Pre-Trip Report: Laura’s Not Solo Bound for Halloween at WDW (October/November 2024)

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VIRGINIA: Welcome to Where I Long To Be, A Magical Trip Report Podcast.

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VIRGINIA: My name is Virginia, and I am your host.

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VIRGINIA: We are quickly approaching the holiday season, and the gift that you can give the podcast would be if you shared it with friends.

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VIRGINIA: The show is easy to share on the podcast app of your choice, or by sending a friend the link to the website, which is whereilongtobepodcast.com.

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VIRGINIA: It really is the gift that keeps on giving.

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VIRGINIA: On today's episode, you'll hear my conversation with Laura, who is DisneyBoundSolo on Instagram and DisneyBound.Solo on TikTok.

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VIRGINIA: Laura and I have been trying to get together for quite a while now, so I am delighted that we were finally able to make it happen.

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VIRGINIA: She's so much fun and I know you're going to love her.

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VIRGINIA: Here's Laura.

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VIRGINIA: Hello, DisneyBoundSolo, aka Laura.

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LAURA: Hi.

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VIRGINIA: How are you?

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LAURA: I am wonderful.

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LAURA: How are you?

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VIRGINIA: I am good.

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VIRGINIA: I'm so excited to have you here finally.

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VIRGINIA: You and I have been playing a little bit of Tag, trying to get something going.

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VIRGINIA: I finally get to have you here on the show.

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VIRGINIA: So exciting day.

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LAURA: I'm very excited.

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LAURA: I tend to plan my trips pretty last minute, hence the Tag back and forth, but I'm glad we were able to talk about this one today.

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VIRGINIA: Well, I want to learn a little bit more about you.

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VIRGINIA: I know your Instagram handle is DisneyBoundSolo.

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VIRGINIA: So tell me how you came to that name and what your back story is with Disney.

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LAURA: So DisneyBoundSolo is sort of a combination of words.

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LAURA: DisneyBound, as in that is the destination that I will be frequenting solo because I take a lot of solo trips.

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LAURA: And of course, you know, DisneyBounding also refers to the act of dressing up, inspired like your favorite characters in the parks.

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LAURA: So I did a nice little play on words there because that's everything that I love to do when I go to Disney.

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VIRGINIA: How often do you get down to Disney?

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LAURA: So before I became an annual pass holder, I maybe went once a year.

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LAURA: Because I love Disney so much, I decided to take the plunge when they opened up annual passes again a couple of years ago.

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LAURA: Now that I am a pass holder, I go about once a month, as often as I can get a cheap hotel room, essentially.

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VIRGINIA: And where are you traveling from?

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LAURA: I am traveling from North Jersey, so very close to Newark Airport, which helps to be so close to a big airport like that.

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VIRGINIA: Yes, it does.

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VIRGINIA: I did not realize you were so close to me.

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VIRGINIA: Okay, I'm in Queens.

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LAURA: Oh, there you go.

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VIRGINIA: And we occasionally fly out of Newark, but not too often just because getting to LaGuardia and JFK is so much easier from where I am.

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LAURA: Yeah.

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VIRGINIA: Where did your love for Disney and the Disney parks begin?

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LAURA: I had never been to the parks as a kid.

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LAURA: My first trip to Disney was when I was 23 years old.

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LAURA: So I've kind of always been a Disney adult in that respect.

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LAURA: Okay.

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LAURA: But my love for Disney started at a very young age.

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LAURA: Growing up, I was watching every single Disney movie on repeat.

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LAURA: I had every VHS.

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LAURA: My favorite was Robin Hood.

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LAURA: It was the one VHS that my grandmother had at her apartment that had no cable.

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LAURA: So we just watched the Robin Hood VHS over and over again.

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LAURA: So it's very near and dear to my heart.

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LAURA: I wore Mickey pajamas every Christmas.

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LAURA: And I always wanted to go to the parks, but it wasn't something that my family could really afford to do.

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LAURA: So now that I'm an adult and I make my own money, it's kind of healing my inner child in a way to be able to make that dream come true for myself now.

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VIRGINIA: Now, as you've become a Disney adult, I know that you've made friends through Instagram with that connection.

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VIRGINIA: But in your day-to-day life, do you have people in your life who are also that into Disney?

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LAURA: Oh, yes, my best friend who I have been best friends with since, God, I think we were 13 when we met.

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LAURA: We used to go to Warp Tours together all the time.

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LAURA: Still best friends to this day.

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LAURA: She is a Disney creator as well.

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LAURA: Kind of one of the OG ones from back in the day when Disney content creation was first starting to come up.

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LAURA: Not as active anymore, but if you guys want to check her out, her account is WishingInWonderland.

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LAURA: We've gone to Disney together a few times now, and she's really the one who inspired me to start creating Disney content along with Stephanie from Plus Size Park Hoppers.

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LAURA: She was a huge inspiration and really encouraging me because I was looking for a creative outlet.

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LAURA: I love Disney so much and it just felt like such a natural progression of a step forward.

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VIRGINIA: Yeah.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: With your handle being Disney bound, do you plan outfits for every single trip or based on the frequency that you're going because once a month, oh my gosh, Laura, that's a dream.

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VIRGINIA: Do you go too often to make it a special outfit every single time?

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LAURA: That is a great question.

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LAURA: You're exactly right.

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LAURA: It is a little too much to create a special outfit every time.

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LAURA: I would say usually the trips that feel a little bit longer, which maybe are more than three nights, is when I plan something a little bit more particular.

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LAURA: Or if I know I have some special occasion coming up, or if I'm going with friends and we're all dressing up, then I tend to plan those Disney bounds in those situations.

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LAURA: Also, it depends on how inspired I'm feeling.

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LAURA: If I'm not feeling super creative and honestly, if the weather is too hot, I'm not going to go too crazy trying to plan these intricate outfits, especially when you want to just be comfortable in the 100 plus degree weather.

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VIRGINIA: Right.

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VIRGINIA: Exactly.

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VIRGINIA: Now, you have a love for the classic Disney with your VHS collection from back in the day.

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VIRGINIA: Are you a fan of the newer movies?

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LAURA: I am.

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LAURA: Yes.

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LAURA: I remember going to see Tangled in the movie theater with two of my girlfriends from college and just looking at each other and sobbing throughout the entire movie because we felt like, I don't know, it was almost kind of like a happy sadness.

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LAURA: We saw three older ladies who had to be in their 70s or older together watching the movie too.

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LAURA: So it was a little bit of this warm and fuzzy feeling of, oh, is that going to be us in our 70s?

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LAURA: Disney has this way of just making everybody feel like a kid again.

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VIRGINIA: Yeah.

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VIRGINIA: Oh my gosh.

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VIRGINIA: Yeah.

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LAURA: So those newer movies, it holds that same kind of magic for me.

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LAURA: Especially a lot of the newer movies like Coco and Incanto that have a little bit of a Latin American background, I relate to very much being Puerto Rican, growing up with a family of that culture.

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LAURA: We haven't gotten a Puerto Rican Disney movie yet, but they just have a very similar kind of warm and homey feeling for me.

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VIRGINIA: Yeah.

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LAURA: And I don't know, there's something about them that I just relate to more than your traditional, what's the word I'm looking for, your traditional sort of storyline of the princess needs to be saved.

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VIRGINIA: Right.

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VIRGINIA: What is your most favorite newer Disney movie, whether it's live action or animation?

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LAURA: So I would have to say it's Tangled.

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LAURA: Tangled just did something.

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LAURA: Yeah, it used to always be Beauty and the Beast.

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LAURA: Growing up, that was my favorite movie.

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LAURA: Tangled just did something to me.

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LAURA: I don't know if it was my love of Mandy Moore, being super into her in the late 90s, early 2000s, in her pop girly era, or just the story of trying to sort of forge your own destiny when you feel like you are being treated like a child.

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LAURA: I kind of related to that very much.

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LAURA: And then in Kanto, there's just something about that movie, too, that really hits home for me.

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LAURA: Generational trauma and the myth of matriarchs apologizing to you.

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LAURA: It's kind of interesting to see that play out on screen.

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VIRGINIA: Do you have anyone in your family who has come down to Disney with you and seen the magic?

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LAURA: Yes, actually.

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LAURA: My mother.

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LAURA: My mom retired a couple of years ago.

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LAURA: Actually, maybe last year.

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LAURA: She had never been to Disney before.

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LAURA: She's always been a Disney fan.

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LAURA: And I said, hey, mom, let's celebrate your retirement.

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LAURA: Why don't you come down to Disney with me?

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LAURA: So at 65, her first trip, we went down to Disney World together.

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LAURA: She had an amazing time.

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LAURA: I will never forget having breakfast at Topolino's Terrace.

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LAURA: Her seeing Donald Duck, just she had this recovered memory of her sister losing her stuffed Donald plushie when she was a kid, and how excited she was when she finally found it again.

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LAURA: Just watching my mom recount that memory and tell Donald Duck in person, it was a really special moment.

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LAURA: It was really cute.

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VIRGINIA: I am such a mush, that really gets me.

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VIRGINIA: Particularly because my mom never got to go to Disney and she's no longer with us, and what I wouldn't give to have been able to have a trip like that.

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VIRGINIA: So that must have been so special.

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VIRGINIA: So I'm glad that you had that opportunity.

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LAURA: It was.

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LAURA: Yeah, I'm really glad that I was able to do that for her, and I really want her to come back with me.

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LAURA: Maybe for Christmas time.

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VIRGINIA: Yeah, Christmas time or just for a festival.

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LAURA: I got to work on my dad.

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LAURA: He keeps saying Disney is just not his thing, but I don't know if I can convince him.

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LAURA: I think he'll be a changed man the minute he sets foot in Magic Kingdom.

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VIRGINIA: Right.

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VIRGINIA: I mean, that's very easy to say when you've never been.

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LAURA: Exactly.

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VIRGINIA: Let's get in to this trip.

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VIRGINIA: What made you decide to travel at this time?

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VIRGINIA: Because your travel dates are Tuesday, October 29th, which is actually tomorrow.

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VIRGINIA: So I hope you're ready through Friday, November 1st.

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VIRGINIA: So what inspired these dates?

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LAURA: So these dates were inspired by Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.

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LAURA: I love Halloween.

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LAURA: It is one of my favorite holidays and I don't even remember the last time that I dressed up and had fun on Halloween.

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LAURA: So the minute those tickets dropped, I immediately bought them for Halloween because I know they sell out very quickly.

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LAURA: And I said to myself, I am not doing another year of spending my favorite holiday, drawing a catnose on and sitting on the porch with a bowl of candy.

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LAURA: I am going to do something fun on Halloween.

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VIRGINIA: At least you get trick or treaters.

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VIRGINIA: So we do not hear, but our neighborhood goes crazy.

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VIRGINIA: So we go out and we walk around and we see all the costumes.

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VIRGINIA: But well, that will be so exciting.

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VIRGINIA: I have not personally been able to make it down for a Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party to date.

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VIRGINIA: We'll see what happens next year because Alex is requesting to go to Halloween Horror Nights next year.

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VIRGINIA: And I'm like, well, if we're going to do that, we need to do also Mickey's Not So Scary at the same time for me.

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LAURA: Absolutely.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

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VIRGINIA: So did you get a good deal on a hotel?

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LAURA: I did.

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LAURA: Yeah.

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LAURA: So as an annual pass holder, they typically offer discounts up to 35% depending on the category of hotel that you're staying in.

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LAURA: So I booked a value resort for me.

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LAURA: I see value in a value resort because I just need a good place to lay my head at night.

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LAURA: I'm spending most of my days in the parks anyway, staying at All-Star Sports.

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LAURA: I don't remember the exact percentage that we got off.

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LAURA: But we did get a good pass holder rate for it.

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VIRGINIA: Who is going to be traveling with you, if anyone?

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LAURA: So this trip, I will not be flying solo.

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LAURA: My fiance Michael is coming with me.

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VIRGINIA: So has Michael been on a Disney trip with you before?

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LAURA: Yes.

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LAURA: So he had never been on a Disney trip until we got together.

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LAURA: And since I love Disney so much, I knew I had to take him and share my love for Disney with him.

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LAURA: I wouldn't say he's fully hooked, but he knows how much I love it.

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LAURA: So he's always happy to come along for the ride when he wants to.

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LAURA: For this particular trip, it's a lot of firsts for him and even some firsts for me.

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LAURA: He's never been to a Halloween party.

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LAURA: He's never been to Food and Wine Festival.

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LAURA: He's never seen Fantasmic.

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VIRGINIA: Oh, wow.

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LAURA: So a lot of the activities that we'll be doing on this particular trip, I think, or I hope he's really going to enjoy since they'll be brand new to him.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: When are you all planning to get married?

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LAURA: Great question.

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LAURA: Wedding planning is stressful.

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VIRGINIA: Oh, I know.

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VIRGINIA: I've been there.

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VIRGINIA: Yeah.

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LAURA: It's been a long time, but all we know is it's going to be sometime next year, probably in the fall.

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LAURA: We are doing a very, very small wedding, so we don't have to worry about booking venues or deposits or anything like that ahead of time.

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LAURA: We're just figuring it out as we go and going with the flow.

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LAURA: We just have to find a time where everybody's schedules mesh up well.

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VIRGINIA: Well, that's a challenge.

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VIRGINIA: Yeah.

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VIRGINIA: Might I offer Thanksgiving weekend?

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VIRGINIA: That's when I got married.

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VIRGINIA: Yeah.

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VIRGINIA: Yeah.

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VIRGINIA: Thanksgiving was the Thursday, and then we got married on the Saturday right after.

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VIRGINIA: Everybody had time off of work and people made a long weekend of it.

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LAURA: Honestly, that's not a bad idea because a lot of extended family will likely be in town.

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VIRGINIA: Right.

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VIRGINIA: Then there's no excuses to not remembering when your anniversary is because it's always around Thanksgiving.

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VIRGINIA: That's exactly right.

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VIRGINIA: It means that every year we get together with family and we have a big meal and remember that we got married that weekend.

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VIRGINIA: I don't know.

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VIRGINIA: Something to think about.

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VIRGINIA: All right.

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VIRGINIA: Heading down tomorrow, are you ready?

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LAURA: I am 99 percent ready.

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LAURA: I just have my last-minute throw in the carry-on personal item things that I need to do.

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VIRGINIA: Okay.

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VIRGINIA: What time is your flight?

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LAURA: That's a great question.

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LAURA: I think it leaves at 11 or 1130.

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LAURA: I should probably confirm that so I don't miss it.

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VIRGINIA: Yes.

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VIRGINIA: Yes, you should.

00:14:29.880 --> 00:14:34.980
VIRGINIA: Do either of you or both of you have TSA pre-check?

00:14:34.980 --> 00:14:36.400
LAURA: I do.

00:14:36.400 --> 00:14:37.220
LAURA: Michael does not.

00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:38.320
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:42.360
LAURA: No, I will not be waiting in the regular line with him.

00:14:42.360 --> 00:14:44.120
VIRGINIA: Yes, that's the way to do it.

00:14:44.120 --> 00:14:45.920
VIRGINIA: Yes.

00:14:45.920 --> 00:14:50.420
LAURA: However, we both have Clear, so that will save us a little bit of time.

00:14:50.420 --> 00:14:51.160
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:14:51.160 --> 00:14:55.340
VIRGINIA: I have not convinced myself that Clear is worth it yet.

00:14:55.380 --> 00:15:16.880
VIRGINIA: Because especially, I do a lot of Flying Delta, and they have digital ID anyway, which is not at every airport, but at LaGuardia and JFK, they have it and you could walk up and I guess they just remember your face from a previous trip or whatever, but it's a separate line.

00:15:16.880 --> 00:15:22.020
VIRGINIA: Like you go in the TSA pre-check line and then there's a split off for the digital ID.

00:15:22.020 --> 00:15:28.360
VIRGINIA: But every time I see those people trying to sign people up for Clear, I'm like, should I?

00:15:28.360 --> 00:15:29.460
VIRGINIA: I don't know.

00:15:29.460 --> 00:15:36.840
VIRGINIA: I see people doing it, but I can't imagine it would save me enough time to make it worth whatever the cost is, which I don't even know what the cost is.

00:15:36.840 --> 00:15:37.500
LAURA: Here's the thing.

00:15:37.500 --> 00:15:48.500
LAURA: If you have pre-check, I'm going to say it's probably not worth it unless for some reason, the pre-check line is very long as well and you need a way to expedite and get to the front of the pre-check line.

00:15:48.500 --> 00:15:51.980
LAURA: I've had Clear for almost a year now and I haven't paid a dime for it.

00:15:53.060 --> 00:15:53.700
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:15:53.700 --> 00:15:55.240
VIRGINIA: How did you do that?

00:15:55.240 --> 00:15:56.760
LAURA: They offered a free trial.

00:15:56.760 --> 00:16:05.580
LAURA: When you go to cancel the free trial, they're like, hey, we'll give you another two months free, just in the off chance that you'll forget to cancel the auto renew.

00:16:05.580 --> 00:16:12.400
LAURA: And then you just go on Reddit and you find a coupon code for another two months and another two months and they haven't caught on yet.

00:16:12.400 --> 00:16:13.140
VIRGINIA: Wow.

00:16:13.140 --> 00:16:15.160
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:16:15.160 --> 00:16:16.040
VIRGINIA: That's a hack.

00:16:16.040 --> 00:16:16.420
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:16:16.440 --> 00:16:18.380
LAURA: It is.

00:16:18.380 --> 00:16:20.720
VIRGINIA: We'll hope no one from Clear is listening to the podcast.

00:16:20.720 --> 00:16:21.800
VIRGINIA: Oh, no.

00:16:23.600 --> 00:16:24.220
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:16:24.220 --> 00:16:24.780
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:16:24.780 --> 00:16:34.820
VIRGINIA: So 11 o'clock and it's a weekday, so it will be probably right around rush hour when you'll be trying to get to the airport.

00:16:34.820 --> 00:16:37.660
VIRGINIA: So trying to take that into account.

00:16:37.660 --> 00:16:45.560
VIRGINIA: Living so close to Newark, do you drive there and park in the long-term parking or do you arrange for a car service or how do you work that?

00:16:46.300 --> 00:16:52.260
LAURA: We are going to do a ride share this trip just because we didn't want to worry about doing long-term parking.

00:16:52.260 --> 00:16:56.780
LAURA: Typically, if you park on-site at the airport, it's extremely expensive.

00:16:56.780 --> 00:17:01.780
LAURA: We wanted to save that money for all the snacks at Food and Wine Festival.

00:17:01.780 --> 00:17:04.140
LAURA: So ride share will be much cheaper than that.

00:17:04.140 --> 00:17:07.900
LAURA: And if you do an off-site lot, then you have to worry about getting the shuttle.

00:17:07.900 --> 00:17:08.680
VIRGINIA: Right.

00:17:08.680 --> 00:17:12.020
LAURA: Just one less thing to worry about to have a ride share drop you off right at the terminal.

00:17:12.900 --> 00:17:31.280
VIRGINIA: That reminds me that the last time we flew out of Newark, which I think was last February for our annual trip that we do as a family, Charles went to go park the car in the long-term parking and the shuttle broke down on the way back to the terminal and they all had to get off on the side of the road.

00:17:31.280 --> 00:17:31.900
LAURA: Oh my God.

00:17:31.900 --> 00:17:34.360
VIRGINIA: And then they had to send another bus around to get them all.

00:17:34.360 --> 00:17:35.360
VIRGINIA: It was crazy.

00:17:35.360 --> 00:17:38.320
VIRGINIA: So I had not thought about that until this very moment.

00:17:38.320 --> 00:17:40.840
VIRGINIA: It was so stressful because it was a really early morning flight.

00:17:43.340 --> 00:17:51.100
VIRGINIA: So if you're leaving around 11, that will probably put you touching down in Orlando around 1 o'clock or so.

00:17:51.100 --> 00:17:55.900
VIRGINIA: How do you plan to get from MCO over to All-Star Sports?

00:17:55.900 --> 00:17:58.600
LAURA: So we actually rented a car for this trip.

00:17:58.600 --> 00:18:01.220
LAURA: I found one for a really good price.

00:18:01.220 --> 00:18:05.920
LAURA: Normally I don't do that because being from New York originally, I don't have a driver's license.

00:18:05.980 --> 00:18:06.680
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:18:06.680 --> 00:18:09.940
LAURA: But Michael, my fiance is coming with me.

00:18:09.940 --> 00:18:12.260
LAURA: Luckily, he does have a driver's license.

00:18:12.260 --> 00:18:14.920
LAURA: So we figured, why not rent a car?

00:18:14.920 --> 00:18:21.200
LAURA: It just makes things easier because we're not doing a park for a full day, every day of our trip.

00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:25.940
LAURA: We're going around to different resorts for dinners, for breakfast.

00:18:25.940 --> 00:18:35.160
LAURA: So it's just easier to be able to drive than have to take a bus to a park, or take a bus to Disney Springs and transfer, or rely on Ubers and Lyfts.

00:18:35.940 --> 00:18:36.220
VIRGINIA: Right.

00:18:36.220 --> 00:18:39.080
VIRGINIA: And if you get a good deal on it, then why not?

00:18:39.080 --> 00:18:46.180
VIRGINIA: As an annual passholder and as somebody who's staying at a Disney Resort, you'll be able to park for free at the parks anyway.

00:18:46.180 --> 00:18:47.860
VIRGINIA: So well worth it.

00:18:47.860 --> 00:18:48.820
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:18:48.820 --> 00:18:56.200
VIRGINIA: So renting the car, are you going straight to the resort or do you have plans to do any stops along the way?

00:18:56.200 --> 00:19:03.720
LAURA: We are going straight to the resorts just so we can settle in, get our bearings and freshen up and de-plane, if you will.

00:19:05.560 --> 00:19:08.080
LAURA: And probably just relax and walk around.

00:19:08.080 --> 00:19:10.120
LAURA: I've never stayed at All-Star Sports before.

00:19:10.120 --> 00:19:11.880
LAURA: That is a first for me.

00:19:11.960 --> 00:19:18.040
LAURA: I always like to check out the theming, take some cute pictures, maybe grab some content while I'm there as well.

00:19:18.040 --> 00:19:18.460
VIRGINIA: Sure.

00:19:18.460 --> 00:19:19.280
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:19:19.280 --> 00:19:22.880
VIRGINIA: And for Michael, what kind of ticket did he get?

00:19:22.880 --> 00:19:25.660
VIRGINIA: Because I'm assuming he's not an annual pass holder.

00:19:25.660 --> 00:19:26.580
LAURA: He's not yet.

00:19:26.580 --> 00:19:29.620
LAURA: I'm still trying to work on that.

00:19:29.620 --> 00:19:32.700
LAURA: But we just did a one-day park hopper for him.

00:19:33.420 --> 00:19:36.300
LAURA: And a ticket for the party.

00:19:36.460 --> 00:19:38.340
LAURA: That's all we'll be doing for this trip.

00:19:38.340 --> 00:19:39.940
VIRGINIA: And with your dates, that makes sense.

00:19:39.940 --> 00:19:48.080
VIRGINIA: Like spend tomorrow kind of getting acclimated, doing some fun non-park stuff, a full day of park, and then a party.

00:19:48.080 --> 00:19:48.840
VIRGINIA: Yes.

00:19:48.840 --> 00:19:56.820
VIRGINIA: Will you be tempted at all because you have an annual pass to pop into any parks without him?

00:19:56.820 --> 00:19:59.300
LAURA: I don't think I will this trip.

00:19:59.300 --> 00:20:00.000
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:01.580
VIRGINIA: But you have before, it sounds like.

00:20:02.360 --> 00:20:08.260
LAURA: I have wanted to before and decided to change my mind last minute.

00:20:08.260 --> 00:20:10.840
LAURA: Never say never.

00:20:10.840 --> 00:20:20.440
LAURA: If there is some sort of merch item or snack that I become aware of while I'm there, I'm just going to leave him in the dust and I'm going to go grab it real quick.

00:20:20.440 --> 00:20:21.040
LAURA: I'm sorry.

00:20:21.040 --> 00:20:22.260
LAURA: I'm sure he'll forgive me.

00:20:22.260 --> 00:20:24.120
LAURA: He can hang out by the pool.

00:20:27.080 --> 00:20:28.380
VIRGINIA: Oh my goodness.

00:20:28.380 --> 00:20:29.320
VIRGINIA: You sound so much like me.

00:20:29.800 --> 00:20:31.880
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:20:31.880 --> 00:20:32.300
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:20:32.300 --> 00:20:35.900
VIRGINIA: So any dining reservations or anything for Tuesday?

00:20:35.900 --> 00:20:36.700
VIRGINIA: Yes.

00:20:36.700 --> 00:20:48.720
LAURA: So after we hang out at All-Star Sports for a little bit, we are heading over to the Polynesian to do dinner at Ohana, which is a first for the both of us and I'm very excited.

00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:49.820
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:20:49.820 --> 00:20:50.640
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:20:50.640 --> 00:20:55.600
VIRGINIA: So dinner at Ohana is not characters, but it is a ton of food.

00:20:56.500 --> 00:21:03.500
VIRGINIA: So I hope you enjoy every bite of it, especially the bread pudding at the end.

00:21:03.500 --> 00:21:09.440
LAURA: Oh, I have heard wonderful things about the bread pudding, but I have heard mixed reviews on the food.

00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:11.300
LAURA: Some people really love it.

00:21:11.300 --> 00:21:13.560
LAURA: Some people really don't love it.

00:21:13.560 --> 00:21:15.560
LAURA: I need to know for myself.

00:21:15.560 --> 00:21:17.080
LAURA: This is for science.

00:21:17.080 --> 00:21:20.060
VIRGINIA: Are you someone who likes to eat meat?

00:21:22.100 --> 00:21:22.280
VIRGINIA: Yes.

00:21:22.280 --> 00:21:25.160
VIRGINIA: I feel like if you like meat, you will like it.

00:21:25.380 --> 00:21:37.580
VIRGINIA: The complaints that I've heard lately pretty consistently is that they rush you through your meal, and that to the point where they're bringing out the food before they've even brought your beverages.

00:21:40.320 --> 00:21:51.800
VIRGINIA: Sometimes you want to get through a meal quickly because you've got other plans, but I would say if that happens to you, take your time eating and don't feel rushed.

00:21:51.800 --> 00:21:53.040
VIRGINIA: Enjoy the experience.

00:21:53.040 --> 00:21:58.740
VIRGINIA: It's not a cheap meal, so you're going to want to spend as much time as you want there.

00:21:58.740 --> 00:22:19.600
VIRGINIA: Where it really came into play recently for someone I interviewed, they went to Ohana during the breakfast service, which is a character meal, and they served them so quickly that they had finished everything and had not seen a single character yet and ended up having to sit around for 45 minutes before the characters came over.

00:22:19.600 --> 00:22:28.720
VIRGINIA: So don't let their sense of urgency to get the food on your table affect your pace of eating.

00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:31.620
VIRGINIA: Take your time, enjoy it, you're paying for it.

00:22:31.620 --> 00:22:33.160
VIRGINIA: What time is your meal?

00:22:33.160 --> 00:22:36.460
VIRGINIA: Is it during fireworks at all?

00:22:36.460 --> 00:22:43.260
LAURA: Well, it's a not so scary party that night, so I'm not sure what time the fireworks come on, but our reservation is around 7.30.

00:22:43.260 --> 00:22:44.220
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:22:44.220 --> 00:22:44.520
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:22:44.900 --> 00:22:54.840
VIRGINIA: Well, I mean, even if you wrap up before there's any fireworks, you still could wander out to the beach or if you had any room left to grab a Dole Whip.

00:22:54.840 --> 00:22:59.840
LAURA: Well, I think what we're going to do actually is when we get there, put our name down for Trader Sam's.

00:22:59.840 --> 00:23:00.880
VIRGINIA: Oh, okay.

00:23:00.880 --> 00:23:07.080
LAURA: Then maybe do some after-dinner drinks there if we can muster it, if we have any room left in our bellies.

00:23:07.080 --> 00:23:09.160
VIRGINIA: Have you been to Trader Sam's before?

00:23:09.160 --> 00:23:12.820
LAURA: I have, but Michael has not, so that'll be a first for him as well.

00:23:13.700 --> 00:23:15.380
LAURA: It's fun, it's interactive.

00:23:15.560 --> 00:23:26.120
LAURA: I know some people don't really like that kind of style where you have to stand and share tables, but get enough drinks in me and none of that really matters.

00:23:26.120 --> 00:23:28.440
VIRGINIA: No, it does not.

00:23:28.440 --> 00:23:28.740
LAURA: All right.

00:23:28.740 --> 00:23:32.060
VIRGINIA: Let's move into Wednesday, October 30th.

00:23:32.060 --> 00:23:36.080
VIRGINIA: This is your park day and you said you got a mahopper.

00:23:36.080 --> 00:23:38.580
VIRGINIA: What parks are you planning to visit?

00:23:38.580 --> 00:23:40.040
LAURA: We are starting in Epcot.

00:23:40.920 --> 00:23:45.340
LAURA: We have a Behind The Seeds Tour, which I'm very excited for.

00:23:45.340 --> 00:23:50.560
LAURA: I have never done that before and neither has Michael, so that's a first for us, something I've always wanted to do.

00:23:50.560 --> 00:23:52.800
LAURA: Yes.

00:23:53.780 --> 00:24:01.440
LAURA: He's never been to food and wine, so we're just going to snack around the world, sample a bunch of different cuisines.

00:24:01.440 --> 00:24:04.180
VIRGINIA: Have you already looked at the menus?

00:24:04.200 --> 00:24:04.700
LAURA: Yes.

00:24:04.700 --> 00:24:11.880
LAURA: I have a note in my iPhone of all the different booths that I must go to and all of the different snacks that I must eat.

00:24:11.880 --> 00:24:22.620
LAURA: I have gone to food and wine once already this season, but I didn't really get a chance to try as much as I would have liked, and what I did try, I didn't really love.

00:24:22.620 --> 00:24:26.300
LAURA: So I'm excited for round two and to get a pickle milkshake.

00:24:29.640 --> 00:24:38.720
VIRGINIA: Kelly, who I recently interviewed, her episode was a couple weeks ago, tried one and did not have good things to say about it.

00:24:38.720 --> 00:24:41.580
VIRGINIA: So we'll see what you think.

00:24:41.580 --> 00:24:42.940
LAURA: I have had one before.

00:24:42.940 --> 00:24:44.920
LAURA: I love the pickle milkshake.

00:24:44.920 --> 00:24:49.120
LAURA: To me, it just tastes like a vanilla shake with a little hint of sour.

00:24:49.120 --> 00:24:50.740
VIRGINIA: I would be willing to try one.

00:24:50.740 --> 00:24:53.060
VIRGINIA: I'm just not sure how I would feel about it.

00:24:53.060 --> 00:24:55.800
VIRGINIA: Do you have the Food and Wine app?

00:24:55.800 --> 00:24:56.420
LAURA: I don't.

00:24:56.420 --> 00:24:59.080
LAURA: I was not aware that there's a Food and Wine app.

00:24:59.080 --> 00:25:03.340
VIRGINIA: It's not an official app, but there is an app called Food and Wine.

00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:13.500
VIRGINIA: I think it's available on whatever phone platform you use, but it can be used for Food and Wine, and it can be used for every other festival that they have at Epcot.

00:25:13.500 --> 00:25:23.180
VIRGINIA: You just flip it to whatever the current festival is, and it has all of the menus in there, and you can mark the ones that you want to try as like wish for.

00:25:23.180 --> 00:25:23.400
LAURA: Nice.

00:25:23.400 --> 00:25:31.600
VIRGINIA: And then when you go to the map of all the booths, you can filter it, so it's only showing you the ones that you wish for things at.

00:25:31.600 --> 00:25:43.080
VIRGINIA: So it's like if you go through it and you do all your pre-planning of what you're thinking of ordering, then you can literally just look at a map and be like, okay, this booth up here, we had a couple of things and click on it and see what it was that you wanted.

00:25:43.080 --> 00:25:46.960
VIRGINIA: It makes it so much easier to organize your festival day.

00:25:46.960 --> 00:25:48.120
VIRGINIA: So recommend.

00:25:48.120 --> 00:25:49.220
LAURA: Total game changer.

00:25:49.220 --> 00:25:49.620
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:25:49.620 --> 00:25:51.200
VIRGINIA: It's free.

00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:52.600
VIRGINIA: Might as well try it.

00:25:52.600 --> 00:25:54.980
LAURA: Definitely downloading that ASAP.

00:25:54.980 --> 00:25:55.620
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:25:55.620 --> 00:26:02.440
VIRGINIA: I will send you the link after we're done talking, just so that you don't have to go looking for it, because I just recommended it to somebody else earlier today.

00:26:02.680 --> 00:26:05.160
VIRGINIA: So I'm constantly recommending it.

00:26:05.160 --> 00:26:06.120
VIRGINIA: I love it.

00:26:06.120 --> 00:26:13.760
VIRGINIA: For the food and wine, do you have a strategy as far as controlling how much you get?

00:26:13.760 --> 00:26:20.080
VIRGINIA: I know some people like to do the gift card method, or are you just going to say it's going to be what it's going to be?

00:26:20.080 --> 00:26:22.320
VIRGINIA: It's one day, and let's just go for it.

00:26:22.320 --> 00:26:34.300
LAURA: I'm a big fan of pre-planning, and that's why I'm really excited to download this app, because if I map it out beforehand and I know exactly which dishes I want to try, I can very easily keep it so that I don't overindulge.

00:26:34.380 --> 00:26:38.340
LAURA: I'm not a huge drinker, so I think that's really going to help.

00:26:38.340 --> 00:26:47.120
LAURA: I'm just going to stick to small plates and small bites, taking breaks in between, and I know when to say, all right, I'm tapping out.

00:26:47.120 --> 00:26:49.180
LAURA: I've had enough for the day.

00:26:49.180 --> 00:26:50.260
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:26:50.260 --> 00:26:52.480
LAURA: Just sheer willpower, I suppose.

00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:56.420
VIRGINIA: I imagine that you'll probably split a lot of things and that makes it easier to try.

00:26:56.420 --> 00:26:57.280
LAURA: Yeah, that's exactly right.

00:26:57.280 --> 00:26:57.780
VIRGINIA: As much as you want.

00:26:58.140 --> 00:26:58.700
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:26:58.700 --> 00:27:01.740
VIRGINIA: So where else are you heading on Wednesday?

00:27:01.740 --> 00:27:03.880
LAURA: So we're going to hop over on the Skyliner.

00:27:03.880 --> 00:27:04.960
LAURA: Oh, actually, we're driving.

00:27:04.960 --> 00:27:06.860
LAURA: So we're not going to take the Skyliner.

00:27:06.860 --> 00:27:13.220
LAURA: We are going to drive over to Hollywood Studios because Michael's never seen Fantasmic.

00:27:13.220 --> 00:27:18.800
LAURA: So that's my favorite nighttime spectacular in the parks.

00:27:18.800 --> 00:27:21.620
LAURA: It's about time that he gets to see it.

00:27:22.380 --> 00:27:23.080
VIRGINIA: Yes.

00:27:23.100 --> 00:27:28.000
VIRGINIA: I think I can't decide whether I like that or Happily Ever After better.

00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:34.380
VIRGINIA: I mean, probably Fantasmic, to be honest, and that's hard for me to say because Happily Ever After is so good.

00:27:34.380 --> 00:27:38.100
VIRGINIA: But Fantasmic is amazing and you have a seat.

00:27:38.100 --> 00:27:38.320
LAURA: Yeah.

00:27:38.320 --> 00:27:40.460
VIRGINIA: So that makes a big difference.

00:27:40.460 --> 00:27:43.040
VIRGINIA: Thursday, October 31st is Halloween.

00:27:43.040 --> 00:27:45.880
VIRGINIA: So you have the party that night.

00:27:45.880 --> 00:27:49.040
VIRGINIA: What are you going to do with your day before party time?

00:27:49.040 --> 00:27:51.260
LAURA: So it's a little up in the air right now.

00:27:51.400 --> 00:27:53.540
LAURA: We have a few options.

00:27:53.540 --> 00:28:07.600
LAURA: We're either going to head over to Port Orleans to get some of the ghoulish beignets, maybe go to Disney Springs just to shop around or get some cookies from Gideon's because Michael really loves those.

00:28:07.600 --> 00:28:16.760
LAURA: Or head to the Boardwalk because I want to try the new cake bake shop or the corndog stand with a giant mozzarella stick.

00:28:17.580 --> 00:28:24.260
VIRGINIA: Okay, cake bake, controversial topic, lots of division on the price of things.

00:28:24.260 --> 00:28:28.700
VIRGINIA: I know they recently reduced some of the prices after the initial backlash.

00:28:29.940 --> 00:28:37.220
VIRGINIA: I'll be interested if you make it over there to see what your thoughts are on whether it's worth it or not.

00:28:37.220 --> 00:28:48.160
VIRGINIA: I personally, a higher price like that for a cake, if that's your specialty, and that's like what you do best, I don't mind paying a higher price for a piece of cake.

00:28:48.160 --> 00:28:57.320
VIRGINIA: What shocked me were all the other prices of seemingly normal things like kids' meals that were crazily priced.

00:28:57.320 --> 00:29:02.620
LAURA: I think I have a little bit of a maybe controversial take on it.

00:29:02.620 --> 00:29:05.420
LAURA: I'm used to New York City prices.

00:29:05.420 --> 00:29:07.180
LAURA: Things here are pretty expensive.

00:29:08.700 --> 00:29:12.880
LAURA: I kind of liken it to, let's say, Peter Luger Steakhouse, for example.

00:29:12.880 --> 00:29:14.680
LAURA: You're not going there all of the time.

00:29:14.680 --> 00:29:17.500
LAURA: It's sort of a special occasion destination.

00:29:17.500 --> 00:29:23.700
LAURA: And you know when you're going there, you're usually celebrating a milestone, and you're willing to pay a little bit more.

00:29:23.700 --> 00:29:25.040
LAURA: Because it's sort of a special...

00:29:25.040 --> 00:29:28.840
VIRGINIA: Right, but only in cash, because they only accept cash there.

00:29:28.840 --> 00:29:31.780
LAURA: Cash only at Peter Luger's.

00:29:31.780 --> 00:29:33.940
LAURA: But it's sort of a special experience, right?

00:29:33.940 --> 00:29:36.580
LAURA: Something that you pay a premium for.

00:29:36.760 --> 00:29:42.900
LAURA: And I kind of have the same sentiments about the Cake Bake Shop as well.

00:29:42.900 --> 00:29:54.200
LAURA: Now I haven't tried the food yet, so I don't know if afterwards I can really say that what I spent is worth it, as far as the menu selection and the quality of the food.

00:29:54.200 --> 00:29:58.080
LAURA: But hopefully I'll be able to update you and let you know what I think.

00:29:58.080 --> 00:30:04.480
VIRGINIA: I anticipate you will be the very first person that I actually speak to that can tell me what you thought about it, so very cool.

00:30:04.800 --> 00:30:11.360
VIRGINIA: All right, and then the party, what time are you planning to head into the party?

00:30:11.360 --> 00:30:20.020
LAURA: So I know we can get in starting at four and I'm the kind of girl where like I got to get my money's worth, but I think it really depends on what we end up doing in the morning.

00:30:20.020 --> 00:30:29.400
LAURA: If we feel that we need a little bit more time to rest and recoup, and just get there for the time that the party actually starts, which I can't remember if it's six or seven.

00:30:31.140 --> 00:30:31.480
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:30:31.480 --> 00:30:31.920
LAURA: We'll see.

00:30:32.260 --> 00:30:33.820
VIRGINIA: What are your goals for the party?

00:30:33.820 --> 00:30:38.920
VIRGINIA: Are you going to be trying to do the parade and the shows?

00:30:38.920 --> 00:30:41.460
VIRGINIA: Do you have characters you're interested in meeting?

00:30:41.460 --> 00:30:44.300
VIRGINIA: How are you going to, what's going to be your plan of attack basically?

00:30:44.300 --> 00:30:44.940
LAURA: Yeah.

00:30:44.940 --> 00:30:52.880
LAURA: So first things first, we are dressing up and I'm really excited to just get cute pictures in our costumes and maybe film some content related to that.

00:30:54.380 --> 00:30:56.980
LAURA: We're dressing up as Carl and Ellie from Up.

00:30:56.980 --> 00:30:57.820
VIRGINIA: Oh, cute.

00:30:58.240 --> 00:31:01.940
LAURA: And when they were kids, we have the little aviator hats and everything.

00:31:03.800 --> 00:31:05.440
LAURA: I'm not super into characters.

00:31:05.440 --> 00:31:08.240
LAURA: If the lines are short enough, then sure.

00:31:08.240 --> 00:31:11.780
LAURA: I will wait on line and go take some pictures with the character.

00:31:11.780 --> 00:31:18.320
LAURA: It's just typically those lines are very long and I would rather spend my party time doing other things.

00:31:18.320 --> 00:31:31.400
LAURA: So for me, it's about the rides, especially the rides that have the special overlays, trick-or-treating because I'm a snacker, I love candy and it's not technically free but it's free.

00:31:31.400 --> 00:31:32.020
VIRGINIA: Right.

00:31:32.380 --> 00:31:33.380
LAURA: Give me the free candy.

00:31:35.820 --> 00:31:45.900
LAURA: And the live entertainment is really what makes Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party so special for me, specifically the parade.

00:31:46.980 --> 00:32:14.760
LAURA: So I think to answer more directly, depending on when we get there, we're probably going to pack in a lot of rides, just take in the ambiance, check out all of the Halloween costumes that people are wearing, make sure we definitely get there for the fireworks show, because there's only one of those, and then probably do the later parade and the later villain show, so that we have the front half of the party to do the trick-or-treating and the rides.

00:32:14.760 --> 00:32:15.220
VIRGINIA: Right.

00:32:15.220 --> 00:32:16.380
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:32:16.380 --> 00:32:17.520
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:32:17.520 --> 00:32:21.160
VIRGINIA: And Friday, November 1st is your departure day.

00:32:21.600 --> 00:32:26.120
VIRGINIA: So how much of the day do you have before you have to take off?

00:32:26.120 --> 00:32:27.140
LAURA: A pretty fair amount.

00:32:27.140 --> 00:32:31.560
LAURA: Our flight doesn't leave until I think around 6.30 in the evening.

00:32:31.560 --> 00:32:41.120
LAURA: So we are going to stay at the resort until checkout at 11 and then we have a breakfast reservation at Beach Club.

00:32:41.120 --> 00:32:43.820
LAURA: Is it Kate May Cafe at Beach Club?

00:32:43.820 --> 00:32:44.620
VIRGINIA: Yes, the buffet.

00:32:44.620 --> 00:32:45.240
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:32:45.240 --> 00:32:45.520
LAURA: Yes.

00:32:45.520 --> 00:32:48.920
LAURA: They have some sort of sticky bun there that I really want to try.

00:32:48.980 --> 00:32:49.760
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:32:49.760 --> 00:32:54.900
LAURA: So that reservation was based solely on one particular item, the sticky bun.

00:32:54.900 --> 00:32:56.100
LAURA: Got it.

00:32:57.140 --> 00:33:02.680
LAURA: Then I think afterwards, depending on how long breakfast takes us, we might head over to Boardwalk.

00:33:02.680 --> 00:33:06.760
LAURA: Maybe that's when I'll try the cake bake shop or maybe that's when we'll go to Springs.

00:33:08.080 --> 00:33:14.560
LAURA: So the day we leave and the morning before the party are all sort of a toss up.

00:33:14.560 --> 00:33:23.320
LAURA: And I think we're going to play it by ear and just see what comes the most naturally to us and what we're gravitating towards wanting to do.

00:33:23.320 --> 00:33:24.960
VIRGINIA: Have you looked at the weather?

00:33:24.960 --> 00:33:28.480
VIRGINIA: Are you expecting good weather for this week?

00:33:28.480 --> 00:33:29.840
LAURA: Yeah, the weather is going to be great.

00:33:29.840 --> 00:33:35.960
LAURA: I think tomorrow there is a little bit of rain sort of around when we arrive, but it's like 0.5 inches.

00:33:35.960 --> 00:33:40.000
LAURA: So not really expecting it to be much of a deluge at all.

00:33:41.420 --> 00:33:45.480
LAURA: But the rest of the weather is completely sunny.

00:33:45.480 --> 00:33:50.660
LAURA: Lows are in the mid 60s and highs are in the low 80s, which to me is just picture perfect.

00:33:50.660 --> 00:33:51.780
VIRGINIA: That is perfect.

00:33:51.780 --> 00:33:53.360
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:33:53.360 --> 00:33:55.720
VIRGINIA: Oh, this is going to be an amazing trip.

00:33:55.720 --> 00:33:59.440
VIRGINIA: I'm so excited for you that you get to go to the party on Halloween Day.

00:33:59.440 --> 00:33:59.700
VIRGINIA: I know.

00:33:59.960 --> 00:34:04.860
VIRGINIA: I mean, you must have been on there right at the exact moment everything dropped.

00:34:04.860 --> 00:34:05.080
LAURA: Yeah.

00:34:05.080 --> 00:34:09.820
LAURA: I bought them the day they went on sale and by the next day they were already sold out.

00:34:09.820 --> 00:34:10.260
VIRGINIA: Yeah.

00:34:10.260 --> 00:34:10.860
VIRGINIA: Okay.

00:34:10.860 --> 00:34:14.060
VIRGINIA: So tip for anybody looking to go for next year.

00:34:14.060 --> 00:34:15.700
VIRGINIA: You got to be ready.

00:34:15.700 --> 00:34:16.220
LAURA: All right.

00:34:16.220 --> 00:34:18.540
VIRGINIA: Well, Laura, I hope you have a fantastic trip.

00:34:18.540 --> 00:34:23.080
VIRGINIA: I hope that Michael has an amazing time with all of his firsts as well.

00:34:23.200 --> 00:34:25.120
VIRGINIA: And I can't wait to talk to you when you get back.

00:34:25.120 --> 00:34:25.360
LAURA: Yeah.

00:34:25.360 --> 00:34:27.160
LAURA: I'm so excited for it.

00:34:27.160 --> 00:34:27.620
VIRGINIA: All right.

00:34:27.620 --> 00:34:28.440
VIRGINIA: We will talk soon then.

00:34:29.240 --> 00:34:29.700
LAURA: All right.

00:34:29.700 --> 00:34:31.660
LAURA: Take care.

00:34:31.660 --> 00:34:33.380
VIRGINIA: And that's all for this pre-trip.

00:34:33.380 --> 00:34:36.200
VIRGINIA: A big thank you to Laura for joining me today.

00:34:36.200 --> 00:34:42.820
VIRGINIA: If you liked this pre-trip episode, then you're really going to love the post-trip episode, which is out and ready for you now.

00:34:42.820 --> 00:34:46.740
VIRGINIA: We had the best time talking through all the ins and outs of this trip.

00:34:46.740 --> 00:34:53.200
VIRGINIA: In the end, the themes were Halloween, Mexican street corn, and unfortunately, car accidents.

00:34:53.200 --> 00:34:55.940
VIRGINIA: If you want to know why, you'll have to tune in.

00:34:55.940 --> 00:34:57.800
VIRGINIA: So now it's time to say goodbye.

00:34:58.600 --> 00:35:01.980
VIRGINIA: And don't forget to keep daydreaming about Where You Long To Be.