Newsies' Pumpkin-Spiced Trip Report! - Our MNSSHP, MM August '19 Adventure! *DR link 1/27*

[ariane37]

I'm happy to report that I am nearly finished with undergrad! I have two more exams next week before I finish my degree. It feels so crazy to say that I'm almost done!

Congrats! What a great feeling!! Now more DIS time lol.

town historian Noah Lott

Oh cute I have never heard of him or met him so this is nice to know!

Everyone agreed, so I started refreshing the FP+ selections at Hollywood Studios-- and a Slinky Dog Dash FP+ opened up... for a window that ended in less than an hour!

Score and RUN Nice job and nice luck! We are always changing up our daily WDW plans and deciding day of to do things and I love when those spur of the moment decisions pan out.

 

[Newsies]

That is a great low-key (and productive!) start to the morning!

Wow, what great luck to get a Slinky Dog FP! Hopefully this was the start of a great HS day!

It was definitely a fun and welcome change to the normal rush to rope drop!

It was such a lucky find!! It was definitely the start of a lovely day!

Girl you are so dang close! You are going to CRUSH those exams and have that diploma in no time.

Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!

Okay I'm still 98% sure I'll never wear Crocs again but those are so freaking cute.

Oh Crocs are the new wave and I want 15 more pairs

I would pay real cash money to have been there for that.

IIIIIII would also pay real cash money to have had you there watching this interaction unfold!

Well if you wear your rose gold Crocs you'll be partway there?

You are not wrong.

Oh no, don't tell Noah.

*zippers my lips*

How adorable you all look on SDD, what a wonderful break for you all to get on that fun ride!!

Love the Crocs...so cute and I bet you look adorable with them on (I'm sure you coordinate your outfits with them, you always look so cute).

Congrats on the degree!! I couldn't wait to graduate then wished I could have stayed forever after I got out, but I was just 20 when I got my BS in a double major while working full time and for SOME reason thought real life would be easier oops....but you're headed to your Disney CP soon so that will be wonderful!!

Thank you so much for all of the kind words and compliments here! I very much appreciate the congratulations! I am so excited for my CP!

Be sure to let us know when you get to Disney for the CP!!

I will be there 2/1! I definitely will keep you all updated!

Congrats! What a great feeling!! Now more DIS time lol.

Thank you so much, and YES-- more importantly, more DIS time!!

Oh cute I have never heard of him or met him so this is nice to know!

He is seriously so much fun!!

Score and RUN Nice job and nice luck! We are always changing up our daily WDW plans and deciding day of to do things and I love when those spur of the moment decisions pan out.

That's EXACTLY what we did-- we ran!!! I seem to also get a lot of enjoyment out of switching things up day of, it's such a rush!

 

[Newsies]

Mini Life Update: 12/19

Hi friends! Another update is coming shortly, but first, another mini life update!

As you have probably been able to tell by my absence, school and life have been crazy. I was so blessed this semester with so many incredible opportunities and experiences to make my last semester truly one of the best. As you all know, things started off with a bang in September when I got accepted to the Disney College Program for Round Two... in my DREAM ROLE! I'm still reeling!

Less than a week later, I became Vice President of my sorority for the semester. Executive Board roles are year-long, and I had applied and failed to be on our sorority's E-Board twice in my 2.5 years in the sorority. But our President stepped down over the summer, so the VP became the President and there was a general election held to fill the office for the remainder of the 2019 E-Board. I never could have imagined myself as VP, but my chapter supported me through it and challenged me to become the leader I have always wanted to be. Being Vice President of Sigma Delta Tau was such an honor, and I'm so glad I got to leave this mark on my chapter before leaving. For a long time, I was really upset over the fact that I would be graduating a semester late because I did the DCP back in 2016. But if I hadn't had to take this extra semester, I wouldn't have been able to be on E-Board, and for that, I will always be grateful.

I had a lot of fun this semester soaking up what little time I had left in NYC. I had a lot of adventures with my amazing roomie, Emily. We went to the Glossier showroom. We saw Frozen on Broadway together. A few weeks ago, we saw Jimmy Fallon live! We high-fived him and one of the guests was Alanis Morrissette, who gave everyone in the audience free tickets to her Broadway show, Jagged Little Pill! We saw the show together two nights ago, which ended up being the last Broadway show I saw this semester.

Today, I packed up and moved out of my dorm for the last time. I can't believe my time at Pace is over. I've been writing TRs since the summer before my senior year of high school, so it really feels like I've shared my time at Pace here with you all from beginning to end. I have to be honest: I don't know what comes next for me after my time at Disney ends. But when I figure it out, I know that I'll share it with you guys here first.

I'm a whole degree hotter!




​

 

[Newsies]

An INCREDIBLE Afternoon
​

We decided we would go from Slinky Dog Dash to Alien Swirling Saucers. The posted stand-by wait time was 40 minutes, but it looked way shorter than that! We got in line but when we were halfway through it, the ride went down! It was 101 for about 20 minutes and they never dumped the queue, so we stuck it out and ended up waiting the full 40 minutes.

After Swirling Saucers, we wanted to do something indoors, so I brought them over to the Municiberg area so we could do an indoor character Meet & Greet: THE EDNA MODE EXPERIENCE! I don't know if I told you all this or not, but I was suuuper excited to meet Edna Mode this trip. It was one of the only things I really wanted to do.

We waited maybe 10 minutes to meet her.

When it was our turn to meet the fashion mogul, my family literally all stepped back so that I could meet her first. Naturally, I walked up to her and immediately started telling her about how she was my hero and icon.

​

She is SO fierce and fabulous and fun, everything you'd expect from the queen of fashion. Definitely pop by and give her a stop if you haven't met her yet!

At that point in the afternoon, the rest of the family really wanted to swim. I had a DCP Bestie Meet-Up in the mix, so I bid them adieu and headed towards PizzaRizzo, where I met up with my friend Emily!

Emily is currently doing her second DCP at Tony's Town Square Ristorante as a Seater. She was my apartment-mate during the DCP and the closest friend I made from that apartment. She'll be extending this Spring at the same location/role, so we'll see each other again soon!

When I told her I would be around, we knew we would have to meet up and thankfully, she was free for a day at DHS!

I got to PizzaRizzo and she got a pizza. We sat and chatted for almost an hour before we decided to head back out into the park. We had to walk by Galaxy's Edge and I was VERY jealous of all of the Passholders who were not Gold level and were subsequently at their Passholder Previews. Curse you for that one, Disney!

We went back to Municiberg so I could make two purchases. The first was Jack Jack's Cookie Num Nums, which I posted about being one of the snacks I was most looking forward to trying.

​

This was...

Horrible. It wasn't warm like I was expecting it to be, and it was rock hard. In some parts it was hollow? I don't know if you can see, but on the top right corner I accidentally grabbed the cookie a little too hard when I took it from the cashier and it crumbled, and it's like cookie Pangea all up over there. The top "shell" was really crunchy and not in a fun way, especially since I was under the impression that this would be a gooey, warm cookie. Personally, if a cookie is going to be crunchy, it needs to be thin for me. A crunchy cookie that's also thick is just not the way to my heart. I took about three bites of this, sadly.

I couldn't be sad for long, though! Because the next thing I bought was...

​

I was basically hyperventilating when I paid for it. As soon as this bucket made its debut at Pixar Pier last year, I started praying that they would bring him over the Toy Story Land. Lo and behold, he made the transfer! The little Santa Clause version of this popcorn bucket was one of the only souvenirs I wanted during my November trip and it was sold out resort-wide the entire time, which made me very sad.

"This is a big moment for her." Emily told the cashier.

"This is a big moment for me." I told the cashier.

And it truly was!

I went over to the PhotoPass CM in front of the Incredible wall artwork and asked for some photos taken in front of the purple bubble pop thing, but she like... didn't move... so they're at an angle:

​

Emily and I decided to get some character hunting done, so we went to One Man's Dream to get in line for Mike and Sulley. We ended up waiting, like, a really long time. I think we waited almost 45-50 minutes? It was pretty rough, but we spent the time gossipping about all things DCP, so it really wasn't that horrible. I was just happy to be with her!

I don't remember everything about the M&G. I'm pretty sure at one point the Character Attendant pointed to my popcorn bucket and was like "omg you can give Mike Wazowski one of those eyes!" or some banter along those lines. Anyway, we got a lot of hugs and then PhotoPass took exactly one photograph:

​

Things wrapped up and we headed to where Starring Rolls used to be and sat at one of the tables outside. We were waiting on one more friend to complete our DCP Bestie Reunion... can you guys guess who it was?

Coming up next: the most ANTICIPATED TRIP REPORT COLLAB of all time, starring Newsies and one of the most ICONIC DISers ever!

(Click here to read more!)​

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Being Vice President of Sigma Delta Tau was such an honor, and I'm so glad I got to leave this mark on my chapter before leaving

YES girl that's amazing! So proud of you!

I have to be honest: I don't know what comes next for me after my time at Disney ends.

I have to be honest: it will be something abso-freaking-lutely incredible.

We waited maybe 10 minutes to meet her.

Wow that's awesome!

my family literally all stepped back so that I could meet her first

Good job fam

so we'll see each other again soon!

Woohoo!

This was...

Horrible.

Oh. That's unfortunate.

and it's like cookie Pangea all up over there

but she like... didn't move... so they're at an angle:

But they're fierce so at least there's that.

can you guys guess who it was?

Is it a certain kween we all know and love??

 

[Newsies]

YES girl that's amazing! So proud of you!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

I have to be honest: it will be something abso-freaking-lutely incredible.

Real tears. Love you, couldn't do it without you.

Good job fam

They wanted this moment more than *I* wanted this moment

Woohoo!

YAY

Oh. That's unfortunate.

Sad times

But they're fierce so at least there's that.

Is it a certain kween we all know and love??

It COULD BE... you shall find out soon!!

 

[Newsies]

A FIERCE DCP Bestie Reunion
​

As you all probably could have guessed, the FIERCE DISboards friend we were waiting for was... TIMMY, @PlutosRHM55 !!!

​

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the fabulous and iconic friendship between Timmy and I: it all started on the DISboards Teen board while we were still in high school. We moved in similar "circles" on the Boards and soon became friends. Then we applied for the DCP together and moved to Disney for the first time in Fall 2016!!! We truly became Disney besties, visiting each others apartments (even when we lowkey were under curfew during hurricane Matthew... oops), having heart-to-hearts outside the Vista Way service center, having fun in Magic Kingdom together. I was lowkey more sad to leave him than to leave WDW. He then did the FABULOUS Summer Alumni DCP at Disneyland last summer, and started work again at WDW for the Fall Advantage 2019 Program! He made me super proud once again as he joined the opening team of SWGE as a lightsaber builder in the workshop! Soon enough we will once again be Cast Members, since he has accepted his extension into Spring 2020! I love him with all of my heart and can't wait to be fully reunited with him this Spring

We gave each other a huge hug as soon as we saw each other, then sat down and gossiped for another few minutes before we decided to head back to TSL. We wanted to a) eat and b) meet Bo Peep.

We got sidetracked, however, by the Star Wars launch bay! I was interested in meeting BB-8 and Kylo Ren, and the other two agreed, so we got some more character pics.

We met BB-8 first, since he had a 5-minute wait.

​

He was a cutie pie! Timmy bonded with the CMs in there because he works on Batuu, so they had some form of Star Wars CM banter going on for a little while. I love BB-8's little beeps. He truly is the most pure bean.

Kylo Ren also had a really short wait time, and we almost walked up to him. I had never met him before, but I heard he was intimidating.

Obligatory comment about how much I loathe the photo boxes.

​

I really am trying my hardest not to laugh in spite of how awkward it felt as he circled us like some vulture, talking about the dark side of the force or whatever adam driver does in that movie. Very odd, very scary fellow.

​

We all left feeling a little bit uneasy.

Anyway!

We then proceeded to actually go to TSL. We all could have used a snack, and Timmy really wanted me to try the Totchos this trip, so I used a QS Credit for an order of Totchos for the three of us to share at Woody's Lunchbox.

​

When Timmy told me I had to try these, I was honestly a little unsure. They sounded a little funky, especially since we were in the middle of a really hot day. However! I ended up very much enjoying these. If you are a nacho person, you will surely enjoy Totchos. They are tater tots with chili, corn chips, cheese, sour cream, and green onions. They were very good. The corn chips really add another dimension to them. The three of us happily enjoyed them together as we gossipped.

We went to check out the line for Bo Peep and Woody, but it exceeded an hour and I was getting ready to head back to the room. I definitely felt like I needed to wash up before dinner that evening!

We went back to the front of the park and looked around the shops for a split second. Timmy had a present for me that made me cry and we took photos together:

​

The buttons say "DCP BESTIE REUNION," because we are DCP Besties and he is an angel and I cried

We made our way back to the main Boulevard and got pics with the three of us!

​

Before we parted, we stopped at Trolley Car Cafe so that we could grab ice water and I could grab my favorite DHS treat, the Carrot Cake Cookie!

​

Okay, so here's the tea: I just don't think this cookie is as good as it was before it got its little "makeover." The previous version was about three times bigger, the cake really was more cookie-like and thin, and there was a lot more of that gorgeous cream cheese icing in the middle. However! It is still a delicious treat and I get one every time I leave Studios. During my Program, this was my breakfast of choice at DHS.

We hugged each other, said our sad goodbyes, and then I made my way back to the bus stop. It was such an amazing afternoon and I'm so grateful I got to spend it with my two best Disney friends! They are honestly so important to me and I can't wait to make many, many more memories with them this Spring!

I waited about 15 minutes for a bus, but one came along soon enough and I was on my way back to the Grand Floridian.

(Click here to read more!)​

 

[disneyAndi14]

Congrats on college graduation that is awesome

Looks like a really fun time in DHS with your DCP best friends!

When do you start your DCP? We will be down in January and March.

 

[Newsies]

Congrats on college graduation that is awesome

Thank you so very much!!

Looks like a really fun time in DHS with your DCP best friends!

We had an amazing day together!

When do you start your DCP? We will be down in January and March.

I start February 3, so I will see you in March!

 

[Djjsperry]

I just caught up, I feel like I know you and will definitely keep my eyes open during my May visit. Hope to say hi

 

[Newsies]

I just caught up, I feel like I know you and will definitely keep my eyes open during my May visit. Hope to say hi

Thank you so, so much for following along! Please do let me know when your trip date is-- I'll be able to update you with where I'll be closer to your trip!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

the FIERCE DISboards friend we were waiting for was... TIMMY, @PlutosRHM55 !!!

Nailed it.

We wanted to a) eat and b) meet Bo Peep.

I read this to quickly and what I saw was 'we wanted to eat Bo Peep'

or whatever adam driver does in that movie

He just feels stuff. Like emotionally.

try the Totchos this trip

Oh how I yearn for the totchos

Timmy had a present for me that made me cry and we took photos together:

THE most precious!

What an amazing reunion afternoon!!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Looking forward to writing my own update about this day and how I snuck around backstage to a) get my MNSSHP ticket and b) come from the direction you'd least expect me to come from with a big ole "BRIGHT SUNS" for ya.

Also that Kylo meet was iconic and I totally forgot how close he got to me during that meet. I still giggle at your very un-DISerly description of the Kylo Ren Encounter M&G.

Memo to us to go meet Bo Peep and Woody when you get here. It needs to happen. Also, why you gotta make me wait until February? I'm still annoyed but I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE TRUE DCP BESTIES COME BACK HECK YEAHHH

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Exchanging rose-gold glitter crocs on Main Street, USA and stopping for donuts and coffee at the Contemporary... can't EVERY errands run look like this?

I would definitely not procrastinate errands so much if they looked like this!

Everyone agreed, so I started refreshing the FP+ selections at Hollywood Studios-- and a Slinky Dog Dash FP+ opened up... for a window that ended in less than an hour!

Ah awesome and panic at the same time lol.

A few weeks ago, we saw Jimmy Fallon live! We high-fived him and one of the guests was Alanis Morrissette, who gave everyone in the audience free tickets to her Broadway show, Jagged Little Pill! We saw the show together two nights ago, which ended up being the last Broadway show I saw this semester.

Oo wow that's really cool!

Congrats!! And this is adorable!

I went over to the PhotoPass CM in front of the Incredible wall artwork and asked for some photos taken in front of the purple bubble pop thing, but she like... didn't move... so they're at an angle:

How odd. Why wouldn't she move?? But the pictures are still cute.

 

[Newsies]

Nailed it.

I read this to quickly and what I saw was 'we wanted to eat Bo Peep'

He just feels stuff. Like emotionally.

Oh how I yearn for the totchos

THE most precious!

What an amazing reunion afternoon!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS YOU BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING TOTCHO YEARNER!!!!!!!!! HOPE YOUR DAY IS MAGICAL AND ILY

Looking forward to writing my own update about this day and how I snuck around backstage to a) get my MNSSHP ticket and b) come from the direction you'd least expect me to come from with a big ole "BRIGHT SUNS" for ya.

YES!!! Give us the update, king!!!

Also that Kylo meet was iconic and I totally forgot how close he got to me during that meet. I still giggle at your very un-DISerly description of the Kylo Ren Encounter M&G.

I'm laughing a little too hard at my kitchen table rn because this made me remember what I actually said that day. SCREAMING can't wait to do this with you again this spring!!

Memo to us to go meet Bo Peep and Woody when you get here. It needs to happen. Also, why you gotta make me wait until February? I'm still annoyed but I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE TRUE DCP BESTIES COME BACK HECK YEAHHH

YESSSS LETS MEET OUR CINCHED QUEEN TOGETHER!!! LOVE YOU AND CANT WAIT TO SEE YOU THIS FEBRUARY. Sending you lots of love and light today... I know this is a hard day on the Program but I love you immensely and can't wait to be with you again!!

I would definitely not procrastinate errands so much if they looked like this!

Same!!!

Ah awesome and panic at the same time lol.

That classic Disney last-minute-FP+-snag feeling!

Oo wow that's really cool!

It was such an incredible experience from start to finish!

Congrats!! And this is adorable!

Thank you so, so much!!

How odd. Why wouldn't she move?? But the pictures are still cute.

Honestly... I can't lie, I had those days as a Cast Member in the August heat!!

 

[Newsies]

"You're Correct."
​

I made it back to my room without incident and took a shower while the rest of the family was on a run to Gasparilla Grill for some soda. By the time I finished, they had returned, and were subsequently eating popcorn out of my alien bucket, which Timmy, Emily and I decided to name "Keightleaux," pronounced Kait-Lo, a combination of Kaitlyn and Kylo (Ren). Keightleaux, mom, Grace and I sat outside on the balcony while dad got ready for dinner.

Eventually, it was time for us to get a move on! We were going to be dining at Storybook Dining with Snow White at Artist Point, which was the ADR we were most looking forward to on this trip. Dad loves Grumpy and had to meet him, and everyone has been talking about how good the food was. We left our resort around 7, made it to the Magic Kingdom, and hopped on a boat to the Wilderness Lodge. We ended up with a singing boat pilot? He sang the whole way through? He sang "My Girl," "Bella Notte," and "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes." Gotta love that good old-fashioned boat pilot entertainment! Also, I took a picture of the Grand Floridian while we were on the boat, which I guess is kind of pretty.

​

We got to the Wilderness Lodge at 7:30ish, so just under an hour until our ADR time. We made our way over to Geyser Point Bar & Grille for some pre-dinner cocktails, stopping only once or twice to get some photos of the beautiful pacific northwest scenery.

​

Mom and dad opted for a standard cranberry vodka, but I decided to try the Cascadia Sangria Cocktail. This bar wasn't on my list until a few DISers talked about this drink in their TRs, so I definitely wanted to give it a try while we were there. As you can see, the bar menu has a few cocktails exclusive to the bar and they serve the other Disney bar staple drinks here, too, like the pina colava and captain's mai tai.

The Cascadia Sangria Cocktail is made with Zodiac Black Cherry Vodka, fresh lime juice, orange juice, and merlot. And isn't it a beauty!

​

I'm not one to mix red wine in a cocktail, but when this was all stirred up together, it had really nice dimension to it and I think the Merlot mixed really well with the black cherry vodka. It's a unique flavor profile for sure, definitely something I would order again!

We fell in love with Geyser Point immediately. We loved the waterside lounge chairs, especially as the sun was setting. Dad made a friend, of course! There was one other family sitting down, so dad naturally immediately struck up a conversation with the other dad. They started talking about Universal Resort, but then they started talking about trucks, and then they started talking about New Jersey, because wouldn't you know it-- this family was also from NJ! It turns out that this man owned an auto shop or something near us, and he gave dad a discount to come in and get his tires changed. What a story!!!

We will be back to Geyser Point eventually.

Soon we had to make our way over to Artist Point to check in for dinner!

​

I don't think I'm alone when I say that this is truly one of the most stunning resorts on property. It is so immersive in its theming and crafted so beautifully, with no detail overlooked. Our only concern with booking BRV is that the Studios and One-Bedroom Villas all sleep four, and at this point, we really need that trundle bed that makes it a "sleeps five" situation, since Grace and I can't sleep comfortably on a sofa bed together.

We checked in at our designated ADR time and waited about 10 minutes in the lobby before we were brought to our table.

​

We were tucked away into a corner, so we couldn't see all of it, but we really liked what we saw in the redesign of the restaurant. The enchanted forest vibes are everywhere here!

While I loved the soft blue lighting in our area, my camera did not, so all of these photos are out of focus. Please excuse my photography here.

​

The napkins are wrapped with an apple autograph card from all of the characters that you are free to take home and enjoy!

​

Our waitress came along shortly to take our order. Our waitress this evening was a lovely girl who was obviously under an immense amount of stress from the get-go. Dinner service was supposed to be wrapping up, but the restaurant still seemed packed, especially with a party of 20 right next to us who was extremely loud and obviously not going anywhere soon. We could tell she wanted to give us the best service she possibly could, but she absolutely had a quota to make within the hour that a manager was pressuring her to meet.

Mom, dad, and I all ordered the same cocktail, the Enchanted Apple with Skyy citrus vodka, DeKuyper Pucker Sour Apple, and White Cranberry Juice.

​

Everybody at the table thought this was really great! It wasn't anything super new or exciting, but it was still a tasty appletini with a great sour apple taste to it. The cinnamon sugar ring was really fun!

Our appetizers were brought out to us quickly, where we also had our orders taken.

​

The Hunters Terrine: chicken black truffle, stone fruit preserves, house-made pickles. I was not adventurous enough to try the chicken sausage, but dad said it was good. I tried a house-made pickle and one of the crackers, they were both just okay.

Mushroom bisque: mushroom bisque with a tempura-fried mushroom dipper! When I heard that the mushroom bisque was replacing the squash bisque, I was the only person in my family who was excited about it. I know that Artist Point previously served a mushroom soup that was famous in some regard, so I wanted to try it. Plus, I love mushrooms.

This soup could not have been plated any cuter! The little cauldrons were so adorable, it was kind of ridiculous. And the tempura mushroom... SO GOOD, omg, I'm still drooling over it. But the soup... was not hot. It was lukewarm, like it had been sitting out for some time, and that was disappointing. The taste was fine, but it would have been a lot better if it was warmer.

Wicked shrimp cocktail: a shrimp cocktail with greens and a chili sauce of sorts. I don't eat shrimp cocktail, but mom said it was very good.

Dinner comes out to us maybe 10 minutes after the appetizers have been set, which is alarming, especially because we haven't seen any characters yet.

For dinner, dad ordered the gnocchi while the rest of us ordered the royal prime rib roast.

​

The royal prime rib roast came with a nice cut of prime rib, horseradish mashed potatoes, arugala, a popover, and au jus.

This came out lukewarm, borderline cold. I could tell it had been sitting under a lamp for a while, because that little exposed part of the mashed potatoes over there had a thin film of "crust" on the top of it. It was too cold to enjoy the prime rib, which was a really nice cut when all was said and done, and the mashed potatoes had a nice "tang" to them because of the horseradish, and the popover was fluffy and airy. Unfortunately, the temperature ruined the dish. Our waitress was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, so I didn't bother to say anything at the time because other parties were giving her issues. I ate what I could of it. Grace reported a similar problem, but mom said hers was "fine."

When our waitress returned, dopey and grumpy had just gone to check on the other dwarves, so I was getting extremely concerned. As politely as I could, I let her know that we hadn't seen any characters yet, and she was great about it. She was like, "Oh I know, don't worry, it's a crazy evening in the forest but I promise you guys are going to meet everyone, I appreciate you being patient, etc. I'll bring out the desserts."

Sure enough, before the desserts are brought out, Snow White stops by!

​

I don't remember this interaction that well, but I told her that I loved the meal and was excited to try the gooseberry pie.

Our desserts are then brought out, and our waitress apologizes again for the delay with Grumpy and Dopey, who haven't been to our side of the restaurant since we were seated.

​

Gooseberry Pie: gooseberry filling with meringue on top. So tart and delicious!

"Poison" apple: dark chocolate apple mousse, sour center. This was a favorite at the table! I can't remember what the middle was, but the mousse was so rich and yummy.

Miner's treasure: Sponge cake, chocolate gems, berry panna cotta, whipped cream, white chocolate dopey cap. This was my personal favorite! The panna cotta was a nice compliment to the sponge cake crumbles. All in all, dessert was delightful.

About two hours after we finally sat down, the Dwarfs finally start meeting guests on our side. Dopey and Grumpy are meeting people in quick succession at this point, and about 10 minutes after we finish with our dessert, Dopey comes along. Remember that party of 20 next to us? They take about 500 pictures with him, with every combination of family member possible. It takes about 15 minutes. Whatever, that's fine enough.

There's a Character Attendant following Dopey and she allows this interaction to occur, tensely checking her watch every 30 seconds or so, not saying anything to the family. Again, fine. Then it's time for Dopey to walk over to us, and as soon as he arrives at the table, the Attendant LITERALLY takes the phone out of my hand and says, "Okay, family photo! I'll take it. Family photo, quick!" and yanks him to the next family.



I am not going to attach the Dopey photo because you can see through my smile that I am visibly shocked and angered by what was happening, but I'm not gonna say anything else about what transpired because soon enough, I will be that Attendant in whatever unfortunate circumstances will befall me where I have to act like this. Still, for those who are following for the review: this is something that definitely occurred after waiting two hours from the time we sat down at the table to meet two characters.

I didn't let it discourage me because Grumpy was coming up soon enough, no Attendant in sight, and I was really excited for dad to meet him. It was a great interaction and definitely worth waiting for! I began our conversation by telling him that it really wasn't fair that the Seven Dwarfs' Mine Train was called the "Seven Dwarfs' Mine Train" because while other Dwarfs were sleeping, and sneezing, and singing, and dancing, Grumpy was the only one who was doing any real work! He agreed and we took a picture with Grace.

​

Then it was Dad's turn to say hi! "I bow to your Grumpiness!" were his exact choice words in this major life moment.

​

All in all, that was the moment we had waited for the entire trip and I was really happy we got to experience it. We booked this meal mostly so dad could meet Grumpy, so the silver lining to this fiasco was that he was able to meet his idol.

We paid the check and simultaneously got to experience The Huntsman's Gift, which is a box filled with dry ice, chocolate ganache hearts, and caramel popcorn. I took a bite of a chocolate ganache heart to make sure I'm not missing anything and then we take a laminated card that says "it's time to meet the queen" or whatever and meet The Queen.

​

Mom and dad decide they're not going to meet The Queen, so it's just Grace and I for the interaction. She is so in character, and doesn't say three words to anyone in front of us for the entirety of their greets, she just stands there and scowls.

"Your highness, you are truly the most beautiful Queen of all," I told her.

"You're correct." She said.

​

So that was Storybook Dining.

Wow, I don't think I have ever written a dining review this long in my entire life! Anyway, our experience was a fiasco and there's just no sugar coating it. Almost none of the food was served at the right temperature, we were in there for almost three hours, we were rushed through a character interaction that we waited an hour post-dinner to see. It was rough. I don't want to tell you all not to go, because I think on a better night, at the beginning of the dinner service, your experience will probably be much better. But we will not be back.

The rest of the night was quite lovely!

We decided to stop at Roaring Fork to use up some snack credits. Dad wanted the Campfire Cupcake, so we grabbed one of those, a donut with Fruity Pebbles, and a magic cookie bar. We got back on the boat to MK and while dad went right back to the GF, mom, Grace and I decided to have fun with Evening EMH at Magic. There was only about an hour or so left, but it was a slow night. We went on Dumbo, Under the Sea - Journey of The Little Mermaid, and Winnie the Pooh, then headed back to the front of the park. We stopped at the Emporium because Grace wanted to buy the candy corn Spirit Jersey. I said I wasn't going to buy that Jersey this trip... but once we got in the Emporium, FOMO got the best of me and I snagged one for myself, too! Then we headed back out and towards the Grand Floridian for a good night's sleep.

(Click here to continue!)​

 

[dolewhipdreams]

We ended up with a singing boat pilot? He sang the whole way through? He sang "My Girl," "Bella Notte," and "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes." Gotta love that good old-fashioned boat pilot entertainment!

Way to go boat pilots! We need more singing boat pilots in the world.

I once had a tram driver who did character impersonations. It was a wild time.

which I guess is kind of pretty.

Eh, if elegant sophistication is you're thing I guess

We fell in love with Geyser Point immediately. We loved the waterside lounge chairs, especially as the sun was setting.

I'm so excited to finally spend some time here! Everyone raves about it but we didn't have time to visit last trip.

The napkins are wrapped with an apple autograph card from all of the characters that you are free to take home and enjoy!

Well that's adorable! You can hang it next to your Dopey picture! Oh wait..

Sorry, too soon?

I am not going to attach the Dopey photo because you can see through my smile that I am visibly shocked and angered by what was happening, but I'm not gonna say anything else about what transpired because soon enough, I will be that Attendant in whatever unfortunate circumstances will befall me where I have to act like this. Still, for those who are following for the review: this is something that definitely occurred after waiting two hours from the time we sat down at the table to meet two characters.

That's such a bummer. Bummer doesn't even cover it. That's such a drag. No, drag doesn't even cover it. And now I'm out of words.

But for real, how graceful of you to realize that there's so much more going on than just what's happening at your table. You are beauty, you are grace. And I hope that as an attendant you have more interactions with gracious people than obnoxious ones. You are going to do so great, though, even when the human spitwads come at you.

by telling him that it really wasn't fair that the Seven Dwarfs' Mine Train was called the "Seven Dwarfs' Mine Train" because while other Dwarfs were sleeping, and sneezing, and singing, and dancing, Grumpy was the only one who was doing any real work!

Wow, so true. How have I never thought of this? The injustice! No wonder he's grumpy.

Then it was Dad's turn to say hi! "I bow to your Grumpiness!" were his exact choice words in this major life moment.

Your dad looks overcome with emotion (which it sounds like he actually was). What an icon.

 

[dwonderz]

Just got all caught up - CONGRATS on graduating!!

SO jealous of the Edna meet and greet - she is truly an icon! I so wish they were still doing this one when we go in February! She is my Queen!

Sorry about the Artist Point interaction - you have far more compassion and empathy in that situation than I think I would have ... I think my NY accent might have come out a bit and my Grumpy would have been showing

Sounds like a nice end to the evening over at MK!

 

[Newsies]

Way to go boat pilots! We need more singing boat pilots in the world.

I once had a tram driver who did character impersonations. It was a wild time.

Honestly, transportation CMs who go the extra mile to make things fun are UNSUNG HEROS from bus drivers to boat pilots to monorail pilots to tram drivers to some guy who gives you a ride on his golf cart when you're walking around your resort.

Eh, if elegant sophistication is you're thing I guess

Yeah. You know. Turn-of-the-century Victorian influence with smartly placed New York coastal references to re-manufacture the nostalgia of the era. Casual stuff... meh.

I'm so excited to finally spend some time here! Everyone raves about it but we didn't have time to visit last trip.

You are going to love it! It is such a cozy bar!!

Well that's adorable! You can hang it next to your Dopey picture! Oh wait..

Sorry, too soon?

LOOOOOOOOOOL

That's such a bummer. Bummer doesn't even cover it. That's such a drag. No, drag doesn't even cover it. And now I'm out of words.

But for real, how graceful of you to realize that there's so much more going on than just what's happening at your table. You are beauty, you are grace. And I hope that as an attendant you have more interactions with gracious people than obnoxious ones. You are going to do so great, though, even when the human spitwads come at you.

Honestly, I think what kept me under control was the fact that I was the only person at the table who seemed to notice the situation from start to finish. If my mom had been like "well that was rude," I probably would have lost it and asked our waitress if I could speak to the Attendant Captain. Since nobody else saw it, I made like Elsa and let it go. But I sincerely appreciate being called beauty and grace and would like to add that you are additionally also beauty and grace!

Wow, so true. How have I never thought of this? The injustice! No wonder he's grumpy.

YES!! Justice for Grumpy 2020!!!!

Your dad looks overcome with emotion (which it sounds like he actually was). What an icon.

He was SO excited to meet Grumpy, it made everything about this meal worth it!!! We have to stan!!!

Just got all caught up - CONGRATS on graduating!!

Thank you so very much, I truly appreciate it!!

SO jealous of the Edna meet and greet - she is truly an icon! I so wish they were still doing this one when we go in February! She is my Queen!

Sorry about the Artist Point interaction - you have far more compassion and empathy in that situation than I think I would have ... I think my NY accent might have come out a bit and my Grumpy would have been showing

It ended up being fine, dad's interaction with Grumpy made up for it! But the Jersey Gal accent definitely almost came out to play!!!

Sounds like a nice end to the evening over at MK!

It was a really nice way to end the night!

 

[lvcourtneyy]

I keep reading so many positive things about Geyser point! I need to get there!!

Ugh I'm sorry to read about your Storybook dining experience since I know you guys were looking forward to it so much!

I had a miserable experience in February this year that made me say I would never go back ever but I was with coworkers and Mike wanted to experience it. That, combined with the menu change, made me give in to going back on our Fall trip and we had an amazing time. It sucks for it to be so hit or miss though especially since it's an expensive meal if you're paying OOP.