Friday, September 6, 2019

On This Day Last Year: Trip Report - Day 7 // Epcot Food & Wine Festival + Our First Visit to Toy Story Land!


Day 7 - Thursday, September 6, 2018

On this lovely morning Jason and I took our Disney rapid refill mugs down to The Mara to get some drinks.  Then we enjoyed a sip 'n' stroll around the resort before leaving for Epcot's morning extra magic hour.


I love these stunning windows!












We crossed the bridge back to our room to get the girls and headed off for our morning at Epcot.







Any day that starts with Soarin' is a good one!








I adore this man of mine!




This Chef Mickey topiary is one of my favorite decorations during Epcot's Food and Wine Festival!



Breakfast in the France Pavilion

I always enjoy the picturesque view leading up to my favorite breakfast spot in Epcot, Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie!








A chocolate hazelnut filled beignet, please and thank you!


To see more of our scrumptious breakfast check out today's vlog on Eat, Sleep, Dis, Repeat!

On to the Norway pavilion for the always adorable Frozen Ever After Ride...


Extra magic hour wait time - 10 minutes!


We stepped off of that boat and into the Stave Church Gallery for some fun in the midst of the viking lore.




I adore mouse ear shadows!

Next up Journey into Imagination with Figment followed by some conducting fun with Figment...



Are there any other Living with the Land fans out there?  I truly enjoy this nice relaxing boat ride!  I love seeing the hidden Mickeys throughout and the decor changes with each new season. 



After seeing all that Disney-grown produce it is was time to sample some goodness at the Food & Wine Festival!



Jason loves the lobster rolls at Food & Wine Festival so much that just seeing this photo makes him want to hop on a plane for one right now!



I'm a big fan of Tervis tumblers and this one still makes my heart skip a beat regularly!  Hooray for souvenirs that can be used and enjoyed in every day life!

My afternoon was about to get a whole lot more delicious as I picked up an old favorite and got my first taste of a new one! 


The Kahlua pork slider from the Hawaii booth has been a long time favorite of mine.  While this was good, they really downgraded it in my opinion by changing out the roll.  If you're curious what it looked like pre-bun swap you can see a picture of the former version in a previous post here.

Now, let me introduce you to my 2018 Food & Wine Festival favorite, the creamy spinach and artichoke dip from The Almond Orchard booth!  I know it may sound funny that of all the things I would sample throughout the festival, this would be a favorite, but it was so good!  I went back for more later in this trip, and then again when Jason and I returned for our anniversary trip in November.  Simple scrumptiousness!


This may not be a Food & Wine menu option, but a frozen margarita is always a good idea on a blazing hot vacation day!








You're most welcome!  We'll be back again soon! ;)


Look what my daughter made, Epcot inspired mouse ears!

Pardon me whilst I gush over my girl.  She handmade her first pair of ears!  I don't think they could've turned out any cuter!  Inspired by Spaceship Earth, I needed to get multiple snapshots of my sweetie with her creation near the inspiration!  












Didn't she do a fantastic job making those?!


Back to the resort for an afternoon break!






The first thing on her agenda was opening this blind box to reveal which souvenir surprise she'd be bringing home with her...


She got the Rilakumma cutie she'd been hoping for!  :)

Soon we were off for an evening at Disney's Hollywood Studios.  I was excited to be sporting my new Toy Story themed Minnie ears, handmade by one of my dearest (& most talented) friends, Chrissy of Adventures in DIY.  She also happens to have an Etsy shop filled with even more Disney cuteness!  



Her ears are my favorites to wear because they are both cute and comfortable, which is not always the case with Disney ears.  If you're interested in seeing more of her wearable loveliness you can find Chrissy's Etsy shop AdventuresinDIYshop here.



Time to "drop" by The Hollywood Tower Hotel...




Our 1st Visit to Toy Story Land!



We'd long anticipated the day we would see this playful new land.  Upon entering we "shrunk" down to the size of a toy, per Disney's incredible theming.  Disney magic is in the details and it's everywhere you look here!

Our First Meal at Woody's Lunch Box

I was super excited for our first meal at this fun themed quick service restaurant!  



Seating is limited here and we waited a bit wondering if a table would open up for us.  Soon we were delighted to score the "special table"!  Most of the seating here is made up of brightly colored, but basic tables and chairs.  Let me show you why I called our table "special" ... 



Andy "made" this table using a note from his mom for the table top, a wheel of Babybell cheese divided in fourths for the seats along with wrappers/boxes for seat backs and the umbrella! How fun is that?!



A look up and around 






Now the question is, how was the food?  



The answer, it was delicious!  This spot is now easily the best quick service option in Hollywood Studios (in my personal opinion).  I went with the grilled three-cheese sandwich made with melted provolone, cheddar and american cheese on grilled sourdough bread with a side of tomato-basil soup for dipping.  It was wonderful!  

We also tried their "totchos" and honestly didn't remember what we thought about them until we watched the video footage from that day.  So, for us, those weren't too memorable taste-wise.  





The girls opted for a side of potato barrels with theirs.

Time for a new ride, Alien Swirling Saucers!






Followed by an oldie, but a goodie, Toy Story Mania!



We had a fastpass for Slinky Dog Dash on a later day, so I'll share more on that next week.



Time for one of my favorite hobbies, Disney shopping!  I always love seeing their holiday goodies on display!







Ending the Evening at Fantasmic

Fantasmic is my all-time favorite nighttime spectacular!  We always arrive an hour before showtime to grab great seats.  A snack makes that time a bit more enjoyable. ;)  








Traditionally I go with the nachos here.  I'm not sure why, but these simple chips and cup of cheese just taste better here.  Disney magic I guess! ;)
















"Some imagination, huh?" - Mickey Mouse

... My eyes filled with happy tears just typing that, and I'm currently humming the tune.  Can anyone relate?


After the show we headed back to our home sweet vacation home.  Jason and I took our mugs down to The Mara once again, then enjoyed our beverages with a beautiful view in the lobby.  

Life with this man is sweet!


Thanks for stopping by for another "On This Day Last Year" trip report!  I invite you to return tomorrow for fall fun in Magic Kingdom, a traditional Dessert Date with my youngest daughter, and more!


You can check out the video footage from this day on my family's YouTube Channel, 
Eat, Sleep, Dis, Repeat!


Direct Link to the Video of Day 7:
Day 7 - Food & Wine Festival and Toy Story Land!



IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Previous Trip Reports from this Vacation:








A sneak peek at what's to come...

Day 5-15:  Walt Disney World 
+ my 40th Birthday (September 13th)

Day 16, September 15:  Georgia Aquarium

Day 17:  Homeward Bound


Join me in the adventures to come!
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1 comment:

  1. Amazing! We still have to go to Toy Story Land. That table is so cool! I love the Epcot ears! Gabbie made us ears last time we went too.

    ReplyDelete

I would love to hear from you today! I enjoy reading each and every comment I receive. (I do moderate them before they're published. Gotta keep it family friendly! ;)) Let's chat! B.Y.O.C. {Bring Your Own Chocolate!}