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A Salute to All Vacations… But Mostly This Sorta-Solo One! – August 2022 TR - NEW 2/15

Continued from Previous Post!

Sufficiently stuffed, we wanted to walk off our meal a little and just look around. The rain had let up and it was no longer pouring. We made our way toward World of Disney.


When we got inside it was uncomfortably crowded. I wanted to look at their Halloween merch and went over to have a look.


Side note: I LOVE Halloween. I generally love scary movies, dressing up, and anything spooky, so it’s for sure my fave holiday. I’ve already decorated our apartment for the occasion. It’s also why I got MNSSHP tickets for myself for later in the week.


I thought about buying this soap dispenser but didn’t. I knew I would have time later in the week. Plus, the checkout line was sooooo long. Honestly the crowds were making M and I anxious so we decided to leave WoD.

The last place we wanted to visit was Joffrey’s. We wanted some coffee to bring back home and I get a discount there with my Disney Visa. We ended up getting this pumpkin flavor.


M and I both enjoy it just fine, but it’s not as good as the banana flavor they had during the springtime.

We walked back to the car and ended up leaving the Springs exactly at 9:30. We pulled into POR and needed to make a pit stop by the gift shop to get water and milk for our Gideons cookies. Drinks in hand, we walked out of the lobby when we were asked by a cast member if we wanted a balloon. Apparently it was her last day at POR and was celebrating with some of her other cast members. It was super sweet and we obviously accepted. We wished her luck and drove back to our room. Here’s the balloon back at the room:


We settled in bed and watched Southern Charm while splitting one of the banana bread cookies. No pics, but we enjoyed it! The cookie was crisp on the outside but soft on the inside. I thought the banana flavor was nice, but it wasn’t my favorite I tried that week. Spoiler: I liked to original chocolate chip the best!

We ended up going to sleep a little after 11.

Next: A full day at EPCOT
 
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Thanks! I just went to subscribe and it seems I already was but I've never listened. I'll give it a shot!

The last place we wanted to visit was Joffrey’s. We wanted some coffee to bring back home and I get a discount there with my Disney Visa. We ended up getting this pumpkin flavor.

Yum. We have a Marshall's near us and they sell all those specialty Joffreys coffees and it's so fun seeing them in there!

we were asked by a cast member if we wanted a balloon. Apparently it was her last day at POR and was celebrating with some of her other cast members.

Aw, sweet.

Spoiler: I liked to original chocolate chip the best!

That's my favorite too, you just can't beat the OG :goodvibes
 


8/20 – Saturday– EPCOT

I woke up at 6:55am this morning so I could join the virtual queue for Guardians. I love my sleep so this is the earliest I’ve been up in a while! I also wanted to get Genie+ for both of us and see how it worked. I had done a lot of research prior so I knew the basics, but I was still nervous having never using the service.

Here is how we ended up for the day!


Virtual queue spot and LL secured, I tried to go back to sleep with little luck. I think I was just so excited! I wanted M to get up so we could go to the park but she was still tired. I contemplated going by myself but decided against it since our time together was limited and I would have plenty of time later in my trip to do things on my own. I scrolled on my phone while she slept. I had to jostle her awake though because our boarding group time was moved up from 12:28 to 10:23. We ran out the door at 9:45 and decided to drive ourselves because I was worried about the time. We ended up pulling in at 9:54.

I took a picture to remember where we parked (as if this nondescript image would help later lol).


Walking in I got all the feels! I was back baby!


Our bag got pulled for an extra check and were on our way! We got called for our boarding group a little after 10 so we headed that way, obviously stopping to take pics!



Continued in next post!
 
Continued from Previous Post!


We ended up walking inside at 10:10.


So while we were waiting in line I got an alert from MouseWatchers that a table for Ohana had opened up at 7:30pm for tomorrow evening. So if y’all have never heard of this service I highly recommend it. You sign up and pay $5-ish to receive text alerts when a restaurant reservation opens up on the date and approximate time of your choosing. Now I already had a reservation for Ohana the following evening, but it was at 9:05pm which was a little too late. I paid for this service after reading about it on the boards and decided to go for it so we could get an earlier reservation. Besides, it was only $5. I signed up about two weeks before our trip and got texts here and there leading up to and during our trip. Either they were taken by the time I clicked the link or they were too early or too late…

BUT THIS ONE I GOT!

Between getting a spot in the virtual queue and the reservation for Ohana in line, I was feeling lucky.

Back in line we just kinda looked around.



It is here that I have to admit that neither M or I are big Marvel fans. We don’t really watch the movies or TV shows and generally have no idea what is happening in that universe. Sorry all Marvel lovers, I just can’t get into it!! So walking in and looking at the queue we had little idea about the context. I had seen the first Guardians a while ago (at my bothers request) but honestly forgot most of the plot. That being said, I don’t think you need the Marvel background to enjoy the queue, pre-show, or ride. Plus, I love Terry Crews!


We walked off at 10:45am. No spoilers here, because I am a firm believer everyone needs to experience it for themselves, but we both really liked it! M is not a big roller coaster person, but she liked that the ride was so smooth. I really enjoyed the ride and the engineering of it all, but, since I’m not really invested in the storyline, it wasn’t like blowing me away. I would still recommend it to any and everyone!

Next: World Showcase & Food and Wine Fest!
 
8/20 – Saturday– World Showcase and Food & Wine Fest

Once we were off GotG:CR, we were trying to figure out what to do next. It was a little before 11 at this point and one of my new “to-dos” for this trip was to eat at Space 220. I kept looking for a reservation leading up to the trip (on my own, no MouseWatchers) and never got one. We were already over that way and could have gotten line for a spot at opening. We decided against it for whatever reason and never went. That was ok with me because it wasn’t a must-do for me and I could save it for a future trip when they hype had died down. Those who have been, feel free to share your experiences!

We started making our way toward World Showcase, starting at Mexico (obviously)!



When we got inside, we knew where we were heading. La Cava! Tequila is my favorite liquor and on a past trip I had spent hours in here just drinking and enjoying the ~vibes~. The ~vibes~ would have to wait though because it wasn’t quite 11 yet and they hadn’t opened. We got in line and waited.


We got in at 11:09 but we were the last group to enter that didn’t get a table. ☹ But we did have a standing table close to the bar so that would have to do.

I ordered an avocado margarita (my first ever) and M ordered a Malesrom(??).


Mine was very good. Creamy but not overwhelmingly avocado-y. The spice on the rim was nice and it was very refreshing after our short walk in the heat.


M’s on the other hand was not great. She didn’t read the menu closely (she just liked the picture) and we quickly discovered this drink was made with mezcal. Neither of us care for mezcal as it has an overwhelming smokey flavor. She was going to choke it down but the bartender noticed that she wasn’t really drinking and asked her if she was enjoying it. M said it just wasn’t what she expected (again, her fault for not reading the menu). The bartender offered to get her something else so she decided on a moscow mule with tequila. We also ordered chips and guac.

Continued in next post!
 


Continued from Previous Post!


You can see my water bottle in the background that I’ve decorated with Disney stickers. See anything familiar?

After our light snack and drinks, we ended up walking out around 11:50. And boy was it hot. It was around this time we picked up a LL for Soarin so we headed that way.

We stopped at Shimmering Sips and ended up going with a mimosa flight. We also ducked in the Refreshment Port to drink it in the shade.


From left to right the flavors were blood orange, key lime, and tropical. I liked the Key Lime the best and M liked the Tropical. You can see how dark the blood orange drink is and was more juice than wine. Still pretty good and it was nice to get out of the heat for a minute. We headed on to the Land Pavilion.



Ok – confession time. I have never ridden Journey Into Imagination. Never in all my years coming to Disney as a kid or an adult. Feel free to roast me in the comments section.

As we were approaching the Land pavilion, I could tell M wasn’t feeling well. Remember I said she doesn’t do well in the heat? Well the heat + the drinks really got to her at that moment and she said was feeling like the onset of a panic attack. We got inside and I told her we could take a breather near the exit to Soarin (where they have the airport-like seats). Honestly it was over almost as soon as it started. After 10 minutes she said she was ready to go but I suggested we sit another 10. We got some water and just sat for a couple more minutes. I asked multiple times if she was ok and if she wanted to go back to the hotel but she swore she was fine. It happens to the best of us, and just a little break was all that was needed. She was totally fine for the rest of the day.

With M assuring me she was fine – it was on to Soarin.


The girl in front of me turned around as I was taking the image. Oops!

We both laughed about the smells that they pumped in during each scene. At some points they were overwhelming. Idk why we thought they were so funny, but I digress.

Next: Rides, Rides, Rides!
 
I love Harry Potter, just not as much as Disney. I haven’t been to Universal since Diagon Alley opened, so maybe I’ll do that soon. Is it worth it to take a day trip?
Oh my goodness what!!! Yes you absolutely have to go. Hagrid’s Motorbike is the best ride I have ever been on, butterbeer is sooo good, and just the entire aesthetic is perfection. I agree with what someone said about doing a hotel that will get you express passes.
but honestly forgot most of the plot.
This is why I can’t get into Marvel… I can never remember what happened in anything within 24 hours after watching it.
but the bartender noticed that she wasn’t really drinking and asked her if she was enjoying it. M said it just wasn’t what she expected
That was kind of them!

Loving your report so far. I’m going solo for Marathon Weekend and looking forward to it. And although I didn’t travel solo, I spent some solo park time at Universal and MNSSHP last weekend. It was actually pretty nice.
 
Reading along!
Thanks for reading!!
Oh my goodness what!!! Yes you absolutely have to go. Hagrid’s Motorbike is the best ride I have ever been on, butterbeer is sooo good, and just the entire aesthetic is perfection. I agree with what someone said about doing a hotel that will get you express passes.
I feel like I have to go just for the pics, lol!
This is why I can’t get into Marvel… I can never remember what happened in anything within 24 hours after watching it.
I know! They all blend together! I don't know how Marvel fans keep it all straight.
That was kind of them!

Loving your report so far. I’m going solo for Marathon Weekend and looking forward to it. And although I didn’t travel solo, I spent some solo park time at Universal and MNSSHP last weekend. It was actually pretty nice.
Yeah, it was super nice of them. La Cava is a go-to every trip.

But I appreciate you joining in. I'm sure you will love every minute of your solo trip!!
 
8/20 – Saturday– Rides, Rides, Rides!

After we had scanned in at Soarin, I grabbed a LL for Living With the Land for right after, so we headed that way.

After scanning in for our LwtL LL, I grabbed another for The Seas with Nemo.

LwtL is M’s favorite ride at Epcot. As a non-Disney fan, she asked me a few days before our trip if we would be going on the “greenhouse boat ride”. I assured her we would. Last time we came was also did the “Behind the Seeds Tour” and we loved it. Highly recommend to anyone who likes LwtL!

Anyways, back to the ride at hand.





I let her take the pics and this is what I get…


Lol.

Continued in next post!
 
Continued from Previous Post!

I think its obvious who takes better photos here…


I had to also take a picture of my nails because they glow in the dark!! No editing on this pic, this was them in the dark toward the end of the ride. I was obsessed and got so many compliments throughout my trip.


We walked off LwtL at 1:35 and headed for the Seas. But (again) not without pictures!



Back in the heat, but only momentarily.


Continued in next post!
 
Continued from Previous Post!

No flash was used during the taking of this photo.


While we were in line for Nemo I grabbed another LL for Spaceship Earth so after a brief stay under the sea, we trucked on.

I am remembering we walked around verrryyy briefly in the Seas pavilion. My mom did the Dive Quest there one time and it was so cool seeing her dive in the tanks back in the day (early 2000s). But today we only spent maybe 5 minutes looking around the tanks before moving on.

Again back into the heat!!


The LL for SE wasn’t need because there wasn’t a line. Oh well, we tapped in anyways. Our LL for Remy’s was coming up so I stopped looking for other LLs at that point.


Love this mural!


So I told M to get ready when they take the photo so she smiled a cheesy smile. Well this is how it turned out…


Her face didn’t show up. Lol. We laughed about that one for a while.


We got off and headed toward France a little before 2:15.

Next: More F&W and Remy’s
 
Your report is great and your picture is great, but OMG your nails! I had no idea you could get glow-in-the-dark nail polish and I love them. I really want to try that. So fun!
 
Just got all caught up. Looking forward to more :)
Yay! Thanks for following along!
Just caught up and enjoying your trip report. I look forward to more.
I'm glad you like it! Thank you!
Your report is great and your picture is great, but OMG your nails! I had no idea you could get glow-in-the-dark nail polish and I love them. I really want to try that. So fun!
Thank you thank you!! It's actually glow in the dark dip powder. It's so fun! Highly recommend!
 
8/20 – Saturday– More F&W and Remy’s

As we made our way toward France, we decided to stop for some more food.

This time it was at the Refreshment Port. We ordered a Traditional Poutine and I got some kind of flavored beer (I can’t remember what flavor). We also got free water so Mini could soak her cooling towel. We then grabbed a table across from the building.


The poutine was really good! I especially loved the boursin cheese. I guess the drink was alright and I do remember drinking all of it, but would definitely recommend the poutine!

This guy was close by just waiting for food to fall.


Moving on. Here’s a crowd update:


Time for Remy’s!



I loved this little area. I really like the movie Ratatouille and sometimes listen to the soundtrack when I am working. I was definitely looking forward to this ride. We tapped in at 2:45.

Continued in next post!
 

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