ShellieMay, Slinky Dog, and the SCRUNCHIEST Thanksgiving Ever! - A Nov 18 TR *FINISHED! 4/28*

[Newsies]

Your room looks awesome! And such a nice view!

Sounds like a great night at DS. Homecomin looks fantastic!!

We really loved it!

Homecomin' was amazing-- one of the best meals we've ever had!

How much are those jerseys at the park? So cute

I believe the rose gold and millennial pink ones were $64.99, but the fuzzy one was almost $70! They're so worth it, I got so many compliments on mine last week and Grace has barely taken the fuzzy one off since she got it!

 

[tammy]

I absolutely LOVE Homecomin'. Looks like you guys are having a blast! Thanks for sharing.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Joining in! What a great trip so far I'm with you on Homecomin'- it's now a must-do for me. Fried chicken is my favorite food and they have some of the best!

 

[Cloe Colton]

That dinner at homecomin looks amazing! Ill be eating there next Friday and I honestly feel like I may order the thigh high biscuits as my meal!

I will admit, it's almost surprising that Disney hasn't reclassed the lower DVC studios in Moorea to a standard view. I rented points in October for a lake view studio and we ended up with the bottom floor. Which for one night I wasn't going to complain and we actually enjoyed the patio but it certainly seems unfair to use all of those extra points when you can't see much past the Bungalows!

 

[Newsies]

I absolutely LOVE Homecomin'. Looks like you guys are having a blast! Thanks for sharing.

"A blast" is the perfect way to describe this vacation! You are most certainly welcome-- thank you for being here with me!!

Joining in! What a great trip so far I'm with you on Homecomin'- it's now a must-do for me. Fried chicken is my favorite food and they have some of the best!

Thanks for being here, I appreciate it!

Current mood: dreaming about Homecomin' fried chicken. It's DEFINITELY a favorite of mine as well!

That dinner at homecomin looks amazing! Ill be eating there next Friday and I honestly feel like I may order the thigh high biscuits as my meal!

I will admit, it's almost surprising that Disney hasn't reclassed the lower DVC studios in Moorea to a standard view. I rented points in October for a lake view studio and we ended up with the bottom floor. Which for one night I wasn't going to complain and we actually enjoyed the patio but it certainly seems unfair to use all of those extra points when you can't see much past the Bungalows!

It was one of the best dinners we had this trip, and I think that's a great idea. The Thigh High Chicken Biscuits would be a perfect meal, my dad commented the same thing as we were leaving for the buses!

I couldn't agree with you more. I don't think Disney realized how obstructive the Bungalows were going to be, the first floor Moorea studios should absolutely be reclassified.

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

What a view!! And that food looks absolutely amazing. I'm always hesitant to try places that claim to be Southern just because it's food I've grown up with, but I may have to make an exception for Homecomin'! Can't wait to read about your day in Epcot!

 

[Newsies]

What a view!! And that food looks absolutely amazing. I'm always hesitant to try places that claim to be Southern just because it's food I've grown up with, but I may have to make an exception for Homecomin'! Can't wait to read about your day in Epcot!

Homecomin' was sooooo good! I don't know how it compares to real Southern cooking, but Chef Art Smith certainly has some tasty food at this restaurant!!! I can't wait to write about Epcot!!!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

First, you did NOT just call Space Mountain Spaceship Earth? oh sis.

Second, Homecomin' sounds delicious and we should have our DCP reunion there.

that is all.

P.S. your mom has great taste in spirit jerseys (Millennial Pink >>>>>>>>>>>> Rose Gold)

 

[Newsies]

First, you did NOT just call Space Mountain Spaceship Earth? oh sis.

Second, Homecomin' sounds delicious and we should have our DCP reunion there.

that is all.

P.S. your mom has great taste in spirit jerseys (Millennial Pink >>>>>>>>>>>> Rose Gold)

Just corrected it. Sister, all six of my classes are final PAPER based instead of final EXAM based so both of my brain cells are busy working on three papers at the same time right now unfortunately

Homecomin' would be the perfect place for our DCP reunion AFTER we're done getting the millennial pink champagne toast

Lastly to your incredibly WRONG opinion on spirit jersey preferences I say thank u, next

anyway ily and imy

 

[disneyAndi14]

I’ve been following along and really enjoying you report. I’m glad you liked Homecomin, we also tried the chicken biscuits and loved them. I like the rose gold spirit jersey, the rose gold merchandise is so pretty! Excited to hear more and your view from the studio is awesome!

 

[jrmint427]

We had a dinner reservation at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’

Homecomin’ was one of our favorite meals of our recent trip!! We sat outside and they had live music out there.

She came back with the Apple Pie A La Mode.

I had this too!! Been dreaming about it ever since

But the mashed potatoes? They were the REAL star. They were perfect. PERFECT.

I totally agree! They were my favorite part of the meal and I’m not usually a huge fan of mashed potatoes.

 

[Newsies]

I’ve been following along and really enjoying you report. I’m glad you liked Homecomin, we also tried the chicken biscuits and loved them. I like the rose gold spirit jersey, the rose gold merchandise is so pretty! Excited to hear more and your view from the studio is awesome!

Thanks for being here, I really appreciate it!

Homecomin' was amazing, we can't wait to go back! And I agree-- all the rose gold stuff is so nice! Thanks again, I'm excited to share more!

Homecomin’ was one of our favorite meals of our recent trip!! We sat outside and they had live music out there.



I had this too!! Been dreaming about it ever since



I totally agree! They were my favorite part of the meal and I’m not usually a huge fan of mashed potatoes.

Everything about Homecomin' rocks! Glad to see another Apple Pie A La Mode fan on the boards, most seem to favor the Moonshine Mule (my dad had it and said he liked it). Thanks for being here!

 

[Newsies]

Day 2: Epcot
The Most Hectic Epcot Rope Drop Ever​

(Gotta start this post off with a tiny humble brag... I won the ticket lottery for Saturday Night Live tonight! Just here to post a quick update while my roommate gets ready, then we're going to make our way up to 50th st!)

Our first “full” park day was going to be taking place in Epcot-- my personal favorite park!

I woke up really early this day. I want to say I was up at 6? Maybe 7 if it was a 9 AM opening? I did my makeup as quietly as possible, put on my park outfit for the day, and headed to the TTC.

I adored Moorea because it was so close to the TTC. My family complained about how far it was from the Grand Ceremonial House, but eventually, we became really smart and started getting off the monorail from the TTC, rather than the actual Poly stop-- Moorea was one of the closest longhouses to the TTC!

Walking from Moorea to the TTC that morning was such a serene, placid feeling. It was Monday, I should have been in 20 degree weather back in NJ, but instead I was living it up in 70 degree weather in my favorite place, going to my favorite park. Life was good.

​

After a spin on Monorail gold, I arrived at the park gates! Not gonna lie-- I got teary eyed as we rounded the World Showcase.

As soon as I got off the monorail and went through security, I knew that the park was going to be a mess. I had never seen so many people waiting for Epcot to open in my life. I ended up getting in the line for the ticket scanners about half an hour before the park opened, and I knew that was still too late for me to hop onto Soarin’, Test Track, or probably even FEA.

As we headed inside, the loveliest couple in the world struck up a conversation behind me. They were older, and were talking to me about how they were from up north, but spent three months in Orlando during the colder season. They were so sweet, I hope they had the best day ever.

Once inside, we were held in front of Spaceship Earth for maybe 15 more minutes before the park actually opened. I went towards Soarin’... but ended up rope dropping the Character Spot instead. Oops.

I was the second person in line and honestly? I don’t regret it because the pictures came out AMAZING this day.

​

Mickey, Goofy, and Minnie all enjoyed my “sing to me paolo” shirt from My Oh My Supply Co!

​

The character interactions themselves were lacking this day, other than me singing “this is what dreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeams are made of” with Minnie for a split second, I truly can’t remember anything about this interaction but it’s fine because like I said, there were some great pictures here. Minnie was clearly the highlight in this shoot.

​

I tried to contemplate my next move. I walked over to Test Track to see what the single rider line looked like, and it looked like a disaster, so I didn’t do that.

I decided to just chill on Spaceship Earth. I walked right on.

While I was on Spaceship Earth, I remembered that I could pick up my Annual Passholder magnet from Mouse Gear! I did that next.

Mouse Gear makes it super easy to get your Annual Passholder holiday magnet. There’s a CM standing at the entrance across from Electric Umbrella, and they stand there with a huge bin and scan your AP. Then you get your free magnet.

While I was inside Mouse Gear, I decided to look for a hat I really wanted! It was the “Original Top Knot” Tink hat, shown below:

​

When I looked on the Shop Disney Parks app the week earlier, it told me that the hat was sold out property wide, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask a CM. I spoke to one who brought out an iPad and searched for the hat, but told me that yeah, it looked like there wasn’t a lot of inventory on these hats. She suggested I looked in Gateway Gifts, or a random shop in Hollywood Studios, or another random shop in Animal Kingdom. I thanked her and told her I’d look.

After I left Mouse Gear, I took some photos of my new magnet.

​

I decided it was maybe time to check out the World Showcase. Norway and France would be open at this point, so maybe I could get some breakfast in Norway!

​

First, I decided to stop at my favorite Joffrey’s stand! I usually get peach iced tea, but I really wanted to try a Joffrey’s caramel iced latte this trip. In the past and especially during my DCP, I was such a diehard Starbucks girl, and if you know me, you know that I place the Fountain View Starbucks in Epcot above ALL other Starbucks locations in the universe. But Joffrey’s has become so trendy within the Disney influencer community this year that I wanted to give it a shot.

​

It was SO good! Be warned-- it’s a lot sweeter than Starbucks. It was almost like Dunkin’, closer to Dutch Bros. But this became my absolute FAVORITE treat during the week, I started almost every park day with one! If it hadn’t been for the elusive Carrot Cake Cookie, I wouldn’t have stepped into a Starbucks at all during the entire trip.

Because Norway was open, I decided I would grab a treat for breakfast from there.

I walked into Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe and decided it was finally time for me to try a cult classic I had avoided in the past but piqued my interest with it’s fervent following: School Bread.

School Bread, for those of you who don’t know, is one of the staples of the Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe, and a “hall-of-famer” in the World Showcase Snack-iverse. It’s essentially a sweet dinner roll with vanilla custard injected in it, then topped with a thin layer of icing that glues shredded, toasted coconut and another dollop of vanilla cream to the top of it.

I’m not a donut fan, OR a fan of “sweet” breads for that matter, so I’ve spent several years shying away from this treat. But I really wanted to know what it was like, so I figured it was worth a shot. Once I ordered it, the CM behind the counter gave me an enthusiastic “Good choice!” which was reassuring.

There were no empty tables, so I just decided to sit on a ledge while I deconstructed it.

​

So how did I feel about the School Bread?

… Disappointed, even with what I considered to be very reasonable expectations.

First of all, the pastry itself was so dry, and so much denser than I imagined it being? I wanted the roll itself to be just a little bit lighter. The vanilla custard was fine, I could have done without the coconut on top. All in all, this one was my mistake because everyone talks about how the pastry really is just like a dinner roll with cinnamon, but I still had higher hopes for this. School Bread seemed really nuanced on paper, but in execution, it was strange to me. I had a few bites of it and enjoyed the custard the most.

Norway was packed, as I knew it would be. Frozen was up to 90 minutes and the Summerhaus was about 45 minutes.

I decided to head over to Port of Entry gifts to see if I could get a fuel rod swapped… then I looked at the time and realized it was still only 10, and the bulk of the Showcase wouldn’t be opened for another hour.

At this point, I was kind of bummed. Epcot was super crowded, just like Magic Kingdom had been the day before, and it was only 10 AM-- it was only going to get worse. I was really worried about how our day was going to look after I had met up with mom, dad, and Grace.

I decided to make my way to France. After all, I had an hour before the rest of the Showcase open, was uninterested in Future World, and I was still hungry after my flop experience with the School Bread.

And when you’re hungry and feeling down in Epcot, there’s only one thing to do.

Get your Roule Lard et Fromage on.

The Roule Lard et Fromage is the best pastry at Les Halles, and it is the stuff of legends. It is the ONE thing that I MUST eat every time I visit Epcot. You just can’t be sad while you’re eating it.

After a stroll through Canada and the UK, I ended up at Les Halles, which was not as busy as I was expecting it to be. The CM who helped me through the line was so sweet! I had my Roule Lard et Fromage in my hand in no time. I wasn’t able to find a seat, but I could stand at one of those little bar table while I enjoyed my Roule.

Now that I’ve named it about 10 times, you’re probably wonder what exactly a Roule Lard et Fromage is.

​

If you have seen me anywhere else on the DISboards, you’ve seen me singing my praises for this pastry. Essentially, they sprinkle bacon and cheese onto bread dough and then roll it up and cut it into beautiful Roule Lard et Fromage circles that are served warm.

I love the Roule Lard et Fromage with my entire being. It is my absolute favorite thing to eat in all of Disney World. It just can’t be described. It’s cheesy, and bacon-y, and the bread is so fresh and delicious. When this is served warm, it’s lethal, I swear.

I devoured it and then decided to try and conquer the rest of the Showcase, since it was getting close to 11. I snapped a few pics of my favorite pavilion before heading towards the showcase ropes.

​

​

No sooner did I arrive at the ropes did they open up the rest of the World Showcase for the day!

(Click here to continue!)​

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

I did my makeup as quietly as possible, put on my park outfit for the day, and headed to the TTC.

I love that you leave your fam in the mornings and go off on your own. My mom and I are very much rope-drop to close people, and we are a little worried that my dad won't be able to keep up, so I love that you & your fam all do what works best for you!

Not gonna lie-- I got teary eyed as we rounded the World Showcase.

No judgment here, girl. I relate to this feeling on a spiritual level.

I was the second person in line and honestly? I don’t regret it because the pictures came out AMAZING this day.

These pics are seriously so cute! Everybody is so bright eyed and bushy tailed, and that shirt is to die for.

The character interactions themselves were lacking this day, other than me singing “this is what dreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeams are made of” with Minnie for a split second, I truly can’t remember anything about this interaction but it’s fine because like I said, there were some great pictures here. Minnie was clearly the highlight in this shoot.

THIS!!!! All the heart eyes!!

Mouse Gear makes it super easy to get your Annual Passholder holiday magnet. There’s a CM standing at the entrance across from Electric Umbrella, and they stand there with a huge bin and scan your AP. Then you get your free magnet.

That is so much more efficient. I am so excited to get my holiday magnet!!

I decided to head over to Port of Entry gifts to see if I could get a fuel rod swapped

Are the fuel rods worth it? We have our own portable chargers but they're not the best, and I don't always remember to charge them.

 

[jrmint427]

Gotta start this post off with a tiny humble brag... I won the ticket lottery for Saturday Night Live tonight!

How exciting!!!

While I was on Spaceship Earth, I remembered that I could pick up my Annual Passholder magnet from Mouse Gear! I did that next.

I wish I had known about this! This is my first year as an AP. I will have to remember this for our trip next year!

So how did I feel about the School Bread?

… Disappointed, even with what I considered to be very reasonable expectations.

I’m glad I’m not the only one. We had lefse there years ago and I loved it. After reading about all the hype around school bread, we tried that this time. It was fine but I was wishing I had gone with the lefse instead.

 

[PlutosRHM55]

I don't know how you do it sis but your love for EPCOT just reminds me of all the things I loved about Epcot even though it has become my least favorite park over the years. You just know how to see the best in it and I LIVE for it. I wish I still had the love for EPCOT that I had when I was 13 but alas the park is not what it was then and some things just can't be replaced for me tbh

The Shellie May ears have me GAGGING. Gurl, can we twin with those someday? Or I'll be gross heteronormative coupley and get Duffy ones? OMG.

Awww, I love your character spot pics. Miss that place so so much! Such great memories there.

Spaceship Earth with those walk-ons. Bless the best ride in EPCOT (tied with Soarin' Around the World in case you thought I was joking).

It hurts me a little how you betrayed Starbs for Joffrey's. Starbs and Disney go hand-in-hand for me. Like... Joffrey's, who? I don't know her. But I'm glad you found another great coffee place, but again I'm that devout at this point lolololol

I'm sorry you didn't like my baby blessed Schoolbread. That was my go-to at EPCOT FOREVS. If I didn't have Schoolbread or Nachos or Cheddar Cheese Soup while watching IllumiNations... did I actually go to EPCOT?

The Roule Lard Et Fromage. Gurl, when I tell you I laughed through all of that... sis you got me thinking about it as much as you do and now I need to try one. Like right now. Even though I'm in bed with my retainer on and EPCOT is closed, I want a Roule. FOR MY DARLING DEAR TINKER KAIT I WILL HAVE A ROULE.

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your WS adventures! I NEEDS MORE!

 

[Newsies]

I love that you leave your fam in the mornings and go off on your own. My mom and I are very much rope-drop to close people, and we are a little worried that my dad won't be able to keep up, so I love that you & your fam all do what works best for you!



No judgment here, girl. I relate to this feeling on a spiritual level.



These pics are seriously so cute! Everybody is so bright eyed and bushy tailed, and that shirt is to die for.



THIS!!!! All the heart eyes!!

That is so much more efficient. I am so excited to get my holiday magnet!!



Are the fuel rods worth it? We have our own portable chargers but they're not the best, and I don't always remember to charge them.

YESSS. Our trips are getting better BECAUSE we're getting better at planning "separately" -- my family has a very specific way of how they like to do Disney, and I have a very specific and very DIFFERENT way to do Disney. For our August trip, I think I'm going to book my FP+ different from the FP+ I book for mom, dad, and Grace. They'll chill at the pool in the afternoon, and I'll rope drop 'til I drop.

Is it even possible not to cry when seeing Spaceship Earth for the first time?!?

THIS IS WHAT DREEEEEAAAAAAAMMMSSSS ARE MADE OF

It's a really great way to get things done, Disney is getting smarter with how they distribute their AP swag for sure!

Fuel rods have been my sole saving grace since my Disney College Program. I run through battery like crazy when I'm in the parks, so being able to pop into a store and swap out fuel rods throughout the day has been crucial to my park touring. If you plug your fuel rod into your phone when it's still ~15%, you can usually get a full charge out of it. Also-- most resort hotels have fuel rod stations now, so sometimes I would swap one out at Boutiki before heading up to my longhouse for the night, and instead of battling my family for one of the three wall plugs to charge my phone for the night, I'd plug my phone into the Fuel Rod and let it charge while I slept.

As usual you are perfect and I love your comments. Thanks for being the sweetest!!

How exciting!!!



I wish I had known about this! This is my first year as an AP. I will have to remember this for our trip next year!



I’m glad I’m not the only one. We had lefse there years ago and I loved it. After reading about all the hype around school bread, we tried that this time. It was fine but I was wishing I had gone with the lefse instead.

It was such a fun night, definitely crossed that off my bucket list!

Definitely search "Disney World Annual Passholder Magnet (insert Month and Year)" before your next trip so you'll know where they're giving the current one away when you'll be there! It's our first year as APs, too, so we wouldn't have even known if I hadn't stumbled on a post about it on FB!

I seriously left wishing I had gotten a Troll Horn! School Bread was just okay, but there are SO many better looking options at Kringla Bakeri!

I don't know how you do it sis but your love for EPCOT just reminds me of all the things I loved about Epcot even though it has become my least favorite park over the years. You just know how to see the best in it and I LIVE for it. I wish I still had the love for EPCOT that I had when I was 13 but alas the park is not what it was then and some things just can't be replaced for me tbh

The Shellie May ears have me GAGGING. Gurl, can we twin with those someday? Or I'll be gross heteronormative coupley and get Duffy ones? OMG.

Awww, I love your character spot pics. Miss that place so so much! Such great memories there.

Spaceship Earth with those walk-ons. Bless the best ride in EPCOT (tied with Soarin' Around the World in case you thought I was joking).

It hurts me a little how you betrayed Starbs for Joffrey's. Starbs and Disney go hand-in-hand for me. Like... Joffrey's, who? I don't know her. But I'm glad you found another great coffee place, but again I'm that devout at this point lolololol

I'm sorry you didn't like my baby blessed Schoolbread. That was my go-to at EPCOT FOREVS. If I didn't have Schoolbread or Nachos or Cheddar Cheese Soup while watching IllumiNations... did I actually go to EPCOT?

The Roule Lard Et Fromage. Gurl, when I tell you I laughed through all of that... sis you got me thinking about it as much as you do and now I need to try one. Like right now. Even though I'm in bed with my retainer on and EPCOT is closed, I want a Roule. FOR MY DARLING DEAR TINKER KAIT I WILL HAVE A ROULE.

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your WS adventures! I NEEDS MORE!

Sister I JUST can't help falling in love with Epcot. The characters. The FOOD. The opportunities for photos. I love her, but I respect your decision to direct your stanning efforts into other parks.

YES YES YES SHELLIE MAY MATCHING COUPLE DAY DCP REUNION WE'RE DOING IT

Spaceship Earth is honestly the best ride in Epcot. I cite it in my COM classes like at least once a semester, my mass media course last year was LITERALLY just a more in depth series of lectures about the Phoenicians and other scenes from Spaceship Earth.

Sister here's the tea. You know I used to STAN Starbucks and thought the only people who drank Joffrey's were dads who wore the Goofy hat and needed a cup of coffee buf scoff at Starbucks for serving anything other than black decaf. BECAUSE Joffrey's has now been reclaimed by influencers, I had to give it a try and tbh I stan!

I can see why other people enjoy School Bread tbh! It's not for me for multiple reasons but I can see it being enjoyable to other people. I NEED to try Cheddar Cheese soup at some point!

TRY THE ROULE TRY THE ROULE TRY THE ROULE you will STAN. I'm glad I can make you laugh, I live to entertain.

I WILL GIVE YOU MORE DISNEY KWEEN ILY SO MUCH YOU ARE AMAZING AND OWN MY HEART

 

[dolewhipdreams]

I won the ticket lottery for Saturday Night Live tonight!

So awesome! How was it??

Mickey, Goofy, and Minnie all enjoyed my “sing to me paolo” shirt from My Oh My Supply Co

Add me to the list of people who enjoyed that shirt. It's amazing!

Get your Roule Lard et Fromage on.

Officially added to my must-eat list for my next trip.

 

[missangelalexis]

Adorable pics at Character Spot!

I'm sorry the park was so crowded! It's easy to get discouraged, especially when it's still so early!

I have no desire to try school bread lol so thank you for confirming that for me with your review!

 

[Newsies]

So awesome! How was it??


Add me to the list of people who enjoyed that shirt. It's amazing!


Officially added to my must-eat list for my next trip.

It was amazing! We were in the second row of the balcony, which wasn't bad. It was so awesome to finally get to see how the show is done every week! Kenan Thompson is an especially great performer, seeing him live was a definite highlight.

Thank you very much!

YAY!! If I've convinced at least one person to try the Roule Lard et Fromage, I've done my job

Adorable pics at Character Spot!

I'm sorry the park was so crowded! It's easy to get discouraged, especially when it's still so early!

I have no desire to try school bread lol so thank you for confirming that for me with your review!

Thank you so much!!

I expected crowds this week, but I wasn't prepared for how busy Epcot was going to be that day! Kenny the Pirate said it'd be the best park to visit that day-- and the scariest part is that looking back at the wait times park-wide, I think it was

Not a problem, I'm here to help There are so many other great things to try at Kringla Bakeri! I can't wait to try the troll horn on my next trip.