Trick or Treat & Eat Some Sweets! Oct 2018 TR - LInk to new TR 5/17/19!

[kastoney]

Hi Ariana!!! On a snowy day here in DC I just binged your report so I'm all caught up. Looks like you all had a blast at the party. Can't wait to read more!

 

[buteraa]

Great report. We are doing the Halloween Party this year so it was exciting to see your experience.

 

[Pluto0809]

HOLY MOLEY 16 already?

Yep! Hard to believe that one myself but I counted!

By the way need to talk to you about Falcon stuff for Matt. Can't find that here and he is a huge fan.

Sure, that stuff is everywhere down here.

me. and you.. and the rest of the DIS population!

I guess we are all a little crazy then.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Thanks!

You really need to stop.. You know ding dang well he loves Disney..

Well just yesterday he was complaining about the fact that I made him go twice last year and saying that he was glad we weren't going this year. And then five minutes later he was complaining that I'm not taking him with him in May. Then I mentioned the Illuminations Cruise that we are doing in May and he immediately switched back to being glad he's not going since he hates fireworks. So you tell me, does he like it or not because I can't figure it out.

I just spit out my coffee..

When he sent me that one I was like "oh good, something funny for my TR". And then he was like "oh crap, I didn't think about that".

GAG! No way!!!

Those rope drop crowds for TSL are no joke!

Umm... I...
Ya know what? just go on...
Cheater

We still hold the record for best ride.

Definitely! Nothing will top our private TOT ride.

your killing me...

Hey, I just report it like it happened. If I manage to snot snope, it goes in the report.

Oh NO! It can be quite funny! so sad.

I was pretty disappointed with that one.

That's a lot of ketchup.

It was for all of us, just happened to all end up on my tray! Granted I do use a lot of ketchup, just not that much.

 

[Pluto0809]

No worries! It'll still be there if/when you have time.

I'm slowly working my way around to all the TRs. Still have a lot to go though.

My poor mom has a nice collection of Hummel figurines. She's guarded them all her life (well... over the course of it... say the last 50+ years or so anyway) because they were "expensive".
Now they're worthless.

Yikes! I had that same thing happen with the Beanie Babies. Although I did make some money for a bit flipping them when they were really hot.

It's because it's the best way to eat it. With butter and salt.

Creamed corn... has been documented as a creation of evil men intent on inflicting misery on mankind.

Totally agree with you on this one.

Photos?

Even better, here's links to the two posts I wrote about it.

Hoop Dee Doo Part 1
Hoop Dee Doo Part 2

Everyone should try not to be that ugly tourist.

Another one I totally agree with on you!

Still. You're in MK. So... I call that a win all on its own.

Definitely!

I've not had a problem at lunch. Eaten in there twice.

I'll definitely have to check it out in May. I have lunch booked there on 5/3 with @missjackiemcg. I'm pretty sure that's the day you are at MK so we will have to arrange a meet up!

 

[Pluto0809]

Nice shirts. They are the same design as the ones my family got, except ours were black t-shirts with orange Mickey heads and lettering. I like the idea of having elaborate costumes but they are not so convenient to travel with and the matching shirts are much easier.

I think a lot of people had that same design. I was just looking for something simple and reasonably priced. I did try to get my family to do costumes but they weren't into it.

That's almost exactly where my family watched the 2nd parade from. It's a pretty good spot. You don't get the castle in the background, but I expect it's much less crowded.
My night pictures aren't the best either, especially the headless horseman. I know there are tricks to getting good night pictures, I just don't have that skill.

It turned out to be a really nice place to watch especially since we didn't want to waste time waiting for a good spot. I think my issue with the camera is the fact that I only have a little point and shoot. I doubt I will ever get great night shoots with it and I really don't want to upgrade to a fancier camera.

Sounds like a great party! You guys got a ton of awesome PP pics and your shirts look great!

I love those trick or treat bags you bought- so cute!

We did have a great party and the bags worked out wonderfully. We would have filled up the ones they gave you after about two stops.

I love this too!

I think this is a new favorite dessert for me.

Ooooh, love this extra spooky picture!

I was pleasantly surprised at how well that one turned out.

I couldn't agree more! I'd have sat this one out too for the same reason.

It makes me sad some days that my aging body can't handle all the thrill rides anymore.

I love these See Ya Real Soon pumpkins! Except on the last day... then it's just depressing

So true! This was the only time we got to see them lit up on this trip.

And I will securely store my phone, so I don't lose another one!!

I love how you "can't be scared" and Jim can't be just a little scared--his scared face is by far my fav LOL

Can you tell which one of us is the drama queen?

Isn't that so amazing?! Rob got some beautiful pics of Holiday Wishes from the Speedway when we were there in 2016. I would never in my life have imagined that was a good spot to watch fireworks. So, I stood over there for HEA when we were there in June, while they road. It's not a perfect view, but it sure felt magical

I really wish I had taken out my camera for some shots that night! I'm wondering how it will look this year since they are changing both Holiday Wishes and Hallowishes to be more in line with HEA.

 

[Pluto0809]

Did i miss the story?!?

Patience my Padawan.

NO WAY!!! that's some pixi dust!!!

It certainly was! Definitely added some serious magic to our trip.

My favorite spot.

I think that was the first time I've ever taken pictures from up there. I'm sure it won't be the last.

THIS IS MAGICAL!!!!!!!!!

Those shots turned out so well, I'm glad we stopped for them.

Is this the real name for this room? I have heard it called so many different names.

I'm not sure where I got Rose Room from so I went searching and found out on the WDW Be Our Guest page that it's official name is "The Castle Gallery". I had no idea.

Love some Dumbo.. Can't wait for the live action

Me too! My goal is to get through it without a lot of ugly crying. I could barely get through the preview when we went to see Mary Poppins Returns.

This is way cuter then i thought!! It's adorable on you!

Thanks! I really love the criss-cross at the top.

Love these silly cards! the kids got into it too.

I've never gotten into them myself but mainly wanted the card since it was rare and might have been worth something.

I really need to learn how to use a cricut.

Etsy is my friend! I have no crafting skills at all so I rely on others to do it for me.

Peanut is going to be so upset-- you know how she feels about those dang green beans! HA

Well I will eat them but only if they are Del Monte french cut out of a can.

what a fantastic shot!!! love it love the colors love it all!

I was very happy with that shot.

Jim's face is amazing.

You can definitely tell who the drama queen is in our relationship.

These are super cute especially this one!!

Thanks! Walmart came through on that one. Jocelyn got the purple unicorn. I turned them upside down and had everyone pick by color. I ended up with the green bear which was the one I wanted anyways.

Great picture of these dudes...

Another shot I was very happy with this trip.

it's one of the best rides in MK! you get all the special views!

True! And it's a great way to get off of your feet for a few minutes.

Sing it Jim...

What he calls cheating I call him being too lazy to do the research and figure out where the high value targets are.

This must have been so magical!!!

Thanks for the tip!!!

It really was. Unfortunately they are changing Hallowishes for next year so I don't know if this will be a good tip then or not.

Stop telling us Jim doesn't like Disney.. He is perfection

Refer back to my comments in the previous reply.

Can you change the ISO to a higher setting? if so that will fix your issue.

No idea. I have a point and shoot and I never mess with the settings other than turning the flash off and on.

I like Halloween compared to Christmas..

I do love the Halloween Party best but I also love the whole Christmas time vibe with the decorations and music playing.

I want to meet this horse.. One day i will get over there.

I did get to meet them (they have several) when Jim and I did the Segway tour at Fort Wilderness. I don't even know if that tour still exists.

 

[pkondz]

I'm slowly working my way around to all the TRs. Still have a lot to go though.

I feel your pain. Easy to get behind around here.

Yikes! I had that same thing happen with the Beanie Babies. Although I did make some money for a bit flipping them when they were really hot.

Hopefully you mostly got out when the getting out was good.

Even better, here's links to the two posts I wrote about it.

Thanks!

I'll definitely have to check it out in May. I have lunch booked there on 5/3 with @missjackiemcg. I'm pretty sure that's the day you are at MK so we will have to arrange a meet up!

Well, looky here. We have a lunch ADR at BOG the same day. What time is yours? Ours is 12:15.

 

[Pluto0809]

I'm familiar with that. And... while I understand the necessity... I want to go down Main St.

At least we got some time on Main Street that morning.

Well... poop. Sorry about that.

I really don't collect the cards I just thought it would be fun to grab one since they are only available at the party.

I like the shirts.

Thanks!

Oh, yumm! One of my favourite meals there. Would love to do it again in May with DD21, but she's pescatarian, so it'd be a waste.

I thought about doing it in May also but don't really have a spot to fit it in with all of the activities we have planned.

That mac n cheese is soooo good!

Drooling now just thinking about it!

OMG. That was amazing!

Exactly my reaction. I was... "Meh. Dessert doesn't sound great so I'll eat more of the main course... what is this heaven????"

I'm still sad that I didn't get a chance to eat more of it.

Whoa! Good call!

Yeah it was a crazy line after we got out. That whole are around HM and CCH was just wall to wall people.

Nice shot.

Thanks! That's one of the better ones I got this trip.

Well you are in Disney.

True. And it is Mickey's NOT So Scary Halloween Party.

I've been hearing that the crowds were worse this year than in past years. Wonder if it's just getting more popular, or they're selling more tickets.

Well I can only compare to 2013 but it was definitely more crowded than that year.

It usually is. I think they really over-estimated the number of people who'd want to ride this.

That's an understatement! I think it takes longer to walk through the line than it does to actually ride it.

I don't remember that from the last time I went (a few years ago.) Is it inside the grotto? Or just outside it?

We went in through the regular line and back out through the FP line so no, we didn't actually enter the Grotto itself.

Why? Just like it? Or the view? Or?

Dumbo is a childhood favorite of mine. My first trip to Disney was when I was 2 1/2 and my Great Aunt (the one who turned 90 this summer) and Great Uncle (passed away when I was 5 or 6) took me. Of course at that time there was only Magic Kingdom. She still tells the story of how I dragged them from IASW to Dumbo to the Tea Cups to IASW to Dumbo to the Tea Cups etc. Both IASW and Dumbo are near and dear to my heart thanks to memories from that trip. Tea Cups not so much any more with my motion sickness issues.

Do you?

Nope, I was just smart enough to go online and read up on where the high value targets are. Plus I've had way more practice at the ride than he does. I think I rode it 6 times on one of my solo trips and many more since then. What he calls cheating, I call lack of preparation on his part.

Not bad at all! I never do well there.

Like I said, research and multiple rides have helped me over the years.

For Stitch? Huh! Never knew.

Not just regular Stitch, this was Stitch dressed as Elvis. As far as I know, this was the first time that character was available to meet.

Why???????

I actually really love TLS. I think it if wasn't for the horrible gasoline smell I would ride it more often. It just makes me giggle because the cars are so hard to control.

Who indeed! Gonna be recommending that from now on???

Probably not since they are changing Hallowishes next year to be more in line with HEA. Which says to me less fireworks and more projections

What about you? The last time I went, I skipped it. Been there, saw that.

I've never seen Hocus Pocus so I wasn't too worried about watching it. I would have if everyone else wanted to but I wasn't sad to miss it.

Sorry. I had to.

You better watch out or before you know it I'll be sending you my updates to proofread for me. Seriously, thanks for pointing it out, I went back and fixed it. Sometimes my brain works faster than my hands can type. Spellcheck can only do so much.

You guys look terrified! Not!

Like I said, scared is not my thing.

Yep. Tough shots to get without a fast lens.

And I only have a point and shoot so even tougher.

And yet it's my favourite pin so far!

Why am I not surprised?

 

[Pluto0809]

I'm glad you all enjoyed the party! Even though our Sept.party was SO much more crowded than our past parties, I still love it and Boo To You is my absolute favorite parade
The Magic Shots this year were awesome! We got more than we normally ever do. Love your shirts too, ours were very similar except mine was a black tank but Steve's was the same gray. I love the idea of costumes, but my non-creative self would totally come up short lol.

We enjoy LTT for lunch but have never done dinner; it looks much better than I imagined it would be! I think my boys would like it, I'll have to keep it in mind if I ever get them to go back with us

Boo To You is a really great parade! It was the one thing I insisted we do at the Halloween Party. I hadn't been since 2013 but it sure seemed a lot more crowded this year.

Our goal was to get all of the Magic Shots and I think we came pretty darn close. My family was not keen for costumes so the shirts worked out great.

LTT is definitely a favorite for me. It's perfect food for me since I'm a picky eater.

It's so pretty at twilight!

Especially with the special lighting and spooky fog for the party.

BUT, isn't she hilarious?!

She was pretty darn funny to listen to!

Wow! How totally cool is that?!

It was but who knows what it will be like when they change Hallowishes next year.

Because he is impossible to get. AT all.

Especially for me because I only have a point and shoot.

Hi Ariana!!! On a snowy day here in DC I just binged your report so I'm all caught up. Looks like you all had a blast at the party. Can't wait to read more!

Hi Kari! Thanks for stopping by and joining in.

Great report. We are doing the Halloween Party this year so it was exciting to see your experience.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a wonderful time at the party this year.

 

[Pluto0809]

I feel your pain. Easy to get behind around here.

That is so true! Especially when evil work gets in the way.

Hopefully you mostly got out when the getting out was good.

I was able to sell most of them for at least cost. They weren't very expensive to begin with.

Well, looky here. We have a lunch ADR at BOG the same day. What time is yours? Ours is 12:15.

Darn, our lunch is at 11:20 am. I made it a bit early because we have an early O'Hana dinner that night. But that maybe a good time to meet up as we pass by each other as we head out and you head in.

 

[pkondz]

At least we got some time on Main Street that morning.

Ah! That's okay, then. Still... I do love Main St during the party. But.. you get to see it later anyways.

I really don't collect the cards I just thought it would be fun to grab one since they are only available at the party.

You were going to deprive some child of his card by scooping up the last one???? You monster!

Drooling now just thinking about it!

Oh, yes indeed.

I'm still sad that I didn't get a chance to eat more of it.

I can see it now...

"Hi and welcome to LTT. I will be your server this evening. Can I start by..."
"Just skip the small talk... and the meal. We're skipping straight to dessert."

Yeah it was a crazy line after we got out. That whole are around HM and CCH was just wall to wall people.

Yuck.

True. And it is Mickey's NOT So Scary Halloween Party.

I dunno... With the prices going up all the time, it's getting pretty scary.

That's an understatement! I think it takes longer to walk through the line than it does to actually ride it.

We went in through the regular line and back out through the FP line so no, we didn't actually enter the Grotto itself.

Ah, okay. It'd be pretty backed up otherwise, unless she wasn't there, I guess.

Dumbo is a childhood favorite of mine. My first trip to Disney was when I was 2 1/2 and my Great Aunt (the one who turned 90 this summer) and Great Uncle (passed away when I was 5 or 6) took me.

Now this I understand. Nostalgia is huge at Disney.

Of course at that time there was only Magic Kingdom. She still tells the story of how I dragged them from IASW to Dumbo to the Tea Cups to IASW to Dumbo to the Tea Cups etc.

Awwwww!

Both IASW and Dumbo are near and dear to my heart thanks to memories from that trip.

Tea Cups not so much any more with my motion sickness issues.

I get that.

Nope, I was just smart enough to go online and read up on where the high value targets are. Plus I've had way more practice at the ride than he does. I think I rode it 6 times on one of my solo trips and many more since then. What he calls cheating, I call lack of preparation on his part.

I agree!

Not just regular Stitch, this was Stitch dressed as Elvis. As far as I know, this was the first time that character was available to meet.

Ah! Well, that does make a difference. I know that I'd probably stand in line if Ariel changed her shells.

I actually really love TLS. I think it if wasn't for the horrible gasoline smell I would ride it more often. It just makes me giggle because the cars are so hard to control.

Okay! Now that is a good reason! Best I've heard, actually.

Probably not since they are changing Hallowishes next year to be more in line with HEA. Which says to me less fireworks and more projections

This is not good news.

You better watch out or before you know it I'll be sending you my updates to proofread for me. Seriously, thanks for pointing it out, I went back and fixed it. Sometimes my brain works faster than my hands can type. Spellcheck can only do so much.

Sorry! And... you're welcome!

Why am I not surprised?

No idea.

That is so true! Especially when evil work gets in the way.

was able to sell most of them for at least cost. They weren't very expensive to begin with.

Wonder if they'll ever come back... doubt it.

Darn, our lunch is at 11:20 am. I made it a bit early because we have an early O'Hana dinner that night. But that maybe a good time to meet up as we pass by each other as we head out and you head in.

Sure!

 

[Pluto0809]

You were going to deprive some child of his card by scooping up the last one???? You monster!

Absolutely, you snooze you lose. In all seriousness my plan was to offer it here on the DIS to someone who collects the cards but couldn't make it to the party.

"Hi and welcome to LTT. I will be your server this evening. Can I start by..."
"Just skip the small talk... and the meal. We're skipping straight to dessert."

I've thought about it! I almost always check the dessert menu at restaurants before I decide what entree I'm getting. Got to leave room if there's a dessert that sounds good!

With the prices going up all the time, it's getting pretty scary.

It'd be pretty backed up otherwise, unless she wasn't there, I guess.

She wasn't. I'm pretty sure she meets elsewhere during the parties with Eric. I didn't really pay much attention to the meet and greets this year since we weren't planning on doing any.

Now this I understand. Nostalgia is huge at Disney.

Ah! Well, that does make a difference. I know that I'd probably stand in line if Ariel changed her shells.

Okay! Now that is a good reason! Best I've heard, actually.

We are all kids at Disney right?

Sure!

We will definitely have to plan some kind of meet that day. I'm not passing up that opportunity! We will work something out for sure once all plans are in place.

 

[Pluto0809]

Roasting Our Way through Food and Wine Part 1

When we found out we would be going to the Halloween party, I rearranged our next day so that we could sleep in a bit. Originally I had us rope dropping Epcot with FPs in the morning but I was easily able to move the FPs to the afternoon. So our first FP of the day was now at 1:10 pm and we didn’t have to head to Epcot till about 11 am that day.

Jim doesn’t really have the ability to sleep in. He’s up at 5 am every day even on the weekends but even he managed to sleep until 6 am that morning. He ended up getting ready and then taking his computer over to the Food Court to work for a few hours. Mom and I got up around 8:30 am and took our time getting ready. I called Jim and he brought me back a bagel from the food court but Mom just had some of the snacks from our food order.

I’m not sure which shirt I had originally planned to wear this day but I ended up switching at the last minute again. Mom had ordered a shirt off of Etsy but it ended up being too small for her. Well it fit me just fine so I snagged it from her for the day.



We left the room around 11 am and caught a bus to Epcot. The bag check lines were a bit long but we were still walking into Epcot around noon.





Our first destination of the day was the Food and Wine Festival Center. I took some now very outdated construction pictures of the old Universe of Energy building. The building looked completely gutted and you could see all the way through and out the other side.





We had several things we wanted to do in the Festival Center. First stop was the merchandise area. My Great Aunt (the one who turned 90 in June) had given each of us some money for Food and Wine so we all got the Remy gift cards that you wear on your wrist. These turned out to be a great idea because they were super convenient to use. I just had to hold out my wrist to the CMs and they would scan the gift card. No pulling out cash or card every time you needed to pay.

Then Mom and I went over to the Passholder area to pick up our magnets which you could get on your first visit to Epcot.



They were handing out the cutting boards in the same room and the CM there had no one around. Mom walked over and asked nicely to see the cutting board. She just wanted to get a sneak peak, we were planning on coming back on Friday to pick them up after our 4th visit. But the CM scanned Mom’s band and declared that she lived too far away to have to come back 4 times so she handed both of us our cutting boards right then.



So our side trip to Epcot the previous day turned out to be completely useless! Of course as soon as we walked away, we realized that we would have to carry those cutting boards all day. I can’t remember why at this point, but Jocelyn ended up putting them in her backpack for us. Jim usually carries a big backpack that I store stuff in all the time so I don’t know why we didn’t put them in there.

We headed over to the Ghirardelli area next to get our free chocolate squares and also to check out the chocolate sculptures. I always love looking at them, there’s just so much detail!











This last one was my favorite, the cheetah looked so lifelike I expected him to start moving around.



Our last stop in the Festival Center was the Shimmering Sips Mimosa Bar. I ended up getting a chocolate croissant and the Madras Mimosa (Cranberry Sparkling wine and orange juice).





It was a bit too hectic to try to get pictures of everyone else’s selections but I do know that Mom got the Blood Orange Mimosa (Sparkling Wine and Blood Orange Juice) and John and Jocelyn shared the Tropical Mimosa (Sparkling Wine with Pomegranate, Orange and Grapefruit juices).

I got the croissant mainly because I’m a picky eater and know I wouldn’t find a huge amount of dishes at the booths. The croissant was good and did help to fill me up but there was nothing extraordinary about it. We passed the mimosas around so we could each taste them and I was definitely happy with my choice of the Madras one. It was by far my favorite of the three.

After we exited the Festival Center we headed over to Future World West where there was a clump of 8 booths, Flavors from Fire, Light Lab, Earth Eats, Active Eats, Coastal Eats, the Chocolate Studio, the Cheese Studio and the Wine & Dine Studio. It was here that we planned to eat lunch.

The booths were a bit more spread out than they appeared on the map so we split up and went separate ways to each get a dish with a plan to meet back up at the tables. Jim headed down the hill towards Figment to hit up the Flavors From Fire and the rest of us got in line at Coastal Eats. I ended up getting the Seared Scallops with Roasted Corn, Butterbean Succotash and Chili-chipotle butter sauce.



This was my first time trying scallops and I ended up not caring for them too much. Not that they tasted bad or anything, but they were just a bit too chewy for my taste. I did eat them but only picked a bit at the corn and succotash. I ended up giving most of the veggies to John to finish. Mom got the Lump Crab cake which she seemed to enjoy but I don’t remember what Jim, John or Jocelyn got to start off. I do know that Jim went to the Earth Eats booth next and got both the Steakhouse burger and the Impossible Burger (veggie burger). He liked both of them but declared the Steakhouse one as the winner.

For my second dish, I walked down the hill a bit to the Cheese Studio and got the Braised Beef Stroganoff with Tiny Egg Noodles, Wild Mushroom and Bousin Garlic with Fine Herbs Cheese Sauce.



I really liked this dish minus the mushrooms which I picked out and it ended up being my 2nd favorite from that day.

I was done after my second dish, it was really hot that afternoon and none of us had a huge appetite because of the heat so we called it quits and headed off to our first FP. I had been watching Mom closely and I could tell the heat wasn’t doing her any good so I wanted to get her into some air conditioning soon. We did make a quick stop for some Photopass pictures on our way to Spaceship Earth. Mom didn’t want to stand out in the sun for these so she stayed in the shade while the rest of us got in line.









We used our FP at SE and were headed on to the ride in no time at all. Once again we somehow got separated from each other. John and Mom got behind us a bit so when we started to load, Jim and I got in one car and Jocelyn right behind us. But the CM stopped John and wouldn’t let him follow Jocelyn and board with her. I missed the whole thing but John said she threw out her arm to block him and wouldn’t let him go. There were some broken seats after Jocelyn so Mom and John ended up quite a ways behind. Of course you know I took some pictures as we rode.









Continued in Next Post

 

[Pluto0809]

Roasting Our Way through Food and Wine Part 2

Jim had his sunglasses on top of his head so his picture looks like he has some weird hair do and my hair is so big, they can never get all of it in the photo.



Next we headed over to The Seas building. We didn’t ride the Nemo ride, but just headed into the building to look around at the aquarium. I don’t think we spent a whole lot of time in the building, mostly we just used the restrooms and then walked around the aquarium for a bit before heading back out.



We did spot at least one of the Sea Turtles which happen to be Mom and I’s favorite. We always try to find them when we visit the Seas building.







Our 2nd FP was for Living with the Land from 2:20 – 3:20 so we headed there after the Seas. I was definitely not on my photo game this day. I usually take a ton of pictures on this ride but this time it was only four.



There were some new displays for Food and Wine.







We had a bit of time after LWTL before our 3:25 FP for Test Track. I was starting to get hungry now that we had been out of the heat for a while and for me empty stomach + thrill ride = more severe motion sickness. Plus we were right there at Sunshine Seasons home of the Chocolate Mousse cake which is one of my all-time favorites at WDW. I headed straight to the dessert counter and immediately noticed a distinct lack of Mousse Cake in the display case. I asked and the CM said they no longer had that cake. Talk about a bitter disappointment. I know, first world problems, but I think I’ve been getting that cake pretty much every trip since 2012. I was so sad I ended up getting two desserts to drown my sorrow in.



Definitely was not the Mousse Cake I wanted but at least they fulfilled the requirement of filling up my stomach a bit. I know some of the others in our group also got something to snack on but I guess I was too focused on my disappointment to even notice what they had.

After our snack, we went straight across to Test Track and got in the FP line. This was the first time John and Jocelyn had ridden the new version. We did ride it way back in 2010 before the changeover but for some reason, they didn't make it back on in 2014. They split us into two groups of 3 and 2. Since Mom and I didn’t really care too much about designing a car, we joined Jim on one terminal and John and Jocelyn went on another one.

Jim designed this monstrosity.



And John and Jocelyn created this one.



And here’s our ride photo. I was a bit disappointed because the screens that tell you how well your car did were not working. But it’s still a fun ride, especially the outdoor part.



While we were waiting in line for TT, I was able to hop on MDE and make us a 4th FP for Soarin’ for 7:45 pm. I figured we could hit it up on the way out since we weren’t planning on staying for Illuminations.

After TT, we spent a little bit of time looking through Mouse Gears and then headed back to World Showcase to start our Food and Wine experience in earnest. It was still pretty hot at that time but it started to cool down some as the evening went on. Once again I only got pictures of my dishes and have no idea what everyone else got. It was just too hard to keep track of what everyone else was having.

Before we started around the World, we stopped at one of the stores at the front of WS in order to buy the Remy Hide and Squeak maps. Jocelyn and I each got one. Here’s a picture of mine I took later that night after we had filled in some of the circles. Basically you had to find Remy in each country and see what he had with him so you could determine which sticker to place on the map. Once you filled up the map, you took it back to the store to receive a prize. We only found about ½ of them that night because it got really hard to find them once the sun went down.





We turned left when we got to WS and headed towards Mexico. There were a few booths before the Mexico pavilion but I did not get anything at those.

We spent some time looking around the inside of the Mexico pavilion. I was on the lookout for yet another Elephant but once again didn’t see one I liked. There were a few ceramic ones at one of the booths but they just weren’t speaking to me. Jim purchased a couple of hot sauces which took forever. The CM that was waiting on him went in the back to get some stuff to wrap the bottles with and then never came back. Jim finally flagged down another CM who took care of him.

In the meantime, John and Jocelyn had moved on to the China booth so we hurried to catch up to them. As we were walking I spotted our first Remy of the trip. I’m pretty sure this was the only one I took a picture of.



When we caught up to them at the China booth, I got the Chicken Dumplings with Chinese Slaw and a Kung Fu Punch (Vodka and Triple Sec).





I found the Dumplings kind of boring and bland which is funny for me because I usually eat bland food. I probably would not get them again. I loved the Kung Fu Punch and it was a pretty nice size too compared to other drinks I got at a later time. That one I would definitely get again.

We continued on, stopping to read the menus at each booth but I didn’t get anything else for a bit. As we walked through the African Outpost I spotted a pretty stone Elephant that I just had to have so I stopped and purchased him. I love that he is white with some purple swirls and markings throughout the stone.



Italy was where I finally stopped for some more food. I got the Pollo Alla Cacciatora (braised chicken thigh, mushrooms, tomatoes and parmesan polenta.



I really enjoyed this dish, minus the mushrooms of course. I even liked the polenta which is something I don’t think I’ve ever had before.

I have a two hour gap in my photos at this point. We stopped at the Hops and Barley booth at the America pavilion where everyone but me got a Lobster Roll which they all enjoyed. I do like lobster but not the mayonnaise that comes on it. Then we went in and saw the American Adventure show. It’s one of John’s favorites and a must do for him. We got in to the waiting area early and I was happy to get good seats for the Voices of Liberty. But then they never came out to sing. I assumed that they performed before each show but I guess I was wrong on that account.

When we finished up with the show, WS had gotten very crowded and we somehow got separated from each other. Mom and I ended up at the Belgium booth where I got the Beer-Braised Beef served with Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes and Mom got one of the waffles.



This was the clear winner of the night for me. I absolutely loved this dish and ate every bite, it was perfect for a picky eater like me. Mom enjoyed her waffle also. Right after that we managed to find everyone again, John and Jocelyn had stopped at one of the other booths and Jim had snuck off to France to check out the Ratatouille merchandise. We were all pretty full at this point so we skipped over the rest of the booths until we got to Ireland. I wanted dessert so I got the Warm Chocolate Pudding with Irish Crème Liqueur Custard and a glass of the Bunratty Meade Honey Wine.





I loved the pudding, it was a repeat favorite from previous years but I wasn’t thrilled with the wine. For $6 it was so tiny (I mean, come on, my thumb is almost bigger, and no I don’t have giant hands) and it was a lot more tart than I expected it to be. With “honey” in the name I was expecting sweet. I drank it of course but wouldn’t get it again.

And that was the last booth we visited for the night. As we walked the rest of the way around WS, Jim mentioned that there was a Food and Wine shirt he had seen in Mouse Gears that he wanted to get. We started looking everywhere for it and could not find it. We checked the store in the front of WS and still didn’t see it so I told him to run ahead to Mouse Gears and we would meet him at Soarin’. But as we exited the store, I spotted the shirt in a booth right across from the store. I have a feeling he zipped right past it on his way out of WS. I called him and said we found it and to switch course and go straight to Soarin’. Here’s the shirt I ended up picking up for him.



He had really wanted a shirt with Remy on it but they only had a women’s version with Remy so he settled for the Figment one. And that was the last picture I have for the evening other than my pins and fitbit stats. We did continue on towards Soarin’ but before we made the left turn to go there, John said he was going to skip out and head back to the resort for some pinball. It’s funny how motion sickness affects people differently. Soarin’ doesn’t bother me one bit but John has a lot of trouble with it and didn’t really want to ride that night. So we parted ways and Mom, Jocelyn and I met up with Jim in the Land building. We rode and enjoyed Soarin’ (although still not as much as the original version) and then headed out of the park as Illuminations started.

Once again I only managed to trade for one pin on this day and it was a cute one that matched the Ariel one I got the day before.



Despite not leaving the room till 11 am, we still walked almost 8 miles that day! Although if you remember, some of those steps were from the night before.



Up Next: Traveling Through Time

 

[missangelalexis]

How nice of the CM to give you both the cutting boards early!

I never got to see any pics of the chocolate sculptures from this past year so thank you for sharing them!

I'm sorry they got rid of your mousse cake!

Sounds like a really good Epcot day!

 

[missjackiemcg]

I really wish I had taken out my camera for some shots that night! I'm wondering how it will look this year since they are changing both Holiday Wishes and Hallowishes to be more in line with HEA.

Wait, how did I miss this!? After regular Wishes, Holiday Wishes is my very favorite and holds such special memories for me of the Christmas I spent at WDW with my Mom the last Christmas before I got married. I hope they don't ruin it!!

Me too! My goal is to get through it without a lot of ugly crying. I could barely get through the preview when we went to see Mary Poppins Returns.

Oh, my gosh, seriously!!!! I can't wait to see Dumbo, but I was a blubbering mess at the preview!! Darn, "Baby Mine!"

Absolutely, you snooze you lose. In all seriousness my plan was to offer it here on the DIS to someone who collects the cards but couldn't make it to the party.

Awww because you're so sweet!! @chunkymonkey was able to pick one up for Jimmy, and he was THRILLED!!! I love the DIS when we can do things like this for each other!

 

[pkondz]

Absolutely, you snooze you lose.

In all seriousness my plan was to offer it here on the DIS to someone who collects the cards but couldn't make it to the party.

Hey! That's actually really nice of you!

I've thought about it! I almost always check the dessert menu at restaurants before I decide what entree I'm getting.

You do? I don't think I've ever done that. I need to change my methods.

Got to leave room if there's a dessert that sounds good!

She wasn't. I'm pretty sure she meets elsewhere during the parties with Eric. I didn't really pay much attention to the meet and greets this year since we weren't planning on doing any.

Ah. I've stood in line for a very specific photo with Jack and Sally... but I doubt I'd do anything like that again.

We are all kids at Disney right?

Right!

We will definitely have to plan some kind of meet that day. I'm not passing up that opportunity! We will work something out for sure once all plans are in place.

Okay! Sounds good.

 

[pkondz]

When we found out we would be going to the Halloween party, I rearranged our next day so that we could sleep in a bit.

Good plan!

Jim doesn’t really have the ability to sleep in. He’s up at 5 am every day even on the weekends

He ended up getting ready and then taking his computer over to the Food Court to work for a few hours.

Work?
Yuck!
Disney is not conducive to working! Vacations are not conducive to working!

Well it fit me just fine so I snagged it from her for the day.

I like it! and it does fit well.

The bag check lines were a bit long but we were still walking into Epcot around noon.

Epcot always seems to have the worst bag check lines.

The building looked completely gutted and you could see all the way through and out the other side.

Whoa! That must've been a bit surreal.

My Great Aunt (the one who turned 90 in June) had given each of us some money for Food and Wine so we all got the Remy gift cards that you wear on your wrist. These turned out to be a great idea because they were super convenient to use.

Nice gift and... nice that it was so convenient!

But the CM scanned Mom’s band and declared that she lived too far away to have to come back 4 times so she handed both of us our cutting boards right then.

Oh! Nice!

Like those, too.

So our side trip to Epcot the previous day turned out to be completely useless!

I disagree. If you'd missed that day, then you would've gotten a CM who would've insisted you visit 4 times.

Of course as soon as we walked away, we realized that we would have to carry those cutting boards all day.

Well... I see the problem was solved. But... 1st world problems!

We headed over to the Ghirardelli area next to get our free chocolate squares

mmmm... only thing better than chocolate is free chocolate.

and also to check out the chocolate sculptures. I always love looking at them, there’s just so much detail!

Those are... pretty amazing!

This last one was my favorite, the cheetah looked so lifelike I expected him to start moving around.

Wow!! That's... incredible!

I ended up getting a chocolate croissant and the Madras Mimosa (Cranberry Sparkling wine and orange juice).

mmmm... mimosa...

I do know that Mom got the Blood Orange Mimosa (Sparkling Wine and Blood Orange Juice)

Wait... that sounds good too...

and John and Jocelyn shared the Tropical Mimosa (Sparkling Wine with Pomegranate, Orange and Grapefruit juices).

Stop changing my mind!!!

The croissant was good and did help to fill me up but there was nothing extraordinary about it.

I've never thought they were that great. I know some people rave about chocolate croissants, but I'm not one of them.

I ended up getting the Seared Scallops with Roasted Corn, Butterbean Succotash and Chili-chipotle butter sauce.

mmmm... sounds good

This was my first time trying scallops and I ended up not caring for them too much.

And I know why, too...

Not that they tasted bad or anything, but they were just a bit too chewy for my taste.

Chewy. A sure sign they were overcooked. Need to be seared on one side for 60 seconds, flipped, and 60 more. That's it!

I do know that Jim went to the Earth Eats booth next and got both the Steakhouse burger and the Impossible Burger (veggie burger). He liked both of them but declared the Steakhouse one as the winner.

Not surprised.

For my second dish, I walked down the hill a bit to the Cheese Studio and got the Braised Beef Stroganoff with Tiny Egg Noodles, Wild Mushroom and Bousin Garlic with Fine Herbs Cheese Sauce.

mmm... also sounds good.

I had been watching Mom closely and I could tell the heat wasn’t doing her any good so I wanted to get her into some air conditioning soon.

Oh dear. Take care of your mom.

But the CM stopped John and wouldn’t let him follow Jocelyn and board with her.

Huh. odd...

Hey! You took a shot of my dad!

 

[pkondz]

Jim had his sunglasses on top of his head so his picture looks like he has some weird hair do and my hair is so big, they can never get all of it in the photo.

How very futuristic of you.

Next we headed over to The Seas building. We didn’t ride the Nemo ride, but just headed into the building to look around at the aquarium.

Love that aquarium.

We did spot at least one of the Sea Turtles which happen to be Mom and I’s favorite. We always try to find them when we visit the Seas building.

Lucky you did. They seem to sleep a lot.

I was definitely not on my photo game this day. I usually take a ton of pictures on this ride but this time it was only four.

What!?!?! Slacker!!!

for me empty stomach + thrill ride = more severe motion sickness.

Interesting that your tummy affects your motion sickness. I wonder why?

Plus we were right there at Sunshine Seasons home of the Chocolate Mousse cake which is one of my all-time favorites at WDW.

Whoa! That sounds good! And...

I headed straight to the dessert counter and immediately noticed a distinct lack of Mousse Cake in the display case. I asked and the CM said they no longer had that cake. Talk about a bitter disappointment.

... poop. Well, so much for getting that in the future.

I know, first world problems, but I think I’ve been getting that cake pretty much every trip since 2012. I was so sad I ended up getting two desserts to drown my sorrow in.

Good way to handle the loss.

Jim designed this monstrosity.

Holy smokes! I didn't even know you could design something like that!

I was a bit disappointed because the screens that tell you how well your car did were not working.

Too bad. That's half the fun!

But it’s still a fun ride, especially the outdoor part.

I was able to hop on MDE and make us a 4th FP for Soarin’ for 7:45 pm.

Huh. Was a time when they'd be all gone well in advance of park opening.

we stopped at one of the stores at the front of WS in order to buy the Remy Hide and Squeak maps.

I know of them... just don't know anyone (until now) who's gotten them.

Basically you had to find Remy in each country and see what he had with him so you could determine which sticker to place on the map.

Ah! So that's what you do with them.

We only found about ½ of them that night because it got really hard to find them once the sun went down.

I can see that.

Or not... or whatever...

I was on the lookout for yet another Elephant but once again didn’t see one I liked.

They're masters at hide and seek.

There were a few ceramic ones at one of the booths but they just weren’t speaking to me.

You have to know elephantese. Or one of the dialects.

Jim purchased a couple of hot sauces which took forever.

Because he drank them?

The CM that was waiting on him went in the back to get some stuff to wrap the bottles with and then never came back. Jim finally flagged down another CM who took care of him.

Uh... okay? How the heck does that happen???

I found the Dumplings kind of boring and bland which is funny for me because I usually eat bland food.

Hmm... yeah, that's odd. Maybe your palate is changing for Food & Wine.

I loved the Kung Fu Punch and it was a pretty nice size too compared to other drinks I got at a later time. That one I would definitely get again.

Good to know! Thanks for the tip.

As we walked through the African Outpost I spotted a pretty stone Elephant that I just had to have so I stopped and purchased him.

Yay!

I even liked the polenta which is something I don’t think I’ve ever had before.

I'm surprised you liked it. With you being so fussy, I would've thought not.

Then we went in and saw the American Adventure show.

I really need to see this again. Last time I did was 1989.

I was happy to get good seats for the Voices of Liberty. But then they never came out to sing.

Poop. That's too bad.

I got the Beer-Braised Beef served with Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes

I remember having that! It was good, too!

I wanted dessert so I got the Warm Chocolate Pudding with Irish Crème Liqueur Custard

Don't remember that, though. But glad you liked it.

(I mean, come on, my thumb is almost bigger, and no I don’t have giant hands)

This just struck me as funny. Ariana with her giant hands.

Here’s the shirt I ended up picking up for him.

Kinda like it, but... can see why he'd want Remy.

John said he was going to skip out and head back to the resort for some pinball.

Hey! I should do that. Haven't played pinball in a long time. Well... I tried the other day, but the machine broke after one ball. Disappointing.

It’s funny how motion sickness affects people differently. Soarin’ doesn’t bother me one bit but John has a lot of trouble with it and didn’t really want to ride that night.

That is interesting. You'd think it'd be the same for everyone. "This ride affects people with motion sickness, but this one doesn't."

 

[kastoney]

Love this shift!!!! Total score on your part.

She just wanted to get a sneak peak, we were planning on coming back on Friday to pick them up after our 4th visit. But the CM scanned Mom’s band and declared that she lived too far away to have to come back 4 times so she handed both of us our cutting boards right then.

Wow, how kind of her!!

I really liked this dish minus the mushrooms which I picked out and it ended up being my 2nd favorite from that day.

I am totally with you on the hating mushroom train. I'll pretty much eat anything (including all the nasty bits I'm sure would make you cringe) but may a mushroom never pass these lips

I think its been years since we got a picture. Usually 1 if not both cameras aren't working for us.

I was so sad I ended up getting two desserts to drown my sorrow in.

RIP Chocolate Mousse but at least you drowned your sorrows well.

I really enjoyed this dish, minus the mushrooms of course. I even liked the polenta which is something I don’t think I’ve ever had before.

Too funny I am making pretty much this exact dish for dinner tonight (sans the aforementioned mushrooms of course). Chicken is braising in the oven as I type and polenta will follow soon.