Mr. and Mrs. Weak Sauce Go the Distance (a Disneymoon TR, updated 4/4)

[mickeystoontown]

Hi Rachel! Congratulations on your marriage! I'm really late to the party but, thanks to your handy dandy links, I'm all caught up. There's simply way too much for me to comment on thus far so I'll just post my comments next time you write an installment.

[disneybarbie]

Hi Rachel!

Not sure how I missed this TR - but I'm all caught up now and subscribed

Congratulations on your marriage! Your wedding day looked so happy

Sounds like a great trip to WDW so far - we stayed at AKL for the first night of our honeymoon and absolutely loved the resort!


Looking forward to reading more,

Emma princess :x

[PracPerfPatricia]

Hey Rachel,

Sorry you weren't pleased with your food at Yak & Yeti... I can see where it might not be your favorite since you have access to good Chinese food in New York and just through your family... So where is the best place to go for Dim Sum in New York... My family likes it and my son adores it... we have some places in Philadelphia and we had awesome Dim Sum in San Francisco but I have no idea where to go in New York and we're in the city at least every 3-4 month or so... I'd love an idea or two if you have anything...

Where is that gift store in AK... with the key chains?.. it looks nice and I don't remember ever being in there...

I'm catching a theme here... eat first... attractions after...


I hope that recovery comes quickly to New York... it's really awful... so many people were impacted... I was without my power for a week and it drove me nuts... I can't imagine... Sending thoughts and prayers...

[livsmom04]

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy your dinner at Yak & yeti. We did but the one thing I don't like about the drinks there or any place in Animal Kingdom is the paper straws. They seem to taste funny and bug me when I drink out of them so I always bring my own straws in with me.

Glad you made it safely through the hurricane. We live in NC and we weathered out good. But I'm sure if we lived closer to the coast we would have been a direct hit.

[RachelNinja]

Weak Sauce Points Scoreboard

Round 20: Cropped was SPACESHIP EARTH - yay to marDgreen88!



That is by far the SCARIEST part of the ride! Haha, the pharaoh just seems WAY too close. At some points, it even looks like he's about to stand up!

Here's the current scoreboard for weak sauce points.

Curiouser&curiouser! - 5
Self_resqing_princz - 4
Jennifer48 - 3
NeverlandClub23 - 3
shan23877 - 3
jane2073 - 3
kschafer - 3
marDgreen88 - 2
wdwgirl03 - 2
therussells08 - 1
Happy Duck - 1

Weak Sauce Points

Since it's the Thanksgiving holiday and not everyone will be online, I'm going to make these next two EASY rounds of Cropped available to all for some weak sauce points by requesting that the answers be sent to me by PRIVATE MESSAGE ONLY.

Round 21



Round 22



Where were these pictures taken? Remember, only guess per person, so once you send the PM, those will be your final answers. I'll leave these rounds open for one week so you'll have until 11/29! Good luck!

[RachelNinja]

Originally Posted by marDgreen88

My guess is Spaceship Earth? That seems too easy, and it's probably wrong, but... I'm going with it!

Nope, you're completely right! A weak sauce point for you!

Originally Posted by Curiouser&curiouser!

I did not read the update yet. But my Cropped Guess is the Great Movie Ride!

Now, back to read . . .

Good guess! It would make sense for it to be there.

Originally Posted by Curiouser&curiouser!

I haven't used the Disney buses really in my past trips. We have always rented a car. It's good to see that they are so well kept up. I'll have to keep it in mind if I have to trim the budget somewhere.

You're in the Land to eat? Didn't you just eat breakfast? (Just teasing- Calories don't count on vacation after all. I've had breakfast, then second breakfast, then elevensies, then luncheon, then tea, then snack, then afternoonsies, then supper, then dinner, then midnight snack, . . . well, you get the point!)

I think that it'd be nice to have both options available, but of course, we want to save as much money as possible. I like that if we stay off property and save money, we can have extra for the car rental. Staying on property for just the two of us and spending more just means we have to deal with buses. But like I've said in an earlier post, we live in NYC so dealing with public transportation and commutes is a normal thing for us. Even though I drive to work, I remember all my high school, college, and grad school days! I used to commute to the city too, and that'd take 2 hours!

Haha, that breakfast didn't REALLY count. It also took us a while to get out the door and actually get to Epcot. And you're right; calories don't count, woohoo! The reason we could eat also was because we didn't order heavy meals; we ordered our FAVORITES!

I'm all about elevensies though! I must have been a hobbit in a former life. My lunch period at school starts at 11:45, which is 5th period. I'm usually extremely hungry by 3rd period. Any time I'm not in school, I don't know how to handle waiting until early afternoon to eat!

Originally Posted by Mom&RN

This is the first cropped picture of yours that I have ever recognized! Inside Spaceship Earth! I hope I'm right

Also, isn't it funny how you can keep bumping into the same people over and over again in a park? One year I went to a conference that was right next to Disneyland and a friend and I went to DL for the afternoon and evening. We kept bumping into the same group of three people, two adult men and the teenage son of one of them. We got to chatting with the son in a line the first time we bumped into them and then it seemed like we saw them everywhere. My friend felt like one of the guys was hitting on her (she's married and certainly wasn't interested) so I kept teasing her that he was following her. He wasn't, it was too random when we'd bump into them but it was fun to tease her about her admirer

Yes, you ARE right! Congrats for knowing it! Unfortunately, someone did post before you did (between the cropped post and the latest update). Try the next two rounds though; anyone who sends me a private message will get the points!

Haha, it really is hilarious when you keep bumping into the same people! I think it was extra funny that we didn't even know that we saw them in the morning until we looked at the pictures/video! I like how you chatted with them. I wish we had an opportunity to strike up a conversation with the two ladies. They just seemed to really enjoy being together and taking it easy!

Originally Posted by IheartDDuck

I'm so glad you guys made it through Sandy okay!

Your Round 20 is Spaceship Earth. That's the Pharoah's hat.

Breakfast in the room is really a great way to relax in the morning. Sadly, I never do that myself, but it's a good thing.

Of course you head straight into the Land to get Soarin' fastpasses and then to eat.

Thanks! I'm relieved it's over even though the recovery process is still going on for those around us.

Yup, it is definitely the pharaoh's hat, haha. SO CREEPY!

I'm excited to have one breakfast outside of the room during the next trip though. We're going to see if we can make it to Cape May and have some delicious biscuits and gravy and such. YUM.

Haha, why else be in Disney World? Oh wait, there are rides too ... the stomach comes first!

Originally Posted by mickeystoontown

Hi Rachel! Congratulations on your marriage! I'm really late to the party but, thanks to your handy dandy links, I'm all caught up. There's simply way too much for me to comment on thus far so I'll just post my comments next time you write an installment.

Thank you! I'm so happy you're here! I loved Lacey's wedding stuff. I wish I could have done it that way!

Originally Posted by disneybarbie

Hi Rachel!

Not sure how I missed this TR - but I'm all caught up now and subscribed

Congratulations on your marriage! Your wedding day looked so happy

Sounds like a great trip to WDW so far - we stayed at AKL for the first night of our honeymoon and absolutely loved the resort!

Looking forward to reading more,

Emma princess :x

Oh yay! So glad you're here! Yeah, it's so easy to miss starts of TRs when they're not right after another trip. It probably doesn't help that I don't post as often since work keeps me busy.

I'm so happy that the wedding is done and over with! Getting to AKL was such a reward. GORGEOUS place.

Originally Posted by PracPerfPatricia

Hey Rachel,

Sorry you weren't pleased with your food at Yak & Yeti... I can see where it might not be your favorite since you have access to good Chinese food in New York and just through your family... So where is the best place to go for Dim Sum in New York... My family likes it and my son adores it... we have some places in Philadelphia and we had awesome Dim Sum in San Francisco but I have no idea where to go in New York and we're in the city at least every 3-4 month or so... I'd love an idea or two if you have anything...

Where is that gift store in AK... with the key chains?.. it looks nice and I don't remember ever being in there...

I'm catching a theme here... eat first... attractions after...

I hope that recovery comes quickly to New York... it's really awful... so many people were impacted... I was without my power for a week and it drove me nuts... I can't imagine... Sending thoughts and prayers...

We don't really eat dim sum often because I can get sick with too much of the MSG/grease, but boy, do I love it! The only one I know of is Jing Fong on Elizabeth Street because it's always SO crowded with people waiting to get in. There are supposedly really good places in Flushing, Queens though. That's what the hubs said. Flushing Chinatown is supposed to be really good!

The gift shop with the keychains in AK is on the right side kind of when you first enter the park and pass by all the greenery and trees in the Oasis. It'd be before you reach Flame Tree BBQ.

Haha, yes, it is a very common theme for us. Food just makes more sense!

I'm happy to hear that you are okay! It really is such an inconvenience to not have power, but when I heard about students who had basements flooded and one other student who lost the whole first floor along with their cars that floated away, I was so grateful that our only loss was food and power. What an intense storm.

Originally Posted by livsmom04

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy your dinner at Yak & yeti. We did but the one thing I don't like about the drinks there or any place in Animal Kingdom is the paper straws. They seem to taste funny and bug me when I drink out of them so I always bring my own straws in with me.

Glad you made it safely through the hurricane. We live in NC and we weathered out good. But I'm sure if we lived closer to the coast we would have been a direct hit.

I've gotten used to the paper straws. I just miss being able to gnaw on the plastic ones, haha. I figure if it's for the animals' safety, I can manage.

It was a crazy storm for us! We don't normally get storms like that in NYC. We deal with blizzards and such. But this caused such devastation. Every time I checked the local news, there'd be a notification that someone else was found dead in the house. It was very tragic. Glad to hear that you survived it well!

[RachelNinja]

A Beety, Tuna-y Attraction

I hate having to throw real life updates in here because it usually means something terrible has happened! I'll start off with some good news though. Howard and I celebrated our 6-month anniversary this past Monday! By celebrated, I mean, we ordered from a local Italian place and had it delivered. We're not very big on going out to eat because of the waits and crowds. We really like staying in "home clothes." Even if we did want to eat out though, it would have been difficult. Why? Because this past Saturday, my whole family got into a car accident. An 18-year old who must not have been paying attention smashed into the back of my parents' car that held my parents, my two brothers, my older brother's fiance, my husband, and me. Most of us got whiplash, and I also hit my head against the headrest and immediately got a huge bump, a scalp laceration, and a massive headache to go along with it. On top of physical injuries, the mental toll it's taking is really draining. I was afraid to drive on Monday, but thankfully, God helped me through my fear and I drove again on Tuesday.

My family was in an accident when I was in college also not our fault. I was the only one hurt with a pinched nerve in my spine and required physical therapy for my bank. I took my driver's test when I was able to move my neck, but then I didn't drive for YEARS. I was too afraid to be in an accident or worse, cause an accident. I was terrified that this accident would cause that paralyzing fear once again, but thankfully, with God's help, I am working through it. I'm so grateful especially on this Thanksgiving day that we were not hurt worse than we were. The car is going to need at least 35 days to fix (it's a fairly new car, specifically purchased to fit the whole family and significant others for special occasions ... like this past Saturday when we were going out to eat to celebrate my MOM'S BIRTHDAY!), but the girl's parents' insurance will cover it. There's no doubt that it's her fault, and I get how accidents happen, but we're just extremely stunned that it happened. When we were in the hospital, my mom was saying that she couldn't believe that I JUST got better and now we had something else to do.

Isn't it just unbelievable that on October 18th, I had to take an ambulance to the hospital and that on November 17th, I had to take an abulance again to the hospital! Howard and I said that we should vow to stop with the ambulances and hospitals, haha. All within one month ... insane! But I guess people did say that the first year of marriage is an adventure! I guess we should be happy that the problems aren't with each other, haha. Besides, we'll be IN Disney in a MONTH! And we will DEFINITELY be celebrating our 6 month anniversary (technically 7 months by then)!

Okay, so now that I filled you in on real life things, let's jump back into the Disney part of this TR! It'll hopefully distract me from the fact that my tetanus shot injection site is huge, swollen, and itchy!

In my last installment, you read that we had just arrived at The Land to get Soarin' FP and to EAT! We were going to enjoy our usuals at Sunshine Seasons. We are really obsessed with these dishes! We headed on over to our chosen station. The Soups of the Day were chicken pot pie soup and vegetarian vegetable. It's kind of interesting that they make chicken pot pie soup. Haha, is it just filling?



We weren't there for those soups though. We wanted to be kids and get some macaroni and cheese! It's just like the Stouffer's mac and cheese. I think it's some of the best.



We scooted to the salads area, and I ordered my Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese Salad that is tossed with Honey Sherry dressing ($7.89). I was so eager to have some of this once again!



VIDEO: Putting Together the Beet Salad
Yes, I love this salad so much that I had to record the CM making my salad! She first tosses on some of the greens that have the dressing in it already, and then she adds the goat cheese, roasted beets, and yummy walnuts. I think it's walnuts ... hehe, I think I should go back and check it out again.

Once we paid and got our utensils, we walked over to the winter section. We seem to always sit here because it's a bit more secluded than the other sections. The only people that walk through that area are leaving The Circle of Life or standing on line for Living with the Land. I don't like being watched when I'm eating, haha, so being off to the side really makes it a much more enjoyable experience. We actually sat in the little area separated from the main part of the winter section. I really liked having a good amount of space to ourselves.



This is a gorgeous picture! At this point, I think it was the third time I had it in 2012, haha. The dressing is light and a bit tart, and it's not a typical taste that I normally have from dressings in bottles. I really appreciate different flavors. Even if I have ranch dressing out at restaurants, I only like it if it's a housemade ranch. Not to say I don't love Hidden Valley, but I want to try something new. But as much as I like the dressing, it'd be nothing if it didn't have all the goodies on top. Goat cheese and beets result in the perfect combination! The beets here are so "fresh" because before having roasted beets like this, I had really only ever had canned beets. I do NOT like canned ones anymore because they have the tin taste to them. I have been spoiled by these (and the ones from Wolfgang Puck Express). The goat cheese is creamy, and it's easy to smear just a little on each bite. It's a very mild cheese because I also love the extremes of bleu cheese! The sweetness of the glazed walnuts gives a great contrast. I love putting together perfect bites with a little bit of everything. The crispy cracker thing always seems as if it's stale even though I guess that's just how it's supposed to be based on the many times I've eaten it. For some strange reason, I like having it there anyway even though it's my least favorite part of the whole dish! I guess I've gotten used to it being there!

Would I suggest that anyone try this salad? If you don't like beets or goat cheese, then no! Haha, stay far away from this. I know there are things that I read about on TRs that make me curious, but I typically wouldn't think to try them myself. Howard, for example, does not like beets or goat cheese. He does not like this salad, haha.



Howard's regular dish is the Togarashi Seared Tuna Noodle Salad ($9.99). I tasted some from him during our April trip and agreed that it was definitely yummy! It does, however, have a bit of a kick to it. Normally the tuna is sliced nicely, but it wasn't done so great here. It is sliced though even though in the video below I say that it isn't. It's tossed in a light sauce that includes sesame oil. If I didn't love beets and goat cheese so much and could handle a bit more heat, I'd definitely order this too.



As strange as the combination seems, the macaroni and cheese was a great addition to our meal. Since we were eating cold items, it was nice to have something slightly warm to feel like we were eating more and getting fuller.



VIDEO: Lunch from Sunshine Seasons
I say "goat cheese" really strangely in this video. I was just that excited!

YUM! Don't you just LOVE that moment right before you're about to devour something delicious?



It makes it even better to be enjoying food with your one and only.



We took our time and relaxed. It's also a different way to experience Disney, I think. As a kid, I used to think that eating took up too much time and would want to get done with it as soon as possible. Now I think eating is so much a part of the Disney experience that you really need to set time aside to enjoy. Howard did and was sad to only have one piece of tuna left.



Here's a shot of a perfect bite as it has a little bit of everything! By the way, the golden beets do have a different taste than the red ones. I think they are more mellow in flavor. Howard couldn't taste a difference when he originally tried it. I, on the other hand, can remember the distinctions, and it makes me crave this salad even more!



This was my last morsel of food entirely. I cut my beets with a knife so that I can assemble these bites, and this reminded me a little bit of pie with ice cream on top! So sad it's gone, but so happy I will have some again soon! I really need to try roasting my own beets!



Did you really think you'd be reading an entire installment praising a salad? No? Well, you just did. Haha, until next time!

[Belle83]

I'm enjoying your TR, all of your food pictures are making me hungry!

[marDgreen88]

So sorry to hear about your family's accident. I'm so glad nobody got seriously injured. Thank God!

Hahaha, it's nice that you have something you love so much! I was that way with my Contempo cupcake. You love what you love and you want to share it with others!

[jane2073]

Oh my goodness!! I am glad you all are all right!!!
I have been rear ended before and I do understand the (at times crippling) trepidation about driving again.
I will pray for your complete healing.

I hate beets!! Hate them!! Not a fan of walnuts either. But I do appreciate good, creamy goat cheese.

We always sit in the winter section. It was only during our most recent visit did I realize they were sectioned into the four seasons!

[MeMom]

The videos are great. Makes me feel like I am right there!

I would have to side with Howard on the beets. Yuck!

We like to sit in the 'out of the way' section, too. It is nice to be out of the crowd and chaos that the main section has.

We've discussed your accident and the fear of driving. You might not ever fully get over it. I haven't, and I really don't think I will. I drive slowly and try to be very aware of those around me, especially those coming up to a side street stop sign. I trust no one.

[Jennifer48]

I know I've said it before but I'm sorry about your trips to the hospital. Lets hope you are finished with them for a long time!

Can't say I've ever tried beets but your enthusiasm for them is exciting! And no, I didn't think I'd read a whole installment about a beet salad!

[Curiouser&curiouser!]

I don't think anyone has ever talked about beets as much as you in that last installment (with the possible exception of Dwight Schrute from the Office- he runs his family's beet farm). I might have to look up some beet recipes!

No more trips to the hospital! I hope the family is recovering well!

[khertz]

I have no idea how I missed out on the beginning of this TR, but here I am! I just got through all of your wedding photos, and oh my goodness, Rachel, you made a gorgeous bride! I'm subscribing, so hopefully it won't take me too long to get caught up!

[rachel09985]

Delicious goat cheese salad pics

I got that salad before and I really liked it but I didn't get beets.

What exactly does a beet taste like?? Is it similar to any other veggie??