Trip Report JenniferS is live - 9/3 - 9/16

Technically this is a pre-trip report, but we’ll be going live in less than a week!

This will be my third live September trip report.
2016:
https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/jennifers-is-live-9-7-16-9-17-16.918342/#post-7389286

2017:
https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/jennifers-was-live-9-6-17-9-16-17.931263/#post-7871205

It’s going to be a lot of same old/same old, as the cast, location, and ADR’s are pretty much the same. What can I say - we like what we like. And what we like is each other, Walt Disney World, Coronado Springs, and Free Disney Dining.

First, the who.
Me, JenniferS - Uber planning, pixie dust snorting Disney-aholic, 51 year old kid at heart (despite what the mirror says).

This is Hubby. He likes the Tar Heels, the Blue Jays, food, beer, and me. Not necessarily in that order.
The words most often heard coming out of his mouth are “Whatever you want, Baby.”

This is us. We are adorable together. We’re each other’s ride or die.

Last year, we were celebrating my 50th birthday (as much as women celebrate these “milestones”).

This year, we are celebrating Mike’s 50th (both of us born in August, so it’s close enough to count) AND our 25th wedding anniversary earlier this year.

We have children, but we don’t bring them to Disney very often anymore. If they decide to get married and start giving us grand-babies, I will re-visit this decision. But for now, they stay home. We are on Jen and Mike time.

After two live trip reports, I’m not sure how wordy this report will be, but it will be heavy on pics, most especially of food! As Mike says - I’m only here for the food.

To be continued ....

 

[JenniferS]

Wednesday 9/12:
Not an early morning. Epcot by 10:30.
FP’s start around 11:00 for SSE, M:S (‘cause you absolutely need a FP to ride Green ), and wait for it ... Frozenstrom.

This is the dedicated day to nosh around the World. I’m considering some favourites from last year, as well as some new stuff. It opens tomorrow, so once I have read everyone’s (Josh, Tom, Bricker, AJ ...) reviews and drooled over their pics, I’ll lock in our choices ... and then, we’ll totally wing it, as per usual.

Again, I must be mindful not to eat too much as we have another favourite ADR tonight. We have an early dinner at Frontera Cocina. You can bet the rent that I’m getting the steak again.

It is MK EMH again tonight, and we should be back to MK in time for a crappy viewing location of HEA. Even a crappy location works for me, ‘cause I am a Pixie Duster. Mike will pretend he doesn’t know me as I alternately sing and cry throughout.

BTW, I have been at work for more than six hours, and except for our mortgage rep, I haven’t seen a soul. One more day, and then I’m off. Boo-ya!

 

[JenniferS]

Oops, I didn’t realize the previous post only included one day. Carrying on ....
Thursday, 9/13:
This is our late start “Resort Day”. This is the day I would normally go up and down the water slide a dozen plus times, while Mike makes fun of me.
Not this year. Weather permitting, we’ll have a late breakfast or early lunch at Pepper Market and swim in one of the quiet pools.

The schedule says arrive at AK by 3:00. Our KS FP is for 2:40, so we’d better be close to on time.
Other FP’s are for EE and FoP. I might be willing to stand-by FoP again for Mike. For someone who’s queasy about heights, he loves this ride. I think it’s absolutely amazing, I truly do, but it really messes with my stomach. It’s just a smidge too intense for me. Twice in one day is my limit. At least it was last year, hopefully my motion sickness hasn’t gotten any worse.

We lost our Tusker House/RoL dinner package because of Irma last year, and never made it back, so hopefully tonight is the night. I know reviews are middling to good, but I’m sure at least one of us will enjoy it. Me.

These are from last year, the day before Irma, when all the parks closed early.

Re-reading last year’s TR recently ... Irma was really something. I can never say enough how well taken care of we felt - from the $6 meal packages to the flashlights and extra towels delivered to our room to the two lost park days given to us as “use anytime before 2030” park passes.

Hopefully we get to see the Tree of Life lighting and maybe the sunset safari.

Dinner at Satu’li Canteen, ‘cause this was freaking delicious!

Friday, 9/14:
And now for something totally new, DestiNations Discovered. I booked this tour immediately after reading @ajrwdwgirl ’s glowing review.

We have to check in behind Pin Central by 8:00 am, so this will be our earliest morning yet. No worries, I think it will be awesome. We like to peek behind the curtain, and are huge fans of what we call “Disney guts”.

Also, lunch at Rose & Crown is included. Isn’t life grand?

After the tour is over and we have ridden a few rides via stand-by, we bid adieu to Epcot for another year and head over to DHS. Of the three days I reserved DHS FP’s, this is the only one where I was able to score SDD. Other FP’s are for RnRC and ToT.

Dinner tonight is at Woody’s Lunch Box, although I keep calling it Andy’s Lunch Box - because why the heck does Woody need a lunch box? I am confused.

Probably another night for the fireworks, as Mike is singularly unimpressed with Fantasmic!

After this, things get sad. We must return to the resort, after a very long day, and pack.

But yay, unlike most trips, upcoming Day 11 is not actually departure day, nor is it a non-park day. (We banked a park day because of MNSSHP, remember?!?)

Sadly though, this is our last night at CSR.

 

[JenniferS]

I have to actually do some end of day paperwork, so I will finish the “pre-trip” part of my live TR tomorrow. I really should try and kill this fly that’s been bugging me all day too. Later.

 

[ELeigh]

Again, I must be mindful not to eat too much as we have another favourite ADR tonight. We have an early dinner at Frontera Cocina. You can bet the rent that I’m getting the steak again.

<3 Frontera and that steak especially! Must do/order for me as well

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I hope you enjoy the tour!

 

[LadyBelle]

He likes the Tar Heels,

He’s my favorite already. Go Heels!

 

[LSV]

Loved your trip report last year, hopefully no weather issues this year(it has been very rainy this summer).

 

[JenniferS]

He’s my favorite already. Go Heels!

We went down to Dunedin for spring training last year, and made a side trip to Chapel Hill. We were allowed to go in the Dean Dome unescorted, and he was in absolute awe.

He’s also a big fan of Roy Williams.

 

[Eric1955]

Yay! Your trip reports are always the best. Can't wait for you to get here.

 

[JenniferS]

Yay! Your trip reports are always the best. Can't wait for you to get here.

Are you still sporting the beard?

 

[Eric1955]

Are you still sporting the beard?

Yep, I've still got the beard.

 

[FlaggNL]

Count me in! Just 6 days left for you! Enjoy the trip!

 

[JenniferS]

Before I get too far into the Twitter F&WF pics and reviews, I thought I’d share the list I made after the bloggers were all given a sneak peek of new menu items a few weeks ago.

Yes, I can print neater. No, I cannot print in a straight line. Everything I write or print slants upward, which indicates I am a very positive person. But I already told you that.

Yellow dot means we tried this dish last year. Anything that includes scallops is for Mike. I don’t eat that nonsense. Nor do I eat deep fried rubber bands, which you’re sure to see a lot of once we get into food pics.

As you may know, I don’t drink. At all.
But this ... this I may sample a sip. Mike is really hoping I do. (Apparently I’m great fun after even a single sip of alcohol.)

 

[JenniferS]

Saturday, 9/15:
Assuming we packed everything but the essentials last night, we should be able to just pack the car and go. Go where?
Go somewhere new! ‘Ohana’s Best Friends Breakfast. I love breakfast. Mike loves Stitchie. Our friend Eric will again be joining us. I’m assuming he loves breakfast and/or Stitchie also.

It’s going to feel weird not eating breakfast at Kona this trip, but this looks like fun.

After we are done stuffing ourselves, it’s off to MK. We have FP’s starting at 1:00 for 7DMT, Space Mountain, and PPF.

We are here until 6:30 or so, so whatever Snack Credits remain will be cashed in on Main St.

From there, we will check into a hotel (that I have yet to book ) and freshen up for dinner.

As has become our habit, our last meal will be at Narcoossee’s. When I booked ADR’s at the 180-day mark, I did not know that flights were going to be a giant pain in my behind, so I booked this meal for Friday night, assuming an early Saturday departure. Back then, I had a decent dinner time.

Once I booked flights and realized I had to move this ressie, times were not as plentiful. Tonight, we are eating at 9:20. We’ll probably park ourselves somewhere early and watch HEA from the GF grounds. Any recommendations?

This is the meal for which we are always a few minutes late. Not this year.

After dinner, it is back to the as yet unchosen hotel, and straight to bed.

Sunday, 9/16:
Nothing fun here. Get up. Have breakfast, either at the hotel or at a Cracker Barrel; drive to the airport, return the rental car with a hopefully empty tank; and our flight departs just after 1:00.

We arrive back in Buffalo just before 4:00.
Once we collect our luggage, fill the car with cheap American gas (probably refined in Ontario), we will hit up Wegmans, and then probably Burger King.

Mike will TELL you that our last dinner is Narcoossee’s, but the truth is it’s BK. Almost always BK.

My BFF/SIL is staying with us for a few months, so I don’t have to dread walking into a destroyed house. I will need to empty our suitcases posthaste though, as she is staying in the spare room where I usually stash everything for a couple of days while I slowly unpack, do laundry, and put away all the Christmas gifts.

And that’s a wrap.

Oh wait, we haven’t even started yet.

 

[Tuvalu]

Once I booked flights and realized I had to move this ressie, times were not as plentiful. Tonight, we are eating at 9:20. We’ll probably park ourselves somewhere early and watch HEA from the GF grounds. Any recommendations?

The courtyard area in front of Gasparilla's (get there early enough and you might snag chairs.) The soundtrack to HEA is piped in to speakers there.

 

[JenniferS]

Our IRL friend Dianne is arriving on 9/5, so we’ll hook up with her and her sister a few times.

@Eric1955 is joining us for at least three meals.

I know my old friend from Chit Chat @Gabe1 has overlapping dates again this year ... hoping she spots us and comes over and says hi.

We may spot @DisneyShe at the resort.

I’m not sure who else has overlapping dates, but we’re always up for a quick hello.

Mike is usually pretty easy to spot. He tends to wear a lot of TarHeels, Blue Jays, The Hip, or Canada shirts ... when he’s not wearing this beauty:

 

[JenniferS]

Once I booked flights and realized I had to move this ressie, times were not as plentiful. Tonight, we are eating at 9:20. We’ll probably park ourselves somewhere early and watch HEA from the GF grounds. Any recommendations?

The courtyard area in front of Gasparilla's (get there early enough and you might snag chairs.) The soundtrack to HEA is piped in to speakers there.

Thank you. I knew you’d know. (I almost tagged you.)

 

[Tuvalu]

Thank you. I knew you’d know. (I almost tagged you.)

Always happy to help!

 

[ScarletBegonias]

I will be there the same week! Enjoy!!!

 

[Santa Raccoon 77]

Our IRL friend Dianne is arriving on 9/5, so we’ll hook up with her and her sister a few times.

@Eric1955 is joining us for at least three meals.

I know my old friend from Chit Chat @Gabe1 has overlapping dates again this year ... hoping she spots us and comes over and says hi.

We may spot @DisneyShe at the resort.

I’m not sure who else has overlapping dates, but we’re always up for a quick hello.

Mike is usually pretty easy to spot. He tends to wear a lot of TarHeels, Blue Jays, The Hip, or Canada shirts ... when he’s not wearing this beauty:
View attachment 307498View attachment 307499View attachment 307500

Who can forget that bad boy ...