"Even the Garbage Cans Have Flowers!"-A September 2016 Mother-Daughter TR!- NEW TR LINK 9/13!

[missangelalexis]

Yay for another cute mystery pin!

Love the pic of you and your mom by the pool

Such a funny story behind the TR title!

Trader Sam's always sounds so fun. I'm glad you enjoyed your drinks and your time there!

That is such a scary story about your mom at the Poly pool! Thank God she was there and was able to help!

Can't wait to hear about your Ohana experience!

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

Love the story behind your title...those kinds of trip quotes are just the best! It's been years since I've eaten at O'hana, so I can't wait to hear about your dinner!

 

[AaronInWI]

So, we did what I learned best in college, and CHUGGED!

Ha ha! Spoken like a true Wisconsinite!

 

[disneyAndi14]

Glad you got Tink for your mystery pin, you have had good luck with the pins. Trader Sams looks like a fun place, we haven't been in there yet. Good thing your mom was in the right place at the right time! Wow. Looking forward to Ohana review.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

Seriously, from the bottom of my heart, it is so cool to have a place where I can be my true, Disney-loving self and know that I can connect with so many people around the world! Whether you have been reading here since the start or just joining, I consider you all dear friends

Awww, shucks.

I ordered the Krakatoa Punch: Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, Pyrat XO Reserve Rum, Orgeat (Almond), Sam’s Gorilla Grog, and Hibiscus Grenadine…

You had me at rum.

And Mom ordered the Shrunken Zombie Head: Gosling’s 151 Black Seal Rum, Appleton Estate Reserve Rum, Bacardi 8 Yr Rum, Tropical Juices, Falernum, and Cinnamon.

Ditto.

Rum is my drink of choice on a Friday night, usually just with cola. But I sometimes try to get exotic and make rum cocktails at home. Those two sound great, even if they were a bit strong.

She actually performed CPR on him and gave him rescue breaths. Luckily, he sputtered out some water shortly after and his parents came running. Turns out, he had gotten separated from them and jumped into the water! I’m more wondering where the lifeguard was during all of this?

Wow, scary but at least there was a happy outcome. Well done to your mom. Yeah, it's a but strange that the lifeguard wasn't around.

 

[Mollydolly334]

I'm with you on the Contemporary, I wish it was a bit more Disney-themed. For the longest time I had no desire to stay there but recently I've thought, "maybe......" I really do want to stay at just about every resort at some point just to say I have Contemporary and the cabins at Ft. Wilderness are at the bottom of my list though.
Sounds like you guys had a blast at Trader Sam's! DH and I went there last Jan. when we stayed at the Poly and thought it was just OK but the bartenders weren't really fun. There were also about 15 kids in there at the time, I know they're welcome but wonder if that many kids made the bartenders tone it down a bit? Although with the flashing comment they made when you were there it doesn't seem like that matters lol!

Haha, I've actually thought that recently about Contemporary as well!! I've decided that if I had a later flight in, I would stay at CR for one night without my package, just to experience it, then transfer to another resort for the rest of the time. As you can see, I like to plan out lots of hypothetical Disney trips in my head for the future I'd actually love to stay at the Ft. Wilderness Cabins; but I love the "up north" feel! For me, bottom of my list is Art of Animation and Saratoga Springs.

Trader Sam's had the perfect of balance between cheeky but still kid-friendly! There was one family (actually, the guy who the "flashing" comment was directed to was the father) who had two elementary-age kids. But, the rest of the people in there were adults. Kind of think Toy Story: where it's appropriate for the kids because some of the jokes go over their heads!

Yay for another cute mystery pin!

Love the pic of you and your mom by the pool

Such a funny story behind the TR title!

Trader Sam's always sounds so fun. I'm glad you enjoyed your drinks and your time there!

That is such a scary story about your mom at the Poly pool! Thank God she was there and was able to help!

Can't wait to hear about your Ohana experience!

O'hana review is coming up soon! Be prepared for lots of food pictures!

Thank you!! I was agonizing for a few days after the trip about a proper trip title, but it looks like this one was a perfect choice! My mom says that she'll always remember the story by the pool and she feels lucky to have been there. It makes my heart sink to think about people on their Disney trips who aren't as lucky

Love the story behind your title...those kinds of trip quotes are just the best! It's been years since I've eaten at O'hana, so I can't wait to hear about your dinner!

Thank you Likewise, I LOVED the title for your last TR!! O'hana post should be up next week! If you can swing it, I would definitely make an ADR there for your graduation trip; it's a can't-miss meal!!

Ha ha! Spoken like a true Wisconsinite!

Thank you!!! Love having fellow Wisconsinites here with me on the DIS

Glad you got Tink for your mystery pin, you have had good luck with the pins. Trader Sams looks like a fun place, we haven't been in there yet. Good thing your mom was in the right place at the right time! Wow. Looking forward to Ohana review.

Haha, one of my biggest fears was that every time I got a mystery pin, it would be the worst one in the pack! And oh my gosh, you will have to stop by Trader Sam's soon! Even if you're not of age or not a drinker, the atmosphere is awesome and I've heard that they have lots of delicious NA drinks

Thank you! My mom says that moment for her felt like a little nudge from God.

Awww, shucks.
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You had me at rum.


Ditto.

Rum is my drink of choice on a Friday night, usually just with cola. But I sometimes try to get exotic and make rum cocktails at home. Those two sound great, even if they were a bit strong.


Wow, scary but at least there was a happy outcome. Well done to your mom. Yeah, it's a but strange that the lifeguard wasn't around.

Love the Pascal gif!

Haha, right?! Rum is usually my drink of choice as well; wine gives me a headache and most other hard liquors just make me wince. These drinks were sooo tropical and fun; the hibiscus-flavored grenadine in my Krakatoa Punch really upped the drink from just yummy to WOW!! I felt like I was on a beach in Hawaii

Thank you! As I mentioned above, my mom thinks of that event as a sign from God. She's a big advocate of everyone taking a CPR certification course at least once in their lifetime; you never know when you may need to use it!

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

Thank you Likewise, I LOVED the title for your last TR!! O'hana post should be up next week! If you can swing it, I would definitely make an ADR there for your graduation trip; it's a can't-miss meal!!

Well, thank you!! Unfortunately, with all the other ADRs we have planned for this trip, I don't think we'll be able to add O'hana in there...maybe next time!

 

[Mollydolly334]

Day 4: Part 4- “I Wanna Stuff Some Chocolate In My Face!”



Hello Disfriends!! It’s been a little while since I last wrote an update! I’ve had a busy last two weeks, and I’m hoping to do a real-life update soon just to fill you guys in on all of the Disney-related stuff I’ve been up to lately (hint: Disney merchandise shopping galore!) I missed the Disboards dearly, however, so I’m hoping to pound out at least one update a week from now on!


Where we last left off, Mom and I were just being called into our ADR at O’hana! By now it was about 7:50 PM. Our reservation was at 7:25, but they were running a bit behind tonight. No problem! Our stomachs were growling and we were SO ready to eat all of the delicious noms!

We were seated at a small table that was near the window, but not right up against it. If not for a perfectly-placed window pane, we would have had a direct view of the castle! I was hoping to watch Wishes either from the Poly beach or from O’hana, since the show was at 9:00 tonight! But, I didn’t tell my mom any of this because I was hoping to surprise her


Our server came around and she was super nice. We put our drink orders in and she told us all about O’hana’s dinner menu, since we had never been here before! Both Mom and I ordered the exact same drink: A Lapu Lapu

These were super yummy! Plus it was so cool to drink something out of a pineapple We were a little worried at first, because I read on the DIS that these were suuuuper strong, and we were coming off of having to chug our drinks from Trader Sam’s! Surprisingly, these didn’t seem strong at all, it was just like a yummy smoothie with some rum. Also, I put my red glow cube in my mom’s water because I’m cool like that


The pineapple-coconut bread service came out as soon as we got our drinks. YUM! It was warm and sweet with some awesome butter to go with it as well. I think it was the macadamia nut butter? Whatever it was, it was delicious, but we were careful not to eat a whole bunch of it because we wanted to save up for some other yummies!

The salad came out as well with the chicken wings and potstickers. Oh yessss. These were delicious and could have been a meal all by themselves!


As our food was coming, the ukelele player came out and started singing. According to the DIS, her name is Lipoa, and Mom and I loved her! She was so cute and really set the tone of the restaurant. Once again, it’s the little things that Disney does that keeps us coming back


Soon after, the meat skewers and noodles came!!

My plate and all it’s goodness.


It was a ton of food but everything was delicious! If you like food with an Asian flair, this restaurant is a must-do! We were getting super full, but we knew that we had to save up for the bread pudding! It was scrumptious and ooey-gooey and caramel-y and MMMMMM.

Side note, Emma Stone is my fave. Did anyone see La La Land?? AMAZING!!!


Just as our bread pudding came out, the lights in the restaurant dimmed and the music for Wishes started to play. My mom looked at me with the hugest smile on her face! I was so happy that she was surprised Later, she asked me if I had planned for us to be in O’hana when Wishes played. When I said yes, she said, “You are planning all of our vacations from now on.” Needless to say, I was very happy


Wishes was just as magical from inside O’hana as it is from inside the park! The restaurant was all quiet when Wishes played and stayed that way until the end; you could hear a pin drop. Even the kids were watching so intently! Of course, like always, I cried at the end because I’m a sap


After I wiped away my tears and the lights came back on, we finished up the bread pudding and settled the bill. What did we think about O’hana? WE LOVED IT. Remember how I said that as soon as we tried Be Our Guest, we promised to make it an every-trip meal? I said in that update that we made the same claim about one more place, and that restaurant was O’hana We love the atmosphere of the Polynesian, and you really get a lot of bang for your buck at O’hana (I still can’t believe that it’s only one table-service credit on the Dining Plan). The food was divine, and we also really liked the little extras they did; like the coconut races and Lipoa singing with her ukelele. 10/10 for O’hana!


Mom and I were absolutely stuffed, but the night wasn’t over yet! We rolled ourselves out of O’hana and down to the first floor, where we looked in Bou-Tiki for a bit. I almost bought a Dole-Whip scented air freshener, but for some reason decided against it! I wanted some Poly-specific merchandise, but I couldn’t really find anything I 100% liked. There was an adorable luau-style dress that I almost bought, but it was about $70 and not exactly the most practical


By the time we were done shopping, it was nearing 10:00, so we strolled outside of the Poly and looked around a bit before heading to the TTA. Mom pointed out our longhouse (Samoa) and what room we stayed in (first floor, facing the quiet pool) back in 2002. We have a lot of good memories at this resort, so it was fun to revisit them while walking to the TTA!


When we arrived at the TTA, the monorail was closed, so we took a bus to Epcot. Once arriving, we got in line for ANOTHER bus. Two bus rides?? Where was our destination, might you ask??


The Wilderness Lodge! Neither Mom nor I had ever seen this resort before, and we wanted to see its beauty in person! It was the only Deluxe resort we had never visited before! Also, we knew that my sister Haley and her boyfriend Ryan would be staying here in December, so we wanted to check it out and tell them all about it.


We got into the line for the WL/FW bus and waited for about 10 minutes. During our wait, a middle-aged man in the line next to us was making a HUGE scene! He had apparently had too many...ahem...refreshments at World Showcase that day, and was trying to start a chant! You could tell that his wife and sons were absolutely mortified A CM came up to him and very politely told him to quiet down, and he complied. It was quite entertaining and a funny way to wait for the bus. Note to self: drinking + heat = craziness!!

Shortly after, the bus came and we were on our way! It stopped at FW first, then the main lodge. As we walked into the lobby, we were greeted by THIS:

We instantly fell in love with this resort. It smelled sooooo good, like sweet pine needles, and the lobby was visually stunning. I’m telling ya, Disney does it right with its lobbies! I had a mini heart-attack when we passed this totem pole:

Love all of the characters! I also can’t believe that they managed to get this beautiful brook inside the resort?!

All of the oohing and awwing was making me thirsty, so I grabbed a bottle of water from Roaring Fork and we ventured out back to look at the pool.

What a beautiful pool! We really appreciated the woodsy feel of the resort since we make a trip Up North every summer. As we looked down onto the walking trail, we realized that they had made animal tracks into the concrete! Details, details! This reminded us of POR and how they had stuck sand dollars into the concrete when we stayed there back in 2000.


We called Haley and told her right away that she was going to love it here! This resort has skyrocketed into one of my favorite Disney resorts. It even passes up AKL as somewhere I’d really want to stay in the future! It really has the “Disney” feel, yet makes you feel like you’ve teleported into the Pacific Northwest.


By this time, It was 11:20 PM, and Mom and I were pooped! Even though it was just our rest day, we had still gotten a lot accomplished! We sat in the rocking chairs and enjoyed the fireplace for about 10 minutes before going out front and calling a cab.


Our cab driver was very friendly, but kept trying to sell us on a day at Sea World. Been there, done that, plus it feels kind of icky to go there after all of the stuff that came out with Blackfish The CM at the gate had us scan our Magic Bands before letting us enter the GF, which was really nice and made us feel extra safe!


We wandered around the GF for awhile before heading back to our building. When we got into the elevator, we realized that we hadn’t gotten a full-body shot that entire night! So, we made do in the elevator’s mirror.

All of my Disfriends probably think I’m so tall, because I tower over my mother! But in reality, I am only 5’4”, and Mom is really short


When we got to our room, we turned on the Lifetime Movie Network. Per usual . I forgot what movie was on this night, but it was something silly and dramatic!! As soon as we turned off the lights at 12:30, we were out. We had a busy day with park-hopping and two ADRS tomorrow!


Coming Up Next- Day 5: Part 1- “Finally, I’m A Beautiful Butterfly!”

​

 

[Raeven]

We were a little worried at first, because I read on the DIS that these were suuuuper strong, and we were coming off of having to chug our drinks from Trader Sam’s!

I actually did think mine was a little strong.

Just as our bread pudding came out, the lights in the restaurant dimmed and the music for Wishes started to play. My mom looked at me with the hugest smile on her face! I was so happy that she was surprised Later, she asked me if I had planned for us to be in O’hana when Wishes played. When I said yes, she said, “You are planning all of our vacations from now on.” Needless to say, I was very happy

That sounds so cool!

There was an adorable luau-style dress that I almost bought, but it was about $70 and not exactly the most practical

OMG twins again! I really wanted one of those too, but I told myself for the price it would be ridiculous unless we were going to the luau

We instantly fell in love with this resort. It smelled sooooo good, like sweet pine needles, and the lobby was visually stunning. I’m telling ya, Disney does it right with its lobbies!

Yay! I can't wait to stay there!

Our cab driver was very friendly, but kept trying to sell us on a day at Sea World. Been there, done that, plus it feels kind of icky to go there after all of the stuff that came out with Blackfish

Same. We've never been to Seaworld, and my boyfriend said he wouldn't want to go after all that stuff came out.

When we got to our room, we turned on the Lifetime Movie Network. Per usual . I forgot what movie was on this night, but it was something silly and dramatic!!

Aren't they always? ​

 

[missangelalexis]

You two look so cute with your drinks!

I'm glad you enjoyed your meal, and seeing Wishes from your table must have been awesome!

So cool that you guys ventured over to WL to check it out. It really does look stunning!

 

[disneyAndi14]

Looks like an awesome evening for you both, we tried Ohana for the first time our last trip and loved it! I am sure Wishes was really neat in the restaurant. Free entertainment at the bus stop is always interesting lol! We would love to stay at WL some day as well.

 

[ariane37]

A Lapu Lapu

Love me a Lapu Lapu!

We instantly fell in love with this resort. It smelled sooooo good, like sweet pine needles, and the lobby was visually stunning.

Ah, WL is my favorite resort! So happy you loved it and I hope you get to stay there someday! I can't wait to go back in May

It even passes up AKL as somewhere I’d really want to stay in the future!

AKL is my 2nd favorite resort of all the deluxes we've stayed at before, and that's all of them except GF, Contemporary, and Yacht. I didn't think anything could top AKL until we stayed at WL! So AKL will always be my 2nd choice. I think in terms of relaxing and being visually stunning they're kind of tied; I can't even put my finger on what gives WL the edge for me, but something about it definitely does. However I hope you also try AKL someday because we loved our stay there, too!

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

Sounds like y'all had a great dinner at O'hana! How cool that you were able to watch Wishes from the restaurant!!

 

[annie170]

We had dinner at Ohana last month. I would love to eat there every visit, but we've run into trouble getting an adr a few times. We sat at a big round table with a great view of the castle. It definitely made for a memorable meal.

I agree that Ohana is a great value on the dining plan. I've read a few rumors that it was to go up to two dining credits, but so far, so good. Even out of pocket, it's so much better than the character buffets.

Wilderness Lodge is on my bucket list. I just love everything about that resort.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

Both Mom and I ordered the exact same drink: A Lapu Lapu

Ah, the famous Lapu Lapu! I haven't had one but I heard so much about it that searched for the recipe. I'm waiting until summer to try it. Drinking a pineapple rum cocktail in the middle of winter doesn't seem right.

Just as our bread pudding came out, the lights in the restaurant dimmed and the music for Wishes started to play.

Great timing! Great that it worked out. Now, about Wishes. I don't know if you heard and I don't think I want to write it out, so I'll just leave this link.
https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...ular-will-debut-at-magic-kingdom-park-may-12/

What did we think about O’hana? WE LOVED IT.

I would love to try 'Ohana. I did go there once but it was for breakfast. The problem is my wife and girls are a bit picky and I don't think they would go for the Asian menu. Maybe if I ever do a solo trip!

The Wilderness Lodge! Neither Mom nor I had ever seen this resort before, and we wanted to see its beauty in person!

I've said it before, but I desperately want to see this resort. I'd love to stay there but the prices are a bit steep. Maybe someday.

 

[Somnia]

Loving your trip report! I really enjoyed how you surprised your Mom with Wishes, a great memory for both of you!

 

[MrsPMcD]

Really enjoying your trip report Hoping to do a mother/daughter trip with my Mum in 2018 or 2019 (hopefully next year!!)

 

[balty74]

I'm in the 13 day countdown (which means forget work, I'm reading trip reports all day!) and yours is so much fun! Love your resort pics - GF is one I've never been in before - we'll have to fix that this trip! Your pic of the Contemporary almost had me in tears (that's where we will be in 13 days!!).

 

[Mollydolly334]

I actually did think mine was a little strong.



That sounds so cool!


OMG twins again! I really wanted one of those too, but I told myself for the price it would be ridiculous unless we were going to the luau



Yay! I can't wait to stay there!



Same. We've never been to Seaworld, and my boyfriend said he wouldn't want to go after all that stuff came out.




Aren't they always? ​

Wow, we really are secret twins Is this The Parent Trap?! Side note- if you've never been to the Luau, you definitely should! My family loves it!

Ahh, you're so lucky you get to stay at Wilderness Lodge in May!! Sometime in the future I will make it a point to stay there.

Oh, and yes, Lifetime Movies are always silly and dramatic!! Why else would my mom and I love them?

You two look so cute with your drinks!

I'm glad you enjoyed your meal, and seeing Wishes from your table must have been awesome!

So cool that you guys ventured over to WL to check it out. It really does look stunning!

Aww, thanks O'hana was one of our favorite meals of the trip, and Wishes was the cherry on top of an excellent dinner! The Wilderness Lodge is totally unique and really takes your breath away. We love checking out all of the different Disney Resorts; it can be a nice and relaxing break from the hustle and bustle of the parks!

Looks like an awesome evening for you both, we tried Ohana for the first time our last trip and loved it! I am sure Wishes was really neat in the restaurant. Free entertainment at the bus stop is always interesting lol! We would love to stay at WL some day as well.

It was a great evening, it's always so fun to switch things up and explore the other amenities that Disney has to offer! O'hana will definitely become an every-trip meal for us... we loved it!

The instance at the bus stop is why I will never attempt to "drink around the world." I would never want to get in trouble with Disney!

Love me a Lapu Lapu!


Ah, WL is my favorite resort! So happy you loved it and I hope you get to stay there someday! I can't wait to go back in May


AKL is my 2nd favorite resort of all the deluxes we've stayed at before, and that's all of them except GF, Contemporary, and Yacht. I didn't think anything could top AKL until we stayed at WL! So AKL will always be my 2nd choice. I think in terms of relaxing and being visually stunning they're kind of tied; I can't even put my finger on what gives WL the edge for me, but something about it definitely does. However I hope you also try AKL someday because we loved our stay there, too!

We looooved the Lapu Lapu as well! It went down so smooth...it was a good thing we only had one or we might had been in trouble

We've never tried AKL or WL but have visited both now..they both look so unique and like a getaway of their own! We would love to try AKL one day but what really makes us pause is the remote location. If AKL had the WL's location; it would be a no-brainer!

Also, I really hope you get to try the GF and Yacht Club one day I can't speak for the CR since I've never stayed there, but I loved both of those resorts so much! The Yacht Club really feels like you're in New England and it has such a sophisticated and nautical feel. If I'd have to rank the resorts we've stayed at, it would be: 1. Poly 2. GF (but a VERY close tie). 3. Yacht Club 4. Beach Club 5. POR 6. CBR.

Sounds like y'all had a great dinner at O'hana! How cool that you were able to watch Wishes from the restaurant!!

It was such a magical moment and it is always so interesting to see Wishes from outside the park! O'hana has turned into one of our favorite Disney restaurants!

We had dinner at Ohana last month. I would love to eat there every visit, but we've run into trouble getting an adr a few times. We sat at a big round table with a great view of the castle. It definitely made for a memorable meal.

I agree that Ohana is a great value on the dining plan. I've read a few rumors that it was to go up to two dining credits, but so far, so good. Even out of pocket, it's so much better than the character buffets.

Wilderness Lodge is on my bucket list. I just love everything about that resort.

I've heard that it is very hard to get an ADR for O'hana! I know that I tried to get one for Mom and I's 2015 trip but wasn't able to, and I got pretty lucky booking it for this trip!

Oh no, I really hope it doesn't turn into 2 credits! I feel like then it would lose some business with the Dining Planners! We've never done the character breakfast before, but it is on the list to do eventually! I love Lilo and Stitch

I agree; Wilderness Lodge's atmosphere, compact size, great pool area, location, and lower Deluxe price make it such a great resort!! My dream is to stay there over Christmas like my sister Haley and her fiancee did

Ah, the famous Lapu Lapu! I haven't had one but I heard so much about it that searched for the recipe. I'm waiting until summer to try it. Drinking a pineapple rum cocktail in the middle of winter doesn't seem right.


Great timing! Great that it worked out. Now, about Wishes. I don't know if you heard and I don't think I want to write it out, so I'll just leave this link.
https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...ular-will-debut-at-magic-kingdom-park-may-12/


I would love to try 'Ohana. I did go there once but it was for breakfast. The problem is my wife and girls are a bit picky and I don't think they would go for the Asian menu. Maybe if I ever do a solo trip!


I've said it before, but I desperately want to see this resort. I'd love to stay there but the prices are a bit steep. Maybe someday.

They have the recipe online?!? I definitely have to look for that, I would love to make those in the summer sitting out by our fire pit!

Sadly, I did hear about Wishes I am pretty bummed about it..if it was up to me, I would NEVER replace it! You will hear more news about my feelings on Wishes in my next update, so stay tuned....

I think O'hana would be a good restaurant to do solo, since there is so much going on and you wouldn't get bored! I'm the opposite; I want to try the character breakfast but my family doesn't really do character meals anymore!

Definitely make the trip over to WL next time just to check it out! You won't regret it!!

Loving your trip report! I really enjoyed how you surprised your Mom with Wishes, a great memory for both of you!

Thank you so much It is a great memory for us and was an awesome way to round out our non park day! Thanks for reading!!

Really enjoying your trip report Hoping to do a mother/daughter trip with my Mum in 2018 or 2019 (hopefully next year!!)

Thank you so much for reading! AHHHH, you totally should! Trust us, they're addicting (we speak from experience )

I'm in the 13 day countdown (which means forget work, I'm reading trip reports all day!) and yours is so much fun! Love your resort pics - GF is one I've never been in before - we'll have to fix that this trip! Your pic of the Contemporary almost had me in tears (that's where we will be in 13 days!!).

Wow, that's so exciting! Thank you so much for following along Even though it seems like I critique the Contemporary a lot, I actually really do want to stay there sometime in the future! You'll have to let me know how it is You should definitely check out the GF, especially since you're right around the corner!!

 

[Mollydolly334]

Real Life Update!!



Oh my goodness you guys, I have SO MUCH to tell you!! I’ve been waiting to write a real-life update for a while, but I figured that now was the perfect time to post it because I have lots of Disney-related news in my life right now! A few of those have been related to Disney merchandise shopping, but I also have a big announcement at the end! So, let’s get started


First off, back in November, I wrote about how one of my new favorite hobbies has been Disney thrift-store hunting! Because of my job, I am at Goodwill a lot because I’m always on the lookout for cheap children’s toys/books/crafts/etc. Well, while I’ve been there, I have always noticed lots of vintage Disney finds! Even better, they are basically dirt cheap


Most of the vintage Disney items I find are refillable mugs or popcorn buckets. Unlike us DISnerds, people do not cherish these and actually give them away! On one of my trips, I found this popcorn bucket for $3.

This is not my picture, because I didn’t actually buy it We are not big popcorn eaters at our house, so I couldn’t really see us getting good use out of it. But, we are huge coffee and tea drinkers, so you best believe I bought this baby…

I was so happy to find this!! If you know me at all, you know that I am a sucker for Disney resort merchandise. This mug is the perfect size for a cup of coffee! Plus, we’ve even stayed at CBR before, so it just felt right to buy this cup! It was a whopping $1.99


Then, last week, Mom and I were at Goodwill dropping off some old clothes when I asked if we could go inside. I was looking over by the CDs when I saw a whole shelf of old Disney VHS tapes. They were so tempting, but our VCR broke a long time ago and I would have no way of watching them. Unless….


Oh hey, $5 VCR at Goodwill! The VCR and 4 Disney VHS tapes cost only $7! And they’re older movies too that we don’t have at home

My Mom was ecstatic about buying the VCR, because now we are able to watch all of our old home videos! Every night before bed, we watch a little bit of some of our old tapes. It is so fun to go down memory lane, and my mom claims that it is the best $5 she has ever spent!


Moving along, I have more Disney shopping news, but not at Goodwill! My boyfriend Tom and I took a little getaway to Wisconsin Dells 2 weeks ago, and they have an amazing outlet mall there! We stayed at the Wilderness Hotel for 2 nights, then on our last day, we hit the mall before we headed home. Tom was most excited about the kitchenware store (he’s an amazing chef), but I was most excited about the Disney outlet!!!


Tom is a Disney-lover as well, so we made a beeline for the Disney store right when we arrived! As soon as we walked in, the MSEP music was playing, and I told the store clerk that I loved the song choice. She was about my age, and we instantly started geeking out about Disney World and it was so awesome! I hope that she is a DISmember! She must have thought I was crazy, because she was telling me all of the news about MagicBand 2.0 and It’s A Small World displaying your names at the end, and I was just like, “I know….I know...I know…”


Tom and I were just looking around when all of a sudden, I saw something that I knew he would love. Tom is a HUGE Toy Story fan, and on Mom and I’s Disney trip in 2015, I got him a Lotso Bear keychain. It hangs on his rearview mirror in his car and he loves it! Ever since then, he has been searching for a full-size Lotso, but he hasn’t found one. Well, low and behold, it was right in front of him at the Disney store!! And yes, he really does smell like strawberries!


Best of all, there was a “Buy One, Get One For $1” deal for all stuffed animals, so being the amazing boyfriend that he is, he let me pick one out too I know, we’re basically 5 year olds And I picked….

Dumbo!! Tom was trying to pull for Bing Bong, because he smelled like cotton candy! I was between Bambi, Dumbo, Daisy Duck, and Nala. But for some reason, Dumbo just called to me, and I knew I made the right choice


His ears are sooooo soft and he’s perfect for cuddling!

Proud parents with our babies


Finally, now for my big announcement…


I’M GOING BACK TO DISNEY WORLD, Y’ALL!!





.....In less than one month!!





How did this come about?? A week ago, I was browsing Facebook at my best friend Gabi’s house when I saw an article about WDW replacing Wishes in May As most of you may know, I adore Wishes and cry every time I see this beautiful show. Naturally, when I read about it, I let out a huge gasp, and Gabi asked what was wrong. Gabi has only been to Disney World one time; when she was in middle school, her dad had a work conference at WDW. They stayed at the Contemporary, but they only did Magic Kingdom one day and spent the rest of their trip at the beach and Downtown Disney! I told her about Wishes leaving, and jokingly said, “Let’s take a girl’s weekend to say goodbye to Wishes.” Dead serious, she looked me in the eyes and said, “Let’s do it.”

That was last week, and now, we are all booked for a girl’s weekend to Disney World!! I seriously cannot believe that we are doing this! Gabi and I have talked about doing a girl’s trip for so long, and now we are finally doing it! It will be me, Gabi, and her cousin Kaley who is also our age. Kaley has never been before, and since Gabi’s only been once, I am in charge!


We are staying from March 17-20 and will be at All Star Music!

All 3 of us will do Magic Kingdom one day, then I will be doing one day at Epcot solo The other two days will be spent at the pool or at Disney Springs! We have also decided to not make any ADRS! We are going to mostly eat counter-service, but we decided to do at least one sit-down meal Sunday night. Right now, we are thinking either Trattoria Al Forno or Kona Cafe. We are leaning towards Trattoria, because then we can also explore the Boardwalk! Since this restaurant is usually not too hard to get into, we are just going to play things by ear and see how we feel. I’ve also heard so many good things about Abracadabar on the Boardwalk and I’m dying to check it out! In addition, I want to try to explore the new Planet Hollywood Observatory in Disney Springs; these milkshakes are calling my name!!

Of course, being an avid DISer, this vacation is definitely switching things up for me! I am used to planning months and months in advance and scheduling everything to a tee! We have not gotten our tickets yet, I am getting a two-day pass while Gabi and Kaley are just getting one-day tickets to Magic Kingdom. We are going to get our tickets ASAP so we can plan our fast passes! On top of no FPs yet, not making ADRS (especially during Spring Break season) is making me a little nervous. But since this trip was not meticulously planned, I am just grateful that we get to go I am so glad that I can say goodbye to Wishes, since it is a big part of my “Disney mindset” today.


This trip marks a lot of firsts for me! Including:

First time staying at a Value Resort

First time going during March

First time doing a park solo

First time going for less than 5 nights


If anyone has any advice/experience with any of these things, PLEASE fill me in! I’d love your input! I’m a bit uneasy about the crowds; we have gone Easter week before and it was absolutely nuts (although at the time, I don’t remember the lines being extremely unbearable). However, now I am used to going in September and may be a bit spoiled But, since Easter isn’t until mid-April, I hope that will disperse the crowds a bit. Also, if any of you guys have stayed at All Star Music, please tell me all about it! I’m a huge Broadway nerd, so I think I’m going to request our room to be in that section!!


To put into perspective how soon this trip is, our MagicBands shipped today I don’t think I’ll do an official PTR or TR of this trip since it is so short and last-minute, but I will be doing little planning updates of it on this TR and probably do a little recap when we return! I’m so excited to be returning home

That’s all I have for now, friends! Regularly scheduled programming should be up sometime next week Thanks for being your awesome selves!

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