Aw, my Frose went back to being Rose - 2019 Food and Wine Adventure! RL Update 4/22!

Thanks for your honest review of MNSSHP . Our family went several years in a row several years ago and we loved it . I haven’t gone in the fall the last few trips but plan for Sept this year . Wavering about going to the party this year after the over crowded reports in recent years . I went to two DAH last trip ( MK and DHS) and loved it so if one of those is offered leaning towards that instead .

Of course, you're welcome! The crowds have definitely increased, although this year was much better than 2018. Still crowded, but not to the point where we found ourselves stuck in a mass of people unable to move like it was back in 2018! We had fun this year, but we also went in with much lower expectations than previous years, so that definitely helped! I just miss the years of being able to walk-on most of the rides, have enough time to see the parade, fireworks, meet a character or two, and get full bags of candy.

Now DAH is amazing, we would gladly give up the party extras for a park that feels empty and unlimited free Mickey bars! I just hope it's offered during our trip this fall!
 
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Day 3-

A nice start to your morning in MK, even if you didn't make it for rope drop.

My favorite of your pictures is you and your mom with the partners statue and practically nobody else. Especially since that what you are- partners!

What a fun interaction you had with the photographer near Big Thunder. True definition of "Magic Shot"

What a pain that it took you so long to get from GF to EPCOT.

You are doing such fun events! Did you know before booking the event with Robert Irvine that lamb was on the menu? I'm glad that his presentation was entertaining. Have you since watched any of his shows?

I haven't eaten at the Rose & Crown, but the Illuminations dinner would be a great excuse. So the show was at 10 that night? Is that unusual- I am used to it being at 9 pm.

UGH! on the poor service. Especially for what I am assuming was a pretty expensive experience.

Also UGH! on being so sick that night. I'm not a doctor, but I play one on the interwebs... could it have been dehydration? You said you were very thirsty and dehydrated. That happened to my son on one trip and he got very sick.

I hope you recovered quickly enough to enjoy the next day.

::yes::
 
Day 6, Part 1: Epcot – Final Illuminations Day, part 1

We opted to sleep in a bit this morning and didn’t get up until around 9:00. We had a lazy morning and didn’t head out for the day until around 10:20. It’s nice having some down time while on vacation!

Our destination this morning was Epcot! We had a FP+ at 10:00, so were well within the time when we finally made it over there. That of course didn’t stop us from meeting Goofy on the IG bridge!





I love that the characters meet there now!

I also swung by the store at the IG entrance and picked up a final Illuminations shirt.

Once our shopping and character interaction wrapped up, we started making our way over to TT for our FP+!

Of course we stopped for more pictures on the way.


We get this picture every year!







World Showcase was already getting pretty crowded, even though it was only like 10:30 in the morning, and loads of people were already staking out their spots for the final Illuminations that night! That's a long day of sitting out in the sun!

We finally made it to TT after all our pictures, and had a bit of a wait, maybe 10-15 minutes. But soon we were riding!


Our lovely creation....

Also just realized we never got our ride photo. Grrr.


When we got off TT, we were already into our next FP+ time, so we made our way over to SE to use it. My goodness, the crowds up at the front of the park was bonkers, and the crowds at SE were even worse. It was only about 11:00 in the morning and the standby line was already an hour! Even with our FP+, we ended up waiting about 30 minutes to ride.


HAHA, it looks like we took a nap on SE!

Since we hadn’t planned for quite the crowds that were there that morning, by the time we got off SE, we were crunched for time for our next activity, so only had time to stop at one or two food booths.

Our first stop was the Islands of the Caribbean where I picked up the empanada and the Sangria.



The empanada was delicious as always and the sangria was yummy.

Next, we made our way around WS, and stopped next at the Alps booth.

Here my mom picked up the Raclett, and I got the venison and the frose.







The Raclett was good, I liked the pickles the most. The venison was delicious and the frose was nice and refreshing for a moment before it quickly melted into just a regular old rose. #TRtitle

Did I mention how hot it was this day? HA!

After eating we continued around WS towards our destination, with a quick stop at a PP photographer!



We finally made it to our destination, Spice Road Table! We were doing the Mediterranean Food and Wine lunch!


Next up: Mediterranean Food and Wine Lunch!
 
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All caught up!

And I'm glad I did! I was contemplating booking the lion king package but I'm less inclined after your review! I think I'd rather save the money and do the harambe one down the road!

We did the cabanas in September at SAB and we also had am amazing time! It is seriously SO relaxing! Glad you guys enjoyed yourselves!

Looks like you guys had fun at MNSSHP!
 
Wow i was behind (i think i have posted that on like 5 TRs today!)

The Cabanas looks so fun, we have debated booking one, but went for a water par day instead in August, but i could totally see how a cabana would be a good spot to hang out!

We haven't ever done one of the parties, i do think my daughter would love the Halloween Party, but the cost and increase in negative reviews haven't pushed me into trying it yet... Plus she wouldn't make it up late enough, maybe in a few years.. when it cost $150 each! only half joking!

I am really excited to hear how the Mediterranean Food & Wine tasting is!
 


All caught up!

Yay! I'm so far behind on reading your TRs, but I will get to them one of these days!

And I'm glad I did! I was contemplating booking the lion king package but I'm less inclined after your review! I think I'd rather save the money and do the harambe one down the road!

Is the harambe one the circle of flavors or something else? If it is circle of flavors I 100% recommend that over the lion king package! It was nice getting guaranteed front row seats for the show, especially since we haven't seen it in ages, but yeah, cirlcle of flavors was definitely better!

We did the cabanas in September at SAB and we also had am amazing time! It is seriously SO relaxing! Glad you guys enjoyed yourselves!

Those cabanas are amazing, we were so surprised how much we enjoyed our time there!

Looks like you guys had fun at MNSSHP!

It was definitely a fun night! I do seriously miss the lower crowds from just a few years ago, but we managed to get most of our top items done, and leaving with two overflowing bags of candy was kind of awesome!
 
Wow i was behind (i think i have posted that on like 5 TRs today!)

Haha, I know the feeling! I am SO far behind on everyones TR....including mine. One of these days I'll write the next update! Stupid work keeps getting in the way of fun!

The Cabanas looks so fun, we have debated booking one, but went for a water par day instead in August, but i could totally see how a cabana would be a good spot to hang out!

The cabana was awesome, but we were really surprised how much we liked it. We thought we'd be bored after an hour or so! We were so wrong, haha!

We haven't ever done one of the parties, i do think my daughter would love the Halloween Party, but the cost and increase in negative reviews haven't pushed me into trying it yet... Plus she wouldn't make it up late enough, maybe in a few years.. when it cost $150 each! only half joking!

Haha, I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if they increased the price to that soon! The party is fun still, as long as you go in expecting large crowds, having a game plan, and knowing you're not going to do everything that night.

I am really excited to hear how the Mediterranean Food & Wine tasting is!

Awesome, I will get around to writing that soon, I promise! Work has been crazy the past few weeks and free time has gone out the window. Minor spoiler...the event was awesome! The food was so good, and the wine pairing was my favorite so far!
 
Day 6, Part 2: Mediterranean Food and Wine Lunch!

Well, bad news is, I’ve come down with the plague. Good news is, I’m home sick from work so actually have time for another TR update!

We last left off with us heading to Morocco for the Mediterranean Food and Wine lunch!

We arrived at Spice Road Table to find they were already checking people in. Yay!

After checking in, we made our way into the small bar area where we were greeted with champagne. This was a nice touch to have drinks made available before the event starts. Past events we’ve done they’ve handed out the welcome drinks as they are seating you, so it was nice to have a drink to enjoy while waiting them to finish setting up.

It took a while for them to get everything set up, we ended up waiting in the small bar area for about 20 minutes. It was pretty tightly packed in there before they finally started to seat us!

Finally they started bringing us to our tables. Like many F&W special events, multiple parties were combined at each table. We had some fun neighbors, which always makes these events more fun!

Once everyone was seated, the host came out to introduce himself and give his spiel about the event.

They also had the chef come out to discuss the food we would be eating, which was an awesome surprise!

The dishes that day were rock shrimp, tuna, lamb, then baklava for dessert.



The first dish, the rock shrimp, was paired with a delicious white wine. The dish itself was amazing, with the wine it was spectacular! We were off to a good start!



Our next serving was the tuna with a medium bodied red. This was good, but not quite as good as the first dish.



Next up was the main dish, the lamb. This was served with a full bodied red, and oh my goodness, this was AMAZING. I actually picked up the bone at the end to get every bit off!



While eating, our host spent a good amount of time discussing the various wines and going into detail on all things wine. One thing I found interesting, he noted that wine should be stored at 52 degrees, which is the proper serving temp for reds, and whites should be thrown in the fridge 30 minute prior to serving to chill to 48 degrees. Now I feel like I need to buy a wine fridge with good temperature control! HA!!!

Our final dish for the day was the dessert of baklava. Funny/random baklava story. A few years back we did a trip to the Mediterranean, and went to both Greece and Turkey during that trip. Well, in both locations we ordered baklava, and at both locations the server made a point to say that the other country claims that baklava is theirs, but it really was the others!

Anyways, back to the lunch!

They served us the baklava, and it was actually a few different kinds. It was ok, I’ve definitely had much better, especially in Turkey and Greece!



It was still good, and was served with a port which was really good. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the port, I’ve never really liked them before, but this one was really good!

At the very end of the meal, they surprised us with a mixed drink that I believe is from Turkey. It was rose water, some liquor, and I want to say cinnamon? It was good, but didn’t compare to the wines we had throughout the event.



Once the event was over, we made our way towards IG and out of the park for some rest before our afternoon/evening activities. On the way out, the security guard was warning people exiting that if they wanted to get back in later, to arrive early because they were expecting the park to reach capacity! WHAT!?!?

He must have been a former bus driver.


Next up: The Final Illuminations
 
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Once the event was over, we made our way towards IG and out of the park for some rest before our afternoon/evening activities. On the way out, the security guard was warning people exiting that if they wanted to get back in later, to arrive early because they were expecting the park to reach capacity! WHAT!?!?

He must have been a former bus driver.
Yeah, that's silly! It never reaches capacity, even on NYE! Just super crowded, but not capacity!

Sounds like a fun meal! I'd love to try some of those food experiences, but I don't like wine, so the $$ would be a waste. (Though I did discover Circle of Flavors is happening during my upcoming trip, so I booked that!)
 
Yeah, that's silly! It never reaches capacity, even on NYE! Just super crowded, but not capacity!

Haha, exactly! We expected it to be packed, but definitely not hit capacity!

Sounds like a fun meal! I'd love to try some of those food experiences, but I don't like wine, so the $$ would be a waste. (Though I did discover Circle of Flavors is happening during my upcoming trip, so I booked that!)

It was a fun meal, but yeah, if you don't drink wine then it does seem a bit of a waste of money. That's awesome you booked circle of flavors, such a great event!
 
Omg that meal sounds so good! My mouth is seriously watering! Idk why when you first mentioned the name of the meal I thought that the foods wouldn't be things I would like but after seeing your pictures I would definitely consider doing this!
 
Omg that meal sounds so good! My mouth is seriously watering! Idk why when you first mentioned the name of the meal I thought that the foods wouldn't be things I would like but after seeing your pictures I would definitely consider doing this!

It was so good, I definitely recommend!
 
Hey guys, this is pretty amazing, it's only February and I only have ONE day left of my TR! This may be the fastest I ever completed one! Even more exciting, that means I can really start focusing on this years trip!!!
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Ok, on with the show!


Day 6, Part 3: The Final Illuminations :sad:

After a few hours lounging around the room, we decided to head back to Epcot around 5:30. It was earlier than we originally planned, but that security guard got us unnecessarily worried!

There was hardly any line to get into the park, so we made it in very quickly.

We didn’t really have any plans for the afternoon, so decided to just wander. Our first stop ended up being Appleseed Orchard where my mom got the green apple beer and I got the first wine flight.





We spent a good amount of time there enjoying the drinks and the atmosphere. I ended up liking the Riesling in my flight a lot, so grabbed a full glass of it as well!



After finishing up at Appleseed Orchard, we made our way towards the Living Seas (or whatever it’s called these days). On the way over I noticed the new area where they were having the character meet, so suggested we check out the line.

As we were walking up, the CM standing out front sees us coming and gives us this huge smile and proclaims “There is NO ONE in there, you should go!”

Well, he wasn’t lying.

We got in and it was literally just the characters standing around and the PP photographers!!! WHAT! This was like some weird Disney alternate universe. Since when are there NO lines for the characters…and we’re talking the big ones…I mean Mickey was there!

It was such an awesome surprise, and since there was no one there, each character spent a ton of time with us. So amazing.







Once we wrapped up with the characters, we made our way over to the seas where we found a bench and just sat there watching the fish for a while. It is so relaxing in there, I hope they keep it around, it’s such a great place to relax and watch the fish!



So earlier in the day, I had been messing around on MDE, and managed to find us FP+ for Soarin’ at 5:50 that evening, so around 6:20, we decided to make our way over there.

There was a bit of a wait even with the FP+, so we didn’t end up getting onto the ride until about 6:40.

It was fun as always!

After the ride, we decided to take the long way around WS on our way to our Illuminations Party. WS was absolutely packed. The people camping out to watch the show was already several people deep. It was crazy!

We stopped in Germany to shop a bit. Last year there were some ornaments I wanted to pick up, but didn’t get a chance to before we left, so I was hoping to get them this year. Saddly they were not there this year. Whomp whomp.

We continued around WS, stopping in Italy next. While in the store here it started to rain, so of course the store completely filled up. Now, my mom is claustrophobic, and within minutes of being squished in there she started to completely panic.

So we headed out in the rain. Fortunately, it quickly turned into just a light drizzle.

It was getting close to time to check into our event, so we headed that way. We were going to an event hosted by the site that shall not be named on the Dis. It was located at the little island between France and the UK.

Check-in was pretty fast, turns out we arrived super late, so by the time they let us into the viewing area, all the tables had been taken and there was very limited seating room. It was a bit disappointing considering how expensive it was. It seemed they oversold the event. The food was good though!

While waiting for the final Illuminations to start, the rain started back up. Fortunately they had a CM walking through the party handing out ponchos, so we grabbed some and donned them while waiting for the show.

Finally it was time, the torches were blown out for the final time, and Illuminations began.

It was stunning, as always, but knowing it was the final show ever ended up being super emotional! I had debated recording it, but in the end I decided I just wanted to watch it without worrying about getting a great shot and just enjoy the final showing.

It was such a great experience. I am so happy we were able to be there for the final show!

After the show, we ended up hanging around a bit waiting for the crowds to clear. While sitting there enjoying the atmosphere, a fellow Diser came up to introduce herself! I totally forgot her name, and though I thought I wrote it down, I can’t find it, so I apologize. It was great meeting you though! Hope you had a great trip!

Once the crowds died down enough, we slowly made our way back to the YC. It was a great night, but we were so sad to see Illuminations end! I have such great memories of the millennial celebration and seeing reflections of earth for the first time. Watching Illuminations always brought me back to that trip and the amazing memories, so yeah, watching the show for the last time was pretty emotional. I hate crying, but I totally cried through the whole thing!

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Next up: Another Trip to SW:GE!
 
Such cute character pics- and even better when there was no wait for them!!

Glad you enjoyed the final Illuminations, I'm sure it was very emotional!
 
Thanks for sharing your trip details. My family and I are getting excited for our trip this year to F&W.
 
I never had the emotional attachment to illuminations like some did but I totally get how upsetting that must of been! I still cry when I hear wishes. That was my show I was sad to see go! It's hard when the are so many memories tied to the music!
 

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