This Bridge is Old, Like You! - A July 2017 and April 2018 TR *Completed + New TR Link Posted

[vamassey1]

and the ER visit we took first thing after we deboarded (Evie dislocated her arm in flight)…but ultimately a travel day is a travel day. And right now, I wanna jump straight to the good stuff.

Poor Evie. What happened?

Alex kept the cruise control in a safe range – going from the autobahn to the interstate is HARD, ya’ll –

I can only imagine. Traffic probably helped to slow you down.

And the promise of a toy. That maybe more so than the nuggets.

As a parent I have used this bribe many times.

Alex and I had several missions to accomplish. Everyone was hoping to purchase something, so we needed to focus and be on our shopping game.

I've been through this before. No time to stop and really enjoy it.

I needed caffeine.

I would too.

Then, we all hurried to Uniqclo where I wandered around with Landon while Alex shopped with Evie. He didn’t find anything that he loved but did see they were releasing some Marvel shirts on Friday, so he decided he would rather wait and sneak back over to Disney Springs that weekend to buy some.

Keep this in mind.

It did not end well…

I've fallen prey to this before too. If you want it get it, you most likely won't make it back.

Shopping around Disney Springs in under two hours…HOORAY!

While Landon, me, and my MIL all ended up watching the sunset from the beach.

Perfect ending to the day.

 

[amazingact21]

Aw, Evie in her Minnie outfit is precious! I'm glad she was game for a character meet even if it was only one of three characters and only because she was dressed like Minnie. lol

I love Epcot all dressed up for F&G! I'm so glad we got to check it out briefly that year we had APs. I've never seen Epcot more beautiful!!

Epcot during F&G is my favorite time of year at Disney; it's just so pretty!

Sounds like a lovely morning in FW! And yes, that photo is just lovely! Been far too long since I"ve been to WDW during F&G!

We used to visit during late spring every year, but now that the kids are entering school I'm sure it'll be awhile before we back during that time. And because of that I'm really glad I got to see it again!

Oh man, I just read through this whole report! Loved all of it, and reading about your adventures living abroad! I'm visiting Germany in September so would love any tips you want to send my way.

Welcome and thanks for reading! I know it's kind of a whopper of a report, so I appreciate you hanging in there through it.
How exciting about your upcoming Germany visit! Going to any October fests? This is a beautiful country and everyone's so friendly, I hope you have a great time here. I have more experience in one half of the country than the other, but if you have any questions please feel free to ask. You can PM me if you'd like.

Poor Evie. What happened?

She has a habit of getting what's called nursemaid's elbow, where basically her joint rolls out of its alignment. It happened to her once when she was about 14 months old, so we suspected that was what happened again. Fortunately, the ER nurse was amazing and taught us how to fix it should it happen again. Although, we're hoping we don't ever have to put that newfound knowledge to the test!

 

[vamassey1]

We made it to the entrance sign without event:

Such a lovely sight!

And since Landon slept through the grand arrival last summer, I turned around to capture his expression this time around.

Poor Landon, he missed it again.

All together is great!

(The final count later in the day was 36 people total.)

That's a lot of people!

For free.

I love free!

There was a time to talk and then there was a time to tour Epcot, and the time to talk was over.

Times a wasting, too much to see and do.

We were all finally back in Epcot together. Time to get the day going!

Perfect family day.

When I last left you fine folks, Alex was walking Landon into the Test Track queue and preparing him for his first spin on the attraction. I wasn’t privy to this event – no big deal; I got to see the reaction on Big Thunder Mountain and that was enough for me – but from Alex’s account it earned an OKAY vote.

I'm sorry this wasn't a big win.

And loved designing his vehicle. It was his favorite part of the attraction, which truth be told…I kind of suspected would be the case. He made the second fastest car and colored it bright pink.

I think most guys like this part.

The ride design was definitely the winning portion of Test Track, but in Landon’s words: “I’ll go through with Test Track again if I get to make a new car.”

All right, we can work with that.

You can build on this.

I really like this one. It's perfect for a girly girl.

I let Evie try on that one and a Baymax pair and she wanted to stay and check out more of the selections, but my friend’s kid had gone through a lice ordeal a month ago and it has since shattered my illusion of head ware in stores.


Call me paranoid, but now that THAT possibility is lodged in my mind I can’t un-think about it.

Yuck.

Now I can't un-think it either.

I was basically being a big old Disney nerd, probably boring Leslie to death. However, J was forthcoming with his answers and was adding his own comments to the conversation so I don’t think I was pestering him too much.

I would do the same thing too. Michelle's best friend from college is a manger in Fantasyland and l love asking her questions. If Danielle gets into the college program I'm going to have a new source for information.

Evie looked around and saw the attention directed at her, glanced down at her new outfit, then broke into a massive smile. THIS was the kind of stuff she liked at Disney. You want to take me on a dark ride? No way. You want to compliment my outfit? Go right ahead.

This is just perfect!

Minnie Mouse was the last character up and by some miracle, Evie was perfectly fine letting me walk up and stand next to her. She didn’t want Minnie to touch her, but when I pointed out to Minnie that they were both “rocking the dots” Evie grinned like mad and became the happy girl I knew her to be.

Evie has found her happy place.

I’ve probably got a future Disney bounder on my hands.

My girls love Disney bounding. It will be a great way to express herself.

Along the way, I snapped my favorite photo of the trip:

This is gorgeous! The colors are so perfect.

 

[vamassey1]

She has a habit of getting what's called nursemaid's elbow, where basically her joint rolls out of its alignment. It happened to her once when she was about 14 months old, so we suspected that was what happened again. Fortunately, the ER nurse was amazing and taught us how to fix it should it happen again. Although, we're hoping we don't ever have to put that newfound knowledge to the test!

Oh my, how scary! I'm glad you have the info to help if it happens again.

 

[natebenma]

What a fantastic weekend trip to the Netherlands! I loved reading about your visit to the cheese factory and the park. And especially the stroop waffles. It sounds like there was something for everyone there.

 

[natebenma]

Thursday, April 26th, 2018 Part 2:


The ride design was definitely the winning portion of Test Track, but in Landon’s words: “I’ll go through with Test Track again if I get to make a new car.”

I love the things Landon has latched onto at Disney trips. Curbs. Car design. It's almost like you don't even need to go on attractions!


It will be fun experiencing your kids' changes in what they like and do not like at Disney throughout the years.


In related news: Awesome car, Landon!

Evie's Minnie dress is great, and I'm glad to hear how enthusiastic she was to put it on and continue to wear it. You even got a fantastic picture.

Along the way, I snapped my favorite photo of the trip:

This really is gorgeous!

This too!

Your pictures from that day really make me want to get to Disney during the Flower & Garden festival!

 

[amazingact21]

Poor Landon, he missed it again.


I would do the same thing too. Michelle's best friend from college is a manger in Fantasyland and l love asking her questions. If Danielle gets into the college program I'm going to have a new source for information.

I couldn't believe Landon missed our grand entrance again! Silly boy.

Oh, I bet it's awesome when you get to talk to her about Disney. I imagine a CM's perspective on certain things is really different than the average guests'.
I hope Danielle gets into the college program! What a great opportunity that would be.

What a fantastic weekend trip to the Netherlands! I loved reading about your visit to the cheese factory and the park. And especially the stroop waffles. It sounds like there was something for everyone there.

The Netherlands was a lot of fun, and I hope I can go back again. We're already almost finished with one of the rolls of cheese we bought! It went fast!

I love the things Landon has latched onto at Disney trips. Curbs. Car design. It's almost like you don't even need to go on attractions!

This is definitely changing as he gets older and can ride more of the coasters.

Your pictures from that day really make me want to get to Disney during the Flower & Garden festival!

I wish everyone could experience Epcot during the Flower and Garden Festival. In my opinion, it's the most beautiful time to be there.

 

[amazingact21]

Thursday, April 26th, 2018 Part 3:

All that walking around Future World and meeting Disney characters worked up an appetite in all of us. Fortunately, we were headed into the World Showcase where the Outdoor Kitchens were open and ready for business.

One of the wedding members texted us and told us they were hanging out in Mexico getting margaritas. Alex and I aren’t tequila at 11 a.m. sort of people. Actually, we aren’t tequila sort of people at all. I’ve never even tried it before. Nothing against the stuff, it’s just never appealed to me.

Rather than head past Mexico and turn around when they finished, Alex and I agreed to head right and meet up with them halfway. Which meant the first booth that we hit up was:
f1 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

The new Honey Bee-stro.


Together, Alex and I ordered the Honey Tandoori Chicken Flatbread and shared with the kids.

f2 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

The chicken was very good, tender and good flavoring. It did have a kick to it, though, which my poor husband had to push through. The kids weren’t fans. Probably a little too adventurous for their palettes. Overall, I wasn’t upset with the offering but I don’t think I’d get it again.


Next up was the Northern Bloom kitchen in Canada. I kind of wanted to try the beef tips but it was so hot out already and the flatbread was still sitting in my belly. As much as I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, I knew I needed something sweet to offset our savory chicken.

Which meant, we got to taste this beauty:
f3 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

A gridled maple pound cake with warm peach compote and sweet corn gelato.

Landon and Evie loved the popcorn, and you’ll have to take their world on it because I didn’t have any. The dessert was good. It wasn’t mind blowing, but the gelato was really good and the perfect thing to cool down Alex’s still-burning throat. I won’t lie, I didn’t taste much of the maple pound cake. The flavors kind of got lost between the peaches and the ice cream.

To me, it was like a peach cobbler. Now, I love me some good peach cobbler so this didn’t bother me. But if you’re going for a strong maple taste then this dish isn’t the right thing for you.


Because this was my first real time eating around the World Showcase, I was a rookie and didn’t have the fortitude built up yet to hit booth after booth after booth. I needed a walk around break, so we meandered over to the UK pavilion for a look around. I perused the shops in hunt of tea to take home for a friend but she requested decaffeinated and none of the ones I saw were caffeine-free. It was a strike out on that front.

At least I got to walk around the beautiful garden area and soak up the wonderful Epcot day:



Before long, we were all making our way to France:
f4 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

(Amusingly enough, I just saw the REAL Eifel Tower last week.)


The Fleur de Lys kitchen booth had two items Alex and I were most looking forward to trying, the Duck Confit and the Chocolate Macaron on a stick. Both had gotten rave reviews online and seemed to be the hit of the festival.

I found a quiet bench on the outskirts of the pavilion and parked the stroller while Alex went to order the food. The kids had an open area between my seat on the bench and a low wall to run around and play, which worked out great for us.

When Alex returned to us, we admired our food selections:



If it wasn’t obvious in the first photo, this is was that captured the kids’ attention more than anything else:


I could barely take that photo before tiny fingers were grabbing the chocolate beads off the macaron.

The duck did not disappoint. It was amazing!! Tender, flavorful, and the gnocchi that sat underneath was the perfect companion. Alex and I regretted not ordering two, because we were loath to share with the kids. Especially since they only ate the bites offered to them because they knew there’d be no chocolate if they didn’t eat their “real food” first.

It was going to be hard for any food to have to follow that awesome duck confit, but the macaron stood up to the job honorably. The chocolate inside was very rich- like your teeth stick together and you’re trying to reach for a glass of milk- rich, but it was a good indulgence if you were looking for that sort of treat. Splitting it between four people was perfect, actually I could have had another person in on the action and probably been okay. One or two bites and I had reached my chocolate cap.

Not surprising, this was Landon and Evie’s favorite thing we tried…


Once we finished eating, I tried to download an app that my sister in-law was texting me about. It was allowing everyone to see where people were so we could find one another. Alex refused to put it on his phone because he said it screamed “UNSAFE” (the groom also refused for that same reason) but I didn’t want to ruffle feathers so I downloaded it just for that afternoon.

Meanwhile, the kids continued to play by the wall:





Upon opening the app and signing into our group, I saw that most everyone was over in Germany. Still a good ways away…

That left Alex and I with no other choice but to continue our journey towards the middle, stopping along the way for more food.

Our walk didn’t take us very far.

We came to the Smokehouse booth in the American Pavilion and ordered two more items off the menu.

By that point, I was full. I wasn’t horribly stuffed like I would be if I finished at O’hana’s or Garden Grill, but I was comfortably full, where I could not eat anything else and still be fine to tour the parks for several more hours. But it was our only day at the Flower and Garden Festival and Alex and I had sworn we would try as much as we could.

So, it was time to tell my brain to hush and dive into these two sandwiches:
f5 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

I present to you the Pulled Pig Slider on the left and the Beef Brisket Burnt Ends and Smoked Pork Belly Slider on the right.

We had tried the pig slider 4 years ago and remembered it being a lot better than this one. Unfortunately, this one had a wicked kick to it that caused the kids to drink half a bottle of water. It was the one item we ordered that didn’t get finished.

The brisket and pork slider, though, was really good. The kids, especially, loved this one. They ate more of it than we did!


By this point, I had reached my max. I could not touch another piece of food for awhile. 6 dishes between 4 people in a matter of an hour and a half was overwhelming. I’m pretty sure Alex had to roll me out of the American pavilion.


I had been checking the locator app repeatedly throughout our meal, but nobody had left Germany yet. They all apparently were creating an impromptu festival with some beers and brats. (I joked about this with them later and 'lo and behold that’s exactly what had happened.)


The four of us walked towards the Italy pavilion, where I saw my favorite topiary of the festival:
f7 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


I didn’t THINK this was my favorite one, but somehow I have about five photos of Lady and the Tramp from every single year I’ve attended the event. I guess it’s become a staple for me. Go to the Flower and Garden Festival, check out Lady’s rocking ears…


And then of course, there was the view opposite the topiaries:
f6 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

Seeing the Spaceship Earth globe across the water never gets old…


Alex thought he’d be nice and take a picture of me in front of the water but instead ended up with:
f8 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

Me trying to be nice and take a picture of him with the Italy pavilion in the background.

We’re not married at all…

f9 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

Both would have been nice had we bothered to take the cameras away from our face.


Just then, we saw my sister in law run up and say hello to the kids.



Apparently, everyone had grown tired of beer and wanted to move on to wine instead. Most were inside the wine bar cooling off. Only Jessica (the bride), Leslie, and Liz (oldest friend of the bride) were around to visit with us.





The family danced around and played with the kids while they recounted their Epcot fun to us. It was then that Leslie told me what she’d found in the Germany pavilion. Yes!!!



Alex and I suddenly became VERY excited.

We needed to get over to Germany and see if Leslie was telling the truth!

But first, we had to be social and visit for a while longer with everyone. We did so while watching Master Juggler Sergio.

f10 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

It was cute and kept the kids entertained while we all chatted. Fortunately for us it was a comfortable day with little humidity, so standing out in the sun in the middle of the day was no big deal. I don’t think I’d ever stop to watch Sergio if it was hot and/or muggy out. He’s not quite worth that torture.


Alex was becoming bored standing around doing nothing, so I told the sisters we’d try and meet up again later and moved us on towards Germany.

As always, Landon was fascinated by the trains:


And Alex got a kick out of seeing the pavilion since living in Germany. I went into pretty good detail what my reaction was last summer when I went through the experience and Alex’s was pretty much the same.

We had to pull Landon away from the trains – kid could have stood there all day and watched them go by – and we walked through the shops until we found what we were looking for.

There they were!

f11 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

Happy Hippos!!!!


These little guys created quite the stir on my trip report when I talked about them last summer, mostly about where I could find them once I moved back to the states. So imagine my surprise and amusement when Leslie spotted them in Disney! I can now grab some whenever I’m on a Disney trip and need my Hippo fix.

Although, Alex and I were flabbergasted by the price. I know it’s Disney and I know it’s an imported item but dang.

9 dollars for 5 Hippos is steep.

We bought that exact same package two weeks ago for 1.50.

Talk about a markup!

But it’s all about how bad we’ll want it, right?


Having found the treasure for ourselves we walked back outside, being sure to send a hearty “Cheers!” to the Cast Members working as we left. Where to next??



Up Next..Will a Pretzel Put you in the Princess Meeting Mood?

 

[natebenma]

Thanks so much for the pictures and reviews of your samples from the food booths. Now I am even more convinced that F&G time will be the next time we visit the World!

Before long, we were all making our way to France:

I remember the first visit to EPCOT with Mark, as high school seniors. We spent quite a bit of time in the France pavilion trying to get to the Eifel tower. Finally we asked a cast member how to get back there and we were told *shudder* it is only a façade!


I love, love, love the pictures you and Alex took of each other taking a picture of each other.

Lovely picture

This is adorable! And a Spaceship Earth photobomb!!!




Happy Hippos Hooray!

 

[missangelalexis]

Sounds like you were sampling a lot of F&G booths, even if it meant overdoing it a little!

Love the pics of you & Alex taking pics of each other!

I'm glad the weather was so great for you guys!

 

[MeghanEmily]

I love this top! Perfectly festive for the festival

Not surprising, this was Landon and Evie’s favorite thing we tried…

I'm with Landon and Evie! All the chocolate, please!

We had tried the pig slider 4 years ago and remembered it being a lot better than this one. Unfortunately, this one had a wicked kick to it that caused the kids to drink half a bottle of water. It was the one item we ordered that didn’t get finished.

That's unfortunate.

The four of us walked towards the Italy pavilion, where I saw my favorite topiary of the festival:

I thought this topiary was really lovely, too! Love Lady's ears, and all the potted flowers around them.

Happy Hippos!!!!

Yay!

9 dollars for 5 Hippos is steep.

We bought that exact same package two weeks ago for 1.50.

Talk about a markup!

Holy smokes! What a difference! I love some of the neat things we can find in the world showcase, but they always seem to come at a hefty price.

 

[Lesley Wake]

For free.

Whaaaa?!

I thought he was going to get a discount and was prepared to pay him back, but he showed me the receipt and there it was.

Zero dollars.

Holy cow, holy cow, holy cow! Did we really just get a 31 dollar stroller for free? This was amazing!!

That's awesome! So cool of him!

Don’t any of you people tell him that he could do the design portion in the after area, either! He’ll learn that trick soon enough. Let us get a few more rides in on a fun coaster before that bubble is burst.

Haha, I was going to suggest that! Maybe he'll come around to the ride soon enough! Or just bring him out to California and ride the Cars version!

Regretfully, I put the tie back and forgot to show the photo to Alex before we left the park. Had I done that and seen his reaction to it (“THAT’S AWESOME!”) I would have caved and bought the accessory. And then the wedding pictures would have been way more interesting.

That is a pretty awesome tie!

Not having a Fastpass really hindered us on Test Track. It was another twenty minutes before Alex messaged me again and said they were on their way over to us. I’m sure having a Fastpass would have made the wait go a little faster, but honestly, when the rumored new Rider Swap system was announced the other day, all I could think about was how rare it is to get through a coaster in less than an hour. I kept thinking about this and how if the supposed 1 hour rule goes into effect, rides like Test Track will turn into a 1 parent attraction.

But that’s my little soapbox rant for the day. In truth, by the time we get back to Disney we could not even qualify for Rider Switch anymore. Evie’s already 36 inches and shows no sign of slowing!

Even though I've never had to use Rider Swap the new system does seem very annoying and difficult to use. Especially with the FP planning and everything, now you have to work in rider swap times? I know they changed it to a similar method at DL last fall and most people are not happy!

Evie looked around and saw the attention directed at her, glanced down at her new outfit, then broke into a massive smile. THIS was the kind of stuff she liked at Disney. You want to take me on a dark ride? No way. You want to compliment my outfit? Go right ahead.


Alex and I had to give quick goodbyes to the group since our Fastpass was on the verge of expiring. We walked around the corner and into the Character Spot building, where we were about ten families back.

In order to mark the special meets, Evie had donned her Minnie Mouse dress:

Aww, such a cutie!

Hooray! We were on an uphill path to successful plush character interactions. Alex and I joked with each other as we walked out, “Guess Evie just needs to be wearing matching clothes to like meet and greets.”

I’ve probably got a future Disney bounder on my hands.


We walked back to our parked (free!) stroller and I asked Evie, “Do you want to change back into your regular clothes now?”

“Nooooo!”

Really? That polyester material had to be insulating the Florida heat and roasting her little body.

“I stay as Minnie Mouse, please!”

Alex shrugged. Whatever floats her boat.

Haha, definitely disneybound her whenever possible!

Landon and Evie loved the popcorn, and you’ll have to take their world on it because I didn’t have any. The dessert was good. It wasn’t mind blowing, but the gelato was really good and the perfect thing to cool down Alex’s still-burning throat. I won’t lie, I didn’t taste much of the maple pound cake. The flavors kind of got lost between the peaches and the ice cream.

That sweet corn gelato was yummy!

At least I got to walk around the beautiful garden area and soak up the wonderful Epcot day:

I have that exact same shirt! Good thing I didn't wear it to Disney the day we met (though actually I think I had sent it back to the US with my parents and just kept my Disney clothes)

Alex thought he’d be nice and take a picture of me in front of the water but instead ended up with:
f8 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

Me trying to be nice and take a picture of him with the Italy pavilion in the background.

We’re not married at all…

f9 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

Both would have been nice had we bothered to take the cameras away from our face.

I want to find a guy and have a relationship like that!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

F&G looks amazing. Love all the topiaries and those looked like some very tasty snacks! The chocolate macaroon would be right up my street. Great that Landon and Evie enjoyed tasting some of the savory items too.
On a side note I bought a box of 5 happy hippos yesterday for £1.30 ( approx $1.75) so yeah- eek on Epcot prices but hey when you NEED a happy hippo at least you can get one ( albeit it and extremely expensive one lol)

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

I love seeing all the pictures from the food booths. That chocolate macaroon has my name all over it.

Is Happy Hippo a candy or cake? I've never heard of it.

 

[SarahDisney]

I enjoyed reading your reviews of the F&G booths you visited! That macaron sounds incredible, but definitely share-worthy.

Cracking up at you and Alex taking pictures of each other each taking pictures of the other one. Hysterical.

Also ... I meant to come here last week and tell you this, but I forgot. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the candy store It'Sugar, but there's one near my office, and they had the hippo things! I don't remember the price (probably close to Disney prices, honestly), but there may be hope for getting them in the US even if you're not at Disney!

 

[cindianne320]

Darn Minnesotans taking over Disney!

Sounds like you had a fun morning at Epcot- and awesome that you got a free stroller- J sounds like he has an awesome job and a big heart!

I also tried to eat around the World- there were 4 of us, and we barely made a dent!

Can't wait to hear more- love Evie's dress! <3

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

f2 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

The chicken was very good, tender and good flavoring. It did have a kick to it, though

Yum! Sorry that it was a little spicy for you guys. Indian food def tends to be spicy!

f4 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

(Amusingly enough, I just saw the REAL Eifel Tower last week.)

I am guessing it isn't as cool now that you have seen the real one.

f5 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

I present to you the Pulled Pig Slider on the left and the Beef Brisket Burnt Ends and Smoked Pork Belly Slider on the right.

These both look delish!

Go to the Flower and Garden Festival, check out Lady’s rocking ears…

It def is all about the ears!

I really am hoping we can go during Flower and Garden next year! All your food looks great!

 

[amazingact21]

Thanks so much for the pictures and reviews of your samples from the food booths. Now I am even more convinced that F&G time will be the next time we visit the World!

I really hope you can make it there for the F&G Festival on a future trip. If we end up somewhere close to WDW again, I'm sure I'll be back during the spring again! It's one of my favorite times...

I remember the first visit to EPCOT with Mark, as high school seniors. We spent quite a bit of time in the France pavilion trying to get to the Eifel tower. Finally we asked a cast member how to get back there and we were told *shudder* it is only a façade!

Haha, oh what a discovery for you guys! But you got to explore the France pavilion, so it wasn't a total waste of your time.

Sounds like you were sampling a lot of F&G booths, even if it meant overdoing it a little!

Love the pics of you & Alex taking pics of each other!

I'm glad the weather was so great for you guys!

Florida was being crazy with the weather that spring! When I was there in March, it was actually chilly. And on this trip there was virtually no humidity. I couldn't believe how nice it was. And then I felt bad because the following week it rained in Orlando all day for about 10 days straight!! There were so many families that had to deal with downpours every single day of their vacation.

I love this top! Perfectly festive for the festival

That's exactly why I picked that shirt!

I thought this topiary was really lovely, too! Love Lady's ears, and all the potted flowers around them.

I feel like Lady's ears have become a staple for the Flower and Garden Festival.

That's awesome! So cool of him!


Haha, I was going to suggest that! Maybe he'll come around to the ride soon enough! Or just bring him out to California and ride the Cars version!

I'm still keeping my fingers crossed we get stationed somewhere on the West Coast that way we can explore the DL parks for a few years!

Even though I've never had to use Rider Swap the new system does seem very annoying and difficult to use. Especially with the FP planning and everything, now you have to work in rider swap times? I know they changed it to a similar method at DL last fall and most people are not happy!

Ultimately, I'm going to have to make Fastpasses for two different times for Alex and me. Because the odds of us getting through the ride and back to the other parent within an hour is going to be rare. Honestly, I'd rather them switch to the system Universal and DLP uses, where one parent waits by the exit with the baby and when the other parent is done riding they get a ticket, give it to the waiting adult, and they walk back through the exit and right to the loading area. So much quicker and easier!

I have that exact same shirt! Good thing I didn't wear it to Disney the day we met (though actually I think I had sent it back to the US with my parents and just kept my Disney clothes)

Haha, I wore it the next day we went into Paris! It's a pretty shirt.
And I think my kids got a kick out of your Groot shirt that you wore!

F&G looks amazing. Love all the topiaries and those looked like some very tasty snacks! The chocolate macaroon would be right up my street. Great that Landon and Evie enjoyed tasting some of the savory items too.
On a side note I bought a box of 5 happy hippos yesterday for £1.30 ( approx $1.75) so yeah- eek on Epcot prices but hey when you NEED a happy hippo at least you can get one ( albeit it and extremely expensive one lol)

The food at F&G was really good, and I was glad we got to actually enjoy the offerings. We've been to Food and Wine twice before but the first time I had a cold and the second I was pregnant and battling mild morning sickness, so this trip I was bound and determined to take advantage of the festival!

I try to get the kids to take one bite of everything just to say they've given it a fair try. They usually cooperate, but in the end they'd pick nuggets and fries over any special dish...

I have already told some friends that they are going to be in charge of sending me care packages full of my favorite European goodies once I leave, but most will leave a year after me. So I'm sure by 2021 and on I'll be scarfing up the money for the treats in Disney. Glad to hear you can get them at a reasonable price, though! Plus, it's nice to know somebody else who knows what treat I'm talking about.

 

[amazingact21]

I love seeing all the pictures from the food booths. That chocolate macaroon has my name all over it.

Is Happy Hippo a candy or cake? I've never heard of it.

They are sort of like a cookie. Alex thinks they are a better version of a Ferrero Rocher.

hippo by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

I enjoyed reading your reviews of the F&G booths you visited! That macaron sounds incredible, but definitely share-worthy.

Cracking up at you and Alex taking pictures of each other each taking pictures of the other one. Hysterical.

Also ... I meant to come here last week and tell you this, but I forgot. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the candy store It'Sugar, but there's one near my office, and they had the hippo things! I don't remember the price (probably close to Disney prices, honestly), but there may be hope for getting them in the US even if you're not at Disney!

I haven't heard of that candy store before, but I'm very happy to hear they have Happy Hippos. You guys are really helping me out, finding ways for me to feed my Hippo addiction. And there are several bases in the part of the US you live, so if I have to move there, I wouldn't be surprised if we find this Sugar candy store.

Darn Minnesotans taking over Disney!

It sure felt like all of Minnesota was in Epcot that day!

I also tried to eat around the World- there were 4 of us, and we barely made a dent!

Can't wait to hear more- love Evie's dress! <3

It's harder to do than I thought! I figured with the food "sample size" we'd get a lot more knocked out, but the savory dishes were more filling than I expected them to be.

Yum! Sorry that it was a little spicy for you guys. Indian food def tends to be spicy!

Honestly, I was just proud of Alex for trying the dish. He's not the most adventitious eater.

I am guessing it isn't as cool now that you have seen the real one.

The real one was definitely bigger! But at least the Disney version didn't have dozens of peddlers trying to trick you into buying a Tower keychain...

I really am hoping we can go during Flower and Garden next year! All your food looks great!

I hope you all get to go, too. It's my favorite time to visit WDW.

 

[SarahDisney]

I haven't heard of that candy store before, but I'm very happy to hear they have Happy Hippos. You guys are really helping me out, finding ways for me to feed my Hippo addiction. And there are several bases in the part of the US you live, so if I have to move there, I wouldn't be surprised if we find this Sugar candy store.

They actually have them in various places, not just up here. The first one I went to was at Universal CityWalk in California, and I know there's also one in Vegas. Looking at the website, it looks like there's also one in the Orlando Premium Outlets.
Not sure if all the stores carry the same inventory, but it's worth a look. Leaving Germany shouldn't mean you have to leave the hippos you love.