How Do I Love Thee, WDW...COMPLETE- 3/8/2018-Post 157&158-So Long, Farewell, Sanaasee You Later!

Your pictures of POFQ's grounds and lobby are making me homesick . Sorry about your Aunt she sounds like an amazing woman.
 
The Ahi Tuna nachos look INCREDIBLE! Love your photos, especially of all of the little design details around the restaurant! :)
 
Just read your whole report. So many things I want to comment about, but I need to get my day started, so I'll just give my condolences on the loss of your aunt. She looks and sounds like a wonderful woman. That must run in the family because you're pretty wonderful too.

I'm subscribing to this thread so I can read it as you post it. :)
 
Hey everyone! Sorry it's taken me so long to update. My father-in-law did pass away a few weeks ago, and it's been really hard to find the time to read any reports, as well as update mine. I finally had been working on my update for the last three days, and finished it a few minutes ago, but somehow it has completely disappeared, even when it indicated that the draft was saved, and I just don't have it in me to write it all out again, as well as posting all the pics. I've already spent hours on it, only to have it be gone. I'm so sorry.
 


Sorry to hear about your father in law. My thoughts are with you and your family
 
Just read your report, thank you so much for sharing with us all. I am so very sorry about your father in law, blessings to your family.
 


Day 5, November 2, 2016- We Traveled Far! Part 1
F&W Festival

When I was in a sad, frustrated & depressing funk, I came here and boldly stated my DR was over. I lied. After catching up on & finishing Kari's @kastoney DR last night, her fun report inspired me to get back here & finish! I've already told you about my anal perfectionist personality, lol. I hate leaving things undone! Between my FIL passing away, all our other family responsibilities, including taking care of my 83 year old mom who still insists on living in her home that she can no longer take care of, visiting my 27 year old nephew who is living in a long term care facility due to an anoxic brain injury, babysitting the little grandkids while their parents work, and now, believe it or not, my MIL had to be rushed to the ER two days ago due to her congestive heart failure worsening, I feel completely overwhelmed at times. My poor husband. I don't know how he does it, between work, and all the family crisis one after the other. He's really really going to need our upcoming WDW trip. He texts me every day from work asking how many days? I send him a screenshot of our countdown to keep him going! MIL is doing pretty good though, and hopefully will be discharged in the next day or two.

So, back to the report! Today is day 5, and we're heading back to Epcot for more F&W food! Yay!!! I love Epcot! It's my favorite park on the days when Animal Kingdom isn't my favorite park! I'm assuming we had breakfast in the room this morning, me one of my Weight Watchers shakes, and DH a yogurt or something deliciously like that :scared: as I have no food pics from that morning. According to photo time stamps, we arrived in Epcot around noon. From the progression of my pics, we entered World Showcase to our right, as my very fav country, Canada, was up first. Do you tend to walk to one side first the majority of the time? We do, usually always to the right.

Isn't this just a glorious sight to see? I take the same pics every trip, because I just can't get enough of this beautiful scenery!
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When one is in Canada during the F&W festival, what does one get? Why the famously famous Le Cellier Filet Mignon, of course! This was good, but not as good as we've had in the past. Wasn't quite as tender as I remember, and for the price, I thought the portion was pretty stingy. Never the less, we still got a taste of what we were craving without spending the really big bucks of eating inside and getting the full portion of the filet. Le Cellier was always a must do on trips that we were on the dining plan, but since they went to two table service credits we've cut it out of our rotation. If we do eat there, we pay cash and use our TIW card for the discount. I love the atmosphere, but the last time we had dinner there it seemed so cramped, and LOUD! Not to mention by the time you add sides, it gets to be a pretty expensive meal.
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Look at this little measly piece of beef, for $7.75! It looks bigger than it was!
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We meandered along to another of my favorite countries, the UK! I love the shops in the UK, don't you? One of these days I'm buying one of those cashmere scarfs! For some reason, I must buy tea when I'm in the tea shop. Why? I can get the same teas at home, and I don't even drink tea, unless I'm sick! It's a strange phenomenon.
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DH was still pretty hungry, because, you know yogurt and a teeny piece of beef that we shared, so I graciously suggested he stop at the fish & chips shop, even though I can't eat them due to my gluten intolerance. I'm such a nice wife, lol. I did steal some of his nicely salted & crispy chips though, as since I don't have celiac disease, cross contamination in the fryers doesn't affect me. We also shared a diet Coke. Total cost, $15.21 with tax. Fish & chips were $10.99, and the diet coke was $3.29. Darn, they get you with those drinks, don't they? That's why I always carry two bottles of water each for us in my back pack, that we order from Garden Grocer. Well, truth be told, DH carries my Disney Vera Bradley backpack for me, because those water bottles are heavy, not to mention umbrellas, ponchos, sunscreen, and everything else I stuff in there! Hey, a girl has to be prepared for all situations, lol! He's such a nice husband! Did you know we pay tax on the regular food stands & restaurants at WDW, but not on the food "booths" for the festivals? Why? I have no idea. Doesn't seem legit to me.

Image courtesy of Disney Food Blog
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Golden crispy outside with tender flaky white fish inside! So jealous I can't eat these. I'll have to make a special trip to Raglan Road where you can get a gluten free version that I hear is delicious!
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Onward to France! I love France, also. Really, I love all the countries, some slightly more than others though. I adore the "Impressions de France" movie. Seriously adore it. I even have the prelude music as my ringtone I love it so much. I'm going to be so sad if this is removed to make room for the new Remy attraction coming.
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Please don't ban me from the group due to the fact that I've never had one of the famous France frozen alcoholic slushes. Please don't shun me @ariane37 , lol! I know how you love these!
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We had the boeuf bourguignon for the first time at the previous year's F&W festival, and O.M.G. I was in LOVE!!! I'm not a huge meat eater, I prefer seafood & veggies, and I absolutely hate any fat of any kind, so that leaves a lot of beef out for me, and forget pork belly, I can't even look at that, but this was so delicious. It literally melted in your mouth. I could have eaten about ten of these. So of course, I had to have it on this trip. DH also wanted the escargots. These were buried in a croissant slathered with a not so appetizing looking greenish garlic & parsley sauce, & I had to pick a few escargot free of the not so flaky or buttery looking croissant. Maybe this was a bad angle, but neither of these look too good, do they? The "boeuf" was good, but not as good as I had built it up in my memory, and the mashed potatoes were mashed potatoes. Bummer. I think the escargot would have been better in a nice olive oil & butter garlic sauce, but hey, I'm not the chef. They were tender and not chewy in the least. Total price here $12, no tax. A pretty decent sized bite for the price.
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So on our previous trip in the spring, for the Flower & Garden Festival, I had for the first time a macaron ice cream sandwich from L'Artisan des Glaces. For me this was another O.M.G. First off, macarons are gluten free. Yes!!! DH & I felt like something sweet after our savories, so we headed on back to this little shop of magic.
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Should I get a macaron again? I wanted to try one of the enticing different flavors of ice cream, and you can't customize your macaron ice cream sandwich. You have to choose between the standard chocolate macaron with chocolate ice cream, or the seasonal. Hmmm. Decisions, decisions. Okay, the cinnamon caramel pecan ice cream was really calling my name, because it sounded like fall in an ice cream, and I LOVE fall. I actually start decorating for fall & Halloween on September 1st, or maybe even a week or so before. Just fall candles at that point though. Really. Don't judge me. My kids used to be so embarrassed when they'd be on the school bus and they would hear kids commenting "hey, look that house is decorated for Halloween already". This was back before it was cool to decorate for the seasons before the previous season was over, lol. Anyway, back to the ice cream. We decided on the cinnamon caramel pecan ice cream cone. We'd share the ice cream, and DH would get the cone, which is the favorite part in my opinion, but gluten, you know?
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Aren't these ice cream hidden Mickeys darling, and there are the macarons calling me.
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This is me post first lick. See that fake smile on my face. I was trying to convince myself I liked it. I did NOT like this. What??? How can I not like the "fallest" of all ice creams? I don't know what it was. I think way too much cinnamon.
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Guess who got to eat it all? He's such a good husband, because I don't think he really wanted this either. He wanted what he had on our last trip.
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He really wanted this! Croque Glace - choice of 1 ice cream/sorbet flavor in a warm brioche, with choice of sauce, warmed and sealed $7.04 He said this is one of he best things he's ever eaten. He sacrificed for me though, so we could share the ice cream cone, since I can't eat this amazing treat. Photo courtesy of Disney Food Blog.
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Guess what I ended up going back in & getting? Yep, you're right! Loved it! Chewy, sweet, creamy, yummy! I can't recall what the flavors were though. Strawberry for the macaron, I'm guessing, but have no clue on the ice cream. The receipt only states macaron. Total with tax for both the ice cream cone & the macaron ice cream sandwich were $5 each.
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We made one more stop before we were going to head over to HS. I was dying to try the hummus fries everyone was raving about.
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I love spicy, I love hummus, I love french fries, I love crispy, so I would love these, right? I really didn't. They were like too crunchy & spicy, or dry, or something. Where is the tzatziki sauce, and could they spare the cucumber? I just didn't enjoy them. Off the list for the next F&W for me! Total $5, no tax.
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Okay, off to my almost 84 year young mama's house to give her a perm. Fun times! Up next: Traveling to another dimension, Andy's room, and another Mama's!
 
Joining in! My DH and I are heading down 10/28-11/6 and are also leaving the kids home, which they are NOT happy about :bitelip:

I literally just read your introduction on my break at work but I'm stopping myself from going further until I can get on my laptop! Can't wait to see all your food & wine pics!
 
I'm so glad you came back! I've been enjoying your report. Since I'm originally from South Jersey, I feel like I can hear your voice.

I'm sorry to hear about your FIL and family sadnesses and challenges. How many days to WDW? (118 for me, I just checked!:rolleyes:)
 
So glad you decided to keep posting! A bummer on the mixed bag at food and wine but wow that macaron ice cream sandwich looks fantastic! The hummus fries seem like they were really dependent on whether they were hot and fresh or old and dry. I think we had some of each. Excited to read more!
 
This is one of the funniest food reviews I have ever read. I was lol'ing so many times. Glad you decided to come back and finish it, in view of your other responsibilities.
 
The moon is out & the sun is starting to rise.

Beautiful photo!

There's not much better than watching the sun rise from your plane window as you're on your way to WDW!

:love:

I did online check-in, and requested a room location per Touring Plans. Much to my excitement & surprise, I get exactly what I requested! This doesn't happen to me very often, as usually my room is the exact opposite of what I requested, but this time I was definitely pixie dusted!!!

I have done online check-in a couple times, and I agree. It's definitely hit or miss. I called in my rom requests to DVC for November and I'm oping we have better luck. Congrats on getting your request!


This is one of the great things about this resort; no matter where your room is, you're close to everything! I love it! We had been DVC members for many years, having contracts at VWL & BCV from their inception, but sadly, sold both in 2014 so we could buy a house with some land, as my DH wanted to try his hand at hobby farming. Yes, really. With chickens & tractors & all. I drew the line at pigs though. Since then we've been either renting points or staying at POFQ, or a combo of both, doing split stays. This trip was POFQ all the way, and I couldn't have been happier. Well, maybe I could have been a little happier if I was staying at the BWV, especially since we spend the majority of our time at Epcot, but honestly, for the price, beautiful grounds, ability to boat to Disney Springs, POFQ is perfectly perfect in every way! Spoiler alert: We're in the process of buying at resale at AKV, another of my all time favorite resorts!!!

The only mod I've stayed at is CBR…:crazy2:…and that was BEFORE all the construction! Definitely not my cup of tea. If we run out of points or something in the future, I think I would try POFQ. It looks very nice. Congrats on buying your resale at AKV! Hope that goes smoothly for you!


We've done BOG several times in the past, and we always say we're going to skip it, as it's not worth the hassle of trying to get a reservation, but there I was checking daily, hourly, minutely, for a reservation! It's like we're crazed or something. Like we're going to get some kind of prize for getting that coveted reservation

I do the same thing! I don't even LOVE the food there, but it's like the thing to do so I HAVE to eat there! :rotfl:

I had recently lost around 15 pounds doing Weight Watchers, and was determined I wasn't going to gain weight on this trip, so my goal was to eat what I wanted, but be mindful of serving sizes, and empty calories.

Awesome! Congratulations on the weight loss!

After our disappointing but filling snack, we spend some time watching the new show in Liberty Square, “The Muppets Present… Great Moments in American History". This was very cute, and we enjoyed it. I wouldn't plan my day around seeing it, but we stumbled upon it, with a little time to spare, so took the time to watch.

We are hoping to catch this in November…it looks so cute!

We hung out with some Pirates!

Great pic!

I just thought it would be nice if all the grandparents could see their grandkids on their first Disney trip. :rotfl2:

That's really nice of you! I can totally see my ex and I doing this someday. We already went down together a couple years ago when my DD did Dance the World.

I have a strange auto-immune disorder, called Sjogren's Syndrome, that causes me extreme muscle & joint pain at times

Ouch…I'm so sorry. My poor, dear niece had that, along with Lupus. Sadly, she passed away a couple years ago at just 31.

found that eating gluten free helped my pain immensely, so I try to avoid gluten as much as possible.

I've heard of this…so happy that you found something that helps you.

DH told me to order him the Quinoa Salad - with chilled green beans, potatoes, olives, roasted bell peppers, golden beets and tomatoes $12.99 Yea. Why? I don't know. He was going to be running his first half marathon this trip, and he wanted to eat healthy? I mean, he did have that fried chicken on a waffle sandwich earlier, the epitome of healthyness. :lmao: He says he LOVED this. Okkaaayyy. Did I want to try it, he asks? No thank you. Go right ahead & enjoy that quinoa cake! It looks so yummy though! :laughing: Honestly it does!

HaHa! I actually ordered this the last time I ate lunch at BOG and it was really delicious! But I am a huge salad freak and I need to eat it at least once a day!
 
I'm Lol'ing at your Gala post! OMG…fake eyelashes were NOT made for those of us over a certain age…that or selfies! Just say NO! HaHa!

and then I went back to school to become an RN, which I did for my second half of my working life.

Good for you! I did the same thing! I worked at a credit union and went back to school for my BSN. Started working in the NICU at the ripe old of 32. So happy I did it though!

The Bride & Her Maids"

Your daughter is beautiful!

Lauren & Patrick"

Aw, Happy couple! Congratulations!

My brother built the new walkway to their beach front, and specially made this insert.

I LOVE this! What talent!


Lovely photo. You look very pretty…who needs fake eyelashes anyway?!!

I guess Tinkerbell can't be considered a Princess though.

She's too sassy!

That's what I'm talking about. Now that's a baked potato! Melty cheese, and real sour cream not in a packet! The broccoli wasn't overcoooked, and the potato was a little dry, but much better than the one I had earlier in the day at Sleepy Hollow.

So happy for you that you finally got a good one!

I HAD to get some gluten free beignets! These are so so good! For gluten free they are superb! I don't even care if I get powdered sugar all over me. Yum Yum Yum!!!

I've never had a beignet…GF or otherwise. I think I need to try one.

I just love this resort. It is truly so beautiful, and peaceful. I love that it is on the Sassagoula River, and that you can just take walks along the water in the evening, or have your coffee sitting on a bench in the morning, riverside.

I love all of your photos of the resort. It looks absolutely beautiful.


PS-I joined your report late, so I am just quoting one post at a time and commenting so I don't have to comment on six pages all at once! Hopefully I'll catch up soon!
 
I'm glad you're back!

I actually start decorating for fall & Halloween on September 1st, or maybe even a week or so before. Just fall candles at that point though. Really. Don't judge me. My kids used to be so embarrassed when they'd be on the school bus and they would hear kids commenting "hey, look that house is decorated for Halloween already". This was back before it was cool to decorate for the seasons before the previous season was over, lol.

Kids just don't realize how awesome their parents are! You were obviously way ahead of the trend. :laughing:
 
Day 5, November 2, 2016- We Traveled Far! Part 2
Mama Melrose's

After our disappointing snack in Morocco we figured we might as well head on over to Hollywood Studios, as we had fast passes coming up, and the plan for the evening was dinner at Mama Melrose's & then watching the Star Wars Fireworks, which we'd be seeing for the first time. Truth be told, I'm not a fan of Hollywood Studios or Star Wars, but I'm up for trying anything once, and I wanted to see the new fireworks show. We were getting there via the International Gateway, and then taking a Friendship Boat from the Yacht & Beach Club dock to HS. Who else loves the boat rides at Disney? I do! It is one of my favorite activities at WDW. I purposely plan things so that we have to take a boat at least once a trip, lol. I love staying at Wilderness Lodge for this reason, among many others. Looking out at Bay Lake from the shores of Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness makes me so happy! If I were to ever win the mega millions lottery (which will never happen, as I never play, LOL), I would want to build a log cabin in the style of Wilderness Lodge, on a lake that looks like Bay Lake. I LOVE it!!!

A pretty view of the International Gateway
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I also love walking through the International Gateway! I particularly like walking into Epcot via this route rather than walking out of Epcot, as as soon as the music starts along the walkway I am transported to a happy place. It's like taking a happy pill without the side effects!
So, do you go up or do you go down? The walkway, I mean. You have two choices, you can take the walkway along the lake, which is the "down", or you can go "up" the hill by taking the other walkway. If you're leaving Epcot to go to the Boardwalk, then you have to go up, as that leads to the bridge to take you to the Boardwalk. I guess you could always take the down path if you wanted to take the long way around to the Boardwalk, going past the Y&B Club Resorts, past the Swan & Dolphin, and then to the Boardwalk, but that is really the long way, and if you're leaving Epcot to go to the Boardwalk, who wants to do that extra walking, unless you're one of those super healthy & fit people who still run or workout on your WDW vacations, lol! That is def not me. I have no idea who the man in the picture is, by the way, as this is one I borrowed from the Internet. The picture I mean, not the man.
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I didn't take any photos this trip along the walk to the Y&B Club dock, so I used pics from our 2015 trip. This is such a gorgeous walk, and you should do it at least once. We usually do it every trip. Love it. I have such nostagia for the Beach Club Resort. It is one of the three WDW Resorts we stayed at with my dear Uncle Leo, the Poly for our first & second trips, the Grand Floridian our third trip, and the Beach Club our four & fifth trips, with the fifth being Uncle Leo's last WDW trip. Uncle Leo was my mom's brother, and my Godfather. He absolutely adored WDW, and had gone every year by himself since it's opening in 1971. He never married or had any children, so me, my brother & sister were like his kids, but being my Godfather, I was always a little more special to him. He couldn't wait to take us on our first Disney trip, and we had the privilege of going with him a total of five times between 1985 and 1995. He was on my first trip, my sons' first trip, my daughter's first trip, and my nephew, Dom's (who is also my Godson) first trip. Sadly, Uncle Leo passed away in February of 1996, and doubly sadly, my nephew Dom had a horrific car accident/non-fatal drowning in March of 2016, so neither will be on anymore of our Disney trips. I take them with me in my heart though. You can read about Dom's journey by clicking on the link in my signature.

Uncle Leo at Stormalong Bay May 1995
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I always wondered if Uncle Leo gravitated toward WDW because of growing up during the Depression, and then being in combat during WW2. I think WDW was his escape & happy place like it is all of ours.
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Yep, it WAS his happy place!!!
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We arrived at HS around 3:15, and were feeling kind of on the droopy side, so we stopped at the Trolley Car Cafe, aka Starbucks, for some pick me ups. We sat at the outdoor seating area, & just chilled for a few minutes.
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DH is such a purist. He got his usual black coffee, and I got an iced coffee. Hmm, come to think of it, I guess I was being a purist, too. I know I added cream & sugar in mine, there is no way on this earth that I could drink black coffee, and I'm pretty sure I added a flavor to it, probably hazelnut, but all my receipt says is iced coffee. Sometimes I'll get one of those fancy frappucino whatevers with whipped cream, but I guess I was trying to conserve calories or something. I have no other explanation. Per the receipt, $2.99 for the black coffee, and $3.29 for the iced, for a total of $6.69 with tax. OMG, that is highway robbery! For two coffees for crying out loud!
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Thank you for your service, Green Army man! I look like I'm trying to keep the sun out of my eyes in this pic.
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You're goin down, sucka! Haha, DH & I always have fierce competitions on this ride, and on Buzz. He cheats because he always spins the car and makes me dizzy! I know there is a secret "Z" that you have to hit to get mega points, but I haven't found it yet. I think there are YouTube videos showing where it is. I'm going to look before our upcoming trip, and then beat his pants off when we go next month!
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More light photos. Not exactly a fixture, but still counts! (I'm obsessed with taking photos of light fixtures in WDW, or WDW lights in general, in case you missed me telling you that already)
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After that battle, it was time for a trip to another dimension. I also LOVE TOT! I'd rather ride that than any of the WDW coasters. I think because on the coasters, especially Space Mountain & Expedition Everest, I get off feeling like my head is going to separate from my neck, but on TOT, is just that swooshy feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when it drops, then goes back up. It is thrilling, and my body is still intact after the ride.
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Self explanatory, lol...
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Hello!
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No explanation necessary...
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Look how happy I am! Look how happy the man behind me is!!! DH is kind of like, ow. I think he was in pain from me squeezing his hand so hard. I have a death grip on his arm!
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Oooo, what do we have here? Lights! Mama Melrose's! I seriously pick this restaurant because of the lights. It's all so twinkly, and I do love me some twinkly & sparkly. I also pick it for the nostalgia factor. I grew up in the city, South Philly to be exact, lived there until I was nine, when we moved to the sticks of South Jersey. All my grandparents, and most of my aunts, uncles, & cousins lived within a few block radius. My father's parents lived on a teeny tiny street in South Philly that was a one way/one lane street. The neighbors use to string Christmas lights from their upstairs windows across the street to their neighbor's upstairs windows. Can you imagine people still doing this today. Yea, me either. Anyway, that whole area around Mama Melrose's reminds me of Christmas in Philadelphia, especially the little Christmas store, It's A Wonderful Shop. In fact, Silver Bells is my favorite Christmas song. Silver Bells, Silver Bells, It's Christmas time in the city.... Would I ever move back to Philly, nope not in a million years. I'm a Jersey girl through and through, but my childhood memories are of Philly.
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You notice who takes all the photos on our WDW trips? The person who is rarely in the pictures! Thank goodness for Photo Pass photographers!
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What do we have here? A Caesar salad! We shared this, and DH got to eat all the croutons. He also got the real bread. The salad was nothing special, but was cold & crispy with just the right amount of Caesar dressing. I enjoyed it.
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I got the fake gluten free bread. It wasn't bad. I consider it a vehicle to hold the delicious olive oil & herbs.
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I have no idea why DH ordered this. Usually he goes for the Saltimbocca or chicken parm. He never gets Spaghetti and Meatballs - with house-made marinara, garnished with Pecorino Romano Cheese and Parsley $20 Usually we never go to Italian restaurants or order Italian out, as I grew up with Italian grandparents, three out of four who were born in Italy, and my mom spoke Italian before she spoke English, so we've eaten more than our share of great homemade Italian food over the years, but sometimes I just crave it when we're on vacation, and I can't say I've ever had a bad meal at Mama Melrose's. For the atmosphere and the price I think it's a good choice. I've never liked restaurant meatballs though. He said this was decent, and for twenty bucks, right?
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I had the Penne alla Vodka - with Pancetta and Sweet Onions finished with Tomato-Basil Sauce, Cream, Vodka, and Pecorino Romano $18; add chicken $20; add shrimp $23. I didn't add the shrimp. Why, I now wonder? What was wrong with us this night? So out of character. I always add shrimp to anything that is offered to add it to, and DH never ever orders restaurant meatballs. Weird. The heat must have gotten to us and we weren't ourselves. I have had this in the past, with shrimp, lol, and I always enjoy it. And, it was only $18!!! Another successful meal at Mama's.
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It was almost time to get in place to watch the Star Wars fireworks, and I took some night time shots of HS, as we wandered our way there, bellies full, and we were happy. Even though I don't really care for HS, and skip it on many trips, I do love the feel of it at night.
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It was time for Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular! I have to say I really, really enjoyed this! The fireworks & laser show set to the projections and music was amazing. The only thing I didn't enjoy was how up close and personal we were to our neighbors. You may want to avoid this if you have a fear of touching strangers with random body parts.
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We thought we'd hang out for a while after the show to let the crowds disperse some, as it was a mad stampede to the buses. You know that saying, the best laid plans? I've never ever seen anything like it. Even after waiting around 30 minutes or so, it was still a madhouse at the buses. We couldn't even find the end of the row for our bus, seriously. It wound down and around, and mixed in with other resort bus lines. I felt like an idiot saying to people, is this the end of the line? No, okay, walk some more, is this the end of the line? No? It was cray cray. So we got the brilliant idea to take a cab back. Okay, where are the cabs? It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The parking lot wasn't even visible, lol. Hmmm, now what? Take the boat to the Y&B Club, and get a cab from there? Ugh. I was pretty tired. It was a long day. As we are picking our way through the masses, I happen to look over and see the line for the Old Key West Resort was empty. Say what? Is there really no one in line for OKW? Is this a practice bus, not really going anywhere? I walk up to the driver. Yes, it is a real OKW resort bus. There were like two other people on the bus. Alrighty then! We joined the two others, and off we went, to OKW! Yes, I know we aren't staying at OKW, but it is a hop,skip and a jump from POFQ, so once we arrived, we hailed a cab (do we ever hail anything else, and when else would we use hail in a sentence? I have no idea, but it sounds good), and we were back at our lovely POFQ lickety split! I swear I use terms in my reports that I would never use in real life, lol, but for some reason they just come out of my fingers as I'm typing!

Up next, it's Christmas time in the MK!

 
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Joining in! My DH and I are heading down 10/28-11/6 and are also leaving the kids home, which they are NOT happy about :bitelip:

I literally just read your introduction on my break at work but I'm stopping myself from going further until I can get on my laptop! Can't wait to see all your food & wine pics!

Thank you, & :welcome:! You are going to be at WDW literally almost the same exact dates we were there last year! It's awesome, as you get to see the Halloween decorations as well as the Christmas ones in the MK! Your kids will get over it, lol!


I'm so glad you came back! I've been enjoying your report. Since I'm originally from South Jersey, I feel like I can hear your voice.

I'm sorry to hear about your FIL and family sadnesses and challenges. How many days to WDW? (118 for me, I just checked!:rolleyes:)

Thank you so much, @Mich123 . It has been a hard year and a half, that's for sure. We leave in 30 days!!! Woo Hoo!!! Your trip will be here before you know it! We may be there the same time as you, as we're going back with my middle son, his wife, and their two little guys, December 8th-16th. When are your dates?


So glad you decided to keep posting! A bummer on the mixed bag at food and wine but wow that macaron ice cream sandwich looks fantastic! The hummus fries seem like they were really dependent on whether they were hot and fresh or old and dry. I think we had some of each. Excited to read more!

Hi there :wave2:, @pepperandchips! I think I may have to give the hummus fries another chance then.



This is one of the funniest food reviews I have ever read. I was lol'ing so many times. Glad you decided to come back and finish it, in view of your other responsibilities.

Aww, thanks, @Eastern! I try to be a little entertaining. After all, people are taking some of their precious free time to read, so I don't want to be totally boring. :goodvibes


Beautiful photo!
:love:
I have done online check-in a couple times, and I agree. It's definitely hit or miss. I called in my rom requests to DVC for November and I'm oping we have better luck. Congrats on getting your request!

I'm anxious to see what we get on this upcoming trip in September. We're staying at POR for only the second time, in a garden view, and the first time was so long ago I don't even remember what year it was, for a night before our DVC stay, and we were in the Alligator Bayou section. This time we're there for three nights before moving to Kidani. I'm hoping for a room in the Magnolia Bend section. We only have a standard room booked at Kidani, so not expecting too much there. I requested close to the elevator, lol. This is only my second time staying at Kidani. Stayed there for a few nights back in May of 2013 when my bff and I took a girls' trip, and then we moved over to Jambo House, which is my fav of the two. We had a standard room then, too. My DH has never stayed at Kidani, so this will be a first for him.

The only mod I've stayed at is CBR…:crazy2:…and that was BEFORE all the construction! Definitely not my cup of tea. If we run out of points or something in the future, I think I would try POFQ. It looks very nice. Congrats on buying your resale at AKV! Hope that goes smoothly for you!

You def have to try POFQ! I think you would love it.

I do the same thing! I don't even LOVE the food there, but it's like the thing to do so I HAVE to eat there! :rotfl:


Awesome! Congratulations on the weight loss!
Thank you! I've lost a total of almost 25 now, but keep fluctuating between 23 and 25 lbs. I'm going to try to be really good this next month so I have a few pounds leeway to eat goodies in Disney! :banana:

We are hoping to catch this in November…it looks so cute!

Great pic!

That's really nice of you! I can totally see my ex and I doing this someday. We already went down together a couple years ago when my DD did Dance the World.

It was, lol! Too bad my ex didn't appreciate how nice I was being by inviting them along! :rotfl2:

Ouch…I'm so sorry. My poor, dear niece had that, along with Lupus. Sadly, she passed away a couple years ago at just 31.
I've heard of this…so happy that you found something that helps you.

HaHa! I actually ordered this the last time I ate lunch at BOG and it was really delicious! But I am a huge salad freak and I need to eat it at least once a day!

There's not much I don't like, but quinoa is one of them. I really try to like it, but I don't.


I'm Lol'ing at your Gala post! OMG…fake eyelashes were NOT made for those of us over a certain age…that or selfies! Just say NO! HaHa!

:rotfl: Seriously! WTH was I thinking?

Good for you! I did the same thing! I worked at a credit union and went back to school for my BSN. Started working in the NICU at the ripe old of 32. So happy I did it though!
Your daughter is beautiful!
Aw, Happy couple! Congratulations!

Thank you so much!

I LOVE this! What talent!

Yes, my brother is very talented!

Lovely photo. You look very pretty…who needs fake eyelashes anyway?!!

Aww, thanks!

She's too sassy!
So happy for you that you finally got a good one!

I've never had a beignet…GF or otherwise. I think I need to try one.

If you love anything fried with powdered sugar on it, you have to try them! They're not even greasy. Just pillowy fried doughs of deliciousness!

I love all of your photos of the resort. It looks absolutely beautiful.

PS-I joined your report late, so I am just quoting one post at a time and commenting so I don't have to comment on six pages all at once! Hopefully I'll catch up soon!

I hope you enjoy the rest of the report!


I'm glad you're back!

Thanks for the welcome back, @Raeven!

Kids just don't realize how awesome their parents are! You were obviously way ahead of the trend. :laughing:

Isn't that the truth!
 
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When I was in a sad, frustrated & depressing funk, I came here and boldly stated my DR was over. I lied. After catching up on & finishing Kari's @kastoney DR last night, her fun report inspired me to get back here & finish!
Glad I could be a little bit of inspiration. Usually I just make people want to drink :drinking1

Isn't this just a glorious sight to see? I take the same pics every trip, because I just can't get enough of this beautiful scenery!
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This is a great picture. I don't think I've ever taken the time to stop and appreciate the Canada pavilion for how pretty it really is.

Well, truth be told, DH carries my Disney Vera Bradley backpack for me, because those water bottles are heavy, not to mention umbrellas, ponchos, sunscreen, and everything else I stuff in there! Hey, a girl has to be prepared for all situations, lol! He's such a nice husband!
My hubby too. This is why we bring then to disney, right? :P

Please don't ban me from the group due to the fact that I've never had one of the famous France frozen alcoholic slushes. Please don't shun me @ariane37 , lol! I know how you love these!
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I'm right there with ya, I've never tried it either. I'm generally not a fan of frozen drinks so we've never even stopped.

This is me post first lick. See that fake smile on my face. I was trying to convince myself I liked it. I did NOT like this. What??? How can I not like the "fallest" of all ice creams? I don't know what it was. I think way too much cinnamon.
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Oh man, sorry this was a total bust. We've only been there once too and I got the salted caramel that ended up tasting like burnt caramel. Such a disappointment that we haven't been back. Seems like they are certainly heavy on the flavors.

I love spicy, I love hummus, I love french fries, I love crispy, so I would love these, right? I really didn't. They were like too crunchy & spicy, or dry, or something. Where is the tzatziki sauce, and could they spare the cucumber? I just didn't enjoy them. Off the list for the next F&W for me! Total $5, no tax.
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Thank you for taking one for the team and trying this on my behalf. This sounds like something I'd be all over, but now I know to stay far, far away

Uncle Leo at Stormalong Bay May 1995
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What a sweet story, thanks for sharing. May we all grow old and continue to love Disney like Uncle Leo

Usually we never go to Italian restaurants or order Italian out, as I grew up with Italian grandparents, three out of four who were born in Italy, and my mom spoke Italian before she spoke English, so we've eaten more than our share of great homemade Italian food over the years, but sometimes I just crave it when we're on vacation, and I can't say I've ever had a bad meal at Mama Melrose's.
This is certainly saying something. We've never tried it, cause you I'm Italian and Jason once owned an Italian restaurant so we generally just do it at home. Definitely going to need to try this one day
 

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