laurieal

My Mears shuttle was only scheduled for 11:05 this morning, so I took things slow. I’m not sure what the shower situation will be like at my Miami hotel, so I had one last good shower in my Disney hotel. Then, I had to pack. To my absolute surprise, I was able to fit everything back in my suitcase, even the new Spirit Jersey! Nothing got left behind. Even all the individual packs of Pringles that I had ordered before the trip as room snacks have made it. Are you on the Oasis transatlantic? Do you have snacks? Do you want to do some trades? Hit me up! 😂 The Mears shuttle was about fifteen minutes late, but I had given myself plenty of time to spare. Our driver was hilarious; he could get a job as a skipper for the Jungle Cruise. I’ve made it to Terminal C!

That’s a good one! One time, a cast member told me there was a hidden Mickey in Everest where the track stops and there are loads of hair ties. I’ve been looking every time but I’ve never been able to spot it.

How long would you wait in line for cookies? Me? I don’t think I’ve ever had to wait for them. I’ve lived a sheltered life where the cookies are always readily available. But last night, in Disney Springs, I was looking for cookies that are apparently worth waiting for. The lady at the end of the line said it would be about half an hour, which I thought sounded almost reasonable for Gideon’s. There was a band across the way at Raglan Road so it felt like a very quick 30 minutes before I was let inside. Although their main thing is cookies, they also have cake slices and cold brew. I went with the Pistachio Toffee Chocolate Chip. I had a quarter of it this morning for breakfast and wow! That cookie was absolutely worth the wait. And now for a weird tangent. For some people who suffer a spinal cord injury, the body will develop a way to communicate its needs. It’s called hyperreflexia and the symptoms will vary from people to people. The cause, for me, is usually that I need to use the washroom, that my body is in some kind of pain I can’t feel (maybe I’m sitting on something), or that my body is getting ready to create human life (no, thanks). Anyway, I was planning on staying longer in Disney Springs and maybe have dinner at Wine Bar George. Did you know that have an appetizer that’s just cheese, but they set it on fire? But The Body was requiring some attention and going to the washroom didn’t fix the issue, so I chose to return to my room and deal with whatever it was. I’m happy to report that I took care of it and as of this morning The Body seems pretty happy. As I’ve been saying since I got here, I’ll just have to go next time!

I’m using an iPhone 15 Pro Max for pictures on this trip. I’m pretty sure I’m all set on memory space for everything the Oasis has to offer. If no, I probably have a couple thousand pictures of cats I could sacrifice for the cause 😂

It’s very subtle, so I’m not sure, but I feel like you’re not a fan of RCI’s food? 😉

That’s one thing I enjoy about Disney. There’s just so many different things to do that everyone has different favourites. Have the best time on the Allure!

Have a great cruise on the Odyssey! Hopefully we can catch peeks of each other.

I was thinking about maybe watching the It’s Tough to be a Bug 3D show, but at that point I was just done. I made my way out of the park, but I stopped at the PhotoPass place to get some help retrieving some missing pictures. Instead of going back to my room to pack, I boarded a bus to Saratoga Springs. My shuttle is only at 11:00 tomorrow morning. Future Laurie can be in charge of packing. I got off the buss at the Congress Park stop of Saratoga Springs, which is the closest one to Disney Springs. It’s a short, flat and pleasant walk from the bus stop to Disney Springs. Has anyone ever taken a ride in one of those water cars? They look so fun!

So sorry for your loss of Jiko. What a beautiful girl, and almost sitting like a human, too! Mara sure looks like she has seen some things, so I’m afraid you probably have ghosts in your walls. I actually went to the Animal Kingfom Lodge for the first time this trip to get some of those Zebra Domes from the Mara. I’ve been hearing only good things about the restaurants there so I’ll need to plan another visit.

I get it! Food is one of my favourite attractions 😂 I know I’m leaving tomorrow, but any favourite food places or items you’d like to share for my next time?

Guys! I think I found a new favourite spot in Disney World! I’m currently writing from the Nomad Lounge. I’m sitting outside, so it’s still hot, but I’m half in the shade and right next to the river where I can see boats with characters passing by. Also, there’s a gentle breeze and I may never leave. I got chicken satay with a fruity cocktail and both are so, so delicious. The chicken is a serious contender for best food of the trip so far.

I had some time to kill before the next Nemo show that I wanted to see, so I had a quick peek at Dinoland USA. I would have liked a picture with Chip and Dale dressed as dinosaurs, but the times didn’t match up. You know when it’s so hot that you just can’t deal with food? It’s been that kind of day. I had some plans for a late lunch, but I got a Mickey Premium Bar to at least put something in my stomach. Strangely, it was my first ever one. After my ice cream, it was time for the Nemo show. They changed it since the last time I saw it and I enjoyed it a lot. On my way to my late lunch, I ran into Kevin.

Travel day, woop woop! Have a safe and uneventful flight. “See you” in Florida!

Afterwards, I headed towards Asia and I went to the bird show. I love bird. I love shows. I was happy. While I was in Asia, I rode Everest which is one of my favourites. It doesn’t actually go upside down, but they do a pretty good job at making you believe it does. I also love the theming around this ride. I wanted to do the animal trail in Asia, but it completely slipped my mind. I’m not sure I will make it back to Asia. Today feels like the hottest day since we arrived and I’m trying to avoid backtracking as much as possible. I’m also trying to keep up with my sunscreen and hydration, but I’ll admit it was easier when there were three of us to remember.

The Gorilla Falls trail starts right outside the exit of the safari, so it would have been rude not to do it. Not even close to a gorilla, but look at the floofy babies! There was some serious grooming action happening. Also, snacking.

My first destination was Africa. Although I did the Kilimanjaro Safari with my friends on our visit earlier this week, I have to ride the safari every time I come. The baby elephant was out again! She is absolutely adorable.

With the laundry all done and folded, it was finally time to go see some animals. Maybe not that one. DiVine was waiting for us close to the entrance of the park. I had never seen her in the flesh (in the leaves?) before. Seeing the Tree of Life as we enter never gets old for me. The tamarins were particularly cute. So were the flamingos. Do you sometimes travel with someone who gets a bit too fixated on animals and just won’t move on? It’s me. Hi. I’m the problem.

I sure am! I went to the repair place yesterday morning and the guy got it fixed in no time.

I wasn’t even thinking about the songs, but yeah I wouldn’t want to get stuck forever on anything with songs or dialogue. I can get into a boat ride no problem because gravity does most of the heavy lifting (or is it pushing?), but I’m not sure I can cat out and some things in life are better as a mystery 😂

That is seriously cool! Thank you for your hard work; it’s a really fun show.

Wow, trip 107! 🤯 Anything you’re particularly looking forward to for that trip? The Oasis class ships are indeed huge and can be rough for people with mobility issues. Although it takes me longer to get places, I will usually take detours to avoid rolling on carpet for long distances.

It’s now the next day and my friends are at the airport waiting for their flight back to Quebec City. What about me, you ask? What park am I in? What fun adventures am I up to? Yup. I’m doing laundry. There’s around 30 minutes left on my drying cycle but then I’ll take you to Animal Kingdom.

Eventually, we made our way back to where we had started: France. It was my first time riding Ratatouille and while the ride was super cute, it made me nauseated and gave me a headache. I think it was the 3D that my body didn’t like because I’m fine with the screens on Minnie and Mickey’s Runaway Railway. We found a spot where my friends would be able to sit to see the fireworks and we shared a Croque Glacé from L’artisan des glaces. It’s like an ice cream sandwich, but it involves a brioche and it’s pressed and warm but also cold and just wow. That and fireworks? A perfect end to the night and, for my friends, the trip.

Gran Fiesta Tour sure was fun, but we had more food to try so we left Mexico and went to China. I got the Cheesy Crab Wontons and the Spicy Mala Chicken Skewer. They were both big hits for me. The peanut sauce with the skewer was super flavourful and although it was a bit overpowering for the crab wontons, I still couldn’t stop dipping them in it. Sadly, since no one wanted to share with me, that was the end of my appetite for the day. I don’t do boat rides I have to transfer into because I fear I would get stuck in them forever, but my friends rode Frozen and then we went to Germany where one of my friends got a Toasted Pretzel Bread. I tried a small piece and I loved it. It’s all the things I love in the world baked together.

It was time for a feeding after that, so we grabbed some soy-glazed sticky ribs and a chocolate terrarium from the Trowel and Trellis festival booth. I absolutely cannot pronounce Trowel and Trellis. Please don’t make me. The ribs were very good and not too chewy. The chocolate terrarium was a nice mousse, but we preferred the mousse from Docking Bay 7 in Galaxy’s Edge. We thought it had more elements to make it interesting flavour and texture-wise. Since we were so close to Mexico, we decided to enter the pavilion and ride Gran Fiesta Tour. I was hoping it would count as a Duolingo lesson. It didn’t.