Trip Report Already? 2 broke guys for 2 more days of Music & Mickey!

Yes, yes, I know we just got back. We went in the middle of December, then again for Christmas, then again in the middle of January, and now - our third month in a row…

When: Feb 2-4
Where: All-Star Music, and All-Star Music (you’ll see.)
Who:

Tony

And Brian

Wait, wait - that’s not right. Pretty close, but not right. Let’s try again.

Tony

And Brian

OK but those were reject “blooper” pics from our last TR. Here’s one where we’re overdressed:

That’ll do.

And…Mickey.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Wanted to share with you. This is my new granddoggie! Her name is Raya and she’s 9 months old. View attachment 843282

Those eyes - I bet she’s smart!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

It will surprise you not in the least that I own one of her prints. It hangs in my dining room, and in case you can’t see the title, it’s called Big Red.

View attachment 843294

Purchased some years ago at Food & Wine Festival.

And the kitty is the image of my Fred, the one I had when I met my hubby

Love it!

 

[93boomer]

Those eyes - I bet she’s smart!

So far she is very smart and very chilled.

 

[93boomer]

View attachment 843143View attachment 843144

I had perused the Le Cellier menu over the years, mostly after hearing positive word of mouth. I never booked it because it seemed like…remember the restaurant Steak & Ale? (Maybe it was regional?) This seemed like Steak & Meh. Or I guess I should say, Steak & Eh. Eh?

I have to be really in the mood for a steak. The heart monitor I was wearing dampened that mood. I toyed with it, asked the difference between the filet from the entree portion of the menu and the “build your own.” Our server was on her second day. She did well. Let’s just start with some drinks.

View attachment 843142



This day in particular felt like we were in a South Park movie. (“Blame Canada!”) That was the deciding factor in choosing this restaurant, especially knowing Canadians work there.

To my delight, it was full, even at late lunchtime on a Monday.

I do remember Steak & Ale. I was taken there for my senior prom and was a pretty big deal back then.
Your photos are beautiful! I love that same view in Canada.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

OK, we hopped on the bus to MGM, I mean, HS and had a nice hangout with Julie - and of course, made some new friends for the evening: a lesbian couple who were just getting a new dog (they joked that every time they come to Orlando from TX, they get a new dog.) And a husband and wife who moved to Celebration from L.A. where the wife used to work at DL.

I asked Julie to make me a Black Russian. She said, “Oh, what you want is a…mumble mumble.” And she handed me this:

She cracks me up. What the heck, I drank it. I was pretty sure it was a mudslide.

Exit pics - not many, because didn’t we just do this like a week ago?

Probably could have cropped those. PITA.

A is for…

Anthony.

Brian had to get up relatively early to make his 9-something train. But we did stop to get a bite to bring back to the room. If I remember correctly, a pepperoni pizza, a chicken parm, a banana bread, and one of those overpriced tall alcoholic cans that reminded me what a deal the old $20 bottle of Jack was. (I broke down. It was vodka pineapple. )

The pizza was meh. The chicken was even meh-er; but I had to see what I’ve wanted to know since the last trip: was it better than Mamma Melrose’s chicken parm?

It wasn’t.

Always salt the pasta!!

I did have a little salt packet, and that did help. But for the million dollars we spent on this stuff, it was almost as bad as Boma.

Note to self: stick to the pulled pork sammy when staying at ASM. It’s cheap and much better than the chicken parm.

And yes, of course I ate it all!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Up next: a day of freedom, Frontierland, and free falling!

And fog?

My poor husband. It was thick as pea soup out there!

I packed his smaller bag into my bigger blue one to make it easier for him to take most of my stuff home. That way I don’t have to use bell services and waste park time coming back to ASM to get my bags. I just take my backpack to the parks and leave it in a locker.

He made it home fine, and had a little nap time before work instead of rushing to work after our normal travel time. You’ll notice I had him carry the print separately in the flat Disney bag because I didn’t want it getting damaged in the suitcase.

Since we had to get up early, I naturally got up much earlier. But hey, that’s how I got this:

Woo hoo! First time!

My magic band hadn’t charged because my charger is broken. It won’t stay attached. I had to rig it with a protein drink.

I packed up, cleaned up, started my push ups (I’m doing 100 push ups per day in February for the American Heart Association - yes, as I’m wearing a heart monitor lol) and after a slight rest and a shower, Mickey and I were on our way.

Bye for now, ASM!

Yet another beautiful day!

People, you’re in my shot.

My quick bus streak kept up, and I was on my way - solo - to MK.

Do I feel a little guilty leaving Brian? Yes.

It’ll pass in a few minutes. That old Italian guilt. Truth: it never goes away. But I’ll still enjoy my day!

 

[Tiggerish]

Always salt the pasta!!

Hell, yeah!!

I packed his smaller bag into my bigger blue one to make it easier for him to take most of my stuff home.

Trying to figure out who's doing who a solid here...

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Trying to figure out who's doing who a solid here...

Both! That’s how we do. (But I did benefit more.)

 

[Tony the Tigger]

My entry into MK took a leisurely approach; I was not rushing to anything. After going through an extensive bag check and storing it in a locker, I was not thrilled with my “beautiful day” morning pics.

So I went up the stairs to the train station. There was no one up there, and a couple of nice benches. I sat for a moment, maybe too long, taking it all in. As I heard the train approaching, I hurriedly snapped two more shots I liked better.

Digging the patriotic theme.

Then I boarded, and took the train to Frontierland. Whee!!! I love the train.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I arrived in Frontierland excitedly wondering, “Is it time yet?” I was boarding group 49.

Almost! (Although I didn’t know how fast these things moved.) I took some pre-show pics.

Was Critter Co-Op always named that? I didn’t think it fit. As expected and appropriate, it’s all Tiana stuff. Gotta be a better name.

I decided to pop over to another Frontierland favorite to pass the time, and it was just about to begin.

Love my boys on the wall!

Before the jamboree began, I checked something else I wanted to do:

I had waited too long to get a LL. Should have done that when I booked the room, in retrospect. But I could do an hour wait for something important the first time. (That’s about my limit, though.) Google told me there is no single rider line. Ahem! Time to enjoy the show.

I’ve seen all kinds of opinions on this show, but as someone who rarely listens to country music that hasn’t crossed over to the pop side (Keith Urban’s “You’ll Think Of Me” is a standout) the more I see the new version, the more I like it. I especially appreciate that the talking heads seem fully integrated again. The replacement for “Blood On The Saddle” exceeded expectations. Despite the naysayers, I knew “the Disney songs” would be integrated cleverly. I believe I stated that on that cantankerous thread before the show reopened.

Once again, even knowing only half the songs, I thoroughly enjoyed this performance!

Happy early Valentine’s Day!

 

[pkkurz]

I wasn’t a fan at first, but the songs grow on you and are well done. I’ve seen it several times and see something new I like each time.