COMPLETE - "I DON'T LIKE MY FAMILY!!" — A May WDW Solo Mini-Trip Report + A Summer of Art

Hard to tell whether you're being sarcastic or not, since I wrote that it took us 2.5 days to drive...but seeing as you're on the west coast, and we can fly down in less than four hours, and you do a fair bit of road tripping, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that that's sincere? :confused3 :laughing:

I was being a little silly. I'm not west coast (Winnipeg, remember? :wave:) but my drive to WDW is longer than yours. By maybe 3 hours. :laughing:

But in all seriousness, being on the east coast and such a reasonably short flight away...we've been SPOILED. 100%. People think we're absolutely insane for going as much as we have...but when you can...why not!? :thumbsup2 I keep telling myself, "Okay, after this next trip, we need to rein it in! One trip per year, max!" And then we schedule another one, and I'm like "...oops?"

Yeah... "oops"..... :rolleyes:

Surprisingly, Haynnk is a septopus of few words.

Sorry about the lost arm. Shark? Moray eel? Mafioso?

I know, you're shocked. But his eyes always say it all, even when he falls silent. I was surprised to see him so unimpressed. I guess when you've travelled as much as he has (by ocean, of course,) you don't get phased easily.

Of course. Makes complete sense.

Yeah! The regular jam with the cane sugar was good, but incredibly sweet. Almost sickly sweet in comparison. But there's a natural sweetness in the one I bought due to the peaches, as well as the white grape juice they add. It tastes like spreading a peach onto whatever you put it on. A seriously special find! I'm actually frustratingly craving it in this moment. And it's frustrating because when I flew home last week, I left Nathan in Ontario for another two shows, and I only took a carry-on...so I had to leave my jam with him!! I won't get it until next week when he drives home! :sad1:

No jam?

This is unjust and unfair and just... sad!



For now.

The video exists, but it will never make it to the internet if I have any say in the matter!

Noooooo!!!! It exists?!?!? Post it!!!

Landry's card = excellent idea if you know you have interest in eating at a Landry's restaurant in the near future, but not a good idea if you don't. It's a membership card for their restaurants, so that would include places like Rainforest Cafe, Yak and Yeti, T-Rex, and Bubba Gump's over at Universal (or elsewhere), or any of their other restaurant chains. It costs $25 to join, but you automatically get a $25 welcome reward to apply to a meal, so if you're planning to eat there anyway and spend $25, then you come out even. They also give you a birthday reward every year in your birthday month. You can, however, claim that your birthday is in whatever month you're most likely to travel often, as long as that doesn't go against your morals. Then you get an extra $25 to spend. And yes, the welcome and birthday rewards can be combined. They send you discounts or contests once in a while for being a member. But they also give you priority seating over any other walk-ups with a card, which is how we managed to be sat in under 5 minutes, while others were having to wait more than 30 minutes.

Okay! So... I've never eaten at Y&Y... but if I ever get back to da World and decide to go... i should get the card. Yes?

Nathan can take or leave cream cheese, and even only mildly enjoys cheesecake, so I was surprised that he liked these. I've never tried them for obvious reasons. I think it's kind of like a cheesecake-y filling inside the wontons? And the vanilla sauce seems to be pretty addictive. I have no idea whether they're actually as good as people say they are though. :confused3

Only one way (for me) to find out. :)

Yeah, it's pretty shocking how much he goes through in terms of supplies! If I remember correctly, he didn't go through all of that in one show, but a good portion of it. And we set out a little more on the table than we anticipate he'll need, just in case, so we're not in a pinch in the moment. And yes, for the most part things have been pretty good so far this summer, *knock on wood*! Some shows are better than others, and some end up being duds, but we're staying pretty close to our target to keep the bills paid and have a little extra money for fun things.

Glad to hear things are going well in that department.

Also, if they were going to make a mistake, we'd much rather they be too cautious about allergies than not cautious enough.

Good point.

But is it really a typo, though, when you type it that way twice in a row!? :rotfl2:

:laughing:

I've gone back to fix the mistake, but I got a good chuckle out of it! This is my punishment for not giving myself enough time to properly proofread late last night. One of the frustrating but funny little quirks about my post-surgical brain—though there's no medical explanation for this since my cortex, (i.e. the "thinky bits") weren't affected—is that I sometimes have trouble recalling words, or I misspeak/mistype one similar word for another. E.g. writing "two" instead of "too," even though I'm typically meticulous about homophones, or saying "walk" instead of "drive," or "sick" instead of "sink," etc. It happens too infrequently to be a real issue, but just frequently enough to make me occasionally sound silly. :laughing:

Well, now I feel bad for teasing you!

The. Worst. I had a USD account for when we occasionally had USD to deposit, but it was a frustrating account with a lot of weird policies and fees, so I shut it down.

Shut mine down too. Nope!
 
Having our annual passes, we never felt like it was a waste to just pop over to a park for a meal, or to spend an hour or two.

That's definitely something we love about the AP's too.

He also ordered the cream cheese fried wontons with vanilla sauce for dessert. This is one of his favourite desserts at Disney, and it didn't disappoint.

jEU2uo8.jpg

Yum! :lovestruc

It was then that the woman on the cash informed me that they have a punch card they can give you for every time you buy a donut or cupcake! How was this a thing that nobody had ever mentioned to me before!?? :eek:

Wait what?! We've never been told that either!
 
I was being a little silly. I'm not west coast (Winnipeg, remember? :wave:) but my drive to WDW is longer than yours. By maybe 3 hours. :laughing:

Right! I guess you're a little more...central? This is my east coast privilege showing, because Canada is so massive that it feels to me way over here on the east that anything beyond the ginormous-mass-that-is-Ontario just feels so far west! But there's nothing really coast-like in any direction about most of Manitoba, I suppose. I'd like to see Winnipeg someday, though! Maybe if Nathan keeps doing shows out your way, I'll get to go someday. I think he's considering C4 there in October, but I'll be in school. :sad2: Pesky education!!

Sorry about the lost arm. Shark? Moray eel? Mafioso?

This is one of the few topics I can't get him to open up about. I'm guessing shark, based on the trauma he had to overcome to go back to the ocean again, coupled with his extreme distaste for shark-shaped fish crackers. :confused3

Okay! So... I've never eaten at Y&Y... but if I ever get back to da World and decide to go... i should get the card. Yes?

I'd vote yes. But only if you decide you'd actually like to go to any of the restaurants, since there is that $25 cost associated with joining. And of all the restaurants in Orlando, I'd definitely recommend Yak and Yeti as my favourite. We haven't tried Bubba Gump's, but I don't have much desire, and the Rainforest-type ones aren't really my cup of tea.

Well, now I feel bad for teasing you!

You shouldn't. It's really kind of laughable! I even already noticed another one in my previous comments to you, using "phase" rather than "faze." It's a silly, silly side effect. But I'll take it over most other options! Eating "delicious muscles" is my new favourite instance of this though. :rotfl2:

Wait what?! We've never been told that either!

Maybe it's a new thing? I was pleasantly surprised to hear it, because we stop every time we go down, so that adds up! I think you get a punch for every donut or cupcake purchased up to 10, and then the 11th is free? Something like that.
 
Sounds like a successful show! Glad it went well - so crazy that he can create a painting in about 3 minutes!


I don't think he's impressed by palm trees. Tough audience!


Yikes, that is quite the gash! Good thing you guys caught it before it blew. Wonder what even caused it?!

When we told her that we'd be down there over Memorial Day weekend for a show in Orlando, MegaCon, she called them up and had a room booked on her points for us...which she refused to let me pay for.

Aww so sweet and generous!

I think maybe people feed them at the resort, so it makes them prone to approaching people?

Pet peeve of mine. Don't feed the wildlife!


Look at the sweet baby octopus!

I love that they can do any of their battered stuff gluten free.

That's such a nice perk

It was at Artist Point at the Wilderness Lodge!

This is on my to-try list, and your review of it bumps it higher on the list!

We also both ordered the brussels sprouts. They modified mine for allergies, so they were basically just lemony sprouts, but I like sprouts, so that was fine with me.

Brussels are my fav! Especially with some lemon

before I had to submit myself to the mercy of the Disney bus gods.

Oh those Disney bus gods... and they really don't like Disney Springs
 


I hope you have a wonderful time! Maybe we'll cross paths at some point. Nathan and I are there in August for our anniversary trip. Probably the last one before we start going on a more reasonable number of trips...but then again, I've told myself that before, so it's hard to say.

The more Disney trips the better, I say! I went briefly in October 2017, but haven't had a real trip since September 2015. I think that's why planning my upcoming trip is getting a little out of hand. :)
 
I guess you're a little more...central?

A little?
This is just outside Winnipeg:



This is my east coast privilege showing, because Canada is so massive that it feels to me way over here on the east that anything beyond the ginormous-mass-that-is-Ontario just feels so far west!

True. Once you get past the center of the universe, everything is east or west. :rolleyes:

But there's nothing really coast-like in any direction about most of Manitoba, I suppose.

Oh, but there is. I lived on the coast (in Manitoba) for 4 years. We have Hudson Bay to the north. :)

I'd like to see Winnipeg someday, though! Maybe if Nathan keeps doing shows out your way, I'll get to go someday. I think he's considering C4 there in October, but I'll be in school. :sad2: Pesky education!!

sounds like a reason to drop out. :rolleyes1

This is one of the few topics I can't get him to open up about. I'm guessing shark, based on the trauma he had to overcome to go back to the ocean again, coupled with his extreme distaste for shark-shaped fish crackers. :confused3

Poor little mollusc.

I'd vote yes. But only if you decide you'd actually like to go to any of the restaurants, since there is that $25 cost associated with joining. And of all the restaurants in Orlando, I'd definitely recommend Yak and Yeti as my favourite. We haven't tried Bubba Gump's, but I don't have much desire, and the Rainforest-type ones aren't really my cup of tea.

Hmmm... I'll keep it in mind. I have eaten at Bubba Gump a couple of times. But can't when I'm with Ruby since she's allergic and we won't risk it.

You shouldn't. It's really kind of laughable! I even already noticed another one in my previous comments to you, using "phase" rather than "faze." It's a silly, silly side effect. But I'll take it over most other options!

:) Okay.

Eating "delicious muscles" is my new favourite instance of this though. :rotfl2:

:laughing:
 
Wow, it sounds like some wonderful days in and out of Disney! I love all your food pics. The soup at Artist point looks delicious, I love mushrooms. Yak and Yeti is always a favorite and your seafood curry is now on my list of a must try! I like curry but not super hot so this sounds yummy!

I have heard good things about Cooke’s of Dublin, yet have never tried, one of these trips I will need to. It is surprising it has great burgers since it isn’t known for that but I have many favorable reviews:thumbsup2

Glad Megacon was more good exposure for N with some good sales! Wow he must go through a lot of paint!

Excited for your solo portion as well!
 


Hayynk looks like he is having a great time!

I love Cooke's of Dublin. My husband and I love the cheese dip from there. One of the managers was kind enough to give us the recipe a few years ago while we were there. It's a great CS option!
 
Sounds like a successful show! Glad it went well - so crazy that he can create a painting in about 3 minutes!

It's pretty impressive to watch!

Yikes, that is quite the gash! Good thing you guys caught it before it blew. Wonder what even caused it?!

It was wild! And I have no idea where it could have come from! The tire was only a few months old! I mean, he has A LOT of weight in the back of the truck from his supplies. One tote of masonite (the boards he paints on) can easily weigh 100-200 lbs, and we would have been travelling with 4 or more of them, plus dozens of cans of paint, two tables, metal dolly, etc. It adds up. But I still don't remember hitting anything...there was no evidence of anything stuck in the tire... :confused3 The only thing I can think of is that he rolled up onto a curb the night before on that side for a second when we parked at the hotel, trying to maneuver into a small parking spot, and maybe that put too much stress on the tire with all the weight in the back? Or I guess it could have just been a fluke thing with a faulty tire. So weird. But could have been much worse!

Pet peeve of mine. Don't feed the wildlife!

Agree!

This is on my to-try list, and your review of it bumps it higher on the list!

We had a great experience there!! I hope you do, too, if you go.

Brussels are my fav! Especially with some lemon

Yummmm. Me, too! And asparagus. And collards. Green veggies are my jam!! For the longest time I didn't think I liked brussels sprouts, but it turns out that I'd just never had them cooked properly. Most veggies are unappealing when you just boil the life out of them. :laughing:

A little?
This is just outside Winnipeg:


Bahaha ok, yeah, fair enough!!

True. Once you get past the center of the universe, everything is east or west. :rolleyes:

:laughing: Exactly! (Sorry, to any of my Ontario friends! :P)

Oh, but there is. I lived on the coast (in Manitoba) for 4 years. We have Hudson Bay to the north. :)

Yes, I figured you'd come back at me with this! Originally I was going to say "all of Manitoba," but I amended me statement to "most" when I remembered the bay. It must have been beautiful up there!! :lovestruc Is this where you also saw polar bears??

The soup at Artist point looks delicious, I love mushrooms.

According to N (and a few other reviews I've read) it was really delicious! Nate's a big fan of mushrooms, too. It looked so thick and creamy, but apparently also not too overly heavy.

Yak and Yeti is always a favorite and your seafood curry is now on my list of a must try! I like curry but not super hot so this sounds yummy!

Yum! It was really tasty! My only complaint was that there seemed to have been one clam or something that wasn't cleaned 100% perfectly, because I got a little bit of grit in one bite. But living in the east, I know all about how tough it is to clean seafood properly, so I let that one slide because it was the only bite where I noticed it. It was yummy.

I have heard good things about Cooke’s of Dublin, yet have never tried, one of these trips I will need to. It is surprising it has great burgers since it isn’t known for that but I have many favorable reviews:thumbsup2

I keep going back over and over for the gluten free fried stuff! They even do gluten free onion rings, though they're not my favourite thing there. But yes, I was surprised to hear that the burgers are good, too! I'll have to try one sometime, if I can pull myself away from the fish.

Wow he must go through a lot of paint!

It's amazing how much paint he goes through! We buy enough in bulk that it's actually cheaper to drive from here to Montreal to pick it up (the only supplier in Canada) than it is to have it shipped. And that drive is about 12 hours each way! :eek: Fortunately, he drives by that area often enough that we can usually coordinate it so he's going through anyway.

I love Cooke's of Dublin. My husband and I love the cheese dip from there. One of the managers was kind enough to give us the recipe a few years ago while we were there. It's a great CS option!

I couldn't agree more! They also offered us the gluten free batter recipe one of the recent times we went. It uses champagne, which I thought was neat! But we don't have a deep frier—for good reason! My health would quickly decline if we did!—so I'll just have to enjoy it when we're down there.
 
I love reading all of your trip reports. Can’t wait to read more of this one. Like others, I absolutely love your hair color!

Out of curiosity, how much does Nathan charge for his 3-minute paintings? Just in case I ever run into him at a con or festival.
 
I love reading all of your trip reports. Can’t wait to read more of this one. Like others, I absolutely love your hair color!

Out of curiosity, how much does Nathan charge for his 3-minute paintings? Just in case I ever run into him at a con or festival.

Thanks so much!!

The standard size he paints is 16x20"—but he sometimes does larger paintings if someone requests it with advance notice—and he charged $25 each, or two paintings for $40. Hopefully you'll cross paths with him/us someday! It wouldn't be the first time that somebody has seen him at a show and told him they knew his wife from the Disboards! :laughing: (Though, of course, he forgot their name...so I have no idea who that was! If whoever that was is reading this, please let me know!! :lmao:)
 
:laughing: Exactly! (Sorry, to any of my Ontario friends! :P)

:rolleyes1

Yes, I figured you'd come back at me with this! Originally I was going to say "all of Manitoba," but I amended me statement to "most" when I remembered the bay.

Close one, though. :)

It must have been beautiful up there!! :lovestruc Is this where you also saw polar bears??

It has very distinct, and beautiful in their own rights, seasons.
Hmmm.... tell ya what. Google "polar bear capital of the world" and tell me what comes up.
 
It has very distinct, and beautiful in their own rights, seasons.

Wikipedia: "Churchill has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfc) with long very cold winters, and short, cool to mild summers.[9] Churchill's winters are colder than a location at a latitude of 58 degrees north should warrant, given its coastal location. The shallow Hudson Bay freezes, eliminating any maritime moderation."

Um... :cold::cold::cold:
 
How scary about the tire! Thank goodness you noticed it when you did!

That's so nice of your grandma to let you guys use her points. Even better that she decided to come and spend some time with you all too!

So awesome getting to pop over to AK just for some dinner!

Haha if anyone needs an Erin McKenna's punchcard, it's you!!

Sounds like you guys were busy busy during the con! But that's the way you want it so I'm happy it went well!
 
How scary about the tire! Thank goodness you noticed it when you did!

That's so nice of your grandma to let you guys use her points. Even better that she decided to come and spend some time with you all too!

So awesome getting to pop over to AK just for some dinner!

Haha if anyone needs an Erin McKenna's punchcard, it's you!!

Sounds like you guys were busy busy during the con! But that's the way you want it so I'm happy it went well!


The tire issue could have been so much worse! I was really thankful that if it had to happen, Nathan noticed when he did.

Haha I should definitely be one of Erin McKenna's most valued customers at this point!!
 
Nathan is very talented. I hope we run into him someday at a Con. I don't guess he travels this far south. Danielle did do a Con in Fort Worth, Texas last week. She would love to go to MegaCon someday. I'm glad you had some time together working and playing in Disney. You have really gotten some use out of your Annual Pass. Looking forward to more.
 
Wikipedia: "Churchill has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfc) with long very cold winters, and short, cool to mild summers.[9] Churchill's winters are colder than a location at a latitude of 58 degrees north should warrant, given its coastal location. The shallow Hudson Bay freezes, eliminating any maritime moderation."

Um... :cold::cold::cold:

Winters are cold. And loooooooooong. But... interesting nevertheless. The other three seasons are short so are packed full and wonderful. It does get hot from time to time. Unless you don't consider 30C hot.
 
I hear you on all the conversion fees. That's a great way to make use of your US cash. I'm thinking about getting a US Visa card for my August trip, to cut down on the conversion fees. I had never bothered before, but with our dollar exchange rate as bad as it is now, I might do that.

I notice that you and @pkondz have had US dollar accounts at some point, but have either of you ever tried a US dollar Visa card? I'm just being curious.
 
I can't believe I just found this! Woohoo for a solo trip! (Something I never expect to get to do - but think I would completely love)

I'm a metamorphmagus, if you didn't know.

YES!!!

Somehow I managed to get the MUCH better end of the bargain in that deal. :confused3

Uh, I would agree!

Wow at the number of spray paint cans! I'm glad it was a busy Saturday! $$$

Looking forward to more updates.
 

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