Trip Report Waddling Around the World - 28 weeks pregnant, F&W Fall '18

This is probably going to be the most boring trip report because 1. I didn't take notes and 2. I didn't take nearly as many pictures as normal.

I will say that overall this wasn't one of my favorite trips, but we still had fun, so I wanted to share anyway. Plus I enjoy just documenting what we did (or what I remember that we did...)

When: October 11-16
Where: Split stay between Wilderness Lodge and Villas at the Grand Floridian
Why: Anniversary and sort of a babymoon, even though this was planned and the baby wasn't
Who: Me and my husband R (other reports linked in my signature)...and the unborn child, on her 3rd trip.

----------------

Our morning on the 11th began at 3am when I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. Rather than lay there until my alarm went off at 3:30am ...I got up and started getting ready. R did the same and we made it out of the house around 4:10am.

We got to the airport with no issues and security was quick. Memphis was more crowded that normal, meaning there were 10 people instead of 2. Actually our flight was full, so it was a pretty crowded gate area.


Ready to go with my $5 water! I don't know why I do this...

Our flight was smooth and we landed on time around 10am. I think we were pulling away in our Magical Express around 10:30, and Wilderness Lodge was our first stop!

When we arrived, we headed to the bathrooms and changed clothes. Then we checked our bags with bell services and headed to the bus stop.



I was so thrilled to be back here! Wish our room had been ready early, but we had bad luck with that this time.





Two tired souls waiting on their bus. This picture was from my camera...


Can't see!

These are from my phone... I realized then I was probably going to be using my phone more. I upgraded to the X, and it's so much better than my old one! Plus I rented a lens for this trip and it was too big. I hated carrying it around! I will definitely stick with my compact lens next time.

We sat at the bus stop forever, and finally a bus for Epcot came. This would be the first of many times we waited quite a while for a bus while staying at WL I should have taken notes so I could really share the ridiculousness with you guys. I remember this being an issue last time as well, but R didn't remember that. He will definitely remember this time! The bus situation kind of spoiled WL a little for us.

Up Next: First things first, food!

 

[krisri18]

Sorry for the absence. My Disney blues are pretty bad right now since we don't have a trip planned, so I haven't felt like getting on here as much. But I really want to finish this up so I have it documented before ALL my memories fall out of my head I definitely take after my mom being forgetful.

We left HS around lunchtime and headed to the boat. With all the construction, I wasn't sure where the walkway even was, plus my feet needed a rest.

There was a boat there but it was pretty full already. Luckily there was one lady nice enough to give me her seat. It was actually the only time the whole trip that someone offered me a seat on transportation. I owe it to the fact that I wasn't huge yet, so maybe some people didn't want to assume? But those overalls made it pretty obvious...anything with a stretchy panel is definitely maternity wear

We decided to get off at the Yacht Club and walk the rest of the way. I thanked the lady again for the seat, and she commented that she has 5 kids, so she knows how important it is to rest your feet! It's so true! I never realized it before, but my goodness...I needed to sit any chance I got.




Our first stop was the Brazil booth. I needed to give something a second chance...



Not too busy yet! It was hot in that sun though.

Brazil

• Pão de Queijo: Brazilian Cheese Bread (GF) (V) (KA) – $4.25
• Moqueca: Brazilian Seafood Stew featuring Scallops, Shrimp and White Fish with Coconut-lime Sauce and Steamed Rice – $5.25

Last time we got this it was cold, waxy and gross. We didn't even eat the second one. However, everyone RAVES about these things, so I wanted to try again. Fortunately this time they were very fresh and delicious. I am glad we gave them another chance because they moved way up to the top of my list. I definitely feel like these are a must-do now. 8/10



I also remember the seafood stew being quite good. It's been long enough now that I'm going to struggle to remember specifics, but I know I don't normally love scallops, but I liked this preparation. I'd absolutely get this again! It was also nice and fresh. 7/10

Up next was my absolute favorite festival item!

Morocco

• Hummus Fries with Cucumber, Tomato, Onions and Tzatziki Sauce (V) – $5.00

GET IN MY BELLY! It was really hard for me to share with R, but I was nice and let him have some. They were perfectly crispy and spicy and the topping was portioned just right (sometimes they don't give you enough). It was PERFECTION. 10/10.

Next we headed to Japan

• Teriyaki Chicken Bun: Steamed bun filled with Chicken, Vegetables and a Sweet Teriyaki Sauce (KA) – $5.50
• Beef Nigiri topped with Shrimp Sauce and Diced Pickled Jalapeños (GF) – $5.95

I was surprised at how delicious this was. We don't liked the steamed bun things at China, but this little bun was delish! The filling was outstanding. I wish we'd gone back for this a second time, and I definitely hope it comes back next year. 9/10



The concept of beef nigiri is weird to me, but the flavor is there. It was really good! I think it needed two dollops of the jalepenos so each piece could have a good amount. 8/10

I guess that's all we managed for lunch because my next photos are at the front of the park for a little photo shoot! Had to get some photos for the gram, you know...




Got my hat from 999spyglass (on Etsy). She makes some really cute ones! Now you can get these at the parks too with different designs, so I guess Disney caught on that people like them. I still love my Orange Bird one too



I think he was telling me how silly it was to try to take a selfie with my camera when I have a perfectly good phone in my pocket (he ain't wrong)



I have two pictures of us like this from this year (one from our May trip), and I love them both

From what I remember, when we got to the bus stop, a bus had just pulled away. My feet hurt and I was tired, so R consented to get a Lyft back to the resort. I thought they picked up right there where the taxis are, but Mears has a contract for exclusivity in that spot. After some wandering, I finally got on track to find the pickup for ride-share.

The driver didn't know where it was though and came to the bus stops. I think he got chewed out by the taxi guys, but he was dropping someone off too, so apparently he just didn't know. He found his way over to us and we were off.

I believe we just rested in the room for a couple of hours. I regret now that I never went to the pool

Up next: Dinner back in Epcot

Pregnant brain is real! I'd like to say it gets better, but so far....

 

[sheriffwoody]

Our dinner for tonight was back in Epcot, so we headed that way after we were rested up. I don't recall how long the bus took, but it was consistently 20+ minutes, so I'm sure we went down there with plenty of time to spare just in case.

We arrived in Epcot and made our way back to the France pavilion.




The check-in girl was just plain unfriendly. When we got checked in, we sat on a bench right next to her and watched her be sour to every family that walked up. She needed some major happy juice



Clearly it was still hot...so sweaty.

We were seated right around our reservation time. It was quite loud inside, which I think I've seen other people comment on. Also, I was not that hungry, which was not ideal for a meal I knew would be heavy!



I thought the menu was cute.

Our server was friendlier than the hostess thankfully. He brought us some bread pretty quickly and I tried to only eat a little bit.



Why is it so hard to resist bread? This wasn't even that special!



Got my French Onion soup! This was what I came for. I would have been perfectly fine just eating this. It is SO FILLING. I couldn't even finish it, but I made sure and ate all the cheese



R started with some Lobster Bisque, which he liked ok.



A light for @Doc Disney Don't you love that you're the light fixture girl now?


R's entree

Boeuf Bourguignon, linguine - Beef braised in Cabernet with baby onions and carrots, served with linguine pasta

I don't remember him being over the moon about this, but he liked it. I think I tried it and liked it as well.



My main was Gratin de Macaroni (Macaroni Baked) - with cream and Gruyère cheese

I FREAKING LOVE GRUYERE. I knew this would be a hit, and it was. I couldn't eat even close to the whole bowl, so we took a lot back to the resort with us. But cold mac and cheese is good, so we knew we'd eat it.

After a very, very filling dinner, we headed back to the Lodge for the evening. Can you believe how little we did all day? I mean it was still before 8 oclock!




Wish I'd gotten a photo pass picture there during the day before we looked so disheveled.

Once we got back to the resort, R mentioned going down to Geyser Point, so we headed down there. We sat at the bar, but apparently you can sit at the tables and have a server and whatnot. We didn't want food, so the bar was a better option.



I got a lava smoothie, which is the Pina Colava without the alcohol.



This was R's first order. I tried a sip of most stuff he got this trip. I don't remember anything about this...but I think he liked it. We tend to like beers with hints of fruit. It can't be toooooo fruity, but just a hint we like.



No idea what this was, but it looks like it had some of the raspberry puree in it that was in my lava smoothie. I only got one of my drink because I'm fairly certain it was 100% sugar.

After our drinks at Geyser Point, I wanted to watch the fireworks from the balcony. I believe it was a MNSSHP night, so it was Hallowishes - my fav!



forgive my iphone photos, I must have been too lazy to get my camera.



I gotta say, I am a BIG fan of watching fireworks from the balcony. This was a perfect trip to have a view like this since we were back in the room before the fireworks almost every night.

Up next: AK day

 

[sheriffwoody]

Pregnant brain is real! I'd like to say it gets better, but so far....

Nope, it's just everyday life brain for me. I've always been this way. Thankfully it hasn't gotten worse with pregnancy! I think it's part of why I became a photographer. It's truly the best way for me to remember stuff.

 

[krisri18]

Nope, it's just everyday life brain for me. I've always been this way. Thankfully it hasn't gotten worse with pregnancy! I think it's part of why I became a photographer. It's truly the best way for me to remember stuff.

Visual aids are always helpful. Lol I've got about a thousand lists going right now.

 

[sheriffwoody]

The next morning, I was up with the sun.





Tried a panorama...didn't catch the sky color well though. It was so peaceful out that morning! I loved watching the monorail go by too. I read out there for a while before R finally got moving.

We got ready for the day and headed out to Animal Kingdom. I believe we arrived around 9 when the park opened.




We had a FP for Navi River Journey, so we went to Pandora first thing.



I still think this land is just so pretty!

I took a few photos as we made our way through the queue.






I didn't take any on the ride, I just took in the details. It's a really pretty ride! I still think it's kind of boring, but that doesn't mean it's not pretty




There wasn't much I could do in AK, unfortunately, but we decided to take advantage of the nice trails and wildlife viewing areas.

I think we went back to Africa first for the Gorilla Falls trail.






Pretending I'm on the safari now...




We watched the gorillas forever. They were gathering and eating and just chilling in their habitat.



Carrying branches with his neck Creative!

Up next: More exploration

 

[sheriffwoody]

Next we headed over to the Maharajah Jungle Trek. I really wanted to see the Festival of the Lion King, but R doesn't really like it (breaks my heart a little!) so I didn't make him go. We just went in May, so at least I saw it then.





Apparently I didn't take many pictures on the jungle trek. As we were leaving, we could hear this really loud sound. We figured out it was the monkeys hollering at each other! It was hilarious, and they were just going on and on! Then one of them would start jumping up and down while it was hollering. I don't know what they were on about, but it was fun to watch. I took a video, but I don't know where it is or how to put it on here.

We walked around the shops on the way out. We had a FP for It's Tough to Be a Bug, but I guess we decided not to do it. I don't know what our other FP was for, but we clearly didn't do that either.



Found a spirit jersey I like! I was going to add it to my Christmas list, but I can't find it online. I want one, but I cannot bring myself to spend that much money on one. That's the perfect thing for Christmas though!



Also saw this adorable Minnie mug with a little top on it. It's lucky R and I share a suitcase, since we usually don't have much room for souvenirs. Otherwise I'd probably buy way too much! I already spend too much on pins



A few more pictures on the way out. That's one of my shirts that I make, so I was making R take pictures for me to use as promotion




Can you guess where we went when we left AK at 10:30am?

Up next: More eating!

 

[sheriffwoody]

Of course we headed back to Epcot! It was Saturday though...so. You know what that means. HELLA CROWDS. If I remember right, the traffic just to get into Epcot was insanity. I'm glad we were on a bus, so once we finally made it to the bus lane, we had a clear path.

First stop was Mexico

• Short Rib Tostada: Corn Tortilla topped with Short Ribs, Black Beans, Salsa Verde and Spring Onion – $6.50

This was good, but nothing outstanding. The flavor was good, but they're always hard to eat. It was a solid choice though. 6/10

Next we hit Thailand

• Marinated Chicken with Peanut Sauce and Stir-fried Vegetables (KA) – $5.00
• Red Hot Spicy Thai Curry Beef with Steamed Rice – $5.50

Couldn't find a table to enjoy these, so we propped up on the railing. I believe both of these were good. I remember the peanut sauce being super peanut-y, so you really got to be in the mood for that. I think I liked the curry beef the best. Let's go 6/10 and 7/10 for these. I don't know why I'm doing ratings when I can barely remember eating this stuff

We went to India next, which I was really excited about!

• Korma Chicken with Cucumber Tomato Salad, Almonds, Cashews and Warm Naan Bread – $5.25
• Madras Red Curry with Roasted Cauliflower, Baby Carrots, Chickpeas and Basmati Rice (V) (GF) – $5.00
• Mango Lassi (Non-alcoholic) (KA) – $4.75

The Mango Lassi was PERFECT! I loved it. I was honestly thrilled to find any non-alcoholic versions of drinks I could enjoy. This was a great choice, 9/10. I saw someone say their mango was really sour, but thankfully mine was good. Mango isn't my fav fruit anyway, but in small bites I like it ok.



This was the Korma chicken dish, and it was delicious. Give me naan bread to soak up anything and I'll love it. 8/10



Can't remember a darn thing about this curry Oops.

Next we had to stop at the Refreshment Outpost for R's must-have.

• Spicy Hot Dog with Kimchi and Mustard Sauce – $6.75

While this was good, it wasn't as outstanding as years past. I think the kimchi was too cold, it was just a little offputting. But the taste was good! I just took a bite or two and let him enjoy this. We wish we could find those spicy hot dogs somewhere around here, they are so good.



ha, I'm sure he'd love me posting that one

Up next: Biggest transportation cluster-f EVER. And no pictures because I was so annoyed.

 

[sheriffwoody]

Ok, so R has a friend from high school who lives close-ish. They're a couple of hours away, but they decided to come up and spend the day at Magic Kingdom, so we made plans to go see them. It was kind of tough because we weren't sure if we should try to spend all day with them or if a few hours was ok? I still don't know what we should have done. They have two kids, so I figured they wanted to enjoy most of the day as a family. But anyway, all that to say...that's why we were headed to MK.

ALSO, we transferred hotels this day, so we had no room to go back to.

We headed to the monorail from Epcot and it was down. Ok that's a bummer, but what can ya do. So we headed to the buses. Apparently there aren't any busses to the Grand, which is where we were transferring to (I was going to check to see if the room was ready). The bus line to the TTC was crazy, so we decided to just go to Wilderness Lodge and get our bags to move over to GF (we'd left everything with bell services that morning).

Well after sitting at the bus stop for WL for over a half hour, we just went over to the TTC stop. Waited another 20ish minutes to get on a bus there, but we were finally on our way. Never did see a WL bus come Who's surprised? Not me.

So we get to the TTC and get to go through the lovely security line there which was crazy long.

Monorail line was super long so we headed to the ferry. Unfortunately it was pulling away as we were walking up. Well, back to the monorail we go! There must have only been one monorail on the line (maybe two?) because we waited forever for that too. We FINALLY got on a monorail to the Magic Kingdom and I thought I could cry from relief. Having to jump back and forth and not have a clear way to get where we were going was SO FRUSTRATING. I wish we'd just taken a Lyft from Epcot to the WL to begin with and gone from there, but alas, it's too late now.

So anyway! Here's more text heavy stuff because I took like no photos when we got to MK. I'll just bullet list the stuff we did:

• Went to Liberty Square to meet up with R's friend and his family
• Walked with them over to Philharmagic
• Sat next to a lady breastfeeding and the smell and sounds nearly killed me Guess I better get used to it. I'm super sensitive to sounds like that...they make me gag.
• R got cornered into talking to a young girl about Pokemon because of his hat. It was pretty funny
• Found a spot at Pinocchio Village Haus to sit and chat.
• Got myself a Mickey bar and R a bottled water while we chatted.
• After probably an hour, we headed to Pooh for a FP I'd made.

I think we only spent about 2 hours with R's friend. I think he felt bad, but I really think they were fine. His wife loves Disney, so we were just a good excuse for them to come and spend the day there. I didn't want to hinder them from riding things and getting their money's worth out of the tickets (they aren't APs)

After Pooh, I was just kind of done. I needed to rest. We still didn't have a room-text, but I was holding out hope our room was ready. It was pushing 4 at this point. I made R take some pictures of me in my shirt on the way out



This is what happened when I told him just to get the top (meaning, not my whole body...)



Better




This one turned out real stupid I am not great at this instagram photo thing.

On the way out, R had to use the bathroom and I shockingly didn't, so I took some pictures of all the pumpkins.







Of course standing here waiting for R, I heard someone say "Oh that's Walt and Minnie" and it took every ounce of restraint not to correct him.

I told R that and he was aghast..."It doesn't even look like Walt!"

We decided to take the boat back to WL to just relax. While we waited for the boat, I called the GF to see if we could get a room number and not have to go to the front desk. I wasn't even sure where we would go because we were staying in a villa, which is in a separate building. Anyway, on the phone, the lady said our room wasn't ready but she put me on hold and came back saying it was in the process of being cleaned. They gave me a $50 credit, which was nice. I wasn't even complaining, but I certainly wasn't turning down free money.

Once we got on the boat back to WL, we grabbed our bags and called a Lyft.



Goodbye, Lodge!



Hello, Villas!

I just realized I should share what our Lyfts cost. The one from Epcot to WL the day before was $8.91 before my discount ($4.96 with discount) and that included a $1 tip. From WL to GF Villas was on a Saturday so I didn't have my discount and it was $7.37 (including a $1 tip).

We also apparently took one that night we ate at Epcot, so from WL to Epcot was $9.72 before discount, $5.36 with the discount (and once again that includes the $1 tip that I always do). I guess this is why I didn't remember the bus situation that night

Ok so back to the Grand. The driver was able to drop us off at the Villas instead of the main building.



I was in love with this fountain!!

We were in room 1314, on the 3rd floor.








The room made up for the frustrations of the day! It was beautiful

Up next: Taking it easy

 

[sheriffwoody]

After we settled in our room, we were a little hungry. I looked on the app for reservations, but we couldn't settle on anything, so we just decided we'd explore the resort and get our dinner at Gasparilla Island Grill.

We headed out I believe around 6pm.





In restrospect, I wish we'd gone to the Poly for some nachos



For @blgauger



The resort is so beautiful. Even with the DVC building being separated from the main building, it didn't feel like too long of a walk.





That face

As you can see, I brought our water bottles with us to fill up. That was my strategy this trip, fill them up at all the food places with machines, so it was cold.

For dinner, I ordered the Artisanal Burger - 7 oz signature Burger, Bacon and Cheddar Cheese on a Brioche Bun served with French Fries



I think R got the same thing. It was a good burger! It really hit the spot, and before we left I grabbed a couple of cupcakes to take back to the room with us.

We looked around the main building a bit, and R picked up some libations.




It was a beautiful evening!

I had a little photo shoot with my cupcakes.





One was lemon (mine) and one was chocolate (R's) and that is all I remember. I think we both enjoyed them. I also am pretty sure we saved them for fireworks time. And guess what? We didn't leave the room again that night I told you I was tired! I think this was during the Dodgers/Brewers series, which we also watched the night before at Geyser Point. We were rooting against the Dodgers because they knocked the Braves out...and they suck. Anyway, we sat in bed and watched baseball until the fireworks.





It was the perfect spot! I loved our balcony so much. We had to chase a frog off one of the chairs that night...apparently we weren't the only ones who liked the balcony!

Up next: MK

 

[Swissmiss]

I kind of shook my head at your gratin au macaroni - I’m sure it was delicious because what’s not to like when it has gruyere cheese in it But with the variety and number of French cheeses that exist, they choose a Swiss one for the dish?!

 

[MotherofaPrincessLover]

Did you have a lake view room at GF?

 

[sheriffwoody]

I kind of shook my head at your gratin au macaroni - I’m sure it was delicious because what’s not to like when it has gruyere cheese in it But with the variety and number of French cheeses that exist, they choose a Swiss one for the dish?!

haha that didn't even occur to me!! But now that you mention it, that is super weird. Disney gets theming right a lot of the time, but sometimes they do miss the mark

 

[sheriffwoody]

Did you have a lake view room at GF?

Yep! We rented DVC points for this stay and splurged on the lake view.

 

[MotherofaPrincessLover]

Yep! We rented DVC points for this stay and splurged on the lake view.

I'm really hoping GF will have availability for my August trip when I get to my booking window. I don't think I have a chance of getting standard view but that lake view does look nice and I'm willing to splurge just this once.

 

[ELeigh]

Just caught up and loving your TR so far. Your Winnie the Pooh character pictures from MNSSHP are the cutest thing ever and the thee F&W pics are making me jealous

 

[fractal]

Loving the report and and the photos! Sorry about your transportation issues.

 

[sheriffwoody]

Up and at em early again




It was another beautiful morning reading on the balcony!

We were walking into Magic Kingdom by about 9am.




I think we rode Pirates first because I'd changed our FP for it and since it's R's fav, we needed to do it. I believe it was a walk-on at this point in the morning.



Covered my eyes so I wouldn't blinded by the flash!

We had an early lunch scheduled, but I was hungry so I wanted a snack. Of course I chose a huge snack because I'm a dummy...



Worth it! It was a smidge under-done, but still delicious.

I had R take a couple of pictures in my Country Bears shirt



I wish we'd gone back to watch the show later, but we never made it back R doesn't like it anyway

Next up we rode my favorite!



For some reason R wanted to ride the Carousel? I guess because it was something I could ride and we'd never done it together I tried getting a picture with not much success.



I'm ready to see it out of the scrim finally!

We headed under the sea next.




Tired already?! It's not even lunch time yet!

At this point our 11:15am reservation was close enough that we didn't want to ride anything else, so we headed to Main Street to wander.




Always from behind...I feel weird standing in the street to listen to them unless a crowd is gathered. Looks like there was a crowd in that picture, but I guess I decided to just stay put on the sidewalk.

After looking around, we headed to our lunch destination, which was a place I'd been dying to try!





We waited probably 10 minutes for our table, and we were seated in the main area, not the little room with all the windows.



I would totally hang this menu in my house as artwork! I wouldn't be surprised if you can buy it somewhere...maybe I should look.



Lunch view!!



R ordered a milkshake. I tasted it and it was good! I didn't get one though since I wasn't super hungry after the waffle. One thing I noted was that the server never mentioned refilling it. I think R would have taken a second one (they're supposed to be bottomless, right?) but since he knew he technically *shouldn't* have a second, he didn't ask.



I got the fried green tomato sandwich. I liked it, but I wasn't blown away by it. Certainly not for the price! My heavens this place is high. This sandwich and fries was a whopping $17, which seems high even for theme park standards. I'm glad we tried The Plaza, but the prices will probably keep us from going back unless they add some menu items that sound irresistible.

I believe R got the Rueben, which he enjoyed but also agreed was way overpriced. Both of these sandwiches are something you could pretty easily get locally, so it's not special enough to warrant a repeat. I think the highlight of eating here was definitely the atmosphere! We enjoyed having a sit-down meal in MK since we usually do quick service.

Up next: finishing up MK

 

[sheriffwoody]

After lunch we stopped by the purple wall



There was a cart in front of the patterned part of the wall. He was selling purple wall cotton candy He wasn't there when we can back by later, so maybe too many people asked him to move so they could take a picture.

We hopped on the PeopleMover so our lunches could settle.



He never smiles for me



So completely candid and natural



Aaaaand reality...when the ride swerves around a corner and I get worried thinking the camera is about to go overboard



Best views!





One of my pins. Wish I had a hand model

We rode Buzz next (pretty sure we had a FP)



Mad because I didn't get galactic hero. I never get it, so I always get off this ride mad I've only ever gotten it when the ride pauses.

That was about all we had time for in MK because I had some plans!

On the way out, I wanted a picture with the castle and saw a photographer with no one in line behind the family she was with. So we headed that way. By the time we actually reached her another family was in line, so we waited. Then when that family finished, the photographer proceeded to just stand there and chat with them. It was probably only 2-3 minutes, but considering how those lines usually move, it felt like forever. And the family was clearly trying to get away!! It's not like they were holding the photographer up, she was just being really chatty. By that time, there was a long line behind us, and I was annoyed so I just said forget it and we left. Who knows how long she stood there talking

Up next: relaxation

 

[Rista1313]

Up and at em early again




It was another beautiful morning reading on the balcony!

We were walking into Magic Kingdom by about 9am.




I think we rode Pirates first because I'd changed our FP for it and since it's R's fav, we needed to do it. I believe it was a walk-on at this point in the morning.



Covered my eyes so I wouldn't blinded by the flash!

We had an early lunch scheduled, but I was hungry so I wanted a snack. Of course I chose a huge snack because I'm a dummy...



Worth it! It was a smidge under-done, but still delicious.

I had R take a couple of pictures in my Country Bears shirt



I wish we'd gone back to watch the show later, but we never made it back R doesn't like it anyway

Next up we rode my favorite!



For some reason R wanted to ride the Carousel? I guess because it was something I could ride and we'd never done it together I tried getting a picture with not much success.



I'm ready to see it out of the scrim finally!

We headed under the sea next.




Tired already?! It's not even lunch time yet!

At this point our 11:15am reservation was close enough that we didn't want to ride anything else, so we headed to Main Street to wander.




Always from behind...I feel weird standing in the street to listen to them unless a crowd is gathered. Looks like there was a crowd in that picture, but I guess I decided to just stay put on the sidewalk.

After looking around, we headed to our lunch destination, which was a place I'd been dying to try!





We waited probably 10 minutes for our table, and we were seated in the main area, not the little room with all the windows.



I would totally hang this menu in my house as artwork! I wouldn't be surprised if you can buy it somewhere...maybe I should look.



Lunch view!!



R ordered a milkshake. I tasted it and it was good! I didn't get one though since I wasn't super hungry after the waffle. One thing I noted was that the server never mentioned refilling it. I think R would have taken a second one (they're supposed to be bottomless, right?) but since he knew he technically *shouldn't* have a second, he didn't ask.



I got the fried green tomato sandwich. I liked it, but I wasn't blown away by it. Certainly not for the price! My heavens this place is high. This sandwich and fries was a whopping $17, which seems high even for theme park standards. I'm glad we tried The Plaza, but the prices will probably keep us from going back unless they add some menu items that sound irresistible.

I believe R got the Rueben, which he enjoyed but also agreed was way overpriced. Both of these sandwiches are something you could pretty easily get locally, so it's not special enough to warrant a repeat. I think the highlight of eating here was definitely the atmosphere! We enjoyed having a sit-down meal in MK since we usually do quick service.

Up next: finishing up MK

That sandwich always confuses me. Why would they put a red tomato on a fried green tomato sandwich... seems like it would mess up the flavor of the green tomato!

 

[sheriffwoody]

A few weeks before the trip, I decided I wanted to treat myself to a massage since we were at the Grand. Senses offers a prenatal massage, so I booked it for this afternoon. We got back to the room and had a little time before my appointment. I felt bad for rushing us because we skipped doing Peter Pan so I wouldn't be late.

Our FP had been for first thing in the morning, but it was down so R had the anytime pass, and I had the non-inventory one I got when my FPs got deleted. Given that, I figured we could go back later and do it.

Anyway, it was finally time for my appointment, so I walked over.




I tried to be respectful of the rules and not take pictures. I just snapped that last one on the way out.

When I arrived and checked in, they took me to the waiting area/locker room thing. The main room has a bunch of chairs you sit in before and after your appointment. There are also lockers to store your stuff after you change into your robe and slippers (which they provide)

When I was getting ready for my appointment, there were quite a few people in that waiting area, and I kind of hated it. I was sitting there reading a magazine and some lady sat down beside me and started eating pretzels...in this mostly quiet room I got up and went to use the restroom just to get away (I really did have to pee...but right now I always have to pee.) When I came back I sat in a different spot I'm real subtle.

Anyway, it was finally my turn, so I went to my massage room.

The massage itself was nice! The therapist was really good about telling me exactly how to lay and where to place pillows when I was on my side. She worked on my neck/upper back, legs and feet while I was on my back (slightly inclined on the table). Then she had me lay on each side for more back and leg. It wasn't quite as relaxing as a regular massage, but still felt good. I kind of wish I'd asked her to spend more time on my feet because boy were they hurting after walking so much!

Anyway after my massage, I went back to the *blessedly empty* waiting area. I made myself some tea and sat for a bit before heading back. I took some tea bags with me since the DVC rooms don't get their supplies replenished Shhhh don't tell. Oh and chocolates. They gave me some chocolates

Well after I got back and hung out in the room a bit, I really wanted to go back to MK to ride Peter Pan. R agreed to it, thankfully. This would turn out to be our last time in MK



Got my castle picture! No drama this time.




You're so hilarious, man. Probably the first person to ever do that if I had to guess.



I always look so stupid in these



Tink joined us! Maybe she knew we came to see her!

We rode Peter Pan, then made a couple of detours for me to photograph my other two pins (for the gram!! )




I wanted a citrus swirl anyway, so this was the perfect excuse!

And that's all we did in MK! We said our goodbyes and headed to....where do you think?





Since I'd made a lunch ADR that day, we were winging it for dinner, and DUH we decided to go to Food & Wine.

First up was Hawaii

• Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour DOLE® Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise (KA) – $5.00
• Passion Fruit Cheesecake with Toasted Macadamia Nuts (V) – $4.00

I always love the pork slider! 8/10
The cheesecake was good, but not the best cheesecake at the festival. More on that later! 6/10

Also, R got drinks at a lot of these places, but I didn't photograph them all, so I don't recall what he had. Just know...he tried a lot

Up next was Almond Orchard

• Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Pulled Chicken, Toasted Blue Diamond Almonds and Parmesan Cheese served with Nut Thins® Crackers — $5.00
• Banana Almond Soft-serve Sundae with Fresh Berries and Chocolate Almond Streusel (KA) (V) — $4.50

That dip!!! Holy moly. I was not expecting it to be so good. I mean...it's artichoke dip, you have that at like every party, but this stuff was top notch. Needed a few more crackers (I'm a heavy dipper...) 9/10

Apparently they got behind on the smoothies because it took a while to get it, and there were several people waiting for one. Then when I finally got over to R with it, he informed me he didn't even want the smoothie! I thought he wanted that for some reason. Oh well...it's not my fav, but it was refreshing. 5/10

Next we went to New Zealand

• Lamb Meatball with Spicy Tomato Chutney – $5.50

This is R's thing, so I let him have it all. We walked with it because we wanted to go see Sister Hazel and it was starting soon. It was supposed to be Smash Mouth, but Steve Harwell was hospitalized a couple of days before and they had to cancel. We didn't mind seeing Sister Hazel though! I don't think R would have sat through Smash Mouth anyway



All I had was my phone, so no good pictures...oops. R got one of the beers from Block and Hans and we sat and enjoyed the concert. I don't know most of the songs they sang, but I knew a little.

After the show, I had an item I really wanted to try.

Hops & Barley

• New England Lobster Roll: Warm Lobster with Fresh Herb Mayonnaise and Griddled Roll – $8.00

Such an appetizing photo This was good! Not a must-do or anything, but quite tasty. R got a flight here too, but on a different day. I just remember it now. 7/10

Belgium

• Beer-braised Beef served with Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes — $5.25

Once again, this looks gross, but it was tasty! We sat outside Tangerine Cafe to eat it (it wasn't busy there at all). I also went in and got us waters. I did this a lot around World Showcase. We still ended up buying probably 5 waters during our trip, but getting water at the quick service places helped cut down on buying the $3.50 waters

I wanted to watch Illuminations since it had been announced that it was being replaced. We continued around World Showcase and stopped in Mexico for R to get his jalepeno margarita at La Cava. He had to wait a little bit, but not terrible. I sat on the fountain and just people-watched.

He came out with that margarita and it was RIDICULOUS. He's had them before, but this one was so spicy it made me cry when I just barely tasted it. I don't understand how he could have possibly enjoyed that thing. But he did! He sipped on it slowly. We found a spot near the Greece booth to just sit on a ledge and hang out. There weren't any spots close by that would be good to watch Illuminations, so when the time came, we just headed toward the exit of WS and I figured we'd stop on the way out and watch from afar.

We ended up standing near where the FP people go, so we were behind all of them but since it's elevated, it was actually a decent spot. No pictures though, since I just had my phone and I was enjoying the show. I'm glad we got to see it one last time!

With that, we headed back to the monorail and said goodnight.

Up next: Last day