Forever Could Even Start Today, Wedding & Disneymoon Sept 17 update 10/1: Last Day, Budget recap

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A lotus float in its natural habitat!

:rotfl:

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Loaded Tots - tater tots, smoked brisket beer cheese sauce, caramelized onions, cheddar, pico de gallo, green onion $12

These look yum! But interesting that HOB was so much better.
 
Though I'm sure you've all seen a million pictures of these by now, plus seen them in person, here are the amazing chocolate sculptures in the festival center.

Give me all the pictures of chocolate sculptures! I really regret missing out on those!

South American Chocolate Ganache - caramelized banana, cocoa nib tuile $12

YUM.

Ooo I had this too it was so good.
 
Looks like you all had a great first trip to AK, though I still can't believe it was your first time!!!!

Glad to see you all loved Tiffins. I know the menu can seem off-putting to some, but clearly they know that they are doing. And awesome you were able to try two of my favorite drinks. :-) The zing is still my favorite, but I have a soft spot for the tattoo too.

Great ROL pictures. We've still yet to see it but maybe on the next trip.
 
What a fun day at animal kingdom! The dis is loading super glitchy on my phone today so I will keep my comment short but just wanted to check in to say hi and that I am loving reading along!
 


I am just getting up to where you were heading out for your ceremony. I definitely understand worrying about people showing up uninvited. Part of the reason we had an in-park wedding was because of these same concerns that I had with some family members.

I really love how your bouquet turned out. We made some map flowers to include in our arrangements and my bouquet and I also had a hard time figuring out the best way to transport them to Florida. It involved a lot of bubble wrap and careful packing! :goodvibes

So many great pictures in front of the Swan & Dolphin along with the ones on the Boardwalk. We did a few Boardwalk photos for our vow renewal, but did an anniversary shoot five years ago where we got a lot of similar shots including ones in front of Atlantic Dance Hall. I had to laugh when you said how awkward some poses were especially the forehead touching. This time our photographer asked DH to do some shots kissing my forward and it was so awkward we said no more :rotfl2:

Looking forward to reading more soon.
 
Bahaha I loved the picture where Zack didn't make a funny face with you!!

And I kind of agree about Kali. It's fine, and I think the queue line's theming is pretty cool. But the ride is short, not particularly thrilling, and I managed not to even get particularly wet the last couple of times. The one at USO is a TOTALLY different story. More intense and MUCH wetter! :thumbsup2
The USO one is one of the best raft rides I've been on! And everyone gets so wet it's like you form an instant camaraderie with everyone else, even though you've never met them! One of the days we rode when it was just Zack and I, we kept seeing this other couple from our raft around the park the rest of the day... and we'd lock eyes, and sort of nod... you know, because we'd all been through something together :rotfl2:

Give me all the pictures of chocolate sculptures! I really regret missing out on those!
These types of things are so amazing, I just can't believe all of the work!

Ooo I had this too it was so good.
Soooo good!

Looks like you all had a great first trip to AK, though I still can't believe it was your first time!!!!
I can't believe I didn't make it to a Disney Park until I was 24. And then I can't believe I waited 2 more years to do WDW!
Glad to see you all loved Tiffins. I know the menu can seem off-putting to some, but clearly they know that they are doing. And awesome you were able to try two of my favorite drinks. :-) The zing is still my favorite, but I have a soft spot for the tattoo too.
Tiffins is so great. We ended up making an unplanned stop there in December. Just as delicious!
Great ROL pictures. We've still yet to see it but maybe on the next trip.
It's very pretty, but I do wish there was a bit more of a story line.
What a fun day at animal kingdom! The dis is loading super glitchy on my phone today so I will keep my comment short but just wanted to check in to say hi and that I am loving reading along!
I'm glad you're here!
I am just getting up to where you were heading out for your ceremony. I definitely understand worrying about people showing up uninvited. Part of the reason we had an in-park wedding was because of these same concerns that I had with some family members.
It's unfortunate we both had to have those worries! Unfortunately, family is not always what it's cracked up to be :confused3

I really love how your bouquet turned out. We made some map flowers to include in our arrangements and my bouquet and I also had a hard time figuring out the best way to transport them to Florida. It involved a lot of bubble wrap and careful packing! :goodvibes
Bubble wrap was my friend too! I started to make some map flowers, but then they didn't fit in with the direction my bouquet was headed - like it had a mind of it's own! :laughing: But I love the map flowers so much!

So many great pictures in front of the Swan & Dolphin along with the ones on the Boardwalk. We did a few Boardwalk photos for our vow renewal, but did an anniversary shoot five years ago where we got a lot of similar shots including ones in front of Atlantic Dance Hall. I had to laugh when you said how awkward some poses were especially the forehead touching. This time our photographer asked DH to do some shots kissing my forward and it was so awkward we said no more :rotfl2:
:rotfl2: Some feel so weird! And I always feel pretty un-photogenic anyways, so it was like we're standing there thinking... how will this look okay...

Looking forward to reading more soon.
I hope you enjoy!
 
Hollywood Studios
Part One: Nobody Puts A in a Corner… except Cousin Katie!


Hollywood Studios, another first for us. Zack was really excited as Tower of Terror is one of his very favorite rides, and he was looking forwards to Rock n Roller Coaster. I was mostly excited for 50s Primetime Cafe #priorities


Apparently we made it here for rope drop, because according to Photopass history, we hit ToT and RnR by 9:30am.

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Please be prepared for multiple photos of FILs face in ToT pics because it’s one of my favorite things! The times I ended up next to him on this ride in DLR a few summers ago he wouldn’t share the seat handle with me :rotfl: He opted to skip RnR because it goes upside down.

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After that I needed a snack, because #hangry. I grabbed a pastry from a coffee cart. K and A weren’t there yet, and we were starting to wonder if they were going to no-show again. If I remember correctly, they missed our Toy Story Mania FP that morning, which was too bad for them because no way in heck was I waiting in standby for that. It’s too bad because I think that’s a really cool, unique ride, and A is a big Toy Story fan… Ah well.

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Zack always beats me...

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Cruz Ramirez was meeting outside. I tried to get FIL to go get a photo, because we had taken him to Cars 3 for Father’s Day, but that was a no go :) No one had any interest in poor Cruz, except that lady and her kid.

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Zack and I took a moment to mourn missing the Great Movie Ride by about 40 days :sad:

At some point K and A let us know they were on the bus headed our way, so I sent them a helpful map.

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Why was I doing this? Surely adults can find their way around, right?

We had a bit before our Star Tours FP so we watched some adorable Jedis face off against Darth Vader before taking a flight to the Galaxy’s Edge. After K checked out everything in the gift shop (he’s the big Star Wars fan of the family, Zack’s other brother was a trekkie, and Zack is somewhere in between) we popped on over to try out some Muppetvision 3D.

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Poor Miss Piggy’s fountain was walled off.

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I loved this because I loved the Muppets as a kid. Zack and I had caught the MK show back in January when it was still pretty new, and we were able to catch most of a show this week with everyone becuase we had some other Muppets fans in the group. We kind of wandered across an Indiana Jones show just as it was about to start, and made it in just on the tail end of people and had to sit on the wall in the back.

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Originally we had a ToT FP at 12:45pm and 50s PTC at 3:45pm, but at some point I changed those. I can’t remember if I ended up moving 50s up that day but I feel like I did, to 1pm or so? And I think I switched ToT out for an earlier RnR FP, because that line had been consistently longer all day. So after Indiana Jones (which was fun to see, but not a must-do every trip for me) we hung out a bit until we could check in for 50s, where we waited maybe 10mins or so for our table. I kind of wish I’d changed my name in MDE to my married name, because in situations like these they always called us by my maiden name since I’d made the ADRs, but by this point we were almost all Married Name’s!


Everyone got such a kick out of this meal! They still talk about it. We got a table just through the door behind the check in desk. Literally the one to the left as you go through the door. Cousin Katie came by and let us know the rules. She was so great. And the theming was such a kick. Anyways, I had two things I was really determined to get here:

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Yes, I believe at this point I was already afraid to have my phone out at the table. I’d been caught right away trying to plug it into my portable battery...

Peanut Butter and Jelly Milk Shake $7

Fried Herb and Garlic Cheese - served with raspberry sauce, grapes and apples $9

The milk shake was so good! Just like a Reese’s cup. Now that I’ve learned that you can get it to go in the Tune-In lounge…. I think I’ll have to at least make a stop for that… when we go back in September! I’m trying to get farther along in this TR/the DLR TR before I’d start a PTR for that… The Herb and Garlic cheese was also really good, though I would have preferred carbs to dip in it - apples are really not my favorite.

Around this time Cousin Katie came back, and Zack had already finished off his drink.

“How many of those do you think you’re having?” she asked.

“Probably about five” Zack answered.

I’m sure you can all see where this is going…

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For lunch, I ended up having:

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Grandma's Chicken Pot Pie - A creamy cheese mixture of chicken, mushrooms, carrots, celery, onions, and peas topped with a flaky pastry $21

This was good, but not amazing. Definitely filling, I couldn’t finish it all.


I talked Zack into having:

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A Sampling of Mom's Favorite Recipes - golden-fried chicken, fork tender pot roast, and traditional meatloaf with all the fixings $24

Wonderful photo. I was trying to sneakily take photos when Cousin Katie wasn’t around. I wanted to try some of this, which is why I talked Zack into the sampler… but I was too scared!

At one point when we were eating, Zack hadn’t started in on his veggies yet. Cousin Katie asked him if he wanted to sing the green bean song. Now, we’d already witnessed someone having to do this across the room, and Zack did not want to repeat that performance! Zack’s dad had the pot roast, which had thinly sliced veggies on top, and he still says “I didn’t even know what those were but I ate them all because I didn’t want to sing anything!” Zack’s mom kept getting in trouble for having her elbows on the table.

This was about when A made his fatal mistake. He pulled his phone out to show someone something, or look something up, I can’t quite remember. And Cousin Katie came up…

“What are you doing? Playing with your toys at the table? Didn’t I already warn you about that?”

And she sent him off to time out in the corner :rotfl2: Oh my gosh, we were all just dying at the table. She left him there for at least five minutes, and then came back to ask “Family, are we ready to let A come back to the table?” And we all shouted NO! :rotfl2: She put him in the corner next to the doorway so they kept bringing people in to seat and they’d stare at him… other people in the restaurant were taking pictures of him in the corner… K did grab a photo, but the rest of us were to busy laughing (and not wanting to get caught with our phones!) to do so. After several more minutes A snuck back to the table, WITHOUT permission, so he got the evil eye and some lip when Cousin Katie came back.

K had ordered a salad, and had gotten a lot of grief about coming to mom’s house and ordering rabbit food. He didn’t finish, and was going to head to the restroom, so he threw a napkin over his plate. We teased him, saying I’m sure she hasn’t seen that before! So while he was away from the table, the rest of use scraped anything we hadn’t eaten onto his plate :thumbsup2: He had just enough time to come back and see what we’d done before Cousin Katie showed up. She told him, “That’s why you don’t get up from the table until you’re excused!”

This was such a great time overall and for me, really made up for our lackluster Skippers meal. I think any trip with extended family I would make an ADR for here!

50s Primetime Cafe: $125 for 5 including tax and tip, after saving $26 with TIW (K and A decided they’d just pay for their things and forego our TIW discount)

This was such a great time overall and for me, really made up for our lackluster Skippers meal. I think any trip with extended family I would make an ADR for here!

That got pretty long, so I'll leave off here.
 


One of the days we rode when it was just Zack and I, we kept seeing this other couple from our raft around the park the rest of the day... and we'd lock eyes, and sort of nod... you know, because we'd all been through something together :rotfl2:

:rotfl:

I was mostly excited for 50s Primetime Cafe #priorities

Naturally!! :laughing: We're going for the first time this summer and I'm excited.

Zack and I took a moment to mourn missing the Great Movie Ride by about 40 days :sad:

I'm still not over this. :sad2:

I’m sure you can all see where this is going…

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Bahaha awesome!

At one point when we were eating, Zack hadn’t started in on his veggies yet. Cousin Katie asked him if he wanted to sing the green bean song. Now, we’d already witnessed someone having to do this across the room, and Zack did not want to repeat that performance! Zack’s dad had the pot roast, which had thinly sliced veggies on top, and he still says “I didn’t even know what those were but I ate them all because I didn’t want to sing anything!” Zack’s mom kept getting in trouble for having her elbows on the table.

The antics sound hilarious!! What a fun meal for a big family group! :)

And she sent him off to time out in the corner :rotfl2: Oh my gosh, we were all just dying at the table. She left him there for at least five minutes, and then came back to ask “Family, are we ready to let A come back to the table?” And we all shouted NO! :rotfl2:

Oh my goodness! That's hilarious!
 
What a fun experience! My son had to hold a packet of sugar up against a wall with his nose for not eating his green beans . Fun times
 
Didn't remember to multi-quote some of the earlier wedding review posts, but they seemed very helpful and good info to know!

Also throughout the morning, we were trying to figure out when Zack’s brother and SO were going to join us. They had slept in originally, we were told, and eventually they said they wouldn’t be joining us for the day. We were pretty surprised that they were skipping AK day… especially as Zack’s brother is really into animals and because of that they had booked a Savannah room at AKL… :confused3
I just don't understand people sometimes!

But at the end, as you let all of the insects exit before you, Zack’s aunt leapt out of her seat! It was so funny, we all cracked up. It looked like she was the only one with that reaction in the theatre!
Haha, that would be so much fun to see!

Zack’s parents and aunt were really skeptical going in for Tiffin’s because of the menu. Honestly, I was too, and spent quite of a bit of time looking for TH to open up. A few reviews on here, such as @ariane37's, made me feel better about it. But I don’t think Zack’s family would have felt as reassured if I told them my Disboard friend said it was good :laughing: Zack’s parents still talk about this meal though, I think that means it was a hit! :) The entree was to die for, the meat was so good and the brisket just fell apart. We don’t eat at fancy places often (last time my pasta came with a soft boiled egg in the bowl - my worst nightmare! I spent the whole time eating worrying I would break it open, I hate runny eggs and that was NOT in the menu description) so I will be completely honest with you, the entrees showed up with the colored carrots and we all whispered around the table…
I totally agree, I was worried about Tiffins, but now it's probably my favorite restaurant, period. Not just Disney restaurant!

Disney coasters are totally my style
Yup, me too!

… now that I’m thinking about it, I moved it back a couple times during lunch, then either swapped it for Kali River Rapids or put it for later in the day. So scratch that, no Everest yet.
Haha, I love trying to piece together the day months later!

If I remember correctly, they missed our Toy Story Mania FP that morning, which was too bad for them because no way in heck was I waiting in standby for that. It’s too bad because I think that’s a really cool, unique ride, and A is a big Toy Story fan… Ah well.
Yeah, their loss!

Cruz Ramirez was meeting outside. I tried to get FIL to go get a photo, because we had taken him to Cars 3 for Father’s Day, but that was a no go :) No one had any interest in poor Cruz, except that lady and her kid.
Oh too bad, I love Cruz! I finally saw Cars 3 on the plane to France, and it was so good!

Why was I doing this? Surely adults can find their way around, right?
Yeah...I wouldn't count on it!

Around this time Cousin Katie came back, and Zack had already finished off his drink.

“How many of those do you think you’re having?” she asked.

“Probably about five” Zack answered.

I’m sure you can all see where this is going…

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OMG, I love it!

And she sent him off to time out in the corner :rotfl2: Oh my gosh, we were all just dying at the table. She left him there for at least five minutes, and then came back to ask “Family, are we ready to let A come back to the table?” And we all shouted NO! :rotfl2: She put him in the corner next to the doorway so they kept bringing people in to seat and they’d stare at him… other people in the restaurant were taking pictures of him in the corner… K did grab a photo, but the rest of us were to busy laughing (and not wanting to get caught with our phones!) to do so. After several more minutes A snuck back to the table, WITHOUT permission, so he got the evil eye and some lip when Cousin Katie came back.
Wow, that is just amazing! I wish I could have seen it!
 
What a great day in MGM!!! You have me totally ready to head back to 50's! I'm not totally crazy about the food, but you can't beat the "service." Especially when they put in a corner :P
 
Naturally!! :laughing: We're going for the first time this summer and I'm excited.
It was so fun! A favorite of the trip for sure!

I'm still not over this. :sad2:
Me either! This ride sounded so up my alley anyways!

What a fun experience! My son had to hold a packet of sugar up against a wall with his nose for not eating his green beans . Fun times
:rotfl2:
Next time I see A I might have to tell him he got off lightly!

I just don't understand people sometimes!
I just don't get it! And AKL was about the last place we thought they'd end up, because K is more into the animals but A cares a lot more about where they stay. We thought they'd end up at the Contemporary because they're very into Mid Century Modern (even though it's not 100% that, but we thought they would want to see it for being similar-ish...) but they didn't like it :confused3 and then A wanted to do Yacht Club, but that was too uppity somehow... it was interesting to watch. Minus the part where we didn't think they'd have a room booked for 60 day FPs! And then they missed FOP...

I totally agree, I was worried about Tiffins, but now it's probably my favorite restaurant, period. Not just Disney restaurant!
We love Tiffin's! It's sooo good! It was the first place Zack requested when we decided to go back in September...

Haha, I love trying to piece together the day months later!
It's like... I got a 4th FP for... something? Wait, why am I on this side of the park? :rotfl:

Yeah, their loss!
And they're so excited for Toy Story Land too... :confused3

Oh too bad, I love Cruz! I finally saw Cars 3 on the plane to France, and it was so good!
Me too! I never bothered with the second one. Disney sequels have gotten so much better though than the days of Pocahontas 2, Lady and the Tramp 2... those were dark times for sequels :laughing:

I love your France pictures on FB/instagram! I want to get over there again so badly, Zack's never really been out of the country. I was trying to do two weeks for London/Paris/something else this fall or early next year, but with a cruise we're planning next summer, Zack barely had 5 days of vacation he could take. Not that I'm sad about going back to WDW :)

Wow, that is just amazing! I wish I could have seen it!
Priceless family memories :rotfl:

What a great day in MGM!!! You have me totally ready to head back to 50's! I'm not totally crazy about the food, but you can't beat the "service." Especially when they put in a corner :P
:rotfl: Where else can you get experiences like that, really?
 
Hollywood Studios
Part Two: The Legend of the Blue Margaritas...


After we were excused from the table at 50s PrimeTime Cafe, we headed for Rock n Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror (even though Cousin Katie told us, "No Tower for an hour!" What can I say, we're obviously rule breakers...). I had a ToT FP earlier in the day but I pushed it back after dinner when we were able to hit it first thing in the morning. It looks like we hit RnR first, and obviously I'm famous:

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The lady in the front looks so much like my aunt!

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You'll notice Zack's dad skipped this one again. The best part of this go-around, was he was sitting on the wall in front of the guitar... just under the ramp up to the building for the FP line. We got stopped out there for a moment, and there was a dad down next to Zack's dad with a kid and a baby in a stroller. While we're stopped, this kid, who was probably 7 :confused3 decides he's brave enough to go, so his dad lifted him up over the wall to join his mom and older sibling a few parties ahead of us.

So of course, we lean over the wall and give Zack's dad a bunch of crap about how this little boy is brave enough to go and Zack's dad is a sissy... you know, like a good family :rotfl: Then the line moved on and we headed inside to rock!
:rockband:

I apologize, I had to work at 3am today... when I only get a couple hours of sleep I think I'm clever.

Apparently after we moved on, everyone else sitting around the area waiting for their party gave Zack's dad a bunch of grief about going :rotfl: Best part!

Wait, I'm obviously getting confused again because I mentioned the FP line. Now I don't remember, is that the FP line or the regular line that goes up the ramp behind the guitar? :confused3 Whatever, that's the way we went.

After we hit ToT:

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I love Zack's dad's face!

And then we went again with K and A, because the line was really short.

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I was able to grab another RnR FP here, for around 5:15pm or so. So we headed back to Chinese Theater and split up a bit. I think Zack's mom and aunt did some shopping, K and A went to Launch Bay, and Zack's dad followed us to One Man's Dream. I love models, i'm a weirdo.

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My favorite, DLR Jungle Cruise!

I may have spent some time yesterday on Etsy looking for Jungle Cruise and Tiki Room ears/shirts... :rolleyes1

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No longer exists! Love the fountains for World of Color though.

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We met back up for my last concert of the evening...

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Then I threw a surprise one! :laughing: Really, I think we jumped in line because it was really short, and while we were waiting I was able to get 4 individual FPs for RnR across a 15min window for start times, and they were all open by the time we got off so we went 3 times in a row :faint: Zack's mom and aunt sat out the second and third time.

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At this point it was just about time to head in for the Fantasmic Dessert Party. We split up for a few minutes, I think I was trying to refill my popcorn bucket (I may have forgotten to mention that I got a popcorn bucket on the first day in Magic Kingdom) but couldn't find a popcorn stand. I can't remember what K and A went to do :confused3 But we stopped on a whim for a PP picture.

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More like I drug Zack over here. And when you wear buttons...

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Thought you were done with those photos, huh? I tricked you!

I'm just remembering that between ToT and One Man's Dream, it downpoured, and we ran across the park in rain and cheap ponchos to ride Star Tours again because the line was short.

Zack's aunt made a friend while she waited:

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Soon we headed in. They stop your partway down the path to the amphitheater to pick up your dessert box and choose a drink. They had a Blue Margarita, and some sort of non-alcoholic juice drink. Everyone chose the Margarita, even Zack's dad against his will (basically his mom told his dad, you are taking the alcohol and if you want something other than water we'll buy if for you :laughing:).

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Fantasmic Dessert Party and VIP Viewing Experience - $39 The adult box features chocolate-covered strawberries, cheesecake, a chocolate cupcake, apple crisp, California trail mix and cheese and crackers


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And the infamous Blue Margarita...

Me being me, these desserts didn't do very much for me. I don't like cheesecake, fruit desserts (so the cheesecake would have been ruined no matter what :P), so I pretty much ate my cupcake, Zack's, and my cheese and crackers (which seemed more like chips). I passed the fruity things off to Zack and his dad. But we did this because we really wanted to eat at 50s with everyone, and didn't want to do 2 Table service meals in DHS. I figured that it was less to do 50s, the dessert party, and a QS meal than it was to do 50s and the Mama Melrose package. And then we didn't even stop for a QS meal really. So it worked out for us. I'm thinking of booking it again in September, so we can eat lunch somewhere else the day we see Fantasmic... I'm hoping for a non-park meal!

We also got a lovely set of light up plastic mugs out of the deal, because Zack's mom collected them from everyone and took them home for us :laughing:

Dessert Party: $273 for 7 people including tax

We watched the show, and I snagged these lovely shots for you all:

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What do you mean you don't want a photo of Governor Radcliffe?

Fine, here is a princess float. So demanding.

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Best picture of Sorcerer Mickey I managed...

I like Fantasmic. I like the story and the music and everything... but DLR's is better :duck: Obviously it was recently revamped, so that's not as fair. But even back in September I remember feeling a tad let down that they had built a special amphitheater for it, and not bothered with the same level of detail. I was remembering seeing it in DLR in February 201 and it being better.

One thing was the boat... when you've seen the Mark Twain come by with the characters, the boxy little boat with rails isn't quite the same.

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And the dragon is a full-bodied dragon that comes out of Tom Sawyer Island, not just a head. Which I think is extra impressive since they do that all from right next to a guest area.

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But I did like that they included Gov Radcliffe, because Pocahontas was one of my favorite movies growing up :laughing:

Don't get me wrong, I don't want the same show at both parks, I like differences. I just wish there was a bit more detail, and feel they could do so much, since this is a special dedicated area. This Fantasmic is probably due for a refurb soon, if I'm remembering correctly it's been the same for quite awhile?

Anyways, this is where the Legend of the Blue Margaritas comes back in to play. Those babies were much stronger than we were expecting for an included alcoholic drink! And it wasn't just us, @StarWarsMomofGirls! also thought so! (PS I can't believe we were so close to doing this the same night!) I'm not sure if they've toned them down now, this was basically the first week they were doing the Dessert Party so maybe they hadn't locked in a watered down recipe :rotfl: Zack's mom and aunt had split his dad's, and Zack attempted to drink his but is not a tequila fan so I ended up having it. I mean, we didn't want them to go to waste! After the show ended, we stood up and I felt like :faint: :rotfl2: If you listen to Zack about making our way out of the park to the boat dock, he will tell you how his mom was trying to push him from behind to make him run over a child, and that I was scaling the boat dock railing to get a photo of a duck... I think he's exaggerating a bit. I was safely trying to take a duck photo with my phone not held out over the water at all... :rolleyes1

We made it back to the hotel in one piece. We had lost K and A in the crowd getting out the the amphitheatre, but weren't too worried as we were supposed to see them the next day as they were flying home Sunday. Zack's parents and aunt were leaving the next morning, and had graciously said they would take back some of our wedding stuff with them, so when we got back to the room we packed up my dress, the bouquets (I took the MOH bouquet apart :sad1: but that was planned)... and all souvenir paper stuff I had picked up so far for scrapbooking :) Zack kept his wedding clothes and I kept my dessert party dress for another fancy dinner we had on the agenda. We schlepped our bags down to his parents' room, told them goodbye and thanks again, and made it back to our room in time to watch Illuminations.

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And then it was off to bed!


So the real question is, is 8am too early to go eat the leftover pizza I brought for lunch?



Food Budget
Budgeted $197
Actual $143
TIW Savings: $26
AP Savings: $0

Skipped QS lunch because of mid-afternoon 50s reservation, Dessert Party was prepaid
 
They had a Blue Margarita, and some sort of non-alcoholic juice drink. Everyone chose the Margarita, even Zack's dad against his will (basically his mom told his dad, you are taking the alcohol and if you want something other than water we'll buy if for you :laughing:).

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And the infamous Blue Margarita...

These were sooooooooooo good. I rather stupidly ordered the non-alcoholic fruit punch, and spent most of the night stealing sips from Joe. There are pictures :rotfl:

This Fantasmic is probably due for a refurb soon, if I'm remembering correctly it's been the same for quite awhile?

Welllllllll...........so like 5 years ago when they upgraded it to Glow with the Show, they did actually do a massive refurb on the floats and upgrade the lights to LEDs. As for the actual show...not much has changed. And yes, DLR has a better dragon, and I love the Peter Pan/Pirate scene. BUT. I like the boxy boat. It's more Steamboat Willie. And I still cry.

Also, no, 8am is not too early. I mean really, pizza is just a breakfast casserole without the eggs....
 
I love models, i'm a weirdo.
The models are my favorite part! I am always amazed at all the detail! I just wish they had a bigger version of Galaxy Edge in there.


Still Famous!

Everyone chose the Margarita, even Zack's dad against his will (basically his mom told his dad, you are taking the alcohol and if you want something other than water we'll buy if for you :laughing:).
I like Zack's Mom! ;)


Great Pic of Black & White Mickey! He is my favorite.

One thing was the boat... when you've seen the Mark Twain come by with the characters, the boxy little boat with rails isn't quite the same.

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And the dragon is a full-bodied dragon that comes out of Tom Sawyer Island, not just a head. Which I think is extra impressive since they do that all from right next to a guest area.

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Yes and Yes!!! Both are way more impressive! And the snake is way better in DL too!

Those babies were much stronger than we were expecting for an included alcoholic drink! And it wasn't just us, @StarWarsMomofGirls! also thought so!
Glad it wasn't just me! But I do wonder if they have gotten a little less strong over time. I wish every party drink didn't have to be blue. Why are they always blue?

f you listen to Zack about making our way out of the park to the boat dock, he will tell you how his mom was trying to push him from behind to make him run over a child, and that I was scaling the boat dock railing to get a photo of a duck... I think he's exaggerating a bit. I was safely trying to take a duck photo with my phone not held out over the water at all... :rolleyes1
Ha! Too funny. I am SURE he was exaggerating...

So the real question is, is 8am too early to go eat the leftover pizza I brought for lunch?
If you ask my husband, it is NEVER to early to eat cold leftover pizza!
 
even though Cousin Katie told us, "No Tower for an hour!" What can I say, we're obviously rule breakers...)
Love her!

Really, I think we jumped in line because it was really short, and while we were waiting I was able to get 4 individual FPs for RnR across a 15min window for start times, and they were all open by the time we got off so we went 3 times in a row :faint:
Nice! But 3x in a row! Oh boy, I would have collapsed on the floor!

We also got a lovely set of light up plastic mugs out of the deal, because Zack's mom collected them from everyone and took them home for us :laughing:
But do they go with your wedding china?

I like the story and the music and everything... but DLR's is better :duck: Obviously it was recently revamped, so that's not as fair. But even back in September I remember feeling a tad let down that they had built a special amphitheater for it, and not bothered with the same level of detail. I was remembering seeing it in DLR in February 201 and it being better.
I don’t know if I’ve met someone who thinks DHS’s version is better!
 
Hilarious update!!!!! Its good to see you take a page from the tipsy notebook :drinking1
 
I love the models, too! I always try to make time to go see that stuff.

Oh my goodness, I can only imagine the crazy night you had with the blue drinks!! I love Fantasmic, but I'd like to see the DLR version because I've heard from pretty much everyone who's seen both that it's much better.
 
Such a fun DHS day, glad you all had a good time. 50s looks like it was fun but that schtick would not go over well with us. I’m afraid I’d be too anxious to enjoy the antics :scared:

I am so impressed you did RnR three times in a row! That launch always melts my face off!

What do you mean you don't want a photo of Governor Radcliffe
Who said that?! Not me!

But I did like that they included Gov Radcliffe, because Pocahontas was one of my favorite movies growing up :laughing:
Me too :rotfl: I think I have the whole movie memorized
 
These were sooooooooooo good. I rather stupidly ordered the non-alcoholic fruit punch, and spent most of the night stealing sips from Joe. There are pictures :rotfl:
:rotfl:
Welllllllll...........so like 5 years ago when they upgraded it to Glow with the Show, they did actually do a massive refurb on the floats and upgrade the lights to LEDs. As for the actual show...not much has changed. And yes, DLR has a better dragon, and I love the Peter Pan/Pirate scene. BUT. I like the boxy boat. It's more Steamboat Willie. And I still cry.
I don't want to crush your dreams... but they took out Peter Pan :sad: I didn't think of the boat being more Steamboat Willie! I guess it's just one of those where it's hard to compare to the first show you've seen too. Like the first castle shows I watched were Paris in 2015 (DLR was being refurbed for the 60th when we got engaged) and it was AMAZING! And then I saw the DLR 60th show, which was also pretty amazing. So when I saw Wishes I was slightly underwhelmed by the projections, but that show wasn't about the projections either... And I hadn't seen it growing up or anything, so I didn't have that attachment. I wish I'd gotten to see it more than once before it went away though!
The models are my favorite part! I am always amazed at all the detail! I just wish they had a bigger version of Galaxy Edge in there.
That would be so cool!
I like Zack's Mom! ;)
She's a smart lady!@
Yes and Yes!!! Both are way more impressive! And the snake is way better in DL too!
Yes! I forgot the snake because I'd already deleted all of my terrible WDW photos of it :rotfl:
Glad it wasn't just me! But I do wonder if they have gotten a little less strong over time. I wish every party drink didn't have to be blue. Why are they always blue?
They are! They even had a special Frozen themed drink back at DLR in 2105, that Zack still goes on about... a Rum Flurry. Guess what color!
Nice! But 3x in a row! Oh boy, I would have collapsed on the floor!
I don't know how I made it! Zack is completely unphased by that stuff. He would ride that or any coaster at USO over and over all day. He did the left side of the Matterhorn 6 times in a row back in March :scared: That one kills me!
But do they go with your wedding china?
:rotfl:
I mean, our wedding china is Disney...?

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I don’t know if I’ve met someone who thinks DHS’s version is better!
Sorry, DHS, you lose...
Hilarious update!!!!! Its good to see you take a page from the tipsy notebook :drinking1
We tried! Or at least, I did!
I love the models, too! I always try to make time to go see that stuff.

Oh my goodness, I can only imagine the crazy night you had with the blue drinks!! I love Fantasmic, but I'd like to see the DLR version because I've heard from pretty much everyone who's seen both that it's much better.
DLRs is pretty amazing. You'll have to do a trip sometime! It has it's own charms :)
I’m afraid I’d be too anxious to enjoy the antics :scared:
:rotfl:
I felt slightly more prepared because I knew more of what we were walking into, but I was still so worried she'd see me charging my phone!

Who said that?! Not me!
:rotfl:
Me too :rotfl: I think I have the whole movie memorized
Zack had never seen it until last summer. It has the best music!
 

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