~~~~~ Sew, the heat is… ON! ~~~~~ June 2019 ~~~~~ Update x4 6/30!!!!!!!!

[DMGeurts]

Day 5, Part 2

The girls and I napped for quite some time - I have no idea how long, as I didn't write down what time we woke up.

We stopped at the Java Cafe for our afternoon pick-me-up.

Then we took the Shady Shuttle to the Poly, where I returned the Lilly shorts I'd purchased the day before for my birthday.

We took the Monorail to the GF - where we found the store that sold more Lilly... I purchased 2 dresses here - I almost purchased 3. I didn't take pics of the dresses there - which I should have, but I do have pics of me wearing them after coming home. I love how casual they are.

After my big purchase, we hopped back on the Monorail to MK for the evening.

First things first - we happened to be walking past the famous "Egg Roll Cart"... OK - I remember what time it is now, because I remember vividly that the egg roll cart closes at 6pm every night, and we literally walked up as they were closing! So, it was 6pm, roughly. I was able to get one of my "must-do" foods - a cheeseburger egg roll. It was good - glad I tried it... Not sure I would go out of my way to eat it again? But if I was hungry and in the area, I'd definitely eat one again.

We carried the egg roll with us, because it was really too hot to eat anyways, and we went to Pecos Bills for the girls to have dinner. I can't remember what they ordered, but I did order a kids Nacho to go with my egg roll - because I knew that one egg roll wasn't going to be enough for me for dinner.

Once we were finished eating, we were able to coordinate one more meet up with Suzi before she left the following day...

We rode POTC together... I can't remember if we all got FPs for it? Or if we rode standby???

V, Alexa and Allison...

We parted ways for a short time, where the girls and I rode the Jungle Cruise...

We did get "stuck" near the end of the ride... I didn't write down the name of our Skipper - but she was fantastic - probably the best one we've ever had?

The girls and I also rode BLSRS... I am really not good at this one.

We rode the People Mover with Suzi and clan... (no pics of this, maybe Suzi has some?)

Afterwards, we said our goodbyes - me, knowing I likely wouldn't see my friend again for a while. It's always hard to say goodbye.

The girls and I went back to Space Mountain, since we were in the area, since the posted wait time was 15 minutes... As it turned out - the standby wait time was more like 45... I enjoyed my time on the bench, people watching.

As soon as the girls were off of SM, we exited the park...

Monorail ----> TTC ----> SoG bus

We were in bed at 11:20pm for our very last Disney day.

Link to Day 6, Part 1

D~​

 

[Terkina]

It's fun that you think of me every month when you change your calendar to the next month.

Your dresses looks great.

I can't believe your trip report is almost over. It has gone so fast.

 

[DMGeurts]

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Day 6, Part 1

I was up at 6:30am.

The morning view from our balcony...

V and I were out the door at 8:30am...

We grabbed coffee at the Java Cafe on the way out.

This was the one meal that Allison didn't feel the need to do, so it was just V and I. Ohana breakfast. We were seated promptly at 9:05 (10 min early).

You all know her love of Stitch - so we can't skip this.

Breakfast was good - I prefer the "family style" meals, vs the buffets - then you don't have to worry about missing characters.

We waited quite a while - but in the end, we decided that we didn't need to wait for Lilo.

We were finished with breakfast by 9:45am - so we took a bio break and headed down to the bust stop... There was a DHS bus (actually 2 of them) waiting for us when we got there, so we hopped on and we were at the park by 10am. I was pleased with this - as I honestly didn't plan to make it to the park before 11... Which means we were quite ahead of schedule for the day.

V and I stopped by the Photopass area, and dropped off a gift for Photopass Joe - I had it with me on the last trip and I forgot to give it to him. I was glad to have finally delivered it - however - since he was on vacation, I have no idea if he actually received it?

Donald and Daisy meet right in front of the Photopass hut (for lack of a better word)... And we were waiting for Allison to come anyways - so we figured we'd kill some time with a couple of meet n' greets (in the blazing sun, of course)...

As usual - Donald liked my stuff, he was probably the most excited about it as any Donald I've met - so that was good.

He even let me kiss his cheek.

And then we got in line to meet Daisy - her line was much longer and totally sunny - this line was very hot and seemed to move slowly.

Buuuut - Daisy totally FREAKED OUT over my Donald gear (this is pretty typical) - and it's always fun to meet her while I am wearing it.

Daisy loved V too!

We went into the shops to wait for Allison - she had just texted that she was in line for bag check - and we were really hot after waiting so long for Daisy.

Allison met us at 10:55am.

We had a lot of time to kill before our FP for Slinky Dog Dash - so we decided to cool off and meet some of the Star Wars characters - seeing as we have never met any of them before.

First was Chewy!

Allison took a bio-break while V and I met Kylo Ren... He's not very nice.

And then we all met up again to meet BB8... I still haven't figured out exactly what this conversation was all about... It's clear from the photo that I am carrying-on about something... But BB8 doesn't really talk, so I have NO IDEA what I am saying?

After this - we made our way back to Toy Story Land, this is our first time seeing it since it opened.

We got in line for SDD at exactly Noon... The standby line was at 120 minutes (in the blazing sun, btw) and with our FP, our wait was exactly 5 minutes. Nice.

Not the most flattering of ride pics... LOL

Again - we had time to kill before our next FP - so we decided to run in to 50's Prime Time and grab our favorite treat - a PB&J milk shake. YUM! (no pics)... We found a shady bench and enjoyed our treat.

The girls still had time before their ToT FP - so they decided we should cancel our RnR FP and they would just ride it single rider, as we were really done with this park.

Which is exactly what we did.

And then ToT at 1:35...

While they were riding rides - I found a few PP photographers...

And tried not to get run over...

And then I grabbed another coffee at Starbucks and found a shady table... Which happened to be occupied by a nice lady from Austin, Texas... Eventually we struck up some good conversation while I waited for the girls. It was a nice, but hot rest.

The FP return line for ToT was quite long - the girls did not come out until 2:05...

We knew, because of yesterday, the bus for SoG left at 2:15, so we BOOKED it out of the park to make the bus.

We were at SoG and in our room by 2:35pm... Just in time for our nap.

LOL Yes - I think we do go to Disney JUST to nap.

Link to Day 6, Part 2

D~​

 

[DMGeurts]

Day 6, Part 2

We set our alarm for 4:30pm and we were out the door at 5.

Surprise... Coffee at Java Cafe again.

Shady Shuttle ----> Poly ----> Monorail ----> MK

We stopped for a few Photopass pics on our way into the park... These turned out pretty cute - IMO.

We were making our way back to Liberty Square to meet Cindy (but I honestly can't remember where me met up with her and exactly when???) - we saw a unique location for a Photopass photographer - and no line!

We met up with Cindy & decided we needed Dinner... Columbia Harbour House it is.

I had a lobster roll - not as good as the ones in Maine, but it will do.

We grabbed FPs for Haunted Mansion and rode it with Cindy... This is a ride that V doesn't do. I think she shopped while we rode?

When we got off the ride - it was raining enough that I donned a poncho (for the record, we brought like 100 with us, and this was the one and only time we used them) and grabbed a Key Lime Float (AMAZING!!!!) and the girls rode the Tea Cups while I ate my treat.

We grabbed FP for Winnie The Pooh...

We decided, even though we loved the fireworks the other night on the lake - we wanted to see the Castle projections closer-up... We decided we wanted to camp out above the Train Station as our last "hoo-rah"...

We made our way to the front of the park...

And we waited...

I am glad we did this - because it's like 2 different shows... (some of these may be blurry?)

And why super-tall people have to wear giant hats, is beyond me... Short me, on my tippy-toes, just to see...

We decided to duck out of MK just before the Finale...

See Ya Real Soon!!!!

Still friends? Sorta... Maybe?

Monorail ----> Poly

We watched the Finale from the Monorail - as usual.

We stopped for one final Dole Whip... (long-ish line)

Cindy dropped us off at SoG at 10:15pm... We said our goodbyes to another good friend.

We were all packed and in bed by 11pm.

Link to Day 7

D~​

 

[DMGeurts]

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Day 7

Would you believe, I didn't even take notes? I skipped out on my own TR. So, you'll get the modified version.

We were up early.

Since we were mostly packed already - we didn't have much to do that morning. I did request a bit earlier of a pick up time - as I get a lot of anxiety about getting through security - so I like to get to the airport and get that done asap.

We gathered our luggage and said good-bye to room #2108

Our driver was the same driver that picked us up from the airport on our 2018 trip... It's kinda fun to see people you "know" again.

He dropped us at the airport at 6:30am - roughly.

When we got to our airline ticket counter - it was CLOSED - as in, vacant... as in, haunted. Not a soul in sight. Ummm...

So, we asked around and found out that our ticket counter doesn't open until 2 hours before our flight... OK - so that totally defeated the purpose of getting here early.

Oh well - I guess we are the first in line... So we waited.

Eventually, they opened - we checked our bags and they were all underweight.

We decided to get breakfast... So, after we boarded the *correct* fake-o-rail... We stopped at Outback Steakhouse... They serve a larger breakfast and we had time to kill.

We didn't have long after breakfast to wait to board our flight...

We boarded without issue... grabbed our seats... and off we went. Goodbye Orlando - until next time!

We also played cards on the way home... And we napped.

When we landed in MN - we still had almost 2 hours to kill before Josh could get off of work... So we took our time de-planing and getting our luggage...

Then we grabbed coffee at Caribou with REAL straws!

And played cards until Josh texted that he was on his way. Bringing a deck of cards was the best idea ever!

Link to Final Thoughts...

D~​

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

Just starting your TR, we leave in 9 days. Loving it!!!

1. LOVE your nails! Can't wait to get mine on for vaca
2. What an amazing idea to get an iced latte with no ice to enjoy the next morning! Thank you so much for this!

 

[Wood Nymph]

As usual - Donald liked my stuff, he was probably the most excited about it as any Donald I've met - so that was good.

Donald doesn't get enough love. He is probably thrilled that someone takes the time to dress in his theme. Your new Donald bag is cute and so much easier to travel with than the old one, although the old bag was adorable.

- so we decided to run in to 50's Prime Time and grab our favorite treat - a PB&J milk shake. YUM! (no pics)... We found a shady bench and enjoyed our treat.

Do they have a carry-out counter?

e knew, because of yesterday, the bus for SoG left at 2:15, so we BOOKED it out of the park to make the bus.

Does SoG hand out a detailed bus schedule so you can know what time the bus leaves?

Coffee at Java Cafe again.

I really like the architecture at SoG. I suppose they don't let strangers wander over there to see it.

We decided to duck out of MK just before the Finale...

I have been tempted to watch the fireworks from the train station but figured that only the front row would have a good view.
If you don't duck out early it takes an extra 1/2 hour to get out of there. V looks like she was trying to catch the finale as you walked out.

And played cards until Josh texted that he was on his way. Bringing a deck of cards was the best idea ever!

That was a long trip home. We were stuck at the MN airport once when our connecting flight had a problem and our flight got delayed. I think that was the first time I saw a Caribou coffee stand. It really looked like it belonged in MN.

It looks like you wore your new Lily Pulitzer dress home. It looks good on you.

 

[solana131]

“The correct Fake-o-rail”
Whatever could you mean?
I tell that story every time I go through there! Good times...

Wow that TR went fast! I had fun reliving it with you. So glad you were able to overlap me, it made our birthdays so much more fun

I think you need to have a redo on that lobster roll......Ahem.....August.

 

[DMGeurts]

It's fun that you think of me every month when you change your calendar to the next month.

Your dresses looks great.

I can't believe your trip report is almost over. It has gone so fast.

Of course I do!

Thank you!

Yes - it did go fast... It was just a "short" trip for us.

Just starting your TR, we leave in 9 days. Loving it!!!

1. LOVE your nails! Can't wait to get mine on for vaca
2. What an amazing idea to get an iced latte with no ice to enjoy the next morning! Thank you so much for this!

So exciting!!!

Thanks! I love having my nails done - and I am glad I've kept them after too.

Yup - then it's not watered down. I'd never done that prior to this, and I haven't done it since - but it was a nice treat before we left.

Enjoy your trip if you don't stop back again before.

Donald doesn't get enough love. He is probably thrilled that someone takes the time to dress in his theme. Your new Donald bag is cute and so much easier to travel with than the old one, although the old bag was adorable.

Do they have a carry-out counter?

Does SoG hand out a detailed bus schedule so you can know what time the bus leaves?

I really like the architecture at SoG. I suppose they don't let strangers wander over there to see it.

I have been tempted to watch the fireworks from the train station but figured that only the front row would have a good view.
If you don't duck out early it takes an extra 1/2 hour to get out of there. V looks like she was trying to catch the finale as you walked out.

That was a long trip home. We were stuck at the MN airport once when our connecting flight had a problem and our flight got delayed. I think that was the first time I saw a Caribou coffee stand. It really looked like it belonged in MN.

It looks like you wore your new Lily Pulitzer dress home. It looks good on you.

Sometimes Donald is happy and sometimes I don't get a reaction at all.

At 50's, if you go up to the bar, you can order "carry out" from the bar... I always see people eating food from the restaurant at the bar, and we've carried out milk shakes on almost every trip. We always tip nicely - and it's rare that the bartenders are anything but annoyed with us (we aren't the only ones that do this, there is usually a line)... but the only real reason we eat there is for the milk shakes - and why spend all that $$ on food, when you can just get them to go?

Yes, SoG does have a detailed bus schedule - sometimes it's confusing to read... https://www.shadesofgreen.org/experiences/bus-schedule

The front row at the Train Station does have the best view... but we stood at the back of the railing of the steps - so no one could stand in front of us if they wanted to - and it wasn't too terrible... Other than the tall guy with the hat - I was able to see almost everything. You can't see the large fireworks though.

It was a little long - but it wasn't bad. Josh was stuck in a meeting - it happens. It took about an hour by the time we deplaned, went to the bathroom and got our luggage - so we really only had to wait an hour for him & it wasn't bad at all. I'd almost rather do that, than feel rushed that he is out there driving in circles waiting for us.

It did! Thank you! I really like that one a lot!

“The correct Fake-o-rail”
Whatever could you mean?
I tell that story every time I go through there! Good times...

Wow that TR went fast! I had fun reliving it with you. So glad you were able to overlap me, it made our birthdays so much more fun ❤

I think you need to have a redo on that lobster roll......Ahem.....August.

Right? LOL Now I am paranoid... I stand there for 20 minutes to make sure I am getting on the right one.

Yah - I don't like dragging them out... I like to get the TRs finished while everything is still fresh in my mind. I always have notes to jog my memory - but, well...

Mmmmm... I so wish I could.

***********************************************************************************************************************

I'll get my final thoughts posted in a day or two... I'll let you all catch up first.

I hope you all had a nice weekend?

D~

 

[mymainmouse]

The dresses you bought are adorable! I wish I could find some cute summer dresses like those. I don't think there are any LP store around here. Not sure though. I guess I will have to investigate a little more.
I totally understand your anxiety with airport security. It's not really a big deal to go through but it makes me soo nervous. I'm not sure why. I'm usually fine after we get to our gate but until then I am a nervous wreck. My family doesn't understand it and they dilly dally (not really, but in my mind that's the way it seems) getting this business all done. I just want to go and get it over with.
Love the updates! Have a great day!

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Wow... I am not even sure where to start here... First off - thank you for always giving me your candid knowledge about life and living life - it means a lot to me, especially this - right here - losing my mom at a young age... A) she never got to an age to experience any of this. And B) I was too young and it never would have occurred to me to ask. So, thank you - from the bottom of my heart - for taking the time to type this out.

You are very welcome. I am trying to go through this stage of life paying attention to my body as best I can, and it's been interesting, I have to say.

As women, I feel like we have such high expectations of ourselves... I've already started to experience some of the things you mentioned... I have no idea if the zero skin elasticity is due to "getting to be that age" or if it's because of my gain 50 lbs, lose 50 lbs a hundred times in my life??? I can definitely see though, where my skin hasn't bounced back - and I doubt it ever will - I probably struggle with this part the most - as it affects me so much... My thighs - my stomach... No matter how loose the waist of my clothes are - I will always have a "muffin top" because of the excess skin. Sigh. And when I look at photos of myself - that is all I see. Age is really not good to us, is it? It's almost scary and sad to think that our bodies will never get better, only worse... Thank you again - for taking the time to write all of that - truly.

Again, you are very welcome. My heart goes out to you, because I know exactly what you're feeling because it's been me too, and I still struggle sometimes with it. Carrying that mental burden around is exhausting and it's much more complicated than just "wanting" to accept your body.

Also... At this point in my life - I have a very hard time taking any sort of medication - unless it's necessary, of course... (This is just me talking now) - I've never once in my life taken a hormone for any reason, I've always felt like it would mess with my body and just nature in general. I've kind of already decided, and of course - I reserve the right to reevaluate at any time (LOL) - that when the time comes, I will not take any hormones for the menopause time of my life either... I have a hard time taking anything to off-put something that is supposed to occur naturally within my body. And - I totally agree... To each their own - this is just me.

FYI for you and everyone reading here - I have been very successful combating hot flashes with this magnesium supplement: Nested Naturals magnesium glycinate chelate . Luckily, taking two at bedtime has virtually eliminated my hotflashes. Every few months I'll stop taking it to see if that phase is over, and they come back so I do know a) it works! and b) that phase is NOT OVER lol. And thankfully I don't experience hot flashes with the excessive sweating that plagues some women.

On to the rest of your post...

I can totally see how that would be bothersome... As someone, who doesn't live in that area of the country, I can honestly say that I didn't give much thought to it... And to be very honest - I couldn't hear a lot of the show - so any implications simply went straight over my head. As a girl - I loved HeeHaw... It was always on before/after Lawrence Welk - who was my mom's FAVORITE - so we always ended up watching it... However - at that age - I had NO idea what it represented... But now, I can totally see how it could be offensive.

We watched HeeHaw and Lawrence Welk, too! Not many channels back then. My dad, who looked like a set extra for HH in his everyday clothes (always wore overalls) enjoyed Roy Clark's musical talent. And I'm sure the pretty girls LOL. My mom loved Lawrence Welk.

Yes - according to everyone who was there... "It was the hottest week EVER" The girls were miserable... For some reason - yes, I was hot - but I wasn't as miserable as they were. Not sure why? You'd think it would be the other way around?

It's because you're cool, calm, and collected LOL. Or maybe because you're wearing cotton/linen and they're not. I'll never be convinced that these performance fabrics of polyester keep you cooler than good old 100% cotton, linen, and silk.

As I said, I've been trying to be aware while going through menopause, and it's been sincerely so interesting. Since puberty I've felt like there was a war going on inside my body - let's face it, fluctuating hormones/PMS/pregnancy can make a person feel if not react a little crazy at times - and menopause is like the other side of the war suddenly quit and ran away! I feel myself "becoming", but I haven't been able to put it into words. Then, Friday I realized - it's like the difference between being a child before puberty, and then all that happens and you're an adult. I feel like I'm going back to where I was in my head before puberty, but with all the wisdom of a lifetime. It's actually fabulous from a mental/personality point of view. And to gain all that I'll take the physical consequences (not necessarily happily - that's a work in progress).

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

DANG GIRL you blew right through that trip report! I LOVE your Lilly dresses! I wear a lot of dresses all summer long here in Georgia and for me the key to them being so cool and comfortable are these Maidenform bike shorts . I don't know about you, but this girl's got some thigh chub.

I love V's fanny pack! I'm a fanny pack enthusiast from way back. They're just so convenient! I hope the popularity trend continues.

My daugher and grandson and I ate at Via Napoli last August and I have to say, I've had better pizza. The waiters sure were handsome, though! We got the large pizza and I took a picture of it, and for whatever reason, in front of my grandson, it looks g-i-g-a-n-t-i-c but it really was just your average large pizza:



The closest I've been to a fireworks cruise has been using boat transportation for whatever reason during the fireworks, lol. I do love fireworks from the water. And OMG Suzi's cake! I was reading your report and glanced at the pic and my knee-jerk reaction was "awwwww, they each got birthday cakes how nice wait does that say Fuzi OMG HER CAKE SAYS FUZI" I bet it tasted delicious, no matter!

My daughter lives in Atlanta and has a "dee-luxe apartment in the sky" on the 19th floor with a balcony. I'll go out there but I'd rather be attached with some of those rock-climbing ropes to something sturdy inside when I do.

No hate about V's comments to the pushy rude stroller family. That sort of thing drives me crazy. I mean honestly, when you've got a stroller and kids in tow (hopefully!) you're not going to be theme park commandos. Slow the heck down. There will be plenty of Epcot left when you get there!

Thank so much for sharing your trip with us! I'm not sure when my family will get back to WDW. My grandson is at that age (3-4) where he doesn't want to wait for anything (rides, food, buses, etc) and that can make for a miserable time. Been there, done that, don't have to do it as a grandma. LOL

 

[disny_luvr]

I’m sad your trip report is over! I hope you have something to keep writing about in your pre-trip report because I sure love reading them.

I love the LP dresses you purchased! So cute! We are headed to the beach next week and I know there is a LP store there - I’m going to have to go in and browse.

In all our years of traveling to Disney, I never once thought to stand up at the train station to watch the fireworks. We might need to try that next trip.

 

[solana131]

And OMG Suzi's cake! I was reading your report and glanced at the pic and my knee-jerk reaction was "awwwww, they each got birthday cakes how nice wait does that say Fuzi OMG HER CAKE SAYS FUZI" I bet it tasted delicious, no matter!

It was hilarious and yes, it still tasted amazing! I think we all had a piece of each. It had a nice light mousse inside, so it was light and refreshing. Such a great experience!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

What a great trip report. Your dresses are gorgeous and I love seeing all your bags/ears/outfits.
I hope Bob gets his present. He looks so pleased to see you all
Also very happy for that little bit of karma to the lady at Epcot! What is it with some people
Really enjoyed reading about your adventures. Thanks for taking us along

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

It was hilarious and yes, it still tasted amazing! I think we all had a piece of each. It had a nice light mousse inside, so it was light and refreshing. Such a great experience!

YUM! It's impressive that whoever was decorating cakes has probably seen so many names that someone being named Fuzi did not give him/her pause. I actually understand that because I work at a state university and man, the names . . . so many unusual names, especially international ones.

 

[Terkina]

How great that you had the deck of cards to get time to pass while waiting on Josh.
Sounds like your trip back home went well. I can't wait to hear about your next trip.

 

[rdkeim]

Wow - so many updates! A few random comments. Good decision to use Lyft. We've used taxi's in the past especially to get from our resort to another resort. So nice Uber and Lyft are now available - do they still have the polka dot Minnie cars? I've always loved that house in L with the L! V's LP pants are so cute and look very comfy. Your LP dresses are so cute and they are very flattering on you. I love floral prints and have a few in my wardrobe. LP has never been on my radar but I might have to watch for them. LOVE your pictures with Donald and Daisy! The Key Lime dessert looks SO good - that will be something I try when I can finally make a return trip happen. I think this is the week you usually head for the lake - if so hope you have a great time!

 

[cajunfan]

I may have LOL at work over "fuzi"'s birthday cake!!! I have actually seen the fireworks from a pontoon boat too! It is AMAZING! But, honestly, it was more fun because of the company...I actually prefer the fireworks from the park.

Cute dresses!

Have a great 4th of July!

 

[Pumpkin1172]

what an amazing birthday surprise!!!! That was simply awesome! I love the dresses you picked up and they look fantastic on you Looks like you all had a great little get away! Sometimes it's those last minute put together trips that work out so great and are just what a person needed

Funny cake writing story. I was picking up an ice cream cake for our son in law at our Dairy Queen. The person working the register...told me to write down what I wanted...and also put on there what color I wanted them to use. A couple minutes later...someone came out with the cake I picked out with " Happy Birthday Tom in Blue " on it I can laugh now...I wasn't very happy at the time...as they didn't have another plain cake that size to write on. So I took it home. Now it's a running joke when it's his Birthday, Needless to say, I also suggested that if the employee who is doing the writing doesn't read English or understand much English...DON'T let them do that job