There's Always Too Much Sauce - A July 2022 TR *Updated 3/23

[amazingact21]

My brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and G’s parents will be in Disney World when you’re there (they’ll be at the Contemporary from April 20-27), but I think they may think I’m nuts if I mention they should say hello to someone I know from the DISboards…

And HOORAY for the Wilderness Lodge! It’s such an awesome resort and PERFECT for relaxing after your races… if Alex lets you.

WL has become my go-to place for Disney trips, but I do feel bad that I'm not trying someplace new. One day I'll make it to the Beach or Yacht Club.

I hope your family enjoys their trip! Kind of amusing you'll be missing each other by weeks. But I get it. My brother and sister in-law and family will leave 2 days before we arrive.

Those 12-day stretches are not fun - my husband has them every other month or so. I hope for your sakes Alex doesn’t have them as frequently!

Ouch! That's rough. Alex's schedule was brutal when the kids were young, and I remember feeling like a duck. Calm above the water, frantically paddling underneath the surface. Fortunately, Alex only has to do those long stints once every 3 months now. But in between he's on-call for a week one time, and man, are those some wild nights. I feel that's why Disney trips are so necessary. Both parents need that break from reality! I hope your upcoming trip allows you both some time to relax and take a breather!

(It’s a good thing you’re planning on all that cold brew…)

I drink so much coffee at Disney.

Wow, an extra 4-5 miles PER DAY?! I’m trying to start walking a few miles a few days a week and barely managing that. I’m so impressed! I think you’ll be ready!

In all fairness, the kids' school is at the front of our neighborhood and we live at the back and it's about a mile each way. So just going to pick up Evie (Landon makes it very clear he can scooter home with his friends, thank you very much ) is 2 miles. And if I take a few extra side streets, I can tack on an extra half mile.
Getting those walks in when the kids are still little is tough! Don't stress about it. I didn't start really getting into long distances until both kids were in school/preschool. I'm sure your littles keep you so busy that you're exhausted by the end of each day!

And wow, you had great luck with ADRs! I can’t believe you nabbed Homecomin’ AND Space 220! Is your Space 220 reservation for the restaurant or the lounge?

I couldn't believe how lucky we got with ADRs! Space 220 is a restaurant lunch, and we managed to get it on Day 3 of our reservation. And Homecomin' for arrival day! Unbelievable.

 

[amazingact21]

So much fun. I laughed when you described your personality traits. We have a saying here ( not sure if it’s worldwide) “ The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” Gotta confess though it might actually be the way to my heart too- who doesn’t love planning Disney meals/snacks/desserts/drinks

I feel like this is a very true saying.
A few months after Alex and I started dating, he started coming with me to a family dinner every Sunday. And later, when I met his mother for the first time, she told me, "I'm so grateful you fed him. It makes me feel good to know he had a real meal once a week." So I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that food is such a driving factor in our trips.

I know you mom thinks she’s done with Disneyworld but you never know she may feel differently in another year or so.

I appreciate your take on this. I know it's only been 3 months since her surgery, but I feel like I hover around my mom still. She seems so fragile, and I'm always pestering her on not overdoing it. The first time she told me she did 10,000 steps in a day, I admonished her. "You're going too fast!"

Now I’m back doing my almost 20,000 step walks every Friday with my friend. We started these walks every Friday when our youngest boys started school together ( that’s how we met) and we are still doing them even though the boys don’t go to the same school anymore.

This story makes me so happy. I feel like some of the best friendships are formed when the kids are young. Having someone to share in the highs and lows of kids at the same point is so important. And hey, you're both doing it while staying active and healthy. 20,000 steps is quite the feat! Especially since I know that part of the world doesn't exactly always have the best weather for walking outdoors.

 

[amazingact21]

I hope you're able to find a balance with touring the parks with Alex and recovery from you races. Taking those extra walks should help.

I'm hoping we can find a nice balance of feeling like we got enough park time and making sure to rest between races.

I'll be looking for for you in Epcot on Friday and Studios on Sunday in the morning.

I'm hoping we can meet up again! Do you have any reservations or firm plans for that Friday?

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

20,000 steps is quite the feat! Especially since I know that part of the world doesn't exactly always have the best weather for walking outdoors.

We bribe ourselves by ending with tea ( for me) , coffee ( for Aideen) and tasty warm scone at Lockeepers Inn before we head our separate ways at the end of our walk. Raspberry and white chocolate scone was my choice today

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

I appreciate your take on this. I know it's only been 3 months since her surgery, but I feel like I hover around my mom still.

It’s early days yet

The first time she told me she did 10,000 steps in a day, I admonished her. "You're going too fast!"

She’s an amazing woman and it’s only natural you’d be protective of your mom.

 

[amazingact21]

Raspberry and white chocolate scone was my choice today

This sounds delicious!
I miss good scones and clotted cream.

 

[amazingact21]

April 18th:


This was my last full day with my mom. I know all Disney trips seem to go by fast, but this one felt like warp speed. I couldn’t believe we were already winding down our mom/daughter time!


I was up at 7 o’clock this morning, procuring a Genie Plus reservation for SDD and an ILL for Rise. My mom had not gone on either of these attractions before, so today was dedicated to letting my mom experience new things.

In fact, she had never seen Galaxy’s Edge!

This was going to be a great day.



The two of us arrived at DHS for early entry and hopped on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. There was no wait, and we had a great time watching Mickey and Minnie reach their picnic destination.

Fun story: My family has a running gag where we will randomly send the “Nothing Can Stop Us Now” song to one another to try and get it stuck in their heads. Alex did it to me and Landon at his dentist appointment, then Landon added it to his and Evie’s music playlist. I messaged it to Alex when he was at his barbershop. The kids think it’s hilarious.



As my mom and I were leaving MMRR, we chatted with the nicest Cast Member working at the merchandise kiosk outside the entrance. She asked if we were having a good day, wondered if there was anything she could do to enhance our time, and when my mom commented that she appreciated her good attitude, the CM said, “I get to go to Disney World for my job. I’m the luckiest person around.”

Cast Member interactions like that brighten a Disney day. I mean, here I am almost a year later, and I still remember that sweet person and their joy. If only we could all be that nice.



My mom and I headed into Toy Story Land next and hopped on TSMM.



I never break 200K, but I love trying.



Disney’s IT took pity on me this morning and allowed me to snag an early reservation for SDD. Not sure how I managed, but I was not complaining.


Like FOP, Slinky Dog was a one and done for my mom. The up and down part after the relaunch was a little too much for her.

Needing a break from rides, my mom was ready to enter Galaxy’s Edge and start exploring a new land!



I took her around the main walkways, pointing out the lightsaber build location, the falcon, where Oga’s is, and I watched as she took it all in. It was so fun observing someone see the Star Wars details for the first time. It made me wish I could bring my older brother to DHS one day, because he’s a huge SW fan.

The two of us strolled around, soaking up the atmosphere and marveling at how gorgeous the weather was. It was warm, sunny, with a slight breeze shifting the air just when you started to feel toasty. The storm that came through the morning before took all the heat and humidity away, leaving an idyllic Florida temperature.

My mom and I grabbed the Blue and Green Milk so that she could give them a try.

When in Galaxy’s Edge, right?



As we drank, the two of us remembered to take advantage of our Photopass and grab some pictures. The photographers at each location were very friendly and wanted to set us up in different poses. They asked us how we were liking GE and which milk was our favorite flavor. They were taking so much time with us.

I don’t know what was in the air today, but I was a fan!








Looking back, this was my favorite part of the trip. My mom and I weren’t rushing from attraction to attraction or looking at Cinderella’s Castle or participating in a special event, yet it felt like we were embracing Disney at its best. Walking around, smiling at the others around us visibly excited to be in the parks, closing our eyes and feeling the Florida sunshine against our lids.




It was one of those instances where I knew no matter if we came back at the exact same day the following year, we wouldn’t be able to recreate the time. Everything just fell into place in a perfect way, and all my mom and I could do was appreciate it for what it was.



My mom had heard that Mandalorian and Grogu were doing impromptu meets and really wanted to try and catch them. This was back before their times and locations were listed on the app (I want to say they’d only been out for a month) so I did my best sleuthing to figure out where we needed to wait for them.


Our ILL for Rise had come due, and I was beginning to stress about time a little bit. We had a dining reservation outside of the park, and I knew Rise would take awhile to get through. So I told my mom if Mando didn’t come out in the next ten minutes, we would have to leave.

In the end, we actually stayed an additional fifteen minutes, because I strongly suspected the space hunter would be out any second.

And sure enough:



Baby Grogu was cooler than I expected, with his head movements and eyebrow shifts.





I scooted my mom over to Rise and watched as she experienced one of the best attractions at WDW. She couldn’t believe how many different elements were involved in the ride. She kept saying, “It keeps going?!”

I hadn’t told her about the drop, but the kids in the row in front of us mentioned it, so my mom knew it was coming.

Upon exiting Rise, I knew we were going to be late for lunch. I hated that feeling. Being late for anything is my pet peeve, and it threw me off on what was the best way to go from there.

My plan was to take the Skyliner so my mom could experience that, as well. In hindsight, I should have just made us walk. It would have been much faster.

Oh well.

At least we were relaxed.



Fifteen minutes past our ADR time, my mom and I arrived at Beaches and Cream for our lunch.

I ran 19.3 miles over the weekend, I wanted ice cream!



But first: food.



My mom and I both got the chicken club sandwich with a side of watermelon. The fruit was very refreshing, and we both welcomed the option over fries or tots.

The sandwich…meh. It was a good piece of chicken and cooked well, but it was pretty small. I am a light eater and tend to dine on less than my kids, so I feel like me saying the chicken wasn’t enough is saying a lot.

I guess Beaches and Cream wanted to make sure there was plenty of room in my stomach for dessert.



The No Way Jose. Peanut butter heaven.



It was glorious.


But I couldn’t finish it.


I tried.

Made myself feel icky afterwards, but I sure tried.



After lunch, my mom and I went back into DHS so she could try Smuggler’s Run, and then we headed back to the Wilderness Lodge. We both needed to pack and my mom was feeling tired after our late night fireworks adventure and early morning ride hopping.

The evening proved itself to be just as spectacular as the daytime. My mom and I took a long walk around the grounds, then parked ourselves on a bench at the boat launch.





The breeze coming off the water was divine, and it was fun hearing the boat coming and going and guests disembarking and boarding.

My dad called my mom, so I left them to chat and wondered to the Copper Creek cabins.





My goodness. If you’re ever staying at the Wilderness Lodge, you must take this pathway by the cabins. It’s so quiet and serene, you really cannot believe you are at Walt Disney World. I felt so at peace, listening to the bugs in the bushes and catching glimpses of the sun between the tall trees.

Not to mention, I had the place to myself!

If anyone is like me and craves solitude, then this is where you need to head to. Not a soul in sight. It really helped me reset from the hustle and bustle of the parks.


Plus. Those cabins…



That’s my Disney bucket list dream.

That’s it.

If I ever win the lotto, I’m staying in one of those bad boys.



Because, come on! That screen porch with a hot tub and a fireplace?!?!

Take my money, Disney. Just take it all.



I won’t lie, I did want to head back into a park for my final Disney night, but my mom did not. I could have left her and went on my own, but it was our last night together. I wanted to spend it together. It was a bit of a conflict, but in the end I’m glad I stayed with her and hung out at the resort. You can’t get the time back with a loved one. I’ll take chatting with my mom over squeezing one nighttime ride on Thunder any day of the week.



Up Next: I Have Too Many Options!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Aww what a perfect day! Spending time with your mom was absolutely the right choice. Simply priceless!

 

[Mollydolly334]

My mom and I loved walking that path by the cabins when we were at WL in July!! Such a peaceful resort and perfect for our morning walks.

The No Way Jose Sundae is one of my absolute favorite foods at Disney. I drooled just looking at the picture Tip for your next trip- the “Thundering Surf Sundae” over at Boardwalk Ice Cream is an exact replica of this sundae- just a smaller size!! I still shared it with my mom, but I EASILY could have finished this baby by myself

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Those cabins look incredible!! They are a bucket list item for us as well.

 

[piglet1979]

Your trip coming up sounds like a lot of fun. Jeff and I went to the Tap House. He seemed to like it. We went on our first day before doing anything else. I don't drink and I am not a fan of soft pretzels but Jeff is. It is a nice place and I wouldn't mind going again.

Beaches and Cream is another thing I want to do and just doesn't seem to work out. The ice cream looks so good. Next trip I will ride Buzz and go to Beaches and Cream. And take more time in Galaxy's Edge.

 

[cindianne320]

What a wonderful end to your report... And I'm in tears... My mom and I took a girls' trip in 2019, but since then her health has declined and she says she's not going back. I'm so happy that you get to keep going with yours- I just know she'll change her mind!
So excited for you and Alex!

 

[vamassey1]

I'm hoping we can find a nice balance of feeling like we got enough park time and making sure to rest between races.

I'm sure this will be a challenge.

I'm hoping we can meet up again! Do you have any reservations or firm plans for that Friday?

We have no firm plans right now. We're getting in late on Thursday night so I don't think we'll make rope drop. I do want to eat lots of festival food, see Moana in the daytime and at night, get a photo with Walt and see this area in the daylight and at night and see Voices of Liberty. That's not too much, right?

In fact, she had never seen Galaxy’s Edge!

I love showing people stuff for the first time. What a treat!

Fun story: My family has a running gag where we will randomly send the “Nothing Can Stop Us Now” song to one another to try and get it stuck in their heads. Alex did it to me and Landon at his dentist appointment, then Landon added it to his and Evie’s music playlist. I messaged it to Alex when he was at his barbershop. The kids think it’s hilarious.

I love this!

Cast Member interactions like that brighten a Disney day. I mean, here I am almost a year later, and I still remember that sweet person and their joy. If only we could all be that nice.

A CM can make or break your day.

As we drank, the two of us remembered to take advantage of our Photopass and grab some pictures. The photographers at each location were very friendly and wanted to set us up in different poses. They asked us how we were liking GE and which milk was our favorite flavor. They were taking so much time with us.

I love these photos of you two!

My mom had heard that Mandalorian and Grogu were doing impromptu meets and really wanted to try and catch them. This was back before their times and locations were listed on the app (I want to say they’d only been out for a month) so I did my best sleuthing to figure out where we needed to wait for them.

What sleuthing did you do? We lucked out and Danielle's friend was a Guest Service CM, she looked it for us and walked us over.

Baby Grogu was cooler than I expected, with his head movements and eyebrow shifts.

So cute! I'm jealous we didn't get this close, there were too many people.

The No Way Jose. Peanut butter heaven.

This is on my list!!!!! I'm determined to get it on our last night.

If anyone is like me and craves solitude, then this is where you need to head to. Not a soul in sight. It really helped me reset from the hustle and bustle of the parks.

It really is the best resort to relax at.

I won’t lie, I did want to head back into a park for my final Disney night, but my mom did not. I could have left her and went on my own, but it was our last night together. I wanted to spend it together. It was a bit of a conflict, but in the end I’m glad I stayed with her and hung out at the resort. You can’t get the time back with a loved one. I’ll take chatting with my mom over squeezing one nighttime ride on Thunder any day of the week.

That's a tough call, but you made the right one.

 

[amazingact21]

Aww what a perfect day! Spending time with your mom was absolutely the right choice. Simply priceless!

I'm very grateful for all the time I got with my mom. Pretty much all the time I visit her now, my kids want her full, undivided attention. And of course, she wants to theirs. So it was nice not to have to share her.
In April, she's arriving on a Thursday afternoon, so I get to hang out with her that Friday while the kids are in school. I definitely booked her plane ticket with that in mind.

My mom and I loved walking that path by the cabins when we were at WL in July!! Such a peaceful resort and perfect for our morning walks.

It's such an oasis from the parks.

Tip for your next trip- the “Thundering Surf Sundae” over at Boardwalk Ice Cream is an exact replica of this sundae- just a smaller size!!

Oh my gosh, this is a game changer!
Thanks so much for sharing this piece of information. I immediately told Alex about it. We love the No way, but if the kids aren't with us than it's way too much for two people. But this looks like the perfect size to split, and I looked it up and it's like 6 dollars cheaper. Awesome!

Those cabins look incredible!! They are a bucket list item for us as well.

There were a few that were waiting unoccupied while I was walking around, so they had their curtains open. I looked inside and they just seem incredible. Maybe if multiple DISers win the lotto we can split a stay here once.

 

[amazingact21]

Your trip coming up sounds like a lot of fun. Jeff and I went to the Tap House. He seemed to like it. We went on our first day before doing anything else. I don't drink and I am not a fan of soft pretzels but Jeff is. It is a nice place and I wouldn't mind going again.

I've been in a soft pretzel kick lately, so I really wanna hope we can make it to Baseline this time around.
Was it hard finding a seat? I'm worried about that. It always looks packed when I pass it.

Next trip I will ride Buzz and go to Beaches and Cream.

You'll not miss Buzz again!
Sometimes, it helps having things that you weren't able to do on the last trip. Gives you something to look forward to, whenever that next trip may be.
I missed seeing the Enchanted Tiki Room both in April and June and it really bugged me. I'm not skipping it again!

What a wonderful end to your report... And I'm in tears... My mom and I took a girls' trip in 2019, but since then her health has declined and she says she's not going back. I'm so happy that you get to keep going with yours- I just know she'll change her mind!
So excited for you and Alex!

The moms trips are so special. I'm sorry to hear your mom doesn't think she has another one in her, either. It's sad to think about.
But the silver lining is that it's a tradition we can continue on with our girls. I'm really looking forward to the day I can visit WDW with just Evie.

 

[amazingact21]

We have no firm plans right now. We're getting in late on Thursday night so I don't think we'll make rope drop. I do want to eat lots of festival food, see Moana in the daytime and at night, get a photo with Walt and see this area in the daylight and at night and see Voices of Liberty. That's not too much, right?

Sounds very similar to my goals. We want to try the festival booths, see the Moana trail since we've never done it before, and the Walt statue.
We've got a 12:20 reservation at Space 220, and we'll probably stay in the park until 5/6. So hopefully at some point our paths will cross. I'll message you when we get into the park to let you know.

What sleuthing did you do? We lucked out and Danielle's friend was a Guest Service CM, she looked it for us and walked us over.

I just went through a lot of google searches. Found a site that actually said where he entered/exited and knew I was in the right spot when other began waiting around.

So cute! I'm jealous we didn't get this close, there were too many people.

He'd only been meeting for a month by this point, so I'm not sure he was common knowledge yet. Plus, we lucked out and it was a really low crowd day.

This is on my list!!!!! I'm determined to get it on our last night.

I hope you can try it! If your Beaches and Cream ADR has to change, Molly just said there's the same dish, only smaller, at the Boardwalk Ice Cream Shop. I think I'm going to try for that one this time.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

What a perfect final park day with your mom! I’m glad you were able to balance hitting the new attractions with plenty of low-key wandering and soaking up the ambiance of the Wilderness Lodge. I need to remind myself to do more wandering and less rushing on our next trip - I enjoy my trips more when there’s wandering!

I really appreciate knowing you can order fruit as a side at Beaches and Cream! That restaurant is the only one that’s given me past tummy trouble, which I’m sure is due to the oil they use on their griddle and in their fryers. I agree that their food is “meh” but their ice cream is aweome - your No Way Jose looked delicious!

Also, 15 minutes isn’t even “late” for an ADR. I’m glad you had no trouble getting seated.

I’m glad you get solo time with your mom during her visit next month. I understand why grandkids love to monopolize time with awesome grandparents… but it’s nice to get your time, too!

 

[vamassey1]

Sounds very similar to my goals. We want to try the festival booths, see the Moana trail since we've never done it before, and the Walt statue.
We've got a 12:20 reservation at Space 220, and we'll probably stay in the park until 5/6. So hopefully at some point our paths will cross. I'll message you when we get into the park to let you know.

Your plans to do sound familiar.

I hope you enjoy your trip to Space. I've only done the lounge, but we loved it. I'll be looking for your message.

I just went through a lot of google searches. Found a site that actually said where he entered/exited and knew I was in the right spot when other began waiting around.

Good sleuthing. I guess we caught a popular time.

I hope you can try it! If your Beaches and Cream ADR has to change, Molly just said there's the same dish, only smaller, at the Boardwalk Ice Cream Shop. I think I'm going to try for that one this time.

I did see that, but I already have an ADR for Beaches and Cream. I'm filing it away for future trips. That's a great backup and you don't need an ADR.

 

[piglet1979]

I've been in a soft pretzel kick lately, so I really wanna hope we can make it to Baseline this time around.
Was it hard finding a seat? I'm worried about that. It always looks packed when I pass it.

It was not hard for us to find a seat, but it was early. Maybe 2 or 3pm. We went on our arrival day and that was the first thing we did at HS before any of our LL came up.

 

[amazingact21]

I need to remind myself to do more wandering and less rushing on our next trip - I enjoy my trips more when there’s wandering!

It's hard to slow down when it's your first trip back after a long time away. Plus, kids don't always allow for slow-paced times.

I really appreciate knowing you can order fruit as a side at Beaches and Cream! That restaurant is the only one that’s given me past tummy trouble, which I’m sure is due to the oil they use on their griddle and in their fryers. I agree that their food is “meh” but their ice cream is aweome - your No Way Jose looked delicious!

The fruit was really refreshing and a nice break from fried foods.

I hope you enjoy your trip to Space. I've only done the lounge, but we loved it. I'll be looking for your message.

I'm really looking forward to trying Space 220. I think it'll be a fun way to sit and relax after our 5K.

I did see that, but I already have an ADR for Beaches and Cream. I'm filing it away for future trips. That's a great backup and you don't need an ADR.

Even the walkup counter at Beaches and Cream is ridiculously long, so if the Boardwalk is quicker, I'm all for it.

It was not hard for us to find a seat, but it was early. Maybe 2 or 3pm. We went on our arrival day and that was the first thing we did at HS before any of our LL came up.

That's good to hear. I think we'll probably be trying to visit Baseline around that same timeframe. I just hope it won't be too bad since it'll be a weekend.