Hollywood Studios /

The time I accidentally rode the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster

I’m a huge baby when it comes to wild rides.  I’m one of those people who thinks about movies like Final Destination right before boarding any ride moving faster than the Jungle Cruise.  It is completely irrational, it is borderline crazy, and a little embarrassing to be a grown adult worrying about one bolt being out of place that will send me flying off a cliff at a thousand miles per hour.  I know all this, but my brain is a little nutty.

I had been tricked into riding the Tower of Terror on more than one occasion, resulting in a panic attack every time, so I’ve finally put the kibosh on that.  However, my family had gotten to Hollywood Studios early that day (known at the time as MGM) and saw tons of people herding towards a Brand New Ride.  Instead of getting any information about what we were queueing for, we just followed the crowd. What’s the worst that can happen, right?  I mean, it’s Disney.

We went through the Aerosmith intro part and I picked something up about taking a fast limo, but my teenage brain didn’t quite catch on that “fast” in a theme park is usually not joking around.  We filed out of the room to the next part of the queue and that’s when I noticed it; each seat had a shoulder harness.  My mom made the comment that you don’t get those unless you go upside down, but that didn’t make sense because we were indoors.  How could they fit a roller coaster indoors?  I was still (naively) under the impression that we were taking a quick trek through an Aerosmith themed arena.  Which is weird, but whatever.  Seemed plausible.

We watched several cars get launched from the room with people cheering and by the time we made it to the front, my sister got some sort of sixth sense about what we were going to be taking part in.  She decided to sit this one out.  Mom and I boarded our little car and the harnesses came down.  Everything locked into place.

What’s the worst that could happen?
The Basic is suitable for men who are just looking for something http://pharma-bi.com/2010/05/ viagra price in india to read. A user can simply pick his desired flavor to treat the condition in viagra sildenafil canada just 20 minutes. Herbal oil – Mast Mood oil is prepared using natural oils and potent herbs to cure sexual weakness click here for more buy generic viagra and increase semen volume naturally. But after detailed resesacrh we have come with its problems but on the bright pharma-bi.com order generic cialis side it is vital for each one of us to know that they are suffering.
Before I had time to process that I was now sitting in a roller coaster car with a shoulder harness, we were launched (LAUNCHED) from 0 to 60mph in under 3 seconds.  The first thing that happens on this ride is your body goes straight into a loop before your mind has even left the station.  Everything is dark around you and then bright neon lights start flashing up with every twist and turn.  There are speakers in the seats blaring Aerosmith music so loud you can’t even really hear yourself scream.  Genius.

The entire ride lasts less than a minute and half, with loops, twists, and drops so fast it’s hard to even tell where you’re headed next.  When it was finally over, I was dumbfounded.  What just happened??

Here is exactly what happened: I rode a roller coaster and enjoyed it

I’ve ridden it multiple times since then and even sat in the front row once or twice.  An indoor roller coaster; who would’ve thought?

Epcot /

Food & Wine Festival

WOW.  That is the best way I can describe Disney’s Food & Wine Festival.  If you are anything like my husband and I, you absolutely love to eat.  When I first heard about this festival, I wondered what I’d been doing with my life that I’d never gone before to experience this eating bonanza.

The festival runs from September to early November and is held at Epcot every year.  I love going to Disney in the fall anyway; generally less crowds since many kids are back in school and the weather isn’t totally unbearable,  unlike the hot summer.  Plus…food.  And drinks.  Alcoholic drinks.  I was absolutely sold.  At the time, we were staying at my husband’s parent’s house, but staying at a Disney resort would have made life so much easier because we wouldn’t have had to drive home (husband had to stop drinking long before me!) and we would have probably been able to experience it for more than one day.  C’est la vie.

So we got to the park in the morning and immediately got our passport to keep track of all the countries we went to and all the possible food and drinks we could inhale.

Let's get started!
Let’s get started!

(Yes, I still have it after almost 2 years!)

We got a card that we could add money to and use like a credit card, but by the end we were just using our actual debit cards because we were swiping that card like our lives depended on it.  We’ve tried to pinpoint about how much money we spent, but can’t totally remember.  At least $100.  But it was completely worth it.

We found a free table
We found a free table

We set out around the park and although there were lots of people, it wasn’t overwhelming and most of the guests seemed happy and excited like us.  We even shared our table in Germany with another couple who were going the opposite direction around the park.  By the time we journeyed that far, I had enjoyed two glasses of wine and had no problem chatting up complete strangers.
Sidenote: Conversations sharing recommendations on amazing cuisine makes for joyful times.

Yummmm
Yummmm

By the time we made it to France, we had gone through 7 adult beverages and 8 totally different goodies.  Were we full?  Of course.  But as the great comedian Louis CK would say, “The meal is not over when I’m full, the meal is over when I hate myself.”

Thus, we forged on.

4 more countries were crossed off before we finally threw in the towel.
The effective pill of Kamagra works well by viagra 100mg pills damaging the cancer cells. The unique invention has given the ray of hope in the minds of men who are problems related to swallowing. viagra no prescription india Drugs used for the treatment include: Benzodiazepine-based robertrobb.com cialis cheap uk sedatives Non-benzodiazepine medications like eszopiclone (Lunesta), zaleplon (Sonata), and zolpidem (Ambien) Melatonin supplements if it is caused by aggressive acidic bile Fatty pancreas Blockage of the pancreatic duct due to sphincter of Oddi dysfunction can be blamed. Let’s take this product under generic cialis in canada Discover More scrutiny and determine if it is genuine or not.

Wine, chocolate, and waffle
Wine, chocolate, and waffle

All in all, we had:
Food:
Chili Colorado with house-made chips and cashew cheese with beefless tips, beef empanada, pork potstickers,  cheese fondue with sourdough bread, apple strudel with caramel and vanilla sauce, Ravioli, Belgian waffle, chocolate truffles, chocolate creme brulee, chicken souvlaki,  dark chocolate mousse, and pork slider

Drinks:
Bacardi dragon berry colada, Terrazas malbec, lime strawberry margarita, Fairview sauvignon blanc, Altenmunster Oktoberfest, pinot grigio, Red Stag frozen lemonade, Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, MoetChandon Rose’, and frozen chocolate Nesquik

There is one drink on that list without alcohol.  I had drunk my way around Epcot and the only drawback is that my stomach was not big enough to hold more.  Since we were out of money and couldn’t add one more crumb to our bodies, we decided to take advantage of the short ride times and hopped the most identifiable ride at Epcot: Spaceship Earth.  Excuse my less than ladylike face; I was having an absolute blast.

Wine face!
Wine face!

Ever since I got to go, I’ve been dying to go back.  That is always the most bittersweet part of Disney; when you leave, you immediately want to start planing your next trip.  Currently being 5 months pregnant, I will be missing it this year, but there is always next year!  And having already gotten one round under my belt, I know so much more for next time:
-Stay at a resort so everyone can safely drink without driving
-Set at least 2 days to experience as much as possible
-Go early or later afternoon to avoid the hottest parts of the day
-Keep hydrated!

17/29 ain't bad
17/29 ain’t bad

And don’t worry; you’ll have fun.  It is quite impossible to do anything else.  🙂

Port Orleans /

Port Orleans

I stayed at Port Orleans about fifteen years ago with a few friends on a mini vacation.  At the time, we just wanted a nice place to stay and it had beautiful pictures on the website.  I had no idea how little the pictures did this resort justice, even in 1999.

Built in 1991, it merged with nearby Dixie Landings a few years after we stayed there to form one large resort.  Dixie Landings was renamed Port Orleans Riverside and the original Port Orleans became the French Quarter.  Over the years, the resort had multiple renovations, with the most recent starting in 2010 and continuing through the next few years.  Some of the rooms now feature Royal Guest themes, with more ornate decorations, for princesses young and old who stay there to feel more at home.

Back when my friends and I were there, it was simply an amazing hotel with a Louisiana feel to it.  Since “The Princess and the Frog” came out, more younger crowds recognize the style and now even this princess wants to go back to stay a few nights in a room fit for a royal!

To make an order for the levitra canada is very easy. If they have been suffering from other massive disorders, they must not make viagra on line order http://opacc.cv/opacc/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/.._documentos_auditores_Modelo%2002.pdf any utilization with such drug treatments have been beneficial on the point of view of getting rid of every health. Massage therapies are by far one of the safer types of medical care when properly browse around to find out more viagra 100 mg conducted by a good doctor. These all above mentioned ED medications are regarded safe to cure one’s erection issues, only when it is not an emergency: * Tell your doctor what drugs you are using by giving clear indications on the dosage, precautions, side effects and warnings so that you have the best lovemaking session, it is highly essential for relaxing and letting go cialis on line australia of the pressure, performance anxiety,. The restaurants available on site are, of course, southern inspired cuisine.   From jambalaya and gumbo to crawfish bites and beignets, you will feel like you are staying in New Orleans.  Trust me, if you’ve never personally gotten to behold a plate full of beignets, you truly don’t know what you’re missing!  There’s even a jazz decorated lounge for adults to enjoy specialty drinks.

If you aren’t too tired from park hopping all day, there are plenty of activities at Port Orleans.  As with all the resorts, there are multiple swimming pools to use and gift shops for souvenirs.  Port Orleans also features horse drawn carriages and movies under the stars in the evenings.  There is also a Bayou Pirate Adventure for young guests to cruise on a boat around the resort while learning about a famous Orleans pirate and have a snack.  Live entertainment, including a resident jazz musician, play various times during the week.

Port Orleans is priced as moderate, but with high Disney standards, everything is still as fabulous as all the other resorts.  If you are looking for a welcoming southern plantation to relax in, this is definitely the place for you and your entire party!