Earidescent Evening

Last week Susan and I attended another Earidescent Evening, this time at Epcot with Bryan and Jennifer. 

We enjoyed free snacks and rode the new Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster as well as a few other attractions.

This week we attended a special cast shopping event at ESPN Wide World of Sports and a DVC Moonlight Magic event at Typhoon Lagoon.

Jenn in Paris

While Bryan and I were driving back to Florida, Jennifer went to Paris for a convention. While there she spent some time in the city, including seeing the Eiffel Tower at night.

 

She also checked out the stores on the Champs-Élysées. 

One day she went out to the Disney resort to visit the parks with a friend. Disneyland Paris was celebrating its 30th anniversary. 

Over in the Studios park she checked out the new Avengers Campus.

Last load from Oregon

Two weeks ago Disney put up Halloween decorations at Magic Kingdom, and after a two year hiatus, started holding Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties. 

Last week, I flew to Bend to bring the last of our stuff to Florida. Bryan was done working in Bend for the summer, so he drove back with me and we towed his car.

This was my 21st time driving across the country. We drove east through Idaho, Wyoming, and Nebraska, then turned south when we hit Missouri. We didn’t stop much, although we did check out a new Buc-ee’s in Leeds, Alabama.

Food and Wine

Last month the Food and Wine Festival started at Epcot. Like last year, some booths won’t open until fall, and they don’t have all the activities they had before the pandemic. 

Also last month, Jenn went to Magic Kingdom to celebrate the release of her first novel and to be there while Susan worked her last shift in merchandise. A week later she started working for Disney Cruise Line.

This weekend Jennifer flew back to Oregon so she and Bryan could attend the wedding of a friend from University of Portland. It was held on a ranch outside Redmond.

Backstage Magic

This month I was able to attend three behind the scenes tours of attractions at Disney World. First I did a backstage tour of the Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios, with some Friendship Boat Captains.

 

The next week I learned how Rock N Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios works. I again toured the ride with some Friendship Boat Captains. 

Last night Susan and I got to do a behind the scenes tour of Ratatouille in Epcot.

Denver

We just got back from a trip to Denver, where Susan attended a convention. It was held at the Sheraton Downtown, where we stayed. Because of our Marriott status we got upgraded to a nicer room and had access to the executive lounge.

While she was doing that, I spend sometime exploring the Capitol and grounds. The Capitol building was impressive and the grounds were nice, although the number of vagrants hanging out on the streets near the Capitol was a little disconcerting. I also visited the History Colorado Center, which had some nice displays.

Before we left town, Susan and I made a trek down Colfax Avenue to the nearest Voodoo Doughnut.

We also walked around downtown a bit, including by the convention center.

July at WDW

 

Last week some friends from Oregon came out to visit, and we spent a few days in the parks with them. On Tuesday we went to Animal Kingdom, and on Wednesday we visited the Studios. Disney had erected a giant Baymax in front of the Studios to publicize the new series on Disney+.

We also invited them to enjoy the Independence Day fireworks at our subdivision. Although it was nowhere near as good as one of Disney's shows, it wasn't bad. 

Thursday they came to visit me at work at Epcot, and were able to snag a boarding pass for the new Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster, which they really enjoyed.

Yesterday they went to Typhoon Lagoon with Jenn, then we all had dinner at Trail's End at Fort Wilderness before they headed out. After the pandemic, Trail's End had switched to family-style dinning instead of a buffet. The food was similar to the Hoop De Doo, since they share a kitchen.