm going to interrupt a little to here to tell a story. About two and a half years ago, my boss's son was diagnosed with leukemia, and he's been undergoing treatment ever since. He wrapped up treatment in August, and at some point in the past, they started the process of getting a wish granted with Make-a-wish. His wish was to meet Darth Vader, so they did a trip to Give Kids the World village. They did three Disney days, two universal and one sea world. They also did a week at the beach after that. The trip got delayed by hurricane Matthew, but even with that hitch in the plan, they had an AMAZING trip. I was thrilled that we would be there at the same time, so I had been texting my boss about meeting up at MK. They went that day, but didn't have party tickets, so they had to leave at 7.

Anyway, we met them at Gaston's Tavern and I got a Lafou's Brew (such a weird beverage) while we chatted and the kids told me all about their day (there are 3 kids, the youngest is the one with cancer). I was so excited to see them I forgot to take any pictures. All of them loved 7 Dwarves, and that just happened to be my next FP, so we all decided to ride together. We didn't end up riding together because they split our parties, but I attempted to get a shot with them in the car behind us. They're so tiny, but they're wearing red and you can sort of see them.





Make-a-Wish gives you a pass that gets you in the FP line for EVERYTHING! I told my boss's wife, they better live it up with that thing! She said they'd definitely miss it if they came back in the future. I'm so glad they had that, especially since they only had three days.

Anyway, after that they decided to give Space Mountain a try, and we said we'd walk over there with them and maybe do the People Mover. That ended up being down, so we said our goodbyes and headed different directions. I did get a picture though! It was so great to see them, even though I see my boss every day. They are just such an amazing family, and it warmed my heart that they were having such an amazing time. After all they've been through, they deserved this!



Their little girl loves Rey and she dressed as her the next day at Hollywood. Her costume looked way more legit!

As we left Tomorrowland, I had to get a shot of the new paint job on the rocks. I like it!


Also a couple of sunny castle selfies



We were getting hungry and I wasn't sure what would be open during the party, so we went to Pecos Bill. I got a southwest burger and R got a "burrito." That thing was so huge, there was no way he could fold it up and actually pick it up to eat it.




Everything was delicious and really hit the spot! We were ready for the night!

Our last FP+ before the party was for Pirates, so we headed on.






Funny story, I LOVE that smell when you go by the drunk guy trying to give rum to the cats. I guess it's supposed to smell like rum? It smelled a little familiar, and I realized when I got home that it smells EXACTLY like the Glade plug-in we have! I usually get apple cinnamon, but Target was out so I had to get some kind of vanilla stuff, and it's just like that Pirates rum smell. I might have to use that from now on to remind me of one of our fav rides :inlove:

More soon. Gotta work a little :D

Up next: More MNSSHP!
 
MinnieM123

MinnieM123

Premium Member
DisneyFall2016_040_zpsatrrr6z4.jpg


You two are such a cute couple together! :)
 
sheriffwoody

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 1: Thursday (continued again...it's going to be a few more posts)

Ok so we left off on Pirates, which was our last FP+ before the party officially started. There was a station right across from the ride for us to get our party bands and bags. We were happy to see that they pre-stocked the bags with treats. This was nice especially since the lines for candy were too long all night, and we didn't feel like waiting in line for something we could buy at the store pretty easily.

Armed with our bands (tee hee), we headed off into the night. Ok not quite night yet...

Stopped on Main Street for some castle pictures.



I couldn't convince R to dress up, but I didn't let that get me down! I just used stuff I already owned to sort of look like Rey, then with the arm wraps and Rey mouse ears, I figured it was good enough. The boots rubbed a blister on one heel, but it didn't start until pretty late so it wasn't bad. The arm wraps gave me trouble until I wrapped them a little tighter, then they stayed put. The ears were the worst part, honestly. The headband they were made from was really thick and hurt my head right behind my ears. I dealt with it though, it wasn't that bad.

After our castle pictures, we headed over to see if the PeopleMover was back. It was! Hooray!




Can you imagine being in that exact spot during Wishes when Tink comes flying by? That would be epic!



My buns on the PeopleMover (hahaha...I'm on fire with the word play tonight)

We were going to try Astro Orbiter for the first time, but the wait was too long, so we went and hopped on Buzz instead. I won't post the picture... I thought I'd be cute and look at him during the picture, but I've got a case of the crazy eyes in it! I guess I was feeling competitive and I look evil! haha! I beat him because I somehow got 200K points right at the beginning.

The first show of the Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular was coming up soon, so we headed over to the stage and picked up a coke for R on the way. The streets were already lined with people waiting on the 8:15 parade. I think I remember seeing people staking out spots before 6:30. Not as bad as Paint the Night, but still...I don't understand why people sit and wait so long. If everyone could just agree to not start staking out spots until 30 min before...that'd be great.

Anyway, I stood next to a family to the right of the stage but right up by the rope. It was a fine spot! I liked not being in the middle and getting squished by everyone.




Waiting for it to start. The moon looked super ominous. There were a couple of nights when it was HUGE.

Here are some of my favorite shots from the show. I LOVE THIS SHOW SO MUCH! Does the all-caps get the point across? I mean, for real. It's so good. If you're at the party, you should really try to catch it.














I say into pie uppa-maybe-uppen die!
I say into pie uppa-maybe-uppen die!
In Kamma Kory Ama
In Kamma Kory Ama
Hey hi, say bye-bye-i-i-i-i-i-i-i
Bye, bye!

The little chant that is so fun to sing along to is just nonsense, but I still love it :D

I wish I'd had a zoom lens for this show. It would have been great to capture more facial expressions of the sisters. They are so good! They cast them perfectly, and the performances are great.

Up next: Hallowishes baby!!!
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom